In the last several months I became aware that my thyroid, which has been under observation for the past 3 years, was testing abnormally and I needed to go in for more tests. I happened to get off the phone with my doctor’s office right before I was meeting with a client who is a very knowledgeable health coach and when I confided in her about the call she recommended that I read Thyroid Healing: The Truth behind Hashimoto’s, Graves’, Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules & Epstein-Barr by Anthony William.

I take all of her recommendations seriously, so I purchased the book that day. Now it might seem a bit out there to some people because Anthony William is a medium. As in, he channels the information in this book from Spirit. He is known as the Medical Medium and he has a huge following including people I respect on the holistic health scene like Dr. Alejandro Junger, Kris Carr and Gwyneth Paltrow. But what I really liked about the book (which I read in two days) is that his recommended protocol for healing your thyroid is food-based. I was raised by an extremely health conscious mother that taught me when you get sick you go to the kitchen first. And my Peruvian grandmother, who had the world’s weirdest assortment of glass jars in her kitchen, swore by the healing powers of Una de Gato which is one of the recommended supplements for my particular condition. So this food-based protocol gels with my worldview.  

In addition, my very experienced and kind endocrinologist had no explanations and no suggestions of anything I could do to stop my thyroid from developing new cysts (what I found out I had when my new test results came back) and nodules (what I was originally diagnosed with). I was told to wait and watch. Well, I’m not good at that.

And really what’s the harm in cutting out soy, canola, corn, dairy, gluten, eggs and pork? Or is juicing twice a day and taking supplements going to make it worse? Unlikely. But the upside, well that could be no more new growths, reducing the size and number of growths I have right now, or best of all getting rid of them altogether. I say that’s worth trying.  

I won’t know until September when I get retested if following the protocol has made any difference. And I suppose I could have waited until I did know to share what I’ve been up to but I decided now was the time for three reasons:

1. It is shocking how many people are dealing with some form of thyroid disease. If sharing my experience makes even one person feel less alone or more driven to take their health into their own hands then it’s worth it. 
2. There are alternatives! Hu Chocolate makes the best chocolate, vegan or otherwise, I’ve ever had. I couldn’t live without Miyoko’s vegan butter and our local gluten-free bread from Oat Bakery.  And Kite Hill’s Jalapeno Cream Cheese is delish. The fact that consumers are continuing to demand healthy foods means we have a lot of options. Please keep reading labels and purchasing foods from companies that align with your values. It makes a difference!
3. I wanted to reiterate to anyone trying to make any kind of big change in their lives that surrounding yourself with people that are supportive is critical.

To my third point, this has not been easy. It’s a pain in the booty to juice twice a day. I miss chips and salsa like nobody’s business. Remembering to take all the supplements requires a spreadsheet taped to the inside of the cabinet where I keep them. To keep it altogether, every week I check in with my accountability group on my commitment to the protocol and they listen and support me and keep me going when I might otherwise give up.

My husband doesn’t complain because I can’t share a beer with him (although I do have a thing for Boochcraft). He even surprised me the other day with beautiful cucumbers from the farmers market to juice. My sister invites me over for dinner and makes sure I can eat everything, even the hummus, and let me tell you it is no easy thing to find hummus that isn’t made with canola oil. And my kids have even gotten to the point of requesting what I like to call my Mud Pie smoothie – Hawaiian Spirulina, Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder, sunflower seed butter, cacao, Spirit Dust (adaptogenic mushroom powder), almond milk, and a frozen banana. I’m also blessed to have a wonderful helper who among many other things makes us a healthy and delicious dinner we can all enjoy three times a week.

Even though I want my clear test results back now, I’ve learned that embodying my healthiest self is a practice. And that practice is best met with patience, a willingness to receive what shows up with an open mind, and the vulnerability to ask for help when and where it is needed.

With loads of love,

Ali