Genetics...You are So Screwed.

Most of my family are stinkers and don't give a rat's ass if their bad habits are poisonous to me so I avoid relatives when possible. My brother just recently quit smoking so his toxicity has decreased. I wait for a nice day so I don't have to sit inside his newly constructed [formaldehyde smelling] house and in the fresh and tolerably warm-ish air I am able to catch up on gossip and family news.

My niece was unexpectedly present. She's a stinker. Her long hair freshly washed in god-awful scented shampoo is enough to kill me...besides the make-up, lotion, deodorant, and scented candle fetish. And cats. She's a cat woman.

A few years ago she was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease so I was eager to discuss autoimmune diseases with her. I shared with her my Hashimoto's Thyroiditis diagnosis. She complained her doctors know nothing. (At times she so very much like me in odd ways it's frightening!) However, when I asked her if she had read any books or websites on autoimmunity. She hadn't. I attempted to ask her about her diet, but she became defensive stating her diet is fine although she still ends up in the hospital. She complained about being tired all the time, but she confessed she eats a lot of sugar. She told me stress is a trigger for her and asked me if I knew that. Yes, I did. She looked at her father and said, "SEE! I'm not making it up!"

We continued chatting and she wanted to know about my genes because she might have the same. She wants to get her DNA tested and I shared that I had mine tested. This made her very excited and she wanted to know our ancestry, but specifically the genes I have that are associated with health and disease. I told her I couldn't remember specifics and our DNA won't be exactly the same, but when I get home I'd email her. She kept bouncing between docile and attentive vs. loud, defensive, and high strung. I wondered if this was a symptom of something. (Too many toxins?? Too much sugar??)

I have many, many times in the past tried to educate her about chemical sensitivity, but like so many unenlightened, she's not interested. It's not personally meaningful to her and, well, she doesn't seem to give a rip about anyone around her. So on this particular encounter, I stopped asking about her health as I sensed it frustrated her or caused stress and I didn't want to personally be the trigger for her next hospitalization. She professed to being interested in solutions, but clearly she wasn't ready or not THAT interested. She hasn't reached the point of desperation and disability checks allow her to survive without too much financial worry. She doesn't understand everyone is one step away from chemical sensitivity, and try as I may, I can't convince her. If she has my same genes, she's less than a step away!

Being calm and looking very Modigliani...

At one point while we talked, I laughed loudly and she grimaced quickly covering her ears with her hands. My mouth fell open.

"Whoa! Do you have a hearing sensitivity?"

Most definitely. She can't tolerate noise. I shared with her I also have a hearing sensitivity and we compared information. Unfortunately, I failed to walk through the open door! Here was my opportunity to add more about chemical sensitivity and possibly convince her to start taking steps. Hearing sensitivities are a symptom of MCS. But do I continue to harangue her and risk her shutting down again? Damn the dilemma!

We exchanged email addresses and she wrote once. Promising, but that was it. I didn't even do any more quality haranguing in my email! She just stopped. I waited. I wondered if her email wasn't working as she implied she was having issues with it. Tired of waiting, I wrote her a letter enclosing some art she requested. It was long and informative because I figured if she wasn't going to email, I'd at least plant some seeds that might make her think. I told her about my DNA and specific genes that contribute to MCS. I told her it is common for people who have one autoimmune disease to get more. I told her autoimmune diseases are 77% caused by environmental factors, or chemicals. I told her stress is a huge factor and asked her if she realized stress has two forms: mental/emotional and physical. I questioned if she realized all the scented products and junk food she eats might be contributing to her physical stress level and creating autoimmune responses causing the fatigue and digestive problems. I told her a whole lot. It was one long letter! She never responded. It's very frustrating to want to help someone who doesn't want to be helped!

So...if she has my genes, she's screwed! MCS might just be around the corner for her. With women, it often rears its ugly head after age forty when their bodies over time have become overloaded. She has years to go, but she's already showing signs and has an autoimmune disease. I'd like to say I wouldn't wish MCS on my worst enemy, but at the same time, I wish it on everyone! If everyone had MCS, no one would be using toxic products and everyone would be far more tolerant of the chemically sensitive.

Time will tell. I keep holding out she might email me again, but it's been two months. Hmmmm....

Twelve Foods a Human Should Never Eat

I just discovered Peter Glidden a naturopath who hates conventional, allopathic doctors. I love listening to his videos. He's very validating. I like knowing there are people out there who think just like me and detest the games of orange cones. He says things like, "The health care is in place to promote the sale of pharmaceuticals" and "If you are suffering, you don't have a bad gene, you have a bad doctor." His website is filled with vlogs on every subject imaginable and he's not shy about giving his opinion. His frankness provides many LOL moments. Under the tab "Learn" he talks about the Twelve Bad Foods. In summary here they are:

1.   Wheat (gluten)
2.   Barley (gluten)
3.   Rye (gluten)
4.   Oats (gluten)
5.   Oil in a Bottle
6.   Fried Food 
7.   Red Meat Cooked Well Done
8.   Potato Skins Baked/Cooked Well Done
9.   Carbonated Beverages with Meals
10. Soy
11. Corn

Most of his warnings have to do with carcinogens and he goes into great detail on how these individual items cause cancer. He has another video on the lunacy of conventional cancer treatments with some interesting facts on their lack of effectiveness along with the commission doctors get for prescribing them.

Love this guy!

Menu Samples for the Paleo/Hashimoto's Diet

Every now and then someone asks me what I eat and since this changes from time to time depending on what I've added or restricted in my diet, I thought I'd update.

Below are lists of meals. All food items are organic, healthy, and natural with meats grass-fed or wild-caught. There is no such thing as a specific breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. I eat whatever I eat whenever it feels right. These meals are in order of most often eaten, followed by snacks, treats/cheats, and drinks.

MEALS:

Mixed Salad with Lettuce, Avocado, Carrots, Zucchini, Sweet Peas, Basil, Red Peppers, and Orange/Lemon Juice Dressing.

Hamburger Patty with Jalapeno Peppers
Original Sauerkraut
Spicy Garlic Sauerkraut
Onions
Avocados
Olives (sometimes)

Baked Cod or Salmon *
Broccoli or Carrots or Peas or Mixed Vegetables

Baked Chicken with Tarragon and Olive Oil
Delicate Squash or Olive Oil-Fried Zucchini

Baked Chicken with Beans, Potatoes (sometimes), Garlic, Olive Oil, Lemons

Chicken with Broccoli, Beans, Red Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Basil, Coconut Milk, Chile Flakes *

Pot Roast with Carrots, Onions, Garlic, and Celery
Delicata Squash

Chicken Soup with Carrots, Celery, Garlic, and Onions

Sauteed Prawns with Onions, Red Peppers, Basil, Garlic and Coconut Milk *

Hamburger with Red Peppers, Onions, Jalapeno Peppers, Garlic, Zucchini, Cilantro, Oregano, Cumin, Chili Flakes, and Cayenne Pepper

Salmon Salad with Olives, Basil, Garlic, Canola Mayonnaise, Green Onions, Avocados and Lettuce

Chicken Salad with Chicken, Celery, Onions, and Canola Mayonnaise on Lettuce

* About once a month I eat rice with one of these meals. And you'll notice some of the not-so-Paleo foods below. I found if I don't eat some carbohydrates, my body stops digesting fat. Strange I know. I started losing a lot of weight, but I worried about not getting enough fat soluble vitamins, too. I spent way too much money on doctor's who had absolutely no clue why I wasn't digesting fat and finally figured it out myself through experimentation. So now I eat carbohydrates every now and then, not often: rice, popcorn, corn tortilla chips, potatoes.

SNACKS:

Apples
Almonds
Almond Butter
Blueberries
Blackberries (in season only)
Raspberries (in season only)
Plums (rarely, in season only)
Apricots (rarely, in season only)
Oranges (rarely)
Fresh Figs (rarely, in season only)

TREATS and CHEATS: 

Apple Crisp (Apples, Lemon Zest, Almonds, Coconut, Coconut Flour, Butter, Vanilla)
Blueberry Crisp (Blueberries, Lemon Zest, Almonds, Coconut, Coconut Flour, Butter, Vanilla)
Unsweetened Carob Chips (trying desperately to break this habit)
Yogurt (currently trying to replace carob with yogurt)
Corn Tortilla Chips (rarely)
Popcorn (rarely)
Watermelon (rarely)

DRINKS:

Water
Peppermint Tea
Fresh Lemonade

The Perfect Diet (For Me)

I've been asked about my diet and what I eat. After perusing the too many posts I've written on what I eat, how I eat, how it's changed and what does/doesn't work, I realized I really don't have a clear list of foods and practices. Granted, this is because with all the dietary experimenting I do in hopes of discovering the secret to perfect health, the list gets tweaked all the time. (I'm tweaking it as I speak....) However, this is my basic diet followed by the "rules."

Meat:  Cod, salmon, beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, chicken liver, oysters, tuna

Fruits:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, pears, grapefruit, limes, coconut, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, prunes, cherries

Vegetables:   Lettuce, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, peas, green beans

Herbs and Spices: Oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, black pepper, Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

Nuts: Almonds

Oils and fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, avocados

Other:  Coconut milk, peppermint tea

Notes:

Do not overeat. It creates inflammation and stress on your body triggering autoimmune responses. Eat every two hours to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Eat 80% fresh produce (if possible), 20% meat and everything else. Must have a little protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar.

All food must be organic and fresh. No canned, packaged or processed food.

All meat must be grass-fed, organic or wild-caught. I stay away from canned meats but on occasion I eat tuna. I buy only gluten free, wild caught tuna. Don't trust big-box grocery stores even if they claim it's healthy. Find a food co-op or source you can trust.

Stay away from pork and shellfish because they are toxic. I cheat with oysters but only because I've been told they are the cleanest shellfish and I live in the oyster capital of the world. I don't eat them often, and I don't have problems when I do.

No grains of any kind.

No gluten. Watch for hidden gluten in makeup, body products/lotions, chap stick, hamburger, spices, canned anything including tuna, supplements and thyroid medications.

No dairy.

No sweeteners of any kind including high glycemic fruits: dried fruit, mangoes, bananas, papayas, etc. as they are just as bad.

No high starch vegetables: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes

Avoid or rotate goitrogens like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts as they decrease your thyroid function. I rotate these things and cook them as cooking decreases the goitrogenic effect.

No mushrooms or fungi.

No legumes like peanuts, beans, lentils. (Fresh green peas and green beans are fine.)

Avoid lectins like tomatoes, cashews, beans, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas. Remove peels from fresh fruit (apples) and if I cheat with potatoes or sweet potatoes, remove the peels. This decreases the amount of lectins.

Drink as much water as possible with the goal of reaching the required number of ounces (your weight x .67 = number of ounces per day). Preferably clean water with natural minerals like artesian water. This is important for detoxification and hydration. 

Yes, now and then I cheat. And I pay for it. Sometimes.

Apple Crisp Poisoning

Nearly a year ago right at Christmas I discovered several dessert recipes almost compliant with the Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist. One of them was a glorious apple crisp recipe that maybe found under "apple crisp" in the index to the right.  It was healthy yet deliciously spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Around the same time I read that cinnamon lowers blood sugar. Well! As any proud American will tell you, if a little is good for you then a lot must be spectacular! This mindset is part of our capitalistic worldview. I began overindulging on this delectable and piling on the spices in lieu of sugar. What's not perfect about a sugar-free dessert filled with goodness as well as medicinal spices?  I thought I died and went to heaven.

Apple Crisp with Spices

A month later I began experiencing a sharp pain in my upper left abdominal area. The one stab pain every two weeks or so was tolerable...until a few months later when it didn't go away. For two hours the pain remained accompanied by a burning sensation through my chest area and excruciating back pain. I panicked.

Subsequently, I spent too much money on doctors who wanted me to spend more money on labs. Fear always makes one stupid. The stool test showed microscopic bleeding and my pancreas was not digesting fats. The blood labs showed kidney failure. The gastroenterologist ordered $3,000 worth of more tests. Not one doctor asked about my diet. Were these lab results connected to the abdominal pain and were they indicative of something serious?

The pain accompanied by burning and slight nausea became more frequent. I tried to track it with the foods I was eating, but few foods produced immediate side effects. The more frequent the symptoms, the more apparent it might be the apple crisp. Was something in the apple crisp causing the pain?  I decided to stop eating it to see if it would make a difference and after a few days all pain went away leaving a slight pressure reminding me it wasn't totally gone yet.

At the same time I started searching the internet for clues. Pancreatic insufficiency creating a lack of digestive enzymes can be caused by lifestyle habits such as junk food, sugar, alcohol, coffee or smoking. Hmmm...I don't do any of those. It can also be caused by gallstones blocking the bile ducts. I've never had a gallstone in my life, but I wouldn't rule it out. It can also be caused by pancreatic cancer. I hope not, but my blood labs aren't indicative of cancer. Pancreatic support involves taking pancreatic enzymes, or drugs, something I cannot do. Food sources for lipase, the enzyme I need, is avocados. I eat avocados daily so this didn't make sense.

It took me too long to connect the possible health issues with the spices. How can these simple, everyday cooking ingredients cause health problems? I guess that's like asking how can everyday products with fragrances cause health problems. I came across several articles warning readers of the side effects of common spices.

For instance, cardamom can create gallstones because our bodies do not absorb cardamom so easily. Whoa! Cinnamon does lower blood sugar which is the medicinal benefit, but too much cinnamon can cause LIVER and KIDNEY DAMAGE! One particular article stated one should never eat more than one teaspoon of cinnamon a day. As I said before, I was piling on the cinnamon, at least a tablespoon per recipe! Overdoses of nutmeg can not only cause sluggishness and miscarriages, but hallucinations! There are lots of documented cases of nutmeg overdoses and as a inexpensive high, drug-experimenting teenagers often end up in hospital emergency rooms. Allspice can cause not only allergic reactions, but gastrointestinal conditions like acid reflux, ulcers, and diverticulitis. It also poses a risk for promoting cancer!

Who would have thought these innocent, everyday dessert spices could reek so much havoc on your digestive system?? But you see, they are not just food flavorings. They are drugs. Since I am the one in a million who does not detox drugs due to weird-ass genetic mutations, I concluded aside from the known toxic side effects, they must be storing in my body rather than flushing out.

After a few days of no apple crisp and improved health, I thoughtlessly made a recipe which is also loaded with cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. I must have been in denial. Immediately the pain, nausea and burning returned. Hmmm...

I decided to do a liver-gallbladder-pancreas cleansing remedy. This involved drinking beet-apple-lemon juice mixed with olive oil every morning for several days. It sounds worse than it is (hold your breath and drink it down fast!!), but as a high-fructose concentrate, it can create some fatigue. After a few days, this seem to help.

Then I did the kidney/gallbladder stone remedy drinking 2 ounces of olive oil mixed with 2 ounces of lemon juice (double eeeewww). I have read all that oil enables the stones to just slide right out of the ducts and into the colon and I have heard if one is in the middle of a painful kidney stone or gallstone attack, this remedy will save you from an unnecessary surgery on the butcher's table. I didn't see any evidence this helped, but it couldn't have hurt.

A friend of mine said, "You know, you don't have to add spices to apple crisp." At first I thought, But then what would be the point? That would be like making chocolate cake without the chocolate. Who needs chocolate? Who needs spices? So I tried it. Apple crisp with no spices actually tastes better! I'm trying not to over do it on the new-and-improved Spiceless Crisp.

Spiceless Crisp - looks the same

Spiceless Crisp - yum!

My spice days are over and I'm learning too much of a good thing is never good. My diet is becoming more boring with each passing day, but...

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS FEELING GOOD DOES!

Listen to Your Body!

I've always believed our bodies tell us what we need and what we shouldn't eat and this is clearly communicated through our food choices, what we like and don't like. I've had experiences trying a new food where after the sampling even if I thought it tasted badly or had a strange texture, I find I'm craving it only to discover that particular food is good for a specific ailment of mine. I am repulsed by other foods. I've always hated oatmeal. It's only second to cream of wheat in terms of the worst food ever. Oh, what a minute, maybe it's the third worst food on the planet? The first is tapioca pudding. Just recently I found out tapioca is a cross-reactor to gluten so it all makes sense.

Now, I know my theory isn't fool-proof. Food allergies often result in cravings. As do food addictions. Sugar is a good example. Chocolate, the most wicked of all foods, is another example. And alcohol. Well, is alcohol really a food? Whatever...you know what I mean.

Then there are foods I've never eaten in my life. I don't know if it's because they have never been appealing or available or if indeed I did eat them as a child my body knows not to go there. I don't care about them so I just don't bother.

Some foods are considered so healthy and fashionable, that I've felt guilt-tripped into eating them. Kale was one of those foods. I tried forcing it down my throat a few times. Then I read kale is a goitrogen which suppresses thyroid. I was so delighted to have a valid reason not to eat kale!

Broccoli and tomatoes I have also eaten not because they taste good, but only because I thought they provided valuable nutrients so again I did some force-feeding in the name of nutrition. Then I found out tomatoes make my whole body writhe in pain and broccoli is a goitrogen. I still eat broccoli on occasion mixed with other foods, but I never overindulge and I rotate when I eat it.

I started the AIP diet at the beginning of the new year and immediately my neck and back started to burn and hurt for no apparent reason. This is normally a chemical exposure symptom, but I couldn't figure out where or what or who exposed me. Maybe I'm detoxing? I doubt it. I just wrote a post on doctors who lie about detoxing symptoms.

 

Then I started crashing. Total exhaustion. My whole body felt exhausted right down to the bone. I could hardly move. It felt like a really horrible autoimmune attack and I hadn't experienced this kind of exhaustion since I started the Paleo-Hashimoto's diet nearly four years ago.

I felt frustrated, confused, and afraid. What is it? This AIP diet is supposed to be really good and I haven't cheated at all. What gives? Suppose I can't figure this one out? I can't function with this fatigue and that places my income and well-being in jeopardy. So I started brainstorming reasons for these apparent side effects of...something.

The AIP diet is mostly about eliminating certain foods rather than adding new possibly problematic ones. The instructions say one must eat bone broth and organ meat. Eeeww... Although I'm a bit resistant because I know I don't like these things (for a reason?), I have tried to find them at the co-op. Maybe I'm crashing because I'm missing key nutrients required by the diet? Could that be it?

Maybe my body needs the minerals in nuts or eggs that are restricted on this diet? Eggs are high in zinc. Could that be it?

To compensate for the removal of foods, I've tried to add more vegetables. Like Brussels sprouts.
Yum! Brussels sprouts are goitrogens known for suppressing thyroid. Could that be it?

Parsnips are one of those foods I've never eaten. No desire. No opportunity. I have never hated the taste, I just never cared. Then I discovered a recipe for Parsnip Fries and thought I had found my answer to French-fried potatoes. Yum! I can always use more vegetables in my diet. Could that be it?

I've eaten grapefruit pretty much all my life with no problem, but my recent gene mutation results told me this is a food I shouldn't eat. Grapefruits are in season and I bought a few. How can grapefruit be anything but healthy? Could that be it?

I noticed the moon was full and it's been a full moon for the last few days. I've also had problems in the past with water chemical treatments and I often eliminated baths because I know those chemicals can be an issue for me. I'm grasping here, but for a successful elimination test one must brainstorms ALL possibilities.

I stopped bathing and stopped eating Brussels sprouts, grapefruit, and parsnips. There's nothing I can do about the moon and I'm still looking for cow bones to boil (yuck). I'll wait a week, see if the fatigue disappears, then add each item back separately at least I'll be able to narrow it down.

The exhaustion was gone by the end of the first day with just minor fatigue remaining so that's telling. The back and neck pain was replaced with itching which is still inconvenient and uncomfortable, but much better than pain and tension. Eventually that went away, too. Return to bathing was fine although now it might be beyond the water treatment schedule. Grapefruit had no negative effect.

Then I made myself a big batch of parsnip fries. I'd been looking forward to this, but the smell of them made me feel ill. I felt repulsed. I didn't want to eat them. I remember I thought the smell was weird before, too. I ate three and it felt like too many. Within about fifteen minutes my stomach hurt, my back itched, and my head hurt and felt light and dizzy. This is not good.

 

I researched a little online. Parsnips are a cross-reaction for people who are allergic to birch. Well, that's me! There were a few people with parsnip allergies who shared photos of facial rashes, eyes swollen shut, or experiences of being rushed to the hospital because they couldn't breath. That's after never in their lives eating parsnips and trying them for the first time as adults. I hate to learn from someone else's misery, but I think for those of us who are sensitive to foods in any way, we need to be cautious with new foods and try them in small quantities.

This is a lesson in listening to one's body. There's a reason I have never eaten parsnips!

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet

This New Year's Day was the start of "new beginnings". I'm not clear why, but a friend of mine did something with the date and year and it comes out to "1" and she says it's all about new beginnings. OK.

 

I have newly begun the AIP diet which supposedly reduces intestinal inflammation and helps put all your autoimmune misery in remission. It's very much like the GAPS diet and works by eliminating foods that are difficult to digest to ease your digestive system. After gorging on Paleo desserts for the last week, I'm actually really happy to have a reason to NOT eat more baked goods since most of them destroyed my digestive system. I also recently read if supplements make you ill, which they do, that is sign of a leaky gut. It's been four years since I did the GAPS diet, so it might be time to try something like that again.

I got the information of the website AIP Lifestyle which explains the details.

 

Here's what I have to avoid eating for six to eight weeks:

Grains
Legumes (except green beans and snow peas)
Alternative sweeteners
Dried fruits
Dairy
Processed foods (this would include sugars)
Alcohol
Chocolate
Vegetable oils (except olive, coconut, lard, cultured ghee)
Tapioca (which is a gluten cross-reactor)

Tapioca is the grossest food on the planet so I'm happy not to eat it.

That's pretty much the diet I'm on anyway, but these foods are also restricted:

Nuts and nut oils
Seeds
Eggs
Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, paprika, mustard seeds, all chili’s including spices)
Culinary herbs from seeds (mustard, cumin, coriander, fennel, cardamom, fenugreek, caraway, nutmeg, dill seed)

I just recently stopped eating cumin due to advice based on my gene mutations. I do normally eat nuts for protein. Eggs...well, I eat a lot of eggs. Too many for any human to eat. I love eggs. And mayonnaise which is made with eggs.

What I can eat is:

Vegetables (except nightshades)
Fruits (limited to 20 grams per day)
Green beans
Snow peas
Bone broth
Coconut products
Olive oil
Avocados
Bacon fat
Cultured ghee
Fermented foods
Meats (grass-fed, no steroids)
Poultry (free-range, no steroids)
Seafood (wild-caught, even shellfish!)
Vinegars
Honey
Maple Syrup
Herbs from leaves or non-seeds
Gelatin
Arrowroot starch (unless you have adrenal issues)

The notes say some people are sensitive to onions, coconut, and nectarines. I've recently realized coconut might be problematic for me and I don't like nectarines. I may restrict onions, but I've not had a problem with them in the past and they add flavor to things I don't like (like vegetables...meats).

 

After the six to eight weeks, you should add foods back and see if they give you misery. Like I said, the GAPS diet was just like this and I didn't have a problem with eggs, nuts, seeds, or nightshades. We'll see. I'm just going to stay on my Hashimoto's diet so I still plan to avoid ALL sweeteners and I really hate fermented foods so that's not going to happen. I might cheat some with pork (bacon) which is restricted on the Hashimoto's diet, but not on this one. I won't eat much of it as it tastes like pig sweat to me and I can smell it on my skin after I eat it. (That's a clue!)

I just love a good experiment so I'll start 2015 with one for new beginnings.

Salad Dressing (Recipe)

I love salads, but only if they are smothered in dressing. Preferably the creamy type, or the type that's not allowed on my diet. I used to eat lots of salad, but without good dressing I don't see the point. I've tried oil and vinegar and oil and lemon juice, but I'm not fond of the taste of raw olive oil or any oil. I can tolerate some apple cider vinegar, partly because I know vinegar is really good for adding acid to your stomach making digestion more efficient, but it still doesn't inspire me to eat salads no matter what I put in them.

 

The above salad includes green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, carrots, avocados, onions, broccoli, and red peppers.

One of the local hardware guys has volunteered to be my advisor on all things construction including the building of a tiny house. He won't do it for me or even do it if I pay him a whole lot of money. He's building a house so he doesn't want time taken away from getting his house done. He came over a week ago to offer some advice on a variety of construction projects I am planning. When I finished with my list he asked, "Is that it?"  Just then I spied the new bathroom faucet I purchased over two months ago just before I found out my plumber quit his job. That bathroom sink has been leaking in many places for a while. I've tried fixing it myself, but I can't get the knobs to turn. I think they might be rusted or something. Complications I don't know how to troubleshoot. "Hey, I can't get the water to turn off under my bathroom sink. Can you watch while I do it and you can give me advice or instruction if it goes wrong?"

He did for about two minutes, then told me to get out of the way. He fixed the whole thing and replaced the valves in about ten minutes. You can't imagine how appreciative I was as trying to find a plumber is near to impossible these days. I offered him money and he shook his head so I invited him for dinner. I know he's a junk food junkie so he asked first what was on the menu. As luck would have it I didn't eat lunch and had salmon steaks thawing in the fridge. SALMON! Hey, it could have been hot dogs or something less desirable! He might have preferred hot dogs, but he always tries to tell me he eats healthy aside from the junk. I asked if a salad was OK for a side dish, but I didn't have dressing. He asked if I have fresh lemon as lemon juice would be fine for him. Yep!

As we are sitting down to this magnificent feast and I hand him the fresh, squeezed lemon juice he says, "Sometimes I add orange juice to the lemon juice to make it less tart and more sweet."  Hmmm... that sounds interesting. I have an orange! It was heavenly! Squeeze one half lemon and one half orange. Pour it on. Truly yummy. And it's so easy. Who would have thought I'd get healthy recipe ideas from a constantly caffeinated processed food addict? He actually joked through the meal all the healthiness might make him drop dead.

As he was leaving I again thanked him (about the seventh time) for fixing the plumbing that had been sitting around waiting to be fixed for months, and he said in that smart-ass tone he always uses, "Yeah, how much money did that save you?" I always forget it doesn't pay to thank men too much or they assume you owe them. And not in a good way.

I responded, "A lot! How much money do you think a totally organic, fresh salad with wild-caught Alaska salmon, personally cooked and served by a charming, conversational hostess cost? Oh, and you don't have to do dishes either."

He laughed and said, "I'll trade work for food." I don't think he remembers he offered this once before, but when my eyes lit up he quickly backpedaled with "Just joking!"  I'd gladly cook for someone who would do all my construction for me.

Paleo/Caveman Diet with Hashimoto's Twist - Two Year Anniversary!

It's been just a little over two years since I started the Dr. Kharrazian Paleo-Hashimoto's diet and after writing my last post on the sacrifices we make to be healthy, I ventured over to the one year anniversary post I wrote in 2012 to review and reflect on my efforts.

What I'm eating now:

Meat, approved:  Lamb, cod, salmon, hamburger, eggs, chicken, tuna (gluten-free)

Meat, forbidden:  Oysters, prawns, clams, bacon

I've been going clam digging this year so my freezer is full. Honestly, I'd rather dig them rather than eating them. Maybe I'll find someone who wants them because I don't. I eat oysters or prawns maybe once a month and bacon is a special treat maybe once every two months for some variety. I have strange dreams when I eat shellfish so I avoid it, but other than that, I don't seem to have any reaction to these meats.

Fruits, winter:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, frozen blueberries, pears, grapefruit, limes

Fruits, summer: Apples, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, avocados, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, nectarines, lemons, pears

Fruits, forbidden:  Bananas

I have a banana about once a month in the winter when so much is unavailable. I avoid them because they are high in sugar and must be imported from far away. I prefer local produce. I have no reaction to them.

Watermelon is supposedly forbidden on the diet, but what I don't understand is it has a lower glycemic value than blueberries, yet blueberries are allowed. In the hot summer months, watermelon makes me feel good with all that extra hydration.

Vegetables, consistently:  Squash (all kinds), lettuce, onions, garlic, peppers, Brussels sprouts, ginger, herbs, broccoli, kale (rarely), carrots, celery

Vegetables, forbidden: Potatoes, pickles, green beans

I crave hot foods when it's cold and try to make due with squash, but for a treat I add potatoes every now and then. After years of picklelessness, one day I just felt like I needed to eat a pickle. I bought the ones at the health store. I rarely eat green beans, but I do.

Other foods: Coconut milk, olive oil, herbs and spices

Other foods, forbidden: Gluten-free desserts, rice, maple syrup, yogurt, canola mayonnaise, peanut butter, carob chips

I know I'm not allowed, but every now and then, about once a month, I treat myself to a gluten-free dessert. They are often made with sugar, dairy and usually rice flour. I don't seem to have any reaction to them, but I know they are forbidden. I think if I ate them consistently, I'm pretty sure I'd have problems.

Unsweetened carob chips...I'm addicted, but they are a hour's drive away so they are easy to avoid.

I caved and bought a jar of peanut butter a few weeks ago and ate the whole thing over a few days! Tasted great, but I felt a little tired. Since giving up dried fruits, I don't usually feel tired so I'm blaming this fatigue on the very forbidden peanut butter which is not a nut, but a legume. The impulse is over. No more.

I'm still eating rice once every two weeks or so, but it seems less necessary and doesn't taste as good. Maybe that salt elimination diet helped?

I get organic, raw, grade B maple syrup and use it to sweeten hot tea for a warming winter drink. It's supposed to be high in vitamins and minerals. I don't use much, but any sweetener is forbidden.

I love yogurt. I buy Nancy's organic, unsweetened, full-fat. It's like ice cream to me. I put blueberries or apples on it.

I eat mayonnaise. The brand I buy from the health food store isn't as bad as the chemical-laden garbage in the grocery store, but it's still forbidden. I've worshipped mayonnaise all my life. I love it. Mooning over mayonnaise makes it sound like I'm eating gallons of it, but in truth, it's only a tablespoon here and there to spice up a meal like fish or salads.

Jeez! I look at that list and scream "CHEATER!" I have been feeling so good, I thought I was doing good, but I guess not!

Food I've Stopped Eating in the Past Year: 

Nuts and seeds...Not sure why but I'm just not interested in eating nuts or seeds anymore. Every now and then I'll buy a handful of pecans because I think I should eat some for the mineral content.  I was eating A LOT of nuts: pecans, almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds and buckets of cockroach-infested almond butter. No longer interested. There must be a reason so I'll listen to my body and obey. I wonder if my lack of nuts contributed to my impulse to buy peanut butter?

Peas...Not feeling the need to eat peas like I was before.

Agave syrup...I don't like it. I replaced it with organic maple syrup which has a higher mineral content.

Dried Fruits...Other than falling off the wagon in September with the dried Asian Pears, I haven't had dried fruits since the elimination test last August. Other than the peanut butter reaction, I've had no fatigue either. So happy to discover that!

Cherries...I used to eat a lot of fresh, in-season cherries in the summer, but someone told me it's impossible to get organic cherries. Even if they claim to be organic, they aren't. She made a really good case for this information so I stopped eating them. I miss them, but they are really expensive.

Pancakes, gluten-free...Not interested, but I'm sure gluten-free desserts are made with the same type of flour.

Hot Dogs...I used to buy the brand at the health food store made with beef and without chemicals or gluten. This was a forbidden food that was one of my every-so-often indulging treats for a while. The last hot dog made my whole mouth break out in blisters! It tasted fine at the time. I'm not sure if the manufacturer screwed up the recipe or if my body decided to scream a warning at me. I listened. I haven't eaten one since and that's a good thing.

 

I'm no longer suffering from exhaustion or fatigue. Few headaches and fewer pains. I haven't lost weight, but I haven't gained weight either. The diet still isn't perfect and neither is my health, but one thing I've realized is being isolated out in the middle of no where with little to do especially in the winter, eating IS my entertainment. Unfortunately. Indulging in a gigantic bowl of very expensive Moroccan Lamb Stew or a huge plate of spicy Jerk Chicken makes my whole day. A gluten-free cupcake every so often is the cherry on top! Eventually I'll be a dieting saint and eat a perfect diet. Maybe. If that's possible. It's hard being human.

Baby steps....

Salt

When I was a young, immortal, junk-food junkie, I ate plenty of salt as my diet consisted of 99% processed food with an occasional apple here and there for good measure. I really believed "an apple a day kept the doctor away" regardless of whatever else I consumed. My blood pressure was amazingly low considering the damage my diet was doing to my body.

While in college I went to work at a health food store and with the indoctrination that comes with being around healthy-minded people, I had some basic health-food-store principles beaten into me. One was salt was bad. Salt would kill you. Is that why it makes me blow up like a balloon with water retention? I knew it made me feel fat. I gave it all up. I stopped eating potato chips, canned soups, frozen dinners, processed popcorn, pizza, and beef jerky: the staples of my diet. I banned table salt from my salt shaker. My blood pressure remained low, but I was convinced all that self-denial was doing some good.

 

Many years later when chemical sensitivity was rearing its ugly head, my environmental medicine specialist suggested I eat sea salt. With my indoctrination still intact I was horrified, Oh no, salt is BAD! He disagreed. SEA SALT hasn't been bleached and processed, nor has it been soaked with chemicals and enhancing additives, therefore, it still retains its natural ratios of nutrients, especially trace minerals. He explained we need minerals, especially trace minerals, to keep our bodies in balance which helps in the detoxification of poisons. My chemical sensitivity was based on my inability to detoxify. He suggested my lack of natural salt might have contributed to my chemical sensitivity. It's pretty shocking to hear all that self-denial I thought was helping my state of health might have been doing more harm than good. I tried sea salt and had no side effects. My body didn't swell with water retention and my blood pressure remained low. And OH! It tasted so good!

 

 

I rarely eat processed or canned foods now so my salt intake is probably lower than an average American. My consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables also adds potassium to my diet which is the great equalizer to sodium. I do, however, use a salt shaker full of sea salt and sprinkle it on beef, chicken, rice, squash, and eggs. Yum. And it makes vegetables edible. Bonus. I've grown to love salt! Lately I switched from Celtic sea salt to Himalayan pink salt. This pink salt is still considered sea salt although found in the mountains that were once under water. Hmmm...sounds like fancy sales mythology, but it still makes food taste good and I still have no reaction to it.

Throughout the years I've heard about how salt causes high blood pressure, or what is known as hypertension. There is some debate on whether sea salt is better than regular iodized table salt. Conventional medical doctors say it isn't and the only difference is sea salt tastes better. Some say it's the sodium levels and the chloride ratios that cause the problem regardless of the source.  In other references I've read some people are predisposed to being "salt sensitive." African Americans, in particular, tend to accumulate excesses of sodium and it is highly advised they limit their salt consumption to avoid associated health issues. Even salt sensitive people can have low blood pressure.

I still have low-ish blood pressure, although not as low as when I was younger. However, I was rather athletic in my youth which I'm sure contributed to my readings. Not so much now. I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid and with diet I have been able to control it. I am told iodine can trigger autoimmune attacks in people with Hashimoto's. So I wonder...if sea salt has natural levels of minerals, it probably has its share of natural iodine. Would it make a difference if I stopped using it? Since giving up dried fruits, I haven't been tired, but I could use a little more energy. It's time for another elimination test!

I started my experiment three weeks ago by going to the nearest hospital to have my blood pressure checked. It read 118/75 which is considered normal, although getting suspiciously close to prehypertension. Then I gave up my salt shaker and went salt-free!

Observations:

Rice is only edible with salt.

Eggs taste better with salt.

Second day: My whole body is in pain. At first I thought it was from crawling around under my house, but the first time I did the crawl I had no pain. Then I thought maybe it was from the very minor exercising I do, but I've never been in pain before from simple stretching or walking. Every muscle in my body hurts.

Third day: Muscle pain, thirst, nausea, sweating, and headaches. Although I'm still skeptical that this is all from eliminating salt from my diet, it's too coincidental. I've increased my water intake. I don't know if that will help or make it worse as I have read about ramifications of the lack of salt, or hyponatremia. For instance, marathon runners or anyone who exercises vigorously shouldn't consume enormous amounts of water as it will flush the salt from their blood creating problems such as confusion, nausea, seizures, coma and even death. I'm only in pain and experiencing slight nausea at this point. If I get confused or start feeling dead I might eat some salt just to see if it makes a difference. I'm guessing my body is adjusting and it'll take  couple days or it's something totally unrelated causing all this discomfort.

I'M A SALT ADDICT!

 

I searched online and found out I'm going through salt withdrawals! Ha! Who would have thought? Symptoms may include headache, nausea, loss of appetite, depression, and anxiety, to name a few. Food will taste disgustingly bland, but eventually will start tasting good so I look forward to that. Most people intensely crave salt during withdrawals. I'm not craving salt. Well, not yet. The headaches can last 3-5 days or longer because my aldosterone (hormone) levels are adjusting to compensate for the lack of sodium in my body. The remedy is drinking sea salt water because it's assumed the addict is giving up regular, processed table salt and sea salt has minerals to counteract the withdrawals. So I did the next best thing: I took a scalding hot bath with Epsom Salts. I figured that should help with the muscle pain. It did for about fifteen minutes.

 

Fifth day: Headaches and nausea have gone away. Muscle recovery is still slow. Any exercise, even minor, makes my whole body hurt as if I've exercised vigorously for a full eight hours. I know athletes who exercise a lot must replenish their bodies with salt which is how Gatorade and other sports drinks have become so popular. Maybe it's a type of dehydration? Maybe the sea salt stored in my system keeps my muscles hydrated? I am more thirsty.

Seventh day: Severe leg cramps and legs are freezing cold from the knees down and I can't seem to warm them up no matter what I do. Leg cramps are another symptom of hyponatremia, which is low blood sodium. This kind of worries me. I'd like to think it's just coincidental or maybe I exercised too much yesterday, but I didn't do so much it should cause pain. I also read conditions associated with hyponatremia include hypothyroidism, which is a symptom associated with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Now that is weirdly coincidental. Maybe that doctor was right in more ways than one: salt is not only good for detoxing and chemical sensitivity, but will also keep my autoimmune condition in check? Maybe I NEED sea salt in my diet? Everything I'm reading says too little salt is as bad as too much and this constant discomfort is rather worrisome. I'm still not craving salt. Not sure if I should stop this test, or keep going and see if the symptoms all go away.

I stuck my fingertip in water and then in salt and ate that much one night. Didn't make a difference with the leg cramps and I'm not willing to stop the diet just yet.

Week Two:  I'm still getting leg cramps, but no headaches, thirst, or muscle pain. I'm feeling a little down, apathetic, and lethargic. I don't normally feel this way so maybe it's a by-product from lack of salt? It always amazes me how people don't trust their own body's clues. Most people would think they are just feeling down ignoring it could be a symptom of something else entirely. These days depression is erroneously considered a disease instead of a symptom and treated with drugs without questioning the cause.

I'm still not craving salt either, but I'm feeling inclined to eat butter! Years ago when I was salt-free I craved butter and although I bought unsalted butter, butter is naturally salty. The Hashimoto's diet doesn't allow dairy so butter isn't even on my radar (nor in my refrigerator), but I'm still thinking about it.

I don't know if food tastes better in general, but I know rice and eggs still aren't tasting as good as they did with salt. In fact, no matter how I prepare rice, it's just not good without salt. I've never liked rice.

Week Three: Leg cramps have nearly gone away. No longer feel horrible, but I don't feel better either which I had hoped might come from less iodine. No surprising amounts of energy or stamina. Still lethargic.

At the end of week three I went back to the hospital to get my blood pressure checked. No one was at the emergency reception desk. I waited. Again, as I have many times in the past, I exclaimed in the privacy of my head I am so glad I've never had a medical emergency while living in Rathole!  I was warned early when I first came to the edge of civilization, if something goes wrong, start driving in any direction out of town. It takes an hour to get to the next hospital and hopefully I won't die along the way. There is more than one reason I have no desire to stay and retire in Rathole.

I finally found a nurse at the nurse station at the far end of the hospital. She was sitting around with four other nurses gossiping. She took my blood pressure. 144/61.  REALLY? The diastolic went down slightly, but the systolic went up? I've never had such a high reading. I had read giving up salt can raise your blood pressure. Well, OK. I guess I'll just accept that I NEED salt and it'll probably make me feel better, too.

Then I went toilet paper shopping and on the way to squeeze the Charmin I passed one of those automatic blood pressure machines just outside their pharmacy. Hmmm...I went back. I've always been told these machines are notoriously inaccurate and are rarely calibrated, but what the hell? Not that I had any confidence in a hospital (known as a "temple of doom" by some) let alone the whole medical system, but if you can't get an accurate reading at a hospital, what is left? I don't have anything to lose. The reading at the grocery store was 113/53. The diastolic seems a little low, but that could be what is causing the lethargy.

Forget the readings. I'll trust myself and my symptoms before I'll trust a machine. I don't like feeling lethargic. Pardon me while I go eat some salt.

 

I feel so much better!

The Elimination Experiment, or Fatigue Testing

After five doctors and no answers, I'm determined to figure out why I'm always tired so I'm attempting some elimination tests.

The Paleo-Hashimoto's diet I been on has been very successful. I have not had any episodes of exhaustion. The "exhaustion" is when I am so tired I can barely move, lifting my arm takes enormous effort, and the only thing I am capable of doing is lying in bed. I'm not tired or sleepy and I can't sleep, I just can't seem to move. It's very frightening. It's the memory of those exhaustion episodes that helps me maintain my will power and keeps me from eating gluten and chocolate. I believe it's the gluten that provoke the autoimmune attacks on my thyroid.

The underlying fatigue started when I moved into this house eight years ago, maybe even a few years prior although it wasn't very apparent. I don't feel like exercising. I can often work through the fatigue with walking, gardening or projects, but no bike riding or stretching/exercising and even sitting still and reading feels like great effort. I experience the fatigue more in the spring and summer, and most often in the afternoon. I feel so tired I just want to nap, usually around 2pm to about 5pm.


Fatigue Theories:

Hay fever allergies are known for symptoms of fatigue and it's a little coincidental that most of my fatigue takes place in the spring and summer. As a child I lived in the country, dealt with hay fever, and as soon as I came of age I headed to the city where all my hay fever issues went away. I've now moved back to the country to get out of the pollution. There isn't much I can do about hay fever other than take drugs like Benadryl. Benadryl will clear up the respiratory symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, and sinus congestion, but it also causes fatigue. If all this fatigue is caused by hay fever allergies, my only alternative would be to move back to the city where I don't have allergies, but then I would have to suffer chemical exposures which are worse.

Air-borne chemicals  During the spring and summer the city sprays the streets, sidewalks and parks with herbicides and my neighbors spray their lawns. I do notice during the spring and summer there are days when if I go for a walk my lungs start feeling heavy and hurt. In addition, when my neighbor does laundry, it stinks to high heaven and pollutes the whole neighborhood. Incredibly toxic. Is it causing the fatigue?  Other than staying inside all summer, there isn't much I can do about air-borne chemicals other than to continue to do what I can to avoid exposure.

Mold  In the dirt? In the air? Spring and summer is when the ground and air warms. Does it activate mold growth? Every now and then if I dig in the garden, I become very tired. Might be a correlation or the correlation is the exercise? I don't know. I'll not dig in the dirt and use it as a test.

Computers and electromagnetic field exposures  I can keep track of the time I spend on the computer, but other than that it is another uncontrollable variable as I have to work.

Water-borne chemicals  I tend to feel tired once a month consistently and this leads me to believe there might be a connection to the city's water treatments and the fatigue I experience. I love soaking in the bathtub. I can take very short showers and see if that makes a difference and during the time period in question, avoid bathing all together and use it as a test.

Adrenal fatigue  Any number of things can contribute to adrenal fatigue, but stress is the number one factor.  I tend to be very reactive to emotions and sensitive to stress, but I don't have much on a daily basis. Bathing in hot water affects body temperature and puts a lot of stress on one's adrenals which could also affect energy levels. I have done some experimentation with adrenal support and nothing has made a difference. I'm at a loss for what else to try. No bathing might make a difference.

Diet  I've done well to reduce my intake of bad foods, but I still have my guilty pleasures and most of them are NOT on my Paleo-Hashimoto's diet. Although I don't eat a lot of the forbidden foods, every now and then I do treat myself.  Dried fruits are high in carbohydrates and affect blood sugar, and I'm addicted to raisins and dates as snacks. Yogurt (dairy) is known for inflammation, and unfortunately, when I get bored with the same old foods I treat myself with high fat, no sugar, plain yogurt. Potatoes are also high in carbohydrates (sugars) even though I eat them rarely, I haven't stopped completely. Grains are not on the diet either and I rarely eat gluten-free grain products with rice flour, potato flour or other substitutes, but every now and then for something different, I do. Rice is a carbohydrate and even though I don't eat it nearly as much as I did prior to starting this diet, I start feeling discombobulated if I go without it for up to two weeks. I also eat a lot of eggs, more than any human should consume. Are they causing fatigue? Let's find out. Can I give up these foods for three weeks? I'll need to add some recipes to my diet that will keep me full and satisfied like more beef and lamb.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome  One doctor suggested chronic fatigue, but I don't seem to have the other symptoms that accompany this condition. If so, there is nothing I can do about it.

Menopause and Hormonal Changes  Maybe. Not much I can do about this, either. Old people feel tired and nap a lot. I'm in that in between stage - I'm not old enough to retire, but I'm old enough to start feeling like I should. Damn.


Elimination Plan:

For three weeks I am not to soak in hot baths. Brief showers only except between the 19th and 25th when I sponge bathe in distilled water. No eating problematic foods (eggs, yogurt, dried fruit, potatoes or rice, gluten-free flours) for three weeks. I can't avoid the outside which would be ideal, but I can't stop what little exercise I'm getting and it's summer. I need sunshine for vitamin D. I'll keep track of everything I'm eating as well as anything unusual that I do or that happened during the day, for instance, air pollution encounters, labor-intensive projects, when I take a shower, and how often I'm on the computer.

Notes and Highlights:

The first day: NO FATIGUE. The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth days: NO FATIGUE.  Even after strenuous work, walking, or computer time, I didn't feel the normal afternoon fatigue. There were a few days when I felt a little tired around 6pm, but nothing that stopped me from functioning. I had high hopes that I was doing something right until the evening of the ninth day.

Day eight I was exposed to long grass and my hay fever symptoms went crazy. Later that night, I wanted to eat eggs. I couldn't stop thinking about them. It's the only thing I wanted to eat, but I didn't. Sinuses were painfully raw and respiratory tract was uncomfortably congested. The next day allergy symptoms were still bothering me, but not as bad. Later that night I started pacing around the kitchen like a caged animal. I'm hungry, but nothing looks good. I didn't eat rice although I know it would have stopped me from pacing. Tenth day woke up tired and stayed that way all day crashing around two in the afternoon and sleeping for two hours. Allergies?? Or maybe coming down off of allergies?

Around day five I started feeling like I want to exercise! Nothing strenuous, just stretching and movement, but normally I don't even feel like I'm capable of any kind of exertion.

After a week of no raisins or dates, I didn't even care. I really thought I'd have problems giving up the sugary stuff.

Air-borne chemical encounters clearly gave me headaches and migraines usually within a few minutes and the intensity depended on the encounter. Getting one whiff of that sickly-sweet laundry detergent wafting over from my neighbor's house nearly killed me one morning. I ran back into the house and stayed there for a few hours with the windows closed until I thought their laundry was done. Didn't seem to have any correlation to fatigue, though.

Around day seventeen I was COLD. My whole body cold. And hungry. I wanted to take a bath just to warm up, but instead crawled into bed for about an hour. Didn't sleep because I wasn't tired. Hungry all day, but nothing sounded satisfying. Later in the day I wanted to eat eggs. I didn't. I ate rice...I couldn't wait any longer.

The Challenges:

I added a "forbidden" for one day and stop for four days to see what happens.

RICE: no negative effects, felt better, no hunger and no fatigue

GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKE WITH SUGAR: YUM! I couldn't help myself. I was awake later than usual (lots of energy), I seem to have more hot flashes, and slightly tired about four hours later with slight headache, but no crashing type of fatigue.

EGGS: The cravings indicated eggs might be an issue, maybe associated with hay fever? Eggs are really high in zinc which assists detoxification. As soon as I ate them I kept having to clear my throat. Then I ate them again and again all day. I felt a little tired at the bewitching hour (2:00pm), but not much and no crashing. I ate them again and had no reaction at all.

YOGURT: The yogurt was heavenly, I slept good after, and awoke with lots of energy the next morning. It's not yogurt!

POTATOES: Yum! I baked them as French Fries in olive oil. No fatigue. I do wonder if I ate them a lot or repeatedly for days if they would also produce fatigue. So several weeks later I tried that and experienced no fatigue.

GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES: These are made with rice flour and some other stuff. I eat them so infrequently, maybe once every two or three months so it's been a while since I've had them. I went picking blueberries and thought this would be a good opportunity to make blueberry pancakes and test the reaction. I ate one pancake and felt really awful. About an hour later the headaches started and then I crashed and slept for two hours. All before noon! Fatigue and headaches the rest of the day.

BATH: I was getting a strange rash on my calves before I started this experiment which only got worse every time I took a bath. It nearly all went away during the bathing elimination phase.  I took a fast dip in a cool bath thinking a hot bath was causing the rash, and my calves started burning anyway. I had planned to take hot baths the whole day to test the fatigue, but if one short cool dip would cause the burning, I decided to wait to add hot baths later. I took that cool dip when the chemicals in the water are at their worst.

About a week later, I just wanted a bath and it was time to do a bath challenge. To soak in hot water. It was wonderful. Two hours later I did it again. I felt tired immediately after and crashed, sleeping for two hours. Took another bath and the headaches and nausea started. I jump in the shower with a gallon of heated distilled water and tried to rinse the water off. Even so, I woke up the next morning with nausea, pain in my lower back, a headache and fatigue and later that afternoon, crashed and slept for one hour. It took two days to recover and the whole time I felt groggy and tired. Is it the chemicals in the water? I've had problems with them in the past. Or is it the heat stressing my adrenals? I have no idea. Maybe both. But the rash didn't come back with the second bath. I think maybe the rash and nausea are from the chemicals and the fatigue is from the heat.

DRIED FRUIT: Oh, raisins and dates...my addiction. I was surprised it was so easy to give them up. For me, dried fruit might as well be straight sugar. I had a bad feeling and almost considered not using them as a test, but I needed to confirm. I bought a small bag of dates and immediately felt sick after eating some. Ate a few more of the dates the next day and around 2pm crashed for nearly FOUR hours. Good to know.

DIGGING IN THE DIRT/MOLD THEORY:  This was the last test. I cut all my lettuce and gave it to the food bank then the next morning I dug out all the roots. I dug deep and got my nose down in the dirt to make sure the exposure was good. No fatigue at all.


Conclusion:

Besides the normal dietary restrictions of gluten, sweeteners, dairy, tomatoes, mushrooms, pork, shellfish, high glycemic fruits, juices, junk food and processed foods:

*Stay away from hot baths.
*Stay away from bath during city treatment periods.
*Stay away from flours or grains (other than rice).
*Stay away from dried fruits.

*Limit egg intake.

*Continue limiting rice intake no more than once every ten days.

*Avoid potatoes and yogurt because they aren't on the Paleo-Hashimoto's diet, but if I treat myself, I know these items not causing the fatigue.

*Hay fever reeks havoc on my body. Oh well.

*Stay away from chemicals. Knew that.

The closer I get to following Dr. Kharrazian's Hashimoto's diet, the better I feel. The rice is still a cheat but I don't have a clue why it makes me insane not to eat it. I'll avoid potatoes and yogurt, also cheats, even though they don't affect me. That random fatigue episode after the hay fever reaction is puzzling, but I feel closer to an answer. Non-scientific tests done at home without laboratory control are really inconclusive at best. I have no idea if combinations of things create the fatigue or other variables, but this is the best I could do.

The plan and challenges took about two months total. I'm so tired of eating pot roast...