Christmas Cookies Make Me Fart

So, my Christmas spirit is rampant and I was eager to try out a new gluten-free recipe for gingerbread cookies. To be clear I wasn't making them for myself, but for my library as I think I need to show gratitude for all the help those women give me all year long.

The challenge with this recipe is one needs to mix the dough and place it in the refrigerator overnight so it's easier to roll. That's just too much dough at my fingertips (literally) for some snacking. Initially, though, I thought I should try the cookies before I gave them to people to make sure the gluten-free option was edible.

I took a tiny bit of dough and rolled it out, baked, ate. Wonderful! How nice it is after five years to be able to make Christmas cookies. Later that night with weakened willpower I tip-toed back into the kitchen, unwrapped the refrigerated cookie dough, and extracted some more. Yum.

All hell broke loose at bedtime. My colon was rumbling loudly as if I had some alien trying to break free. And then large bursts of untethered flatulence expelled from my body so violently the walls of my bedroom vibrated. This continued until 6am. Around 2 am I got up, checked ingredients, and looked online.

Xanthan gum is evil. I seemed to remember someone telling me this once, but failed miserably at information recall as I blindly and single mindedly planned my Christmas cookie baking indulgence. Xanthan gum is commonly used in gluten-free products as a thickening agent and that's exactly what it does in the colon...it thickens everything.

From www.webmd.com:

People who are exposed to xanthan gum powder might experience flu-like symptoms, nose and throat irritation, and lung problems.  It can cause some side effects such as intestinal gas (flatulence) and bloating. Nausea, vomiting, appendicitis, hard stools that are difficult to expel (fecal impaction), narrowing or blockage of the intestine, or undiagnosed stomach pain: Do not use xanthan gum if you have any of these conditions. It is a bulk-forming laxative that could be harmful in these situations.

All night bouts of uncontrollable farting tend to deflate one's Christmas spirit. Can you imagine if the library ladies would have eaten them??? I'd be on their shit list for sure.

I'm ready for Christmas to be over....

Forget BAKING my own cookies! I'll buy them:

THEY SMELL SO GOOD!!!
Especially the chocolate chip ones.
Oh! The green striped ones smell like peppermint!
I have been told the green stripped ones have a gooey chocolaty middle. ARGH!
FML.

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.

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....

Diet and Diets

Most of us were raised on the Standard American Diet (SAD) filled with chemically-grown and manufactured foods. Junk food. Fast food. Getting rid of unnecessary chemicals means eating only organically grown produce, organically, grass-fed meats with no additives for preservation or taste enhancing.

So many people have said to me, "I don't see the difference in organic versus chemically-grown food other than the price." Well, these critics aren't chemically sensitive...yet! There are some non-organic foods that have made me violently ill with stomach or intestinal cramps, headaches/migraines, rashes, nausea, dizziness. Even if you don't react to non-organic food, you still need to reduce the load in your body. Going organic is a step in the right direction.

Organic, whole food is pricy, no doubt, but as you make other changes to your lifestyle you'll find it'll all balances out. For instance, the amount of money I used to spend on cosmetics, facial cleansers and make-up removers, hair products, beauty parlor visits, soaps, lotions, detergents and toxic household cleaners would feed a small, third world country. I'd much rather buy quality food that is an investment in my health and in my future.

In addition to an organic diet, there are many other diets to consider:

Sugar-free Sugar isn't good for anyone. Besides weight gain, it also screws with your blood sugar levels. Because sugar has no nutrients and we need nutrients in order to digest, it sucks the nutrients out of your body in order to be digested. If you have a cold or illness and eat sugar, you'll have a really hard time getting over it.

Dairy-free Dairy products like milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, cottage cheese, and cream cheese  create inflammation and are difficult to digest for most. Non-organic dairy products have all kinds of chemical additives from artificial nutrients to preservatives, not to mention the antibiotics and growth hormones given to the animals so they may produce more.

Gluten-free  I've read most people are gluten sensitive in some way. Our bodies just aren't good at digesting grains. In addition, leaky gut is caused by undigested foods, usually grains, and bacteria permeating the intestinal tract and it is believed by many those toxic compounds are then leaked into our bloodstream causing a host of health problems including chemical sensitivity. And gluten is in nearly everything from cosmetics to tuna to chili powder! It's really sneaky.

GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet This diet eliminates grains, dairy and sugars in order to heal leaky gut.

Paleo (caveman) diet Similar to gluten-free and GAPS in eliminating grains, sugars and dairy and going back to the natural diet of our ancestors. No processed foods, no chemically-grown foods, no genetically-modified foods.

Raw food diet This diet involves eating only raw food as high temperatures kill the nutrients and enzymes making food less beneficial. Raw food is easier to digest and more nutritious.  Any diet should consist of at least 75% raw foods for optimum health.

Juicing  Fresh, organic fruit and vegetable juices are like blood transfusions - liquid nutrients. And they taste so good! Beet and apple juice are natural liver detoxers. Fresh lemonade is heavenly. My favorite is carrot juice. There is some warning about the sugar content of fruit juice especially if you have any blood sugar issues, and juicing isn't really "natural" as it removes all the good pulp fiber from the plant. But it's fabulous!

Rotation diets For anyone who is finding themselves sensitive to any foods, be sure to rotate the foods you can tolerate so you don't develop a sensitivity. If you eat too much of one thing, your body starts seeing it as an "invader" triggering an immune response. Try to eat foods no more than once every four days so you have a variety.

There are also low-histamine diets, low-oxalate diets, low-salicylate diets, anti-Candida diets, anti-inflammatory diets, etc., etc. You name it, it's out there, but if you start mixing them your list of what you can eat gets very small!

Currently I'm doing a mix of the GAPS and Paleo diets with a Hashimoto twist. (It sounds like an alcoholic beverage!) No sugar, grains, dairy, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, soy, iodine,  high-glycemic fruits along with all kinds of other weird rules. What that leaves are some meats, some veggies, some fruits, some nuts with coconut milk, olive and coconut oils. I'm being creative with meals, but I'm damn hungry all the time. I'm not really hungry,  just unsatisfied. I really miss the freedom of snacking.

There are also a number of cleansing diets designed to help the detoxification process:

Master Cleanse, or lemonade diet This lemonade is absolutely yummy made with fresh, organic lemon juice, Grade B organic maple syrup and a dash of cayenne pepper. Drink only this non-stop for a day or a month, alternating with herbal teas. The recipe and directions are online with many people gushing about healing miracles. It was yummy, but I got really tired of just lemonade. I wasn't hungry, just bored. You must follow the directions especially  coming off of it to avoid gastro-intestinal problems.

Liver and gall bladder cleanses It involves drinking lots of apple juice (a natural liver detoxer), grapefruit or lemon juice with 1/2 cup of olive oil. I know that sounds gross. It is. Hold your nose and drink it down. What's worse is drinking Epsom salts. Eeeww.  I did this once with great results. This is also a natural remedy for gall stones and kidney stones and is much cheaper and safer than surgery.  AND you won't be missing any body parts in the end!  Get proper directions online.

Fasting  Total water fasts for one day to two months.  This sounds crazy, I know, but fasting has been practiced for centuries. Socrates use to require it of his students as it cleans the body and opens the brain. One theory is all animals stop eating when they are sick to rest their bodies in order to heal. This makes sense to me. I think only the human species feeds itself to death. I tried it following Loren Lockman's protocol which he uses at his Tanglewood fasting clinic. Lockman claims with periodic fasting and a raw food diet, he cured himself of fibromyalgia.  It is said you stop craving food and stop being hungry after a few days. At day four I thought I was starving! I went right into a raw food diet which also says after seven days you stop being hungry. At twenty one days I still felt like I was starving. BUT I have to say, in the end, I was less reactive to chemicals and felt better. An option to water fasts are juice fasts, but again, the sugar content in fresh juices are a concern for many.

These are mere ideas to consider. With any special diets or dietary changes, it would be advisable to get specific directions online so you don't hurt yourself or seek the advice of a doctor or dietician. Not that I'm saying doctors or dieticians would even know about half these diets or approve of them. My personal rule is: follow your instincts and what makes your body feel good, unless it tells you to eat chocolate everyday then assume your body has been hijacked. Addictions will make you crave what they want, but in most cases your body will tell you what it wants.

What kind of diets have helped reduce your chemical overload?

What were your most difficult sacrifices?
What do you miss the most!?