Diet Book for Hashimotos: As I plow through the... - Thyroid UK

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Diet Book for Hashimotos

Orpheline1 profile image
59 Replies

As I plow through the multi-various tips and foods to eat and avoid, some quite contradictory, I wondered if anyone has come across a sane and helpful book which not only writes about the foods to eat and avoid but has put them to use in a cookery book.

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Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1
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59 Replies
knackersyard profile image
knackersyard

Grain Brain + Brain Maker

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to knackersyard

Thanks will check them out. ;))

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

We have had positive comments about this site and the pharmacist herself has hashimotos.

thyroidlifestyle.com/#!stor...

This is a link to Amazon Affiliates if you buy the book below - self explanatory. Thanks.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

thyroidlifestyle.com/#!buy-...

Jackie profile image
Jackie

Hi My Endo likes the diabetic diet but no recipes.

Jackie

Jen0209 profile image
Jen0209

AIP for hashimotos very very informative book and there is a big cookbook as well

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to Jen0209

What does AIP stand for please?

Thanks for your help. :))

Carolcatfanatic profile image
Carolcatfanatic in reply to Orpheline1

Auto immune Paleo, maybe ?

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to Carolcatfanatic

Thanks, that could be it. :))

sue_b profile image
sue_b in reply to Orpheline1

I am just about to buy this book, the link below should take you to it :-)

amazon.co.uk/dp/0578135213/...

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to sue_b

Thanks I've added it to my wish list at Amazon. This seems like a good book indeed. Good luck with your diet endeavours too!

glasscaves profile image
glasscaves in reply to Jen0209

Hi please can you tell me the title and author of this book. On Amazon I searched AIP for hashimotos and it didn't give me anything. Thank you 😀

sue_b profile image
sue_b in reply to glasscaves

Hi. I posted a link to the book in the post above yours. below is also a link to an article by the author :-)

thyroidnation.com/managing-...

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to glasscaves

See comment above, Auto-Immune Paleo. Amazon have it.

mourneadventurer profile image
mourneadventurer

Currently working my way through The Hypothyroidism Revolution and Cookbook by Tom Brimeyer a sports nutritionist. Easy to read and follow.

Root Cause by Izabella Wentz is also excellent as suggested by Shaws. Both have recovered from Hashi and connect with members sites.

pet-lamb profile image
pet-lamb

Sorry I've never heard of anything other than the gluten free diet for celiac .it's supposed to help heal hashimotos and help you loose weight.I'm giving it a 3month trial from tomorrow.has anyone else heard of this or had good results please.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to pet-lamb

Why not re-post your question to get some fellow suffers of celiac disease tell you of their findings with a strict gluten free diet.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to pet-lamb

One thing I have discovered is that Genius bread which is a gluten-free bread is still mass manufactured and as such needs a certain shelf-life. I was dismayed to realise that it has sugar in it! I know bread needs sugar to rise but if you look at the engredients, it also has vegetable glycerol, caster sugar, stabiliser (?), hyroxypropyl methyl cellulose, salt, maize flour, rice starch. It begs the question, do we need to cut out bread completely?

honor1a profile image
honor1a

Hi Orpheline1,

Sorry I've no suggestion for a diet book for you, but I have a question, I hope you don't mind, I suffer with underactive thyroid, Fibromyalgia, pernicious anaemia amongst other things, someone on the forum suggested I might have Hashimoto's & not the three named above, but what test can be done to identify Hashimoto's? I asked my doctor who repeated my TFT, my medication was reduced, up until five years ago I was taking 200mcg levothyroxine, when the pernicious anaemia was diagnosed & treatment started the levothyroxine was reduced to 175mcg, two years ago TFT levothyroxine reduced to 150mcg & more recently three weeks ago reduced now to 125mcg TFT to be repeated in a few weeks, just to check new dose levothyroxine is right for now. I still struggle with the fatigue of hypothyroidism & pain of fibromyalgia, So if it turns out I have Hashimoto's I am hoping the fatigue & pain will go, your feedback on this will be very much & gratefully received. I do hope you get the right diet book for you take care xx

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to honor1a

I'm not an expert, but in my case the Hasmimotos was found though a blood test due to my doctor's concern about my anti-body level being under extreme attack. I was put on 100mg of levorthyroxine, reduced later to 75mg. Then the anti-bodies stopped attacking my own production of its thyroid. No advice was offered at the time about changes to my diet (it was about 7-8 years ago).

Now you see advice to eat/avoid foods to help, although online advice is still a bit of a minefield. Just a small example is how dairy is excluded, but some sites will tell you its ok to eat diary with the caveat that you should try an elimination diet first.

I wonder how much of this disease is not helped by the modern day diet, and GM foods we eat. The massive amount of people affected by gluten is a growing problem in today's world, we should perhaps ask ourselves what have the big food manufacturers been doing to our food?

One of the conflicting things I read yesterday was you can eat bread if it is wholegrain organic. Then other blogs say to only eat gluten free.

To avoid sugar is a drag when eating out as you cannot know what ready-made catering sauces have been used which will undoubtably have sugar and modifiers in them. So the simpler the order the better, grilled fish, grilled chicken for example.

As for the fatigue, I find that moderate exercise does help. It not only raises endorphine levels, but gets your mind off of being unwell when you are out in the fresh air.

Keep gathering useful help and tips, and keep sharing your experiences.

honor1a profile image
honor1a in reply to Orpheline1

Orpheline1,

Thank you so much for your prompt & informative reply, it's very much appreciated, I am currently on a diet & since April lost 17 lbs which I felt really motivated me byt last 5 weeks I've been on that see saw of gain two lose one stay the same so feeling a little down about that but, I am persevering with it, it's frustrating I've mainly always eaten healthily, but I've been told I was not eating enough to kick my metabolism into action, so I have been eating more of certain foods, which gave me my current weight loss, the diet/healthy eating plan I am following is Slimming world "exra easy" plan but that is without doing the "elimination foods" you suggest. Thank you ever so much again for your help, Take care & Hugs Honor xx

Carolcatfanatic profile image
Carolcatfanatic in reply to honor1a

Honor, I have Hashimoto's and I mirror your symptoms exactly ! I too have been on a diet, lost weight and still struggle hard with bread or gluten as I gain heaps of weight within days if i eat bread or anything with gluten. I too, am looking for a definitive diet for Hashi's. I don't have any dairy at all, no rice, pasta, cous cous and even millet porridge and buckwheat porridge seem to hinder weight loss.

I am fed up as i also have a fibro flare up driving me crazy !

honor1a profile image
honor1a in reply to Carolcatfanatic

Hi Carolcatfanatic,

I'm just trying to get a test/diagnosis for Hashimoto's I don't as far as I'm aware have Hashimoto's, i was hoping if i had & got treatment for Hashimoto's it would aleviate my fibromyalgia pain & thyroid exhaustion, but as you've said in your response you have Fibromyalgia as well as Hashimoto's so maybe I'm going down the wrong track, but i feel nothing ventured is nothing gained, I've suffered underactive thyroid for 21 years now & fibromyalgia for well diagnosed for 15 years but in hindsight feel I've suffered for 31 years, i unfortunately have not been able to work since 2002, but my lifestyle in the last 3 years has made some possitive impact on me & that is gentle exercise, i managed 3 aqua aerobic classes & 2 treadmill sessions a week, being in the water took the weight off the muscles & joints not all exercises i managed at first, i just took it each day as it came, the improvement was slow but progressive, working on diet now, hoping in time weight loss is going to to be the final "fix me" solution, well that's the aim 😃😃😃. i do hope you can find a solution to your suffering & in time feel better take care love & hugs xx

morebeans profile image
morebeans in reply to honor1a

Honor, I asked my endo where the line was between fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism and he said he didn't think there was one! It's certainly been said by others on here that they are one and the same. I was prescribed T3 along with T4 and that has made a huge difference to my pain, stiffness and mobility, so maybe you should consider that as well as diet. :)

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to honor1a

Good luck and let us know how you get on. :))

honor1a profile image
honor1a in reply to Orpheline1

Thank you, I will do x

teenarocks profile image
teenarocks in reply to honor1a

honor1a, a test for Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies will diagnose Hashimoto's. Also a change in medication may help you. For 20 years I suffered with similar symptoms on levothyroxine. Recently I found an endo who switched me to a combination of Levoxyl (name brand only) and generic Cytomel (T3). I am doing much better. I also take glucosamine-chondroitin for the body aches and pain and cut out gluten, soy and alcohol. Also I cut down on sugar and dairy. I wish you well.

honor1a profile image
honor1a in reply to teenarocks

Hi Teenarocks,

Thank you so very much for the things to test for Hashimoto's, it's much appreciated, re diet eliminating I've not done that, with exception to gluten free for a two week time scale, as my sister-in-law is a coeliac, so only when I visit them I have a gluten free diet lol, only difference I notice is that, I'm a little less bloated feeling, it does not have any impact on my aches & pains. Wishing you continued health improvement, thanks again for your helpful information it's very much appreciated, Take care & Hugs Honor xx

teenarocks profile image
teenarocks in reply to honor1a

Just to clarify, I cut out the gluten, soy, alcohol and caffeine for the Hashimoto's not the the aches and pains. They contribute to inflammation in the gut and a faulty immune system. Hashimoto's, as you may know, is an autoimmune disease. For the aches and pains I take glucosamine-chondroitin. Wishing you better health!

cach0rra profile image
cach0rra

I can also whole-heartedly recommend Root Cause by Izabella Wentz. Reading it lead me to research the GAPS diet and I bought the related book written by Dr Campbell-McBride (Gut and Psychology Syndrome). Don't be mislead by the bookcover; the GAPS diet is meant for all autoimmune diseases. The Gut and Psychology Sydrome book also includes some no-nonsense recipes and is a good introduction to the diet. Along with this book I also bought The Heal Your Gut Cookbook by Hilary Boynton and Mary G. Brackett. This is a really good resource to have if you decide to give GAPS a try. I'm still reading all three books and getting ready to have a go at it.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to cach0rra

Let us all know how you get on. We are all guinea pigs at the moment and wishing to find a less conflicting path towards optimum health.

I'm using 'The Immune System Recovery Plan', 2013, by Susan Blum. (It's very American, but seems quite sensible. It addresses all autoimmune diseases;. The author herself (a doctor) has Hashimoto's.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to onefootinthegrave

Is it too soon to say it is working? Keep us informed of your progress and good luck with it. :))

DawnWalker profile image
DawnWalker in reply to onefootinthegrave

I'd second that :0) have been using this to support my teen daughter's recovery from Hashimoto's and have found that it offers accessible, sensible dietary advice - and good recipes. Three months in and my daughter is starting to notice positive changes.

DawnWalker profile image
DawnWalker in reply to DawnWalker

sorry! by 'this' I mean the Immune System Recovery Plan :)

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1

Thank you to all who bothered to reply to my request. I now have some books to explore. It is a pernicious disease, not helped by the fact that it hides within symptomatic areas of many other diseases. In my case, I thought I was suffering from depression. Depression and altered states of mood are only one of the symptoms. The list is long as you will all know. One of the latest flags points one to Fluoride. This has been in drinking water for decades, not to mention every toothpaste we have innocently used. Watch this space, as they say.

Good luck everyone, and keep shedding some light for us all on how to regain more help and better health.

I'd been wondering about toothpaste - particularly since the new kinds recommend being left on the teeth as long as possible, so this is very interesting! Thank you!

gemmacrutchfield profile image
gemmacrutchfield

This is a really timely post as I am currently putting together a cookery book that specifically deals with auto immune disease. My understanding is that toxins contribute to this disease and food can then trigger inflammation and flare ups.

My book aims to help you look at your own triggers, as they can vary for different people. But essentially it really eliminates, gluten, meat, fish, soy, eggs and dairy and then looks at other triggers such as nightshades, grains, seeds, nuts and reintroduces them over a six week period. This would be a structured day by day approach, telling you the menu plan and recipies on a daily basis.

My aim is to provide a symptoms chart so you can see which symptoms are reduced over this time. In addition I will offer supplemental advice and techniques that will help with the detoxification side of things. Do message me privately if you would be interested in trying it out. I would love the feedback from your community.

Best wishes

Gemma

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to gemmacrutchfield

Can't wait Gemma!

In my limited, because I am not a doctor, experience I cannot help but wonder what the big food manufacturers have been doing to our food. The auto-immune problems are growing exponentially. We all know that the McDonalds-style diet is a drug with its perfect blend of sugar, fat, salt and carbohyrates. But it does not end there. Sugar is added to everything if shop bought. Convenience foods are to blame for a lot of today's illnesses.

It is hard but the only way to cut out unwanted sugars is to make your own food, only that way are you sure of what goes in it.

Just one example is the tasteless fruit we get in supermarkets; most of which is GM and travels hundreds of kilometers to get to us.

The answer is for all of us to experiment and share on this site and try to become better informed, and well!

gemmacrutchfield profile image
gemmacrutchfield in reply to Orpheline1

Hi Orpheline,

It is so great that you are making the connection between food and health. I think that it is important, not just due to the triggers that might cause inflammation, but also because food can be used to detoxify the body, another huge area to consider when looking at auto immune diseases. You are quite right of course, food can also carry its own toxins and can contribute little to our heath, that is why education and sharing is so important.

Best wishes

Gemma

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to gemmacrutchfield

Sharing our experiences is fundamental, then self-exploration. Buy that, we can cherry pick which particular pieces of the puzzle work for us.

I see you have put nuts and seeds int he no-no arena. I personally do not have a problem with those, with the exception of peanuts. I do think as individuals we will have our own individual response to your exclusion list. Dairy for instance: Not all dairy is bad for me. I can tolerate Goat's milk (due perhaps to the fact that goats are not intensely farmed (yet) with all of the problems associated with intensive farmed animals.

Keep up the good work, this thread could be a useful appendix to your book!

:))

gemmacrutchfield profile image
gemmacrutchfield in reply to Orpheline1

Hi Orpheline,

You are quite right. It is a voyage of self discovery.

Nuts and seeds can be problematic for some. My intent is to take out the biggest challenges for people and then put them back in one by one, week by week to see what those triggers are. They will be different for everyone. I spoke to someone today who struggles with peppers and legumes.

It will be an elimination diet, but also one that will be very unchallenging for the body and also will gently detoxify it.

I am certainly looking for feedback for the book so I will keep you posted!

Best wishes

Gemma x

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to gemmacrutchfield

I for one will be a happy guinea pig! Good luck and let us know when it's ready for release. :))

gemmacrutchfield profile image
gemmacrutchfield in reply to Orpheline1

Hi Orpheline,

As I mentioned, I am still in the middle of the cookbook. However I can probably get you started in a few weeks time. Hold fire and I will contact you directly when I am in a position to send you things through.

Best wishes

Gemma

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to gemmacrutchfield

Thanks, I'm not in a hurry, like all of us am gathering info and trying different things. Keep in touch. :))

Helenback profile image
Helenback

If you are on Facebook join this page, it is totally for the AIP diet and has over 41k members so there is plenty of advice, and very interesting articles!

facebook.com/groups/hashimo...

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to Helenback

Thanks I've posted a request to join. :))

ThyroidThora profile image
ThyroidThora

Hi,

You could try Mary Shomon's Thyroid Diet cookbook.

faith63 profile image
faith63

Hashimotos is different for each of us, so one food that bothers me, might be ok for the next person. Some with hashi's don't digest nuts and seeds well, some even have sensitivities to almonds, coconut etc..I would suggest food sensitivity testing and stopping gluten and dairy for a week or 2 and then reintroducing. With sensitivities, it is impossible to know what bothers you, because the symptoms can happen up to 3 days after ingesting the food or beverage. My daughter is sensitive to carrots! My son, sunflower seed and cashews.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to faith63

Do you buy carrots from supermarkets because farmer's markets maybe pesticide free? Just a thought.

Jen0209 profile image
Jen0209

So sorry only just jumping in on this thread as have been to the dentist (holistic dentist over 2 hrs drive away from me) AIP is autoimmune paleo and it is written by Dr Sarah Ballantyne phd. Look up paleo mom in Google there is loads and loads of info on it

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to Jen0209

Thanks, a lot of readers are recommending that book which I intend to try. Good for you finding a dentist who does not use fluoride. New evidence suggests that is may be linked to Alzheimers in later life. Its not that long ago we were all told to remove our mercury fillings, remember?

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1

I've changed to Euthymol recently too. How much of our "brain fog" is due to aluminium poisoning? I would like to see some serious research done, wouldn't you?

Jen0209 profile image
Jen0209

I have had my mercury fillings out recently and I think we would all benefit from Mercury removal BUT by a dentist that practices Mercury safe procedures. I'm about to test my MTHFR pathways as well as I don't detox well. The book and cookbook is fabulous I did AIP for around 300 days before I started addining back in. Some of the reactions were shocking if I can help you in anyway please feel free to PM me and I will give you my private email. I also did the living food centers course in Ludlow and felt amazing after that. I hope you get along well you can put hashimotos in reversal it is possible x

HocusPocus profile image
HocusPocus

After 18 years of Hashimoto's I have tried all sorts of diets until I found one that worked for me. I think it is just a case of trial and error until you find the best one for you. I've found that cutting out wheat and milk products plus following a GI type diet has worked wonders. I lost a stone and a quarter over a year; returning to my pre Hasimoto Disease weight. It has stayed off too. I kick started it by following the Fat Flush Plan which involves taking supplements to support liver function; its expensive but I loved the recipes in the book and never felt hungry during the first two weeks when calories are restricted.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1 in reply to HocusPocus

Is GI Glucose Intolerant? Assuming it is what other nuggets of advice does this book give to help Hasmimotos? Thanks in advance for further info.

HocusPocus profile image
HocusPocus in reply to Orpheline1

Yes GI is glucose intolerant. I feel really well on a GI diet; no exhaustion, depression, swelling, dry skin, etc. I've not been on it for several months and feel awful again now. One of the most impressive effects was that it seemed to help me absorb iron in my stomach again - I have three monthly blood checks and for the first time my feretin loss slowed down and one test the levels even went up ! Its quite hard keeping to the diet, especially when out and about, or not able to cook everything from scratch because of the time factor. I'm going to try again but because I feel rubbish its hard to stick to at the moment.

Jen0209 profile image
Jen0209

I never felt hungry on AIP either. Carbohydrates make you hungry processed food makes you crave rubbish. If you are eating a very healthy clean diet you won't crave binge or pick throughout the day. AIP helped me realize what I could and couldn't tolerate and I started it because I was convinced I had hashimotos. I don't but it worked wonders on me and identifying intolerances. So bizarre were some. I can eat raw goat cheese but cheddar no way!!! Organic chicken fine normal chicken brought on horrendous joint pain again.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1

It would be a lovely way to deal with us wouldn't it, have us all gaga in homes not knowing what day it is. Hahaha :)). Seriously though, I am glad you found a good homeopath, it's wonderful when some of us find a toolkit to deal with this shockingly complex disease.

Orpheline1 profile image
Orpheline1

I too seem to be able to tolerate Goat's milk in moderation, which I alternate with Almond milk (just in case, I'm such a coward!).

I feel the QUALITY of food is in question here as far as the modern day diet is concerned. Keep it organic, keep it simple and avoid anything processed, bottled or jarred with extreme caution.

It's a shame I cannot eat tofu as a protein alternative, I am just not convinced it isn't GM play-dough. What do others think?

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