Back in August, I became obsessed with drinking bulletproof coffees and eating fat. I started off every morning with a cup of coffee with a tablespoon of coconut oil and some coconut milk (blended to make the fat frothy.) My lunch became a mixture of fats. vegetables and protein. I would consume between 5-7 avocados a week. I limited my intake of carbs.
With all this, my mind felt more alive. I wasn't sure if it was the caffeine, the reduction in carbs or both. After about 2 months of this daily ritual of coffee in the morning, I had an abdominal pain that made me a bit nervous. I wasn't sure of the source, and it made me woozy. I ran through the gamut of what it could be and tried to ignore it best I could. Eventually it passed and I thought nothing more of it.
Until 10 days later, when I had the first menstrual cycle after a full year of nothing. My thyroid had been in a state of panic since June 2014. Over a span of 2 years, I went from a vegetarian/vegan diet to a meat-eater, tried various thyroid remedies, and used bioidentical hormones (which made me crazy). But the hot flashes increased and finally my cycle just stopped. I accepted my post-menopausal state and gave up on trying to fix my hormones or my thyroid. It was just too hard to go against my body's natural cycle.
The return of menses caught me off guard. I had noticed some changes but I wasn't looking to reboot ovulation. (Hence the abdominal pain - it was my ovaries pushing out an egg or two!) However, I was now curious about what exactly had changed in my body since drinking coffee and eating more fat. I scheduled an appointment to get some blood work done at Knoxville Wellness Experience and got my results yesterday. Seriously, did my body just respond to such a simple change?
Yes, yes it did. For the first time in 3 years, my thyroid levels were "within range". Not optimal yet, but naturally within range. Also my follicle stimulating hormone which had been in the post menopausal range, is normal and causing my cycle to reboot. Okay, so I am not giving up my morning bulletproof coffee, or my avocado anytime soon. I will also keep doing yoga 3 times a week. Something about this path is working for me! I wasn't looking for a return of my cycle, but if it means my thyroid is healing itself, I will take it.