Starting detox mid January

[Anette]

Fellow mustachians!
I will be following the Hashimot's Protocol liver detox mid January and I am looking for others starting on any lifestyle changes, detox journeys... so we can cheer each other on our paths.
I am 49 years old, have been diagnosed with Hashimotos for about 8 years and never given it much thought. Last year I was diagnosed with a second auto immune disease ( loosing my hair in patches) and that seems to have awoken me. Started to read more about auto immune issues and through a helpful thread on this forum found information that lead to me reading Isabella Wentz  " Hashimoto's Protocol".
Tomorrow I will be travelling to see my parents in law in London and didn't want to start this path before I am back, not very good at withstanding all those temptations...
I am planning to go all the way through the 12 weeks, first liver support (2 weeks), then adrenal recovery (4 weeks), concluding with the gut balance protocol (6 weeks).
Anyone out there wanting to join me with their challenge?

[lcmac32]

So what doe that diet entail?  Specifics please.

[Anette]

The first phase is two weeks long and has four steps:
1. Remove potentially triggering foods. No gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, caffeine and alcohol
2. Add supportive foods. Hot lemon water, green smoothies, beets, cruciferous vegetables, cilantro, fiber, sprouts and seedlings, turmeric and berries
3. Reduce toxic exposure.
    Try to minimise exposure to teflon, plastic cooking utensils, if possible drink reverse osmosis water, have a look at your beauty products and try to go organic/ without
4. Support detox pathways by sweating ( not sauna, not bath, not yoga (? have never heard of it before) and adding liver support supplements..
There is a whole list of supplements which I have spent a lot of money on and hope it is going to be worthwhile. Didn't buy the brand name stuff, though.

When I begin I also want to get started on regularly meditating. I have done some meditation since Christmas and think I need to find the right one(s)
   

[Anette]

On my way to London now, on the Eurostar.
All my supplements arrived already and we also bought a reverse osmosis filter for the tap water. This was rather costly but I think it will be worth it as we almost exclusively drink tap water. Although the water quality is supposed to be very good I have my doubts. Especially as part of our tap water is taken (and filtered...) from the Rhine river.
We used to have an osmosis system until it broke about ten years ago and at that time we still had all five kids at home and no money for a new one.
So I am looking forward to getting started with my diet by at the same time I am a bit anxious or better trying not to feel overwhelmed as it will be 12 weeks.

[Anette]

We came back from London Monday night where we'd had a lovely long weekend.
Yesterday I had my yearly thyroid examination and was pleasantly surprised as this Doc agreed to include Vit D in the blood tests ( at no extra cost) and was very open to it when I told her I will be doing this Hashimoto Protocol starting today. She said it wasn't a problem to come back and have the blood tested again after the 12 weeks (again on the health insurance, my GP generally says no, not possible unless you pay for it yourself). So I feel that was a huge win.
My Husband has started this protocol with me with the exception that he will not go without caffeine. He is not doing this for his thyroid but for overall health and for weight loss.
Our daughter (16) is also on board with her own version.
It feels good to be doing this together and to be able to support each other.
So this is day one of 84 days
My weight this morning was 79,8 kg (London didn't do me any good in this regard;)
I started this morning by taking my thyroid medication with a cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon. It is supposed to help absorb the medicine better.
An hour later I had a green smoothie with some berries and pea protein and the supplements.
Will have salad for lunch and chicken and vegetables for dinner.

[Anette]

Day Three!

I am feeling fairly well, considering I have a cold.

Day 2 weight 89kg, that was disapointing, went up 200g

Day 3 weight 79,4kg, feels much better to be moving the right direction. I do have some cravings for sugar or bread but I am not hungry.
It is rather difficult to take all those supplements plus the feeling of being on this schedule ( I guess I am not eating at regular, always the same time normally. Also gets more difficult with my night shifts ( ~11-12 a month)

[habanero]

Your weight will fluctuate no matter what you do. Stepping one the scales once per week is more than enough.

200g up or down is not even "bowel movements" as Sheldon Cooper would call it.

[Anette]

Day 14
Life is so busy!

So this is the last day of the first part of the Hashimoto Protocol, the Liver Support.
It took some getting used to all the supplements and during the first week the sugar cravings were the worst part of this.
Overall I did feel very well and never felt hungry.
There are just lots of things my mind conjures up that would be very tasty...and never part of the protocol.

My weight today is 77,2 kg
That means I am down 2,6 kg and I am happy for that. This protocol isn't for weight loss but this natural side effect of not eating sugar and grains is exactly what I need to keep myself going for the next 10 weeks.

My Husband has lost a little more weight and is still on board,our daughter did her own version and is tired of it now so she started to include dairy again.

[Anette]

Day 21
After another week ( this was week three) during which my weight went up to 77,6 again and stayed there for a few days I am very happy my weight now dropped under 77kg

Weight on day 21: 76,8 kg

This means I am down 3 kg during three weeks. As I have 9 weeks to go still I will be happy if I can loose one more each week.

I am feeling well and definitely resting more but that will come to an end tomorrow as I will be starting my night shift. For those 7 nights I usually only sleep about six hours during the day.
I have somewhat struggled with the meditation. I wanted to do the "Changing one belief" meditation by Dr Joe Dispense every day but it is over an hour long and I find the voice quite strange and the instructions. At least for a beginner. I have done this a few times and like the second part of the meditation but it is just soo long.

On Sunday I came across a free 21 day program by Oprah & Deepak Chopra ( mainly him) and signed up for that.
It started yesterday and offers a 20 minute meditation for each day.
Very different but nice and I will work with that for the next three weeks.
I think we are saving some money on eating out and not buying lots of junk food ( chocolates, crisps, ice cream, cider...)
BUT
As it is definitely cheaper to live on rice, noodles, potatoes... and we are not eating any of that our grocery Bill comes at least even if not more.
Add the price of the supplements and we are spending way more.
Both of us are feeling good though and if we can loose that weight AND get healthier it will be worth it.

[Anette]

Wow, I am nearing the end of the 12 week protocol!
I am down 5,2 kg which is a bit depressing as I was hoping for more of a weight loss along with the other benefits of the diet. And loosing weight really helps with the motivation to keep gping so I am glad for the 5 kg less.
I have a good 3 weeks of the protocol left.
These last six weeks of gut protocol are especially restrictive.
Only vegetables, small amounts of fruit and meat are allowed. ( eating to much fruit and meat and not enough vegetables, therefore not looking more weight!)
No nightsnades, eggs, nuts and seeds which were still part of the diet the first six weeks.
I am on the Eurostar travelling to London just now ( second time this year, visiting my in laws and meeting with twin friends for their Birthday) and I will see how easy or hard being in London on this restrictive diet is. My parents in law are into health foods so not a big problem there.
Sunday I am invited to a tea party for the Birthday Celebrations, that will be a challenge.
This week I have also been up north in Germzny, attending my Aunts funeral service and surviving on fruits and vegetables and something like beef jerky ( but fattier) for three days.
All the supplements I am taking as part of the program were quite expensive in the end, around 400€ total.
After the 12 weeks I was going to have my blood tested again ( antibodys...) But I might wait as I have booked a trip to Mallorca for DH and myself. We will have to see whether this is going to happen due to corona.
But if we do go I am likely cutting the protocol short and start again after the trip to have the laboratory work done a little later.

[BikeFanatic]

Any update? I can't see how you are disappointed with a 5 KG weight loss that is over ten pounds! I also ave auto immune so I am following, I have decreased night shades, but eggs geez I may have to try that after all the restrictions are lifted, we are sheltered in place and not going anywhere, Groceries I feel are risky if you have underlying illness especially as I do.

[Anette]

Thank you BikeFanatic for helping me reflect on the diet again.

In the meantime I have been to London from the 13-17. March. The trip was lovely and the food mainly not a problem as I stayed with my inlaws. But the temptations everywhere...

As DH and I had planned to travel to Mallorca for a week, leaving tomorrow we thought we would start the phase out a little early, staring to include different foods one by one. Well as the trip isn't happening I might as well keep going.
This week with all the social distancing, my DH working home office , our daughter home schooling and me working seven night shifts ( nurse) we totally gave in to our cravings and bought Asian take away.
I made sure they used other vegetables instead of the nightshades they were going to put in and chose a coconut base instead of soy sauce ( to avoid soy and gluten). So the only thing I was going to introduce back was rice.
In the end my face got really not and I had to make a run to the bathroom. I hadn't thought about them using not pepper in the dish and I am certain that have me the reaction. Which was interesting as I don't card much for not dishes but occasionally had some that I don't remember reacting to so much.
So this is clearly something to stay away from.
Aside from the reaction the food was excellent and filled my need for something different so I had no more exceptions and will try to keep going and to introduce foods very slowly to catch reactions.
On Monday I have an appointment at the Radiologist to have my blood taken and see whether my thyroid is any better/ antibodies down.
Latest when I have the results I will post again
Oh and I am very happy they will see me for taking the blood. I was imagining they wouldn't now and I really wanted this done before introducing more foods.