Foods To Avoid With Hypothyroidism

Remember those days when you would stay up until three or four in the morning, partying with your friends? You’d catch a couple of hours of sleep and still make it to your next class – or work. Maybe you’d spend the next day shopping with the girls, or hanging with the guys. You never seemed to run out of energy.

Occasionally though, you’d wake up on any given morning feeling like someone removed all the bones from your body, some farm animal seemed to have relieved themselves in your mouth and your head felt ten times its normal size. You have absolutely no energy, and you can’t even blame it on having a good time last night. How sad it that? This is pretty much what hypothyroidism is like.

If you’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, chances are you’re taking a medication which you will have to continue for the rest of your life. If that’s not depressing enough, when dealing with low thyroid, foods to avoid with hypothyroidism start to become an important issue. You most likely are struggling with weight problems to start with, and to further confuse the situation, now you have to watch out for goitrogenic foods. Life certainly is not fair.

Before you let the term “goitrogenic foods” scare you, it simply means foods that interfere with the thyroid function. This list of foods containing goitrogens might actually be the best news vegetable-haters will receive all day. Yes, there are certain types of vegetables that have been touted all your life as healthy for you, but if you have hypothyroidism, these foods can actually have a negative effect on your health. Who knew? Check out this list –

• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Mustard
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Spinach
• Turnips

Not only that, but soy-based foods are to be avoided if you have hypothyroidism, to include tofu and peanuts. While you might be a little upset about the peanuts, it’s likely you’re not going to be too sad about missing out on tofu treats. Stay away from peaches, strawberries and millet, too.

Before you get too carried away and throw a vegetable-free party or call your mother to tell her she was wrong about spinach, research suggests it is the raw form of these foods which presents a problem for hypothyroid sufferers. Cooking seems to negate the thyroid-suppressing properties, so conceivably you can still incorporate them into your diet. Studies also show an amount below 2-4 cups of raw vegetables from this list do not have a negative effect, so you can consume them in small quantities. If you really want to. Or, you can just tell your mother, sorry, no can do. Thyroid problem, you know.

Of all the foods on the list, soy is probably the biggest problem to avoid. It is in packaged foods and may appear in forms which are difficult to identify, not just in tofu. However, the goal is to limit the amount you ingest, not to eliminate it completely. Hurray! You can still eat tofu if you really want it, just not in large amounts.

When dealing with hypothyroidism, it is not enough to just take your pill and hope for the best. You really do have to make some changes in your lifestyle and dietary choices, but it’s worth it when you wake up in the morning and actually feel human, like you could accomplish something today. If that means NOT eating your vegetables, well, you have to do what you have to do. Your mother will just have to get over it.

The Debate Concerning Hypothyroidism Diets

There are few other conditions in which you will encounter such passionate debate than with a hypothyroidism diet. There are those who contend diet has no effect on the condition, those who take the opposite stance and passionately defend their dietary choices, and still others who believe while some hypothyroidism diets don’t hurt, they can harm you and cause more problems than they solve. Some people even claim that hypothyroidism can be cured through diet alone.

A Hypothyroidism Diet Is No Cure For Hypothyroidism

Unfortunately, contrary to what you might read on the Internet, there is no cure for hypothyroidism. The very definition of hypothyroidism is the inability of the thyroid to produce the hormones necessary for the body’s metabolism. Some hypothyroidism is caused by aging, some by surgery and yet other cases due to illness or radiation treatments for illness. Once your thyroid is damaged, removed or just plain stops working because it’s tired and worn out, you have a problem that can’t be “cured”.

The Truth About Dealing With Hypothyroidism

The way to deal with hypothyroidism is to manage the symptoms by supporting thyroid health and function, if you still have one, and to take the medication prescribed by your physician as it is prescribed. This is important, because the only way to replace the hormone made by the thyroid is through medication. That’s not to say diet and supplements don’t play a significant role in managing this condition – it certainly does. By making dietary changes, changing certain lifestyle behaviors and adding certain supplements, you might not have to take more than a minimal dose of medication.

Today, everyone wants a fast answer, a magic bullet to make things better. However, managing an underactive thyroid takes effort. Stabilizing thyroid levels is a tricky business, and it might take some experimentation in order to find an option that works for you. The trick is to keep an open mind and to be patient.

Dietary Suggestions For Hypothyroidism Diets

Changing your diet won’t cure a sluggish thyroid, but it can go a long way toward making you feel better and combating the worst of the symptoms, including weight gain, fatigue and joint pain. Here are some suggestions on foods that encourage and support thyroid function:

• Cold-water fish: High in omega-3 fatty acids which promotes thyroid health, cold-water fish includes salmon, albacore tuna, herring, lake trout and flounder. These are also heart-healthy protein choices and good for weight management.
• Fruits and vegetables: The antioxidants in berries, citrus fruits and winter squash are great for the entire body, including the thyroid. But, not all vegetables are good for this picky little gland. Expert nutritionists say the following foods can actually have a detrimental effect on thyroid function: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and leafy greens. All other vegetables should make up a good portion of your diet.
• Whole grains: Since constipation is often a symptom of hypothyroidism, adding whole grains such as steel cut oats, brown rice, pearled barley and air-popped popcorn should help with this as well as stabilizing blood sugar levels and helping control the appetite.
• Plant-based fats: Delicious additions to your diet that provide more of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and necessary nutrients not found in other foods are avocados, flaxseed, walnuts and other nuts or seeds, and olive oil.

It is also recommended to increase your water intake to approximately eight glasses a day to keep properly hydrated. Those who don’t like water (and there’s more people than you may think!) might find it easier to drink it through a straw or fill a glass with crushed ice to make it as cold as possible.

One of the other benefits of changing your diet to accommodate a low-functioning thyroid is it may also help you control your appetite and propensity of gaining weight which is one of the most devastating issues with thyroid problems. Either way, taking care of your thyroid health through diet can be a good decision for your entire body, and that makes it a win/win situation.

Hypothyroidism, Hypothyroidism Diets and Weight Loss

Hypothyroidism is a disease or condition that affects the endocrine system of your body. Your endocrine system is a system of glands that release certain hormones that regulate other various bodily systems. The glands of the endocrine system release their hormones directly into your bloodstream. Understanding hypothyroidism and how it affects you body is necessary before you can even consider a hypothyroidism diet.

Generally speaking, hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormones (TSH, T3 or T4) to maintain your body’s metabolism at a normal level and is not life threatening unless left untreated.

The effect of this is a continuous reduction of the body’s ability to maintain energy levels and properly maintain certain bodily systems, namely the ability to convert food into energy causing your unexplained weight gain. Other hypothyroidism symptoms include feeling fatigued and tired, muscle aches and pains and forgetfulness…

What was I saying? Oh, right, symptoms of hypothyroidism. I’m being cute but it’s not funny for us who have to live with this disease. I’m always forgetting one thing or another from time to time. Thankfully, I now know the cause of my forgetfulness is due to my thyroid, not to mention the weight gain, the hair loss and brittle nails that I was experiencing.

After being diagnosed with hypothyroidism you will finally come to understand why you have been feeling the way you have. By starting on a thyroid treatment therapy program you will start to feel like your old self again. You may not relish the thought of being diagnosed with hypothyroid disease but once your thyroid levels are gotten under control you will start to feel better, sometimes pretty quickly.

For the majority of us with hypothyroidism the treatment will be in the form of some prescription thyroid medication. For example, the medication Synthroid (generic name is Levothyroxine), a thyroid hormone, is widely used to manage hypothyroidism and is available by prescription.

But, often we see hypothyroidism diet information making promises of cures for hypothyroidism, managing your hypothyroidism through diet or managing your hypothyroidism using some natural over the counter remedy. There’s much more to a hypothyroid diet than that. Not to mention that some of these claims for hypothyroidism cures are suspect at best and it really depends on your personal circumstances.

The truth about these hypothyroidism diet myths is that in most cases you can’t cure hypothyroidism. Curing your hypothyroidism through diet is highly dependent on what is causing your underactive thyroid disease or hypothyroidism to begin with.

For instance if you have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and autoimmune disease, or thyroid cancer, by the time your symptoms appear and you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism; irreversible damage is already done to your thyroid by these diseases. You aren’t going to cure your thyroid disease with a hypothyroid diet in these cases and your thyroid hormone production isn’t going to just happen to increase by consuming some herb or home remedy found in a hypothyroidism diet. I really wish you could cure hypothyroidism with diet.

In general hypothyroidism doesn’t work this way. There are situations where your low thyroid output is reversible but this is rare. For the majority of us we’re just going to have to deal with this condition for the rest of our lives.

This is because some part, if not all, of your thyroid gland is permanently non-functional and unless you get your thyroid hormone levels under control through proper medical treatment and some type of thyroid hormone replacement therapy, your metabolism is going to continue to spiral down and will increasingly reduce the effect of any hypothyroid diet should you be trying to lose any weight.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a diet for hypothyroidism on this earth that will bring your thyroid back to life. Thyroid hormone replacement is now necessary. I’ve never heard of any medical discovery of any diet foods that contain the thyroid hormone that your body needs.

In essence this simply means that you shouldn’t entertain the notion that a diet for hypothyroidism will exclude your need for proper thyroid medication. The two could be and should be included together in your everyday life for the rest of your life.

Managing Your Hypothyroidism Through Diet

So let’s look at the perception of a Hypothyroidism Diet through a more realistic point of view. The first thing we need to understand is what a low thyroid diet means to you and why you should be on one to begin with.

We’ve already addressed the notion of curing hypothyroidism with a diet so that’s not a realistic concern. How about losing weight or hypothyroid symptom relief?

Now, these are realistic goals that can be addressed with a diet for people with hypothyroidism. Let’s address the first goal first, relieving hypothyroidism symptoms.

Hypothyroidism presents many different symptoms that can be experienced by the person suffering from hypothyroidism. Being sure to properly take your medication on a daily basis can relieve some of these symptoms. While other symptoms can be managed through lifestyle changes you can make for yourself at home.

Relief of these symptoms can be found through proper diet, regular exercise and weight loss. Examples of these symptoms are constipation, fatigue, weight gain and stiff joints and muscles. In one way or another, these symptoms of hypothyroidism all go hand in hand and can sometimes feed each other. Constipation can cause fatigue, constipation and fatigue can cause weight gain and weight gain can definitely cause issues with stiffer muscles and joint pain not to mention it can put more undue stress on your entire system.

The big revelation is that relieving these hypothyroid symptoms requires

1. Medical attention from your doctor or endocrinologist through blood tests and monitoring.

2. Thyroid medication regulation by taking your meds daily and properly.

3. Eating a properly balanced diet with the inclusion of plenty of water, fiber, fruits and vegetables.

4. Regular exercise that includes both cardio and weight training. Building muscle is a great way to feel better and improve your metabolism and burn fat.

These are the foundation of any Hypothyroidism Diet regardless of your goals. Now, let’s address the second goal, hypothyroidism weight loss.

Hypothyroidism Diet Basics

The funny thing is, the same things that help with relieving you hypothyroidism symptoms are pretty much that same as if you were trying to lose or maintain your weight with some subtle differences.

There are only a few basic things that create a difference between a hypothyroidism diet plan for weight loss and a basic good nutritional diet plan with the same goal in mind. The differences are the few foods that you should avoid and/or monitor your intake of and scheduling your eating times around the time of day that you take your medication. But other than that a lot of the same rules still apply.

Following is a list of things that should be monitored or avoided altogether while on a hypothyroidism diet:

Soy – is one of those hypothyroidism foods to avoid that you cannot totally avoid soy because traces of it are found in almost everything on the market but you can and should avoid making soy the main source of nutrition in your diet. Soy is an enemy of an underactive thyroid. For information about Goitrogenic foods, See “What are Goitrogens?”.

Iodine – in your diet iodine can be tricky as well, because too much or too little iodine can be harmful to thyroid health. There are many thyroid supplements out on the market today and iodine supplements represent a large part of that market. It is a hotly debated subject as to whether you should or shouldn’t take an iodine supplement so all I’ll say is that you should determine with a blood test whether you have an iodine deficiency prior to taking an iodine supplement. Too much of a good thing can still be bad.

Watching soy and iodine consumption are two areas where a hypothyroidism diet would differ from a normal nutritional daily diet but for the most part a hypothyroidism diet is about implementing healthy, nutritious eating habits in addition to proper medical treatment by your health care provider or endocrinologist.

Once you have your thyroid hormones regulated you can do just about the same things to help you lose weight that anybody with a normal thyroid could do to lose, maintain or even gain weight. It depends on your eating and exercise habits.

By developing some good, healthy eating habits that includes eating smaller and more frequent meals to boost metabolism in conjunction with a regular exercise routine of at least 3 days every week and maybe some yoga thrown into the mix will go a long way to making your life with hypothyroidism a happy and healthy one.

At the end of the day, there are many factors that can affect your thyroid and can determine how successful you will be on a hypothyroid diet. The first step is education. Once educated about this disease the next step is to get your thyroid regulated. Once this is accomplished you will see your chances of being successful with a hypothyroidism diet increase dramatically.

Just make sure you set healthy and realistic goals for managing your hypothyroidism and engaging in a hypothyroidism diet.

Hypothyroidism and Constipation Symptom

Constipation, one of the many symptoms of Hypothyroidism is never a pleasant topic of conversation but as with the other symptoms of Hypothyroidism and constipation is definitely a necessary topic of discussion.

Before we get into why people who live with Hypothyroidism get constipated we should have a basic idea of how the upper and lower intestines function during the digestive process. This post will focus more on the lower intestines then on the upper intestine because that’s where constipation takes place.

Hypothyroidism and Constipation – Digestion and the Need for Fiber and Water

Both the initial and majority of the break down of the foods that we eat begins in the upper or small intestine. During digestion the upper intestine is responsible for breaking down foods enough to pass through the intestinal track while absorbing nutrients necessary for our bodies to function.

By the time digestions reaches the end of the small intestine, known as the ileum, what remains of the food that we have eaten is sodium and chloride, water and waste (unused portions of food, fiber and dead cells from inside of your stomach) The ileum absorbs water, sodium and chloride back into the body before passing the waste on for elimination.

There are a couple of things to take a look at here if your constipation is a result of having an underactive thyroid.

The first is the importance of high fiber combined with including plenty of water into your diet on a daily basis. This is important for all people and not just people who suffer from hypothyroidism. Although fiber is discarded as waste the reason why fiber and water are important to your digestion is that fiber acts like a sponge and absorbs water.

Sometimes the ileum can absorb too much water from what remains of your food causing your stools to become hard and difficult to pass. The fiber that passes through your digestive track holds on to the water that it absorbs and creates that balance that the body needs that helps to insure softer stools.

Exercise and Constipation

The next is exercise. Digestion requires healthy muscle movement throughout the digestive track. When you suffer from hypothyroidism muscles slow down, everything slows down, your blood pumps slower. The main reason for the need to exercise is for the purpose of keeping your blood pumping and maintaining strong healthy muscles. It’s pretty much common sense. It’s also as easy as getting up and going for a 30-40 minute walk each day especially after dinner. Keep moving no matter how fatigued you are.

Hemorrhoids and Constipation

Another issue is that hemorrhoids could be a result of constipation and in turn causing more constipation. Talk about one hand washing the other. Exercise, fiber and water are key to helping in this area. Softer stools eliminate hemorrhoids and constipation.

Hypothyroidism and Constipation Points to Remember

• Remember always, always make sure that you are properly taking your thyroid medication as directed by your medical professional.
• Make sure that you see your doctor on a regular basis.
• Make sure that you are tracking your symptoms and discussing the things that you notice with your doctor at all appointments especially if your constipation is chronic.
• Treatment may be as simple as temporarily needing a stool softener or a hemorrhoid treatment combined with making simple adjustments to your diet and exercise routine.
• Consult a doctor if you start to become dependent on stool softeners and hemorrhoid treatment.
• If you are doing everything right and still suffer from constipation then it could be something unrelated to your hypothyroidism causing your issue.

Hormonal Changes

One last note or reason for the need to discuss the details of this symptom of hypothyroidism with your doctor is that hormonal changes brought about by an underactive thyroid can cause constipation. Your doctor will check your different thyroid hormone levels to make sure that you have proper T3, T4 and TSH levels in your system.

Remember keeping your digestion process healthy can eliminate unexplained fatigue, and the affect of Hypothyroidism and Constipation.

Hypothyroidism and Weight Gain – Life’s Too Fast:

In today’s fast paced society we tend to survive by eating on the go, not paying much attention to the things that we are putting into our bodies or how it will affect our system in the long run. This practice is not only bad for everybody in general but it’s even worse for individuals who suffer from hypothyroidism and weight gain like us.

A hypothyroid diet needs to be controlled and ongoing. It needs to become a way of life that requires awareness of how you live. It may also require minor changes to your lifestyle and slight adjustments to the way that you eat if weight loss is to be obtained for someone with a sluggish thyroid.

One of the first things that you should become aware of is the food that you are eating and what that food contains. So many of the foods that you put into your body is full of toxins that can slowly destroy your thyroid. This in turn affects our metabolism causing hypothyroidism and weight gain.

You will be healthier in the long run if you stop and consider that it’s probably a bad idea to satisfy your hunger with a muffin or a donut that you grabbed while on the go. A far better idea would be to research ahead of time easy to grab foods that are just as easy to grab and as satisfying to eat. Take bananas for example. Bananas are a good source of iodine and iodine is a key element that the thyroid gland uses to produce the thyroid hormones which regulate your metabolism.

Hypothyroidism and Weight Gain – Making Healthy Choices:

So what is a good hypothyroidism diet? Like with any other diet, a hypothyroidism diet is a healthy balance of what the body needs to properly function. As is the case with hypothyroidism it would be the increase of iodine enriched foods coupled with a decreased intake of foods that contain goitrogens that will aid in reducing the symptoms of this particular thyroid condition.

Good foods to include in your diet plans for hypothyroidism are spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, asparagus, bananas, carrots, eggs, garlic, kelp, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, peas, squash, lima beans, radishes, low fat yogurt and seafood because these are foods that can replace the iodine in your body that has been diminished by goitrogens. You may have noticed that some of these foods, such as spinach, are actually on the list of foods containing goitrogens but the amount of iodine contained in them is enough to counteract the goitrogenic effects. This is especially true if the foods are “ground” grown versus “water” grown. Ground grown foods have higher levels of iodine due to its absorption of it from the soil.

You also should avoid excess consumption of the following: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peanuts, pears, pine nuts, soybeans, kale, mustard, peaches and turnips. The chlorine that’s in our drinking water and white table salt are some foods that also deplete or interfere with the iodine in our bodies. It would be far better to switch to sea salt and bottled or filtered water.

Only the Right Amount of Iodine:

That being said I also wouldn’t suggest a diet of total iodine consumption because your body needs to maintain a healthy balance of many elements in order to function. The idea when putting together your diet plans for hypothyroidism is to be able to regulate the iodine levels that are being depleted by the goitrogens that are found in other common diet foods that can actually contribute to hypothyroidism and weight gain.

By decreasing your consumption of foods that contain goitrogens and increasing consumption of iodine enriched foods you should eventually be able to strike a balance that will help you to achieve your hypothyroid weight loss goals making hypothyroidism and weight gain a thing of the past.

Hypothyroidism Bloating

Losing weight with hypothyroidism can be a long and winding road to follow. But, there are little tips and tricks that can help you feel better and maybe fit into those shorts that you wore last year. One of those tips is how to handle hypothyroidism bloating.

You know that feeling. Your lower abdomen is distended and feels puffy. Your pants start to feel tighter for no apparent reason. First let’s discuss what bloat is. Bloat is the inflammation and unwanted retention of water in your lower intestines. So, how do you deal with the “Bloat”?

There are a number of ways to combat hypothyroidism bloating. First and foremost you want to up your water intake. Yes, I know that this sounds counter intuitive but by taking in more water you will trick you body into thinking that it doesn’t need to store water since it’s getting an abundant supply. Also, by drinking more water you’re able to flush the toxins out of your system that is causing the inflammation in your bowels.

And speaking of flushing your bowels you will need to up your fiber intake. By adding both soluble and insoluble fiber you enable your body to retain more of the water that you drink to end up in the intestines where it will do the most good. There are plenty of natural sources of fiber but if you need to you can always use a good dietary supplement. This tip has another benefit also. People with hypothyroidism suffer from constipation on a regular basis. This will help not only with the bloating but also with this often aggravating symptom of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism Bloating and Colon Health

In keeping with good bowel health you should add some from of a probiotic into your system. Yogurt can be one of the best ways to get these kinds of good compounds into your system. Make sure that you find a brand that has not only active yogurt cultures but specifically mentions the addition of probiotics. These will help to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria or flora in your digestive system. This can be especially important if you just have finished a course of anti-biotics. Antibiotics are notorious for killing off the good bacteria in your system.

There are certain foods that can cause inflammation of the digestive track and subsequent bloating and one of these culprits are sugar substitutes such as the ones found in diet sodas. Some sugar substitutes can aggravate your digestive track causing it to become inflamed and swollen. So, in this case it may be necessary to switch back to regular soda or even better avoid it entirely. Water is always the best alternative.

Last but not least, lower your salt intake. Sodium’s effect on your body causes it to retain water. By reducing your sodium intake not only are you doing your heart a favor you will also be able to flush water from you system more readily.

Give these tips a try. You may not lose a ton of weight but you will look and feel better and whether of not you are suffering from hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism bloating you have to agree that this is a good thing.

Coconut Oil Hypothyroid

It goes against everything that you think you know about losing weight on a coconut oil hypothyroidism diet or any diet for that matter, eat saturated fat to lose weight.

But not just any saturated fat will do. You must eat the right kinds of fats and fatty acids and virgin coconut oil fits the bill.

Why is Coconut Oil for Hypothyroid so special?

Well, virgin coconut oil is a saturated fat that is mainly composed of medium chain fatty acids. The fatty acids in the oil are known as MCTs or medium chain triglycerides. These medium chain fatty acids can increase your metabolism, raise your basal body temperature and promote weight loss and increase energy.

The implications of these health benefits for those of you suffering from a low thyroid is tremendous. It means that there are more natural ways to maintaining your thyroid. It also means that as you supplement your diet with virgin coconut oil you can increase thyroid function and your chance of losing weight while on your “hypothyroidism” diet.

How is Virgin Coconut Oil Produced?

Coconuts thrive in most tropical areas such as the Philippines where a lot of coconut oil is produced. Virgin coconut oil is made or processed from the meat of fresh coconuts. The process can include a quick drying and then pressing the oil out of the meat of the coconut. Another method would be wet milling where the coconut oil is then later separated from the coconut milk. Cold pressed coconut oil is oil that has been processed with the addition of very little heat.

Virgin Coconut Oil Hypothyroid

So, how does virgin coconut oil help with your hypothyroidism weight loss diet? To answer this we must understand what coconut oil is made up of and how this affects the body. As I mentioned earlier coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat, over 90%. But of this 90%, over 60% are the medium chain triglycerides mentioned of which the majority, over 50%, is Lauric acid. Lauric acid is an essential fatty acid that is utilized by your body to build and maintain your immune system. All in all having a positive effect on the thyroid gland.

Other Essential Fatty Acids

There are a couple of other no less important fatty acids present in virgin coconut oil that help maintain a healthy body. Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fat that is has been a staple of the weight loss industry and is typically sold as a supplement know as CLA or conjugated linoleic acid. Usually sold in softgel capsule form this “good” fat has been shown to promote body fat reduction in several clinical studies.

The other compound is Oleic acid which is an omega-9 fatty acid. Just like in virgin coconut oil this acid is also the main compound present in extra-virgin olive oil, another good oil to promote healthy eating. This acid has been shown to raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels while lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

I hope that you can see why virgin coconut oil is heavy hitter when it comes to helping you to become more healthy. Its beneficial effects on metabolism, cholesterol and weight loss should make this food a staple for any hypothyroidism diet.

What are Goitrogens?

Goitrogens. The very term sounds alien. What are goitrogens and what does it mean to you?

Goitrogens are compounds that, if ingested, can interfere with the absorption of iodine into your body and can result in the enlargement of your thyroid gland. This, as you know, is not very good for the sufferer of hypothyroidism. It has been suggested that iodine deficiency has been linked to hypothyroidism and mental retardation in children.

For those of you who suffer from hypothyroidism ingesting goitrogens is counter productive to what your trying to accomplish through hormone therapy not to mention the stimulation of your metabolism. You want to try to induce your thyroid and metabolism to work within normal ranges, not the other way around and these compounds will have this effect.

Where do you get Goitrogens?

There are several ways in which you can get these compounds into your system but the most common way is through the foods that we eat.

Some of the more common foods that contain these goitrogenic compounds are soy beans or any soy related products such as tofu, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, peaches, pears, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, Kale, canola and canola oils, mustard greens, turnips and rutabagas. Although with broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and collard greans you can cook the bulk of the goitrogens out of the vegetables. In other words don’t consume them raw.

When you eat these foods they interfere with and have a negative effect on your thyroid. When eating for hypothyroidism or on a hypothyroidism diet it is recommended that you eat foods rich in iodine as iodine in proper amounts contribute to good thyroid health. Seafood is one of the best natural sources of iodine as well as kelp and seaweed. I don’t know anyone personally who actually eats kelp and seaweed, except when eating sushi, but there are some supplements available that derive their iodine from kelp. However you should always consult an endocrinologist before using kelp pills as kelp pills can provide you with too much iodine causing other issues with your thyroid.

But, if you are trying to eat iodine rich food as well as these goitrogenic foods it will have a nullifying effect and you won’t get the benefits from these thyroid stimulating foods. So, eat these goods foods rich in iodine and limit those goitrogens.

What does a Hypothyroidism Diet Mean to You?

A hypothyroidism diet can mean many things to a lot of people. Some people might think of it as a means for them to lose weight. Others may think of diet for hypothyroidism as a way to maintain the weight they have and hopefully to not gain any more. While still others don’t even bother maintaining a proper diet thinking that losing weight with hypothyroidism is the holy grail of weight loss and that it doesn’t really exist. I hope this last one doesn’t describe you.

If you’re suffering from low thyroid function this question can mean a lot of things to you. What group do you fall into? What does a diet for hypothyroidism mean to you?

Hopefully you fall somewhere in the middle. It’s a positive goal to want to lose weight. Millions of people everyday work towards this goal. It’s good to want to be healthy and fit. But, when your thyroid is under producing your chances realistically decline. So, is that the end of it?

Absolutely not!

Implementing a Hypothyroidism Diet

First and foremost, you goal should be to become the healthiest you that you can be. Whatever that means to you. It could mean getting into shape so that you reduce your blood pressure, resting heart rate and stress. Or, it could mean getting your triglycerides and cholesterol down. It could even mean getting your muscles stronger so you can enjoy some activity that you like to do. It should at least mean getting your thyroid levels regulated.

But, it doesn’t have to mean that you lose a whole lot of weight. Unless of course you’re so overweight that it is dangerous for your system.

You should keep your goals realistic. You should realize that for you to be able to maintain your weight or sustain any kind of weight loss you must get your hormones regulated. This typically means getting a prescription for a synthetic thyroid hormone.

By getting your thyroid levels regulated you give your body the fighting chance it needs to stay healthy and even possibly lose weight on a hypothyroidism diet. But don’t make this your only priority. Unregulated thyroid levels can reek havoc on the body over the long term.

Next, since you have hypothyroidism, you should be looking at what foods are good for you to eat and which ones to steer clear from. There are also others that you can have in moderation. Essentially you stay away from most foods that are what they call Goitrogens. These are foods that interfere with the body’s absorption of iodine and as a result suppresses how your thyroid functions. These include raw broccoli, anything soy, peanuts, raw spinach and Brussels sprouts. Just to name a few.

So, I’ll ask you again. What does it mean to be on a hypothyroid diet? Hopefully, at least part of the answer is to be a more healthier you. Good luck with your hypothyroidism diet goals!

Why You Should Never Give up on Your Hypothyroid Diet

Have you been dieting and exercising but the weight isn’t coming off? Have you been faithful to your hypothyroid diet but nothing is working? Are you thinking of giving up?

Before you quit read this post.

When this article was written, the Today Show had Mom, CEO and super model Kathy Ireland talking about her new book “Real Solutions for Busy Moms”. During the segment it came up that Kathy had gained 25 pounds over the course of time because of being too busy to take care of herself the right way.

Now, she didn’t go into detail as to how she lost the weight, nor do I think she suffers from an underactive thyroid, but something she said did resonate with me and it should be a good message for you to get. Especially if you’re thinking of quitting your hypothyroid diet plan or worse you stop taking your thyroid hormones.

What she said is that besides the way she looked, it had occurred to her, “What she was doing to herself on the inside?” What were her protein and triglyceride levels in her system? What was she doing to her body by not taking care of it?

You should be asking yourself not “is this worth it, I’m not losing any weight on my hypothyroid diet, why bother” but what the cost of not eating healthy and exercising is doing to your system on the inside. First of all, you can lose the weight. In all likelihood it’s just going to take you longer to achieve your goals. But, in addition to this, the goal for your hypothyroid diet should also be to maintain a healthy system by keeping your triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the normal ranges, building muscle that’s going to burn fat and most of all by maintaining your thyroid hormone levels.

To Lose Weight on a Hypothyroid Diet Should Not be Your Only Concern

Please don’t let hypothyroidism become a springboard for other diseases and conditions. Heart disease, various kinds of cancers and diabetes become real possibilities if you don’t take care of yourself. This is even more true if you lose your enthusiasm for being healthy because of hypothyroid symptoms.

The problem stems from a society that promotes beauty in unhealthy way by rewarding us for when we look like or strive to look like super models and condemning us when we don’t. My sister-in-law knows about this first hand. She is overweight and she has heart trouble. She was the victim of depression eating but she’s on the mend both mentally and physically.

The reason I mention her is that just a week or so ago when she was in the supermarket parking lot, she had used one of the motorized baskets to get her goods to the car. While she was packing her stuff into her car some “lovely human being” commented in a not too nice a fashion that “if she wasn’t so fat she wouldn’t need to use the cart to carry her groceries to the car”. Oh my God! I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. I couldn’t believe that there are such uncaring and insensitive people out there and who are brazen enough to act like this guy did. But they are out there. She took it in stride so don’t worry about her.

The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t worry about what society thinks about you or how you look. You should only be concerned about how you feel and how healthy you are. Your goal should be not only to lose some of the unwanted weight but also to become the healthiest person that you can be. The message that I’m trying to send is that you shouldn’t give up on your hypothyroid diet and more importantly don’t give up on yourself.