The soy debate continues. Some people believe it is a major contributor in thyroid disease, while others think it’s healthy if it’s organic. If you have thyroid disease the one thing you need to remember about soy, is that it’s a goitrogen. That means it causes a reaction in the thyroid that produces goiters. Read more on thyroid and goitrogens in my blog 31 Foods Containing Soy.  Organic soy is a goitrogen, so it still affects the thyroid the same way Genetically modified soy does.

Sneaky Soy

In my last blog 31 Foods Containing Soy, I exposed foods that contain soy. You may find it difficult to remove it from your diet. You will find soy in almost every processed food. Look at the labels.  Some manufacturers add soy to their product and list it on the ingredients under a “stealth” name. Some of these alternatives are:

• Soy lecithin
• Bean curd
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Soy milk
• Soy sauce
• Soybeans
• Vitamin E/tocopherol
• Glycerin
• Bulking agents
• Thickeners
• Hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein
• Guar Gum
• And mor

Keep these in mind when you are purchasing any packaged foods. That includes vegan products. Because of the effect of soy on my thyroid, I have opted to eliminate it from my diet. I try to purchase only food products from nature (no processing). That includes organic range free beef and chicken, and organic fruits and vegetables.

I Was Afraid to Eat Anything I didn’t Prepare Myself

You may think I’m crazy; a neurotic, who has gone over the edge. I will admit, in the beginning I was a little crazy. I was afraid to eat anything that I didn’t prepare myself. But three years later I have learned a lot. Initially, I thought I couldn’t eat broccoli, kale, or cabbage. I know better now. I didn’t want to go out to a restaurant because I was afraid to eat what was on the menu. Today there are many restaurants that cater to food sensitivities. I may have been a little more cautious because my food sensitivity, which affected my thyroid, also prompted migraines; something I have fought with for years. I will discuss my development in the area of food in future blogs. I will also discuss migraine and how that fit into my Hashimoto’s diagnosis.

One thing I want to share relative to my change in diet, is that I feel a thousand times better than I did before my diagnosis.

Dietary Substitutions

Over the last three years I learned to cook without flour, milk, eggs, and butter. You may think it impossible, but it isn’t. Two years ago, I prepared a complete Thanksgiving dinner without any of those ingredients just mentioned. The surprising thing about the meal is no one knew it until after we ate. Then I told them. They were all surprised.

I substitute flour for a gluten free flour mix. I mix my own because I haven’t found a packaged gluten free flour that doesn’t have xanthan gum in it. When I need to use milk, I use coconut milk. Yogurt or sour cream is substituted with coconut yogurt. I use chia seeds in place of eggs. It can be done, you need to do your homework though and experiment…a lot.

I eat more salads now than I ever did before being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. I mention the salads because they can be boring. Most people won’t eat a salad without dressing. Salad dressings are the biggest culprit when it comes to soy. It’s nearly impossible to find a salad dressing that doesn’t include it. Because of this fact, I make my own. I use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut yogurt, and herbs and spices. Use your imagination. It’s fun to create new recipes. I find it challenging to make something work, even food. I will be sharing some recipes in future blogs for anyone who would like to experiment.

I’m noticing that with eating more salads comes some bloating and integestion. Knowing that I have a vata pitta doshi, I should be staying away from salads. The vata dosha doesn’t digest the cool greens which causes the Agni or digestive fires to be out of balance. I’m working on finding a replacement for the salads, something warming. I’ll gt more into the doshas as I learn more.

Hashimoto’s and Protein

One of the challenges with Hashimoto’s is protein. When I was first diagnoised, I was told I should eat 25 grams of protein for breakfast. I found it challenging to find a protein powder that didn’t contain soy, dairy or gluten. I ended up using Hemp protein which was free from soy, dairy, and gluten. For months I would start my morning with the same shake; coconut milk, hemp protein, chia seeds, mixed berries, and a banana. I changed out the berries from time to time. Today there are more protein options, such as Rootcology. I’m sure each part of the country has different options. Be sure to read the label before purchasing a protein powder. Many sneak that soy into the product, sometimes under an alternate name (see 31 Foods Containing Soy).

Everything Changes with a Hashimoto’s Diagnosis

When you are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s everything changes. Your diet is the first thing that should change. If you haven’t changed your diet, you should. I’m not one for telling people what to do, and that isn’t my intention here, but I suggest highly you change your diet because you will feel like a new person. You will lose weight, be more focused, your skin, hair, and nails will become resilient, and the pain you have been living with will be reduced significantly, if not eliminated completely. Your mood will improve, and you will see your life through a new point of view. I only share what I say in this post because I want every person with Hashimoto’s to have the information, they need to be a whole person again. I wish you all good thyroid health so you can enjoy living again.