Keto for people living with thyroid issues, yay or nay? Personal experiences only, please.
Keto?: Keto for people living with thyroid issues... - Thyroid UK
Keto?
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Quilliam
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I'm eating much lower carb than I was and eating much more fat, but I haven't gone as far as eating keto. I haven't been counting anything at all in terms of grams of carbs, protein and fat, nor have I been counting calories. I think I'm eating substantially more calories than I was.
I've lost about 10 pounds, but it has taken months to do so, and I have relapsed several times into eating lots of carbs. I think my good days are better than they used to be, but I haven't actually increased the number of good days I actually have. I do have other health issues besides hypothyroidism.
I should add that I wish I hadn't caved in and gone back to eating carbs a few times. I think that when I get my diet right I do feel better, and after a few days or weeks of not eating lots of carbs going back to them is not a good feeling and gives me cracking headaches.
I do low carbs now. Is keto good for adrenal?
Hi Quilliam, i have been trying the Keto diet and have felt much better on it and I also have Adrenal Exhaustion, and Hypothyroid, as well as being Cealiac and having fibro. I have relapsed several times as its difficult enough eating Gluten free and having so many food sensitivities. I don't have a weight prob so i did it initially to get relief from the Fibro pain and chronic Exhaustion. I lost some belly fat but other than that nothing much else. I do think it works if you are able to eat the foods that they recommend but I can't do it completely so have knocked out most Night shades and had some real relief with that and less carbs. I am also off my thyroid medication and feel great off it as this is giving my Adrenals a rest, ( I do not recommend this unless under your Dr while doing it ) and even though my T4 came back a little low my T3 was excellent, however, my TSH was way to high. I am following a Dr in America whom recommends this for Adrenal Exhaustion so you may want to look him up. Do not go off your thyroid meds though unless you are working with your Dr like me. This Keto diet is definitely recommended by me , but cannot understand why I feel better off thyroid meds and go back down when on them ?? interesting. I am due to have my Thyroid test this week to see if infact this diet is helping my Thyroid recover naturally. All the best with what you are doing and i am only to happy to help if you need some advice as i have been dabbling in a recovery program with diet only xx
I felt much better when I was eating keto, but I caved. Actually, today is the first day back to it - to see if I can get my bowels a bit better. I have more energy and mental clarity when I am keto.
Quilliam in reply to
Do you have any weird hormonal stuff happening usually?
I tried the Cambridge diet which is a very low calorie diet that puts you in ketosis but you just eat their products and good clean protein and vegetables. I think the products are made so you have low carbs but is a good source of protein and fat needed for ketosis. I did it 6 weeks and whilst in ketosis I felt great, lost weight and had fewer cravings. Unfortunately it did affect my thyroid and hormones quite bad in the end and I had to stop. It then took months to stabilise them again. I don’t know if that was the ketosis, the rapid weight loss or restrictive calories that did it. Now I’m just eating really good nutritious food and have cut down on carbs more because I’m trying to reduce gluten and diary in my diet. I feel much better now but I do take a lot of supplements too to support the thyroid as I was suffering from leaky gut syndrome last year and was really depleted with minerals and iron. It’s quite common for people with autoimmune diseases to get this. I’ve had hashimoto’s 15 years and have tried lots of diets to lose weight in the past but I’ve found just eating healthy and exercising daily has helped me the most and kept my thyroid stable. It’s took a long time though to manage and lots of my own research. Like you I’ve found little research on how ketosis affects thyroid so I’m keen to hear other people’s experiences too.
I read somewhere that hypos don’t process carbs particularly well and I have to agree. I too have reverted to low carb yesterday already feeling less bloated
Hello, can you please tell me what do you mean by carbs? Breads, pastas etc or vegies too?
in reply to Jodypody
I read somewhere that we tend to have insulin resistance, so that would bear out what you read about us not processing carbs well.
Yes I have been Keto and using intermittent fasting since February on the advice of my doctor. I have Hashimoto’s (since 2010) and this is the most stable I’ve been. I ditched grains and dairy a few years ago and felt better but couldn’t loose any weight. I’ve lost 9kgs since February, I never feel hungry. Reduced meat intake to almost nothing but eat wild caught fish a few nights per week. Now I’m practically vegetarian. I use a high quality coconut and olive oil and one of the best things I’ve done is have celery juice on an empty stomach every day. It’s resolved the leaky gut issue.
I don't know if I am Hypo-T; but I think at age 75, I can just use my reason and own food experiences to make some good decisions. I have long tried to be "gluten free". Most of the time I think it works, and I also take OTC and some on-line products (like IBSolution) just to keep my bowel emptying better. (Oh, fiber caps too!) But do try to do clean protein and keep some fat content and as many vegetables as I can push myself to eat. Right now I'm pushing fruits, cause my husband is buying lots; and vegetables take more preparation than I'm willing to do all the time. Oh, well! But feeling better overall.
I did keto iv lost 4.5 stone in 2 years. Last 6 months not as strict I am low carb but do fall off usually when anxious like yesterday I ate a whole big bar of fruit and nut! Day to day I keep carbs low luckily I like eggs cheese fish broccoli cauliflower. Doing keto I think less about food and rarely hungry. Only 1.5 stone to to pre thyroid weight. Xx
I found it the best way to lose weight, and it has also been responsible for eliminating my IBS symptoms, so it definitely suits me. I can't say it has made a huge amount of difference to how I feel though. I don't really feel any better, but no worse either, so it's worth it for me for the weight loss and digestive benefits.
I tried to do low carb when I was hypo but undiagnosed and it made me feel absolutely horrendous. I understand that low cal and low carb can reduce T3. There is evidence to suggest that different diets work for different people so your experience may be different but I would proceed with caution and only if optimally medicated personally.
I went keto to start. Lost 15 kilo and dropped 3 sizes. That was about 3 yrs ago. Still eating more fat than I used to and lowish carb and maintaining my size. Still being told it not healthy by the doctors and still not listening. I have raised cholesterol but probably had that before as it was never tested. Overall I feel much better on this way of life
I have been doing LCHF and have been in continuous Ketosis for 3-4 months now. In the this time my weight has dropped by 8:5kg and I have been able to stop all of my diabetic medication also the wretched omeperazole. My inflammation is definitely getting better my joints are less painful my finger joints and knees were constantly hurting. From a thyroid perspective I’m not sure if it has made any difference, but i take T3 only so my hashimotos has always been the least of my illness worries really. My mental clarity has improved my memory is better. I can honestly say I have not felt this well in years, a lot of years. Also I have been SI B12 twice a week for a while now and suddenly realised yesterday I hadn’t injected for a week and a half. I’m not sure if that was just a glitch, but normally returning symptoms remind me I need an injection if I forget. I have to add that both my husband and daughter went low carb this week having seen the massive improvements in my health.
I have found short term Keto has been good but not long term.
I’ve always been low carb before I got sick and it has helped control my weight. I also find I have more energy on low carb (incl grain and gluten free) than when on Keto. I read somewhere too that we need some glucose for thyroid function.
I maintain a good healthy weight and have been the slimmest in years. I think diet along with the correct thyroid meds and supplements all go hand in hand in feeling better.
The AIP is good I just found it more difficult to stick to. So I focus on a clean healthy low carb diet with no grains or gluten or processed foods and watch my sugar intake.
Hi Quilliam - I've been following a relaxed LCHF regime for two years - not keto of 20 grams daily carbs but only rarely exceeding 60 grams. I have ditched all white flour, whole wheat, processed anything, baked goods etc but I wasn't eating much of that before I began LCHF so, frustratingly, there has been no weight loss.
But I stick to it because I feel fanastic, never mind the stubborn post-menopausal back fat. I'm 60.
I have had Hashi's since 2010 and beat rheumatoid arthritis into submission by eliminating all gluten, opting only for real food, and refusing to keep taking all the toxic drugs the rheumy specialists had me on for two years. I had to heal my immune system and cutting all carbs and sugar works for me.
I also intermittent fast - usually 16-18 hours fast. It is easy because I am never hungry until 3pm or 4pm. And if I go out with friends, I can easily wait and find great things to eat on pretty mucb any menu.
Brain fog and joint pain are gone. I am much sharper on this and it has also reigned in my impatient side - I am calmer than ever, much cooler head.
I'm a broadcaster and recently started a podcast called The Big Middle about ageism and health matters and more. For anyone doing or thinking of going LCHF, have a listen to two episodes with the fabulous Prof Tim Noakes - one of the biggest voices in the LCHF community. Head to itunes or Apple Podcasts or any other of the pod apps for a listen. I shared plenty about my personal experience with Hashi's and hormonal storms and he had some interesting things to say.
I will never go back to eating carbs but am moderating fat intake and, after a lifetime of calorie restriction, hope the dividend of better bio-markers and incredible mental clarity will eventually grow to include shifting a bit of weight. I put on about two stone almost overnight when menopause hit and it refuses to budge.
But I feel fabulous on it and recommend it after much research into the science of it. My GP is thoroughly confused about its benefits so I do my own thing, follow dietdoctor.com and the rest of the LCHF / keto tribe.
Hi
I find the keto diet essential to me.
I definately eat all my calories, I’d never go low carb as that is daft. It takes 2 days to get your body into ketosis and having cheated once with a paleo bar with some dried fruit in it I will never do it again. I had stomach aches for days.
I am coeliac and my Hashimotos antibodies are under control now thanks to the change in eating. It’s not a diet as such rather a health choice.
I had two stool analysis done. One several years ago which showed I did not have any stomach acid and no probiotics. Plenty of bacteria though. That took a few months so sort out.
The second time I increased my fruit intake and ended up with Candida.
So I am very careful only to have a few berries.
In answer to a previous comment No your body does not need sugar/ glucose to survive.
Www.drmyhill.co.uk and in search bar key diet has some excellent tips. If you search under orchestra it has the best article I have read on achieving good health.
Diet
Absorption
Vitamins
Then thyroid and adrenals meds.
It’s tough getting better but you are what you eat. ( I eat circa 20 veg a day. )Luckily my husband cut out gluten too. We both eat high fat foods like coconuts/ oil, advacado, medium amount of good quality clean meat and as many organic veg as I want.
I still take vitamins prescribed by my specialist and after 10 years of no t3 swapped to ndt which has been a good move. I also had to address severe adrenal issues but now feel I am starting to improve.
You can get 100% pure cocoa chocolate for an odd treat.
Dr Mercola does intermittent fasting successfully but I’d only do that once your health is stable.
Hope you find something that works for you.
This is amazing! Thank you all.
Most people I've heard from seem to do really well on it, but others don't. I think it's definitely worth a try
My observations on the forum have been that hypo people get on either very well or very badly with low carb.
I'm one who struggles with it, and a lot of the low blood sugar episodes of nausea, migraines, inability to eat, etc, went away when I increased my carbs a bit. The only way you'll know which of the two groups you fit into is to try it.
Hi Quilliam, yes, ketones actually feed the brain and the brain does everything else. We just had a series about the brain and they stated that about ketones. They also suggested using MCT oil which comes from coconuts but is more easily absorbed than coconut oil. This is used in Alzheimers treatment because of its effectiveness. Blood sugar is a big problem and "Ketosis occurs when people eat a low- or no-carb diet and molecules called ketones build up in their bloodstream. Low carbohydrate levels cause blood sugar levels to drop and the body begins breaking down fat to use as energy. ... However, many experts say ketosis itself is not necessarily harmful."
I do it for certain periods of time.
I read on a diabetes website/forum that lots of people mix up ketosis and ketoacidosis, including the medical profession. Ketoacidosis is dangerous, ketosis is not.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketoa...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabe...
It isn't a subject I'm familiar with, although I keep on telling myself I need to learn.
You know I did wonder about what seemed to be some sort of paradox and that is it!
The series Awaken Your Brain was fantastic and the fact your brain loves ketones has really activated me. One female doctor had a husband with beginning Alzheimers but anything that is affecting cognition is shrinking the hippocampus. She gave him many doses of MCT and DHA and brought him back. I've had mct oil since Dr. Mercola had an article about it but only took a teaspoon in the morning. Now I'm going to try taking it three times a day. Thanks for letting me know about the ketoacidosis. Your brain is obviously working
Your brain is obviously working
Oh, how I wish that were true. My memory works on the basis of "out of sight, out of mind". I'll look into the subject of MCT oil. I use a spoon of coconut oil in my morning coffee, but that's as far as I've got.
I know, aging is a b----h. The hippocampus is your memory center. I've posted some notes from that series which I think anyone with autoimmune conditions should watch because inflammation seems to be the instigator. And it is due to certain bacteria in the gut that starts the inflammation.
Just to add the main difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis is that ketoacidosis bloody hurts! Imagine the worst flu you have ever had, add in the worst stomach bug and migraine like pain and times it by about 50.
I had a registered dietician tell me that I would die from diabetic ketoacidosis if I continued only eating less than 80g of carbohydrate a day.
When I politely informed her of the difference between ketoacidosis and ketosis she looked completely perplexed - complete tumbleweed. Terrifying!
So many diabetics both type 1 and 2s really don't know the difference and seemly neither do their HCPs.
That's why it often makes me laugh (or cry!) when I read on here that the Endo is "probably a diabetes specialist" I don't think that diabetics have it any better than thyroid patients!
I read something quite recently that seems to be relevant to both thyroid sufferers and diabetes sufferers.
Medical students who pass their exams, but come bottom of their class, are more likely to end up as endocrinologists and anaesthesiologists than anything else.
So we've ended up getting the dregs.
I'm one on the other side of the fence. I was well. I reduced my weight by diet and exercise, carefully counting calories and eating good quality foods. I lost 2 stone and stalled. I felt and looked great. I was happy and fit and active. I had half a stone to go to my ideal weight. If only I had just put up with that half a stone.
I went LCHF and my body broke! I had researched it well in advance. Read all the blogs and books and web sites of the time. Knew what to do and how to cook it. I felt like I had flu for 2 weeks. But others had said this might be the case and to push on through it. So I did. I lost all my energy. All my spark for life and all my fun. I felt so ill. I stuck at it for about 6 months. I was also gluten free for all of that time and before and I tried diary free too. That just added to the misery. Not being able to have a nice cup of tea!
Eventually I had to acknowledge that I was really unwell on LCHF and hadn't lost any weight at all, instead I had bloated out like a balloon, and so I reintroduced some carbs and dairy. But I never felt well again. It's years now. I have developed hypothyroidism and even with meds I have no energy in my legs or muscles at all. With HRT my mind is less broken but my body is a mess.
I would NEVER do LCHF again. I have a private hormone doctor who refuses to listen to me when I tell her what happened to me and keeps pushing the Diet Doctor web site. I want to spit on it! It's just another diet fad. I am now morbidly obese and very unhappy and unwell.
Be very careful before making such drastic changes to your diet.
I don't have Hashimotos by the look of it. Tests over many years haven't shown up much.
I have to disagree I personally don't believe its a fad diet. Some of the studies emerging show how incredibly effective it is, although not all. And the reversal of type 2 diabetes is amazing.
I did it 2/3 years ago and felt like death - inadvertently went low carb in April and now feel amazing. I think it shows how we are all biochemically individual and you have to find what works for you.
I started strict Keto 2 months ago, eliminating gluten, soy, sugar, grains, coffee and caffeine (this is Keto allowed-personal trial) and I have to say I’m feeling much much better. Even was able to loose 20lbs. Together when started Keto I introduced adaptogenic herbs and medicinal mushroom complex, homemade bone broth, so all these together with intermittent fasting are working wonders for me.
2 years after I had my last baby....she'll be 35 next month...I went to a dr. to help with weight loss. This dr. put me on the Atkins diet which was the Keto diet of that time. I lost about 30 lbs. I followed it almost religiously for years. There have been times of more stress that I end up going off and eating more carbs. Funny how you never hear of anyone loading up on salads and greens when they are stressed...HAHA. I digress. Anyway, I have tried to maintain a low carb, higher fat, moderate protein way of eating for most of these past 33 yrs. and maintained a good weight and yes I am hypothyroid and take NDT. I find that my joints don't hurt when I am eating a keto or modified keto diet. One interesting thing that I have never heard mentioned with a long term keto way of eating is that at 70 years old, I have no wrinkles...none on my face or other areas of my body. I am by no means a big exerciser. I really think it's the good fats that I eat...avocados, avocado oil, coconut oil, salmon etc. When I have fallen off this good way of eating and then reap the benefits after I am back on it, I always ask myself why in the world I ever go off.
I forgot to mention for those that get the KETO FLU or feel awful when they first try to start it...you must drink a LOT of water and even take potassium tablets to get you through the first 2 weeks. It makes a huge difference. Drinking a lot of water is extra important on this way of eating. The water helps eliminate all the extra fat that is being broken down.
I have been eating a keto-like, low carb and high protein diet since the early 90's. Even before that, I never liked carbs much. They made me feel fat, water retentive and I had no energy. This style of eating all started with a guy I was dating who was really into weight lifting. He showed me the values of eating low carb and high protein. The fattest I ever was in my life was a long time ago when I drank red wine (carbs) too frequently and ate too much cheese. I gained 1 stone/15 lbs and looked very bloated. I am small, and 1 stone/15 lbs is a lot of weight for me. Once I stopped drinking red wine and I cut back on the cheese, I lost that weight.
I eventually found out that I have Hashimoto's. Maybe my low carb diet is why I have never gained more than 10 lbs once I became hypo and had severe autoimmune problems? Once I started medication, that weight came off.
This spring I made the mistake of adding too many carbs to my diet. I ended up gaining 8 lbs and at the time my bloods showed that I was borderline diabetic. I quickly cut out the carbs and went back to my normal way of eating. The pounds fell off. After that, the only thing that I added in was more healthy fat. More grass fed butter, more avocado and olive oil. I am not sure if this is why I actually ended up losing 5 lbs lower than the weight I've maintained for 10 years, or not. Now I am the lightest weight I have ever been since starting college 29 ago. Until I added even more healthy fats to my diet, I was stuck at the same weight for 10 years, could not even lose 2 lbs and gave up on ever being an even lighter weight again.
I drink only two things: lots of water and I drink too much coffee. I always take two 32 oz water bottles with me in my car and usually also bring watered down coffee.
I don't count macro's. I don't count calories. I don't count or measure anything. I eat when I'm hungry and I eat whatever I crave, which is usually a protein with a complex carb and a good helping of fat.
Sounds like it’s great for most! Thank you!
I tried keto and it didn't work for me. I don't eat meat and can't bear anything coconut, not keen on any oils. I was struggling to eat an avocado every day and was very hungry much of the time and unable to think of anything else to eat. But still putting on weight. So I went back to the blood type diet - I'm blood group A - and it was such a relief. I'd been avoiding carbs for ages as I'm not that keen on them but I love the pulses and being able to eat them again, as well as lots of fruit (3 x per day is recommended). I've just about given up the dairy and am trying to cut down on eggs. I am finally losing my extra weight and my migraines seem less severe so I won't be trying keto again although I believe it suits blood group O very well. I'd be interested to know what blood group everyone is who has tried keto.
Keto significantly lowered my thyroid hormones. Sure, I felt better...but I was running on stress hormones. I was sweating ammonia because my body did not have enough carbs and switched to breaking down protein. And as I'm hypothyroid my liver was not able to convert the ammonia into urea. So my body is filled with ammonia and desperately trying to get rid of it. Obviously concerning as it can damage the brain. Never happened before keto.
Now I'm on a high carb diet. I feel more tired, but my hair and skin looks healthier and I feel cheerful. At first, switching from low carb to high carb gave me stomach problems. But now I am eating 1800+ calories high carb and my digestion has adapted to that. I go to the bathroom once every two days. On keto I was going about once a week. All that food rots in your intestine. I still can't eat more than about 50g of protein as ammonia is produced, and I malabsorb fats due to SIBO and poor bile production. Hypothyroids do not do well with any food I'm afraid. But carbs = energy and therefore the way to go. Carbs needed for thyroid hormone production and T4 -> T3 conversion. White rice is a staple as it is so easily digested.
This might be helpful. I think it's really useful and I do it on a temporary basis. You can get ketones even on a temporary basis. restartmed.com/thyroid-supp...
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