Can you Heal Yourself from an Autoimmune Condition? Nuri's Journey Overcoming Hashimoto Disease

At a recent yoga retreat, I met someone truly remarkable – Nuri Alymbekova. Her story of overcoming Hashimoto resonated deeply with me, illustrating not just the struggles of living with a chronic illness but also the triumphs of self-discovery and empowerment. I'm thrilled to share with you our conversation, filled with insights and inspiration.

Q&A with Nuri - Healing Yourself from Hashimoto Disease

1. Can you share more about your health journey with Hashimoto's?

Absolutely, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2015 following a routine blood test showing that my thyroid markers were outside the normal range. At that time, I was holding a highly stressful sales role in the City. It coincided with me also transitioning into a non-traveling role after spending 4 years living out of a suitcase and rarely sleeping in my own bed. Looking back, I am amazed how I carried on like that for so long: sleep deprived, permanently tired as my chronic fatigue kicked in long before the diagnosis, dehydrated (struggled with water intake my whole life), sustaining multiple digestive issues, infinitely stressed let alone the pressures of the job itself, personal struggles (perfectionism, high achiever, own worst critic etc.) and the list goes on. Clearly my body was speaking up for me when I couldn’t say “Enough!”.

Since the diagnosis I’ve really hoped to get all the answers I was seeking for from the medical system however I hit multiple roadblocks & no one could give me any definitive answers. Which is why I decided to take things in my own hands which turned out to be the most rewarding and exciting journey to self. I was so hungry for knowledge that I have studied/tried everything I could at that point. It has started with stripping my diet entirely & removing things that were not helping me to heal & going back to basics such as eating whole foods, hydrating properly and bringing healing foods such as greens, herbs, seaweed, anti-oxidant rich foods. I have also made numerous lifestyle interventions e.g. stress management, sleep regulation, suitable exercising, therapy etc.

2. How did you cope? What strategies were most affected?

It was hard and I felt isolated & lonely at first. I didn’t feel like many people could understand or relate and sometimes our loved ones are the ones who hurt us the most, not necessarily meaning to do so. For example, after having 12 hours of sleep I would wake up feeling like a bus ran over me to which I had very little empathy or understanding from my own husband. I do want to highlight that in those moments the real empathy we are all really seeking is from ourselves in the first place. I’ve since realised that being in a victim mentality is not conducive to healing either.

After having gone through a couple of life events I’ve understood that unless another has gone through similar experience it is very difficult for them to be empathetic as they simply do not know what that actually means even if they say they do. Hence it is up to us to find a space within for acceptance and LOVE & all the empathy that we are longing for. Guilt & feeling broken may further push us into a well of sadness & anger and I think is important to highlight that a prolonged pain within us may have led us to feel unwell in the first place.

3. How has your degree in Nutrition influenced your approach to managing Hashimoto's? Are there specific dietary changes or principles you believe were key to your remission?

I started my nutrition journey well before my degree. First it was my own experiment guided by the literature I’ve come across and the information I’ve researched. Then I have actually worked with a couple of nutritionists to help me tap into areas that I may have missed.

You don’t want to miss this, you can find the full Q&A on InflamMed here.