How Hashimoto’s Came About For Me:
Over a decade ago I was diagnosed with something called Hashimoto’s, a type of auto-immune disease in the thyroid. I worked in film publicity back then and worked 12-15 hour days, waking up early but sleeping super late, having meals at my desk and dinners office at 9:00pm, sometimes even at 2:00am. I remember around the same time while reading media interviews as part of my work routine that celebrities back then had said, “I’ll sleep with I’m dead.” I wonder how they feel about that now too. None of that lifestyle was healthy, to say the least, and I was basically shoving any food that was easily accessible to fuel me up but I had very, very little respect for my body. The idea of a body-conscious didn’t occur to me back then. The concept of mindful eating didn’t even exist in my headspace yet. Auto-immune diseases don’t just happen overnight so I could see this being the result of the accumulation of very poor lifestyle choices.
Work was my everything and I was raised with the typical Asian notion that hard work equals success. What I didn’t hear or learn after was how equality is important to take care of our health so that we can enjoy abundance. I thought the time was a given and that there will always be time ahead to enjoy all the good things ahead. The thought pattern was, work hard now, it’ll pay off later which made it super hard even to understand the concept of being present, “Live in the moment” as they say, and how incredibly important that also is. It’s hard to keep plowing through work and this insufficient lifestyle when the goalposts are constantly being pushed ahead, making it impossible to ever reach the destination and be satisfied. It wasn’t until 2010 when I had enough of it hearing that I had an auto-immune disorder in my 20’s was just not okay to me. I needed serious changes in my lifestyle and I needed to do that by shifting the way I think, and my mind, body, and spirit connection.
And so I did, I decided to do an experiment on healing my thyroid condition as best as I could through alternative wellness therapies. I didn’t want to go down the relying on Western medicine as I knew it would require a lengthy commitment. I wanted to explore ways to prevent my condition from getting worse and heal around it. And I know a lot of skeptics would have an incredibly hard time believing me because even I had a hard time believing it, but in one year of dedicated daily Reiki and Intuitive Energy Healing practices, regular meditations, along with mindfully managing my stress levels, making changes in my diet and taking supplements, my Hashimoto’s disease completely went away. No one could believe it, my doctors and nutritionist couldn’t believe it. They thought there was an error in my blood tests. I even got a second opinion from another doctor and he was dumbfounded. My first set of blood tests concluded that I had Hashimoto’s but my second set of blood tests that I took a year later had zero indication that I ever had thyroid issues at all. All the indication levels became normal. It was completely unheard of, especially because 10-11 years ago, wellness had barely just been trending and there was so much that was undiscovered. Again, I know how insane it sounds so I’ve been keen to share my story and see how it could help someone you know with thyroid issues experiment with alternative ways to heal his or her thyroid.
What Are These Thyroid Conditions – Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s?
One of the wonderful things that we enjoy as human beings are having control over our own bodies. We decide what to eat and drink when to sleep, what activities to do and so much more. But there are things we cannot control. While most illnesses are attributed to lifestyle, there are certain health conditions with causes that are still unknown even to scientists like the autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It happens when our immune system produces antibodies that attack our own tissues and ultimately affect our thyroids’ ability to produce hormones. This autoimmune disorder is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is one of the two types of thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism is the condition when the thyroid produces not enough hormones for the needs of the body. The opposite for hypothyroidism is another common thyroid disorder called hyperthyroidism which refers to the condition when the thyroid produces too many hormones. Both are thyroid disorders with extreme ends creating different issues. The thyroid is small yet plays a massive role in the metabolism, growth, and development of the body. It also regulates our energy levels. Thus, when we have thyroid issues most of the processes that happen inside our body are affected. We somehow lose control over what happens to our bodies and even our emotions.
Hyperthyroidism may cause weight loss, palpitations, anxiety, sensitivity to heat, and fatigue. Those with hypothyroidism will have issues with sensitivity to cold, weight gain, pain, inflammation, tiredness, hair thinning, and dry skin. What makes it more difficult is that thyroid issues also cause emotional problems such as feeling defeated, depression, stress, and nervousness. But the good news is thyroid issues can be treated. There are standard or conventional treatments available but medications involved often come with side effects. Also, if you forget to take a pill you might have to deal with additional issues. This is why many people are choosing natural ways to combat thyroid issues. Aside from having fewer side effects than conventional medications, natural solutions to thyroid issues may fit better to your overall lifestyle. Here are some of them:
Natural Remedies for Hypothyroidism
Healthy Diet
The goal of alternative treatment is to fix the root cause of the thyroid issue. I worked closely with a functional medicine nutritionist on this. Thyroid issues in some cases are the result of poor diet and missing nutrients in your body. Changing your diet can help in managing the symptoms of hypothyroidism. People suffering from hypothyroidism are recommended to have an iodine-rich (e.g. seaweeds, potatoes, turkey, and dried prunes) and a selenium-rich diet (e.g fish, oyster, beans, and brazil nuts), limit sugar intake and include food with probiotics. Selenium is a trace element that plays a role in thyroid metabolism. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis usually reduces the selenium supply. It was also found that hypothyroidism can lead to small intestinal bacterial growth and eating food with probiotics can help in keeping your stomach and intestines healthy.
People with hyperthyroidism are recommended to have a proper diet focusing on calcium and sodium. Hyperthyroidism can weaken the bones leading to osteoporosis.
In general, a well-balanced diet can help people with thyroid disease to feel better and for those who don’t ward off the disease. I highly recommend working with a naturopath, functional medicine expert, or nutritionist to understand what your body needs more or less of whilst understanding any food sensitivities or food allergies to avoid causing further inflammation in the body.
Taking supplements
For those with hypothyroidism, it is recommended to take vitamin supplements, particularly a vitamin B-12 supplement to help repair some of the damage hypothyroidism has caused. Probiotic supplements are also recommended to help manage small intestine problems caused by hypothyroidism.
Since hyperthyroidism causes the bones to become weak and thin. It is recommended for those suffering from it to take vitamin D and calcium supplements, but again, best to speak to a professional first to understand what supplements are most helpful to you and the dosages needed. Remember, not all bodies are the same.
Reiki and Energy Healing and Spirituality
On a metaphysical side, I knew I had issues with self-expression. Ironically had been singing and performing throughout my school years but when it came to expressing myself and my own needs, I had massive problems with it. I felt unworthy, that my needs and wants didn’t matter and should always be second to others. I was very good at putting others first and I undervalued myself. Whenever the spotlight shined on me, I felt shame because even it was nice to have some attention sometimes, I found it uncomfortable. So I accepted that I felt my voice was unworthy and it was time to learn and practice self-love to remedy my mindset while releasing pent-up emotions that were linked to my insecurities that created fear, unworthiness, issues with boundaries, lack of self-love, self-sabotage and so much more.
Aside from the metaphysical aspect linked to thyroid conditions, Reiki Energy Healing is one of the most holistic and alternative solutions to help in treating thyroid issues along with its physical symptoms: inflammation, aches, pains, mental and emotional stresses. Receiving regular Reiki sessions assist and improves the body’s ability to heal itself. It helps in accelerating the body’s healing process while recovering from an illness and also helps to prevent illnesses. It is one of the most powerful techniques used to alleviate stress, anxiety, and pain which are all symptoms of thyroid diseases. Managing stress is a must as stress often triggers thyroid dysfunction and can cause flare-ups in symptoms when you already have hypothyroidism. Reiki helps you manage stress as it naturally creates deep states of relaxation. Reiki goes beyond treating physical problems. It makes use of the body’s natural healing wisdom to restore balance and inner peace. You can also learn how to apply Reiki on yourself for self-healing through proper Reiki Level 1 Training with an accredited traditional Usui Reiki Master Teacher. Reiki is not something you’re born and Reiki Level 1 is open for anyone to learn. One of the reasons I became a Reiki Master Teacher myself was because I saw the powerful benefits of Reiki and wanted more people to learn how to facilitate treatments for themselves and their loved ones, especially those who are sick.
12 Years After My First Diagnosis
Without being biased, I truly believe that my alternative healing approach was energy healing was one of the most significant things that helped me through Hashimoto’s. Treating the physiological effects of thyroid disease alone is not enough. Those who have thyroid issues do not only deal with a physical illness. They also have to deal with stress, anxiety, depression, at times lack of self-esteem plus the toxic overload brought by pharmaceutical medications. Reiki can help release these symptoms and ultimately help you regain control over your body. Reiki can make it easier for you to return to a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Every year I visit a doctor and get bloodwork done just to check on my thyroid function because well, it’s still that unbelievable to me and every year my TSH and Free T4 levels are all within a normal healthy range. I truly can’t deny how our body can heal naturally if determined enough and though it took this condition for me to wake up, make big changes and learn how much our mind, body, emotions, energy, and spiritual matter. I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience and its unbelievable outcome.
