I started doing far infrared saunas a year ago now.
Here's where I was a year ago in January 2008: It's really challenging to lose inches for me so I'm pretty darn excited to be down at least 4lbs in a matter of weeks. I was really sick over Christmas with a nasty cold. My energy was so zapped that I could hardly exercise. I started doing infrared saunas the first week of January. For the first two weeks, those WERE my workouts, and I would come home and nap. Within 4 visits of the sauna, my congestion was GONE~! And, I slowly regained my strength. I started working out with a treadmill, doing a short 15-20 min. T-Tapp workout once or twice a week. By mid-January, I started doing an hour yoga class 2 times a week, and a short T-Tapp workout once or twice a week. I was still doing saunas 3-4 times a week. Some days I was ok, and other days, they'd wear me out. By the first week of February, I was getting stronger in yoga and more flexible in my T-Tapp workouts. I could do the full total T-Tapp workout again (about an hour cardio and strength combined). By the second week of February, I could do a more advanced T-Tapp workout that was an hour-plus long, like ladybug combo, or bw+ and hit the floor, along with the 2 classes of yoga. The 3-4 saunas no longer wear me out, and I feel wonderful~! The infrared saunas seem be have kicked my progress up a notch. I'm doing 2 full T-Tapp workouts, 2 yoga workouts and 3-4 saunas, which is a lot less muscle moving than I was doing this fall with a typical 4 days of 90 minutes of T-Tapp.
This January 2009: My health took a hit with about a month off and all the stress that comes with traveling over the holidays as well as mourning my father-in-law's passing. I climbed back on my exercise regime the first week of January however, and loved to be able to visit my far infrared saunas once again. I've been going about 4 times a week this month. My workouts have been abreviated as I work up to full workouts again by week 2. But, I haven't gotten sick at all this year, which is a hefty bonus. I have loved what far infrared saunas do for oncoming illness. It kicks it right out~! I've been close to getting sick, and the saunas don't allow the illness take root. The saunas put your body into a state of low fever so your body starts kicking out more white blood cells automatically. The lights they use in the sauna are the same type I'm told as those used in the NICU for babies.
I've been told by my gym's staff that you can burn about 300 calories for a half-hour sauna. That's pretty easy work for sitting and relaxing with a magazine for 30 minutes. I really loved them last winter when it was so cold out, but I found them equally refreshing this summer. I found I went just as often, allowing me some quiet time during the day without the boys who are quite noisy at home.
The saunas are also supposed to be very detoxing. It's something that is hard to measure because you don't see anything other than the sweat pouring out of your pores. I have chatted with other people at the gym who say them help them tremendously with managing their arthritis or fibromilagia, so it must be detoxing something. Both of these conditions are caused by toxins in the joints or otherwise, so the saunas must be helping.
The saunas have an added bonus of making my skin really soft and smooth~! I really battle the "chicken skin", or keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. I noticed that my skin was very smooth after going to Safety Harbor Spa, where I was in the steam room as much as possible, hehe.. So I'm attributing the saunas to helping with that, as well as cellulite reduction on my legs and bum.
Infrared saunas are much different than the standard sauna. The heat goes into your body quite deep, so you get pain relief from muscle soreness, as well as an immune boost. I find them very relaxing as well. I found a website with far more information on the saunas if your so interested:
http://www.wasauna.com/infrared-sauna-faq.html
I think they ROCK~!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Why use Magnesium Oil
I found a product a year and half ago from my T-Tapp friends that has absolutely made a HUGE difference in my ability to sleep like I did 20 years ago. So much so that I have to tell you about it. I don't get anything from it other than knowing I may have made a difference in someone's else's ability to get some good sleep~! I can sleep through the night and get a good nights rest all the time. It's called magnesium oil. I have gotten the gallon and soaked my feet a few times a week while watching tv for 15-30 minutes. If you put the oil in a 1-gallon rubbermaid take-a-long that has a lid, you can use the same oil for about 30 days. So even though a gallon is $45, it goes a long way. I'm still on my first gallon. I later learned you can also use the oil another way, which I prefer in the winter especially. You put one ounce of magnesium oil in warm water, which the gallon would last 64 times with this method. I like this way also because you can also stretch your oil farther, because you're not wasting when you aren't using the oil every day.
The few times I felt a surreal sense of calmness. Magnesium does calm your nerves. It will make the dead skin on your feel peel, but that only lasts a couple weeks too.
I have taken calcium magnesium tablets and even used a powdered form of magnesium for 4 years but this is so much better~! The magnesium absorbs into your body so much easier. I have also used the magnesium gel when I didn't have time for a foot soak and it works well too. You know you've got too much with the clinical symptom of diarrhea as a target marker, so not kidding, lol. It's pretty easy to know when to back off with less.
Here's where I buy mine at a really good price compared to others on the internet: http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/magnesium.htm You can call the owner Joan, and she will answer any questions too.
Most of the population is magnesium decifient because how many of us eat raw pumpkin seeds, spinach and swiss chard in large amounts? And deficiency causes such a wide variety of issues:
Musculo-Skeletal Symptoms: osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and weakness, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, and restlessness.
Cardiovascular Symptoms: atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden death, and vasospasms.
Female Issues: PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) and eclampsia.
Psychiatric Symptoms: irritability, depression, and bipolar disorders.
Neurological Symptoms: migraine headaches, excessive noise and pain sensitivity.
Endocrine Symptoms: insulin resistance.
Here's a great article on deficiency: http://www.carolyndean.com/content/view/67/47/
The few times I felt a surreal sense of calmness. Magnesium does calm your nerves. It will make the dead skin on your feel peel, but that only lasts a couple weeks too.
I have taken calcium magnesium tablets and even used a powdered form of magnesium for 4 years but this is so much better~! The magnesium absorbs into your body so much easier. I have also used the magnesium gel when I didn't have time for a foot soak and it works well too. You know you've got too much with the clinical symptom of diarrhea as a target marker, so not kidding, lol. It's pretty easy to know when to back off with less.
Here's where I buy mine at a really good price compared to others on the internet: http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/magnesium.htm You can call the owner Joan, and she will answer any questions too.
Most of the population is magnesium decifient because how many of us eat raw pumpkin seeds, spinach and swiss chard in large amounts? And deficiency causes such a wide variety of issues:
Musculo-Skeletal Symptoms: osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and weakness, muscle spasms, tics, tremors, and restlessness.
Cardiovascular Symptoms: atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden death, and vasospasms.
Female Issues: PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) and eclampsia.
Psychiatric Symptoms: irritability, depression, and bipolar disorders.
Neurological Symptoms: migraine headaches, excessive noise and pain sensitivity.
Endocrine Symptoms: insulin resistance.
Here's a great article on deficiency: http://www.carolyndean.com/content/view/67/47/
Monday, January 12, 2009
mmmm, soup~!
I had a serving of roasted chicken left so I went to my pantry and found a can of soup I had bought: Pacific Natural Foods Organic Spicy Chicken Fajita Soup. http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Natural-Foods-Organic-14-5-Ounce/dp/B0012C0XAC It was perfect with the chicken added to it for lunch today. It's rather spicy, which delayed my workout a bit longer, lol. But, all in all, it's a great soup for my anti-yeast diet. There wasn't much chicken in the soup itself, so I think I'd always add the extra meat because I like to make sure I get enough protein each day.
I also had a cup of soup at Whole Foods last week. It was a tomato-based soup that had lots of vegetables including eggplant and cauliflower. It was absolutely delicious~! I wish they posted their soup recipes they make in the deli on their website. I adore their black bean soup as well.
I also had a cup of soup at Whole Foods last week. It was a tomato-based soup that had lots of vegetables including eggplant and cauliflower. It was absolutely delicious~! I wish they posted their soup recipes they make in the deli on their website. I adore their black bean soup as well.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Some of my anti-yeast diet recomendations
I can't have dairy, soy, corn, peanut, any grain, fruit, vinegar, processed oils, sugar or alcohol. Normally you can have eggs, soy and some dairy, but since I'm allergic to both, I can't.Before starting this diet, I used to have eggs cooked with a mix of veggies almost everyday for breakfast, which is why my body probably developed the allergy to them.
So, now I have soup usually once a day. I made a big pot of beef vegetable last week and sometimes eat it for breakfast if I know I'm gonna be out for lunch. My fave soup is stew beef, biggest can of tomato sauce, half can or so of water, whole head of chopped cabbage. I brown the beef and put it in the crock with the sauce, water and cabbage and let it cook. Then I add frozen green beans, peas and carrots. I usually like lima beans too but I'm limited to a cup of beans a day. I put the soup in bags and eat it from the fridge or freeze it. When I heat it up, I add some butter for more flavor. We use grass-fed butter from where we buy our beef online. It does taste a lot better than regular butter too.
The other soup I like is a recipe from my friend Rhonda: slice and brown natural sausage (like Kielbasa). I found one that is HEB brand here. Drain and add into a pot with a carton of organic chicken broth (4 cups I believe). Add 2 cans of cannelli beans and 10-16oz of frozen spinach. You can vary this recipe and use chicken instead and use different types of beans. If you can have cauliflower, you can buy fresh or frozen, and puree it. I put a whole package of pureed cauliflower in my last batch and it adds so much flavor without tasting cauliflower-ish, lol.
I put about 2-3T. sun-dried tomato-based tapenade from here: http://www.totalharvest.com/ with a cup of canned black beans that have been cooked with onions and garlic (canned). I found this tapenade at Whole Foods and got it because it doesn't have vinegar. It's really yummy~!!!! I have another jar of traditional that I haven't tried yet. There is also a sun-dried tapenade from Meditalia, that I have put in with the beans too.
Sometimes I have leftover italian roast that I can put in with the beans too. (roast recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Roast-Beef-I/Detail.aspx )
I mash up an avocado and sprinkle lemon juice on it. I put it in 2 large or 3 smaller slices of meat. I have found some lunch meat without sugar.
Raw veggies dipped in hummus. I like black olive or garlic ones the most. Or with nut butter. I got almond butter and raw cashew butter.
If we have burgers, the Meditalia tapenade is a decent substitute for ketchup. You can also use broiled tomatoes with butter, salt and pepper.
Another thing I eat is grilled eggplant or zucchinni (our HEB has them in the frozen veggie section) OR sauteed spinach, as a substitute for pasta. I have found a few sauces without sugar. Italian Roast is good with this too. One of my favorite sauces is the Rao's eggplant one: http://www.raos.com/sauces/sauces.htm
Dinners haven't changed a whole lot for us. We've eaten low carb for 6 years now. Lots of steamed veggies already here. If I make a meat entree I can't have, I have made sauteed scallops or shrimp. I also like eating cold shrimp (defrosted cooked) with melted butter. I snack on nuts and always carry them with me in case hunger hits. Raw cashews, walnuts and almonds. And I added coconut chips, big flakes of coconut they sell at Whole Foods.
I was also allowed to eat coconut milk which is good chilled with a bit of stevia. On month 2, I was allow to add unsweetened cocoa. As far as drinks, I can have water or herbal tea. I like the blueberry one or the peach ones the best. After 2 months though, I've gotten used to drinking just water. Or maybe it's not a bigger deal because I can have fruit now? I do like ice cold water now though and never have.
After 30 days, I was allowed to add brown rice and fruit (minus melon and bananas) to my diet, which I make in a big batch and keep it in the fridge. I've become a bit of a rice snob and love one certain blended brand, Lundberg Jubilee. http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/rice_nf_jubilee.aspx
I then heat up a serving of rice, add a bit of butter and fruit. Strawberries, peaches, raspberries and blackberries are my faves. Sliced apples sprinked with cinnamon is also really yumo.
Canyon Foods also makes excellent soups. I like to add cooked chopped chicken breast, beans and corn to the Tortilla one. And, I just tried the Zuppa Di Nonna one yesterday with some added chicken. It was delicious~!
So, now I have soup usually once a day. I made a big pot of beef vegetable last week and sometimes eat it for breakfast if I know I'm gonna be out for lunch. My fave soup is stew beef, biggest can of tomato sauce, half can or so of water, whole head of chopped cabbage. I brown the beef and put it in the crock with the sauce, water and cabbage and let it cook. Then I add frozen green beans, peas and carrots. I usually like lima beans too but I'm limited to a cup of beans a day. I put the soup in bags and eat it from the fridge or freeze it. When I heat it up, I add some butter for more flavor. We use grass-fed butter from where we buy our beef online. It does taste a lot better than regular butter too.
The other soup I like is a recipe from my friend Rhonda: slice and brown natural sausage (like Kielbasa). I found one that is HEB brand here. Drain and add into a pot with a carton of organic chicken broth (4 cups I believe). Add 2 cans of cannelli beans and 10-16oz of frozen spinach. You can vary this recipe and use chicken instead and use different types of beans. If you can have cauliflower, you can buy fresh or frozen, and puree it. I put a whole package of pureed cauliflower in my last batch and it adds so much flavor without tasting cauliflower-ish, lol.
I put about 2-3T. sun-dried tomato-based tapenade from here: http://www.totalharvest.com/ with a cup of canned black beans that have been cooked with onions and garlic (canned). I found this tapenade at Whole Foods and got it because it doesn't have vinegar. It's really yummy~!!!! I have another jar of traditional that I haven't tried yet. There is also a sun-dried tapenade from Meditalia, that I have put in with the beans too.
Sometimes I have leftover italian roast that I can put in with the beans too. (roast recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Roast-Beef-I/Detail.aspx )
I mash up an avocado and sprinkle lemon juice on it. I put it in 2 large or 3 smaller slices of meat. I have found some lunch meat without sugar.
Raw veggies dipped in hummus. I like black olive or garlic ones the most. Or with nut butter. I got almond butter and raw cashew butter.
If we have burgers, the Meditalia tapenade is a decent substitute for ketchup. You can also use broiled tomatoes with butter, salt and pepper.
Another thing I eat is grilled eggplant or zucchinni (our HEB has them in the frozen veggie section) OR sauteed spinach, as a substitute for pasta. I have found a few sauces without sugar. Italian Roast is good with this too. One of my favorite sauces is the Rao's eggplant one: http://www.raos.com/sauces/sauces.htm
Dinners haven't changed a whole lot for us. We've eaten low carb for 6 years now. Lots of steamed veggies already here. If I make a meat entree I can't have, I have made sauteed scallops or shrimp. I also like eating cold shrimp (defrosted cooked) with melted butter. I snack on nuts and always carry them with me in case hunger hits. Raw cashews, walnuts and almonds. And I added coconut chips, big flakes of coconut they sell at Whole Foods.
I was also allowed to eat coconut milk which is good chilled with a bit of stevia. On month 2, I was allow to add unsweetened cocoa. As far as drinks, I can have water or herbal tea. I like the blueberry one or the peach ones the best. After 2 months though, I've gotten used to drinking just water. Or maybe it's not a bigger deal because I can have fruit now? I do like ice cold water now though and never have.
After 30 days, I was allowed to add brown rice and fruit (minus melon and bananas) to my diet, which I make in a big batch and keep it in the fridge. I've become a bit of a rice snob and love one certain blended brand, Lundberg Jubilee. http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/rice_nf_jubilee.aspx
I then heat up a serving of rice, add a bit of butter and fruit. Strawberries, peaches, raspberries and blackberries are my faves. Sliced apples sprinked with cinnamon is also really yumo.
Canyon Foods also makes excellent soups. I like to add cooked chopped chicken breast, beans and corn to the Tortilla one. And, I just tried the Zuppa Di Nonna one yesterday with some added chicken. It was delicious~!
My doctor put me on an ultra restrictive diet for months, in hopes of healing my gut. I have to take digestive enzymes, a probiotic and an anti-fungal (to kill the yeast) in addition to eating very clean. Leaky gut occurs when your food is not broken down in your gut enough for the food molecules to be absorbed into your bloodstream. When they pass through the intestine on the way to the blood, they are rejected of sorts. If I can heal with enzymes and the inflammation, I have a chance of adding some things back into my diet at some point.
My diet was most restricted the first 30 days, and I didn't cheat, knowing I'd be better off in the long run if I didn't. After 30 days, I got a few foods added back, which happened with month 3 and 4 as well. My doc has had me on 3 different antifungals to kill the candida and after the third month, she put me on an intestinal rebuilder too. I also have to take a probiotic once a day and enzymes with each meal. So when I went on the anti-yeast diet, I excluded anything with sugar, fungus (mushrooms for example) and vinegar. I also couldn't eat fruit or starchy vegetables the first 30 days. AND, since my antibody numbers on the soy, wheat, egg and dairy came back so high, I've been off of those for 4 months now. My peanut one wasn't high, but I wasn't given that one back yet. Almond or cashew butter subs for peanut butter, which I like to eat on a brown rice cake or on raw carrots sometimes. I was also given corn back at month two which makes eating Mexican tolerable with corn tortillas. I got oranges back at month 2 also, but I'm just not that into oranges on a daily basis. I LOVE strawberries, which have lots of vit. c as well.
Taking the anti-fungals does kill the yeast, which in turn helps with the sugar cravings. The first week, the yeast "screams for help" and you are hungrier. It's hoping you'll feed it sugar. Then it will level off. I just ate that first week whenever I was hungry, and I still lost 7lbs. Should you decide to follow the anti-yeast diet, you do need a doctor's guidance on this diet so that you can take the prescribed anti-fungals. I've done a no sugar diet before, but didn't do the anti-fungals so it didn't really help. I'm doing all this with my thyroid doctor who is a hormone specialist. She is listed as a family practioner MD at the hospital where she works. I'm also doing a pharmaceutical grade probiotic and enzymes that will help heal my gut. The other thing you need medical assistance with is the blood tests to see what foods the yeast antibodies have created food allergies. Normally, you can have eggs and soy on this diet, but not for me because my body has created antibodies to them until I can heal it. I also have high antibodies to dairy and wheat which will take months to get back. I'm also hypothyroid, so she is monitoring my TSH levels during this process as well. The yeast can siphon off the thyroid hormones from the armour thyroid I take as well.
As for exercise, I've been a consistent exerciser for almost 5 years. My main focus was T-Tapp (T-Tapp.com), but as my immune system started to spiral this fall, I couldn't keep up with my exercising because I was constantly sick from one virus to the next. So, in January, I had a month's pass to a new gym that had far-infrared saunas, so I started doing the saunas every day. They WERE my workout, but the detoxing I got from them was so good that I promptly lost 5lbs doing nothing else. I was feeling well enough by mid-January, that I started back exercising with yoga. The slower pace was just what I needed. I loved getting out of the house too (since I T-Tapp at home), so I continued with yoga and watched my body get stronger and stronger. I kept doing the FIR saunas too. Once I got on the anti-yeast diet, I saw the brain fog and the depression lift. I had not realized how depressed the yeast had me under. I continued yoga since the cardio level of T-Tapp was still too much as I detoxed the yeast. I would do T-Tapp about once a week to get my neck and spine back in alignment, otherwise I would start to hurt and get "cranky neck". I think the combination of yoga and T-Tapp is really great for me. I'm more focused on yoga right now because I think it's at a pace of what my body needs, especially while I'm on this detox diet. I do a really deep stretching yin yoga at least once a week that has opened up my hips, shoulders and spine so much, that I could see a huge leap in flexibility when I went back to my T-Tapp moves I've been doing for 4 years. It's not all about the weight loss for me, although that does make it easier to continue to be able to adhere to the diet guidelines. Although I've lost 24 pounds, the more important focus for me is the wellness aspect to it. The inch loss is the icing on the cake~! I haven't eaten a whole lot of icing though, LOL. You just have to climb out of your eating routine box and make a new one. It gets easier with time, just as working out on a daily basis does. It becomes your new way of life, one bite at a time......
(written July 2008)
~kate
My diet was most restricted the first 30 days, and I didn't cheat, knowing I'd be better off in the long run if I didn't. After 30 days, I got a few foods added back, which happened with month 3 and 4 as well. My doc has had me on 3 different antifungals to kill the candida and after the third month, she put me on an intestinal rebuilder too. I also have to take a probiotic once a day and enzymes with each meal. So when I went on the anti-yeast diet, I excluded anything with sugar, fungus (mushrooms for example) and vinegar. I also couldn't eat fruit or starchy vegetables the first 30 days. AND, since my antibody numbers on the soy, wheat, egg and dairy came back so high, I've been off of those for 4 months now. My peanut one wasn't high, but I wasn't given that one back yet. Almond or cashew butter subs for peanut butter, which I like to eat on a brown rice cake or on raw carrots sometimes. I was also given corn back at month two which makes eating Mexican tolerable with corn tortillas. I got oranges back at month 2 also, but I'm just not that into oranges on a daily basis. I LOVE strawberries, which have lots of vit. c as well.
Taking the anti-fungals does kill the yeast, which in turn helps with the sugar cravings. The first week, the yeast "screams for help" and you are hungrier. It's hoping you'll feed it sugar. Then it will level off. I just ate that first week whenever I was hungry, and I still lost 7lbs. Should you decide to follow the anti-yeast diet, you do need a doctor's guidance on this diet so that you can take the prescribed anti-fungals. I've done a no sugar diet before, but didn't do the anti-fungals so it didn't really help. I'm doing all this with my thyroid doctor who is a hormone specialist. She is listed as a family practioner MD at the hospital where she works. I'm also doing a pharmaceutical grade probiotic and enzymes that will help heal my gut. The other thing you need medical assistance with is the blood tests to see what foods the yeast antibodies have created food allergies. Normally, you can have eggs and soy on this diet, but not for me because my body has created antibodies to them until I can heal it. I also have high antibodies to dairy and wheat which will take months to get back. I'm also hypothyroid, so she is monitoring my TSH levels during this process as well. The yeast can siphon off the thyroid hormones from the armour thyroid I take as well.
As for exercise, I've been a consistent exerciser for almost 5 years. My main focus was T-Tapp (T-Tapp.com), but as my immune system started to spiral this fall, I couldn't keep up with my exercising because I was constantly sick from one virus to the next. So, in January, I had a month's pass to a new gym that had far-infrared saunas, so I started doing the saunas every day. They WERE my workout, but the detoxing I got from them was so good that I promptly lost 5lbs doing nothing else. I was feeling well enough by mid-January, that I started back exercising with yoga. The slower pace was just what I needed. I loved getting out of the house too (since I T-Tapp at home), so I continued with yoga and watched my body get stronger and stronger. I kept doing the FIR saunas too. Once I got on the anti-yeast diet, I saw the brain fog and the depression lift. I had not realized how depressed the yeast had me under. I continued yoga since the cardio level of T-Tapp was still too much as I detoxed the yeast. I would do T-Tapp about once a week to get my neck and spine back in alignment, otherwise I would start to hurt and get "cranky neck". I think the combination of yoga and T-Tapp is really great for me. I'm more focused on yoga right now because I think it's at a pace of what my body needs, especially while I'm on this detox diet. I do a really deep stretching yin yoga at least once a week that has opened up my hips, shoulders and spine so much, that I could see a huge leap in flexibility when I went back to my T-Tapp moves I've been doing for 4 years. It's not all about the weight loss for me, although that does make it easier to continue to be able to adhere to the diet guidelines. Although I've lost 24 pounds, the more important focus for me is the wellness aspect to it. The inch loss is the icing on the cake~! I haven't eaten a whole lot of icing though, LOL. You just have to climb out of your eating routine box and make a new one. It gets easier with time, just as working out on a daily basis does. It becomes your new way of life, one bite at a time......
(written July 2008)
~kate
And, then comes along a leaky gut.....
I did ok for about a year on the Armour. My health wasn't optimal as I could never lose that last size even with all the exercise and healthy eating I did. I also had a rash on my upper arms that would not go away, but I had no idea it was related to a yeast overgrowth going on in my gut. But, I started to get sick about every few weeks and became too weak to exercise in November '07.
How did I get diagnosed with leaky gut?
I went to my primary doctor for lower bowel pain. The tests came back as a ovarian cyst. When I was in for this diagnosis, I also told her about my concern with wheat. I noticed when I ate wheat in particular that I had lots of gas and bloating which got me to ask for a gluten intolerance test. She didn't think these symptoms were from gluten but she agreed to the test. Her solution to the cyst was to put me on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is estrogren basically. I disagreed, and told her I prefered to try progesterone. She really wasn't familiar with progesterone, which surpised me. But, she was willing to talk to my thyroid doctor upstairs who had mentioned the progesterone at my last appointment for a reason I cannot remember. My primary doctor came back from my thyroid doctor with a prescription for compounded progesterone and blood test orders for the gluten and food allergies. The blood tests revealed several food allergies as well, which found the yeast antibodies. The levels were so high that they were indeed creating a leaky gut.
What is leaky gut?
Leaky gut is a condition caused by yeast overgrowth or candida, which is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your gut. The yeast overgrowth causes constant inflammation, which in turn creates micro holes in the intestional walls. Food particles leak out of these holes into your body instead of getting small enough to flow into your blood stream. The by-products cause all kinds of symptoms within your body.
Some symptoms of yeast syndrome include: chronic fatigue or malaise, sweet cravings, thrush, bloating, gas, intestional cramps, rectal itching, alternating diarrhea and constipation, vaginal yeast infections, frequent, bladder infections, menstral irregularities, decreased libido, depression, irritability, trouble concentrating, allergies, chemical sensitivities, lowered resistance to infection.
I was immediately put on an anti-yeast diet and also not allowed to eat anything that had many allergy anti-bodies from the food panel blood test. I was not allowed to eat: eggs, soy, dairy, oranges, corn, peanut or wheat. In addition, I was also forbidden to eat any grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, vinegar, sugar or caffeine. So I was basically on a very low carb diet, eating just non-starchy vegetables, meat and herbal tea. I was allowed to add foods back in at certain points, but here it is 10 months later and I'm still on the diet.
I was also put on a strong anti-fungal to kill the yeast, as well as a daily probiotic and enzymes with each meal.
Here's the probiotic I'm on: HLC Probiotics http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/view_Category.asp?cat=34
and here are the enzymes: http://www.klaire.com/enzymes_cat.htm (VITAL-ZYMES™ COMPLETE )
I've been on three different anti-fungals: first 30 days, fluconazole 100mg once a day, then Ketoconazole, 200mg 3 times day for the next 4 months, and I'm now on the mildest one, compounded Nystatin, 1 MU, 3 times a day. I'll be on the last one for months. My prescription is for 6 months.
Taking the anti-fungals does kill the yeast, which in turn helps with the sugar cravings. The first week, the yeast "screams for help" and you are hungrier. It's hoping you'll feed it sugar. Then it will level off. I just ate that first week whenever I was hungry, and I still lost 7lbs. Within 5 months I had lost 23lbs total. I finally hit my goal size even though I was not working out nearly as much. It just goes to show you that inflammation in the body is what was keeping my body at an unhealthy size.
~kate
How did I get diagnosed with leaky gut?
I went to my primary doctor for lower bowel pain. The tests came back as a ovarian cyst. When I was in for this diagnosis, I also told her about my concern with wheat. I noticed when I ate wheat in particular that I had lots of gas and bloating which got me to ask for a gluten intolerance test. She didn't think these symptoms were from gluten but she agreed to the test. Her solution to the cyst was to put me on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is estrogren basically. I disagreed, and told her I prefered to try progesterone. She really wasn't familiar with progesterone, which surpised me. But, she was willing to talk to my thyroid doctor upstairs who had mentioned the progesterone at my last appointment for a reason I cannot remember. My primary doctor came back from my thyroid doctor with a prescription for compounded progesterone and blood test orders for the gluten and food allergies. The blood tests revealed several food allergies as well, which found the yeast antibodies. The levels were so high that they were indeed creating a leaky gut.
What is leaky gut?
Leaky gut is a condition caused by yeast overgrowth or candida, which is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your gut. The yeast overgrowth causes constant inflammation, which in turn creates micro holes in the intestional walls. Food particles leak out of these holes into your body instead of getting small enough to flow into your blood stream. The by-products cause all kinds of symptoms within your body.
Some symptoms of yeast syndrome include: chronic fatigue or malaise, sweet cravings, thrush, bloating, gas, intestional cramps, rectal itching, alternating diarrhea and constipation, vaginal yeast infections, frequent, bladder infections, menstral irregularities, decreased libido, depression, irritability, trouble concentrating, allergies, chemical sensitivities, lowered resistance to infection.
I was immediately put on an anti-yeast diet and also not allowed to eat anything that had many allergy anti-bodies from the food panel blood test. I was not allowed to eat: eggs, soy, dairy, oranges, corn, peanut or wheat. In addition, I was also forbidden to eat any grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, vinegar, sugar or caffeine. So I was basically on a very low carb diet, eating just non-starchy vegetables, meat and herbal tea. I was allowed to add foods back in at certain points, but here it is 10 months later and I'm still on the diet.
I was also put on a strong anti-fungal to kill the yeast, as well as a daily probiotic and enzymes with each meal.
Here's the probiotic I'm on: HLC Probiotics http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/view_Category.asp?cat=34
and here are the enzymes: http://www.klaire.com/enzymes_cat.htm (VITAL-ZYMES™ COMPLETE )
I've been on three different anti-fungals: first 30 days, fluconazole 100mg once a day, then Ketoconazole, 200mg 3 times day for the next 4 months, and I'm now on the mildest one, compounded Nystatin, 1 MU, 3 times a day. I'll be on the last one for months. My prescription is for 6 months.
Taking the anti-fungals does kill the yeast, which in turn helps with the sugar cravings. The first week, the yeast "screams for help" and you are hungrier. It's hoping you'll feed it sugar. Then it will level off. I just ate that first week whenever I was hungry, and I still lost 7lbs. Within 5 months I had lost 23lbs total. I finally hit my goal size even though I was not working out nearly as much. It just goes to show you that inflammation in the body is what was keeping my body at an unhealthy size.
~kate
Tired of being tired? My journey of hypothyroidism... the beginning
In the spring of 2006, I was diagnosed like millions of other Americans with low-thyroid disease. I had suspected a sluggish thyroid for years from dealing with some classic thyroid disease symptoms in articles I would read such as an inability to lose weight and an unmotivated spirit with fatigue. My doctor, however, never made mention of a thyroid issue at any of my annual physical exams until May 2006. In the next year, I learned a lot about thyroid disease as I took charge of my health.
What is thyroid disease?
We really don’t hear much about thyroid disease even though it could be a bigger health issue than diabetes! Thyroid disease usually develops slowly, and its symptoms tend to appear over time. Thyroid disease is a chronic, long-term disorder, but if managed well, it does not cause fatal symptoms. It’s also typically something that doesn’t affect children here in the United States, but rather it affects older adults. Some things that could trigger the disease are: genetic disposition, food choice, exposure of radiation (including dental x-ray), over consumption of soy and raw foods, especially broccoli and other curcerfious vegetables. My mother and all three of her siblings suffer from hypothyroid although I had a much earlier onset at age 42. My husband’s corporate career caused us to move quite often, and lifestyle stress is another factor in diminishing thyroid function.
The thyroid is a small gland, shaped like a butterfly, located in the lower part of your neck. The function of a gland is to secrete hormones. The main hormones released by the thyroid are triiodothyronine, abbreviated as T3, and thyroxine, abbreviated as T4. These thyroid hormones deliver energy to cells of the body and help get oxygen into the cells. They also work as messengers that tell the body what to do. When your body’s thyroid no longer produces enough T3 and T4 hormones, you have a thyroid disease called hypothyroid. Your thyroid makes 80% T4 and 20% T3, and yet, it is the T3 that is more powerful in regulating your metabolism. This is why many hypothyroid patients experience weight gain.
Other classic symptoms of low-thyroid include fatigue, constipation, fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure, fluid retention, depression, body pain, slow reflexes, but there is a list of many more. Plus, thyroid disease affects people quite differently. I once discussed my symptoms with two friends the same age as myself, and we all suffered from different symptoms.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include:
· Slowed metabolism and slowed heart rate
· Cold and heat intolerance - cold hands and feet
· Fatigue
· Fluid retention - face, legs, eyelids and abdomen
· Dry skin, eyes and/or hair
· Yellowed skin
· Loss of eyebrows
· Constipation
· Headaches, migraines
· Depression, apathy and anxiety
· Irritability - low self esteem
· Low sexual desire
· Infertility
· Memory and concentration impairment
· Enlarged tongue, deep voice and swollen neck
· PMS, Irregular menstrual periods
· Lack of exercise tolerance
· Weight gain (especially in the stomach)
· Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
How are thyroid disorders diagnosed?
Primarily, thyroid disease is diagnosed with a blood test called TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), which is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. The TSH regulates the thyroid to release the T4 and T3 hormones. The TSH standards for a normal thyroid TSH had been .5 to 5.0: hyperthyroidism being below .5, and hypothyroidism above 5.0. In 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists revamped the normal range of TSH to .3 to 3.0. With the new guidelines, many as 27 million people may have abnormal thyroid function. This would more than double the number of people thought to have abnormal thyroid function under the old guidelines, making thyroid disease more common in North America than diabetes. For some people, their TSH test comes out in “normal” range, yet they have symptoms. Doctors can then take more in-depth tests on the T4 and T3 hormones to get a better understanding of what their thyroids are producing.
A way to check for thyroid function at home test beyond the symptom picture is a basal metabolic test. If you test your basal metabolic temperature at rest, you can get an idea of an under active thyroid with a temperature lower than 97.8. When you first wake up, place a thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes and wait in bed to take your temperature. If you don’t have that kind of time, pee into a Styrofoam cup, and take temp of your urine. Urine is actually a mostly sterile byproduct of the body. The test is not the gold standard of a blood test, but it could help you decide if you want to pursue your symptoms with a medical professional.
My TSH was 4.09 when I was diagnosed in 2006 with hypothyroid. Looking through my medical records I found that my TSH was 4.02 in 2002, so I believe I had been dealing with hypothyroid for at least 4 years without a being diagnosed by the old standards. The reason I was diagnosed in 2006 with virtually the same TSH as 2002 is that the normal TSH range had been lowered from 5.0 to 3.0 for the highest normal range. Plus, some doctors like mine were slow to adopt the new TSH standards for a few years. I had many of the symptoms for years, but never put the whole puzzle together. I chalked up a lot of my symptoms due to the fact that we had moved three years in a row with major stress-inducing life changes. I really believe my hypothyroidism started with the birth of my third child in 1999. I was not myself after my last son was born. I was overwhelmed with 3 kids aged 6 and under, but I again after quizzing everyone I knew with a family of five or more, I decided it was the parenting vortex of 3 children everyone deals with. Plus, thyroid symptoms tend to develop over years, so it wasn’t as evident in 1999 like it was in 2006 that something was indeed off. It’s important to be treated for thyroid disease because if left untreated, it can lead to elevated cholesterol levels and heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, coma or death. For me, my biggest issue was inability to keep the inches off, even with consistent exercise and a good diet, and the debilitating lack of motivation, which I will describe as a sort of depression. My thinking was pretty fuzzy too, which would affect anyone functioning day to day.
Getting on thyroid medication
So my doctor did what most family physicians would do for a newly diagnosed thyroid patient. He prescribed the smallest dose of Synthyroid, which was 30mg. Having researched hypothyroid before my appointment, I was aware that there was a “natural” medicine out there called Armour thyroid. The Armour meat company has provided desiccated thyroid extract from the thyroid glands of animals (typically from pigs) since the late 19th century. Beginning in the 1970s, the use of desiccated thyroid for the treatment of hypothyroidism was gradually replaced by a synthetic form of T4 known as levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, Levothyroxine, etc). My doctor told me the synthetic was better because it could be accurately measured dose to dose and refused to let me try Armour. Researching this fact, I found it to be misinformation because there are no FDA reports on problems with Armour thyroid. In 1997, however, the FDA reported such about levothyroxine sodium being inconsistent dose to dose, and has also written that Synthyroid has a long history of quality control problems. My mother also tried to discuss Armour with her doctor, and her doctor argued with her, asking if she’d want to take something from a dead animal. When my mom told me this, I replied, “Mom, you eat bacon, don’t you?” I suspect that most doctors really don’t educate themselves about this complicated hormonal disorder and take whatever they are told by those working in the healthcare industry as truth. The healthcare industry seems to push the newer synthetics as better too.
What worked for me
I took the Synthroid prescription and vowed to find another doctor to treat me with Armour thyroid, just because I personally believed more in bio-identical hormones over synthetics. I didn’t have to look far because I found two friends with hypothyroid, and both friends were taking Armour. Another great online source for thyroid specialists is: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/
I had to wait three months to get into see this new doctor though, so I took my Synthroid prescription for those three months hoping it would help. The Synthroid did absolutely nothing to alleviate my symptoms. I didn’t lose any weight; still wasn’t coping with daily life very well, and my energy levels were still low. My new doctor tested my blood after being on Synthroid for 3 months, and she found a TSH of .5. She said that the Synthroid was actually suppressing my thyroid and that my T3 levels needed a boost. Most doctors hold the belief that patients do not need T3, because they assume their patients’ thyroids will convert T4 into the T3 the body needs. This does not allow for the possibility that some people, like myself, may lack the ability to efficiently convert T4 into T3. Synthroid, and the other levothyroxine sodium medicines only have the T4 hormone in the pill. So it’s fairly certain that my body wasn’t converting the T4 from the pill into the T3 because I saw no symptom relief and yet my TSH level was really low.
I started the Armour the following day, and it was like flipping a switch on my energy level. I felt like I got more done off my checklist in that first week than I had the entire previous three months! The Armour has the T3 and the T4 hormones in it, plus is the T3 that regulates the metabolism more powerfully of the two hormones. I also had motivation and energy again to do my T-Tapp exercise program more consistently without such fatigue. I attended a T-Tapp fitness event one month after starting the Armour and promptly lost 11 inches in three days. I completed just 11 workouts the rest of the month and lost another 12 inches for 23 inches total in 30 days. A month later, I realized the foggy thinking had lifted back to “normal”. I could once again concentrate.
Over the course of my first year on Amour, I lost about 33 inches total, which I find amazing. I’m still a size away from my goal size 8 according to my skeletal set point, but I just had my dosage upped to 90mg last month. My TSH was 1.53 which my doctor said was working, but it was not optimal. She believes also that most doctors under prescribe thyroid medication. Hormonal balance is so complicated, and some people need continual adjustment to the amount of thyroid medication they take. Some doctors try different dosages for 3 months and then test your hormone levels by blood tests. Other doctors, like mine are more interested in the symptoms being alleviated.
I still find I gain inches quite easily if I’m not working out with 60-90 minute T-Tapp exercise sessions 3-4 times a week (ttapp.com). Yet, I will have to see what this new dosage does within the next few months. The good news is that it is possible to manage your health with thyroid disease if you take charge of your health. Yes, you can!
~Kate (written in 2007)
What is thyroid disease?
We really don’t hear much about thyroid disease even though it could be a bigger health issue than diabetes! Thyroid disease usually develops slowly, and its symptoms tend to appear over time. Thyroid disease is a chronic, long-term disorder, but if managed well, it does not cause fatal symptoms. It’s also typically something that doesn’t affect children here in the United States, but rather it affects older adults. Some things that could trigger the disease are: genetic disposition, food choice, exposure of radiation (including dental x-ray), over consumption of soy and raw foods, especially broccoli and other curcerfious vegetables. My mother and all three of her siblings suffer from hypothyroid although I had a much earlier onset at age 42. My husband’s corporate career caused us to move quite often, and lifestyle stress is another factor in diminishing thyroid function.
The thyroid is a small gland, shaped like a butterfly, located in the lower part of your neck. The function of a gland is to secrete hormones. The main hormones released by the thyroid are triiodothyronine, abbreviated as T3, and thyroxine, abbreviated as T4. These thyroid hormones deliver energy to cells of the body and help get oxygen into the cells. They also work as messengers that tell the body what to do. When your body’s thyroid no longer produces enough T3 and T4 hormones, you have a thyroid disease called hypothyroid. Your thyroid makes 80% T4 and 20% T3, and yet, it is the T3 that is more powerful in regulating your metabolism. This is why many hypothyroid patients experience weight gain.
Other classic symptoms of low-thyroid include fatigue, constipation, fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure, fluid retention, depression, body pain, slow reflexes, but there is a list of many more. Plus, thyroid disease affects people quite differently. I once discussed my symptoms with two friends the same age as myself, and we all suffered from different symptoms.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include:
· Slowed metabolism and slowed heart rate
· Cold and heat intolerance - cold hands and feet
· Fatigue
· Fluid retention - face, legs, eyelids and abdomen
· Dry skin, eyes and/or hair
· Yellowed skin
· Loss of eyebrows
· Constipation
· Headaches, migraines
· Depression, apathy and anxiety
· Irritability - low self esteem
· Low sexual desire
· Infertility
· Memory and concentration impairment
· Enlarged tongue, deep voice and swollen neck
· PMS, Irregular menstrual periods
· Lack of exercise tolerance
· Weight gain (especially in the stomach)
· Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
How are thyroid disorders diagnosed?
Primarily, thyroid disease is diagnosed with a blood test called TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), which is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. The TSH regulates the thyroid to release the T4 and T3 hormones. The TSH standards for a normal thyroid TSH had been .5 to 5.0: hyperthyroidism being below .5, and hypothyroidism above 5.0. In 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists revamped the normal range of TSH to .3 to 3.0. With the new guidelines, many as 27 million people may have abnormal thyroid function. This would more than double the number of people thought to have abnormal thyroid function under the old guidelines, making thyroid disease more common in North America than diabetes. For some people, their TSH test comes out in “normal” range, yet they have symptoms. Doctors can then take more in-depth tests on the T4 and T3 hormones to get a better understanding of what their thyroids are producing.
A way to check for thyroid function at home test beyond the symptom picture is a basal metabolic test. If you test your basal metabolic temperature at rest, you can get an idea of an under active thyroid with a temperature lower than 97.8. When you first wake up, place a thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes and wait in bed to take your temperature. If you don’t have that kind of time, pee into a Styrofoam cup, and take temp of your urine. Urine is actually a mostly sterile byproduct of the body. The test is not the gold standard of a blood test, but it could help you decide if you want to pursue your symptoms with a medical professional.
My TSH was 4.09 when I was diagnosed in 2006 with hypothyroid. Looking through my medical records I found that my TSH was 4.02 in 2002, so I believe I had been dealing with hypothyroid for at least 4 years without a being diagnosed by the old standards. The reason I was diagnosed in 2006 with virtually the same TSH as 2002 is that the normal TSH range had been lowered from 5.0 to 3.0 for the highest normal range. Plus, some doctors like mine were slow to adopt the new TSH standards for a few years. I had many of the symptoms for years, but never put the whole puzzle together. I chalked up a lot of my symptoms due to the fact that we had moved three years in a row with major stress-inducing life changes. I really believe my hypothyroidism started with the birth of my third child in 1999. I was not myself after my last son was born. I was overwhelmed with 3 kids aged 6 and under, but I again after quizzing everyone I knew with a family of five or more, I decided it was the parenting vortex of 3 children everyone deals with. Plus, thyroid symptoms tend to develop over years, so it wasn’t as evident in 1999 like it was in 2006 that something was indeed off. It’s important to be treated for thyroid disease because if left untreated, it can lead to elevated cholesterol levels and heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, coma or death. For me, my biggest issue was inability to keep the inches off, even with consistent exercise and a good diet, and the debilitating lack of motivation, which I will describe as a sort of depression. My thinking was pretty fuzzy too, which would affect anyone functioning day to day.
Getting on thyroid medication
So my doctor did what most family physicians would do for a newly diagnosed thyroid patient. He prescribed the smallest dose of Synthyroid, which was 30mg. Having researched hypothyroid before my appointment, I was aware that there was a “natural” medicine out there called Armour thyroid. The Armour meat company has provided desiccated thyroid extract from the thyroid glands of animals (typically from pigs) since the late 19th century. Beginning in the 1970s, the use of desiccated thyroid for the treatment of hypothyroidism was gradually replaced by a synthetic form of T4 known as levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, Levothyroxine, etc). My doctor told me the synthetic was better because it could be accurately measured dose to dose and refused to let me try Armour. Researching this fact, I found it to be misinformation because there are no FDA reports on problems with Armour thyroid. In 1997, however, the FDA reported such about levothyroxine sodium being inconsistent dose to dose, and has also written that Synthyroid has a long history of quality control problems. My mother also tried to discuss Armour with her doctor, and her doctor argued with her, asking if she’d want to take something from a dead animal. When my mom told me this, I replied, “Mom, you eat bacon, don’t you?” I suspect that most doctors really don’t educate themselves about this complicated hormonal disorder and take whatever they are told by those working in the healthcare industry as truth. The healthcare industry seems to push the newer synthetics as better too.
What worked for me
I took the Synthroid prescription and vowed to find another doctor to treat me with Armour thyroid, just because I personally believed more in bio-identical hormones over synthetics. I didn’t have to look far because I found two friends with hypothyroid, and both friends were taking Armour. Another great online source for thyroid specialists is: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/
I had to wait three months to get into see this new doctor though, so I took my Synthroid prescription for those three months hoping it would help. The Synthroid did absolutely nothing to alleviate my symptoms. I didn’t lose any weight; still wasn’t coping with daily life very well, and my energy levels were still low. My new doctor tested my blood after being on Synthroid for 3 months, and she found a TSH of .5. She said that the Synthroid was actually suppressing my thyroid and that my T3 levels needed a boost. Most doctors hold the belief that patients do not need T3, because they assume their patients’ thyroids will convert T4 into the T3 the body needs. This does not allow for the possibility that some people, like myself, may lack the ability to efficiently convert T4 into T3. Synthroid, and the other levothyroxine sodium medicines only have the T4 hormone in the pill. So it’s fairly certain that my body wasn’t converting the T4 from the pill into the T3 because I saw no symptom relief and yet my TSH level was really low.
I started the Armour the following day, and it was like flipping a switch on my energy level. I felt like I got more done off my checklist in that first week than I had the entire previous three months! The Armour has the T3 and the T4 hormones in it, plus is the T3 that regulates the metabolism more powerfully of the two hormones. I also had motivation and energy again to do my T-Tapp exercise program more consistently without such fatigue. I attended a T-Tapp fitness event one month after starting the Armour and promptly lost 11 inches in three days. I completed just 11 workouts the rest of the month and lost another 12 inches for 23 inches total in 30 days. A month later, I realized the foggy thinking had lifted back to “normal”. I could once again concentrate.
Over the course of my first year on Amour, I lost about 33 inches total, which I find amazing. I’m still a size away from my goal size 8 according to my skeletal set point, but I just had my dosage upped to 90mg last month. My TSH was 1.53 which my doctor said was working, but it was not optimal. She believes also that most doctors under prescribe thyroid medication. Hormonal balance is so complicated, and some people need continual adjustment to the amount of thyroid medication they take. Some doctors try different dosages for 3 months and then test your hormone levels by blood tests. Other doctors, like mine are more interested in the symptoms being alleviated.
I still find I gain inches quite easily if I’m not working out with 60-90 minute T-Tapp exercise sessions 3-4 times a week (ttapp.com). Yet, I will have to see what this new dosage does within the next few months. The good news is that it is possible to manage your health with thyroid disease if you take charge of your health. Yes, you can!
~Kate (written in 2007)
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