Once diagnosed with Hashimoto’s you realize you must make some drastic changes in your life if you don’t want to have to take medication. In some cases, it may not be avoidable, but if you work with your healthcare provider and discipline yourself, you should be able to accomplish it.

I think the biggest change one must make is diet. I don’t mean go on a diet. I’m saying you will have to eat reasonably healthy. Cheat when you can without affecting your health. I’m including somewhat of a guideline I created for diet. I have experimented an awful lot over the last three years and I’m happy to share what I have.

There are many natural or organic options out there for things we already consume. I found a brand of rice pasta that is not too bad, and I’m finding more and more organic fruits and vegetables all the time. Some things are still a challenge. I buy coconut milk for shakes and baking. If you decide to use it, be mindful of the sugar content when planning meals. I replace sour cream with coconut (milk) yogurt.

I cook with olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or rice bran oil (difficult to find the rice bran oil). Remember to pay attention to the temperature that each will burn. It is getting easier to find organic meats so if you still eat meat you can get protein from a source of organic grass fed meat. Just eat meat in moderation.

Things to consider when planning your new diet regiment:

Start with a diet that excludes gluten, dairy, soy, and meat that is not organic or grass fed. If you can do this for 30 days, you can then incorporate foods back into your diet. Focus on how you feel as you incorporate each one individually. If you feel sluggish or unfocused, avoid the food that triggered that feeling.

• You should eat a low-carb diet which should be easy if you eliminate gluten.
• You should do a heavy metal detox (check with health care provider before trying a heavy metal cleanse. You could have a reaction) or body cleanse
• Use coconut oil and avocado oil in everything…. (Get creative)
• Eat only meats that are grass-fed and organic
• If you like salmon you should eat lots! But make sure it’s Pacific or Alaska and not farm raised
• Eat sweet potatoes. White potatoes are good too
• If you take a multivitamin, be sure it is soy free and does not include chromium or selenium if you are taking it as a stand-alone supplement

If you want to learn to regulate your thyroid a good way to start would be to take your temperature throughout the day (Wilson Syndrome tracks temperature but I found it a good way to determine if I was moving in the right direction). You can find a fill-in chart if you choose to use it, on my website, for your convenience. You should take it first before you get out of bed in the morning. If it is low, you are probably experiencing hypothyroidism. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I took my temperature every three hours, every day for a month. This is how I knew what I was doing was helping. When I had my TSH tested it went from 5.2 to 3.1 in 30 days. I went back every 30 days for testing, then every three months. I stopped polluting my thyroid, and it performed again…

So now we come to my eating habits. This is just a general outline of how I eat. The most important thing is what I eat for breakfast. It makes a difference in how the day progresses.

First thing in the morning:

Take Red Marine Algae – I found Vibrant Health Gigartina is the best quality, so that is what I use.

When you have a thyroid condition, it is important to incorporate 25 grams of protein into your breakfast. This is how I get the protein I need to start the day.

Morning Breakfast Shake:

·         ¼ cup Hemp protein

·         1-3Tablespoon Chia Seeds (can be difficult to digest, so if you have tummy trouble omit.

·         ½ cup Coconut Milk

·         ½ cup frozen berries (Wyman has some good choices and its natural – mixed berries)

·         1 Banana

I take my supplements with the shake. Below are some that may help. You may have   to experiment:

• Ashwagandha, Tulsi, L-tyrosine (one or combination of) – These are adaptogen
• which help regulate stress
• Rhodiola – Adaptogen
• Licorice Root
• Ginseng – Adaptogen
• Holy Basil -Adaptogen 
• Chromium (10 micrograms) (be careful with this make sure it isn’t in any other
• supplement if you take it as an individual supplement)
• Selenium (200 micrograms)
• B-Complex to include B-12 and thiamine (600mg)
• Vitamin D (4000IU in am 4000 with lunch in winter)
• Coconut Oil
• Zinc
• Co Q10
• I take feverfew because of the migraines (not necessary if you don’t experience
• them)
• You may want to take a probiotic 50 Billion CFU
• L- Arginine (3x daily)

There are supplements on the market that combine some of the above. If you find something you like, be sure there is no soy in the product.

Lunch: 

·         A serving of organic meat or fish (I like salmon, so I lean toward that daily)

·         Veggies

·         Sweet potato or white organic potato or rice pasta.

Take second supplement (Vitamin D, Ashwagandha, Coconut Oil, L-Arginine, etc.)

Dinner:

·         Serving Organic meat

·         Veggie

I try to avoid carbs at dinner. They have a tendency, to hang around. If I’ve had a busy day and am feeling hungrier than usual, I will double up on my veggie.

Take evening supplements (Coconut Oil, L-Arginine, Calcium, Magnesium)

You may not like eating the same thing every day. You can substitute the fruits and meat. You can also swap out the shake if you are getting the 25 grams of protein and you don’t over-do it with the carbs. I followed the above diet for 30 days. I was desperate to get clean and because I was new at planning and purchasing, I took the easy route. Boring, maybe, but it was simple, so I was able to stick to it.

I’m also taking into consideration the dosha aspect of Ayurveda. While this diet is helping me to heal my thyroid, I’m curious to whether the dosha diet will allow for more complete digestion. I’m experimenting with this concept. Now that I know I am Vata pitta dosha, I will begin to experiment with the foods I eat. I will report back on this as I have a better understanding of the concept of the dosha diet.

Please note: the information in this post is a guideline of my eating habits. These are things that have helped me to heal and live a better life. Please check with your medical provider before making any lifestyle changes based on what I provide here. I’m not a doctor and do not mean the information to be considered medical advice or treatment. I wish you the best in finding what works for you.