Update: my gluten-free life AKA living with Hashimoto’s

I went gluten-free January 13th of this year (2014). I had spent the previous 6 months feeling exhausted, run down, depressed, unmotivated, and I had gained a significant amount of weight for no foreseeable reason in a short period of time. What person puts on the pounds when they’re working an active job, watching what they eat, and exercising 4-5 days a week on top of that? Me. That’s who.

I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I thought back to how I had felt last spring (2013). I was under my pre-baby weight, I had energy and motivation to get things done all day long (like I normally would have), I never took naps during the day because I didn’t feel like I needed to, life was good. Then, it felt that all of a sudden I found myself well above my pre-baby weight, waking up exhausted and napping every chance I got, relying on caffeine to get me through the nights I had to teach, and having to explain to my husband why the house looked just as messy as it had the day before. Turning into someone that you don’t recognize, despite your every intention to stay the course, is a very helpless and frustrating feeling.

Something needed to shake me out of this funk. I had no idea what, since I was already taking daily medication to manage my disease, but I couldn’t imagine continuing to ignore the fact that something wasn’t right. I was grasping at straws and had read that trying a gluten-free diet might be beneficial to people suffering from Hashimoto’s (since a majority have been found to have some sort of gluten intolerance). It was extreme, but it was worth a shot.

After going gluten-free, I relied heavily on Udi’s products after a recommendation from a friend who was also gluten-free. I had previously been a bread-aholic and was having a tough time giving up all bread products cold turkey. I had tried another brand of gluten-free bread (who shall remain nameless) that almost turned me against ALL gluten-free breads because it was so gross. Thankfully Udi’s saved the day.

I lost a few pounds right away, which was motivating. Some of the digestive issues that bothered me every once in a while were gone, which was good. Other than that I didn’t notice any “night and day” type of feelings like the ones people talked about in the online Hashimoto’s support forums that I had become addicted to reading. I kept at it, despite how difficult it was for not only me but also my family.

Upon the urging of my supportive husband I finally made an appointment with my endocrinologist. It had been a little over 2 years since I had seen her; I was newly pregnant with Brynn the last time. I felt really good going into this appointment. I had done a lot of research and knew which questions to ask. I had also seen my doctor’s name mentioned on a list of awesome and supportive Hashi doctors on one of the support group pages I belonged to, which was very comforting. This appointment felt a lot different than the first.

It was after this appointment that I decided to try gluten again. Most self-diagnosed people do, to “test the waters”, and see if they truly have an intolerance. To be honest, I feel very similar. No sudden digestive issues, no headaches, no negative side effects that I can see. Also, I’ve started to lose weight again. When I mentioned to my doctor that I had gone gluten-free, she was supportive. She also mentioned to be careful about missing out on important nutrients because of it, and that my “ship had sailed”, meaning I was full-blown Hashimoto’s and giving up gluten wouldn’t necessarily heal me. She did say that eating less gluten was a good idea for anyone to try and that a clean diet was ultimately the best plan.

I’ve now received my lab results from that appointment. They revealed that my levels were off, so my medication will be increased. Was that the ultimate reason for how crappy I felt? Most likely. I think that by going gluten-free I subconsciously also eliminated other processed foods that were inhibiting my overall well being. This made the initial feeling of going gluten-free feel like the answer.

All in all, I am so happy I chose to try the gluten-free way of life. I’m not giving up on it, in fact I’m going to continue to eliminate as much gluten from my diet as possible. I do notice that whenever I “overdo it” with gluten, you can literally hear my stomach protesting from across the room. Udi’s sandwich bread will be my bread of choice from now on, even though I could have “regular bread” if I wanted it. I have also found that I prefer rice pasta over the regular variety.

If you have Celiac’s or must abide by a strict gluten-free diet, I can’t recommend Udi’s products enough. I am amazed by the variety of products they offer…

• Sandwich Bread & Buns (including super nutritious millet-chia and omega flax seed breads)
• Bagels
• Cookies
• Tortillas (not corn, REAL tortillas!)
• Dinner Rolls
• Brownies
• Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Pizza’s/Pizza Crust
• Frozen Dinners
• Granola

 

I know you’re probably reading this and thinking, “Yeah, yeah, she was paid to write this.” Cross my heart hope to die, I was eating Udi’s well before this post. I loved it then, I love it now (even though I can technically eat regular bread again). Hearing about all of their other offerings reignited my excitement to stay on the (mostly) gluten-free track. Though I will begrudgingly buy my husband his “regular” bread, I will continue to remain loyal to Udi’s. It’s just that delicious.