Hashimoto's Protocol, my 90 day journey

I have been dealing with Hashimoto's for 2 yrs now. And I have chosen to do so naturally. While I have made improvements, I'm not all the way 'cured' which I get, it takes time!
So I'm super excited to start Thyroid Pharmacist, Dr. Izabella Wentz 90 day plan! I'll share what I'm doing and how my lab work is looking as I go along for any fellow Hashimoto or autoimmune sufferer.
First 2 weeks are focusing on the liver. You start your morning out with hot lemon water. The supplements you see were already what I was taking and also mentioned in the book so I'm going to continue those.
Here goes nothing, fingers crossed I see my antibodies level drop to normal range! 

I'll update this post as I progress so all the info is in one easy to find spot :) 

Benefits of drinking Bone Broth

Sipping on delicious bone broth! Why bone broth? 

✅Boosts Immunity
✅Fights Inflammation
✅Strengthens bones and teeth
✅Good source of L-glutamine which promotes weight loss
✅Gelatin it contains makes stronger nails, is anti-aging, anti-tumor, arthritis and joint pain relief, supports insulin regulation, & helps normalize stomach acid. 

I personally drink it to heal my gut so I can recover from Hashimoto's. Plus it's great on a cool day to get you warmed up :)

Do You Need A Boost?

What are Shakeology Boosts?
Shakeology Boosts are the easiest way to customize Shakeology to your unique needs. When you boost your shakes, you boost your health!

• Focused Energy Boost energizes your day the healthy way. It also supports mental clarity, alertness, and focus to help you be more productive.
  
• Power Greens Boost fuels your body with a full serving of nutrient-dense green veggies and exotic greens while helping support the body's acid/alkaline balance.
  
• Digestive Health Boost helps improve irregularity, support digestive health, and helps keep you feeling full longer with its potent blend of 7 g of soluble AND insoluble fiber. 
  

0. What are the unique benefits of each boost?
   Focused Energy Boost:
   This awesome boost is designed to give you a wholesome boost of energy—both for your mind and body. Not only will it help you feel more energized, it also supports mental clarity, alertness, and focus to help you be more productive. Plus, this boost contains NO chemicals, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives that could compromise your health.
   Why do I need Focused Energy Boost in addition to Shakeology?
   While Shakeology is an incredible daily dose of dense nutrition, there are those days when you simply need a little something extra. So when you're challenged for energy, or need some help being more productive, supercharge yourself with Focused Energy Boost. You can also use this boost to reduce or replace your daily coffee habit.
   
   Power Greens Boost:
   Power Greens Boost is a convenient way to get a full serving of nutrient-dense green vegetables,
   like kale and spinach, that feed your body more of what it's not getting from the average vegetable- challenged diet. This boost also helps support the body's acid/alkaline balance. It doesn't matter how many greens you currently eat; your body can always benefit from more.
   Why do I need Power Greens Boost in addition to Shakeology?
   Even though Shakeology is packed with superfoods, the reality is, you can never get enough greens. Maybe you're a veggie hater. Maybe you're on-the-go and the menu options are vegetable-challenged. Or maybe you're a firm believer that more is better. Regardless, the bottom line is, when it comes to greens, more is better.
   
   
   Digestive Health Boost:
   Did you know the average American gets less than half of the Daily Recommended amount of fiber? Now you can get over half of your daily recommended amount of fiber when you add this boost to Chocolate Shakeology.* Digestive Health Boost supplies your body with a potent blend (7 grams) of both soluble AND insoluble fiber, setting this formula apart from typical fiber supplements that only contain soluble fiber.
   Why do I need Digestive Health Boost in addition to Shakeology?
   
   Depending on your changing lifestyle and specific dietary needs (whether you have digestive issues or if you temporarily clogged your system with junk food), there are those times when your body calls for a little more help in the digestion department. So when you're experiencing irregularity or digestive discomfort, this boost may help alleviate those uncomfortable symptoms while getting you back to feeling like yourself as quickly as possible.
   
   
   What makes our Boosts better than others?
   Focused Energy Boost is better than other energy products because:
   

   • Focused Energy Boost naturally boosts your energy, focus, and mental clarity with ginseng and 100 mg of natural caffeine from guarana and green tea.
     
   • It's packed with adaptogens to help support the body in times of stress, as well as antioxidants that may help fight free radical damage.
     
   • There are no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives in this boost.
     Power Greens Boost is better than other greens products because:
     

   • While other green boosts contain small doses of numerous ingredients, Power Greens Boost is packed with a potent dose of green superfoods that contain vitamins, minerals, and vital phytonutrients.
     
   • There are absolutely NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives in our boost.
     
   • Our unique formula helps support the body's acid/alkaline balance.
     Digestive Health Boost is better than other fiber products because:
     • While most other products on the market only contain soluble fiber, Digestive Health Boost contains BOTH soluble and insoluble fiber—which are both equally important to our digestive health. 
     
     
     As for me personally using it?
     Yup, I've officially replaced my morning coffee with Focused Energy! For those who know me and my absolute love of coffee, y'all know this is BIG for me lol 
     Side effects of my autoimmune thyroid issues are getting BETTER so I'm sold. My brain fog from thyroid issues is lifting (HUGE step for me) I'm remembering better. I'm having less "squirrel" moments. And the big thing for me is I'm not crashing in the afternoon from pure exhaustion, I'm actually good to go all day long. I actually feel well rested and refreshed. I skipped a couple of days and I was able to tell. No more skipping for me. This is the real deal!!
     
     
     
     
   
   

Fighting Hashimoto's Disease Naturally

Now that I know I have Hashimoto's, I've been coming up with a "protocol" for Candida overgrowth which causes the autoimmune Hashimotos disease of the thyroid. Fix the candida and you can stop suffering from Hashimotos (weight gain, memory loss, brain fog, hair falling out, etc) all of which I'm definitely suffering from. And pure exhaustion too! That's no way I want to live.
I have a good friend who has it too and it's so nice to talk to someone who is like you and to reassure you that you are NOT crazy bc you can't remember a darn thing or even make simple sentences sometimes bc you forgot the word you were trying to say. I'm talking super simple stuff like me pointing to shoes on the floor and asking the kids to pick them up but can't say shoes bc I can't think of the word I'm trying to say. It's scary. 

I see a light at the end of my tunnel thanks to my friend who is in my shoes and seeing positive changes with her natural approach. 

It will be a long process to be healed, but I want to do this right. No just "fixing" the side effects but instead, fixing the root cause.
Now just to get started on my low hormones and I'll be a new woman here soon! 

I have had so many ladies message me saying they too suffer the same issues. Ladies, and even men....if you feel like something is "off" or you notice things are changing, PLEASE don't be like me and wait it out for a year to see if things change. Get some lab work done and get answers! Then do your research...with the internet, you could read tons of info and figure out the best method for you.
For me, I've decided to go about it naturally and to start a Paleo way of eating once I'm done with the Reset. I'll update y'all as I see progress. If I can help just one person by sharing my own journey, then it's worth it!

What is Hashimoto's?

Hashimoto's disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck below your Adam's apple. The thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system, which produces hormones that coordinate many of your body's activities.

The resulting inflammation from Hashimoto's disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States.

Symptoms?

You might not notice signs or symptoms of Hashimoto's disease at first, or you may notice a swelling at the front of your throat (goiter). Hashimoto's disease typically progresses slowly over years and causes chronic thyroid damage, leading to a drop in thyroid hormone levels in your blood. The signs and symptoms are mainly those of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• Fatigue and sluggishness
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• A puffy face
• Hoarse voice
• Unexplained weight gain 
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, especially in your shoulders and hips
• Pain and stiffness in your joints and swelling in your knees or the small joints in your hands and feet
• Muscle weakness, especially in your lower extremities
• Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
• Depression

So here is how I am approaching this disease...naturally! I ordered in this highly recommended book, The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook.

I ordered these supplements too, which aid in helping you reduce Candida overgrowth...

I'm happy to know I can still have my daily Shakeology, just has to be the vegan version! 

Now I'm just waiting for my book and Now supplements to arrive so I can get started! I also have read on multiple pages that the recommended exercises for these issues are HIIT or lifting weights. Thank goodness for all my Beachbody DVD's, I can do both of those right here at home without the stress of getting to a gym! 

I'll update ASAP on how everything is going. Thanks for following my journey!

{I am not a licensed medical professional nor do I pretend to be one on this site. Take what I write as a launching off point to do your own research. My advice, experience, and suggestions are not to be considered medical advice}

How I'm Conquering Low Hormone Levels and Hypothyroidism

I have been struggling over the past few months with weight gain, hair falling out, skin breaking out, and just feeling off even though I was still eating clean and working out hard daily. My "after" results were slowly slipping away and I could not understand why! I was doing everything right. I tried to get stricter in my eating, I did more intense workouts trying to correct the issues. And to much disappointment, nothing was happening! To see my abs disappear and all my hard work to basically go down the drain, I was distraught. To be honest, I still am. But I'm going to fight back! I finally had blood work done and the tests showed extremely low testosterone & estradiol levels. Still hypothyroid but they noted my thyroid antibodies were extremely high which points to a thyroid autoimmune disease. I will see an endocrinologist this week to pinpoint exactly what is going on with my thyroid. And we still haven't ruled out early menopause (I'm only 31!) Yikes! So in a nut shell, I'm a hot mess right now. And I don't want to go into "hiding" during all this and pretend everything is ok on social media to my followers. I'm just going to be downright honest about the whole deal. I know there are so many other women out there going through this same thing or similar situation so if I can bring some light to them and let them see there is hope and you can be healthy and have the body you want, then it's worth it to share.

Of course, I don't really care for fake ingredients in my medicine so I'll be taking the natural route to getting back to normal. Think traditional Chinese medicine (herbs, acupuncture), yoga, massage, and if need be, bioidentical hormones. 

So to get started on healing, I am doing the Ultimate Reset again. And I'll share my 21 days of the program with you here.....

Recap of day 1 (for those wondering what the Ultimate Reset is like)
Yes it's a detox but no it's not a starve, drink liquid all day, or  all day type detox lol
This has scientifically proven to lower cholesterol, raise testosterone in men, help you lose weight, and lower blood pressure! And you can have a normal life during these 3 weeks exercise is limited to walking/swimming, just something light so your body can focus on healing.
Today I woke up with one heck of a headache, normal part of detoxing. That's my body starting to get rid of the junk and also it's sign of missing my morning coffee. And I'm not a fan of the supplements I have to drink. But I'm also not a fan of how I feel and look at the moment so I just sucked it up and took them bc I want to be better!
That brush I'm holding is for dry brushing your skin. There are SO MANY benefits to it, check out this article and see why you should start!

There you have it! On to day 2 today. 

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DAY 5 UPDATE

Today I begin day 6 with the Ultimate Reset. While I'm not going to get too excited, the scale has moved down 5 lbs. over past 5 days. Now if it keeps moving over the next 2 weeks, THEN I'll be excited bc I know something is changing! 
Headed out today to see a new endocrinologist! Hoping to get more answers so I can start a successful natural treatment.

My headaches are gone now that my body has adjusted to no morning coffee. I'm still feeling tired, but I do feel an extra burst of energy during my day I haven't had in a while. That has been nice. 

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WEEK 2 UPDATE 

Update of the Reset...on week 2 and here's what's awesome- I no longer crave or want breads or cereals. My favorite cereal is in the house right now and I don't even care! Easter candy is in the house and I am not tempted. Normally my cravings would kick in and I'd be nibbling here and there. But nope. Not right now.
I must confess I did cheat on Easter with a normal meal, but it was just one meal and I'm back at it. I paid for it too bc my tummy was upset and I felt like crap. Which further proves you eat like crap, you feel like crap!

Oh and the hubby says he can tell I'm trimming down, 

I can tell too. I feel lighter and look less fluffy! So I'll just do a happy dance for that! At least something is changing!

Summer Bodies Are Made In The Winter

I was never one of those skinny pregnant people. I got fat from head to toe all 3 times :) 
Even after 3 c-sections, low thyroid, & jacked up hormones it is STILL POSSIBLE to get fit!! If you are a lady looking to get your sexy back, fill out the form below and let's get you to your goals!

Spring will be here in 5 months! That’s really not far off so join me this winter in building your summer body!! NO PILLS, NO WRAPS, just eating healthy and exercising! AND doing it all in the comfort of your own house!!!

How I Got Better Hair

After years of dealing with hypothyroidism, having 3 kids, & hormonal issues, my hair has suffered! It has recently gotten to a point where I have balding spots. I get so self conscious to just put up a pony tail because you can see my scalp easier. I have to work to mask it and use lots of hairspray.

Even my husband noticed the thinning & we all know men don't usually pay attention to hair lol 

I was tired of my shower drain staying clogged from my hair, I was tired of it falling out, I was tired of it feeling and looking like CRAP! So I decided to experiment. 

Now, I'm only a week in mind you, but I already see and feel a change! I'll update this as I keep going along with my routine. I will not cut or color it for at least 2 months so we can all see what naturally changed. 

Ready for my routine? Here goes....

Every morning I start out with my Shakeology. All natural and 70 super foods, well, it just does a body good!!

Then I take my first round of additional supplements. I take the Silica 3 times a day. I take 5 Biotin each morning. I ordered off Amazon for just a few bucks each!

I also added in a new shampoo. As you can see, I got a great deal on these at my TJ Maxx. I was already using the Argon Oil shampoo/conditioner but I read online that the Keratin shampoo should help. So since I wash my hair twice in the shower anyway, I use both lol I start with the Argon then do the Keratin and let that one sit a few minutes. I also let the conditioner sit for a few minutes. 

Results? Well here's where I am so far! I'm pretty excited about it, I can't believe it's only been a week! Can you see the subtle changes? Stay tuned! I'll update at the one month mark!

Here are my 1 month results! I see and feel the changes. Lots of new growth too I have these short hairs sprouting that I call my wings lol I will take it if it means no more bare patches on my head :) What do you think? I will continue my routine of a daily Shakeology, Silica, Biotin, shampoo and update again later! I'm super excited about my results so far.