Has anyone out there with hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s had any success with a whole foods plant based diet?
I didn’t enjoy the recommended AIP diet or Paleo as I don’t love meat. Even though they’re the most recommended diets for hypo, I didn’t find they made me feel great. In fact I had a lot of gallbladder issues on those diets.
Now I’m eating vegan, which I prefer, and is kinder to my gallbladder, but I still don’t feel great. In fact, I have worse fatigue than ever.
I can’t seem to find any way to eat that feels like it’s benefitting my energy levels.
I guess I’m looking for inspiration and ideas from anyone else out there who’s trying to care for themselves with a vegan diet, and is managing to feel fantastic.
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Fairydancer
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I went vegan in 2021 after I was found to have Stage 3 Chronic Kidney disease (CKD). I feel quite a lot better on it, but it is necessary to make sure that we get enough protein etc.
I take NDT (Thyroid-S), plenty of vitamin supplements, probiotics (including Water Kefir made by me), and do a monthly B12 injection. At 73 I have more energy than I did at 30!
I have only recently discovered markers for hashimotos and my thyroid tests are still in range though ratios indicate borderline underactive, but I can relate.
I tried many diets over the last several years for lymphoma and just general well being. Vegan diet I have to say was the worse. I got so weak I even struggled to have focus for my day job on a computer. That was irrespective of supplementing b12.
Since eating more protein my energy lifted. Also lots of grains aggravated my ibs and fruit bloated me. I just seem to be better now on paleo with occassional fruit and some grains to adapt my microbiome but I take difestive enzymes to help.
I will say also taking creatine helps, drinking a protein drink like whey or hemp and working out and walking had also boosted my energy.
You could try hemp protein but I warn you it taste disgusting without flavouring. I can't drink the sweetened ones because they give me headache.
I will also say that despite going to the gym for over a year I hardly main any muscle gains but it started to show as soon as I doubled my protein and averaged 100g a day. When you calculate how much protein you can get from vegan or even vegetarian diet its borderline enough, based on quantity a person can eat in a day, to meet maintainable muscle mass. My energy has doubled. So while vegan and vegetarian diets do get protein when balanced well, its hardwork to achieve it.
I do fast sometimes and reduce meat consumption periodically. Since my energy has improved though I can now fast longer (3 days on just water) without energy loss, where as last year I was exhausted during day 2 - 3.5.
Whatever you preferance in diet, we are all unique, be it vegan or paleo, go with your gut, but consider adding dbling up your protein.
Something to think about... could it be something other than the food? Can you describe the symptoms in more detail? I have been focusing on improving my digestion to increase nutrient absorption and found by increasing stomach acid I'm feeling so much better - I no longer feel full and bloated after eating, I am more 'regular' and slowly, slowly I feel I have more energy.
Healthy food is one point to think about, another is what your body does with it.
What works for one person may not work for another but for my personal experience I have found that a little bit of everything works for me. I have went through a lot of different types of diets because I was so desperate to find out what was wrong with me. I had an influx of various symptoms that came at once.
My diet involves the following:
- Chicken & Fish - Usually once a week (Organic where I can). I don't eat red meat or pork.
- Full fat Dairy - Once a day - (Whole milk in tea/coffee, bit of cheese, Kefir, butter) - All Organic.
- Sweet treats - Every other day and in small amounts
- Bread - 2 -3 times a week - Wholegrain and sourdough types.
- Nuts/Beans/Seeds - Once a day
- Fruit & Veg - 5-6 a day.
- I don't drink fizzy drinks or caffeinated drinks
- I avoid highly processed foods as much as I can but I don't deprive myself. For example, I do get the odd veggie pizza from Dominos!
Most of my symptoms are gone, the only thing that bothers me right now is Palpitations and weird slight headaches off and on about 2 weeks of the month but I am starting to think these symptoms are unrelated to my hypothyroidism and hashimotos.
The symptoms I suffered before were hair loss, tiredness & fatigue, very bad skin issues (rosacea and acne), cold hands and feet, tingling in arms & legs, constipation, brain fog and anxiety. The usual!!
Some people say avoiding gluten really helped them with their fatigue. You may have to do a process of elimination with some suspecting foods one at a time.
I eat a vegetarian, no dairy, gluten-free, low sugar, no processed foods diet. I take vitamin B-12 2,500 mcg, calcium citrate, vitamin K2 100 mcg, and a probiotic daily. I limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee daily, drink herbal teas that boost the immune system, and drink plenty of water. This regimen seems to be working for me. I seem to have enough energy and exercise daily. I would try going gluten-free for a while and see if that makes you feel better. Maybe also ask for some additional labs to be checked like b12, vitamin d level, and magnesium. I hope you feel better soon.
I eat a whole food plant based diet. My thought would be that no matter what diet you eat, it has to work for you. For it to work it has to have all the components that your body needs. Protein always seems to be the concern for many people when they hear the word "vegan" or even "plant based". I assume it is because it is so ingrained in our culture that protein comes with steak and not with lentils. But let's not go there. I'm by no means where I think I should be as far as a "perfect" diet goes. but I'm working on it (have been for the last 15 years or so ). Even in its imperfection, I feel, that it has done me a lot of good and I can definitely feel the difference (in the negative) when I get lax about it. Of course, this is totally subjective. By the way, I have yet to meet a person who eats a perfectly balanced diet, if there even is such a thing.
I can also recommend "31 Day Food Revolution" by Ocean Robbins or any books on the Blue Zones. Here they are available at the public library. I don't know whether that is an option for you (cheaper than buying them, for sure).
Caveat: "Vegan" does not necessarily equal "healthy" (you might know that already, as well). There is a lot of chunk food out there that is vegan. I think the emphasis has to be on whole food (as in as minimally processed as possible). I see veganism more as a philosophy than a diet, because there is more attached to it than just food.
Your body might also take a bit of time to get used to any change in diet and to get loaded with the nutrients it needs. As far as energy goes, there are most likely a few other components, beside diet, that play into that. For me it all continues to be a big experiment and what works splendidly today, may, all of a sudden , not work so splendidly tomorrow. There seems to be no magic bullet. I wish you good luck on your journey and much success. Please don't hesitate to private message me, if you would like any of my "insights" or clarifications. It is a complex (and often controversial) field, for sure.
try increasing your vit c and betaine hcl so you can increase your iron absorption if your ferritin is low and causing you to be tired. Or check your b12 to make sure you’re getting it from nutritional yeast or fortified foods. You get to eat way more on a whole foods plant based diet as it’s less calories so make sure you’re eating enough. If you’re not already take magnesium and electrolytes. I don’t have energy problems so I’m guessing it’s something to do with that perhaps.
Fairydancer, I’ve just seen that the Thyroid Trust are doing a talk on plant based forests on Monday. I haven’t checked but assume it’s online. It just popped up in my instagram feed and remembered your post.
Hi fairydancer, I am vegan and have a diagnosis of Hashimoto's. When I am mostly living in my own home and choosing what to eat I am much healthier, with much more energy, than like now for instance. Now I am living with my daughters, both also vegan, but they work hard physically so we eat a lot of carbs and not so much protein, and I am struggling. Someone else has commented that it's hard to take in enough protein to have good muscles but that's not accurate, the strongest man in, I think, America is vegan as are many other top class athletes.
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I'm by no means where I think I should be as far as a "perfect" diet goes. but I'm working on it (have been for the last 15 years or so 
). Even in its imperfection, I feel, that it has done me a lot of good and I can definitely feel the difference (in the negative) when I get lax about it. Of course, this is totally subjective. By the way, I have yet to meet a person who eats a perfectly balanced diet, if there even is such a thing.
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