When I first received my Hashimoto’s diagnosis I was determined to turn the ship around. I told myself I would do whatever it took to get healthy again and start healing.
As the first step on this new journey to better health, I went to see a specialist and I was blatantly told that diet and lifestyle did not play a role in my disease. The doctor went on to say that it’s really just a waiting game and that if my routine blood work indicated the need for medication, he’d be there to help. In the meantime, if my thyroid nodule was bothering me or if I didn’t like the way it looked I could have it removed.
My sweet thyroid, doing its best to give my body what it needs.
Still working.
Remove it?
Absolutely not!
As a nutritionist and healthy lifestyle enthusiast, I knew there had to be a better way. So, I began to search for alternative solutions and opted to see a naturopathic doctor for further testing.
Based on the results of a food sensitivity test, I did the most daunting thing of all. I changed my diet. Previously, I considered myself a very healthy eater already, so it came as a big surprise to hear that my favorite everyday foods were part of the problem and I would need to eliminate them for a long period of time.
I took this news very seriously and changed my entire diet pretty much overnight. My wholehearted belief in food as medicine made this transition a no-brainer. Diet is foundational to healing, so, this had to be a good thing, right? I certainly thought so.
But soon after adopting this new way of eating I found myself starting to obsess over food.
I remember feeling like a small child again. Everything had to be done in a routine and I felt like I didn’t have a choice in the matter. If I wanted to heal from autoimmune disease, this is what I had to do– or so I thought.
It felt like a badge of honor– eating impeccably, getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night, taking supplements, and going for alternative therapies.
So why wasn’t I seeing the results I wanted in my health?
Fast forward 3 years. Yes, I lived like this for 3 years.
One day not too long ago my son and I were walking in our neighborhood and stopped to browse the free book library on a street nearby. Someone had just stuffed the shelves full of new books. One book stood out to me, so I pulled it off the shelf to take a closer look: Getting into the Vortex, by Esther and Jerry Hicks.
I decided to take it home for a quick read.
Little did I know, the main message in this book would be so significant in relation to healing from chronic illness.
Living in the vortex means living a better-feeling life. A life that feels good because it is in alignment with who you really are and what you truly desire. When you live in your vortex, you allow your body to come into balance and heal.
This got me thinking. Was my current approach to healing actually keeping me stuck?
I had been eating a version of autoimmune paleo for a few years and it really had become second nature to me. I enjoyed my meals and didn’t feel like I was missing out very often.
Despite being satisfied with my current way of eating, I wanted to gain more insight into what I was telling myself about food and my body. I wanted to know if I was living in my vortex, the place where I could heal.
Every time I found myself thinking “I can’t have that food,” I asked myself “WHY?”
The answers surprised me.
I was basically telling myself:
- I’m not healed yet
- My body can’t handle this food
- This could cause a flare
- This might set me back
My whole approach to food was coming from fear, doubt, and dread. These feelings stemmed from the predominant belief that “I’m not healthy yet and my body is vulnerable.”
With this newfound awareness, I began to think about what I could say to myself in these moments instead.
“I am healthy and my body is capable” had a nice ring to it. In my heart of hearts, I believe I AM a healthy person and Hashimoto’s really has no place in my body.
Shortly after this experience, I had an opportunity to apply my new way of thinking. I was at a birthday party and there was delicious food being served. As I was offered some of this food I said to myself: “I am healthy and my body is capable.” I accepted the food and I enjoyed it bite by bite. I must note that I did set my gluten- and dairy-free criteria. This food met my criteria.
A weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was as if a whole new world had opened up for me. At that very moment, I realized that I could participate and let eating be easy and fun again.
In my work as a health coach, something I bring awareness to with my clients is the language that is used surrounding autoimmune disease. The very way that we say “my body is attacking itself” is detrimental to our healing. I often suggest using words like “my body is always working for me” instead. Despite this ideology being a part of my practice, it was only after reading about the vortex that I found a new, practical way to implement it into my life. This new approach brought immediate relief.
It is a subtle yet important distinction: telling yourself that your body is healing versus believing it and feeling it with every cell in your body and then taking each health-promoting action from that place.
This new way of being has opened me up to more variety, more opportunity, and ultimately more JOY. I want nothing more than for you to know that this is available to you too.
There are some wonderful resources on the YouTube Channel: Abraham Hicks Wisdom
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