Hashimoto’s Protocol: Week 1

I’m so excited for this journey of healing that I’ve started. I’m following Dr. Izabella Wentz’s protocol for the next 90 days (and who knows, maybe longer) to rid myself of the painful symptoms I’ve been dealing with for over 9 years.  I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s on my first day of college in August 2010. I remember getting a voicemail (yes, a freaking voicemail) from my doctor in Garland saying that my blood tests came back positive for hypothyroid and most likely Hashimoto’s. I was terrified but was told the daily synthetic thyroid hormone pill would “fix it.” Conventional doctors can be very clueless, and I was very naiive. Fast forward to today and I’m in the worst health of my life. Everyday is a struggle – I’m irritable, constantly hungry, fatigued, exhausted and more icky things. This protocol is supposed to correct the years of inconsistent diet, living in a toxic environment (sulfates in my soaps, chlorine in my water, dirty air, etc) and general overdoing it on my endocrine system. I’m going to document my diet and lifestyle changes for y’all to follow along with (and to keep myself accountable!)

This first week consists of detoxing my liver (LOL at all those who know I need it) and getting rid of the daily toxins that I can control (ie no makeup, better water filter, etc). That means no dairy, gluten, grains, caffeine, sugar, soy or processed stuff.

January 2:

Breakfast- green juice*
Lunch- 3 scrambled eggs in coconut oil, smoked salmon, baby kale, one avocado, hummus and baby carrots
Dinner- chicken breast with sauteed kale and onions on top of pureed butternut squash with chicken bone broth and roasted brussels sprouts; turmeric tea

January 3:

Breakfast- green juice* and Health Lab protein ball
Lunch- 3 scrambled eggs in coconut oil, smoked salmon, baby kale, one avocado, hummus and baby carrots
Snack- cashews and turmeric tea
Dinner- chicken breast with sauteed kale and onions on top of pureed butternut squash with chicken bone broth and roasted brussels sprouts

January 4:

Breakfast- green juice*
Lunch- baby kale, olives, deli turkey, 2 hard-boiled eggs, one avocado, cucumber, balsamic dressing
Dinner- steak with mashed sweet potatoes in coconut milk and roasted cauliflower/broccoli (I felt super tired and lethargic after this – I think it was the red meat)
Snack – cashews

January 5:

Breakfast- berry smoothie*
Lunch- mixed greens, smoked salmon, leftover steak, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, carrot, balsamic dressing
Snack- cashews
Dinner- Lemony cod with mashed sweet potato and roasted cauliflower/broccoli
Dessert- blackberries, mangoes, almond milk, protein powder shake

January 6:

Breakfast- green juice* and 2 scrambled eggs with Applegate chicken sausage
Lunch- Leftover cod with roasted sweet potatoes
Dinner- olives, artichokes, lettuce, red onion, chicken, beef, hot sauce, cantaloupe (Joel and I were at a friend’s housewarming party and they ordered Greek food so I ate what I could which is why my dinner sounds weird)

January 7:

Breakfast- maca latte and cashews
Lunch- Romaine wrap with hummus, turkey, tomatoes, baby carrots and more hummus
Dinner- Thai curry with chicken thighs, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, and cauliflower rice
(I stayed home from work because I felt so icky and tired – probably because of the detox)

January 8:

Breakfast- berry smoothie*
Lunch- falafel lettuce wrap with tahini,  hummus, tomatoes; lettuce wrap with turkey, hummus, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, avocado, and carrots
Dinner- Leftover Thai curry

*green juice: kale, cucumber, cilantro, green apple, lime, celery (sometimes I add a carrot or two)
*berry smoothie: 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, almond milk, maca powder, coconut protein powder, 1 tbsp almond butter

I completed week one! YAY! The first week is always the hardest (I remember this in past detoxes I’ve done) and I’m honestly SO proud of myself for these changes I’ve made. Also, I got a Berkey!! It was really complicated to put together and make work but I did it and the water is seriously delicious. Onto week two!

New products I’m using:
Jason toothpaste
Jason lavender body wash
Jason shampoo and conditioner
Jason dry spray deodorant
Mrs. Meyer’s laundry detergent
Mrs. Meyer’s dishwasher pods
Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap
Burt’s Bee’s lip balm
Biossance face lotion/serums
Avalon body lotion

Supplements (and their benefits):
Selenium – less anxiety, better T4 to T3 conversion, lower thyroid antibodies, more energy, less hair loss, fewer palpitations
Wobenzym – helps lower both anti-TPO and anti-TG antibodies
Magnesium – helps reduce anxiety, palpitations, have more energy, improvement on thyroid ultrasound (when used long-term), no more menstrual cramps, relieve migraines, cramps and pain, better sleep
Vitamin D3 – Vitamin D supplements can improve mood and help reduce thyroid antibodies
Maca – adaptogen that helps with stress and normalizes the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Articles by Dr. Izabella Wentz on supplements can be found here.