Your Mind is a Powerful Thing

One of my most frequently mentioned phrases I see on various Hashimoto’s groups is “I just can’t get myself to cook” or “I just can’t get my cravings to go away.”

I won’t lie and say it’s easy. I also won’t say “you just have to do it,” because I know first-hand that sometimes you can’t “just do it.”

When I first got sick, I resorted more and more to junk food and take out. I was just too tired to cook and it didn’t seem worth my energy to spend time cooking. After I read Sarah Ballantyne’s “The Paelo Approach,” I began to realize how important my nutrition was to my well-being and I knew I would have to find a way to prioritize food.

I began to look at cooking as a hobby. It was my daily goal to try new foods and attempt new recipes. This journey has also been an inspiration to begin this blog and share my thoughts and experiences with the world. I hope to make a difference in at least one person’s life. This gives me purpose.
Instead of heading to the grocery store and picking up the familiar foods that looked good, I began to meal-plan in advance and go to the store with a targeted shopping list. Then I discovered a food delivery service called Nature’s Garden Express that is certified Organic and has reasonable prices. I began to place my grocery orders for the week ahead online, which meant my meal planning and grocery shopping could happen simultaneously.
I have always hated chopping, but organic food is much cheaper to buy whole and chop yourself. My husband used to help me chop, but with him going back to school, I have taken over that task. I began to view chopping as a mindless task, a time where I could think and reflect. Since I don’t have time for actual meditation, this is as close as I can get.
I have always resorted to Pinterest when locating new recipes, however sometimes this illness makes it difficult to look at a computer or to sit at a desk. I have invested in some AIP and Paleo cookbooks for inspiration. I still get some recipes online, but I also make it a point to use some of my cookbooks. Some of the cookbooks have meal plans in them, which really helped me get this diet started. This took out the planning part, which added an extra ~3 hours to my week in the beginning. Those three hours were really important to me in the beginning, since cooking with new ingredients took me much longer. Think of it as your new reading material & educational resource.
Although I used to love gathering with friends, it has become much more stressful when any mention of food is involved. For awhile I avoided gatherings that involved food, but now I think of this as an opportunity to introduce my friends to the Paleo lifestyle and show them that the SAD diet is not the only way to eat favorite foods. I take the opportunity to make some of my favorite recipes and share them with my loved ones. Thus far, everything I have made to share has been a huge hit and has provided conversation with friends. I think of this as an opportunity to educate my loved ones.
Know you are making a difference. Think of it as an investment in your future and your family’s future. If you already have a husband and kids, your investment in the new diet will help improve their health. If you plan to have children one day, know that investing time to cook and take care of your body now, will make a huge difference in the health of your future kids and will mean a longer life to enjoy with them. Although your toughest audience will be your relatives, educate them little by little and there’s a good chance your health habits will begin to rub off on your family with time. For me, it felt so good to see my family begin purchasing less items with preservatives and more organic items. My mom and I frequently exchange tasty recipes and I think I have even convinced my parents to try a paleo diet in the near future! Think of this journey as a way to help prolong the health of those around you, as well as your own.