Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets

18/5/2016
SevenThyroidDietSecrets
THYROID DISEASE
Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets

Share
Pin
Email
By Mary Shomon - Reviewed by a board-certied physician.

Updated April 28, 2016
Hypothyroidism Diagnosis
Cecile Lavabre/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images
The longer it takes you to get diagnosed with hypothyroidism, the more weight you
may end up gaining. While you're becoming hypothyroid, even before your TSH is
elevated enough to warrant treatment, your metabolism can slow down. This means
fewer calories burned each day, and even those few calories start to add up over time.
Since hypothyroidism can also make you tired and achy, you're also less likely to
exercise as much or as eectively, which can further reduce metabolism. And, when
we're tired, we sometimes eat -- especially carbohydrates -- to try to ght fatigue.
Three reasons why you need to become your own best advocate, and work with a
practitioner who understands the importance of early diagnosis.
WHAT TO DO? Read Could You Be Hypothyroid?
https://www.verywell.com/seventhyroiddietsecrets3233060
1/29
18/5/2016
2/29
18/5/2016
I Need How Much Exercise?
JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Getty Images
For many thyroid patients, calorie restriction simply isn't enough to trigger weight
loss. This is why popular "diet plans" that don't require exercise may not work for
us. To keep your metabolism ecient, or make it even more ecient, you absolutely
need exercise, because it helps burn calories and fat, it reduces insulin levels, it
raises resting metabolism, and helps combat imbalances in leptin, insulin, and
growth hormone. But if you want to lose weight, you're going to need to do more
3/29
18/5/2016
than the recommend 20 minutes, 3 times a week. According to experts, healthy

people of normal weight need 60 minutes of physical activity a day to maintain
weight and avoid excess gain. Meanwhile, half of us do less than 30 minutes of
moderate activity a day and only one in four is actually active for 30 minutes or
more. We have work to do.
WHAT TO DO? Get out there, and get moving!
4/29
18/5/2016
Hyperthyroidism Confusion
5/29
18/5/2016
JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Getty Images
Hyperthyroidism does not equal weight loss. In fact, a percentage of people who are
hyperthyroid actually gain weight. Why they do is not clear. It may be hunger is
causing excess calorie intake. Or the impaired endocrine system may be triggering
poor digestion, insulin resistance, or adrenaline resistance. But hyperthyroidism,
including being hyperthyroid due to taking too much thyroid medication, can
sometimes result in weight GAIN.
WHAT TO DO? Read Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism 101
6/29
18/5/2016
A Hidden Cause of Weight Gain
7/29
18/5/2016
Ion-Bogdan DUMITRESCU/Moment/Getty Images
Some of the drugs doctors give you to HELP thyroid-related symptoms and problems
can actually cause weight GAIN!
For example...
The antithyroid drug PTU
Beta blockers (often given for hyperthyroidism)
Steroid anti-inammatories (i.e., prednisone)
Estrogen and progesterone independently, or together as the "pill"
Certain antidepressants, especially Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft
Mood stabilizing and anticonvulsant drugs such as those given for bipolar
disorder, including lithium, valproate (Depakote) and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
WHAT TO DO?
If you're on one of these drugs and gaining weight, talk to your doctor about your
concerns, and to explore possible alternatives.
The RAI Connection
8/29
18/5/2016
SCIEPRO/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
Doctors who tell you that they can somehow calculate it and give you just the right
amount of RAI to make you neither hypothyroid nor hyperthyroid are not dealing
with reality. The truth is, most patients post-RAI become hypothyroid, and many
gain weight. Some studies have found that from more than half, to as many as 85%
of patients, gained weight after RAI, and there is a dramatic increase in obesity
among previously hyperthyroid patients who have had RAI therapy.
WHAT TO DO? Talk to your practitioner about other options, because radioactive
iodine is not the only treatment for hyperthyroidism.
If There's Only One Exercise You Do, This Should Be
It
9/29
18/5/2016
yellowdog/Cultura/Getty Images
If you have the energy or time to do only one type of exercise weightbearing/muscle building, or aerobics, which one should you choose? Well, ideally,
you should be doing both, but in my book The Thyroid Diet, I posed this question to
exercise expert Paige Waehner, who had this to say:
I would probably choose strength training. When you build lean muscle, you're
giving your body the ability to burn more calories even when you're not exercising.
A pound of fat only burns around 6-10 calories each day while a pound of muscle
can burn up to 60 calories per day. Adding more muscle means burning more
calories, period.
WHAT TO DO? Check out our section on Strength Training.
Water and Fiber
10/29
18/5/2016
Louise Morgan/Moment/Getty Images
You're probably not getting enough water. Water helps your metabolism work more
eciently. It can also help reduce appetite, eliminate water retention and bloating,
and improve elimination and digestion. We hear about the typical recommendation to
Advertisement
drink eight 8-ounce
glasses a day, but some experts say drink another 8-ounce
glasses for every 25 pounds of weight you need to lose. Philip Goglia, author of Turn
Up the Heat: Unlock the Fat-Burning Power of Your Metabolism, recommends you
drink one ounce of water per pound of scale weight -- this ends up being a great deal
MORE than the standard 64 ounces a day. If you're at a plateau, or weight loss is very
slow, it's worth a try.
You're also probably not getting enough ber. Getting a good amount of ber is one
of the basic tactics things you can do as a thyroid patient if you want to lose weight.
Fiber has so many benets for people with hypothyroidism who are trying to lose
weight, and it can come from food, supplements, or both.
WHAT TO DO?Read about some High Fiber Food Options, as well as nutrition expert
Advertisement
Shereen Lehman's article Drinking Water to Maintain Good Health.
THYROID DISEASE
10 Surprising Tips That Help Thyroid

Patients Lose Weight
11/29
18/5/2016
Share
Pin
Email
Trinette Reed/Blend Images/Getty Images

Updated August 18, 2015
Losing weight can be a frustrating process for many people with an underactive
thyroid. Whether you have hypothyroidism, or no thyroid after surgery or radioactive
iodine (RAI), there's no question that for many of us, the thyroid aects metabolism,
and makes weight loss an uphill battle. Here are 10 surprising tips that can help you
nally tackle your weight loss frustrations, and get on track.
12/29
18/5/2016
1. Make Sure Your Thyroid Treatment is Optimized

In terms of weight loss, relief of symptoms, and overall good health, for many
thyroid patients, it's not enough for your doctor to diagnose hypothyroidism, and
hand you a prescription. More than standard treatment, you may need optimal
treatment, to ensure that your cells are getting the oxygen and energy they need to
allow your metabolism to do its job.
What is optimal treatment? A number of physicians have shared their thoughts on
optimal hypothyroidism treatment, but here's a quick summary:
Typically, TSH is less than 2.0
13/29
18/5/2016
The Free T3 is in the top half of the reference range, or even the top 25th
percentile of the reference range
The Free T4 is in the top half of the reference range (unless you're on a T4/T3
medication, in which case it can sometimes be lower)
If your numbers aren't matching up, it's time to have a conversation with your
practitioner about optimal hypothyroidism treatment.
And if your doctor is only interested in getting you to the "normal" range, then it's
time for a new doctor.
2. Sleep!
One of the most important things that you can do is get enough sleep. If you want to
lose weight, experts women who sleep 5 hours or less per night generally weigh
more than women who sleep 7 hours per night.
14/29
18/5/2016
In fact, women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience
major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become
obese over the course of a 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 hours a
night.
So if weight loss is a challenge, get at least 7 hours a night.
You can learn more about the link between sleep and weight loss in this article.
3. Consider Going Gluten-Free

There is a link between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, and the development of
autoimmune conditions, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Some patients have
reported signicant weight loss when they shifted to a gluten-free diet.
To get started, you don't have to commit to a lifetime of gluten-free eating. Try
eating gluten-free for three months, and if you notice less bloating, more energy,
15/29
18/5/2016
and you lose some weight, this is a good sign that eliminating gluten is a helpful
weight loss approach for you.
4. Try Dierent Ways of Eating

There is no one "best thyroid diet." So if you've tried a commercial weight loss
program, and it doesn't work, try a dierent one.
16/29
18/5/2016
If you tried low-carb, and that doesn't work, try a Paleo approach. If you haven't
tried eliminating sugar, or dairy, give that a try.
I've heard from thyroid patients who have lost weight on low-carb, vegan,
vegetarian, Paleo, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and a variety of other
types of programs and plans. The key is to try dierent approaches, and when you
nd something that's working, stick with it!
5. Boost Your Metabolism

While hypothyroidism can slow the thyroid, proper treatment should help restore
metabolism to a more normal level. That said, some patients still notice a slowerthan-usual metabolism, even with optimal treatment.
The solution? Boost your metabolism! Exercise -- especially movement that builds
muscle, as well as sucient hydration, and eating food that has a high thermic eect
17/29
18/5/2016
can all help boost the metabolism. This article explains what you can do to get your
metabolism moving!
6. Check Fasting Glucose

It's important to make sure your fasting glucose (blood sugar) is not elevated.
Fasting levels above 90 may be a sign of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes, which
can make weight loss even more dicult. For very high levels, your doctor may
prescribe a type 2 diabetes drug like metformin. But for borderline levels, reducing
the sugar and carbohydrates in your diet, and following a healthy carbohydrate
controlled diet -- I like Dr. Ron Rosedale's "Rosedale Diet Plan" -- can lower blood
sugar, and help with weight loss.
7. Read and Learn

If you want a detailed understanding of the thyroid, metabolism, eect on weight,
and diet tips and guidelines, you may want to read my book Thyroid Diet Revolution.
I also recommend Dr. Sara Gottfried's book The Hormone Reset Diet.
8. Change WHEN You Eat

Some studies have shown that thyroid patients may not have weight loss success
when they follow the "mini-meal"/grazing all day approach to eating. Instead,
limiting eating to two or three meals per day, with no snacks, and no food after 8
p.m., may help stimulate fat-burning, and help regulate hunger hormones.
Another approach that may be eective is intermittent fasting, or time-restricted
eating. Learn more about intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating approaches.
9. Watch Thyroid-Unfriendly Foods

If you're trying to lose weight, you need to be careful not to overdo raw goitrogens
Advertisement
(cruciferous vegetables
like spinach, kale, cabbage, etc., that can slow your thyroid
down.) You also want to be careful about too much soy, which can block thyroid
absorption, and also slow the thyroid down.
Learn more about thyroid-unfriendly foods now.
10. Water and Fiber

It's especially important for thyroid patients to make sure you are drinking enough
water. Hydration helps metabolism, and also helps you get rid of toxins that get in
the way of weight loss.
18/29
18/5/2016
It's also crucial that you make sure your diet includes enough ber. Here is a list of
Advertisement
high-ber foods.
(But remember that the goitrogens need to be cooked or steamed so
they don't slow down your thyroid!)
THYROID DISEASE
Thyroid Patients: 30 Ways to Make Your

Diet Work
Share
Pin
Email
Pixabay/Mary Shomon

Updated April 26, 2016
If you are a thyroid patient, there is a good chance that you are struggling to lose
weight. The majority of people with thyroid conditions -- Hashimoto's and
hypothyroidism, Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer -- end up
permanently hypothyroid. Even after treatment, this can result in a lowered
metabolism, changes in the way you process carbohydrates and sugar, and fatigue
that keeps you from getting sucient exercise.
19/29
18/5/2016
As someone with a thyroid condition, if you are trying to lose weight -- or prevent
weight gain -- here are 30 ways you can optimize your diet in order to make your
20/29
18/5/2016
eorts more successful.
Make Generally Healthy Food Choices

Here are some general food choices that are healthy, and can help you achieve more
eective weight loss.
1. Use grass-fed organic meats, versus grain-fed, whenever possible. They tend to
have higher nutritional value, and fewer toxins.
2. Use organic, hormone free dairy products -- versus non-organic, hormone tainted
products -- whenever possible. They are less of a toxic challenge to your immune
system.
3. Incorporate more "good fat" like olive oil, avocado, and healthy nuts into your
diet. Good fat is lling, and may help you eat less overall calories. It also has antiinammatory properties.
4. When eating protein, choose healthier, lower fat protein sources - sh, lean cuts
of meat and poultry, and beans can be good choices,
5. Drink plenty of clean water. (Some experts recommend that you get at least 1/2 to 1
ounce of water for every pound of your goal weight, per day.)
6. Get more ber - ideally 25-30 mg a day. Fiber helps with fullness, and
digestion/elimination. (Read more about the benets of ber for thyroid patients, as
well as the highest ber foods, here.)
21/29
18/5/2016
Advertisement
Advertisement
Some Thyroid-Specic Ideas

Here are some considerations specic to thyroid patients.
7. Consider a gluten-free diet. Some thyroid patients report less bloating, reduced
aches and pains, reduced symptoms, and an improved ability to lose weight when
following a gluten-free diet. (In rare cases, if celiac disease is the trigger cause of
autoimmune thyroid disease, going gluten-free may also cause a remission of the
thyroid condition.)
8. Don't go overboard on soy. Soy foods may interfere with your ability to absorb
your thyroid medication, and may have a slowing eect on your thyroid. If you do eat
soy, it should be as a condiment, and ideally, in its fermented forms.
9. Be careful about Brazil nuts. They are a high source of selenium -- which is a
recommended supplement for autoimmune thyroid disease -- but more than one or
22/29
18/5/2016
two nuts a day can raise selenium to toxic levels. Also, cut out the Brazil nuts if you
are already taking selenium supplements.
Get Rid of Dietary Stressors

Some foods and ingredients cause stress on your digestive system, immune system,
and endocrine system.
23/29
18/5/2016
Advertisement
Advertisement
Here are some tips.

10. Minimize or eliminate rened sugars and high fructose corn syrup.
11. Minimize or sugar and sugary treats, including desserts.
12. Minimize or eliminate sweetened soft drinks
13. Eliminate articial sweeteners and diet drinks entirely. There is evidence that
they don't help with weight loss, and may contribute to weight gain.
14. If you have food allergies -- i.e., dairy, nuts, grains, etc. -- eliminate these foods
from your diet. Eating food allergens triggers increased inammation.
15. Minimize caeine. Too much caeine can be too stressful for the adrenal glands,
and can cause cortisol levels to increase - which can be counterproductive to your
weight loss eorts.
16. Don't drink excessive alcohol. It can increase appetite and reduce your ability to
24/29
18/5/2016
make good food decision.

Keep Blood Sugar From Spiking
When blood sugar goes up quickly and regularly, it can overwhelm your body's
hormonal ability to process glucose, contributing to an increased risk of pre-diabetes
and making weight loss more dicult.
17. Follow a carbohydrate-controlled, low-glycemic diet. One diet I've found helpful
is the Rosedale Diet. (Here is a list of the glycemic impact of various foods.)
18. Don't overdo simple carbohydrates and sugary foods at one meal.
19. Some nutritional experts recommend that you take several psyllium ber capsules
when you eat a low-ber food, in order to help minimize the glycemic impact of
those foods.
20. Movement expert Teresa Tapp recommends doing her trademark "hoe-down"
exercises after eating a high-glycemic food or meal. (You can learn how to do T-Tapp
Hoe-downs at this short Youtube video.
Don't Overdo Raw Goitrogenic Foods

Thyroid patients (except for those who have no thyroid gland) should be careful
about overdoing it with foods that are goitrogens. They can slow the thyroid, and
promote formation of a goiter (an enlarged thyroid.)
21. Cooking and steaming can help reduce the overall goitrogenic impact of these
foods, so be sure the majority of your goitrogens are not raw.
22. Be especially careful about raw juicing - some of the most popular ingredients are
also thyroid-slowing goitrogens, and juicing concentrates them in large quantities.
Here is a partial list of some common goitrogenic foods:
Bok choy
Broccoli
Broccolini
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliower
Collards
Daikon
Kale
Kohlrabi
Millet
25/29
18/5/2016
Peanuts
Rutabaga
Spinach
Turnips
Watercress
Here is a more detailed list of goitrogenic foods.
Change the Timing of Your Meals

Some experts feel that the mini-meal, "grazing all day" approach may be
counterproductive to weight loss for thyroid patients. The rationale? It never allows
enough time for the body to shift form fat-storing into fat-burning mode. To that
end, here are some tips:
23. Don't eat too much at any meal.
24. Eat two or three meals a day, and no snacks in between.
25. Avoid eating after 8 p.m.
26. Try for at least 10 to 12 hours between your dinner meal, and breakfast. This
encourages fat-burning.
Practice Mindfulness When Eating

When you are under stress when you eat, your body is not in a position to release the
right hunger, satiety, and fat-burning hormones. It also encourages higher levels of
the adrenal hormone cortisol, which encourages more eective fat storage, especially
in your abdominal area. Practicing mindfulness while eating can help improve your
sense of fullness, and lower your stress levels while eating.
27. Take three deep cleansing breaths before each meal and snack
28. Take a deep breath between bites
29. Eat slowly, and chew your food thoroughly.
30. Don't multitask while eating. That means, don't eat standing up, in your car,
while reading, watching TV, or while talking on the phone
Advertisement
Here are some additional tips from nutritional expert and author Marc David.
MORE WEIGHT LOSS HELP FOR THYROID PATIENTS...

Losing Weight with Hypothyroidism
26/29
18/5/2016
Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets - Thyroid Disease

Help! I'm a Thyroid Patient Who Can't Lose Weight!
Do You Need to Increase Metabolism?
10 Things to Know About Thyroid Disease, Foods and Drinks
Advertisement
What is the Best Thyroid Diet?
CONTINUE READING
ARTICLE
ARTICLE
10 Ways Your Diet is Aecting Your

Thyroid
How to Lose Weight by Boosting a

Slow Metabolism
ARTICLE
ARTICLE
Fiber: The Role in Weight Loss for

Thyroid Patients
Help for Thyroid Patients Who Can't

Lose Weight
ARTICLE
ARTICLE
Metabolism Math: What and When

to Eat to Lose Weight
How Your Thyroid Problems Can

Aect Weight Loss
27/29
18/5/2016
ARTICLE
12 Ways Thyroid Patients Can Boost

Their Metabolism
AN ABOUT.COM BRAND
Get Healthier
Enter Your Email
SIGN UP
Follow Us
Conditions
About Us
Advertise
Living Well
Privacy Policy
Write for Us
Family
Careers
Contact
Health Care
Terms of Use
2016 About.com All rights reserved.
28/29
18/5/2016
29/29

Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

18/5/2016

Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets

By Mary Shomon - Reviewed by a board-certied physician.

Cecile Lavabre/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images

I Need How Much Exercise?

JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Getty Images

than the recommend 20 minutes, 3 times a week. According to experts, healthy

JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Getty Images

A Hidden Cause of Weight Gain

Ion-Bogdan DUMITRESCU/Moment/Getty Images

The RAI Connection

SCIEPRO/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

If There's Only One Exercise You Do, This Should Be

Water and Fiber

Louise Morgan/Moment/Getty Images

Shereen Lehman's article Drinking Water to Maintain Good Health.

10 Surprising Tips That Help Thyroid

Trinette Reed/Blend Images/Getty Images

By Mary Shomon - Reviewed by a board-certied physician.

1. Make Sure Your Thyroid Treatment is Optimized

3. Consider Going Gluten-Free

4. Try Dierent Ways of Eating

5. Boost Your Metabolism

6. Check Fasting Glucose

7. Read and Learn

8. Change WHEN You Eat

9. Watch Thyroid-Unfriendly Foods

10. Water and Fiber

they don't slow down your thyroid!)

Thyroid Patients: 30 Ways to Make Your

By Mary Shomon - Reviewed by a board-certied physician.

eorts more successful.

Make Generally Healthy Food Choices

Some Thyroid-Specic Ideas

Get Rid of Dietary Stressors

Here are some tips.

make good food decision.

Don't Overdo Raw Goitrogenic Foods

Change the Timing of Your Meals

Practice Mindfulness When Eating

MORE WEIGHT LOSS HELP FOR THYROID PATIENTS...

Seven Thyroid Diet Secrets - Thyroid Disease

What is the Best Thyroid Diet?

10 Ways Your Diet is Aecting Your

How to Lose Weight by Boosting a

Fiber: The Role in Weight Loss for

Help for Thyroid Patients Who Can't

Metabolism Math: What and When

How Your Thyroid Problems Can

12 Ways Thyroid Patients Can Boost

2016 About.com All rights reserved.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi