Please take a few minutes to read my Profile on healthunlocked, as it will explain what thyroid illness did to my mental health.
I have had a horrendous physical illness for 36 years. It was diagnosed as Hypothyroidism, but in fact it turned out to be a long-winded named illness – Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. All that Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is = Hypothyroidism (low output of thyroid gland) plus thyroid gland antibodies. I won’t bore you with details of my long term illness, but you will see from reading my Profile, that I’ve had severe mental health problems, which continued until early November 2017.
I am explaining my severe mental health symptoms, not for pity or sympathy, but to show you that a physical illness can cause those symptoms.
I was never diagnosed with any mental health illness or psychosis,
Over those 36 years, I have had suicidal periods, agoraphobia, severe paranoia, deep depression even when not suicidal to the point of not washing or getting dressed during days on end.
From diagnosis of a thyroid gland problem, until now – I have been seen by 2 psychiatrists, many consultants and specialists, 4 Professors (you know, those incredibly intelligent people who earn a vast salary), various counsellors. None of it got me better. I still felt suicidal until Autumn 2017, and in fact during the Summer of 2017 was still planning it.
Then I started eating differently on the advice of a particular type of Doctor – not an NHS doctor. He told me to eat a particular way which I have recently discovered is probablyThe Paleo Diet.
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I have explained the exact reasons why certain foods are cut out and certain foods are added in.
You cannot under any circumstances eat a takeaway, fast food, McD or any ready prepared food as you do not know what the manufacturer has put into it. They most likely will not be honest about what exactly is in it. It will take your body many days to recover and put your health back into serious jeopardy.
I don't call it a Diet - I call it a Special Way of Eating, as I didn't need to lose weight.
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IN A NUTSHELL
I CUT OUT :-
All grains
Most carbohydrates ( I do eat a small amount of white or sweet potatoes)
As much sugar as possible, keeping in mind that fruit contains sugar
Soy in any form.
I ADDED :-
Fats and cholesterol
EXPLANATIONS
Grains CUT OUT
Grains are all a form of “grass” & our body has problems digesting it. Cows eat grass and have three stomachs to digest it. For humans to digest any of the grains, it takes energy and causes problems in our digestive system. This way of eating is about cutting out GRAINS, so even any type of gluten free bread is a big No No.
Carbohydrates and Sugar CUT OUT
Carbohydrates are :- Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. Wholegrain products are just less bad and are made of grains which are banned in this diet. Legumes, such as beans and lentils, are high in carbohydrates..
Carbohydrates and Sugars of all types spike the blood sugar up and the body has to work hard to get the blood sugar down again. If it has to continually work at reducing blood sugar, something will go wrong. …. …..insulin and cortisol - causing chronic illness.
Fruit also has a fair amount of sugar so I’m only allowed to eat a small amount (one piece a day maximum, or some berries). Bananas are very high in sugar.
The above two – carbohydrates and sugar/fruit – diabetics will know to cut these out.
Soy CUT OUT
The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes such as lentils because the soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or "antinutrients." First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion.
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Fats and Cholesterol ADD
Our brain is made of around 80% fat, therefore it needs good fats in order to function properly. The advice we were given to eat a low fat diet has caused a massive amount of depression and mental health symptoms in the population.
No doubt the pharmaceutical companies put that out so they could sell more anti-depressants, therefore more profits.
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RECOMMENDED TO EAT
Full fat milk from cows, double cream from cows (not long life rubbish), real butter (+ melted over veg and use to cook with), olive oil, cheese, cream cheese, eggs, meat including bacon (not sausages), oily fish (tinned mackerel is my favourite), white fish, PLAIN natural bio yoghurt, all vegetables (I make veg soup with a blender), all salad items, avocados, nuts (not salted or roasted), tinned prunes (delicious with cream!). There are other foods that are ok – eg pulses, sauerkraut (which I’ve googled how to make & about to try making it), Hellmans mayonnaise, Bovril, cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate - it's 70% sugar) in warm milk, Lindt high cocoa chocolate slab, Not meant to eat potatoes as they are high carbohydrate (I have a little), also a small amount of sweet potato but all potatoes are carbohydrates which this diet forbids. On salad & veg, I use Hellmans full fat mayonnaise, olive oil, honey & mustard dressing.
It’s best to ‘graze’ with food, by eating maybe a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese if you are hungry. Your body is struggling if you start to feel hunger pangs - - it’s a message to your brain.
Example of one day’s meals & snacks ----
Breakfast : Hard boiled egg with cream cheese or Bacon & egg
Morning snack : Mug of warmed full fat milk & half an apple or Home made vegetable soup
Lunch : Tinned mackerel with any salad items (+ mayo)
or Handful of nuts + cottage cheese with tomatoes or any salad item
Afternoon snack : Bio yoghurt with cream mixed in + 3 prunes or a few defrosted raspberries
Supper : Chicken or any meat with mixture of vegetables with melted butter over veg
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VITAMIN & MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS
I also take vitamins and mineral supplements every day. After about 3 to 6 months, they can perhaps be dropped down to every other day, depending on how you are feeling.
(there is a really good reason why each and every one is included)……..
I take -
1.At least 1,000mg of Vitamin C a day as it heals, makes skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels; it repairs and maintains cartilage, bones and teeth, amongst other vital roles. Good for the skin, and keeps it youthful – who doesn’t want that ?
2.Vitamin D3 which is called the Sunshine Vitamin – every person who lives in the northern hemisphere does not get enough sunshine to keep their vitamin D levels high enough. If vitamin D is low, mental health symptoms follow. Note : take vitamin D all through Autumn & Winter.
3.A good Multi B Vitamin Complex. There are 8 x B vitamins All the B vitamins are essential for the nervous system and keep our bodies running like well oiled machines, for energy, growth, quality of our blood. Low vitamin B12 will cause severe mental health type symptoms.
4.Magnesium for good nerve and muscle function. If, for example, you have a painful muscle in your leg, take extra magnesium.
5.Zinc for the immune system
6.Selenium fights inflammation, increases blood flow, prevents cell damage and assists the thyroid gland (we die without the thyroid gland but go insane first) to utilise thyroid hormone.
Good Luck and I hope this can help others to make a recovery