The Annual Springtime Blues; Time to Boost Thyroid Medicine

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REPOST FROM FEB 2011

Here it is March 2012 and I am thinking "Wow, I've been feeling kind of blue lately." It's the yearly seasonal thyroid drop, which always happens around early March and goes until May. Late winter through early spring can be hard for those of us with hypothyroidism. Even when we are on good thyroid medicine! It reminded me of my blog post from last year on this exact topic. Sheesh, even I have a hard time seeing my own symptoms! Read on.... xxxooo!! Lizzy

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Hi my friends, this time of year is always tough for me. The days are getting longer, there is more light and I feel like I should be feeling great. But sure enough, I feel the low-grade depression sneaking up on me again. It usually sets in just before the forsythia bloom (so early March here in New England). When I finally got treatment for hypothyroidism I learned this depression is actually low thyroid! 

Apparently thyroid function drops in the late winter/early spring months which creates a low-grade depression for many of us. It feels like SAD (seasonal affective disorder), general depression, or just a heaviness. I know it's not SAD because I still have it even when I get plenty of sunlight. And I know it's not traditional depression because it lasts only a few months, and it's always around this time of year. 

So this is a reminder... to help get through the winter blues many of us need to increase our thyroid medicine about 1/4 pill just for a few months. (I might add, who wants to take anti-depressants and gain weight?!) For me the depression starts around now and sometimes lasts through May. When I start to feel light and buoyant again I know I can ease back to my normal dose of thyroid medicine.

This year I am taking the natural desiccated thyroid compound from Collier's Pharmacy and still have great results all around. But I think I still need the extra 1/4 pill (15mg) boost. I hope this helps you too!

xxoo

Lizzy

Six Years Later: Here's What Good Thyroid Treatment Looks Like

Hi my friends!

I thought today would be a good time for some inspiration. It's been six years since I started the journey to solve my hypothyroid condition. If you are new to my story, this meant I couldn't exercise, I had no energy, I would sleep 10 hours and wake up tired, I was 35 lbs overweight and no diet helped (read the whole story). So, being able to post this update is really exciting, and I hope it inspires you!

Nine months ago I started doing CrossFit, which is darn near the hardest workout I've ever done in my life. And something I never could have done six years ago. Since starting CrossFit, I've been sore every day for nine months, but in a really good way. The way my body should feel after exercise, not in the hypothyroid-way (where exercise made me want to cry). I never knew exercise could feel awesome until I was treated properly.

So what does it look like to get proper treatment? You need photos! Here are the latest pics of yours truly. At 40 years old, with hypothyroidism and recovering from adrenal fatigue, I never thought this kind of workout would be possible. But the proof is here. And yay!! Seeing this reminds me that life can be better. So keep at everyone. Anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.

xxxxxoooo

Lizzy

135 lb Front Squat - Personal Record - woooohoooo!!!

55 lbs overhead "Snatch" - I did 30 of these at 45lbs, and 30 at 55 lbs. Let's hear it for the over 40 moms!

Where to Get Advice

Hi my friends, sorry it's been so long since my last post. Life is busy, and luckily I have the energy to tackle it head on every day but this also means sometimes I take on too much! For many of you, I know that sounds like an impossible dream -- to have energy and feel great -- but hang in there and keep looking for answers. On that note, I wish I could answer all the emails from everyone but sadly I can't keep up.

Fear not, there is an amazing Yahoo group who helped me when I was getting started. I highly recommend joining this group to get advice. They have seen the range of hypothyroid and adrenal fatigue related conditions -- like RT3, Graves Disease, Addison's Disease, hormone imbalances, high blood pressure, low pressure, high cholesterol -- you name it, they have seen it. 

When you post be prepared -- try to keep your story and questions clear and simple. And be sure to include your full (and recent) labwork with the lab ranges. This will help you get a faster response. If you don't know what labwork to order, my worksheet has all the info.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

xxxooo

Lizzy

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Honey, and Almond Crust

 

As I noted in my Thanksgiving Dinner Survival Guide, personal happiness at Thanksgiving means having a fabulous dessert which I can eat -- meaning, no flour, no grain, and no sugar. Seems impossible I know! When faced with a challenge, I try to make the best of the situation. This led me to my new love -- Cheesecake! There are so many cheescake variations it's really endless. And cheesecake can be made succesfully, and awesomely, without sugar or grain. I must say, it's not necessarily quick or cheap, but for me it's well worth the payoff to have a great dessert at Thanksgiving (or really anytime.) Here's what I do...

For the crust, instead of the typical graham cracker recipe, I make a crust using chopped Almonds or Almond Meal. Trader Joe's has Almond Meal for a good price, but I prefer to chop whole Almonds in the Cuisinart Food Processor because it makes the crust crunchier. Either works well. For sweetener, instead of sugar I use honey. Pretty simple switches! Here is a cheesecake recipe I found on Food Network, which I modified to be hypothyroid friendly:

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups ground almond and/or almond meal
• 3 tablespoons honey (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine almond meal, honey and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Mix well. (If the crust seems too dense, just add a little more almond meal). Press mixture down flat into a 9-inch springform pan**. Set aside. 

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, honey and the spices. If it needs more honey add more as needed. Add vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Note: The batter may seem sweet but it loses some sweetness in the baking. So better to add a little more honey to be safe.) 

Pour batter into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

** I divide my cheesecakes into pie and muffins, mainly because I want to try the cheesecake right when it's done! So I use a 6" springform cheesecake pan, and a muffin tin with 6 cups. I line both with crust and batter. The mini-muffin cheesecakes take less time to cook.

Thanksgiving Dinner Survival Guide

Vermont CremeryThanksgiving is one of those holidays that's all about carbs and sweets -- pretty much the foods which make me feel bleh because of hypothyroidism. That's why I developed my own way of eating with the Miss Lizzy Diet.

At Thanksgiving everyone is eating what they want, so I wanted to find a way to survive Thanksgiving where I felt great and totally satisfied with foods (as well as not gaining weight!). Here's what I do:

1. Thanksgiving morning, eat a good breakfast with protein and veggies (this really helps with carb cravings and holds me over until dinnertime)

2. Bring an appetizer that makes me happy and that I can eat -- like cheese! -- have I mentioned I really love cheese? Cheese really helps with my carb and sugar cravings because its rich and satisfying. Pretty much anything from Vermont Cremery is heaven for me. I skip the crackes and just eat the cheese straight.

3. At mealtime, I fill my plate with any food that don't have carbs (a little breadcrumbs or flour in the gravy won't hurt) I am always suprised that there's a lot of non-carb dishes to choose from -- like salads, vegetable side dishes, Turkey, gravy, even some potatoes. I'll have seconds if I am still hungry, but again avoiding all carbs. Maybe at the end I'll try a little stuffing, but at this point I am usually full I can have a little carb without overeating.

4. For dessert, bring a super awesome treat specifically for me (I am going to post my special cheesecake recipe shortly!)

So that's pretty much it. Eating this way on Thanksgiving helps me avoid the brain fog and lethargy of carbs, but still enjoy the day, feel great, and not gain weight (!)

xxoo

Lizzy