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Hey Gretchen,

I just got home from the market. I was looking for a gluten free bread which they had in a freezer section. However, upon reading the ingredient list all of them had egg and or dairy which I don't want to be eating either. I was looking at some other items and reading labels as usual and suddenly was worried that, like with corn, products there are deceptive labels like maltodextrin which is corn but most don't know that. Do you know of mystery labels attached to wheat or derivatives of wheat that I should be looking out for?

Today being the fourth day on the meds seems to be helping with some of my symptoms. I was actually energetic enough to do yard work that I normally have to leave for my husband and then still had energy to mop floors, change bed linens, do laundry and grocery shopping. That is so much more than I had been able to do in recent months. I am encouraged though taking the meds I hope will prove to be only a temporary thing. It is also my fourth day gluten free. From all I have learned including what you were telling me four days gluten free is not sufficient to see a significant change.

Thank you again for sharing and giving me hope!

Terry

Hi Terry,

That's so wonderful that you feel so much better! Yay! I too felt tired and blah when I was hypothyroid, and my weight just kept creeping up. When I started taking some supplemental thyroid hormone (I think I took synthroid), I felt so much better. I do think that of all of the different kinds of prescription meds that people take, taking supplemental hormones in a case like this is a great option. It's just something that most bodies make anyway, and it doesn't seem like it will be a burden on your liver to detox. And hopefully you will heal yourself in time and not need it for the rest of your life. I'm really hopeful that you can beat this thing by going gluten free. It's awesome that you are willing to try it.

Reading your questions about reading labels took me back to the first days of being gluten free. I was overwhelmed and didn't know which things on the label might be harboring hidden gluten. Here is what I recommend: get a good book on being gluten-free, or perhaps just peruse some of the celiac support websites so you can learn all the things that might indicate gluten. Eliminate as many items from your diet that list ingredients that are mysterious sounding and try to focus your diet on plain foods and packaged foods that indicate they are gluten free. For the packages that don't say gluten free, you can always call the companies - they always have a phone number you can call. I called several companies in the beginning to confirm for some items that I had in my pantry already, and the people whom I spoke with were really nice and helpful.

You don't want to deprive yourself too much since you are already letting go of lots of things, but if you can be happy eating plain produce and grains and beans, you won't need to check anything. But for all the things that you really enjoy and want to keep in your diet, make calls if there is anything suspicious.

I have to confess that I don't actually remember about maltodextrin - I think it's okay and made from corn, but I'm not 100% sure. I don't eat stuff like that anymore so it's not an issue for me. I eat plain produce, gluten-free grain and beans. I have vinegars, some pure herbs and spices, nuts and seeds and even some olive oil (which I haven't used in a long time but have for guests), and I just don't eat most things that have more than one ingredient on the label anymore.

But that's just me and how I like to eat very simply. You don't have to go that far in order to be gluten-free, so don't worry if that sounds like way too ascetic for you. But you will have to do more research and checking if you want to keep consuming packaged foods. And I recommend that you also call if your vitamins and supplements don't specifically say gluten free. Oh, and herbal teas too. You only have to call once and then you'll know.

Here are some things that have gluten that you might not think do: beer, soy sauce, blue cheese, regular oats. And I don't buy things out of the bulk bins at my health food store, even though it's much cheaper and I'm always tempted. Also, when you go out to dinner, be sure to tell the server that you have celiac disease and that you absolutely can't have gluten, so no wheat, rye or barley (or spelt or kamut or farrow) and have them help you figure out what you can order. And when your food arrives, inspect it carefully - several times, especially when I was in France and they probably thought I was just being a picky American woman, they brought the dish with the gluten thing on it anyway! And once (in the US), I saw that there were crouton crumbs on my plain salad, like someone had put them on, then saw my "no croutons" request, and just picked them off again. I always speak right up and am nice but firm, because this is a serious health issue, not just some dietary preference.

Okay, hope this is helpful. Just know that it feels overwhelming at first, but you get the hang of it and learn which products are okay and find your way and it gets easier and easier as you go. And hopefully you'll be healing your body too! You may want to do some research on the internet to find the studies connecting gluten and autoimmune thyroid disease (and diabetes! I'm always so thankful that my body didn't manifest that one) for inspiration.

Hugs, Gretchen

Gretchen,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

I know maltodextrin is a corn by product. I was using it as an example of how labels can fool us. I eat mostly veggies(lots of potatoes and lots of greens with other colors thrown in) and couple servings of fruits, legumes(lentils and beans of various sorts), some quinoa and brown rice. I follow McD's diet pretty closely though sometimes have some nuts and seeds (almonds and flaxseed).

The only processed things I sometimes have are brown rice pasta, almond milk, rice cakes and as a treat occasionally some Coconut Bliss frozen dessert. French bread used to be in this list as a treat item maybe once a week.

As you can see gluten type products were not a staple. I do want to find another option other than rice cakes that I can use to put sandwich type things like bean burgers or like that.

I have done a bunch of research and found some interesting information about autoimmune disease. My doctor wanted me to be taking probiotics. I make a probiotic drink that I use in things like mashed potatoes. In my research I found articles suggesting that talked about "leaky gut" being the true source of the autoimmune problem. These articles purport that eating probiotics will heal the "leaky gut" and thus heal the autoimmune problem.

With this possibility as well as your encouragement, I embarked on beginning some new recipes for probiotic vegetables. I am making sauerkraut with carrots. This way I will have probiotic foods (fermented foods) that I can eat with each meal.

In my online searches I found a site created by a woman who healed her arthritis (autoimmune) with probiotics that she made. She wrote a book about it called "Concuring Arthritis". I watched a video of her making fermented vegetables.

I am feeling very encouraged and determined to heal my body even if it turns out the Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is not from gluten intolerance or Celiac's. It seems unrealistic to think that we can cure heart disease with diet and lifestyle changes and not heal hypothyroiditis. I do believe in the body's ability to heal itself if we give it what it needs and don't hinder it.

Thank you again for reaffirming to me that I am on the path to wellness though I may not know at this moment what will be in the path three steps ahead of me at the moment.

Terry

I so agree with you! And I think it's that belief that our bodies can and will heal themselves if we just stop doing things that are toxic and adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle that allows us to go forward and actually do it. Not only will we pursue health because we have the confidence that we can achieve it, but the very belief itself creates positive changes in our body as well.

When I was first diagnosed with Graves' Disease, I just knew that my body wouldn't have manifested that if I weren't doing something that was toxic for me. It didn't make sense that my body would malfunction like that. The doctors just shrugged and said there was no cause, it just happens. But I never believed that, and I'm so thankful that I didn't.

And I'm sure I had leaky gut from the gluten damage, and that probably led to the other food sensitivities I have too. I hope it's healed by this point, but I didn't really do anything special to address it. Maybe I should focus on probiotics and fermented foods too. Your homemade sauerkraut sounds really good.

It does sound like your diet is very close to gluten-free as it is. Bread seems like the only thing you really need to find a replacement for. I never did, so I haven't had a sandwich in over 8 years! I'm sure there must be some yummy gluten-free breads out there. Maybe when you find one I might try a sandwich again too

Have a wonderful week!

Dear Terry,
How are you doing now?
I have about 25 years experience on the mcdougall diet and other vegan diets. I was looking at your menu. I also have the constipation issue if I go off my diet.
First of all..your diet is more like Dr. Fuhrman's then Dr. McDougall.
The foods you listed are a recipe for IBS and constipation...
I tried the Dr. Fuhrman approach and also got extremely constipated and weak. It's not the the foods you are eating are bad..they are actually good..but will not work for your condition without a lot of tweaking. They are too inflaming for the gut. The reason you are tired is your body is stuck with the constipation. If you get that flowing, you will feel better.
I suggested immediately to try the mcdougall allergy elimination diet. Mainly I suggest this because it is all cooked foods...
That will heal your guy and reduce the inflammation causing the constipation.
Your diet is a mostly raw, highly irritating...Allmost every ingredient is contraindicated for your condition..The oatmeal perhaps could stay if you can handle it, quinoa or millet would be a safer choice.
Have some cooked grain with every meal..soak the grains over night..
Once you get your gut working you can maybe add slowly some of the fun foods below on your list...but carefully and not the whole diet made up of them.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

I will paste what you said you were eating below for reference:

Breakfast:
1 banana
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 blueberries
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cantaloupe

Lunch:
1 head romaine
1 large red bell pepper
1 cup black beans
300 g steamed red potatoes
1/4 cup fresh mild salsa
10 cherry tomatoes

Dinner:
213 g steamed red potatoes
120 g steamed artichokes
200 g steamed spinach
2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Snack:
5 Deglect Dates
5 Almonds

Thanks Blondcomic for the input! I appreciate your sharing.

I am undergoing food sensitivity testing that my doctor recommended so we can determine what foods are an issue for me. Once that is done I will have more to work with. Your suggestion of more cooked and less raw food being less irritating for my gut is well taken. I know I will find my way through this labyrinth and get to a healthier place again. I am determined to get past the Hashimoto's and be medication free once again. Everything including soup seems to make my digestive tract irritated right now. Once I know what foods are really causing issue, beyond gluten, corn and soy which I have already eliminated, I think I will be able to move on more easily.

I should have some results next week to work with.

Thank you again for taking the time to check on me!