Gluten Free muffins

Well - as some of you may know - I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in January - and have been on thyroid hormone replacement since, trying to get a dosage that suits. What happens is basically your immune system thinks the thyroid stimulating hormones are foreign and attacks them and the thyroid meaning you don't get the hormones you need - resulting in an underactive thyroid.

As one website quite cleverly put it - here is a long and pathetic list of symptoms that can be attributed to this disease.....

• Less stamina than others
• Less energy than others
• Long recovery period after any activity
• Inability to hold children for very long
• Arms feeling like dead weights after activity
• Chronic Low Grade Depression
• Suicidal Thoughts
• Often feeling cold
• Cold hands and feet
• High or rising cholesterol
• Bizarre and Debilitating reaction to exercise
• Hard stools
• Constipation
• No eyebrows or thinning outer eyebrows
• Dry Hair
• Hair Loss
• White hairs growing in
• No hair growth, breaks faster than it grows
• Dry cracking skin
• Heart palpitations
• Low Blood pressure
• Nodding off easily
• Requires naps in the afternoon
• Sleep Apnea (which can also be associated with low cortisol)
• Air Hunger (feeling like you can’t get enough air)
• Inability to concentrate or read long periods of time
• Forgetfulness
• Foggy thinking
• Inability to lose weight
• Always gaining weight
• NO sex drive
• Failure to ovulate and/or constant bleeding
• Moody periods
• PMS
• Inability to get pregnant; miscarriages
• Excruciating pain during period
• Nausea
• Swelling/edema/puffiness
• Aching bones/muscles
• Osteoporosis
• Bumps on legs
• Acne on face and in hair
• Breakout on chest and arms
• Hives
• Exhaustion in every dimension–physical, mental, spiritual, emotional
• Inability to work full-time
• Inability to stand on feet for long periods
• Complete lack of motivation
• Slowing to a snail’s pace when walking up slight grade
• Extremely crabby, irritable, intolerant of others
• Handwriting nearly illegible
• Internal itching of ears
• Broken/peeling fingernails
• Dry skin or snake skin
• Major anxiety/worry
• Ringing in ears
• Lactose Intolerance
• Inability to eat in the mornings
• Joint pain
• Carpal tunnel symptoms
• No Appetite
• Fluid retention to the point of Congestive Heart Failure
• Swollen legs that prevented walking
• Blood Pressure problems
• Varicose Veins
• Dizziness from fluid on the inner ear
• Low body temperature
• Raised temperature
• Tightness in throat; sore throat
• Swollen lymph glands
• Allergies (which can also be a result of low cortisol–common with hypothyroid patients)
• Headaches and Migraines
• Sore feet (plantar fascitis); painful soles of feet
• now how do I put this one politely….a cold bum, butt, derriere, fanny, gluteus maximus, haunches, hindquarters, posterior, rear, and/or cheeks. Yup, really exists.
• colitis
• irritable bowel syndrome
• painful bladder
• Extreme hunger, especially at nighttime
• Dysphagia, which is nerve damage and causes the inability to swallow fluid, food or your own saliva and leads to “aspiration pneumonia”.

So - here's me - allergic to dairy, vegetarian, hate mushrooms, and the naturopath tells me I'd be better going gluten free! Have you tried any of that gluten free bread - it's not so great... try being me going out for food now! Blimey...

So - I found these gluten free muffins - and made them yesterday - and surprise surprise - they are actually nice!!

And finally - my nephew (Shawn's first child) was born today - no name yet - 8lbs 1oz... here's a piccy....