During college, I gained weight, felt tired all of the time, and didn’t sleep well. But I certainly wasn’t the only one of my friends to feel that way. (That’s what undergrad’s all about, right?)
However, unlike my college friends, I found out after graduating that my symptoms weren’t just the result of all-nighters and a crappy diet. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition that leads to an under-active thyroid—causing weight fluctuations, inflammation, and other issues.
Over the next few years, more symptoms—hot flashes, constipation, diarrhea, cramps with exercise, and breakouts—drove me to doctors’ offices looking for a solution. Eventually, a holistic physician suggested I try an elimination diet to see if any common food intolerances were contributing to my symptoms.
After months of experimenting, I found that cutting gluten and eating clean, whole foods really helped me manage my symptoms (which is often the case for people with Hashimoto’s). I had more energy, better digestion, and, according to my bloodwork, my thyroid was even functioning better.
Crusting salmon with hemp seeds like a boss. 🐟🐟🐟 Such fun taking the stage at @dishingwiththemedia putting the “new” in nutrition event last night to highlight how brands are changing the way we eat healthfully. I felt like Barbie in her dream house kitchen at the @subzerowolfus showroom. 💚🙋🏼 Loved seeing your beautiful faces in the audience @franceslrothrd @ellie_krieger! #dishingnutrition
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As a culinary instructor, recipe developer, and aspiring cookbook author, my whole life was about food…and I slowly fell off the wagon. I still ate gluten-free, but I was also eating a lot more dairy, sugar, and processed carbs, too. The fatigue and stomachaches started coming back to haunt me.
Every time I started feeling bad about how I was eating, I would spend a few weeks hyper-focused on my diet, start to feel better, and then slowly go back to my old ways.
Desperate to get back on track, but burned out from trying to eat clean all the time, I decided to refocus my efforts. Starting in January 2015, I decided make one new healthy change every month for the entire year. I’d focus on different parts of my diet and lifestyle (like staying more hydrated or eating more fiber), and keep track of how each change made me feel. By the end of the year, I would be able to figure out which areas of my life were worth changing for good, and which could stand a little more wiggle room.
I started big, with a 30-day “detox” from caffeine, alcohol, and processed sugar.
That first week was rough. I wasn’t a big coffee drinker to begin with, and giving up alcohol wasn’t too tough for me either, but sugar was a different story. I was having withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability, but knowing that this change would only be for 30 days helped me push through. I cooked more than ever before, eating more fruit, and thinking about what I was going to eat rather than reaching for something from a box because I was hungry.
If you’ve read #TheWellnessProject, then you know it took me far longer than the year at hand to get my healthy hedonism mindset under control. There were so many “should not’s” when it came to the diet piece. So many contradictions. So much confusion. When I cross-referenced the prevailing anti-inflammatory diets, the list of no-no foods was so long it started to feel like all that was left were organic blueberries not flown in from Chile🍇😱 One of the flagpole diets I investigated was AIP, otherwise known as #AutoimmunePaleo. The books that promoted it unequivocally said that all autoimmune peeps would benefit. While knowing that most autoimmune diseases are more alike than different, I struggled to see how so much restriction could be necessary for everyone 🌰🥜❌ Today on the blog, I’m thrilled to have a second guest post by health coach Jill Grunewald co-author of #etcookbook, who explains what autoimmune paleo is, why it’s not necessarily the right answer for those of us with #Hashimotos, and when it might be time to give it a try.👉🏼 If you’re part of the #HashiPosse or struggling with another #autoimmunedisease, I hope you’ll give it a read via the link in profile.🥗 #thyroidhealth #AIP
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By only the second week of the detox, I had constant, consistent energy levels throughout the day. By the end of the 30 days, I was sleeping better than ever before and waking up before my alarm instead of after my usual several snoozes. Without alcohol and caffeine, I didn’t crash during the day, and had better-looking skin.
I loved how I was feeling, but I knew that for me, cutting out sugar completely wouldn’t fit into my lifestyle. Rather than beating myself up about it, I settled on a happy medium: I would simply pay more attention to how much sugar I was eating.
As for coffee, I still love the taste of it (and indulge in it sometimes on vacation) but I decided to switch to primarily green tea. And I try to stay away from alcohol on weeknights. I really notice how much it affects me the next day—I feel much groggier and it really shows on my skin.
I tried a new change every month, finding through trial and error what worked for me.
I continued focusing on one lifestyle change at a time, which I documented on my blog. A lot of this revolved around diet but I also tried out things I was interested in, like correcting my posture, getting more sleep, and making more time for self-care:
This is what a weekend of fried chicken and frose can do to your skin…😢 . Luckily I’m just FOOLING.🙈 . Though I did over serve myself in both of these departments and have some post-shower rosacea and a few little pink and white things to show for it, one weekend of fun cannot undo all of your hard work and progress. It’s just not how #healthyhedonism works.✨ . The reality of this picture is that it was taken on DAY 1 (!!!) of #thewellnessproject. If you’ve read #TheWellnessProjectBook you know that my skin was my biggest pain point and I took selfies every morning to see how it was progressing through the changes I was making to my life and diet. If you swipe right above you can see the progress from day 1, to day 13, 15, and finally, the 1 month mark. This isn’t some Dr Zizmor before and after BS. It’s the mind blowing progress I experienced after making three small changes for 30 days. No FOOLZING!☺️ . I know I talk a lot about the amazing impact the #ViceDetox had on my skin, but I don’t always share the visual evidence, mainly because the “before” pictures still make me cringe (also my eyebrows were so bushy, something the anti-inflammatory diet did not fix!).😜 . One of my first clients for #4WeekstoWellness, who is a far braver woman than I, posted the last picture above of her skin on day 1 of the program versus day 5. DAY 5 people! It blows my damn mind the kind of progress that can be made by just eliminating a few things that get in your liver’s way.🍫 . This kind of detox is totally free and doesn’t require any powders or pills to flush you in one end and out the other. You can start tomorrow. But if you’d like a helping hand, we do a Vice Detox for the first week of the #4WeekstoWellnessCourse, and as of TODAY, doors are open for enrollment in the April session starting the 23rd. It would be an honor and a pleasure to take this little journey and share makeup-free selfies with you.👉🏼 Link to register and read more about it in the profile.🍗 . As for today, I’m enjoying my leftover chicken and lass few sips of rose, knowing the empowering truth that tomorrow is a new day, and there will always be more kale.🌿 Hope you had an amazing easter
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With each change, I felt like I added a new tool to my toolbox. Rather than pressuring myself to stick to all 12 changes every day for the rest of my life–and getting frustrated when I couldn’t—I felt empowered to incorporate what I had learned from each month’s challenge into every day in some small way.
Now, I’m 32, and it’s been almost three years since I finished my “year of wellness.” I’m still gluten-free, and I focus on eating more whole foods and fewer processed ones. I eat less sugar and drink more water. I drink green tea instead of coffee, and have alcohol every so often. I’ll indulge in carbs here and there, but they aren’t the crutch they used to be. I fill my diet with as many veggies as I can, and you won’t find me without a bottle full of water.
I now know that health isn’t about perfection, so I don’t stress about being perfect. And I’ve never felt better.
Phoebe Lapin is a culinary instructor, recipe developer, and author of The Wellness Project: How I Learned To Do Right By My Body Without Giving Up My Life. She’s the creator and blogger behind Feed Me Phoebe.
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