As I was entering my teenage years, I began to gain weight and I felt extremely tired. I wanted to blame the symptoms on my lack of physical activity, which I thought was due to the hours of  homework I had to do for school. However, as the weight gain persisted, I became physically uncomfortable and wanted to lose it. In order to do this, I reasoned that I should get physically active, and I believed a good way to do that was to work out. I was really hoping this would solve my weight problem. So, I intentionally began my thyroid journey, and committed to an exercise regimen of 1-2 hours per day, but my weight was not changing.

There was no weight loss at all.  I didn’t know what to do, so I went to see a doctor. After a series of tests, in 2001 I was diagnosed with a condition called Hypothyroidism and later with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This is a condition where the thyroid, a butterfly shaped organ that affects metabolism, and located at the base of the neck, does not produce enough of the hormones the body needs to regulate weight for example. I was prescribed a thyroid medicine, which I took religiously for 14 years.

My symptoms got a little better at the beginning, but then I noticed a slight weight gain, along with: cold sensitivity, increased cholesterol, and lowered iron levels (to name a few symptoms). In my heart I knew there was an answer to the root of all my symptoms: weight gain, bad/dry skin, brittle nails, dry/coarse hair, plus more.

In the year of 2013, I said enough was enough. I started to research books, documentaries, and to explore other people’s real life stories who also dealt with thyroid problems. Exercise and eating well was at the core of every individual who was able to reverse their thyroid imbalance. I gleaned a lot of good information, however I didn’t know where to start. Then, I had a thought, what better than to pray and to read the Bible for guidance. I came across this Bible verse, “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food”. Genesis 1:29 NIV These lines somehow jumped out at me. I realized I needed to first focus on nutrition by eating huge amounts of plant-based foodstuff, which also aligned with my research.

April, 4th 2014 was the day I started the journey to change my lifestyle, and moved forward with a new mindset. I crowded out all animal proteins like dairy, meat and eggs. My goal was to stick to a heaping amount of fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, herbs, and spices. This regimen may not last forever because I believe that all food was given to us by God, just like the green plants. Genesis 9:3 . However, for now, I have decided to move forward with this plant-based lifestyle to detox my body. I said to myself, “Daniel survived, and so will I”. Daniel 1:8-16

Throughout my thyroid journey, I was under the care of a functional doctor. I was at peace with myself knowing that my doctor was ok with my new lifestyle. I remember thinking that I wasn’t crazy after all, since everyone around me would feed me toxic information. They would tell me that I would die, or worst, become way too sick where no one could help me. They believed I needed animal protein to survive! During those moments, I whole-heartedly tapped into God’s strength. My Abba. My Healer.

I started to eat mostly fruit. Yet, before long, I began to crave cooked food. So, I added baked root veggies, cooked brown rice and quinoa, steamed cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and brussel sprouts, and snacked on mostly seeds, nuts and fruit. I had to be patient with developing my new acquired taste. Studies show that our taste buds change every 14 days. Crowding out animal proteins was SO painful, but I kept moving forward, letting go of all fear and living by faith. I kept reading Matthew 9:29 NIV. “According to your faith let it be done to you”.  I had to hold on to faith for dear life, no matter what people would say.

Fast Forward…

Beginning of April, 2015 I went off synthroid, the prescribed thyroid medicine. While on a dedicated plant-based lifestyle and off the synthetics, I continued to feel better and better everyday. Furthermore, today I couldn’t be happier with my decision. What I value most is that I have no symptoms of Hypothyroidism, my weight came off without trying…and stayed off, I have tons of energy, plus the will-power to keep living this amazing God given lifestyle along with my husband and two kids. With this in mind, I want to point out that Daniel (1:15 NIV) also had positive side-benefits such as “looking healthier and better nourished”!

Everyone is unique. What worked for me may not work for you, but the content on this page will most likely inspire you to form your OWN healthy lifestyle. I bet you already know what you need to do and what to crowd out. Scientifically speaking, all life is composed of four macromolecule building blocks, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Like macromolecules, food can be looked at as the building blocks to nutrition, which influences how we look, feel and behave.

My passion is to share what worked for me and to inspire others to achieve their health goal as well. Explore the links above to find a variety of recipes on smoothies, juices, and meals. If you would like to stay in touch, please subscribe and follow my blog to receive recipes, tips and updates about healthy living straight to your inbox.

Much Love,
Cami