On Life As A Picky Foodie

So what can be done to help boost an underactive thyroid?

First of all, cut out the processed food.  OK, you say, but Gabriela, you would tell me to do that anyway.

Yes, you’re right.  And your thyroid is one more great reason to do so…

But what else is there?

Last week, I gave a bunch of yoga teachers-in-training a talk about nutrition during pregnancy.  Of course the question of soy came up and I had to admit that although some of my closest friends are soy-lovers, I personally consider it devil’s food.

Simply put: soy messes with your hormones.

Your thyroid is all about the hormones.

I’ll let you connect the dots.

If you have to have it, try and stick to the fermented kind like miso or tempeh.

Other foods that can inhibit a properly functioning thyroid include brassica vegetables like bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, mustard greens, tatsoi and turnips.  And other goitrogens: peanuts, millet, strawberries, pears, peaches, spinach, sweet potatoes.

The good news, however, is that cooking most of the vegetables above will lower their harmful effects. 

There are the PUFAs, of course, which I mentioned in my last thyroid post.

Lastly, fluoride is a nasty little bastard that acts more or less like a poison on the thyroid.  If you drink tap water or use a tabletop filter, chances are you’re ingesting way more fluoride than you think.

And I have to say this: caffeine has been said to act as a thyroid suppressant… So much for that morning java boost!

But what am I going to eat???  And how am I going to brush my teeth?

OK, OK, don’t have a cow!

Do I go through life without broccoli, kale or sweet potatoes?  Not a chance!  Moderation, dear Watson.  Ask yourself: Is that food worth it?  Do I really want it?  Will it make me feel good? These are constructive questions to ask anyway, but keeping your thyroid in mind offers one more incentive.

If you’ve ever woken up the morning after a “good” / “healthy” meal and wondered why you feel like you’ve been hit by a fast-moving bus, maybe it’s time to check the ingredients of your dinner, as well as get a blood test to get your thyroid levels checked.

But rest assured, it’s not all bad news: micronutrients like selenium (found in Brazil nuts), magnesium (chocolate has the highest levels of magnesium of any food, but you can also try nuts, legumes, and cumin) and zinc (good sources are sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and chocolate; and for the omnivores, try oysters and lamb) are beneficial to the thyroid.  Also, sea vegetables – and especially kelp -- provide iodine, which is necessary for proper thyroid function.  And coconut oil is widely used to boost thyroid levels as well as metabolism.

As for my own thyroid?  Since removing the PUFAs from my diet (you can read more about this in thyroid part 1), I have seen a remarkable boost in my energy levels and what I affectionately called my post pregnancy camel hump has massively decreased.  What never ceases to amaze me is how quickly I feel the effects of every food decision – the good ones as well as the bad. 

P.S. Of course there is one more thing you can do to help an underactive thyroid ... Exercise.  But I'm sure you knew that already.

What do you know about your thyroid?

Do you know where it is?  Do you know what it does?  Do you know how much of your day-to-day ability to function it is responsible for?

Did you know that ten times more women suffer from thyroid disease than men?

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid.  They put me on medication and I felt a lot better.  I was able to shift my weight, I had tons more energy, it was as if a fog had been lifted from my brain.  (oh, and my hair stopped falling out – always a good thing).

However, a few months later, I suddenly was unable to sleep.  For six nights, I lay in bed, my heart racing, my brain jumping from thought to thought unable to latch on to any one thing.  During the day, I was a zombie; at night, I became more and desperate.  I was nauseous, my head was pounding and I would burst into tears for no reason at all.  When I finally went to the doctor, he immediately took me off my thyroid pills.  That night, I slept.  The next morning, all of my symptoms had disappeared.

This little gland, which is located in your neck, is responsible for an inordinate amount of things:  it regulates your body temperature, your metabolism, it assists in the function of hormones and the proper workings of your body’s main organs. 

If your thyroid is out of balance, chances are, everything is out of balance.  You might feel as if you’re living under a heavy fog, you may be listless and unable to do much, your meals food might sit in your stomach as if they’re not getting digested – and let’s not even talk about pooping.  You might be moody or depressed, your skin might be dry and itchy, and you might suffer from aches and pains. 

Have I managed to convince you of the importance of a properly functioning thyroid?

Unfortunately, most doctors don’t know all that much about it.  The tests they do are not thorough enough and, in my opinion, the allopathic treatments are comparable to whacking a tuning fork with a hammer.

(by the way, I’m not saying or implying that you shouldn’t take medication if that is what you feel is right for you.  That is your decision.)

In my case, I decided I didn’t want to be dependant on a pill that could have such a strong effect on me.  (As I researched it more, I also discovered that at times, the pharmaceutical companies have created shortages of certain thyroid medications to boost demand – price hike anyone???)

I did, in fact, manage very well over the past few years.  However, pregnancy and breastfeeding have meant that certain herbs are not an option and so I needed to find additional ways to support my thyroid.

A few weeks ago, I went to see a new Naturopath.  The first thing she told me was that I needed to cut out all Omega 6 oils – otherwise known as PUFAs (Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids).  Apparently, as little as a teaspoon a day can suppress the thyroid.

Now if you are familiar with me and my recipes, then you know that nuts and seeds are a big part of my diet.  What do you think they are especially rich in?  Yup, PUFAs. 

I was shocked.  With all the thyroid research I have done, I have never found mention of this “little” detail.  When I got home, I searched the Internet for PUFAs and thyroid function.  Guess what I discovered?  In the nineteen-seventies, they used Omega 6 oils as a thyroid suppressant.  WTF???

In America, and increasingly in the Western world, thyroid disease is an epidemic.  So is depression and so is weight gain, heart disease, cancer – all symptoms or consequences of thyroid disorders.  Do you know what else is high in PUFAs?  Processed food.  Soy oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil are all abundantly used in pre-packaged and fast foods.  Even raisins are often processed with sunflower oil! 

It isn’t hard to connect the dots…

So if you’re unusually tired, if you’re unable to shed extra weight, if you’re depressed, if your body temperature is out of whack, if you have dry or brittle skin or finger nails, if your hair is falling out, if you’re constipated, if your periods are irregular of especially heavy, if your brain feels like it’s a little funny, if you’re unable to concentrate – consider getting your thyroid checked.