Chronic Illness Archives ⋆ helenmallaburn.com

Recipes for Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism

Posted on 28 November 202328 November 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

Living with Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism can be hard and it can feel like medication barely makes a dent in your symptoms!

It certainly didn’t for me!

It was only when I changed my diet and lifestyle in order to address the auto-immune attack that I finally started to see my symptoms disappear one by one.

The first to go were the insomnia, excess weight and digestive issues in a matter of just a few weeks!

Followed by the fatigue and brain fog in the following weeks!

I know it’s hard trying to work out what foods you should and shouldn’t eat or which diet is best suited to Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism.

What to eat vs What not to eat with Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism

There is so much conflicting advice out there, here are some of the most common I see and get asked about:

Eat gluten/don’t eat gluten
Avoid soy/don’t avoid soy
Eat eggs/don’t eat eggs
Remove dairy/don’t remove dairy
Avoid brassicas/don’t avoid brassicas
Eat nightshades/don’t eat nightshades
Consume legumes/don’t consume legumes
Avoid histamine foods/don’t avoid histamine foods
Eat oxalates/don’t eat oxolates
Remove FODMAPS/don’t avoid FODMAPS

Seriously I could go on!

The problem is if you start removing all of these you’re going to be left with very little nutritious food!

And if you aren’t getting the nutrients you need your body is going to struggle to function as it should. This will increase inflammation and drive that auto-immune response! As a result your symptoms will get worse and worse.

70 Hashimoto and Hypothyroid friendly recipes!

I’ve taken the hard work out of figuring it all out for you with my Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook!

The Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook. Get your copy here.

Recipes that are tried and tested by me and my clients on our journey back to full health from Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism.

The recipes are all balanced to help you balance your blood sugar which will help you lower inflammation, get rid of the hunger and cravings and lose that weight as well as boost energy, improve brain function and mood regulation!

It walks you through how proteins, fibre and healthy fats can help you balance blood sugar and which foods contain all of these.

As well as giving you guidance on what a healthy plate should look like.

Quite simply it gives you exactly what you need to start making healthy, informed choices so that you can start to recover your health!

Here’s what you’ll find in the Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook

Not only have I included the usual sections on soups, salads, fish and meat but I’ve added a section on breakfasts as this tends to be a particular stumbling block for most and it can be crucial to get right!

I’ve also thrown in some healthy snack ideas and and some sweet treats to stop you reaching for the foods that are likely to trip you up and wreck your efforts.

Check out the contents page below to get the full idea of what you can find in the Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook:

Contents Page from the Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook

Check out some of the pictures from the recipes in the following photo’s all of which are packed full of flavour and nutrients:

Spicy mussels with potato wedges & salad

Start your recovery now!

Grab your copy of the Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook here!

At only €17 it’s bargain and worth every penny if it helps you live symptoms free with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism!

Just think of all the things you’ll be able to do again when you’re not constantly battling the fatigue, brain fog or struggling to lose the weight!

For me getting my social life back and being able to play sports again not mention being able to work just by changing my diet and lifestyle was worth it!

Which is why I’m happy to share my recipes with you so that you can start doing the things you love again!

Want the recipes and my 1:1 help with your recovery?

Then drop me an email at helen@helenmallaburn.com

You can find out more about me and my background here!

The Impact of Leaky Gut on Hashimoto’s

Posted on 24 October 202324 October 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

What is leaky gut and is it even a real medical condition?

I’m often asked this!

And I’m also often told by sceptics of whether diet and lifestyle make any difference that leaky gut doesn’t even exist!

So is leaky gut actually real or not?

To clear things up leaky gut is a real medical condition, it’s referred to as intestinal permeability in research and the medical community.

Hashimoto’s has been linked with leaky gut ⁽¹⁾.

Leaky gut has been shown to precede the development of auto-immune conditions such as Hashimoto’s. If leaky gut is not addressed it keeps that auto-immune attack going and this is what keeps you struggling with endless symptoms!

So how does leaky gut impact Hashimoto’s?

When the digestive tract becomes inflamed it impacts the mucous layer that protects your gut wall ⁽²⁾. Incidentally a huge proportion of your immune cells live in this mucous layer, so it affects immune function.

The digestive tract can become inflamed from a poor diet, food sensitivities, stress, low stomach acid, poor bacterial balance, etc.

Once this mucous layer is damaged it allows the cells that line the gut wall to become damaged which creates gaps in which food particles and pathogens can pass through into your blood stream.

These pathogens and food particles are then treated as foreign as they shouldn’t be in your blood stream, your immune system then creates antibodies against them and tags them in order to remove them.

Immune system activation: antibodies are created against the pathogens and food particles, increasing the likelihood of molecular mimicry — *Immune system activation: antibodies are created against pathogens and food particles, increasing the likelihood of molecular mimicry*

The protein structure of these pathogens and food particles may be similiar in structure to some of your own tissue, organs and glands, in which case the antibodies will also tag your own tissue. This process creates inflammation and damage, which eventually impacts the function of that tissue, organ or gland.

This is known as molecular mimicry.

Which is why addressing inflammation and gut health are the foundations of recovery!

Dietary Factors that can impact leaky gut:

There are various foods and nutrients that can impact leaky gut either positively or negatively.

Fibre, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Zinc, Anthocyanins, Amino Acids (cysteine, methionine, glutamine, tryptophan, arginine) can all help to improve leaky gut. Which is why a varied whole foods diet is so important for Hashimoto’s recovery.

On the other hand Gluten, Sugar (glucose, fructose), fats (not all, which is why it’s so important you go for healthy, anti-inflammatory fats), alcohol and emulsifiers (found in many processed, low fat foods) can actually increase leaky gut and in turn make your Hashimoto’s symptoms much worse.

Dietary components that affect intestinal permeability. — *Dietary components that affect intestinal permeability ⁽³⁾*

Processed foods are therefore best avoided as they increase gut permeability, which in turn leads to an upregulated autoimmune response ⁽⁴⁾, this is in part due to the additives found within these foods.

Processed foods also often lack fibre and essential nutrients, this combined can lead to further gut dysbiosis, inflammation and insufficient nutrients for vital bodily reactions and functions.

The end result is increased fatigue and other Hashimoto’s symptoms.

Need a little help getting that leaky gut under control?

If you’d like help addressing inflammation and gut health so that you can get rid of persistent symptoms and start to feel normal again, then get in touch helen@helenmallaburn.com

Prefer to chat face to face? No problem, book a free 30 minute call here to find out how I can help with your recovery.

Or head over to my website to find out more about me and what I do.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33746942/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8087346/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8087346/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997215000245

Hypothyroidism: Lose weight for good!

Posted on 20 September 202322 September 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

Losing weight with Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism can be an uphill battle! One that never seems to end!

That’s because most weight loss programmes do not take the extra difficulties that Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism present into account!

In fact most have no basis in science and go against your own physiology!

So it’s time to stop fighting against your own body and work with it instead!!

The 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme can help you healthily, easily and sustainably lose that weight!

The 8 Week Hashimoto’s Weight Loss Programme is for you if:

Your weight has crept up despite optimal thyroid levels
Calorie cutting has made you gain weight not lose it
Exercise is not helping in the slightest with weight loss
You’ve tried every fad diet and nothing has worked
You’ve been told to eat less and move more, but it hasn’t made any difference
You’ve been blamed for your own weight gain and called lazy even though you’ve followed their advice and seen no change
You eat healthily but still can’t lose weight
You manage to lose weight but put it straight back on as soon as you finish dieting
The cravings are out of control and are sabotaging weight loss
Menopause has caused excess weight gain and nothing that worked before works now
You eat your emotions

If any of this rings a bell with you then the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme can help. It is designed specifically for Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroid sufferers!

It’s the same method I used to lose my weight and the very same one I use with huge success with my 1:1 clients.

It works!! And not just short term but long term!

Why does the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme Work?

It works because it’s designed to work with your physiology and the techniques used are based in science, not simply something that I’ve plucked out of the air, which to be honest a lot of diets seem to be!

It’s not a diet as such but a lifestyle change, it’s sustainable and delivers results every time!

Check out what Gilly had to say after just 2 sessions working with me on weight loss:

“I’m doing really well, in fact I haven’t felt this well in years!! My diet is great, I don’t feel like I’m being deprived of anything, I no longer have that ‘starving ‘ feeling, no indigestion or reflux at all, I’m sleeping better and WEIGHT HAS FALLEN OFF!! So it’s’ brilliant!! I cannot thank you enough for taking that time to talk me through a program that definitely works for me!! This really has turned my future around and given me my life back!!” Gilly⠀⠀⠀

9 Reasons other than looking good that you need to lose weight with Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism

There are various health conditions that you are at greater risk of developing if you have Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, non alcoholic fatty liver disease and other autoimmune-immune conditions. Being overweight can increase the risk of most of these.

Losing weight can help:

Improve insulin sensitivity and decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of developing heart disease
Reduce the risk of developing non alcoholic fatty liver disease
Lower blood pressure
Improve hormone balance
Lower inflammation and calm the auto-immune response
Reduce joint pain
Improve sleep and energy
Ward of certain cancers

And obviously you’ll look good as well as improving those health risks!

So if you want to be able to fit into your old clothes again, shop in your favourite high street stores and to love what you see in the mirror every single day, then the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme can help you smash your weight loss goals and get you there!

Want to know more about the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme?

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll get with the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme:

8 x 1 hour live weekly zoom sessions
- Each week will teach a different topic around weight loss
- With a Q & A session at the end
- Wight-ins & measurements during the weekly live session
Dedicated Facebook Group
- Accountability & motivation buddy
- 10 person maximum un the group
- Hands on help between live sessions from myself
Free Hashimoto’s Healthy Eating Recipe ebook
- Full of recipes to help balance blood sugar and lose weight
- All gluten, dairy and soy free
- Recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as snack ideas
Bonus 1: 30 minute 1:1 Food Dairy Analysis Session
Bonus 2: 30 minute 1:1 Thyroid Test Interpretation Session
Last minute extra Bonus 3: 30 minute 1:1 Follow-up & accountability session to be taken between week 8 and 12 (that’s an added 4 weeks of accountability and support)!

All of that is worth a whopping €627

But it’s all yours for €299

That’s a pretty good deal for 12 weeks of help and to see that weight fall off!

Works out at approximately €3.55 a day! That’s less than the price of a fancy coffee at your favourite coffee shop!!

Check out Kate’s weight loss results below, she used the same method that I’ll be teaching you in the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme.

Want to know more?

Head over and find out more HERE!

If you still have questions or want to know if the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme is right for you then why not book a free 30 minute call with me and get all your questions answered.

Book your free call HERE!

Deadline to sign up to the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme:

Sign up for the 8 Week Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroid Weight Loss Programme closes at midnight on Friday 29th September 2023 so don’t hang around.

Remember there are only 10 places available!

As soon as it’s all booked up I will open the wait list for the next programme, but if you don’t want to wait until next time to lose the weight, improve your health and feel great again then get your skates on!

Weight loss not an issue for you but would love to know how you can work with me to recover your health and feel like a human being again? Find out more HERE!

Balancing blood sugar with Hypothyroidism is key for weight loss!

Posted on 4 September 20234 September 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

*`_{Me at my heaviest before my thyroid diagnosis}`*

Why is balancing blood sugar so important for Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism?

Balancing blood sugar is key to thyroid health, not just for weight loss!

If you ever hope to get your Hashimoto’s under control then you need to balance blood sugar!

I’ve certainly had my ups and downs when it comes to weight with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism!

Balancing blood sugar as part of an anti-inflammatory diet was part of what helped me lose that weight.

It was actually easy once my blood sugar was balanced, the weight just dropped off!

What happens when blood sugar isn’t balanced?

Poorly balanced blood sugar increases inflammation not just in the gut but systemically and can be responsible for so many symptoms associated with Hypothyroidism such as:

Brain fog
Poor mood regulation
Fatigue
Tremors
Increased weight/difficulty losing weight
Feeling Hangry
Afternoon slumps/need to nap
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Dizziness
Increased hunger and cravings
Blurred vision
Frequent Headaches
Tingling in your hands and feet
Skin tags
Dark patches of skin on your neck and under your arms or on your hands and face
Frequent yeast infections
Poor wound healing
Gut issues

Is chronic inflammation such a big deal?

Long term Inflammation due to poor blood sugar balance is a major contributor to the development of most chronic health conditions such as auto-immune conditions, diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease, PCOS, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, elevated cholesterol levels, etc.

So not only can improving blood sugar control help you lose weight but it can help you improve many of your other symptoms and head off the development of further auto-immune conditions and other inflammatory diseases too.

It’s amazing how something so basic can have such devastating effects if left unchecked!

Here’s a little help for you to get Blood Sugar under control:

Next week I’ll be running a free Blood Sugar Balancing for Weight Loss Challenge. I will be teaching you how to balance your blood sugar.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

The foods that spike blood sugar levels
What a healthy plate should look like
Why protein, fibre and healthy fats are key to balancing blood sugar
How stress can disrupt blood sugar balance
Techniques to improve blood sugar balance

Every day you’ll be asked to complete a simple task, don’t worry it won’t take long or zap too much of your energy!

The challenge will take place in my Facebook group so you’ll need to be a member to take part – you can sign up to the challenge HERE and then follow the instructions to join my Facebook group if you haven’t already.

But hurry as it starts on Monday 11th September.

I can’t wait to help you balance your blood sugar so you can not only lose that weight but so you can start to feel more energised, happy and more like yourself again!

Do you have questions about the Challenge?

You can get in touch by email: helen@helenmallaburn.com

And find out more about my journey with Hashimoto’s, how I turned it around and how I can help you do the same HERE!

*At my natural, healthy weight since balancing blood sugar!*

How to beat the summer heat with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism!

Posted on 3 August 20233 August 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

Heat intolerance can be a major symptom of Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism in the summer months!

If you’re anything like I was not only are you struggling to keep warm for the majority of the time but you can’t stand the heat either!

When I was at my worst with Hashimoto’s I spent about 90% of the time freezing my ass off and the other 10% so hot I felt like I’d combust!

Seriously having to spend the summer indoors whilst everyone else was basking in the sun was pretty lonely.

They’d be out on the beach or exploring new places on their holidays whilst I was hiding indoors.

And if I did summon the courage to head out in the heat I’d very quickly find myself struggling with unpleasant symptoms.

Common symptoms of heat intolerance:

weakness, intense muscle fatigue
shakiness and tremors
all consuming fatigue
heat exhaustion
blurred vision
nausea
increased heart rate and breathlessness

It was pretty crap!

Now that I have the auto-immune attack under control I no longer experience any of this and can spend the entire day wandering around on my holidays in the sun! But more importantly I actually feel part of things again, I can join in with all the stuff I was missing out on before.

A day at the beach with friends! No more hiding away indoors to avoid the heat!

6 tips to help get heat intolerance under control:

1. Balance Blood Sugar:

Ditch the sugar, refined white carbs and the processed foods in favour of real whole foods! Eating these are keeping you on that blood sugar rollercoaster and are causing you to overheat!

2. Up the water intake:

Dehydration can make you feel the heat much more intensely. And whilst you’re at it avoid the caffeinated drinks as they act as a diuretic and will increase that feeling of dehydration. If you’re sweating a lot adding in an electrolyte to your water will help too.

3. Get Thyroid Levels Checked:

There can be a variation in seasonal thyroid medication dose requirements (1. If you’re still on your winter dose, it may be a little more than you need during the summer, this can impact temperature regulation. I have to adjust my dose very slightly from winter to summer and vice versa). Speak to your doctor about trialling a change from summer to winter. It can be a minute change that makes the difference; an extra quarter tablet a week in winter is a sufficient increase for me.

4. Improve Stomach Acid Levels

These can be low in those with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism (2). Low HCL levels can lead to EFA, mineral, electrolyte, and fat soluble vitamin deficiencies all of which are needed to help regulate temperature. You can improve stomach acid levels by improving eating habits and with vagus nerve stimulation (3).

5. Practice Stress Management Techniques

Low adrenal function due to chronic stress can cause you to sweat and feel the heat more. Introducing breathing techniques, meditation and mindfulness will help. Stress causes changes in gastrointestinal secretions and can lower HCL levels (4).

6. Support Liver & Gall Bladder Function

Temperature regulation issues and flushing are a sign of poor liver and gall bladder function. The liver filtrates and detoxifies microbial products, harmful bacteria and their metabolites received from the digestive system (5). Low HCL can lead to dysbiosis in the gut, increasing the burden on the liver and gall bladder. Introduce liver and gall bladder supporting foods, ie; bitter greens, green leafy veggies, bright coloured veg and fruit, green tea, herbs and spices, lecithin containing foods and healthy fats.

Need help incorporating these changes?

That’s where I come in!

I don’t only focus on diet and the gut but on the whole system, including looking at lifestyle interventions.

How does spending time in the sun with the kids, your partner or your besties with no more shakiness, fatigue, nausea or breathlessness sound?

Good right!

Living without all those symptoms is completely doable!

Go ahead and Book a free 30 minute Hashimoto’s Health Discovery call to find out how the 1:1 Hashimoto’s Healing Programme can help you break out of that loop and get rid of the heat intolerance and many other symptoms too!

Want to know more about me and my journey? You can find more details here.

References:

Surely a little gluten with Hashimoto’s can’t harm things?

Posted on 14 March 202314 March 2023 by Helen Mallaburn

Gluten & Hashimoto's — Can going gluten free help with Hashimoto’s?

Do you really need to be gluten free with Hashimoto’s?

I’m often asked if just a little gluten here and there is ok when you have Hashimoto’s.

I’m going to be straight up with you here, no sugar coating things!

No!

Even a tiny amount of gluten can tip the scales and it can last much longer than you anticipated.

Here’s what happens when gluten is eaten:

Gluten increases levels of something in your digestive tract called zonulin ⁽¹⁾.

Zonulin when increased affects the tight junctions between the cells in you gut wall. The tight junctions act like gates keeping food and bacteria, etc in the gut and out of the rest of your system.

These tight junctions open more when zonulin increases ⁽²⁾. This increases intestinal permeability and allows food, bacteria, etc to pass into the blood stream.

Once in the blood stream your immune system treats them as foreign as they shouldn’t be there and tags them. They’re then taken to your liver to be processed and eliminated.

Increased levels of zonulin and intestinal permeability have been found in those with Hashimoto’s thryoiditis ⁽²⁾.

This process can result in the auto-immune response being triggered, in molecular mimicry and in chronic inflammation ⁽²⁾.

Gliadin contained within gluten is similar in structure to transglutaminase, this enzyme is abundant in the thyroid.

The immune system can attack transglutaminase as well as gliadin and cause continuing damage to the thyroid, a process known as molecular mimicry ⁽³⁾.

So what are the consequences?

The chronic inflammation, auto-immune response and the molecular mimicry take much longer to calm than it takes for symptoms to disappear.

So even after a little gluten, some may have no symptoms others may be severely ill for days.

However, whether you have symptoms or not this process is still going on in the background, driving the auto-immune attack on the thyroid and causing systemic inflammation.

So stopping gluten will stop the auto-immune attack?

For some the answer is that simple!

For others there are other factors at play too which need to be addressed. Either way removing gluten will be beneficial, even if you don’t feel it.

Other than removing gluten what other dietary interventions can help calm the auto-immune attack?

Gut dysbiosis can also trigger increased levels of zonulin ⁽²⁾.

So addressing gut health is critical. You need to look at what you are and what you aren’t eating!

Inflammatory foods that can lead to dysbiosis need to be eliminated, ie sugar, refined carbs (many of which contain gluten) and processed foods.

Processed foods themselves have also been shown to increase intestinal permeability increasing the auto-immune response ⁽⁴⁾.

Gluten free desserts can be just as delicious!

Sugar and sweeteners can both alter glucose homeostasis and change gut microbiota composition ⁽⁵⁾.

A continued dysregulation in blood sugar can increase inflammation due to continued raised cortisol levels. Inflammation is a major driver of autoimmune disease so needs to be controlled wherever possible.

Focus on real foods that your good gut bacteria love such as fibre, ie vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, pulses, pseudo grains and naturally gluten free wholegrains.

Is there anything else other than diet that can help?

Absolutely!

Stress has a profound effect on digestion, especially if it becomes chronic.

Stress reduces blood supply to the digestive tract, limits the release of digestive enzymes, bile, stomach acid and other digestive secretions, resulting in poor absorption of nutrients ⁽⁶⁾.

But it also slows motility, leads to intestinal permeability, slows repair of the digestive tract and upsets the delicate balance of the microbiome as well as up-regulating the release of mast cells and inflammatory cytokines ⁽⁷⁾.

So stress can be a major driver in the auto-immune process if it is out of control or even low grade but constant!

Introducing stress management techniques can be hugely beneficial in getting control of your Hashimoto’s, yet it’s an area that is often overlooked in favour of dietary interventions alone!

Need a little help getting things back under control?

No problem, I’m happy to help.

You can drop me a message at helen@helenmallaburn.com

Want to find out a bit more about me, what I do and how I can help you recover your health with Hashimoto’s? Then head over to my website!

Or book a free 30 minute Hashimoto’s Health Discovery call Here!

References:

Want to live symptom free with Hashimoto’s?

Posted on 11 February 202211 February 2022 by Helen Mallaburn

Living symptom free with Hashimoto’s is not a pipe dream it’s completely possible!

I lived for years with debilitating Hashimoto’s symptoms, feeling like I was dying a little more every single day.

My body felt like it was slowly shutting down! I kept taking the medication and still felt like shit!

Swinging wildly from hypo to hyper, from flare to flare!

I hated every moment of it, I no longer felt like me!

Let me guess…..

Every day is a constant battle with brain fog, fatigue, constant pain, digestive issues, hair loss, weight gain, poor mood and mental health issues.

The list could go on and on!

This was me too!

I struggled to get out of bed on my worst days! Taking a shower would wipe me out and leave me lying on my bed wondering what the hell happened to my energy, why it hurt so much just to wash my hair.

Every little task felt like a mountain to climb and often left me in tears.

I knew I couldn’t go on like this. I wasn’t getting anywhere with my doctors other than being told to learn to live with it.

After researching and studying nutritional sciences, therapeutics & health coaching, I made some minor and some very major changes to my diet and lifestyle.

I was amazed to finally start feeling like my old self again.

Imagine if you too could wake up feeling energised, raring to go and with no pain or embarrassing digestive symptoms to slow you down.

Believe me its possible! I’ve done it and I see it time and time again with my 1:1 clients.

For the past 2 years I’ve been helping my 1:1 clients reclaim their health and get rid if their Hashimoto’s symptoms. So they can finally start to feel like themselves again!

But it’s limiting, I only have so much time and I can only help a select few in this way.

Which is why I have just launched The Hashimoto’s Remedy!

It’s an 8 week fully online and automated recovery programme.

I’ve created this programme because I see so many hashimoto’s sufferers just trying to survive each day. They’re often struggling with a long list of debilitating symptoms and thinking that they just need to learn to live with it.

I want to help you recover your health, so you can start living again!

This program is for those who are committed to making the necessary changes, those who are serious about doing what it takes to get back to their old selves.

It’s not for those who want me to wave a magic wand and make their symptoms disappear without putting the work in themselves and without being willing to make the necessary changes.

The Hashimoto’s Remedy online programme can give you your life back!

In The Hashimoto’s Remedy I use my proven H5 Halo method to help you navigate your recovery step by step.

It’s the exact same framework I used and the same one I use with great success with my 1:1 clients.

I’m now rolling out The Hashimoto’s Remedy 8 Week online & fully automated recovery programme so I can help more people, just like you, recover their health.

HERE are the exact details of what The Hashimoto’s Remedy entails.

There are some amazing bonuses included with The Hashimoto’s Remedy!

When you sign up you receive access to:

– The Hashimoto’s Weight Loss Programme

– 2 x 60 minute Hot Seat calls

– Plus a huge discount as its the first time launching this programme!

The bonuses alone are worth more than the programme itself! That’s how much I want you to recover your health!

The bonuses combined with what you’ll learn in The Hashimoto’s Remedy will really individualise your recovery process, making it quicker and easier.

If you’ve got any questions don’t hesitate to drop me a message and ask.

Helen

P.S. Still on the fence? Want to know if this is right for you before the doors close for enrolment at midnight (Paris, France (CET) Time) on Monday 14th February? I’ve freed up some slots in my diary for free 30 minute calls so you can get your questions answered.

So why not take advantage and book a call now!

Organic food: more bang for your buck!

Posted on 24 February 202127 February 2021 by Helen Mallaburn

Organic food can have great benefits for Hashimoto’s symptoms. Since starting the AIP protocol nearly 5 years ago, I have made a huge effort to eat Organic food wherever possible. I seem to be extremely sensitive to chemicals. Both in my beauty products and in what I eat. So for me its definitely worth it. Plus its something I recommend my clients try and follow if they can.

I often hear that organic food is too costly and that there is no noticeable benefit.

Organic food has great benefits for hahsimoto’s symptoms. Homegrown tomatoes & sage

But there are various benefits of buying organic food, especially when it comes to improving Hashimoto’s symptoms. Not only the lack of chemicals from pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in the meat we eat. But also the environmental impact, the animal welfare and the nutritional value.

Still not convinced? I’ve explored some of the research specifically in the area of nutrition and have discussed it briefly below.

Nutritional Value:

2 recent studies conducted by the University of Newcastle show that Organic food has huge benefits when it comes to Nutrition.

The study below compared organic crops to non-organic crops and showed that organic crops are upto 69% higher in a number of key antioxidants than non-organic crops. Organic foods provide additonal antioxidants which are equivalent to eating 1 to 2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day! There was also a significant increase in minerals and vitamins in organic crops compared to non-organic crops.

https://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/newcastle-university-study-proves-organic-7411542

Another study compared organic milk and meat vs non-organic milk and meat. It showed that Organic Milk & Meat contained 50% more Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Plus it showed a clear difference in the concentrations of essential minerals and antioxidants.

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/archive/2016/02/organicandnon-organicmilkandmeat

Why are antioxidants so important? They help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and certain cancers.

Organic, homegrown blackcurrants, packed full of antioxidants

And Omega 3 Fatty Acids? They help reduce inflammation which drives autoimmunity. So lowering inflammation can only be a good thing when it comes to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Are pesticides really that bad for us?

The health of our gut bacteria directly influences the health of our immune system. So the healthier your gut bacteria the less severe your Hashimoto’s symptoms are likely to be. Pesticides can affect the delicate balance of our gut bacteria, leading to dysfunction and overgrowth of “bad” bacteria. Causing inflammation, leading to leaky gut, food intolerances and an over taxed immune system. Which makes you more susceptible to developing autoimmune diseases. Or makes your autoimmune disease symptoms worse.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653519307416

Whats the end result?

Our liver has to work hard to detox all of these chemicals. But has less antioxidants, vitamins and minerals with which to do it. This can have a huge impact on Hashimoto’s as a large proportion of our T4 hormone is converted to T3 hormone in the liver. The liver prioritises detoxing over hormone conversion. So less T3 will be produced. Which leaves us with all the classic hypothyroid symptoms – fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, dry & itchy skin, weight gain, feeling cold, etc.

So is it really worth it?

YES! For me organic food is worth every penny!

Wild caught salmon with a thai coconut broth packed full of vegetables, spices & herbs, not to mention omega 3 fats. Variety is key to healthy gut microbiome!

Where to start when buying organic

If you can’t stretch to organic for everything, make sure your meat is organic. Or at least grass fed and finished. Go for wild caught fish or organic, as pesticides are heavily used in farmed fishing. After that you can avoid the fruit, vegetables and grains that are most heavily treated with pesticides. And buy non organic for those products that have the least amount of pesticide traces detectable. The EWG in the USA and Pan-Uk both have a great list called the dirty dozen. It lists the most heavily pesticide treated fruits and vegetables. So you know which ones to definitely buy organic.

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

https://www.pan-uk.org/site/wp-content/uploads/Pesticides-in-our-food-FINAL.pdf

The EWG also have a clean fifteen list of the fruits and veg with the least amount of pesticide traces detected. So you know you can buy these non-organic without too many worries.

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

Do you already eat organic? Has this article tempted you to give it a try? I’d love to hear your thoughts on organic food, drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

Recipes

Check out my recipe for AIP Ginger & lemongrass green vegetable soup.

Delicious AIP Ginger and Lemongrass Green Vegetable Soup

Ready to take back control of your health? Then get in touch!

https://helenmallaburn.com/contact/

Fatigue

Posted on 31 August 201816 July 2020 by Helen Mallaburn

How do you explain fatigue to someone who has never dealt with a chronic illness?

When you first tell someone you have a chronic illness its difficult to explain the extent of how fatigue affects you. Its not just feeling tired. I find that most people get the side of fatigue that prevents you from doing certain physical activities, such as cycling, skiing, playing football, martial arts, etc. But what is more difficult for non chronic illness sufferers to understand, or rather for me to explain clearly, is how it affects us in our day to day life, such as not only can I not play the sports I used to play but that some days walking my dogs, showering, climbing the stairs, or even preparing my food is way beyond what I can manage. But again these are purely physical affects of fatigue, its the mental side of fatigue that is beyond most peoples comprehension or my power of explanation! So, frequently I don’t even bother trying to explain as you don’t want people to think you’re whining again or that its all you ever talk about, but how can you complain no-one understands if you don’t even try to explain. So here goes! Most people don’t realise that it takes energy to think, to speak, to coordinate your limbs when you walk or try to write or type as these are all things most people do automatically without having to think about it all. The more fatigue I feel the harder these things become. When fatigue really kicks in for me I often start to slur when I speak, stagger as I walk which whilst is amusing at times as I often appear to be drunk its also extremely frustrating to not be able to communicate or move as clearly or as quickly as you’d like. I’m extremely conscious of how this often comes across, I can feel how slow I am mentally, especially compared to how I was before, and assume this is picked up by others, I’m frequently assured its not noticeable but it doesn’t stop me feeling so self-conscious! This in turn or at least for me leads me to be withdrawn and quiet in social situations, so when I’m feeling at my worst I’ll often avoid social situations, which in turn can make me feel quite isolated. Even writing this now with plenty of time to think I still find it difficult to articulate how deeply fatigue affects me!

For me on my worst days I can barely leave my bed, for most people I know this is difficult for them to comprehend as they obviously never see me on my worst days and they don’t see the struggle it is to perform the most basic tasks.

The more fatigued I become the more irritable, short tempered and bitchy I become, this affects my mental health drastically and often leads to depression, anxiety and a definite lack of self worth. When you can’t do any of the fun things you used to do, when you can’t socialise comfortably, when working becomes too much you really start to lose any sense of who you are. Most days I don’t even recognise the person I am now in comparison to who I was before! Fun loving, sporty, party animal, where’d she go?! And who the health is this boring bitch that took her place!!!

Learning to manage fatigue levels has been one of the hardest parts of adapting to my illness, accepting that I can no longer do certain things, that I have to learn to say no to people or events as its impossible for me to do everything I could before and that I have to pace myself if I want to be able to do anything at all. The consequences of ignoring my body when it says enough are high, my illness flares and can take weeks or even months to return to anywhere near what it was before, not to mention the damage that is done to your body during the flare and the fact that some of this damage may not be repairable. The downside of saying no to people so frequently is that after a while they stop asking. Which is normal as who wants to keep asking someone out who rarely commits to anything! It does however add to the vicious circle of isolation and feelings of a lack of self worth.

I don’t have any magic answers as to how to overcome the loneliness fatigue can cause but I can say that being patient with yourself, learning how to manage your fatigue to avoid huge highs and lows, not overdoing it on your good days (and yes I know this is extremely difficult and some times an event may be worth the pain and fatigue), all help keep me on a little more of an even keel!

Feel free to share any hints or tips you may have for how you manage your fatigue and the isolation. For me a little yoga (when I can manage it), a gentle dog walk, meditating and reading as well as laying in my hammock when the gardens not covered in snow and dog cuddles when it is, all these things help me feel a little brighter and more balanced.