Throughout my 23 years of life, I have been the queen of treats- cookies, candy, cake, you name it, I want it. One thing I didn’t realize, though, was that a good portion of my favorite foods were the reason for many of my issues. Because I had lived for so long dealing with aches, fatigue, bloating, irritability, stress, etc, I thought this was all just part of life. Everyone feels tired and absolutely drained at 3 PM, right?

No!

You should not feel that way! While many of these symptoms seem tolerable to a person who deals with them often, they really interfere with everyday life and relationships. Symptoms like fatigue, irritability, stress, brain fog, and issues with memory all impact life tremendously, especially at work. The last thing I want to do is be the cranky coworker that can’t remember small details.

My physical symptoms, like bloating, constipation, trouble tolerating cold, dry skin and hair, brittle nails, joint stiffness, and irregular periods all seemed quite manageable a few months ago. Nothing really drove me crazy to the point where I knew something had to be wrong; so, for the longest time, I just dealt with it. But trust me, being able to have a normal cycle and bowel movement schedule (TMI, I know) is something I will never take for granted again.

Back to the good stuff. Earlier I said that I was the queen of treats, but how does that have anything to do with these symptoms? Well, a few months ago, I visited Functional Medicine provider, Paige Deters at Rejuv, and after looking at my symptoms and doing blood work, it all added up to be something called Hashimoto’s.  Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid, causing inflammation and an excess of thyroid hormones. Gluten is one thing that commonly triggers the inflammation. So… gluten, aka cookies, candy, and cake = not yummy in my tummy, and it was pretty saddening at first.

While I’ve only been on this healing journey for about 3 months, I am still learning the ins and outs of living a gluten free lifestyle. I always make sure to plan ahead with snacks or meals, I’ve joined many Facebook groups where others share their favorite gluten free items, I follow pages that talk about living with Hashimoto’s, and I’ve discovered that this “disorder” is a lot more common than I had originally thought!

I will say, life does get difficult because food is not as easily accessible for me, but I’ve learned to appreciate it. A blessing in disguise, some may say. I am now more conscious about what ingredients I put into my body, not just gluten related, so I’ve been healing my body from many ingredients that are not good for people. And all in all, I am grateful because my restrictions are not the end of the world.

PS there is such thing as gluten free cookies, candy, and cakes ????

Some symptoms I experience with Hashimoto’s:

Fatigue

Bloating

Irritability

Stress

Trouble tolerating cold

Issues with memory or concentration

Dry skin, thinning hair, brittle nails

Irregular periods

Constipation

Weak immune system

Joint stiffness

Brain fog

If you are experiencing some or many of these symptoms, visit one of our Functional Medicine providers and get the help you deserve!

Written by: Hailey Torborg, Social Media Specialist at Rejuv Medical