Diet Suggestions

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2004
Diet Suggestions
2
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 11:20am
With having a hypothyroid what are some of the things I should be eating more of? What are some of the effective diets to help increase thryoid activity?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-21-2003
In reply to: myremi
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 1:33pm

If you can, I would suggest making an appt with a nutrionist. That's my next step. I eat well and only about 1200 to 1500 cal. a day and still can't budge the weight loss. I eat a bunch of veggies, especially cucumbers, onions, lettuce (but no iceburg)......and try and limit portion sizes....chicken/beef portion should fit into your palm of your hand (about 3 oz). It's hard and it takes time. It's also helpful to drink about 8

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
In reply to: myremi
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 2:08pm
This is a really smart question!! There are foods that you need to avoid eating too much of and those are called goitrogenic foods that can promote tumors and goiters. They shouldn't be eaten raw and cooking may minimize the goitrogenic effect. These include broccoli, brussel sprouts, rutabega, turnips, kohlrabi, cauliflower, African cassava, milliet, cabbage, kale and soy products. I've heard that if the soy is treated with a heat processing before it used in milk, protein powder etc, it removes the anti-thyroid compound but ...... I still avoid it. As I said in another post, avoid all tea as well, since a floride is a natural part of tea and it blocks the reception of iodine in the thyroid.

That said, there are things that are good to eat when you're hypothyroid and actually, they are the same things that are good for anyone's diet. Plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins like chicken, fish and lean beef or pork, complex whole grain carbs like oatmeal, whole wheat, wheat germ etc, nonfat and low fat dairy products like yogurt, milk and cheese, and healthy good for you fats like olive oil, avocado, walnuts, peanuts, and almonds - though those need to be eaten in small portions. A diet low in processed, simple sugars or carbs is best - so avoid white bread, white sugar, cereals with lots of sugar, white rice, white potatoes and anything that is boxed or bagged and might include trans fats.

Kashi makes a great cracker called TLC that is high in fiber and has no trans fats. There's a great waffle out made with Flax Seed Oil that contains 1000 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids and is also high in fiber. I can't remember the name but you can find it in the organic food section of your grocery store - in the freezer section. Paul Newman makes a great Fig Newton called Fig Newmans that are high in fiber, naturally sweet, contain no trans fats and are reasonable in calories. I also like to have a snack of dried dates and a handful of almonds, combining sweets, salty, good fats and lots of fiber.

And don't forget to drink plenty of water - non-floride water if you're going to buy the bottled kind.

My new endo recommended Weight Watchers as a well balanced approach to weight loss and learning about portion sizes etc. it's nutritionally well balanced. I think for people who haven't much experience with dieting, any diet will help you lose weight but the important thing to learn is how to make your new eating habits a part of a lifestyle change. It has to be something you can live wiht and enjoy for the rest of your life. If you can do that on a low carb plan, then that's fine for you. Or a modified low carb plan. Or a good carb/bad carb plan! LOL! And in the beginning, I think those are good options for teaching a person just how many bad carbs they eat in a day!! But in the end, my own diet has ended up to include everything - especially everything I just listed for you. And it's worked well for me. So you really need to try different things, see what you like and what you can stick to. The make that change a part of your life. Hope this helps! Cathy :)