Vincent Van Gogh

 

Over the years I've read snippets on Vincent Van Gogh and his health issues. I mean, he cut off his ear, sent the ear to his friend Gauguin, and painted a self-portrait of his bandaged head. Behavior like that doesn't go unnoticed in any professional field. It just screams crazy. Anyone who has ever heard of Van Gogh often remembers only this tiny aspect of his life. "Oh, isn't he the guy with the ear?"  People still talk about it one hundred years later. This is the romantic legacy of a temperamental artist.

Unfortunately, the mythology of his behavior often outshines his art. For years I thought his art was OK and sorta interesting until I saw it up close and personal in a museum in Europe. Walking into a room full of Van Goghs is like your brain finally waking up from a life-long coma. BAM! Shockingly bright and lots texture and movement. Fascinating. I remember thinking how different his style was from any other artist I've ever seen, and I had seen a lot of art in my life. I do tend to like patterns and color so I should have been drawn to him long before this personal encounter, but seeing it in person was a whole different experience. I also remember adding a footnote to my admiration, he must have been a little off his rocker to paint like that...or just a rebel at a time when modern art was just getting started.

But the ear mutilation...there are all kinds of theories for his behavior: anger-management issues, biopolar illness, schizophrenia, lead poisoning, syphilis and love sickness*. In addition to this behavior, later in life he was known to be "sad" and incredibly irritable. Sounds like MCS to me. Eventually he secluded himself out in the middle of no where, away from friends, and complained often of the isolation. Jeez. That sounds like me! I surmise the poor man was chemically sensitive due to all those oil paints he was using.

Oil paints are incredibly toxic and their pigment mixtures may include ingredients such as lead, titanium, and cadmium. Turpentine, mineral spirits and linseed oil are used for thinners and washes. Varnishes and lacquers may contain ethyl alcohol, toluene, xylene, acetates, alcohols and petroleum distillates. Today there are far more health and safety guidelines for handling such poisons. I doubt if in the 1800s many people understood the health ramifications of exposure, but in a book from 1713 called Diseases of Workers paint was clearly recognized as the cause of artists' illnesses so the dangers weren't totally unknown back then.

Van Gogh was known for his amazing output of work in a very short time. According to Wikipedia, in ten years he produced 2,100 artworks including 860 oil paintings. That's a whole lotta poison on a daily basis!

I'm currently reading a book called Becoming Van Gogh about his development as an artist. Most of what anyone knows about Van Gogh's life is through the letters he wrote to his friends and brother. This book doesn't deal with his health or unusual behaviors, but there is a timeline in the back based his correspondences. It features each year of his art career broken down into seasons or months with events of his life. He wasn't ill early in his career when he was working with drawing media and watercolor. When he starts using oils, it's hard to ignore the patterns of exposure and illness.

In 1888-1889, one year before his death, the timeline reads like this:

May Vincent spends two more weeks concentrating on drawing before taking up painting again....

July  "...But you should know that I'm in the middle of a complicated calculation that results in canvases done quickly one after another..."  [Working a lot in oils.]

Late Summer  "...It's a rather sad prospect to have to say to myself that the painting I do will perhaps never have any value." [Within a month, he's sounding depressed.]

Winter-Spring Vincent falls ill... [Hmmm..winter months he's probably working indoors.]

May  Repeated breakdowns force Vincent to enter the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum... [Too much exposure.]

September  After a month lost to illness, Vincent resumes work in his room at full speed. [Feeling better after a month of no poison exposure.]

He seems to bounce back and forth between drawing and painting, sickness and healthful productivity, with moments of irritability, sadness, loneliness and depression.

Granted, I need to read more about his life and find a book on the letters to read them myself to get a full picture, but reading these little excerpts makes me very sad for him. He was such a dedicated and prolific artist who died too young. Was he chemically sensitive? No one really knows for sure, but he seems to have all the symptoms.

In July 1890, he died from what some think was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is some speculation that someone else shot him. It is kind of strange he shot himself in the chest which would be difficult to do, and he lived for another day so you'd think he would have told someone who shot him if that were the case. I think the suicide theory fits with the insanity mythology that surrounds him. People prefer the drama as a conclusion. He was only thirty-seven years old. How sad.

*Some think Van Gogh was in love with fellow artist Paul Gauguin who started distancing himself when Van Gogh began to act, hmmm, well, possessive. I've never cared for Gauguin. This is a man with a wife and many children who decided to leave them all so he could go frolic in Tahiti with naked women. He paints like a first grader. Yes. I know. I am biased in my opinion of him. Sometimes it's better not to know their biographical details. Don't ask me how I feel about Picasso....

The War Zone

Operations: In the last week I've planted squash, marigolds, lettuce, beets, carrots, radishes, petunias, alyssum, ice plants, ground covers, speedwell, sunflowers, cilantro, violas, cucumbers, salipigosis, African daisies and some other flowers but I can't remember what they are called. Tomorrow I transplant my tomatoes and plant my beans and then THAT'S IT! I'm finished.

The bean starts died (too damp) and I decided not to plant more starts. They will go directly into the ground. The tomatoes as you can see are doing fine, although a little sun and wind shocked from not being used to outdoors. The grape tomatoes have been insane. Within two months they were three feet high and I had to transplant them into these bigger pots. I just hope I don't damage them in the transplanting process. The Roma tomatoes are doing fine although I think they are eager to get out of their little pots. (See them over to the right in the corner.) Basil has been transplanted (behind that glass window frame above) and I'm trying to keep them warm.

Enemy Combatant: Unknown Perpetrator. I transplanted my pumpkin starts. Since the first pumpkin starts died and I had to start over so these were very precious to me. See...aren't they sweet?

Decapitated Pumpkins

Oops! Where'd they go? You can just see one stem sticking out of the mound. Something came along not more than an hour after I planted them and snipped off the leaves!!!! Left the leaves, too. Didn't even bother to eat them. I put some netting over the squash garden.

Enemy Combatant: Peter. I caught him snacking on my nicotiana. I only have two of these sweet-smelling, night-blooming plants and I like them.

Mutilated Nicotiana

Interrogation: So I'm feeling quite miffed and I holler at him. Naturally, he shakes his head which could be misunderstood as back-talk, but is actually rabbit talk for "HAPPY TO SEE YOU/DO YOU HAVE TREATS FOR ME?" He hops up to me and I say, "You BAD bunny". I scratch his head because I know he has no idea what I'm saying and I try to pick him up to move him. He doesn't like being handled so he hops out of reach, but not out of the garden.

 I decide I need to find something to protect what is left of the plant. I can't! I'm out of chicken wire, netting, plastic containers, cages, baskets, etc. The yard looks like a war zone as it is. So I give up.

Garden Side

Prisoner of War I decide to exile Peter. I head back to the garden and there he is snacking away. I try to pick him up. Nope, not happening. I follow him as he starts hopping around, just out of my reach, but he hops in detours. Zigzaggy-like so I have no idea where he is going.

Surrender and Capture Frustrated at this game he's playing, I pounce on him and pick him up. He doesn't even fight which is really weird. And good lord, he's a dead weight! I haven't carried him in about four years and he's gotten quite hefty. But he doesn't fight! No kicking or lurching. He just hangs there. So strange. I only walk him about five feet before I have to put him down because he's so damn heavy and he hops to the back. I close the gate. He is in exile...and on a diet.

Peter's Side: Rabbit Prison

Spoils of War: I found some treasures today. I was digging a very deep hole to transplant my new-freebie rosemary bush...

...and I found this really lovely rock. Are there any paleontologists out there? Is it worth anything? I hope so. Maybe it's a dinosaur bone fossil? Or some rare amber? 

I also found myself a luxury car today. Just what I needed. The universe knows. I found it right around the same spot I found the fighter jet so I'm tempted to dig up the garden and see what else might be there.

That's all the news from your friendly wartime correspondent.

UPDATE: It might be a "Carnelian Agate" which is used for protection and peace. Cool. I need some protection and peace with my new neighbor moving next door in two weeks!

Happy Stuff

I was logging into my Yahoo email and saw this on their news. If you are in need of something to smile about, here it is. I actually cried all the way through it.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/world-most-epic-marriage-proposal-225325408.html

Thai Chicken (Recipe)

I love Thai food so when I started this diet I wondered how I was going to tweak this recipe. It was actually easy. The Thai spices I was using were curry mixes so I just read the labels to know which fresh foods to buy and tried to copy. Pre-MCS, I used to go to Thai restaurants a lot so I had a fairly good idea what would make a homemade meal taste kinda-sorta similar. I think my Thai Chicken and Thai Chicken Curry is a little less exciting, but I know it's much healthier.

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tablespoons coconut oil

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion, sliced and halved

1/2 red pepper, sliced

3-4 cups green beans, with ends removed and cut in half

3-4 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 bunch basil, snip leaves off, cut into small pieces

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons chili pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you want it hot)

2 tablespoons curry powder (optional, not sure if gluten is added to curry powder as an anti-caking agent so I've always avoided it)

Sauté chicken pieces in oils on medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion and red pepper, continue cooking for a few minutes. While this cooks, in a separate pan add coconut milk and chili pepper flakes, heat but do not boil. Add beans and broccoli to chicken mixture, continue cooking for a few more minutes.

When coconut milk is heated strain out chili pepper flakes (or leave them in if you want the dish very hot). Return to pan, add curry and cayenne and mix completely. Add to pan with chicken mixture continuing to simmer.

Add basil and cook another ten minutes. Mmmm...love the smell of basil.

Optional variation: Prawns or shrimp are on the Paleo diet, but not on the Paleo/Hashimoto's diet. If you are so inclined, as I am from time to time, substitute 6-8 prawns  instead of chicken. I really love the coconut milk flavor with prawns.

 

Both dishes may be eaten as is or added to rice. (Rice isn't on either diet!)

Serve. Yum.

Spicy Hamburger Zucchini Casserole (Recipe)

Also called, Something-Like-Mexican-Food. This is a fajita without the tortilla or a taco without the taco shell with a whole lot of vegetables added. It could be made with other cuts of beef or chicken. This particular recipe I did use steak meat with hamburger because I had it left over from another meal.

I call some of these dishes casseroles for lack of a better term because they are a meat and vegetable-mixed dish. I think the true definition of a casserole is it has some kind of starch or binder, like rice, pasta, or potatoes, none of which are on this diet.

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger from organic, grass-fed beef

1 splash of olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup onions, diced

3  zucchini, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced with seeds removed

1 bunch oregano, snip off leaves, cut into tiny pieces

1 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Splash the olive oil in the bottom of a large pan, medium heat. Add hamburger and minced garlic, sautéing for a few minutes, turning hamburger so it browns completely. Add onions, zucchini, and jalapeno pepper. Continue sautéing. Add spices and herbs. Sauté until meat cooked thoroughly.

Eat with avocados on the side.

Optional variation: Using any kind of squash, although I prefer butternut or acorn, cut in half, remove seeds, brush olive oil all over the insides and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Add  cooked hamburger mix to the squash center and bake for another 20 minutes.

Serve. Yum.

Menu Samples for the Paleo/Hashimoto's Diet

WARNING: This menu list is outdated and only represents an early version of my diet. I no longer eat so much dairy (creates fatigue), absolutely no dried fruits (creates exhaustion), and no broth (yuck...besides it's high in glutamates and I belief I have a glutamate sensitivity). Check out the index for "Paleo-Hashimoto's Diet" and the most recent menu/diet sample should be at the top.

Here's what a typical food journal looks like for someone on The Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist:

DAY 1

1 cup of chicken or beef broth

3 boiled eggs
1 cup of green peas

1 cup yogurt with
1 peeled and shredded apple

1 handful of raw almonds
1 orange

1 cup chicken or beef broth
2 cups of salmon rice casserole (salmon, Thai rice, red peppers, onions, garlic, broccoli, fresh oregano, olive oil, sea salt and pepper)

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup raw almonds

1 hamburger patty cooked with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper
1 tablespoon canola mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon mustard
1 slice raw onion
1 cup cooked carrots

4 tablespoons of almond butter


DAY 2

1 cup of homemade chicken or beef broth

4 ounces of cod, baked in coconut oil
3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of zucchini sauteed in olive oil

1 slice of cantaloupe
1/2 handful of raisins

1 handful of raw pecans
1/2 apple

2 cups Thai chicken (chicken sauteed in coconut oil with garlic, onions, green beans, broccoli, a bunch of fresh basil, a handful of fresh oregano, jalapeno peppers, with coconut milk and red chilies)

1 avocado

4 ounces salmon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup green peas

4 tablespoons of almond butter
1/2 apple

Here are more rules:


Drink chicken or beef broth with every meal.

Eat some kind of protein every two hours.

Eat lots of veggies with protein.

Eat one veggie raw or almost raw with every meal.

Don't eat fruit with a protein meal unless it's high-glycemic then you need to eat with protein to keep blood sugar from spiking.

Don't cheat.

Don't break the rules.

Obviously I cheat and break rules a lot, sometimes just to be defiant. When I first started this diet I had no idea what to eat and how to make it taste not so bland. Vegetables not dripping with butter are really dull. Meat without the fancy sauces or paired up with a tasty side dish are boring. Dessert? What's that? Boredom is painful when seeing others enjoy their decadent dishes or watching people in restaurants eating gourmet food without restraint, worry or care. Hating what you have to eat is a real motivation killer for any diet.

This is why I break the rules. If I didn't now and then I'd give up. I shouldn't have processed condiments like mayonnaise and mustard, but I buy the organic kind, very expensive,  free of garbage, soy and sugar and I don't eat them often or in great quantity. Sometimes I buy dates or corn chips because one more day of snackless existence would send me over the edge, but that's rare. I've kept raisins although they are dried fruits high in natural sugar because they are high in iron and I pair them up with nuts.

About once a month I buy oysters or prawns and eat them just for a treat. They are high in the minerals and since I don't take supplements, this is justifiable so I don't feel too badly. Often I drink some kind of fresh fruit or vegetable juice at night, again for vitamins. I'd like to drink homemade chicken broth with every meal, but that would involve taking the time to cut up a whole lot of chickens too often to keep myself stocked up with stock. I run out too fast, because of this, I am very selective when I choose to drink the broth.  When I cheat I reduce the diet to a basic Paleo diet without the Hashimoto's Twist and I do it so infrequently, I don't think it causes much of a problem.


BUT on the positive side, I have not once cheated with gluten! I think that would be a deal breaker. I don't eat gluten, restaurant food, junk food, chocolate, soft drinks, caffeine, rarely if any kind of sweetener, hardly any dairy (yogurt), and rice is really the only grain and I don't eat it that often. Even with the rules I break,  it's a darn healthy diet. Nevertheless, willpower is a daily endeavor.

Can't Have This...No Matter What!

As I make my recipes in the next few weeks, I'll post them. They are quite easy. I know what it's like to start this diet and wonder if anything will ever taste good again.

The Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist

It sounds like a dessert, doesn't it? Or an alcoholic beverage. Both of which I am not allowed. My anti-autoimmune diet is actually the Paleo (Caveman) Diet with a few tweaks. The basic principles are eating what cavemen and cavewomen ate back before we started processing foods beyond recognition: meats, plants and plant products in their most natural forms.

Can't Eat This

What I can eat:

organic beef, chicken, turkey, lamb and fish

most vegetables

fruits, medium to low glycemic value

most herbs and spices

raw nuts, nut butters

olive oil

coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut anything

water, herbal tea

Can't Eat This

The protocol starts with the GAPS diet which is used to heal leaky gut so you are able to digest foods efficiently after you rid yourself of gluten. It's pretty much the same as the Paleo Diet only with a few extra restrictions, for instance, no nuts or any food normally difficult to digest and no eggs as most people have allergies to eggs.

If you would like more details on guidelines and rules:

http://thyroidbook.com/blog/autoimmune-gut-repair-diet/

Can't Eat This

Since I had been partially gluten-free for the past year, I had some practice. Getting strict meant really paying attention to everything I ate and reading the small print on labels. Realizing gluten is in nearly anything processed or canned was an eye-opener. It is hidden in foods like like canned tuna fish (for flavoring), chili powder (it's the anti-caking agent), and some vinegars (made with wheat or as added flavoring). Anything sweetened with barley malt has gluten. Vitamin E is made with gluten so lotions, deodorants, Chapstick, make-up and soaps with Vitamin E are restricted. No matter how many chemicals are in these products, manufacturers think if they put Vitamin E on the label it makes it healthy and more marketable. We are a vitamin addicted people.

I had been trying to reduce my meat intake for a long time in attempt to be healthier and in hopes of reducing our society's dependence on factory farming so I had to re-learn how to cook and eat meat which is amazingly time consuming. Just conditioning myself to remember to take a piece of frozen meat out of the freeze so it would be ready to prepare was hard enough! One of the requirements is to eat protein every two hours so I was spending an extraordinary amount of time planning and preparing meals. I am a prime example of the "fast food generation." We like our food FAST! Sometimes I'd rather not eat than have to take the time to chop up a whole chicken.

I also realized how dependent I was on "filler" foods: pasta, rice, and bread. It's cheap to pack your meat and vegetable dishes with these items as it makes dishes more filling so they go further which also saves money. By eating meat and vegetables, I was HUNGRY most of the time! Well, not hungry, just unsatisfied. And meat is expensive!

Can't Eat This

At first I cheated with dried fruits and bananas, but only because I had to order Kharrazian's book which took a while to get and I didn't quite understand the difference between the Paleo Diet and the Paleo Diet with the Hashimoto's Twist. Giving up sweeteners was difficult and I didn't understand what was high-glycemic and what wasn't so the dried fruits and bananas stayed for too long to compensate for the missing sweets. Other than this glitch, I tackled gluten- sweetener- and dairy-free restrictions with inhuman willpower. Surprising, I know. I can only blame it on desperation.

At about the fourth month, I noticed I was crashing too much. Going without food for too long is not advised. I started experiencing lots of hypoglycemic-type symptoms that I never had before. I decided to add yogurt and rice to the diet, but limited, and I felt much better. I also greatly reduced the dried fruit and stopped eating bananas. I read in the book if you do eat high-glycemic fruits, eat them with protein. I'm learning.

I'm now on the seventh month...with NO weight loss. What!!!? It's a mystery. How can someone give up cookies, cakes, pies, pancakes, butter, jam, potatoes and sour cream and NOT lose weight? I also don't feel less fatigued or exhausted, and at this point I'm thinking the fatigue might be caused by something else. Some information I've come across claims this diet takes up to two years to see a difference. What happened to six months?!

Can't Eat This

I'm not discouraged yet. I did have blood labs redone and my cholesterol has dropped (hooray!), my thyroid levels have increased (this is good - it means the thyroid is working), the TSH has decreased (again, good), but my antibodies have slightly increased although still relatively low. I don't have a clue what is causing the antibodies to increase, but the rest of it is good news. My digestion is wonderful and no more cracked heels, so I am seeing some improvement although not the improvement I expected. I had hoped after six months I'd be bursting with energy. Running marathons, or at least able to ride my bike down the road.

I was also told by current "health care supervisor" (who is actually an acupuncturist who has trained with Kharrazian in nutrition) whatever I decide to do about the diet, DON'T go back to eating gluten. No one should eat gluten. That's fine. Yeah, I miss pie, cake and cookies, but I really don't need to eat any of that stuff and it's not like I'm craving those things. (I did, however, find a gluten-free cupcake the other day that I've been dreaming about.) Based on everything I've been reading, I'm actually afraid to eat gluten now.

Recently I found out I might have Leiden Thrombosis or Factor Five Blood or extra thick blood a condition that does run in my family.  Oddly enough, Paleo diet foods are also blood thinning foods. Coincidental? Hmmm...makes me wonder if there is a connection.

Garden Treasure: Not-So-Ready-For-Takeoff!

The Lilliputian War is still going strong, but I fear someone lost a valuable piece of weaponry in the last battle....

This is one of those treasures that excavated itself from who-knows-where. I found it in my vegetable garden which has been sifted, raked, dug, and re-dug a hundred times. WHERE did it come from? I'm weeding tiny little weeds, not even using a spade or shoved and I notice what looks unnaturally man-made sticking out of the dirt. I pull on it and out of the carrots comes a fighter jet!

"Mayday! Mayday! Going down in the veggies!"

It is said the universe gives you what you need when you need it. I needed a fighter jet today.

Garden Treasure!

Ah! Life is good. I found another marble buried deep in the dirt under grass.

This is where I found the marble:

I'm digging out my grass. I hate grass. I have the kind of grass that spreads all over. It infiltrates everything.  Removing grass is a lot of work. The above picture is what I did today. This is what I accomplished yesterday:

Little by little.  Peter really likes grass so some of it has to stay. Although he's really loving the dirt, too, so I'm finding little holes all over.  He loves to dig in fresh dirt and will jump right in when I'm shoveling like he wants to help.

And he loves to pee on it. He's re-scenting it. This area used to be his toilet, but since he abandoned it in favor of the backyard I don't feel guilty digging it up.  I'm replacing grass with walkways and more flowers. Friendlier plants.  I like these:

I don't know what they are called. These are my neighbor's. So pretty. Like little fairy flowers.

Hopefully, Peter will like some new flowers. If not, he'll make them disappear overnight. After all, it's HIS garden.

Later in the summer when it's all done I'll post some pictures.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

One of the few advantages of being chemically sensitive is my immune system kicked into overdrive - I never get sick. No colds, no viruses, no flu, no sore throats. I can have sick people sneeze all over me and still I never get sick. When my first environmental medicine specialist explained my immune system was in overdrive, I remember thinking to myself how convenient, and then, that can't be good. Somewhere down the road I was going to pay for the extra energy my hyperactive body was expending to keep me well.

I was feeling tired anyway and assumed it was because I was under so much stress while working at the school that poisoned me. Some of the doctors I saw looked at my blood labs and told me I was fine. "But, but, what about that TSH thing? What is that and why is it high and out of range?" "Oh, no, you're fine," said the quacks still practicing medical theories from the 1950s. OK. I'll take that. I needed some good news.

A few years later I found someone on an online MCS support group with twelve years more seniority and experience dealing with chemical sensitivity. She had thyroid problems and was seeing Dr. William Rea, renowned environmental medicine specialist who is at the forefront of the latest treatments for MCS. She told me thyroid issues are common for the chemically sensitive. Chemicals mess with our hormone levels, in general, and we are more susceptible to these fluctuations. "Just wait!" she said. Great. Something to look forward to. This made me seriously question the competency of the doctors I had already seen who told me I was fine.

Tired of being tired, I eventually found a doctor who also questioned the TSH lab in conjunction with the complaints I had of not only fatigue, but exhaustion. Utter exhaustion. Exhaustion so profound there would be times I couldn't move even to raise my arm. She did the antibody testing for Hashimoto's.

I'd never heard of Hashimoto's. It's one of the most common autoimmune diseases and although said to run in families, no one in my family has this. My immune system is attacking my thyroid creating hypothyroidism or low functioning thyroid. Most people who have hypothyroidism are not diagnosed. They just continue their lives feeling tired, run down, depressed, and drinking lots of caffeine to keep going. Of those who ARE tested and diagnosed with hypothyroidism, most have Hashimoto's although few are tested or diagnosed for this. Why not? Most doctors believe the only treatment for Hashimoto's is thyroid medication and if the thyroid labs are already showing low function, why bother with the antibody test since it's the same treatment? In other words, doctors are lazy idiots who prefer to cut corners instead of find answers. Making patients well would affect their bottom line!

When I heard I had an autoimmune disease my first thought was, OK, this is it. This is what happens when your immune system becomes hyperactive. I wasn't surprised. I guess I was waiting for some indication my immune system was wacko. I was given thyroid drugs which did nothing except make me incredibly sick. I would have thought at least I'd lose weight or feel less tired as a benefit, but no, I was still tired and still chubby. I gave up the pills although I was told I had to be on medication because if my thyroid levels become too out of balanced, I could have a heart attack and die! Jeez. Nothing like a little fear to push you into a drug addiction.

I didn't buy into the drug therapy anyway. Hypothyroidism is a SYMPTOM of Hashimoto's, it's not the cause. WHY does everyone want to treat the symptom? Even naturopathic doctors want to give me thyroid drugs without addressing the cause of my autoimmune disease. Of course, I was already convinced chemicals were the cause of autoimmune diseases and I was already doing whatever possible to alleviate my chemical load and avoid exposures. There had to be more to this. Half-ass answers weren't going to help. Typical medical protocols weren't making sense. What's new?

My labs were never outlandish. Most people I read about have labs in the double, triple, or even quadruple digits. My cholesterol was higher than normal as I'd always had low cholesterol. I found out this is another indication of hypothyroidism along with depression, weight gain, skin dryness, constipation, forgetfulness, hair thinning and loss, gravelly voice, and increase infection. Thankfully, I only had the fatigue and high cholesterol. (Later, I also found out slow heartbeat, lack of perspiration and cracked heels are also symptoms, which I had.) More importantly, the paralyzing episodes of exhaustion were a concern. I began researching online and read every book on Hashimoto's and hyperthyroidism I could get my hands on. Not very many had any answers. Same old theories from decades ago. I tried that drug. And that one. And that one. I needed something new, some out-of-the-box-thinking.

Then a friend of mine told me about Dr. Datis Kharrazian's book Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal. She has been on for thyroid drugs for years constantly in search of answers and she thought it might give me some answers as well. I found his website and blog www.thyroidbook.com or www.drknews.com discussing his diet protocols and various theories and other private websites with bloggers writing about their dietary changes and experiences. DIET. OK, I can do a diet. This addresses CAUSE, not just SYMPTOM. I felt hopeful for the first time in a long time.

His theory is gluten is the culprit. I had the gliadin tests which showed negative. I didn't have a gluten sensitivity. According to Dr. Kharrazian, it doesn't matter. Gluten is evil and most people can't digest it efficiently. In response, the immune system registers undigested gluten and goes crazy trying to get rid of the poison. It also thinks thyroid tissue is gluten because of their similar structure. More importantly, an immune response to gluten can last up to six months AND any little amount of gluten that is eaten can start the process all over again with a three week guarantee of a reaction, minimum. Although I had considered myself gluten-free for the last year, I cheated a lot. With each cheat, I was put right back at the beginning and getting no results. Most people eat gluten daily.

The Gluten Monster

In addition, other foods create health issues that put stress and strain on the thyroid by creating inflammation or blood sugar issues such as hypoglycemia or insulin resistance. These include sweeteners of any kind, other grains, dairy products, saturated oils, legumes (dried beans, carob, soy and peanuts), lectins (potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes), highly-contaminated meats (shellfish, and pork), and high glycemic foods such as bananas, watermelons, mangoes or dried fruits. Chocolate, although on the forbidden list because it's processed and is usually made with sugar, is also a gluten cross-reactor. Some foods trigger autoimmune responses because they act like gluten in your digestive tract. (Chocolate is evil!)

Every food item should be as wholesome, fresh and chemically-free as possible. Iodine-rich foods and supplements (like kelp) which are a common holistic treatment for hypothyroidism excite the thyroid gland and trigger an autoimmune response. I also found out most thyroid medications have iodine added. Just for that extra kick. No wonder why the drugs were making me feel worse! And although these drugs are known for weight loss, they can also make a chemically sensitive person gain weight. I love what doctors don't tell you...or don't know.

Unfortunately, all those forbidden foods were part of my normal diet. What the HELL was I going to eat?

I didn't care. It was hope. I'd much rather control my food than take useless drugs that would rob my bank account and not work. I'd give it six months and see what happens....

...To Be Continued....

Autoimmune Diseases

When I first started hearing about autoimmune diseases and how the body's immune system attacks itself, it didn't make sense to me. Our bodies aren't designed to attack themselves just for the fun of it, so what is up? I concluded our immune system is attacking something that has infiltrated our bodies, something it sees as a foreign invader and must be removed. Now, what could that be? Yep. Chemicals. I've been alone with my theory for a long time, accused by anyone who didn't want to hear it that my thought processes had been taken over by anti-chemical propaganda and paranoia.

An acquaintance of mine, Heidi, has had lupus for the last fifteen years. About once a year her kidneys fail, she is hospitalized, given chemotherapy treatments, and spends months home-bound recovering her strength. The next time I see her she is unrecognizable. She doesn't expect to live very long. Heidi told me no one knows what causes our bodies to attack themselves.  Hmmm.... When I presented my chemicals-are-our-attackers theory to her, she considered it for a minute until I told her she might feel better if she gave up junk food, coffee, soft drinks, and smoking. She told me I was being ridiculous. Yeah, OK. She's had this disease for fifteen years and I've known about it for fifteen minutes so I figured maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But my theory is better than no one knows what causes it.

Heidi isn't the only person I know with an autoimmune disease. Three people I know have lupus, several have multiple sclerosis, two have Crohn's disease, one has diabetes and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis about a year ago. This is just a short sample from a much longer list of diseases considered to be autoimmune-related. Statistics show autoimmune conditions affect 50 million people and it is predicted this should increase to 75 million by 2050. Most are women (same as chemical sensitivity) and if you have one autoimmune disease, there is a high probability you will develop more. I know one woman who has had celiac disease and was recently diagnosed with both lupus and Sjögren syndrome. Triple whammy.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa, author of The Autoimmune Epidemic, believes autoimmunity is caused by...wait for it...ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, specifically heavy metals and industrial waste. I'm inclined to include ALL toxins. We are inundated with poisons through air, food, and water. They are stored in our tissues causing our immune systems to attack within in order to remove them. That's what are bodies are supposed to do, unfortunately, it creates an internal war zone making the host feel really lousy in the process.

Ms. Nakazawa's general suggestions read like any chemical sensitivity menu: organic diet, stress avoidance, no cosmetics, dark hair dyes or nail polish, and no chemical household cleaners. Avoid the poisons! The book discusses the risks of supplementation due to conflicting research so there was some indication to avoid manufactured vitamins, minerals and herbs. She implies supplementation might be contributing to the autoimmune epidemic! In addition, we all should adopt a really good detoxification protocol promoting adequate amounts of sunshine (natural Vitamin D), food-source antioxidants, and food-source essential fatty acids.

Also, avoid viruses and DO NOT get vaccines. Ms. Nakazawa presents evidence suggesting viruses are often catalysts for these autoimmune diseases so it stands to reason having viruses purposely pumped into your body is a risk. Just before I became seriously chemically sensitive, I received vaccines for a teaching position. For years I argued with my superiors because I already had all the childhood diseases in question and this natural immunity should fulfill their hoop-jumping requirements. In a moment of weakness, tired of arguing, I caved. Oops. To think we automatically vaccinate our babies before they even get a chance to argue.

The Organic Consumers Association website posted an article on February 21, 2012 about the American Medical Association pushing for mandatory vaccination trials. Are they trying to kill us? Well, yeah! There is a lot of money to be made from autoimmune diseases. This is job security for doctors.

I ran into Heidi at the grocery store the other day. Her face was swollen from the last kidney failure and her grocery cart filled to the brim with junk food.   I just want to scream, "Can't you at least TRY to eat better and make healthier choices to see if it helps!?" But I only smile and keep walking.

Sunshine is Our Friend

Sunshine is blamed for skin cancer. How can something so natural be the cause of something so deadly? It doesn't make sense to me.

What does make sense are all those prescriptions that warn you to stay out of the sun because they will cause excessive sunburning. Hmmmm...well, what about all those chemicals in cosmetics? Lotions? Moisturizers? Hair products? What about the chemicals in our food? We start using chemicals on our bodies as babies. Slather on some baby lotion and dust the kid with baby powder, besides the soaps and shampoos. Smelling like a baby has positive connotations for many, unless, of course, you are chemically sensitive.  By the time we are adults our skin is massively polluted with sunburn-causing chemicals.  But it's sunshine that is blamed for bad health? I venture to think it's not the sun that's the problem, it's the chemical saturation of our skin.  Sunshine is getting a bad rap.

To save yourself from the evil that is sunshine, we are told we must use sunscreen. Sunscreen with a very high chemical, I mean, protection rating. SPF? Skin Poisoning Factor? I used to slather sunscreen on non-stop, layer upon layer, for fear of OMG! sun exposure. I am a redhead with blonde eyelashes and eyebrows. If anyone should be afraid of the sun, it's me. Someone is making a lot of money with the fear propaganda used to scare us into buying sunscreen. No sunshine allowed. No wonder everyone is deficient in vitamin D!

Since becoming chemically sensitive and giving up chemical-laden beauty products, I no longer get sunburned.   I have gone to outdoor festivals for hours at a time, no sunscreen, no hat, no sunburn. I garden for hours with no sunscreen, no hat, no sunburn. Last summer like a self-absorbed teenager I even laid out in my backyard with no sunscreen, no hat, no sunburn. If it's the sun, then why don't I burn now? Ponder, ponder, ponder....

Sun gives us light and vitamin D, nurtures plant growth, and warms the Earth. It is our friend.