T-7: 10 days without Thyroid meds

I think I am starting to feel this whole hypothyroid thing...walking to the breakroom to heat my lunch was like running a marathon...although food seems to help, so I am hoping to get another burst of energy to get me through the afternoon.

Weight is starting to creep up even though I have not been eating junk and watching portions. UNFAIR!

The Accidental Chef, T - 10

On the plate: chips and salsa, chicken fajita with onions, peppers, salsa, small plate: apple berry salsa with cinnamon and sugar matzo. See, so tortilla or cheese on the fajita!!

OK, this post is actually being written on T-9, but it is 4:30 in the morning and I meant to do it last night.

Once again, I am beside myself with glee, merely for doing what most people do all the time...cook a great meal. I do, however, have a greater appreciation for restaurants now and will never take for granted all the work that they save me!

Anyway, last night (or should I say all day yesterday) I made chicken fajitas with onions and peppers, homemade fresh salsa, homemade tortilla chips (made with corn tortillas which had no prohibited ingredients), apple berry salsa, cinnamon chips (which I could not eat, so I put cinnamon and sugar on a matzo and used that--turned out well) and finally, after a week of NO CHOCOLATE, I made a chocolate fudge cake (in the low iodine cookbook, but almost identical to the "chocolate mess" recipe I make all the time.

Surprisingly, I am still feeling rather well. Besides all the cooking, I got a lot of painting done in the basement. I am a bit more tired, and falling asleep about 9 pm, but I am waking up so darn early and not being able to go back to sleep. From most accounts, people sleep a lot during this time, but I really have been sleeping worse at night and minimally during the day, although I am taking more rests between tasks.

The hardest part is not knowing whether or not this is as bad as it gets or if the whole thing will unexpectedly catch up with me without warning. So I thank God emphatically that I expected to feel like crap for this period and I have had no meds for 7 days so far and have had 7 really good days.

Tonight: leftovers. The Accidental Chef is taking a break.

Silver Lining, T-13

Do you have any idea how much sodium is in food? Even "fresh" chicken and some pork can have lots of added salt. If nothing else, I will always be more conscious of what I am eating. Maybe with this new awareness, I can lower my bp somewhat.

Ahh...Day 4...starting to feel the effects of no thyroid med...a bit tired, but OK. It is a busy time making bread and everything from scratch. I think I'd be tired under normal circumstances!

So, today Josh made a loaf of bread (I can't eat), I made the cinnamon bread from the Low Iodine Cookbook (more like a dessert/coffee cake). Then I decided that I'd made Italian Beef for sandwiches for supper tonight, so I had to make French bread to serve it on. I never even thought about making the French bread before, but it was easy and looks excellent.

Tomorrow: pot roast with carrots, onions and potatoes (no skins, potato skins are BAD BAD NEWS on a low iodine diet, but the inside is OK). The trick will be deciding how to season it since I can't use onion soup like normal. I also want to try making homemade pork breakfast sausage for pancakes and sausage (dinner Monday night) and apple berry salsa with homemade chips.

Day T -14: The joy of PB&J

I have rediscovered the joy of peanut butter and jelly. Of course, this sandwich is made with no sugar/no salt natural pb (which the regular grape jelly makes palatable) and on thinly sliced (thanks to the electric knife) homemade bread. So the meal count is 8 low-iodine meals down, 40 to go!

I am getting better at the bread baking thing...I am very thankful for my bread machine...even when I use it in the "dough only" mode.

Low Iodine Diet: part 2: Lisa can cook!!!!

Look what I can do when I have to! I can cook! Since I can't go out, and I can't use processed foods, I have to make things from scratch...so, for the first time in my 42 years, that is HOMEMADE spaghetti sauce (I might never go back to Prego, but the kids will), homemade rosemary bread, olive oil with pepper to dip it in (no butter or margarine allowed) and homemade balsamic vinigrette salad dressing (which tastes exactly like The Old Spaghetti Factory's dressing. Since I can't have milk, I'm drinking OJ with calcium. Best part is that I froze 5 portions of spaghetti sauce for a quick meal that I can eat even if the family is eating something else. I am so glad this is the summer...this would be really hard if the kids were in school with activities and stuff.

Last night I made Pork Chops on the grill (and froze the individual left overs), Asian veggies, grapes, applesauce. The chops were really good. I might have the only family that looks forward every year to the 2 weeks of Low Iodine Diet.

...of course, this is only day 2 so I may be sick of it really really soon.

Tomorrow's plan is grilled chicken and cinnamon apples. I am loving the Low Iodine Cookbook, but also finding it fairly easy to adapt many other recipes...substituting olive oil for butter, for example...but I do miss CHEESE!!!!