I have come to add plenty of salt to food on the basis I was told it helps provide more stomach acid and salt gets removed from the system more with hypo than those without - I have never really asked anyone else if they do anything similar. In one thyroid book I read adding salt was discouraged - so as ever there are different views for those with thyroid issues.
On the sugar front, I have always enjoyed sweet things but seem to find I get an ever worse reaction as I get older. I have started this week a total sugar ban ie no jams/cakes and all the fun stuff I usually like. I will see over the course of a month if I feel any better / different. Has anyone here kept sugar free over the longer term?
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Danielj1
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There are a lot of false ideas floating around about salt. And people can get extremely fanatical about it. Personally, I think it comes under the headings: 'a little of what you fancy does you good' and 'all things in moderation'. I like my salt but I don't like too much.
I'm not sure that taking extra salt gives you extra stomach acid, but certainly low salt diets lead to low stomach acid, which leads to constipation and all the tralala. But, I've never heard that hypos should avoid salt. Why would that be? That doesn't make any sense because hypothyroidism goes hand in hand with adrenal fatigue, and the adrenals need salt. Removing salt from your diet - or severely reducing it - only leads to trouble.
As for sugar. I've experimented with cutting it out. Went without it entirely for about four months. It didn't do a thing for me! Oh, I lost about two kilos, but that's not much in four months! Really not worth the effort. So, I gave up. And, gave in, and started consuming sugar again - in very modest amounts. And, there is a school of thought that says a little sugar is actually good for you, and can help with conversion. But, I think it was said by someone with a rather dodgey reputation - can't remember his name - so perhaps best to take that with a large pinch of salt. 🤣
The hypos should reduce salt bit. If the book was American, all their table salt is iodised. Might it be simply we shouldn’t be having too much iodine in our diet?
My father lived to be 96 years old. He always ate tons of sugary things including 3 heaped spoonful's in his tea, he also loved sweet milk chocolate and cakes. He also loved salt on everything. Everyone requires salt. I remember when working off the coast of Venezeula in the seventies on the QE2 dry dock job. It was hot very hot and I felt ill. The ship's doctor explained that I probably had very low salt due to the extreme heat, he gave me sodium tablets and I felt better the next day. People read too much into these ideas of no salt and no sugar. Everyone if different it depends, common sense is a very good standard.
Danielj1, you need salt to be healthy and processed foods contains a lot of it. So if you are eating a standard western diet you probably don't need to add salt. Sugar, processed carbs and processed vegetable oils are the key drivers for metabolic disfunction and heart disease and our current obesity epidemic. I would avoid sugar all together.
I'm about to start the personalised Zoe Nutrition programme which looks at what is going on in your gut and the effects of the food eaten over the course of a few months. Read up This might be of interest .
I don’t eat sugar (haven’t for 10 years except for rare treats) but obviously consume it in its natural form in fruit and simple carbs such as the occasional slice of gluten free bread. This is so I can manage blood sugar levels and reduce potential inflammation as have several health conditions. Also hypothyroidism can lead to poor insulin resistance so it’s best avoided IMHO. I don’t miss it and the odd piece of dark chocolate satisfies any cravings - everything sweet tastes sweeter when you haven’t eaten it in a long time 🙂
I season food with flaky sea or pink Himalayan salt and often crave it. Last week I felt like I made a surprise discovery when I went to donate blood as have been struggling with fatigue and sluggish gut for several months. The blood service are trialling giving donors a pint of electrolyte drink before their blood draw. After a few sips I immediately felt brighter and although I got kicked out and didn’t give blood (recently prescribed folic acid for low folate) I came out feeling much better than when I went in! It also seemed to help with my gut the next day too.
My blood tests always show potassium borderline high so I concluded that I need to balance my electrolytes with more sodium and bought some sachets of LMNT (as recommended by Chris Kesser). I was perplexed by how I might be dehydrated even though I was drinking lots of water and think I’ve found my answer. I don’t plan on drinking one every day as am mindful they also contain potassium. The Thyroid Pharmacist Isabella Wentz recommends adding Sole to your water so might try this too instagram.com/p/CemHJJ_tVen...
In my case I think this is the net result of being undermedicated for a while as hypothyroidism impacts kidney function.
If I eat high sugar or starchy foods my blood sugar goes up my husband exactly opposite his cholesterol is high mine low… we eat (bar quantity he eats more) exactly same … gender/genetics/metabolism most likely I do have autoimmune disorders, he doesn’t so who knows.
I’m pretty sure if anyone is eating processed foods they’re getting plenty of both.
Since coeliac I cook most of my foods from scratch so my diet is generally low in sugar other than naturally occurring, I do eat fruit almost daily.
I’ve never shunned salt but I don’t go mad with it either… I cook with it mostly rather than add on plate but it depends.
I’ve never heard thyroid and salt issues… unless iodised I guess.
Sugar in my opinion is probably pro inflammatory so best to keep to low but we need some for muscles to work but we usually get enough in our diet for that.
I think if you have ok blood sugar, Blood pressure and cholesterol and weight is good, then you’re ok to indulge a little more than most, but as you age these tendencies can change.
Hi, you asked if anyone had been sugar free for a length of time. I gave up sugar at 16 and am 66 now, so that's 50 years, although recently I have been having a little because long ago I read that in old age it's good for bones. By a little I mean maybe a slice of cake a month, if it's someone's birthday. No foods like corn flakes or bread which have added sugar though I do eat fruit and carbohydrates. Does it make any difference to how I feel? Yes. I feel thirsty and irritable after having sugar other than very high cocoa dark chocolate, which seems soothing. Not sure if that's of any help?
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