Thigh-roids

Symptoms are not getting much better. This weekend I woke up initially at 8:00 a.m. but stayed in bed till noon off and on, getting up to do small errands, then returning to the comfort of my mattress, my man and my dog. When we went shopping, I tired really easily and was ready for bed by 7:00 p.m. I forced myself to stay up for the 2 parties this weekend (Friday being easier because of the 18 shots and Saturday being easier because of the HUGE amount of chocolately goodness Shelby provided), however by midnight I was done physically.

Yesterday I woke up off and on all night with pains in my hip and arms which is still there this morning. I’m looking forward to another blood draw…I think I need more thyroid hormones. That and I can’t stop eating. We’re starting a yoga class together this Saturday. Research I’ve read says to start stretching and hopefully that will help get back some of my energy while I’m in the process of figuring out the thyroid business.

I found several books on this thyroid subject and I’m pretty intrigued. One of which I’m passing along to my friend who might be having the same problem. I didn’t realize that men and women can have thyroid problems and if you have low thyroid it can screw up your entire body. Anywhere from arthritis to depression to over eating to low sex drive. God, that explains so much.

In my research this weekend, I read more on the type of “diet” I’m supposed to be consuming. Although this diet is also from one of the healthiest regions of the world, according to this book, so maybe it’s a good one to pass along to those of us with ‘normal’ thyroid business.

Another interesting tidbit from the books I’m reading is that I should try to drink only mineral water or filtered water, not water from the tap or with fluoride because chemicals or toxins in the environment can make my thyroid (or anyone’s) fail to work properly. I never realized that.

The gist is that I should be eating more of a Mediterranean diet which centers around olives, grapes and whole grains. The key is to stay away from saturated fats. That includes:

-Veggies. Raw or steamed, but definitely never canned, due to salt content and frozen only occasionally.
-Lean meats in small amounts that aren’t the main course of the meal and only red meat twice a week. I rarely eat it so that’s not so bad to change.
-Fish. I’m to cook it with olive oil and obviously not breaded. This is good because I love Mahi Mahi fillets and tuna, so again, not so bad!
-Cook with wine or drink a glass a day. This is a diet I can get behind.
-Low fat milk or substitute.
-Low saturated fat cheeses: Mozerella, feta, camembut or goat’s
-Low fat yogurt
-Seasonal fruit (this is to be my dessert)
-Whole grains. Gotta be careful with this, because even some wheat breads aren’t using “whole wheat” flour. I’ve now started using Ezekiel 4:9 brand.
-Olive oil. I’m to cook with it a lot. I already do, thankfully and love it. The key is to get Extra Virgin because it has only been pressed once and not heated or chemically treated.

So there ya go. I spent about an hour in the grocery store the other day and about $160.00 so we’ll see. Anything to make me not feel like a 500 lb. freak show.