AIP: My Food list

Autoimmune Protocal diet.... yeah, good times..  what is it?

 In the simplest of terms it is like Paleo only more restrictive. 

Yeah... my husband came across it last year when he started Paleo.  I did it for a while and did well with it. But fell off the wagon...let's face it...bread is cheap...and sometimes the budget is thin...

But, now I'm going back to it. 

Hashi's kicks my butt.... often..... and desperate times call for desperate measures.

 
The thing that frustrates me the most is that there are so many websites and books telling you what you can't have and very few that tell you what you can. 

It gets very overwhelming to hear so many "no you can't do this" statements. 

I am totally ok with doing this. I am very committed.

I just don't want to hear what I can't have! 

I want to know what I can. ...And I will stick to it.

So far : here is my list of "cans"

Grassfed or wild caught meats.
Lettuces
Celery
Okra
Squash
Zuchini
Onions
Carrots
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Coconut milk and oil
Herbs
Teas
Fennel
Beets
Bell peppers
Green beans ( but no other legumes)
Asparagus
Garlic
Basil
Olive oil
Olives
Apples
Lemons
Limes
Sea salt

And so far that is all I know.  I'm sure there is more.  But this is enough

This is the list I work from......

Autoimmune Disease: how i deal with it

I spent half my life not knowing why I felt bad or unhealthy...and then once I was told I had hypothyroid I spent ten years being either in denial or undertreated. 

It wasn't until I was pregnant with my youngest that the words "hashimoto's thyroiditis" were even spoken to me.(How is that even possible in this day and age of technology? I still don't know.)

 In the last two years it has been a roller coaster ride of facing the issue,  getting meds right,  researching what might help, and attempting to get to some form of "healthy." 

I am so fortunate that I have the love and support of my husband. It is in researching, joining support groups and forums, thinking about my own past, that i realize just how few people really have the support of someone who loves them when they are dealing with what so many of us refer to as our "invisible disease."

I can't say I am healed.

I can't say I feel awesome.

I'm not, and i don't.

But, here is what i do to try to feel better.

1. Exercise: I do yoga...for me yoga is one of the best things i have done for myself...

2. Meditate:

3. Rest:

4. Take my medicines:

5. Eat right:

6. Take vitamins:

7. Get outside as much as possible

8. Laugh as much as possible.

9. Hug as much as possible.

Hashimoto s autoimmune

This was me about a month ago. 

The thing about Hashimoto's is you never know when it will hit.

 As I told a friend this week, I don't like to make a big deal about this stuff....I truly believe that we don't want to feed the fire of negativity and that staying focused on the positive is the way to go. But I have also come to the understanding that on those days when I am getting slammed with this autoimmune crap, it is simply best to be honest with people. Simply telling people, " I am not do....(insert whatever activity)....today because...(insert whatever it is throwing at you that day) and explain the facts" usually does the job. 

I have had several people email me in the last few weeks about their own struggles with this autoimmune issue. I don't have all, if any answers at all. I too am just figuring this stuff out. Years of ignoring my own physical needs and simply "pushing through" meant that I did very little research on this issue for myself., until now. And admittedly, now, I have found so much contradictory information out there that I am still sorting through it all as well.

  HOWEVER, the things I do know, and have been forced to learn, is the importance  of being kind to myself, doing what I can to get back to perfect health, and listening to my body when it is crashing.

 In the past I would push through, ignoring the signs and tell myself to get over it and take care of business....now, I have to force myself to rest. Resting has never been a luxury I felt I could afford. Now, it is a requirement. But, I still have to mentally "allow" myself to do it...

committed to perfect health

So, I did the 21 day meditation series with Oprah and Deepok Chopra (Oprah Chopra....tee hee hee)...and the first meditation was about committing one's self to having perfect health... (Okay, CONFESSION...i fizzled out about day 11....i don't know what happened...but the next thing i knew...it was finished...so weird...BUT....the first half of the series was great, and i am certain it was all the way through day 21....)

BUT, i digress.... The idea of being committed to perfect health has really inspired me....

I'm an older mom... I'm 40... (i don't mind telling the world...40 doesn't freak me out like i hear tales that it does some people)....what freaks me out is simply that I'm an older mom...with young kids...and i want to be around for them for a long time...not only AROUND....but i want to be healthy...and happy, and i want to be functioning and available for them....

That, and I have a few things working against me....I have mentioned it before, but I have (?) deal with (?) work with (?)...i'm not sure how to say it exactly...but I have an autoimmune disease...Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...I'm only talking about it because I am finding out that more and more people are coming up with autoimmune diseases...and to be honest, i don't think enough people really talk about it...I'm finding out that people who i have known for ages, have some form of an autoimmune disease and have been suffering silently because they didn't think others would understand...i totally "get" this...

What is an autoimmune disease?  In a very basic nutshell...a person's immune system is attacking its' own body....that is a VERY BASIC explanation...

Again, i have digressed... because of this autoimmune issue...I am committed to health....Fortunately my husband turned 40 before me, so his midlife crisis turned into an obsession with Paleo and got our whole family on a better track for eating...which has resulted in our family eating much more vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nuts, and coconut products.

Last year I completed my year-long training for yoga teacher certification. And in January a beautiful soul handed me a bone by getting me to sub some classes at the local gym. Now i teach 6 classes a month. One of the other perks is free access to the gym...and childcare with an amazing playroom for the youngest... we go 2-3 times a week....my youngest is the main motivator to get me there...she loves that playroom and asks to go...i am so grateful for that...it kicks me into gear and gets me to the gym when i really don't feel like moving...(which is very common with autoimmune issues)


Again, I'm chasing rabbits. Perfect health! I don't actually expect to have perfect health. But my goal is to aim for much better health... and really my ultimate goal is simply to feel good... I have schtuff I still want to do..see..be..experience. ..and I want to feel good for it...I just want to feel good...and in order to feel good, i have to be healthier...plain and simple...

For me, that means: eating healthier, exercising, yoga, reducing stress, knowing my limits, having boundaries,living simply, creating, laughing as much as possible, staying positive, letting go of negatives...

Be Healthier

So, recently, I have felt the need to share positive information I come across about things like:

• getting enough sleep
• the importance of health
• eating better for your health
• eating better on a budget

...and so on and so forth...

why?


a few reasons:

1. I am a yoga instructor: it took me a while to admit this to myself...I wasn't exactly comfortable with calling myself a "teacher" anymore...and I still battle with my own idea of what a yoga instructor "looks" like (pssssst...they don't look like me)...but, once I finally came to this admission, that "yes, I AM a yoga instructor" I felt compelled to go ahead and extend the yogic  ideals of taking care of myself a little further...

2. I have an autoimmune disease:  And, quite frankly...it sucks...er...um...it, "inhales profusely" as I like to say....but really...it is simply no fun...some days are great...like today...I wish everyday was like today...I have energy, I can dance with my youngest, I can chase her around and laugh all morning... it is after 2 and I am still smiling...on the bad days...it stops me from having fun with my family...maybe in the future I will talk more about it...I am finding that more and more people I know have what I have...Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...and it makes me want to do whatever I can to be healthier.

3.Budget: I have heard several times lately.."it is more expensive to eat processed foods than to eat fresh fruits and veggies"....and while I agree...I also know that it is possible to eat better on the same budget...and, if you are willing to do some research you can actually cut your budget significantly..  I hope to share a few tips I have found that helps our family do this. This isn't to say we NEVER eat processed food...but we certainly have cut back 90%....and that is easier than one might realize..