How to Eat for Your Thyroid

If we want to admit it or not, food affects us all in different ways.  Food affects our bodies in a MASSIVE way!  It is the fuel that literally feeds us and gives us energy.  When you are not eating the right food, your body acts sluggish, versus eating the right foods and having energy to go through your day.

After having a thyroid for about 7 years now, I thought that I would share some information that I have actually just recently found out.  Let me skip back about 7 years...when I found out I had hypo-thyroidism, it was in an Air Force Base hospital in Misawa, Japan.  Unfortunately, the doctor at the time never informed me too much about my thyroid.  It basically went like this, Doctor: "You have hypo-thyroidism.  Take this medication.  It will help you feel better".  That's about it.  I was just told, you have this disease, so take this medication to help your thyroid.  It wasn't until later that a friend of mine, who also had hypo-thyroidism told me that there are certain foods I need to watch out for; foods I can not eat on a regular basis or at all.  I got a snippet of information from her, but mainly I understood it all as, I can not eat soy and I can not eat any kind of nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, ect.).  I wasn't really even told why I can't eat these foods...I was just told that they were bad for me.

I lacked the right tools to do my own research.  I didn't even know where to begin and I had no guidance what so ever.  Plus, I believe back then, I was still in denial of my thyroid and watching what I ate.  I didn't know the affect it could really have on me at the time.  I just thought that if I took my medication I would be okay.  WRONG!  I had to seriously tune into my body and find out what I needed and what I didn't need. 

When I moved away from Misawa, Japan and got stationed to Las Vegas, I went to the doctor there for my bi-annual thyroid check-up.  It was then that I found out that my thyroid had actually gotten worse and that there were different types of hypo-thyroidism.  First, in Misawa, I was told I had a secondary type of hypro-thyroidism, which meant my pituitary gland was not producing enough thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, as the doctors call it. 
Then, once I got to Las Vegas, I was told that I now had the primary type of hypro-thyroidism.  I don't know if my thyroid changed or if I was misdiagnosed before.  The definition of my "new" condition is called "Hashimoto Thyroiditis" or "Autoimmune Disease". The doctor explained to me that since thyroid problems ran in my family, it was inevitable that I was going to have a thyroid problem; it was just a matter of time.
Still, I was not educated any further on how my diet should change to cope with my thyroid.  So, I continued eating what I wanted, while trying to avoid nuts and as much soy as possible, though I know I failed miserably at that. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't until just a couple of weeks ago, that I sat down and really did my own research on what my diet should be like to help my thyroid and my body.  For years I ate whatever I wanted without even bothering to look at the ingredients of the food I was consuming.  I was eating foods that could potentially damage my thyroid even more so and also my body as a whole and I didn't even care to notice.  I mostly blame myself for that, but I also blame the doctors for not filling me with the kind of knowledge I feel I should have received from the beginning.  I would have liked to have a conversation with my doctor, a nurse or even a nutritionist to tell me what my options were for my diet.  Instead, I loosely followed the patchy instructions of my friend.

So, a couple weeks ago, I was sitting here at my computer, completing some work and eating a power bar.  About half way through the power bar, I started to feel really weird, kind of like how I felt before I was informed that I had hypo-thyroidism.  I felt light headed, sluggish and tired and I couldn't figure out why.  Something dawned on me to look at the power bar's ingredients.  And low and behold, the entire bar was made out of soy!  I felt physically sick, but also upset that I just ate an entire power bar made out of mostly soy and other flavorings; exactly the kind of processed food I shouldn't be eating.  It was at that moment that I said, enough is enough!  I had to do research about food and my thyroid.  So I started right then...and here is what I found out, after SEVEN years of neglect:

There was a LONG list of foods that I had been eating all along that I should NOT be eating or eating A LOT less of.  All the foods had one thing in common and it's called "Giotrogens".  Certain foods carry this natural chemical called Giotrogens and if these foods are ingested then this "chemical" blocks iodine utilization or the conversion of the thyroid hormone TSH.  Supposedly the natural chemical varies with each of the foods that carry it.

I did a lot of research on a lot of different pages and they all just about said the same thing.  I could not find an "official" website about this informtation, but here is the website I got all of my current information from: http://www.thyrophoenix.com/bad_foods.htm

Here is the list of foods I (and people with hypo-thyroidism) need to cut out of our diet or eat a substantial less amount:

Veggies.
-Broccoli
-Brussel Sprouts
-Cabbage
-Cassava Root (found in tapioca)
-Cauliflower
-Lima Beans
-Corn
-Millet
-Mustard
-Peanuts (as I understood it...not ALL nuts, just peanuts)
-Pine Nuts
-Rapeseed
-Sweet Potatoes
-Turnips
-Kale
-Mustard Greens
-Spinach
-Rutabaga

Fruits.
-Peaches
-Pears
-Strawberries

Items found in processed foods.
-Unsaturated fats
-Soy
-Fructose Corn Syrup
-Textured Vegetable Protein

Oils.
-Flax
-Soybean
-Corn
-Canola

Proteins.
-Red Meat
-Eggs

Beverages (besides alcohol).
-Non-Filtered Water (which usually contains chlorine and fluoride)
-Black Tea
-Green Tea


THANK YOU FOR READING

It's all in moderation

Hey There!

WELL...I have been keeping up on my food logs, right?  My eating has been a bit shifty lately, because I've been hella busy this week!  I haven't had time to eat on my normal schedule...so I have been eating when I can.  Because of that I have been experiencing headaches, low blood sugar and dizziness or "whoosy feeling", resulting from the low blood sugar.  I also haven't been able to stay as hydrated as I would like.  My body is all whacky this week!

So, because I have been experiencing this, I thought I would share with you my daily eating schedule, my beverage choices and foods that should be eaten in moderation; the unfavorable carbs.

First off...BEVERAGES.

Water:
ALWAYS, ALWAYS stay hydrated!!  It's the MOST IMPORTANT thing you could do for your body!!  I try to drink the equivalent of 6-8 glasses of water a day.  I know I haven't been doing it lately, but when I leave the house, I try to remember to take a water bottle with me.  Tin water bottles are probably better, because if water sits in plastic for too long, especially in the heat, it can get a weird plastic taste.  It's doesn't taste good and it's not good for you!

Soda:
Not only does soda contain a great amount of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, it also has a good deal of caffeine in it.  NO bueno, people!  People have been known to get addicted to the sugar and caffeine.  So much so, that people even get grouchy or have headaches if they try to wein off of it.  That's why I only treat myself to a soda once every great while.  My body can't handle too much of it, so I usually only drink half a can or bottle.  Sometimes I can handle a full glass if I am out to dinner, but that's rare!  So, try not to rely on soda...it's bad news bears!

Coffee:
I'm NOT a coffee lover!  Never have been and I don't think I ever will be!  So, while all you people are out there spending money on 1, 2, 3, 4, or a bazillion cups of *insert big corporate coffee chain name here* coffee, I am feeding my piggy bank and not buying into the caffeine fix.  Let's face it, peeps!  I'd rather drink tea...I feel it's better for you...if you get the low or no caffeine kind.

Tea:
People have said that tea is good for you.  I happen to agree.  This too, though, should be drunk in moderation.  I only have tea sometimes as well.  As far as sweet tea, since I do live in the South, I try to not have too much of it.  I try to drink unsweetened tea or water my sweetened tea down, so I don't pass out from sugar over load!

Alcohol:
This is a beverage I can not relate to.  I don't drink alcohol.  I've tried it, yes...never really caught on for me.  So, I choose not to drink it.  Good thing too!  If you drink a substantial amount of alcohol, it will be harder for you to lose weight.  It's true!  Just check the statistics!  They are out there!  And don't think you will be the one and only that isn't affected by that.


UNFAVORABLE CARBS. (Nutrition advised by CrossFit Journal)

Veggies:
-Acorn Squash
-Baked Beans
-Beets
-Black-eyed Peas
-Butternut Squash
-Cooked Carrots
-Corn
-French Fries
-Hubbard Squash
-Lima Beans
-Parsnips
-Peas
-Pinto Beans
-Potato, boiled and mashed
-Refried Beans
-Sweet Potato, baked and mashed
-Turnip

Fruit:
-Banana
-Cranberries
-Dates
-Figs
-Guava
-Kumquat
-Mango
-Papaya
-Prunes
-Raisins

Grains and Breads.
-Bagel
-Barley
-Biscuit
-Baked Potato
-Bread Crumbs
-Bread
-Breadstick
-Buckwheat
-Bulgur Wheat
-Cereal
-Corn Bread
-Cornstarch
-Croissant
-Croutons
-Donut
-English Muffin
-Flour
-Granola
-Grits
-Melba Toast
-Muffins
-Noodles
-Instant Oatmeal
-Pasta, cooked
-Pasta, high protein
-Pancakes
-Pita Bread
-Popcorn
-Rice
-Rice Cake
-Roll (Hamburger, Hot Dog, Dinner)
-Taco Shell
-Tortilla (corn and flour)
-Udon Noodles
-Waffle

Snacks.
-Chocolate Bar
-Corn Chips
-Graham Crackers
-Ice Cream
-Potato Chips
-Pretzels
-Tortilla Chips
-Saltine Crackers


MY MEAL PLAN.

How I eat during the day goes as follows:

-Breakfast
-Lunch
-Snack
-Dinner
-Snack

I make sure I moderate everything I eat since I eat every 2-3ish hours.  Sometimes I alternate my snacks, depending on my day.  Sometimes I eat breakfast, a small snack and then lunch.  I don't typically eat snacks after dinner, before bed, mainly because I suffer from acid reflux and eating after 9pm is not good for me.  But occasionally, if it's early enough and I'm in a snacky mood, I will eat a light snack or have a small dessert type item.

There you go!  That's my daily meal schedule and the foods/beverages that I am eating in moderation.  Hopefully you can get some use out of this list too!  If you ever need exact measurements for the unfavorable carbs, I have those as well...just ask! :o)


THANK YOU FOR READING!!  HERE'S TO HEALTHY, HAPPY EATING!!