It seems like every other person I see in the office lately is moving to a gluten-free diet. Either they have stomach trouble that point to a gluten sensitivity (usually along with a few other culprits such as dairy, soy, sugar, and corn), or their thyroid numbers are off. Today I will address the thyroid (don’t I sound all professor-ish).
We don’t know why, but there seems to be a connection with gluten sensitivity and underperforming thyroids. If your thyroid is not performing as it should but your T3 and T4 are within the normal range, or if you have an abnormally high thyroid antibodies or anti-thyroid peroxidase (sounds scarier than it is) on your last lab test, going gluten-free might be for you.
If you have the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as being tired, cold, trouble sleeping, skin irritation, and your hair is falling out, and gluten is the cause, you will feel better within a month or two of going gluten-free. If your antibodies are high, it will take a good six months off the gluten for those numbers to start to drop.
This thyroid issue is becoming more and more common in women over 40. Whether it is perimenopause or just that we don’t even have time to even notice our thyroids during our 20s and 30s, I don’t know. But since it seems to be everywhere, and going gluten-free is tres chic at the moment, I will be starting a series of posts on just this topic. I will cover stuff like:
- How to go gluten-free without gaining weight
- How to go gluten-free without going broke
- How to go gluten-free without your family calling for mutiny
- How to go gluten-free and actually live a normal life
- How going gluten-free will save the world and make your dreams come true
If this topic is interesting to you or someone you know, sign up in the email box or for the RSS feed (I think I got it set up right), and I’ll keep you up to date. Ask any questions you have about this in the comments section or send me an email – other people probably have the same question and they will thank you for taking the time to actually ask.
PS – I got my produce box delivered today and in it were beautiful leeks, asparagus and red-leaf lettuce. The first thing I thought of for dinner was risotto (with leeks and asparagus) and a light salad for dinner. Gluten-free, easy and delicious. And yes, I am getting my two veggies at dinner! 😉
PPS – I just remembered that May is Celiac Awareness Month! Lots of sales on gluten-free stuff at Whole Foods and Bob’s Red Mill. Let me know which brands you like and I’ll share with the group.
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