Hi! I’m Natasha… Welcome to my blog! Cooking is my therapy. When I’m in a kitchen I feel alive and it’s my outlet for creativity. Why “Feisty” Kitchen? Well, let’s just say my personality is a little feisty! Ask anyone who’s been around me, even if it’s just been for a short period of time, and they’ll attest to that! I’m here to share my Paleo and Gluten-Free recipes along with some Low Carb and Keto recipes too! Grab a cup of bulletproof coffee or tea and stay awhile. But first, here’s a little bit about my journey to healing Hashimoto’s through eating real food.
I have struggled with losing weight for most of my adult life. I have never been seriously overweight, but enough to not feel my best. Over the years I tried most of the diet trends only to lose 10 pounds and then shortly thereafter gain 15 back. I guess the typical yo-yo diet approach. It wasn’t until I started noticing other symptoms like hair loss, fatigue, always being cold, irregular heartbeat with arrhythmia, etc, that I thought maybe I should check more into things. Being the “research geek” that I am, I had already diagnosed myself with hypothyroidism before seeing my Doctor. Of course it was determined that all my labs were “within range,” so maybe it was all in my head.
After taking matters into my own hands (told ya I’m feisty!) and firing over a handful of Doctors, I determined that years of being undiagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis had led numerous health issues. And I had some serious food sensitivities that I need to fix. More labs and tests, and hundreds if not thousands of dollars spent on different supplements that may have only helped slightly and then my doctor put me on a vegan, plant-based diet. (I’ve tried it ALL!) After 15 months of that and no improvements, I found Paleo. I was so hesitant and actually afraid to start consuming animal products again, but I decided to give it a try. After a short amount of time my stomach problems started to get better. I was so terrified of eating any fats/oils due to what the doctors told me after my gallbladder results, but I felt fine when I slowly introduced fat. Fast forward again to today… I’m eating TONS of healthy FAT and I still have some hypothyroid symptoms, and I will always have Hashimoto’s, BUT, I’m feeling the best I have felt in over 4 years and I’m convinced that it’s all due to changing my diet. I currently follow a Low Carb, Gluten-Free, mostly Paleo way of eating and do include some dairy from time to time, so technically a Primal lifestyle.
Fun Facts About Me:
- I’m part Ukrainian, German and French.
- I take my coffee drinking seriously.
- I am SUPER competitive. Be careful when you challenge me to a “friendly” board game 😉
- Tennis is my sport of choice.
- Music is a huge part of my life, and I like it loud!
- I could eat burgers and tacos every day. No Joke.
- I thrive in the heat and sun. I’d rather be dripping in sweat than freezing cold and shivering.
- My tennis nickname is “Nasty” because you can’t spell Dynasty without the NASTY!
Have a question for me? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at: natasha (at) thefeistykitchen (dot) com. Sorry, I have to write it this way to avoid spammers.
Come hang out with me on Instagram, my platform of choice!!