Category: Health

Best News Ever

by Healthy Rhythms of Hashimoto Living, posted in Hashimoto, Health, Low Carb diet, Wellness

What?! I don’t need to quit coffee.

Dr. Heather Stone, functional medicine provider, suggested for coffee lovers to be wiser when drinking the morning coffee. Stone (2025) will recommend coffee to be eliminated at the start of a customized program when working with her patients.

What happens when we drink coffee on an empty stomach? It can deplete us from essential minerals including magnesium and zinc. In addition, it will release cortisol and disrupt our glucose levels.

“I plan on keeping a closer eye on potential glucose spikes during the day including coffee time.”

Dr. Stone suggested for us to consider the following:

a.) Pair our coffee time with ‘nutrient-dense’ snacks (e.g., boiled eggs, avocado toast or nuts).

b.) Add ‘adaptogens’ like reishi or ashwagandha to balance stress hormones.

c.) Wait 30 minutes after eating to enjoy the morning cup of coffee.

Personally, I plan on pairing my morning coffee with a ‘nutrient-dense’ snack (e.g., a protein bar or almonds).

New Rhythms in Baking

by Healthy Rhythms of Hashimoto Living, posted in Baked Goods, Gluten Free, Low Carb diet, Uncategorized

I don’t like to cook, but I love to bake muffins!

Prior to the medical diagnoses, I used to eat peanut butter crackers every morning. Yes, it was easy, convenient and did not have to open the refrigerator to pull out any ingredients. I did not spend much time in the kitchen either. When we have fast-paced lifestyles, we tend to grab the first thing we like and move on to the next task in our ‘to do’ list.

Cooking and baking ‘gluten-free’ recipes take time. We have to be intentional in choosing tasty recipes, shopping for selected ingredients and investing time in preparing and baking.

Healthy meals or bakery goods take time.

It is an investment.

Good health is priceless.

I knew I needed to maintain a low carbohydrates diet. I also knew the changes in lifestyle needed to be practical, tasty and sustainable.

I love muffins so I quickly searched Amazon for ‘gluten-free’ products. I quickly was able to replace the peanut butter crackers with Apple Cinnamon, the Pumpkin or the Banana Muffins by Simple Mills. These products are gluten-free, plant-based, grain free, corn free, dairy free, gums/emulsifiers free, and paleo friendly.

The banana muffin has 3 grams of total fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of protein. Each muffin only has 80 or 90 calories.

Just arrived today! I cannot wait to use it this weekend.

Hopefully, I won’t encounter any food sensitivities with these products in the future!

“By the way”

by Healthy Rhythms of Hashimoto Living, posted in Hashimoto, Health, Wellness

“… You have Hashimoto Thyroiditis, and you are straining your pancreas” the physician assistant (P.A) commented on Friday, September 06, 2024, while reviewing my first blood work at the local, functional medicine provider. She then proceeded to outline her recommendations while I sat in the examining room perplexed and silent.

Initial recommendations included low carbohydrate diet, Omega 3 ‘extra strength’ and 3 Brazil nuts a day (a source of selenium).

I did not have any idea what to ask much less how to react!

I do remember asking myself, ‘what do I need to do so I no longer strain my pancreas? Yikes, I don’t want to mess around with the pancreas!’

A new health journey just began … I immediately began the research!

I want to encourage women to do research about new medical diagnosis.

Be empowered by information and focus on your wellness. A 15-20 minute consultation every 3 or 6 months is not enough time for us to gather enough recommendations.

We are born to heal.

In the last two months, I have made so many environmental changes in my lifestyle to promote wellness… I’ve seen significant progress along the way.

The brain fog, joint and muscle stiffness or pain, sleeping disturbance have significantly improved by just making environmental modifications (e.g., diet, movement, sleep hygiene practices).

The search for healthy rhythms of ‘Hashimoto living’ slowly evolved.