Finding balance has been something I have been struggling with. Ever since having kids and getting my diagnosis for Hashimoto’s everything feels like it’s been more chaotic.
Obviously kids are always going to add to the craziness of life and its not always bad but it is a lot to look after these little people. No matter how cute they are lol.
So many Diets
But diet wise I have been through my fair share of different diets. And mostly ever since I found out I had Hashimoto’s. Before Hashimoto’s I was mostly strictly WAPF which is a traditional way of eating, involving eating the most cleanest and pure foods. My life was raw milk and sourdough. After my diagnosis I could no longer have sourdough and realized after a year or two later that dairy was also not the best.
Since wapf I have eaten gluten free then paleo and Keto. Mostly because the majority of thyroid people in “the know” mostly recommend eating grain free to bring down your numbers. And I won’t deny that there has probably been a lot of truth to this. But overall I have been stressed because of how expensive it is to eat paleo and Keto and also just feeling like I miss out on anything enjoyable. And a friend who also has Hashimotos mentioned that if I am stressed my numbers will just keep on increasing.
So after about a year of eating mostly paleo/Keto. And a try of AIP for a couple weeks (was too expensive to continue). And then lastly bulletproof so I could have my bulletproof coffee. Was feeling OK on bulletproof but was quite stressed still and my teeth still felt quite weak.
Finding Ayurveda through Yoga
And so because I was attempting to lower my stress with yoga I started to think again about Ayurveda. Yoga and Ayurveda are like sisters and go very well together. So I was almost instinctively drawn to it, from doing yoga. I did do Ayurveda at the end of last year but was scared off when I had to raise my medication.
But this time I am truly ready to embrace Ayurveda, because I crave normalcy above all else. I have also been getting more into adaptogens which is very helpful for thyroid conditions and I am hopeful they will help me along with eating ayurvedically.
Three Doshas
What I have found out myself but may not be completely conclusive, is my main doshas. I have done three dosha tests and all conclude that my vata is out of balance. And overall vata and pitta are the most prominent. I have concluded that both are my primary doshas. Because one test was based on how I was as a child and teenager before my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s.
Personality wise I am creative, awkward with people and can be a little controlling. This lines up with the traits of a vata pitta. I also don’t gain weight very easily and a vata pitta can be wiry or medium built.
But in relation to Hashimotos and hypothyroidism the dosha responsible is kapha. Kapha is responsible for a lot of sluggishness and depression which is very common in thyroid conditions. And you can also gain weight. After my pregnancy with Elias when I went off my medication (which now I know was a bad idea). I had 10 to 15 lbs that would not go away however hard I tried.
Where my prominent doshas are concerned, a pitta imbalance is mostly in the liver. Someone who has a pitta imbalance will have a lot of angry outbursts which I have found very common nowadays. And this happens mostly in us Hashimoto’s folk because we have congested liver and gallbladder (gallbladder and stomach are kapha). Vata is home to the colon and intestines which would line up with thyroid issues in digestion.
In relation to vata I am definitely focusing on it most of all right now. And that is because autumn and winter are vata season(November to February according to Life Spa). And in Ayurveda it is important to eat according to that season especially if it is your dosha. I am also being mindful of pitta as well because of my anger outbursts and liver.
With pitta I Mostly avoid all sour or fermented foods which raise my body temperature a lot, as well as red meat and pork(though I have found pork not as heating as beef). I do have some quick fermented foods however. Good ones for me are: buttermilk, overnight yogurt and Kefir.
On a side note if you have histamine issues you probably have a pitta imbalance. Pitta dosha can not tolerate anything old or fermented. There is one sour food however that pitta and vata can tolerate and that is lime. I have been eating lots of limes with my food lol.
How I Eat Now
My day to day meals lately have been mostly vegetarian. And not just eggs, I have been eating more dairy again too. I have raw milk with oats. Spiced milk in the afternoon (will add chocolate to not have too much kapha). I ate brie for half of the week for lunch as I found it is balanced for both Pitta and vata. It’s also a Cheese that I loved as a kid.
The reason I am eating dairy now when I didn’t is because seasonally we are supposed to be able to eat heavy things such as grains and Cheese as amylase is highest at this time of year. It also means a lot of people can possibly eat heavier meats as well.
Eating Seasonally
Vata season is also when your body can tolerate wheat the most as well. So I have actually eaten more gluten again also. I don’t know if it’s the smartest thing, but so far after a week and a half I feel perfectly fine. If anything I have felt less stressed over this last month and more like how I felt before my diagnosis.
I do check for my skin breaking out with rashes ( a sure sign of malabsorption). And to help my thyroid, I have been taking my medication at night at least 3 to 4 hours after food. I also take it with ashwagandha and triphala. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and supportive for the thyroid. It also can help raise thyroid levels. And triphala makes sure you are staying regular.
Anyway, I hope to keep adding new posts about Ayurveda. For some free resources and more info do check out these websites: