If I Had To Start Over Today With My Hashimotos Journey, This Is What I Would Do
One question that I get often is: If you could start over in your hashimotos journey, what would you do different? Well, since having to restart a remission plan this year, I feel like I am “starting over” all over again. The good part about this 2.0 plan is that I don’t have to re-make all the mistakes I made the first time. I’ve felt better more quickly, my symptoms reversed more quickly, and I feel GOOD more quickly.
What I’m going to share isn’t rocket science, but I think it does ONE thing: it takes the overwhelm out of it. Below I’m going to show my checklist. In the sections below I’ll provide more details, ‘the why’ behind it and any linked resources that may be helpful.
Root Cause
Implement a Plan in Small Stages
Find Support
Root Cause
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: understanding what triggered your Hashimotos/autoimmune can be a huge time saver in implementing the right things in your remission plan. What caused it = the path to reversing it. The MAIN root cause issues for hashimotos are:
Gut Health: The health of the gut and its microbiome can influence the immune system and autoimmune conditions. Conditions like leaky gut syndrome and imbalances in gut bacteria have been linked to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Evaluating gut health, identifying potential dysbiosis or intestinal permeability, and implementing appropriate interventions can be helpful. One of the resources that I’ve used to understand WHAT specifically my gut needs is a health intelligence quiz that shows my gut stability as well as what specific foods I need to avoid. You can find that test HERE.
Nutrition & Nutrient Deficiency: Certain nutrient deficiencies, such as iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and iron, may contribute to thyroid dysfunction and exacerbate Hashimoto's symptoms. Identifying and addressing these deficiencies through dietary changes or targeted supplementation can be beneficial. Incorporating the proper nutrition (eating the proper amount for fuel) along with filling in these micro nutrient gaps is beneficial.
Environment and Toxins: Exposure to environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals, can potentially trigger or worsen autoimmune responses. Identifying potential sources of environmental toxins and taking steps to reduce exposure can be part of a comprehensive approach. One of the things I did first was change my skin care, my lotions, my cleaning products. I didn’t change it all overnight. But as I ran out of something, I swapped it for a cleaner version. Now anything that goes on my skin is 100% PLANT or PLANT BASED. Part of my personal root cause is toxins. So not only did I need to clean up the toxins, but I needed to reverse the skin damage. Switching to a plant skin care line that is anti-aging and multi-correctional was huge.
Chronic infections: Persistent infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus, Helicobacter pylori, and Yersinia enterocolitica, have been associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Addressing chronic infections through appropriate testing and treatment may support overall thyroid health. With chronic infections, there is typically a very strong connection to gut health as there is disruption in the gut + microbiome due to the infection. Make sure you take the approach of resetting your gut after each and every infection incident. One of my favorite gut + digestive aids is HERE and I add on this biome magic to help with leaky gut.
Self Care and Lifestyle: Chronic stress can impact the immune system and hormone balance, potentially worsening Hashimoto's symptoms. Implementing stress management techniques, such as mindfulness, relaxation exercises, and lifestyle changes, can support overall well-being and thyroid health. Make sure to ditch the high intensity, cardio, and other inflammatory workouts for now. They only cause your immune system to be suppressed and your inflammation through the roof.
Maybe you can read through these items and pinpoint exactly where your root cause comes from. If you are unable to understand it specifically, I would dig into understanding your root cause. There is a great resource that helped me understand my root cause. You can grab the PDF or the Paperback book.
Implement A Plan
I know you’re reading that last section going ‘abort mission’. Or maybe it’s ‘information overload’. Both would probably be correct assessments and most people are COMPLETELY overwhelmed with all the information. There’s one thing I’ve used since being diagnosed in 2007 that’s been incredibly helpful for me and it’s what I spend a lot of time teach.
Start Small: You can look at that list and be overwhelmed by all of it. But you do NOT have to implement all of it overnight. What if you started with one thing this week or this month? What if you took a small section of your day, let’s just say 18 minutes. Take that 18 minutes and devote it to understanding and implementing a little bit at a time. With those 18 minutes, they add up to over 100 hours in a year. That’s what people with professional licenses in a field have. How much more confident in your journey would you feel with 100 hours of dedicated focus?
Just Start: Sounds easy, right? My friend Mel Robbins has this great approach called the 5 second rule. Maybe you’ve read it, seen it, or heard about it. Take 5 seconds, count down, and then just do the dang thing. There’s never going to be a good moment. There’s never going to be a good time. There will ALWAY be a holiday or event coming up. So just do it and figure out HOW you can create a plan that works for your life. TIME + CONSISTENCY add up to great results.
Find Support
Life is not meant to be done alone. Neither is Hashimotos.
When I was first diagnosed in 2007, I had never felt so alone in my journey. Nobody understood what I was going through and I honestly felt like a crazy person.
I think that’s why I created the Hashi Posse. I wanted people to do this together: to be supported, to be seen, to be heard, and to be able to sprinkle in some terrible humor along the way.
If you’re going through this, don’t go through it alone. Join us in the Hashi Posse, link arms with friends, and learn to lean into each other along the way.
My Support Resources
I started this journey to help myself. I started sharing my journey to show others that they didn’t have to do this alone. And then I started helping you all on your personal journey. I created a Hashimotos course that has morphed into all different shapes and sizes. I’ve created something for everyone where you can pick and choose what you need:
Hashimotos Education
Hashimotos Nutrition Plan Set Up
Hashimotos Workouts
Hashimotos Group Support (Hashi Posse)
1:1 sessions with me
You can look at my options for Hashimotos Course Education and Nutrition Plan Set up over on my HASHIMOTOS COURSE page. I’m also happy to hear more about your unique case and give recommendations on where I would start. You can CONTACT ME using this link. You can also get my weekly updates through my Newsletter.
I hope these were helpful in taking you from overwhelm to action!
Xo,
Sarah