At the end of last year (you may remember from this post), I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started drug therapy. My thyroid levels were "very bad" and we (us encouraged by the doctor, of course) are pretty sure that hypothyroidism has been the cause of my infertility for the past 2+ years. We aren't sure it is the only cause, but you gotta start somewhere. Unfortunately, after reviewing blood work at the beginning of the year, my thyroid was still real sluggish. My doctor educated me on the connections between gluten and hypothyroidism (crazy!) and she put me on gluten-free trial diet for six months. It has been 3 (I'll go in for more blood work this week) and I have to say it is the easiest diet I have ever been on. Almost every restaurant has a gluten free menu, and thanks to lots of comments on Instagram--I've even learned grocery stores carry gluten free cookie, cake and brownie mixes. I kinda wish I hadn't discovered those. Chris also whips up gluten-free dinners nightly for all of us.
I can count on one hand, the meals Chris has made more than once our entire marriage. He loves experimenting with new flavors and ingredients--but one go-to favorite is his tacos. We actually had them even before I went gluten free, but now I request them weekly.
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Hi Julia. Sorry to hear about your hypothyroidism. I've suffered from IBS and leaky gut syndrome for years, and just recently stumbled upon J.J. Virgin's food intolerance eating plan in her book, THE VIRGIN DIET. It's more about highlighting the types of food intolerances that often go undetected, and putting an elimination plan into action. I have discovered things about certain foods that I never knew existed! Stage One deals with elimination, while Stage Two concentrates on reintroducing them back into our daily diet. It's definitely not another DIET book - it's more a sensible eating plan for those of us with allergies, food intolerances, thyroid conditions, eczema, etc. Top of her list of trigger foods which must be eliminated are the following: GLUTEN, CORN, SOY, DAIRY (inc yogurt & cheese), SUGAR (inc artificial sweeteners + Agave), EGGS & PEANUTS. It sounds complicated, but following a more Paleo food or Veggie option, makes it easier to replace or eliminate these ingredients.
Also FYI, did you know that SOY is an inhibitor to thyroid function? I didn't, and it blew me away! I have long suspected that I'm hypothyroid, but I fall into the border-line category and have received no treatment as such. Your meds can be replaced, as Janie Bowthorpe explains in her book. Two very good books I highly recommend to you are:
Stop The Thyroid Madness - by Janie A Bowthorpe
The Thyroid Diet Revolution - by Mary Shoman (new out)
I hope I've been of some help. Do cut out the corn and soy - they're more filler and inhibitor!
Cheers Hx
I would love more gluten free recipe ideas! My husband has developed a wheat allergy and we're trying to make the switch to gluten free and I'm totally clueless!
My in-laws have Celiac disease, which means they can't eat gluten. We have very high chances of having a child with Celiac, but nowadays the adjustment isn't too hard to make. You don't miss as much after awhile.
Gluten free seems like such a wise decision to tighten up any diet. Im just afraid I would wimp out after a week! Those tacos look delish! Tacos are a weekly, sometimes twice a week meal! Yum!! You need to send me ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while you're here!!
I can eat so much stuff!!! Just nothing with wheat in it. We'll talk.
Looks delish! I was just doing some research on coconut oil to use in my cooking, read that it can help with thyroid problems and thought of your post this morning. Might be worth looking into! Anyway, keep up the beautiful work - love seeing the kitchen upgrades!
We used to use coconut oil for cooking everything!! And then we ran out and stopped. :/ Sounds like it is time to get back on that wagon.
This is also MY favorite meal that Chris makes. We've had them at Greta's birthday two years running... I can't wait until she turns 4! More TACOS!!
Yay a recipe! Those tacos sound amazing! I am pinning this!
I struggle with hypothyroidism too and have toyed with the idea of going gluten-free. I know you said you haven't gotten you blood checked since you started the diet, but can you tell a difference yet? Do you feel any better? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I do feel better!! I still have bouts of nausea at night, but I have noticed I have more energy during the days and my weight has gone done--unintentional but still a perk!
Thanks so much! I struggle with fatigue and weight the most so I think I'll give it a shot! Those tacos look amazing too!
Another hypothyroid sufferer here. There is a blood test you can ask your doctor to run to test for celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Ask your doctor about it.
I was diagnosed about five years ago. One of the biggest things for me has been to be really observant of my body and my symptoms. The "normal" range for TSH levels is a pretty big range: what may be within the "normal" scale may not be normal for you (I have to keep my thyroid levels as close to 2.0 as possible because if I get anywhere past 2.5, I feel awful - even though up to 4 is considered the normal range). I know I need to get my blood tested whenever I start to feel unusually tired, if my skin gets dry, or when my nails start to flake. Another thing to check is if your obgyn has any training in endocrinology, they tend to be able to offer more specific fertility advice based on your thyroid condition.
I hope this helps someone! Hypothyroidism is a pain, but once you get to know how medication affects you, and what symptoms pop up when things are off, things start to balance out. Good luck ladies!
One more thing your doctor might not tell you: there are certain foods and vitamins that interfere with your body's ability to absorb the thyroid medication. The biggest culprit is soy milk - avoid it for at least four hours after taking your medication. Your pharmacist should be able to tell you all sorts of diet tips!
I'm so jealous that you've got a man who can cook. I love my husband, but he can't cook to save his life. You've got it good girl!
You don't have to tell me twice. ;)
obsessed with tacos! we have them at least weekly, they are the most forgiving meal for leftovers and whatever we have in the kitchen.
recently we tried sweet potato and butternut squash (separately) and we enjoyed the sweet and spicy combo.
sounds delish! We did sweet potato and black bean ones that were really good. Love sweet+spicy!
these look delicious! What kind of corn tortillas did you use?
Mission brand--yellow corn tortillas. Although we love white corn too!
I loveloveloveeee tacos, we have them weekly as well - chicken, fish (our new favorite is cod, but we've also done salmon, tilapia, & shrimp!), and ground turkey meat. Yum. The biggest debate in our house is what to house the taco in - I love a hard shell, while my husband likes soft.
I have been thinking about going gluten-free lately in hopes that it might cure some of my (ahem) sluggish digestive issues since nothing else seems to be helping.
Worth a try! I don't miss a thing.
Yum! I've been gluten-free for 8 years. It is much easier now than it was when I started. So many more options. These tacos looks great.