Welcome to my blog about healthy living. This is the personal documentation of my quest to live a cleaner lifestyle and about the challenges I face as a woman with both congenital hypothyroidism and MTHFR gene mutations. Here I’ll share my experiences, tips, information, photography, recipes and regular inspiration for those living with conditions like mine.
MTHFR gene mutations are common: half the population may be affected! Many don’t know it but their chronic illnesses may be related to MTHFR…
In 2013 I tested positive for compound heterozygous MTHFR mutations (both 677CT and 1298AC), which essentially means that my body has problems with methylation. This is the most simple and eloquent, yet comprehensive explanation I have seen for the genetic disorder yet. For persons with MTHFR gene mutations, a key enzyme in the body functions at a lower than normal rate. Toxins affect me more than people without the mutation and my body does not properly process the non-active forms of B vitamins like folic acid, B12 and B6. Methylation impacts all kinds of processes in the body and impaired methylation can lead to a variety of diseases and chronic health conditions. I am more susceptible to stress and, as I age, the accumulation of toxins and the cumulative effect of oxidative stress can cause problems (I’m lucky to have caught this young!) Because I also have hypothyroidism, this presents special challenges in my life and I have made decisions to change my diet and the way I live to help compensate for my body’s natural deficiencies. If you look at this gene mutation from another angle, one could argue that those of us with the mutations are not the problem. It is our toxic environment, with all the mandated food additives, chemicals and toxins that we are burdened with on a daily basis that are challenging us.
I am not a doctor or any kind of medical professional. What I am is a person who questions everything around me. A person who cares about her time on earth being as positive and full of vitality as possible. A person who believes that MTHFR can have a negative effect on her life if proper environmental and lifestyle adjustments are not made.
I already suffer from, or have suffered from, a number of afflictions that I now know are directly related to my MTHFR: hypothyroidism, high homocysteine, infertility/miscarriage, adrenal fatigue, small-fiber neuropathy, blood pressure fluctuations and low glutathione to name a few. A couple of these were caused by an adverse reaction to fluoroquinolone antibiotics but others by folate deficiency as a result of MTHFR. So many conditions are related to methylation issues and toxins: if you suffer from chronic health issues, this is worth investigating in your own life.
On this site you’ll find lifestyle tips for clean living, photos, recipes and my own experiences navigating these waters.
If you’re new to the site, these are good places to start:
This Is The Way Your Life Changes (My first post! Learn more about me and how I got here…)
Recommended Reading (The experts to go to for information)
What Do You Do if You Have MTHFR?
Homocysteine Levels and MTHFR (An important issue with MTHFR)
Things That Plague Us: Gut Issues (Gut health is very important)
Why Everyone Needs Glutathione (The essential molecule that so many of us are deficient in)
Did I Get Floxed? (Many of my issues were caused by a Fluoroquinolone drug reaction – prevent this from happening to you or someone you love)
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Please visit the Resources page for further information on the more medical and scientific aspects of MTHFR, hypothyroidism and related conditions. You should always consult a health professional before changing your diet significantly or undertaking any kind of new health regimen. Anything you read on this site should be viewed and taken only as opinion and as a personal account of my own experiences and not as medical advice or a regimen to be imitated. I am not a doctor or any kind of medical health professional.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Andrea S., BS, MA (Media & Comm)