I started changing my lifestyle when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. Unfortunately, I needed an excuse to get healthy. It’s not the excuse I would have chosen, but begger’s can’t be choosers (as the saying goes).

Now, I look forward, not back. None of us can change the past, it’s not worth looking back and saying, “what if?” So, I started monitoring my temperature while starting a body cleanse and changing my diet. Today we look at some of the foods it was necessary to give up in order to heal.

I Had a Gut Feeling

One thing I learned as I progressed on my quest to heal my thyroid is food matters. It matters because, what you put in your mouth takes a trip through your gut, before exiting the body. If you have ever heard of “leaky gut” you’ll know what I’m talking about.

If you don’t know what leaky gut is, let me try to explain. You could be confused by the term leaky gut because it relates to your intestinal lining. It is said you have leaky gut if the intentional lining no longer functions properly. The defective lining allows toxins bacteria, viruses, parasites and partially digested food to pass through into your bloodstream.

Your gut’s reaction to the mass exodus is to fight. It fights, and fights until there is increased inflammation in the gut lining and eventually throughout your body. Then it turns into chronic inflammation if the problem is not addressed. Which in most cases it isn’t because there is still much to learn about leaky gut. In short, the chronic inflammation which leads the body to fight against itself creating autoimmune diseases. In our case Hashimoto’s.

I’m not going to go into a detailed medical explanation of leaky gut in this post, but I wanted to mention it because I believe it is the key to answer the question how did, I end up this way. Yes, genetics plays a part, but we control our destiny.

To Eat or Not to Eat

Once I understood leaky gut, I was able to digest the problem (no pun intended). Now the time came to look at exactly what I was eating. In my January 28^th post, I promised to share my journey. Food is a big part of it. I never thought about what I ate. I wasn’t a junk food junky, but I ate my fair share of processed food. Once my eyes were opened, I started eliminating much of the food I enjoyed. Don’t be intimidated by the list. If you think of your thyroid, it will make the process easier.

• Gluten
• Soy
• Casein (milk/dairy)
• Sugar
• Processed foods high in sugars
• Groningen’s (I will explain this)

Gluten intolerance is not necessarily the issue, but because so many of the foods we eat are GMO, our bodies have rebelled against the foods that would normally be considered safe for consumption. All the foods we eat that are genetically modified and are being passed off as safe for consumption, are foreign substances that our bodies are fighting against because of the volume of GMO foods we ingest.  Because of the GMO wheat, our bodies may have trouble digesting products containing gluten. Our digestive system may become overworked because of gluten intolerance which may keep our bodies from absorbing the good nutrients and processing the waste effectively.

Soy is one of those “savior foods” that have turned out to be not so good for us. Soy is a poisonous plant. The byproduct only becomes consumable when it has been processed to a degree that will allow our bodies to accept the result.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find foods that are soy free. Here are a few foods that contain soy:

·         Salad dressings

·         Processed Cheese

·         Bread

·         Cookies

·         Chips

·         Processed foods

·         Canola Oil

·         Safflower Oil

·         Candy

·         Supplements

·         Almost every prepackages item

·         Soy Lecithin

·         Many more (you really must read labels)

Casein (or dairy) is an issue because of the hormones and antibiotics and corn (GMO corn sprayed with chemicals) fed to the animals to keep them healthy. Those chemicals are passed through the animal and into the product we consume.  If you can find an organic product, you may tolerate dairy. This argument also applies to the meat we eat. If it is not organic, we are eating what producers feed the animals (antibiotics, hormones, pesticides).

Sugar is bitter sweet. We all love sugar, but our bodies really don’t digest it well. Sugar affects the way we digest our food. It causes problems with the pancreas and liver that could cause diabetes. The way we digest sugar has another effect on us. Our hormones are affected by way of our thyroid.  The Thyroid is the smallest gland that has the greatest impact on how we feel. If you feel tired or unfocused after eating sugar it could be a sign of a bigger problem.

Processed foods have become the main staple in most diets.  Foods that are boxed or frozen or canned save many hours of kitchen time that are no longer available due to work schedules. These foods may save time today. However, they may steal time from your life. If you look at the instructions on the box, you will find many ingredients. How many are actually safe for consumption?

Goitrogens are naturally found in many vegetables and some nuts. Among them are spinach, broccoli, almonds, and cabbage, to name a few. If you have a thyroid condition, you may want to reconsider eating foods containing goitrogens or make sure you cook them for at least 30 minutes (if fresh). This will ensure the goitrogens will no longer affect the thyroid.

The list seems daunting and if you look at it long enough, you’ll think you can’t eat anything. As you continue to follow and read my posts, you will see it is possible to eat clean and enjoy what you eat.

I’d be interested to hear how some of you are managing your lifestyle.

In my next post, I will talk a little about heavy metals and how they affect you and your thyroid.