Weight loss, Osteoporosis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

By
Sue Ann G. - Certified Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, age 52 (Vienna, VA)



Call me the Diet & Exercise Queen! For most of my adult life, I was on a quest for the perfect diet and shape. I taught a myriad of dance exercise classes and worked (or starved) my way through all the trendy plans—Eat For Your Type, Fit For Life, the Mediterranean Diet (I’m Italian—this should be a cinch!). The list was endless. Yet, each diet left me craving the foods I had denied myself. Is it any wonder I gained back every pound I lost as I greedily gorged on those foods as soon as the diet was over?

Then, in 2005 I was diagnosed with both osteoporosis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After each diagnosis two separate doctors left a message on my voicemail, “Sue Ann, your bone scan indicates osteoporosis. You can pick up a prescription at your drug store. ” “Sue Ann, your blood tests indicate Hashimotos thyroiditis. We’ve called in a prescription to your local drug store. ” Surely, I thought to myself, these doctors will want to see me to discuss treatment options or at least to explain the maladies. But alas, their involvement ended at their prescription pads.

Determined to delay the pharmaceutical train and see if Hippocrates knew his stuff when he said, “Let food be thy medicine,” I began a tenacious study of cellular rejuvenation through nutrition and embarked on a raw food lifestyle. My endocrinologist was not pleased. Thus began a mission to expose some of the nutritional myths I had subscribed to for so long. I found a wonderful new doctor who appreciated my perseverance and the depth of my inquiry. She continues to monitor my lab tests and applaud my progress.

As a bonus, in the process of reclaiming my health, I effortlessly lost those excess pounds and decided to pursue a formal training program to learn more about nutrition and how to lead both myself and others to a healthier, more balanced life. Food is no longer a source of conflict and confusion in my life. Now, every morsel I consume is a source of nourishment and delight.