I understand thyroid drama. Modern medicine was unable to address my Graves' and then Hashimoto's Disease issues. For many years I did a lot of trial and error testing until I came up with my 'Healthy Thyroid Diet' plan.
There are foods you need to remove from your diet and there are foods that you should add to your daily food intake. This isn't a diet in the sense that you are trying to lose weight but a habit of healthy eating.
Not everyone will agree that there is a connection between diet and a healthy thyroid. I challenge you to give it a try for a few weeks and monitor any changes in how you feel.
One more thing before proceeding, it is import to understand that most (90%) of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism result from autoimmune issues. This means that your immune system is attacking your thyroid..
One of the first issues I delve into with clients is their current diet.
FOOD INTOLERANCES
Do you see "gluten-free", "dairy-free" etc popping up at the health stores today? This is because many people get off the "big five"; gluten, dairy, corn, eggs and soy and experience significant changes. To find the culprits, I always start off with an Elimination Diet and this produces clear, unbiased results. You can also get a food intolerance test (not allergy, it's different) done but they are far from accurate. Gluten is an infamous food if you have a thyroid condition and eliminating it is key. However, often times, you would need to cut out more than just gluten.
FIX YOUR DIGESTIVE TRACK (aka GUT)
As mentioned above, most thyroid conditions are auto-immune diseases. There are tons of lymphocytes and other immune cells in the gut, which protect the body from viruses, bacteria, and other invaders. This is why most people with thyroid conditions also experience frequent bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea. A diet change will help your gut tremendously. "All disease begins in the gut", said Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine and I'm not sure why this is not taught in school today.
REDUCE TOXICITY
from additives, preservatives, artificial sweeteners (!), excessive sodium, trans-fats as well as toxins hiding around your house. Water toxicity is HUGE in thyroid conditions; we add fluoride in the US that is now linked to slowing down the thyroid; fluoride is believed to be leaching on to the thyroid cells inhibiting the uptake of iodine, hence the production of the thyroid hormone (T4).
DETOX
Your liver and your gut as this is where the T4 hormone (inactive hormone) gets converted to T3, the active hormone which is actually the one that powers us up. Most of our body cells need T3, not just T4. If you are taking Synthroid, you are taking a synthetic version of T4 that still needs to be converted to T3. If you have a sluggish liver and gut, you won't convert properly. Look into doing a yearly, bi-yearly detox by fasting, juicing, etc to give your body a break.
ADDRESS STRESS and ADRENAL FATIGUE
This is huge topic, especially with women. You won't be able to fix your thyroid without fixing the adrenals. The adrenals are also part of the endocrine system and fire up when you are stressed out. I recommend looking up adrenal fatigue symptoms to see if you have them. De-stressing by working with a therapist, life coach, getting into meditation, breathing, positive thinking; whatever work for you - is key.
REMOVE GOITROUS FOOD
if you suffer from hypothyroidism. Goiter is a substance that slows down the thyroid. It is found in bok choy, broccoli, Brussels' sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, radishes, soy, soy milk, soy lecithin (often used as a filler in vegetarian food) and tofu. Cooking them reduces their goitrous properties but you should still limit them in the recovery phase.
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