May 18, 2016

So you have an autoimmune disease?

Most if not just about all of my life, I have been very healthy. Raised by the most incredibly healthy nutritionist of a mother I never had to struggle with health. Than I had babies. You know how everyone says, "When you are pregnant you can eat whatever you want"? I took it too literally. I didn't wok out and I adored new foods like hot dogs and pizza. OMG pizza...so much pizza.
Fast forward to baby number 3. I always lost my baby weight for the most part so really thought I had some secret upper hand in that department.

So I had baby number 3, breastfeed for 18 months and DID lose all that glorious baby/pizza weight. Than I gained it back. In 3 months. Suddenly, I had a new found love of nutrition (funny how that works). I decided this was my fault and I was the only one who could fix it. I worked out every day, I ate beautifully, I stayed the same weight. Not only did I gain weight, I became depressed, I lost my energy, and I felt lost. I would go to professionals who suggested I go on anti-depressants and that I was just adapting to motherhood with 3. People would say, "Everyone has a shitty metabolism and gains weight after 3 kids". I did not feel like my voice was heard. I gave in. I spent a year eating great and working out, and still feeling like death.

Finally, I decided my love for the holistic lifestyle would push me into seeing a Naturopath. She was wonderful and caring and most importantly said, "Hey this isn't normal"! Did some blood tests and a few months later I discovered I have an autoimmune disease called, "Hashimoto's". It is basically a condition that attacks your thyroid, pushing you into extreme levels of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Mine was hypo which explained why everything I had been doing was in vain. It also explained why I was severely anemic.

So its been 3 weeks into my new supplement/thyroid medication regimen and I feel completely different. I have energy, I can play with my kids, I can think! I am so grateful I found someone willing to dig a little deeper. This journey has pushed me into finishing my degree for nutrition. We have a growing epidemic of autoimmune disorders. IT is scary how common it is to have one. Some say it is a genetic predisposition mixed with environmental factors. None of this surprises me since we live in the most unhealthy country.

To sum this up, my point is to fight for yourself. Many people will have advice about your body, but only you know what is normal and what feels right. Autoimmune diseases suck ass. They can leave you feeling like a shell of yourself. Fixing the root cause and accepting that you are where you are is the first part. I can't wait to see how I feel by the end of the year.