Were you thinking what I was thinking when I first heard MTHFR? Well, in this case MTHFR means Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, not the swear word that I occasionally love using. But I’ll admit…if I have to have a gene mutation, having one that is nicknamed after one of my favorite profanities is pretty amazing.
I learned about this lovely acronym about a year into my journey of healing adrenal fatigue and Hashitmoto’s hypothyroiditis (autoimmune). Markers in my blood panel showed that I inherited two MTHFR mutations that were potentially contributing to the conditions within my body.
I knew my lifestyle and choices had contributed to my health issues, and I also knew I had the power to change those. Learning about MTHFR left me feeling disempowered. What the EFF was I supposed to do about genetic mutations?
My ride down Victim Lane ended quickly when my doctor started talking about epigenetics. She explained that I could influence my genes and ultimately my health through food choices, supplements, and my thoughts. (Epigenetic researchers today believe between 5-25% of disease is not preventable, but the rest is preventable and/or curable through our programming (thoughts) and choices.) I committed on the spot to eliminating the necessary foods (bye grain and dairy) and ordered the necessary supplements to deal with this MTHFR.
I mourned my occasional dairy cheats and Beanfield’s Bean & Rice Chips (which are freaking delicious by the way – for anyone who can tolerate grain), while feeling skeptical about this whole process. After a year of being given various supplements for adrenal, thyroid and gut issues, would more supplements and dietary changes really eliminate my joint pain and the constant lump or soreness I felt in my throat (sensations associated with thyroid issues)?
As I was driving home, I pondered the mindset piece. That seemed much more difficult to tackle than giving up some food and popping some supplements. How was my mind contributing to my illness? Although it felt easier to avoid it than to deal with, I realized our mindset is as important, if not more important, as the diet and supplements. How often do you hear people say they’re doing “all the right things” to heal but nothing is changing? I believe that is related to our thinking.
I first learned about epigenetics when I heard Dr. Pam Peeke speak at a positive psychology coaching course years ago. Curious, I nerded out on some epigenetics books after the conference. Upon hearing about my gene situation, I dug out my old books to help me better understand my MTHFR of a situation. 😉
With each word I read, I realized I have a lot of power to affect my health, despite what I may have inherited genetically.
It has to do with a lot more than positive thinking, although that’s an important part of this whole equation. Positive thinking and affirmations come from the conscious part of our minds, but we are primarily influenced by our subconscious mind. (Dr. Lipton, Biology of Belief, says that 95% of our life experiences come from our subconscious mind.) The good news? We can reprogram that part of our brain to affect our health and happiness!
One of the primary ways we can do that is through energy psychology techniques. My favorite energy psychology technique is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), commonly referred to as tapping. I relied on tapping to give up many of the foods that were contributing to my health issues: gluten, dairy, soy, chocolate and more. It made perfect sense that I could also dominate this whole MTHFR situation with it! I changed my whole mindset.
MTHFR didn’t have control over me. I had control over it. I know with certainty that emotional shift alone helped heal my body.
Tapping, journaling, meditation and affirmations became my medicine, my magic wand. After a year of being on this healing roller coaster, I felt more in control than I had in a long time. The combination of adjusting my diet, taking supplements, and re-programming some old thought patterns and beliefs that no longer served me led to a significant shift in my health.
My joint pain was gone. Plus, the lump I constantly felt in my throat disappeared for the first time in over a year.
If you’re experiencing health issues, remember that you too have the power to positively impact your wellbeing through natural and effective techniques. You have more control than you realize. It is possible to re-program old beliefs and thought patterns that may have contributed to sickness and/or sadness.
Everyone has a choice in how they respond to their health. You can stay a victim. You can avoid getting to the root cause (emotions). I know people who choose to continue to eat poorly and go on some heavy-duty meds to deal with the pain. And then another pill to deal with the side effect of the first pill…and on and on.
While that may work for some, that’s not an option for me. Yes, it can be painful to confront some of the internal chaos and take responsibility for how our “stuff” affects our health. It can be hard as hell to say no to delicious foods that our friends are savoring in front of us. But it pails in comparison to the sense of freedom I feel from being able to naturally and positively affect my health. Having plenty of energy and feeling pain-free is the best gift of all.
Happy to Heal (Everything Your Doctor’s Not Telling You About Healing Your Thyroid, Adrenals and Leaky Gut) is starting this September! Get on the waitlist today for discounted pricing! 🙂
