Ok.  Confession.  I'm not feeling brilliant.  In fact, if I'm being honest, I haven't been feeling brilliant for a little while.

I've been eating gluten and refined sugar free foods for a number of years now, and more recently have removed cow's milk dairy and grains from the food I consume.  By changing my "diet" like this, I've seen and felt huge improvements to my health, my body and my overall mood.  My Hashimoto symptoms have eased dramatically, and proof of this has shown in my blood work.

I still just don't feel great.  

I still suffer bloating (at some level) each and every day, and I still wake up most mornings lethargic.  I still wake during the night hot, and I also still suffer from dry (and every so often itchy) skin.

And then having received my latest blood results - nothing bad, but nothing great - I had an epiphany.  I could continue on this merry way of mine, watching what I ate and spending a fortune on holistic practitioners just to keep me feeling about 60%-70% well.  Or I could do something about it.

If you don't change something - then nothing will change!

On that very same day, a stranger pointed me in the direction of a new website.  The Paleo Mom.  Now I will admit, not being a mum myself and not being inclined to look at parenting/children websites, I judged the name and screwed up my nose.   But I took a look.  

Whoa nelly!

If you have an autoimmune disease (like Hashimoto's) and your in desperate need of information, ideas, help, support and tips on managing your disease and your symptoms, then you need to go take a look. 

Dr Sarah Ballantyne, the woman behind The Paleo Mom is the founder and creator of The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).  A protocol I've heard of and am familiar with and have always thanked my lucky stars I've never had to travel down that road.  Well guess what, I'm going down that road .

If you don't change something, then nothing will change!

You can read what AIP is all about in the links I've provided to this eye opening website, however in my own basic words, AIP is taking the paleo lifestyle and going that extra step.  Apart from the foods I already no longer choose to eat (being very similarly aligned with the Paleo diet), this protocol cuts out a number of other immune reacting, inflammatory foods, and puts a greater focus on nutrient dense foods, allowing your body, your gut and your immune system an opportunity to actually heal. 

In fact, in Sarah's words, "experts are increasingly recognizing that certain dietary factors are key contributors to autoimmune disease."

If you don't change something, then nothing will change!

So this is where I'm currently at.  I'm scared shitless as I will be waving goodbye to my almond milk, to eggs (my backup dinner in a flash), and to alcohol.  Au revoir red wine.   However, I have to remember why I'm at this point.  I want to feel great again.  I want to once again see what it feels like not to be bloated.  I want to hopefully and eventually re-introduce these foods back into my diet without them causing me harm as I've given my body "finally" a chance to heal.  I want to sleep through the night and wake up refreshed.  I want to feel like me again.

Argh.  Wish me luck!