Graves and low carb diet

[Pheobe28]

Hi all, I have graves and waiting to have my thyroid removed. Currently take 20mg carbimazole and 60 propanalol. I am putting on so much weight it's getting me down. I am trying to lose it and having no luck. I am just wondering if anyone knows if a low carb diet is safe enough to do? Been reading into it and would like to try it. TIA

[Hennerton]

When did you last have a blood test and what were the results? It may be that your carbimazole dose needs lowering. You should not be putting on a great deal of weight. Post results here for advice.

[Pheobe28 in reply to Hennerton]

I actually got a blood test on Tues so just waiting for my results. I will post them when I get them. My dose of carbimazole has just gone up again as was suffering quite bad from symptoms. It was reduced in Dec pending my operation which has been delayed. I havent had my thyroid checked since Nov. My op was meant to be in Jan. Just wanted to check low carb to see if it'll shift some of these unwanted pounds. Thanks for the reply

[Greekchick in reply to Pheobe28]

Hi Phoebe 28,

I just had TT Graves multinodular goiter and was eating like crazy two months before surgery was scheduled. I went on a very low carb, high protein (chicken and fish) diet with lots of veggies and 3 fruits a day. Egg whites in am. No sugar, low fat, olive oil only and no fat in dairy or cheese. I lost 10 pounds before surgery, which is what I had gained prior to the surgery. Maybe that will help you. I don’t know if you have food allergies or other restrictions , and this may be too restrictive for you but it worked for me.

Good luck with your surgery and I wish you all the best. Positive thoughts your way!

[G2G2]

LC is safe with Graves & is healthy. LC is moderate protein & high fat. Sorry to Greekchick, but LC isn't low fat & high protein. Yes, it's a great way to lose weight & feel better. I've been LC for 11 years as a T1 diabetic.

[Greekchick in reply to G2G2]

You are right - I did this for a very short time and now I am back to a normal diet and have not gained weight. Would not recommend that for any long term use. Good you pointed it out.

[Pheobe28 in reply to G2G2]

Think I will give it a go. Thank you. Waiting on books about it arriving as not really sure carb values etc. Just want to feel more like myself again. 😊

[Greekchick in reply to Pheobe28]

Wishing you all the best. Good luck and do consult with doc before any restrictive diet.

[G2G2 in reply to Pheobe28]

Very easy to check carb content online. Raw foods tend to have more carbs than cooked because cooking breaks down the fiber. Not that you have to be fanatical, but judging carbs is based on weight, of course. Any food marketed as low fat will have more carbs than its higher fat equivalent. With the exception of potatoes, peas, carrots, winter squash, vegetables are LC. LC is by definition grain-free & bean free. You can still have yummy desserts, muffins, cookies by substituting almond flour & coconut flour for wheat.

Tons of LC online recipes. These two are my favorites: gnom-gnom.com alldayidreamaboutfood.com/.

[Pheobe28 in reply to G2G2]

Thank you for this! 😊

[G2G2 in reply to Pheobe28]

My pleasure. You'll have many treats to enjoy! Unlike restricted calorie diets, on LC you won't be hungry. I've been eating this way for a long time. Feel free to ask anything you like.

[cabro2]

The main concern with low carb is for the kidney and liver. Low carb is high protein which can be a load on the kidneys if your kidneys aren’t healthy. And low carb is generally high fat which can raise liver values. If you are young, otherwise healthy and without high liver values and no evidence of kidney disease, you might be okay. Can you see your GP to seek basic blood testing (CMP and CBC) and advice? So sorry you are gaining weight and having the delays and having to wait for surgery.

[Greekchick in reply to cabro2]

This is true too - I was under doctor’s care for this diet and also drink 2 1/2 liters of water a day. You must drink water. Again, I was on this just to prepare for surgery - not as a long term proposition.

[jjf255 in reply to cabro2]

Actually...if you are referring to a low carb "Keto" diet...it is NOT high protein. It is moderate protein and high fat. High protein can throw you out of ketosis. The body going into ketosis means you are no longer using glucose as your main fuel source, but now using your own fat stores as your fuel. By moderating your protein intake...you are not over loading your kidneys. Totally agree that larger consumption of water is very necessary to maintain good health while following this way of eating. I have eaten this way for 35 years. It actually a very healthy way of eating if understood and correctly followed.

[Greekchick in reply to jjf255]

I forgot to mention on original post that I also eat 2 slices of quinoa bread and 12 almonds as a snack during the day, so I am not in ketosis myself. Full on keto was too much for me. Because of cholesterol issues, I was eating only olive oil as fat. I would not want to advocate any specific diet for anyone - just what worked for me and on a very short term. I always think one should consider their own health issues when undertaking any diet. Just as all of us are so different with what works for us with our thyroid issues, so too, are dietary issues as well. It’s great to have a forum where we can talk about these things! I always appreciate hearing from others and their viewpoints. Good health to all and positive thoughts!

[Boohesnah]

I would look up keto for autoimmune. I’m in antibody remission from Graves. I refused TT and RaI. Stayed on meds for almost 4 yrs but also worked on the diet.

There’s some striking research about the role keto diet (ultra low carbs) can play in tackling autoimmune disease. It’s worth looking it up.

[jjf255 in reply to Boohesnah]

You are right. I have studied this way of eating for many years. The good fats that are recommended on Keto...IE...olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil are all beneficial. If this way of eating is followed correctly, bad cholesterol levels (LDL) actually go down, and good ( HDL) goes up. Eliminating many grains also helps with autoimmune conditions. I'm not sure about Europe, but in the U S our grains are all GMO altered , which has been proven to cause skyrocketing autoimmune reactions in many people.

[Boohesnah in reply to jjf255]

Keto for cancer by Miriam Kalamian foreword by prof Thomas N Seyfried is a really good place to start. Graves isn’t cancer but it’s an inflammatory metabolic disease and a result of the immune system losing the plot... cancer likewise.

[Greekchick in reply to Boohesnah]

I will check that out - thanks for posting book title

[vocalEK in reply to Boohesnah]

These researchers are looking into it. Their hypothesis is here: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/255...