The AIP
I know, it's been a long time since I've written! It's been quite a roller coaster for me the past month or so, the winter usually is. I had a very busy February and then March started off hectic as well.. which means that I haven't really been staying on track all that well either. I've been losing weight, but just here and there - not in a steady purposeful way. Anyways, I'm here to talk about the Autoimmune Protocol and what it is..why I think it might help me..and what I have to do.
For the past few months I've been dealing with what I thought was just dry skin, I get eczema every winter but this was different. It was hives showing up every single day all over my arms, stomach, legs... etc. I'd scratch because good gravy were they itchy and then they'd break. I called my doctor and he gave me an eczema cream, I made an appointment with a dermatologist - but not until July. I have been taking Benadryl just about every day to keep the hives from showing up, I haven't changed a single thing. I use hypoallergenic lotions and body wash, I don't use anything that has a scent and I barely wear perfume unless I'm going out. I was completely perplexed as to what was going on. I was starting to feel depressed because I couldn't wear short sleeves without feeling like everyone was noticing the scratches on my arms or the broken hives. I also started noticing I had dark shadows under my eyes and my face was incredibly puffy - I was feeling really badly about myself. What was happening? I was losing weight and when I lose weight I almost always lose it in my face first. That wasn't the case this time, my face just looked (and still looks) swollen. I used to be able to put makeup on and feel a bit better about myself but lately I just can't do that. I knew something was different, I knew that something had changed I just couldn't think of what.
I started to wonder what I could do, then it hit me, my thyroid. The only thing I have that's really "wrong" with me is my thyroid. I've always been dismissive of it and just thought "Oh it means I'm just really tired". I started to think that maybe it was more than that, so I hit google (And I do not recommend googling your health -ever but I had gotten a lot of good sources along the way so I wasn't blindly googling I guess you could say). I started looking at the symptoms of Hashimoto's, one of those was recurring hives..another was a puffy face.. another was exhaustion but not being able to fall asleep at night....depression..anxiety.. mood swings..irritability. In the past few months I've noticed my demeanor has really changed, I've become really irritable and my emotions just kind of..explode out of nowhere. I had gone to see my doctor and get my levels checked for my TSH and they were very high, which means that my thyroid is off..very off. It really hit me then that I was not just dealing with my regular thyroid issue - it was more than that. It had become more than that.
So after scaring myself, I made an appointment with an Endocrinologist but that isn't until March 27th and I really needed to do something now to see at least SOME type of relief. I've been reading for years that the Autoimmune Protocol was really helpful for those with thyroid issues but I didn't feel ready for that. I love gluten and I love dairy. I love coffee. How can I give those things up? After reading some more into this condition, I realized that if I want to be healthy and I want to be around for awhile..I have to change. My health is not a joke and I need to take it seriously. So I ordered a few books on the AIP and how to do it. Basically for 30 days (or longer) you eliminate all the things your body could be sensitive to - gluten, dairy, nuts, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol.. etc. and then slowly you reintroduce certain things - except for gluten and most dairy because those are two big triggers for thyroid disorders, it's recommended you are off of those for good.
So I'm starting today, the books I ordered come with a meal plan, shopping list and recipes to get you through the 30 days. It's a lot of work and a lot of cooking..it's also cooking different things that I've never thought of before (bone broth is a big one). So I'm sure it'll be trial and error, but I'm really hopeful that with this and my new endocrinologist, I can get to feeling better, finally. I can get some energy back and be back to myself again.
For the past few months I've been dealing with what I thought was just dry skin, I get eczema every winter but this was different. It was hives showing up every single day all over my arms, stomach, legs... etc. I'd scratch because good gravy were they itchy and then they'd break. I called my doctor and he gave me an eczema cream, I made an appointment with a dermatologist - but not until July. I have been taking Benadryl just about every day to keep the hives from showing up, I haven't changed a single thing. I use hypoallergenic lotions and body wash, I don't use anything that has a scent and I barely wear perfume unless I'm going out. I was completely perplexed as to what was going on. I was starting to feel depressed because I couldn't wear short sleeves without feeling like everyone was noticing the scratches on my arms or the broken hives. I also started noticing I had dark shadows under my eyes and my face was incredibly puffy - I was feeling really badly about myself. What was happening? I was losing weight and when I lose weight I almost always lose it in my face first. That wasn't the case this time, my face just looked (and still looks) swollen. I used to be able to put makeup on and feel a bit better about myself but lately I just can't do that. I knew something was different, I knew that something had changed I just couldn't think of what.
I started to wonder what I could do, then it hit me, my thyroid. The only thing I have that's really "wrong" with me is my thyroid. I've always been dismissive of it and just thought "Oh it means I'm just really tired". I started to think that maybe it was more than that, so I hit google (And I do not recommend googling your health -ever but I had gotten a lot of good sources along the way so I wasn't blindly googling I guess you could say). I started looking at the symptoms of Hashimoto's, one of those was recurring hives..another was a puffy face.. another was exhaustion but not being able to fall asleep at night....depression..anxiety.. mood swings..irritability. In the past few months I've noticed my demeanor has really changed, I've become really irritable and my emotions just kind of..explode out of nowhere. I had gone to see my doctor and get my levels checked for my TSH and they were very high, which means that my thyroid is off..very off. It really hit me then that I was not just dealing with my regular thyroid issue - it was more than that. It had become more than that.
So after scaring myself, I made an appointment with an Endocrinologist but that isn't until March 27th and I really needed to do something now to see at least SOME type of relief. I've been reading for years that the Autoimmune Protocol was really helpful for those with thyroid issues but I didn't feel ready for that. I love gluten and I love dairy. I love coffee. How can I give those things up? After reading some more into this condition, I realized that if I want to be healthy and I want to be around for awhile..I have to change. My health is not a joke and I need to take it seriously. So I ordered a few books on the AIP and how to do it. Basically for 30 days (or longer) you eliminate all the things your body could be sensitive to - gluten, dairy, nuts, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol.. etc. and then slowly you reintroduce certain things - except for gluten and most dairy because those are two big triggers for thyroid disorders, it's recommended you are off of those for good.
So I'm starting today, the books I ordered come with a meal plan, shopping list and recipes to get you through the 30 days. It's a lot of work and a lot of cooking..it's also cooking different things that I've never thought of before (bone broth is a big one). So I'm sure it'll be trial and error, but I'm really hopeful that with this and my new endocrinologist, I can get to feeling better, finally. I can get some energy back and be back to myself again.
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