Hashimoto’s and me – part 2…
For me I could not imagine how I would be coping if I had not been able to recover my health after my Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism diagnosis. Well sorry for the very long pause, things always happen when you least expect them. My mother who is disabled with MS was in a car accident and badly broke her leg in June. This meant all my extra time outside of work and family was directed at her care and attention and to keep her mentally strong. It is an ongoing slow process but she is getting there. To get to the level I am at now did take a big decision as I was, pre 2010, not an ‘elimination of foods’ Dietitian! My motto was to increase food choice and enhance variety in all my patients diets (obviously not those with allergies and specific ill health but the people who required help with healthy eating). The big leap was that I removed gluten from my diet, and I can only say I am happy I did. My symptoms like constipation and skin irritation did not change greatly but I knew it was scientifically worth the change – even if removal was to prove it was the wrong path, I could save my patients from possibly making the decision. It is 2 years since I made the change and I am continuing with this. I feel the scientific evidence is there and unfolding at present there is not enough research written up and so I will continue this route while I await further results to unfold. If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed] Information checked & correct on 16th May 2018.
Hashimoto’s and me……. Part 1
I have been planning to write about Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism for quite some time, but somehow I haven’t been able to pick the right moment or feel the time was right. This year has seen big changes for me and I have consciously been trying to rebalance my life. The last few weeks has really pushed me into feeling the time is right to write. In my youth, I thought I was invincible, I tried to be everything to everyone, I empathised and sympathized with others on their poor health or misfortunes and tried to rebuild or improve them, but never in a million years thought that ill health could happen to me. My lack of truly listening to my body over many years caught me out, and with a family history of auto-immune disorders I regret now this stubborn inner me. However, as I live with a chronic auto-immune condition I feel that if anything positive has come out of it, is that it has really allowed me to understand my patients at a level deeper than ever imaginable before. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, for those unfamiliar with this condition, is in which the body’s own immune cells attack and destroy the thyroid gland. There can be up to 300 different symptoms and so there can be many of these symptoms that cross over into other illnesses. It can be slow progressing for some and so blood test may not detect it in the early stages making lives unpleasant with symptoms and no answers. Hypothyroidism is the most common outcome for a Hashimoto’s sufferer and medication is used to help treat this condition end of story. That is what I was taught when learning about the Thyroid at Uni and during my hospital career. Take a tablet and all will be fine, next…. NOW I KNOW THAT SADLY THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE…. My Story is a common classic: I had not been to the GP in years, I had no time and no reason to see him, I had strangely and uncharacteristically booked to get my Vitamin D checked mainly due my Dietetic curiosity with the media hype. Don’t get me wrong I had felt rubbish for years but put that down to long hours running my business, caring for 3 small kids, getting older and was involved weekly in caring for my disabled mother. My husband, a fabulous man, was hardly around with his job. I was a “no time for me person” to whom I used to say if I met someone like this: If you don’t look after your health you will have “plenty of time in the future”, as you won’t be able to work! A total Hypocrite I know. I just did not see it for myself or maybe I chose to ignore it. I remember when my blood panel came back I was shocked and if honest relieved. I was not surprised that something showed up and that all my symptoms that I tried to ignore or had secretly stressed about were valid. In addition to a Hashimoto’s diagnosis I had a very low Vitamin D level and suboptimal levels of B12. My diagnosis was in Dec 2012 and I thought that was it, all fixed. I was commenced on Levothyroxine and I slowly built up the dose as guided by my GP and I sat back and waited to get better. Did I feel better? Psychologically maybe a little as I started to take more interest in myself and others around me had to also consider my health. However this feeling did not last long; 4 weeks later and I was worse and so the GP increased the tablets and so the story went on until my bloods were in NORMAL range but I was feeling worse than ever. My GP made an urgent appointment for me with an Endocrinologist who assessed me and said “go take a holiday”. OMG I didn’t see that coming. I was hoping to be taken seriously but clearly I was not ill on the small panel of thyroid blood tests taken and so it had to be in my head….any of you who have been there will know the score. From that moment onwards, as best I could, I did my research. I was so unwell I did not see how I could make it to my next birthday: I was 1 month away. Some major symptoms: severe headache like a vice, walking in concrete, mixing up words, brain fog, exhaustion not able to get out of the car to lift my kids or shop, back pain, chest pain, lots of sighing, brittle nails and hair, skin on chin irritated, sensitive teeth and gums, low moods, insomnia, tearful, constipation, freezing cold, heart palpitations….my adrenal glands were struggling too. I bought a medical thyroid book book which was a great starting point and I commenced the recommendations. I know you would think that as a Dietitian I would be an expert in nutrition, which I am! but the subject of auto-immune and supplements was lacking in my knowledge and so all news was new and I ate it all up. (With these new skills I now successfully treat patients today) Anyway; I took a summer holiday with my family but sadly as a shadow of my former self in vitality, stamina and energy. Sitting at 40c I was cold and wrapped up, but the headaches were gone and that was one step in the right direction. I came home from my holiday and began to fix myself further. I joined the Health Unlocked forum which again has been instrumental in my recovery. I requested further blood tests and from this I commenced a medication which had a combination of T4 and active T3. This along with the daily regimen of supplements made a noticeable difference and some of the significant symptoms began to settle. At the same time I made a difficult but important decision that I
“Healthy working Lives” NI 2015 – how are we shaping up??
Healthy working lives. Well, that was a morning I wasn’t expecting, all in a good way that is. I was invited to speak at a Business in the Community event for improving employee health and wellbeing in the workplace on Tuesday. I had my hat on as nutrition specialist as part of the Support 2 Perform team human performance specialists. My plan was to dip in and present the exciting and important need to using wearable technology for staff health, and then head away to attend to my business demands and what comes with that, however I was drawn in to stay by the programme line-up and the venue, and I am glad I did! I must congratulate the Business in the Community team who arranged an excellent set of speakers all of whom were informative and had fresh ideas and information. I hope I can include myself in this line-up! Minister Wells MLA set the scene with Dr Carolyn Harper providing informative stats. It was then the break out session and my turn under the spot light. Thanks to Dr Jonathan Bloomfield’s information the presentation I felt was extremely well placed, allowing the audience of HR from the public and private sectors to understand and realise the opportunities for their staff with a real return of investment – long term. The next sessions were close to my heart with the 12 week weight loss programmes presented by Tanya Kennedy and Dr Declan Bradley. A great idea and an excellent starting point for business to test the water with staff health and weight loss. Progression then to the niche and real long term effective programmes like Counterweight weight management, stress, mental health and nutrition, firstbeat, garmin would then be understood and appreciated for adding value when costing long-term staff health benefits. It was great to see some of the companies that 121 Dietitian have worked with at the event, chatting to these key influencers their feedback made it clear how valuable the advice Dietitian’s provide the quote “best received” “most talked about by staff ” and looking to rebook soon again. The final speaker of the event was Susan Hayes Cullerton, an economist from Cork (a place of my family origins) had passion, drive and great humour and she stole the show. She spoke in real terms of her feelings, experiences and future plans on health and wellbeing for herself, her workforce and her future. As a non-health professional she was a breath of fresh air, she had researched intensively and presented the hard core details effortlessly with a real magnetic charm. I will even forgive her for not promoting those hard working companies who pick up from the free services she mentioned! As a specialist dietitian I too am passionate, driven and determined and share Susan’s transparency. I don’t shy away from looking in the mirror regularly. Susan pushed home the importance of needing to look at ones self before being able to advise others. She discussed 5 key areas that she found important to ask herself and she challenged the audience to answer them too. To rise to this challenge and be transparent, confirming the deep commitment I have to helping and treating people, here are my questions and answers: 1) Is my health good? Yes; I monitor it closely: I eat healthy, exercise, drink water, take supplements based on my bloods. I am unfortunate to have an auto-immune disease, but the positive I draw from living with this is having been a patient I know how difficult and lonely it can be……Do I eat ‘bad’ foods – yes sometimes. It is important to have balance. I am a scientist, cook, business owner, food experimentalist, mother of 3, wife, work long hours but I also LOVE Food. I have thus spent the past 20 years creating very clever tasty fast meals, recipes and snacks to allow all the flavours, tastes and enjoyment and variety of food to be had using the healthiest combinations possible. I educate to eat clever: nutrient focus not kcals focus. I find people judge me as a Dietitian’s assuming that I do not know what it feels like to be faced with unhealthy eating dilemma’s, or they feel that I maybe judgemental towards them because I am slim. If only they could realise that all I ever hope for is that they are inspired to make a change. Dietitian’s can’t win: If we are thin we are not accepted if we are overweight we are not credible! But for the majority of people interested in us it is thankfully often as simple as wanting to know what is in MY fridge and My cupboards!!! 2) The changes I have made to improve my overall health and well being for 2015 is to unsubscribe from unnecessary websites, take up ice-skating with my kids, switch off from work at 10:30pm/11pm at the latest and not the 12pm+ as in previous years. ( I work now 9am-3pm in the office and clinic, pick up the kids 3pm answer emails and calls while homework’s and sporting activities and food cooking takes place and then return to the office/clinic 8pm – 11pm, then its back to unpack the dishwasher, sandwiches and sleep….. 3) I go to bed extremely satisfied and wake up raring for the day ahead. 4) My commitment long term, so as not regret anything when I am 80; is that I have helped many people in my job, raised my kids to do their best and be humble. I also have for many years now look after (with great time and energy) my mother who is my inspiration to keeping focused and happy. Incapacitated with MS for 40 years she never complains and always has a smile on her face despite her pain and suffering. I can switch off like Susan when I take the 3 hour trip to visit my parents and although it is a full time job, those memories I have stored
Eat right for mental health and overall wellbeing
How and what we eat has an overarching effect on the mental health and body. We all know that, don’t we? But really have you been doing anything about it? If you are in the camp of the invincible guts of steel, or “never taken a day off in my life” type person then you are either in luck, on borrowed time or in a minority! More and more people we find are attending 121 Dietitian’s clinics with symptoms they just can’t get answers/pills or potions for, and its having a detrimental effect on their mind and body so I thought I would write a little about it and how we have been able to help. For some people it may not have been an overnight change but crept up over a few years, or for others it may have been a bolt out of the blue. Everyone and their circumstances are different, however the symptoms are often similar, or cross over with other illnesses making diagnosis vague and frustrating. But ultimately the most detrimental outcome for each person sitting beside me is that the problem is ongoing and impacting on their quality of life. Work suffers, family life is stressed, holidays become an idea of hell than heaven…. One recent example: Jen, she attended our clinic Jan 2014, a woman in her 30’s, busy life, young family and working a full-time job, full of life, shopping wasn’t always a priority and food was from ready-made meals for her and her partner. She started out in March 2012 with some episodes of feeling tired, low in mood, then progressed to feeling very low all the time coupled with some aches and pains, loss of appetite, change in bowel habits, unable to sleep well, feeling real fatigue, colder than others, weight gain, brain fog, forgetfulness, hair thinning……. She felt alone, worried and isolated. She had been for some tests and told she had fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and needed to exercise more. She didn’t get the answers she needed so attended our clinic. She had a life before this and wanted it back. We requested a series of blood tests for her re: her nutritional status, full thyroid function and antibodies, cholesterol profile, etc, we took her body composition and waist circumference. Jen also completed our questionnaire and 7 day food diary. Tests showed that Jen was in poor nutritional health, she had multiple low levels (not out of range but very low levels sub-optimal for health) of essential nutrients in her blood. She had an elevated glucose and triglyceride level. Her macro and micro vitamins intake were minimal with a high sugar/salt, sat fat intake. These problems, you may be surprised to read, however were not addressed at this stage. This was not until we got her GUT working again, if the gut isn’t absorbing then those expensive vitamins and minerals pills and potions that you are encouraged to buy (and Jen had stack loads in her bathroom cabinet) would be a waste of time. Having a poor gut function like IBS impacts on more than the GUT and as mentioned above it has a negative effect on overall health, with prescribed antidepressants, antacids, laxatives…..being common. To fix this we guided Jen through our excellent Low FODMAP elimination programme. 8 weeks later with full support she came back a changed lady her IBS symptoms had improved significantly. Next we were ready to address the diet for her mood, total health and for her life back. As Jen was carrying extra weight she decided to enrol in our Counterweight Weight management programme, a 12 month fully supported evidence based programme. Returning for the last appointment she has now lost the weight she had been so desperate to shift, she had fixed her GUT, and is now eating a nutrient rich diet. This in turn has helped her low mood, her family life, energy levels and is now looking forward to a holiday abroad with her family, something she feared greatly when we first met her. Jen is one of many we see men, women and children are all reporting problems. Mental Health – So why is this happening? Many factors can play a part here but certainly modernisation is a big one. We are living faster lives with fast foods and less down time to relax. We have over recent centuries moved from a whole foods diet to one that is based on processed and refined foods. These processed foods are leading not only to greater ill health: obesity, heart disease and inflammatory diseases, they are also leading to greater emotional distress in the form of depression, anxiety and insomnia. Eating a diet filled with chips, fast food and fizzy drinks is leading to an epidemic of “mental illness.” We also eat too quickly, chewing food has declined and food is beige, soft and gulped down, not allowing our mouth enzymes a look in. Good Nutrition is vital for your mind and body. This does not have to be difficult, so many people are confused with all the shouting and pushing of some extremes. Adhering to veganism, vegetarianism, Low carbs or paleo is not required. If the first changes you make are by concentrating on cutting out industrial based processed foods and eating more from scratch, cooking meals in the kitchen, focusing on a whole foods diet filled with wholesome prepared meals then you are doing well. Sitting and savouring food with family and friends is a part of life and its importance should not be overlooked for total happiness and health. At 121 Dietitian we look at the full person. We spend a large amount of our time building a profile of the individual’s health by using blood results, checking symptoms, assessing the diet and body composition and most importantly discussing with the patient how they feel. Our programmes are detailed but we get the results to get people’s lives back. If your GUT is down so
Workplace Nutrition
Answer the following to identify your workplace nutrition: Do you buy your food at work? Do you struggle to eat healthy choices at work? Do you find there is a lack of healthy options provided? Do you find healthier choices to be more expensive? Do you fail to drink enough fluids? Do you eat at your desk? If you answer yes to more than 3 of these questions then you need to read on to improve your workplace nutrition………. With over 29 million people working in the U.K and spending up to 60% of their waking hours in work it seems obvious that the eating decisions and habits we form at work could have a significant impact on our health. In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend that workplaces have policies which encourage healthy eating and promote healthy choices. If you have answered mainly yes to the questions above you are not alone, despite the guidelines many people still feel it is difficult to make healthy choices in the workplace. The verdict by the Royal College of Physicians in 2011 that little action has been taken to promote healthy eating would come as no surprise then. Well 2 years on, has there been any improvement? A study on motivations and barriers to healthy eating in public sector workplaces was recently published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics. It identified some important views from public sector workers. The article ‘A qualitative study to investigate the drivers and barriers to healthy eating in two public sector workplaces’ A Pridgeon & K Whitehead (2013) JHum Nutr Diet, 26, 85-95 can be accessed online using this link http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2012.01281.x/full . So should employers be doing more to improve workplace nutrition? Or should it be our own responsibility to tackle the obstacles in the way of making healthy choices in the workplace? Certainly here at 121 Dietitian we are of the opinion that employers should be doing more to promote healthy workplace nutrition choices, if they aren’t already. As a specialist nutritional team we are passionate about providing staff nutritional assessments and menu improvement, workshops etc. Our workplace nutrition programmes reduce absenteeism, improve moral and improve company finances. We also encourage staff to take responsibility, driving new ideas forward and to remain healthy outside the workplace. If you struggle to make healthy choices at work, find there is a lack of healthy options available at your work or feel that healthy options are too expensive, then preparation is the key. Boring you may yell, No, is our reply as with 121 Dietitian = Clever, quick and tasty. Just to wet your appetite!! Here are just a few popular tips on Workplace Nutrition to get you started…. If you’re always short on time why not cook an extra portion of dinner in the evening? The leftovers can be eaten for the next day’s lunch. Alternatively use the time while you’re in the kitchen anyway to prepare a tasty meal for the next evening. Stock up on lots of healthy ingredients such as salad vegetables and fruit, cooked fish, lean cooked unprocessed meats, wholegrain breads & pastas and dips. Having plenty of options will prevent you getting bored and help you resist the temptation of the canteen or vending machine. Fruit, vegetable sticks, yogurts, seeds & nuts are nutritious and great for snacking; keep these handy at your desk for when you are feeling peckish to tide you over until the next meal. If you are on a budget fresh fruit can be bought cheaper in bulk. You could buy a bag of fruit especially to keep in the workplace for snacking, remember to wash it well. How to improve Workplace Nutrition at your desk It is good to get away from the desk during your breaks for your body to relax, if you are eating at your desk; are you working through your break? This is not good for long term health or productive for your job. Bringing your own lunch can save you time rather than queuing in the canteen so push away when you can. It is important you maintain your energy to keep focused on your work. healthy snacks at your desk are recommended. Exercise is as important as eating right when wishing to maintain our health. We should be trying to get around 30 minutes exercise most days, so break the bad habits and start with manageable targets. 121 Dietitian’s are experts in diet and health and are leading the way in making positive changes in companies across Northern Ireland and saving their hard earned cash along the way. Why not find out how we can help you by getting in touch. We have a range of programmes to suit all requirements and budgets. Usage of KPI’s allowing success to be charted. If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed] Information checked & correct on 16th May 2018.
Never eat a polar bears liver!
Cute they maybe, but deadly to eat! Last night, The Polar Bear Family & Me was on BBC Two and since it also happens to be Liver Awareness month I thought I would share this top tip with you: Never Eat a Polar Bears Liver. Now okay, not likely to happen down the high street, but should you find yourself in this unusual circumstance be warned! So why is a Polar Bear’s Liver so lethal? Arctic predators such as polar bears have a greater capacity to store vitamin A in their liver than most other animals. It is thought to be because of the effect of naturally occurring vitamin A in marine algae being passed up the food chain to the polar bear. So great is the polar bears ability to store this vitamin that if you were to consume the liver, you would more than likely succumb to the effects of Hypervitaminosis A. Put simply it would be too much vitamin A for your body to handle & and you would suffer from vitamin A poisoning. Symptoms of this include liver & bone damage, hair loss, double vision, vomiting and headaches. However don’t panic and avoid Vitamin A altogether as it is essential for growth & normal development. In particular it is important for our eyes and fight infections. If we don’t get enough it can lead to night blindness. The estimated average requirement for vitamin A in adult females is 400µg per day & 500 µg per day in males. In doses over 100mg in children or 300mg for adults it can become toxic. Good Sources of Vitamin A Foods rich in vitamin A to eat regularly include: – Oily fish, eggs, fortified low fat spreads, milk, yoghurt, liver and cheese -in small amounts. For most people an overdose of the vitamin from their diet would be unlikely however as a precaution pregnant women should take care to avoid vitamin A supplements (unless advised otherwise by a doctor), liver & liver products since they contain high levels of Vitamin A. Too much of which can have a negative effect on the developing baby. Why you should love your liver The liver is the largest organ in the body. A healthy liver is kept busy performing various jobs, over 500 to be precise! The liver acts like a factory in the body. It performs tasks such as creating proteins, blood clotting factors and other products which aid with digestion and energy release. It also acts a storage facility for vitamins, iron & energy. The liver helps to control blood sugar levels, it cleanses infections from the blood & helps to neutralise drugs & toxins that enter the body. How to love your liver If you want to show your liver you love it. Then you should familiarise yourself with some of its friends and foes. Friends of the liver Exercise We all know that exercise is a great way to get fit and lose weight. Carrying around excess weight and especially visceral (body fat) is a risk factor for liver damage. Therefore maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to reduce your risk. By exercising and moderating your diet you are likely to lose more fat than with just diet or exercise alone. As well as slimming down you may also be helping to remove fat from around the liver. In doing exercise you are helping to optimise the functions of the liver. Which means you’re helping to keep the factory running efficiently. Nutrient Rich Diet Reducing saturated fats, sugars and processed foods will reduce extra stress on the liver. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates: brown rice and pasta, wholemeal bread, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds and lean proteins. This will boost the function of the liver to improve it from working like it was riding a toy bike with wooden wheels to a Olympian Velodrome cyclist! Fluids as per recommended (1.5 to 2 litres) helps keep the body toxins flushed through the system. Foes of the liver Alcohol Each time your liver filters alcohol some of the liver cells die. Despite this the liver is very resilient and providing it has no lasting damage it can repair itself very quickly. It can take as little as 24 hrs to go back to normal. However, over time prolonged alcohol misuse can cause serious damage. You can help your liver by not binge drinking and giving yourself 2-3 days in a row off from drinking alcohol. This will keep your total intake down and gives your liver time to recover. Drugs can have detrimental effects too, so follow the advice from your GP or pharmacist. For more information on vitamin A If you wish to have a liver check-up do get in touch with us: email: info@121dietitian.com If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits for the best or need help optimising the foods you eat. 121 Dietitian are happy to help with any nutrition related query big or small. 121Dietitian Make sure you have the correct nutritious foods. Check out the 121Dietitian Shop Please visit my YouTube Channel. If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Gillian x Information checked & correct on 27th December 2022
