Hi All,
I was just wondering if someone could explain the diet recommendations and when they apply. I'm seeing things about going Gluten Free; and trying to avoid Goitrogens - but I'm not sure whether that's just for certain types of Hypothyroidism.
Also seeing mixed lists about which foods are Goitrogens or conversely are considered beneficial for your health!
Thanks
The advice regarding gluten free is specifically for those with Hashimotos as it can help reduce antibodies. Soya is one to avoid if you have any thyroid issue but really, other than that (unless you are having problems 'getting well, in which case your diet may be worth an overhaul), then personally I would just eat a balanced diet..everything in moderation!! x
Thanks for that. Probably why I'm picking up mixed messages. I'm currently low on symptoms and a healthy weight so just trying to make sure I eat to optimise my health without gaining weight!
There are some people on here who very strong views on diet, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free etc..and maybe for some people it is necessary, but for me, unless I really need to I would just stick to a healthy balanced diet. I love food so would be miserable if I had to give up all that. I have gone gluten free (reluctantly) due to raised antibodies but have no intention of giving up any other food groups unless I absolutely have to. If your T3 level is good then keeping a healthy weight should be easier anyway, and of course with optimal thyroid levels comes more energy so exercise is easier too.
Thank you NatChap! Horses for courses entirely.
I do get frustrated by those posts which insist 'you must be entirely gf, *no cheating*' etc. It's good to know that it's an option, and it helps those whom it helps. It's worth a try, but it isn't a panacea, and you have to be well enough to give it a proper go. I always say try it if you like, when you're ready.
I didn't find it particularly difficult to be gf, but after a year it didn't appear to improve my health at all. My ABs are always high.
I am yet to get tested to see if it's helping, going to do that at the end of the month. Problem is, although I never had an issue with gluten and only tried gf after getting a hashis diagnosis, I couldn't eat it if I wanted to now. Once you've abstained for so long when you do try it again it does cause problems. I found this out a little while ago, had a strop as I didn't feel it was making any difference and I was depriving myself for no good reason so I baked some scones (I love scones) but ended up in pain and discomfort for a whole week after 
Mmmm - it's scones I miss too? Big fat fluffy fruit scones. You can get GF ones but they're not the same.
There's a good book out called NOSH Gluten Free Baking, that has scone recipes, you could try making your own. I've made lots of things from the book but not the scones and no one I've given the cakes to ever guesses they are GF - in fact the one person I told couldn't believe it.
Thanks I'll keep a look out for that 
NatChap I was able to go back to a 'normal' diet (containing gluten) without any issues. It's a different matter entirely if you have discomfort when you eat it.
I never had any discomfort after eating it prior to cutting it out though?
Sorry puncturedbicycle, I'm one of the ' no cheating' brigade, in fact I'm probably the founder member 😉 I just can't see the point of not sticking to it.
Last November after picking up yet another autoimmune condition I decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a try going GF for six months and if it didn't work then it was back to gluten for me, but it did work - I was amazed and really pleased and felt that at last I was actually doing something positive to fight back and beat the antibodies.
If you try and find it doesn't make any difference to your antibodies then give up but if you don't do it properly - odd days with non GF food isn't doing it properly - then you aren't really giving it a fair trial.
Fruitandnutcase I know what you mean about doing it properly and I too don't know why you'd bother to go to all the trouble without the intention of cutting it out entirely to give it a good go.
To tell people they 'must' be gf, 'no cheating' etc (and I don't know that I've seen you say that, Idk who it is to be honest I just know I've seen it a lot) is to imply 1) that the diet will benefit everyone w autoimmune issues and 2) that unless you stick to it 100% it won't benefit you. I know #1 isn't true and I don't know that #2 is true. I'm not arguing my own view, I genuinely just don't have the evidence. I look at it as a personal experiment, like when I cut out dairy to see if it would help w hay fever (temporarily very successful btw).
From a personal perspective I just hate the infantilising concept of 'cheating' when it comes to food. I feel like adults make choices for their own reasons and that's their prerogative. It's entirely my own idiosyncrasy; as regards food I find the concept of 'cheating' (and 'treating yourself') irritating. So that's on me.
I know what you mean. I was 'told' after my hashis diagnosis that I 'must' cut out gluten, dairy and sugar. I was quite upset because some replies I had were so full on. I do think we need to be careful and make sure we offer advice (this is what helped me....) rather than telling people what they should do, especially when people are already feeling quite down. Most on here are really good at that but there are a few that could maybe rein it in a little.. different things work for different people x
Natchap and Puncturedbicycle, I totally agree with you both, there is really no 'must' about it. It is all just suggestions about what has helped us personally and if it is something you feel your U could try then go for it. I do think though that with GF you can't really dip in and out, you've got to do your best t stick with it.
I think GF is just something that some people have tried and found to work for them.
For me it was just something worth giving a try to see what happened. I figured it wouldn't do any harm. I certainly wasn't sure if it would make any difference but it was easy for me because I cook for a group where one lady is on a coeliac diet and I was also working with a guy who is coeliac so I saw his food ingredient handbook and we used to go out as a group so I was there with him when we ate out which meant I knew how he went about it and that all helped.
When I started I was only going to try it for six months to see if it did make any difference - and lo and behold it did.
I do think it is worth trying though and an added bonus for me was that giving up junk food, fizzy drinks and endless bars of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut (fruit and nut counted as two of my five a day at that time!) was that I was able to stop taking Omeprazole and I no longer have heartburn.
I doubt if I would have continued if I hadn't seen a result though and I know what you mean about 'cheating'. Think that goes back to diet groups like WeightWatchers I think if you want something then go ahead and eat it but be aware of what you are eating.
Glad the dairy has helped with the hay fever. My husband noticed a huge difference in his asthma and eczema when he cut out dairy, he still gets hay fever if things are really bad but nothing like he used to be.
I'm afraid chocolate will always be one of my 5 a day..wine is another 
We need some pleasures in life 
xx One good thing about going gf is that I think it has helped with weight loss.
Oh man, it did none of these things for me! And I did it for a year! I deserve a medal. (Jk.)
The weight loss I think is linked indirectly, purely because I can't eat sandwiches etc..so am having things like rice or crackers which contain less calories. Also cutting out pasta in favour of rice noodles for example.
Yes, I understand. I didn't really eat much of that kind of thing anyway, so it didn't make much difference to me weight-wise.
I just *adored* bread - nice thick good quality wholemeal or granary loaves - with butter and a scraping of raspberry conserve. Mmmm, I really have given up a lot. I could eat GF bread but it spikes my blood sugar and most of it is horrible so now I don't bother - I can't cope with the disappointment - Schar is good but I've got used to not eating grain based carbs now.
I have strong views on diet, indeed.
First, If you think sugar is not extremely important is because you didn't read the John's Yudkin book "Pure, White and Deadly" and you don't know how sugar increases the inmune response and worsen the disease.
Secondly, the straight forward relationship between either grains or legumes with autoinmunity, have you ever heard about that?
Finally, could you avoid the term use "balance diet" because is not rather specific.
Thank you for your valuable opinion.
Ismael
Hello Madam,
As fas as I can know, a gluten free diet is probably all right but not far enough.
Have you ever tried a grains and quinoa free diet? My wife has Hashimoto Thyroiditis; so, we decided to get rid of all cereals and quinoa. The results were amazing, she is not taking levotiroxina anymore. When we stopped the cereals her asthma began to improve and also her thyroid too.
Sometimes, she got candida infection, we noticed that legumes and milk intake were related with fungus infection.
I hope it helps!!
I am talking always in our experience.
Ismael.
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