Are you eating the perfect diet? Do you still feel terrible? That perfect diet might not be right for you then. Remember, you are a bio-individual. Your chemical make up is unique to you so that latest internet fad might not be right for you. You are the expert on your body. You are made to assimilate all the good stuff you eat and eliminate what you don’t need or what might be harmful. Our body is always rebuilding tissue which requires vitamins, minerals, and energy from our food.
Your body will tell you in some form of dis-ease when something isn’t right. If we don’t pay attention when those issues are seemingly small and insignificant, your body will eventually scream at you in the form of some kind of health dysfunction. All your body is trying to do on a daily basis is keep you alive. You need to give it the substrate it needs to do its job well. You don’t put diesel fuel in your gas powered car after all. You should not do the same thing to your body, no matter how delicious it is.
First and foremost as a thyroid patient, you need protein and you need the essential amino acids that are naturally found in meat, eggs and fish. They are the most bio-available way to get those amino acids and meat is an easier way to get your needed protein which for women in general is around 100grams.
Red meat won’t kill you and that saturated fat in it won’t kill you either. That said, a Mediterranean style diet is well studied, contains less red meat and more fish and is touted as a very heart healthy diet. I think you might see a rise in your cholesterol from a higher red meat diet but a diet rich in plants with red meat on the side is not a life killer.
There is a component to the inflammatory pathway of fats called arachadonic acid which is pro-inflammatory. It is said that this fatty acid is higher in grain fed cows than grass fed- so right there is one way to reduce levels. Arachadonic acid is more often made from Omega 6 fatty acids which are found in vegetable oils and grains, animal fats, dairy, and shellfish. If you have a good balance of fatty acids in your diet from cold water fish, flax, chia, hemp, walnuts, wild game, or fish oils, you will be fine. We need arachaconic acid for cell membrane integrity so it isn’t just a bad thing.
Red meat is high in B vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron, and phosphorus. Having a varied diet is good for you too because pork is higher in B1 than beef and lamb is higher in zinc than the others. In poultry, particularly chicken, the dark meat is more nutrient dense than white meat. Chicken skin is a great source of oleic acid too which is also found in olive oil. I’m not a fan but you do you.
I’m also not a fan of anything that comes from the water whether river, lake, sea or ocean. I’d rather starve. You have to be mindful of mercury levels in fish and whether it is farmed or wild caught. Wild caught fish is always going to be the better option healthwise but maybe give the ocean a break and avoid some of those over fished products. Otherwise, if fish is your thing, go for canned sardines or canned tuna. Safe Catch is a good brand of tuna that tests its catch for mercury. It is said fish can be eaten 2-3 times per week to keep mercury levels low in yoru body. It is a great source of B12, selenium, other B vitamins in addition to protein. Sardines are a great source of vitamin D, B vitamins, and minerals as well. Can’t get myself to eat those though but if you like them- they are great option. The smell of fish is offensive to me for some reason but fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids. I get mine from fish oil capsules.
What about dairy products? Many with thyroid problems need to avoid them as it is said they cause molecular mimicry with thyroid tissue so if you have high antibodies you might want to avoid dairy until you get your antibodies to nothing. Dairy products are a great source of protein and nutrients if you tolerate them. I regularly consume grass fed butter and sparingly consume other dairy products. You do what works for you. Be sure to listen to your body- how does it respond to dairy products? Can you eat some and not others? Are you lactose intolerant?
If you spend money on one thing, make it eggs, again if you tolerate them. Eggs are a complete protein, they have omega 3’s and omega 6 & 9 fatty acids, they have all the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K, and all the B vitamins as well as choline, and many minerals. Much of these nutrients are found in the yolk and the protein is in the white. 3-5 pastured eggs each day can give you the minimum omega-3 fatty acids your body needs. They are also quite versatile. I’ve seen vital farms organic pastured eggs at Target for $7.99 and I can buy from my farmer, a pastured egg for $4.00. Even the battery caged eggs are high in nutrients. If you tolerate eggs, make them part of your diet.
Plant foods in general are THE source of fiber- you need around 30 grams of fiber each day and most people are getting only 15 or less. So up your plant intake. Plants are a source of water too, especially when eaten raw- think cucumbers and watermelon which are both hydrating and delicious. Go for a variety of colors, and eat as many different kinds as possible. The ones that are the darkest in color are the most nutrient dense options - kale, blueberries, black rice, purple potatoes or purple sweet potatoes. Fruits can be high in sugar and I found myself replacing my sugar habit of junk food to lots of fruits. We need to be mindful of how our veggies and fruits are grown. Many crops are sprayed heavily with chemicals. At a minimum go to EWG.org to get the list of the dirty dozen and the clean 15 each year so you can see which fruits and veggies you should prioritize to organic.
Nuts and seeds are great in small amounts. Remember I talked about their packaging in nature? They are a great source of fiber and fats. Different varieties offer different omega fatty acid profiles. Eat a variety and don’t eat a bunch at one time. Thyroid patients have been told to eat Brazil nuts for the selenium. These have a nice omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acid profile as well as being a great source of minerals. They can have high selenium levels but it is said it really depends on the soil where they were grown. They are not consistent enough to recommend for thyroid health in my opinion and if you eat a varied and balanced diet you are getting enough selenium.
Seeds are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which is a different form of omega 3 than is found in fish but is still good for you, especially chia and flax. They are high in minerals as well. Seeds like flax need to be bought whole and stored in the fridge and ground as you need them. They are delicate and their oil spoils easily when exposed to heat or light or air. Note that canola oil is made from the rape seed and is as delicate as flax. No seeds should have its oil extracted using heat or chemicals so make sure you source your seed oils from a place that does a cold process to extract their oils. These oils should never be cooked with.
Peanuts, while in the nut aisle at the grocery store are actually a bean and are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Peanut butter is not the devil as is touted by the Paleo world. They are a common allergen along with soybeans. Peanuts are said to be high in mold which creates something called an aflotoxin which affects some people. Buy organic peanut butter if you can and enjoy the heck out of it.
The Weston Price Foundation says soy is bad for you. Is it though? It is mostly genetically modified. It is said that it can affect estrogen levels due to its isoflavones. Historically it wasn’t consumed raw or as soy protein isolate which is found in a lot of protein bars. It was traditionally consumed as natto, miso, or bean curd or more to make it easier to digest. Natto has a ton of protein in it and is full of vitamins and minerals.
Grains are vilified by the Paleo community and they are not inherently bad. For thyroid patients, I do recommend avoiding gluten containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye but for most people in the world, grains are not bad for them and won’t cause damage to their thyroid. Wheat is a heavily sprayed crop with roundup both at the beginning and end of the growing cycle so if it isn’t organic, it is a problem. Grains provide some protein and can be a great addition to your diet.
The whole idea is that you consume a nutrient dense diet that you take some time to put some thought into. Get a wide variety of all whole foods and do the best you can with what you have.