Researching Thyroid Promoting Nutrition/Food Intolerance and Weight Gain

Hi Friends

How do you feel generally about treating your Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism through change of diet - research into thyroid promoting foodstuffs, rather than go down the medical route? If you have done this how are your symptoms now? I would love to hear from you. I went vegetarian for 15 years when we first had children and then started eating meat again. I learned a lot from that time about being careful not to be so stressed/strict about cutting foods from the diet and...I have learned NOT to drink soya milk - which apparently attacks the thyroid. Fermented soya products like tempeh are useful.

Have you have gone down the medical route are you also interested in researching health giving nutrition?

Last night I listened to a Masterclass from Mind Valley '7 Shifts In Your Model of Eating to Lose Weight' by J J Virgin. I found her quite inspirational and wanted to share what I gleaned from this - if you are interested:

She listed reasons for our weight gain as being either:

Genetic, hormonal, immune response, gluten, pain meds, gut being more permeable when stressed.

She talked about 7 common foods which are 'holding us back in our weight loss:

Food Intolerances and Weight Gain

1. Corn - one of the most genetically modified crops which turns to sugar quickly in the body

2. Peanuts (legume family) and are the highest carriers of mould

3. Soy (affects endocrine function and lowers thyroid function)

4. Eggs (chickens can be fed on corn or soy)

5. Dairy - she said that this can have an 'opiate' like affect on the brain (acne, gas, bloating)

6. Sugar and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (with aspartame, we can lose the ability to self-regulate) She gave an example that sugar is made up of glucose and fructose (Agave is almost completely fructose) Fructose goes straight through to the liver and tells the body to make fat.

7. Gluten - alters bacteria in gut, can create gut permeability

When you look at the above it's enough to send you into stress mode as a lot of them are common foods which we love and......some we crave...such as cheese!!

J J VIRGIN MENTIONED THAT IF WE CRAVE A CERTAIN FOOD/S IN THIS PERIOD OF 21 DAYS WE CAN BE PRETTY SURE THAT WE ARE ALLERGIC TO IT/THEM.

She also gave alternatives to try:

1. Kale chips instead of corn (health food shop?). I found a recipe allrecipes.com/recipe/17695...

2. Soy - best to have Tempeh instead which has undergone a different process. Alternative milks coconut milk, almond milk

3. Almonds and acadamia nuts instead of peanuts

4. Eggs - I didn't have any notes for this. Don't just cut out yolk as the white of egg creates problems.

5. Dairy - she recommended coconut cream in coffee and cashew cream cheese (guess you make your own). I am adding this link which might be useful godairyfree.org/dairy-subst...

6. Sugar nutrition-and-you.com/dates... I don't have notes. I take date nectar pls research into dates . Cinnamon is also a natural sweetner. Vanilla also increases serotonin.

7. Gluten I can't remember what was said so I am adding some research on Gluten free products by Nutricentre nutricentre.com/health-advi...

(Instead of mashed white pototatoes how about mashed cauliflower with coconut milk?)

The suggestion was to come off ALL OF THE ABOVE for 21 days and then start to re-introduce one at a time ie one per week. For example, eat cheese once a day for 4 days to see what affects it has on you. If all is ok then choose grass fed, raw fermented dairy and re-introduce.

She suggested that we keep out gluten up to 90% of the time, Corn and Peanuts 90 - 95% and don't add sugar.

Taking responsibility for our own health and nutrition, we need to be careful too and research the best alternatives to have so that we are still having a balanced diet. Also, if we are on meds then best to check out any future dietary changes with a professional.

Recommended eating times - to eat within 1 - 2 hours of waking up, eat every 4 - 6 hours and to stop eating 3 hours before going to bed so you may have a 12 - 14 hour fast.

Maintenance of this regime - look at your goals, surround yourself with friends who are fitter, have a daily shake, weigh daily. Make new concrete goals ie look at your sleep

JJ's suggested shake is:

half an advocado

3/4 cup of non dairy milk (coconut milk, almond milk or cashew milk unsweetened)

2 scoops pea or beef based protein powder

1/2 cup frozen fruit (organic berries recommended)

2 cups dark leafy greens (organic spinach or kale - or other greens). Personally not sure about using spinach every day.

Ice

This shake can be for a breakfast, lunch or dinner.

At the end of the class they gave details of a new course J J Virgin will give. She is also the author of 4 best sellers. I loved her presentation.

Would love to hear your views, experiences of weight loss/thyroid promoting foods.

Warm Greetings

Breizh

[Naomi8]

Hi again Breizh-have you been given a diagnosis of either Hashimoto's or non-immune hypothyroid disease by a medical doctor?Are you presently taking any thyroid replacement medication.Have you recently had thyroid blood tests,including a thyroid anti-bodies test?

If so,post your latest blood test results on here & tell us if you are currently taking meds.Also,what symptoms are you experiencing?

This site is a great resource for sharing all the latest info on diet,gut issues,supplementation etc for thyroid disease sufferers.

My own personal view is appropriate thyroid replacement comes first.

I have a friend who's TSH is rising.She is always cold,in bed about half the week,she has fibromyalgia,gut issues & many many other thyroid symptoms,including depression.

She also has a mind-set that refuses to accept that she might get well with a thyroid replacement therapy.She has spent money she cannot afford(savings)on functional medical doctors,homeopathy,acupuncture,infra-red saunas,having her amalgams removed,etc.Good complimentary strategies but not in place of thyroid replacement,perhaps?

What do others think?

Has anyone bought Isabella Wentz's book?She doesn't state on her website if she actually takes any thyroid replacement medication

[Hidden in reply to Naomi8]

Hello Naomi, I have been doing my own research given two major life changing incidents in the past 8 years and the jigsaw is fitting together with other symptoms to suggest that I have issues with my thyroid. I have had thyroid blood tests a number of years ago and nothing showed up.

Whether people are on meds or not, eating good thyroid promoting foods/a healthy diet can only help.

My understanding is that Dr Izabella Wentz is taking thyroid medication - I believe she is a strong advocate of taking medication.

I am assuming that this site welcomes all types of people who wish to learn about hypo/hyper thyroidism, Hashimoto's etc from different angles - my current angle is that I am very interested in promoting my health through learning more about nutrition and thyroid promoting foods.

Best wishes

Breizh

[Naomi8 in reply to Hidden]

It sounds to me like its time for another complete set of thyroid blood tests.If you are having symptoms & its years since you last had tests(and I assume,as you have come onto this forum you have symptoms that are making you feel unwell)this would be a good starting point.

I hope you have gleaned from this forum that when docs say"your thyroid blood tests are normal","there is nothing wrong with your thyroid"&"your blood tests are in range"it is better to ask for the results to be printed out & to post them on here.We are all here to get as well as we can & stay well,& this forum can help us do that.

On this forum I have learnt how much vitD3,folate,iron with vit C,B12 & magnesium I need,why I needed to go gluten-free,why I needed to give up soy,why I need to avoid iodine,why the adrenals are important & how to heal them etc etc.There is a vast range of opinions,experiences & suggestions to be had from fellow-travellers & those who are ahead on the path to better health.

[Hidden in reply to Naomi8]

Thank you for your opinion Naomi. If I put myself in your shoes you really care about people and wish them the best. This is however my journey and, until my symptoms get to the stage where I need to seek any further medical advice, I am continuing to research and find my own way to better health. Whatever stage we are on the path to good health, I feel we all have much to learn from each other

Best wishes

Breizh

[Naomi8 in reply to Hidden]

Good luck & best wishes on your healing journey

[Hidden in reply to Naomi8]

Thank you Naomi and to you too.

Breizh

[Angel_of_the_North]

Diet might work for the auto-immune part of hypo, but even a great diet doesn't help if there's no (or not much) thyroid left. And there's no way I'm going back to eating meat and fish - going pretty much vegan did so much for everything except my thyroid (DCIS, asthma, depression) that I'm not taking any chances of going back to where I was.

Hypo is not something you want to experiment with, as untreated hypo can kill you.

Having said that, for most people, a diet high in veg and berries, with low allergens, leaving plenty of time between meals is going to improve general health.

[Hidden]

Thank you for your post angel of the north

Breizh

[elwins]

You also have to look into how the tablets are made, as they sometimes use maize syrup as a bulking agent in them. I have been taking thyroid tablets for 60 odd years but have found out recently that I have colitis which means watching what foods I eat. Maize being one of them. If I take my tablets which contain maize syrup then I cannot take any other tablets which contain maize syrup as it upsets me. It puts me over the limit.

[Hidden]

Thank you for sharing - there is so much we have to look out for.

Breizh