“how I healed my thyroid with food”: my fun chat with top chef’s Andrea Beaman
This excites me no end. The other week week I got to chat to Andrea Beaman. Andrea is a US chef and health coach. She appeared on the first (and fifth) series of Top Chef. She’s the food expert on CBS News and she trained with INN, as did I. Just to put her in context. She knows food, OK.
But this is the thrilling bit: Andrea healed her thyroid disease with… food.
Yesireee. She refused to take medication and, after two years of careful, healthful eating, she was fixed. I remember reading about this a while back and getting so heartened. I’ve always believed this should be possible, despite being told by countless specialists that I’d been on medication for life (they also told me I was infertile, but goddamn if I didn’t turn that around).
I had to chat. So we did. I figured you’d like to hear what we shared…(and let me just say, there’s no need to tell me that I um and ah a lot. I know. It was early and I hadn’t slept.)
The concept is friggen fabulous. It fits with everything I believe in. I haven’t got there yet. I’m trying. I lapse. My stress still puts spanners in works for my progress. As do my hormonal fluctuations. But stories like Andrea’s inspire me. As you might know, I believe my thyroid disease is a symptom of the way I lived for a long time. I damaged my body with my previous lifestyle habits. Ergo, I believe, I can fix it with better ones. This is why I do what I do (bang on about sprouts and bone broth and quitting sugar).
The key bits I took from my chat – and that I believe work, too – are flagged below:
* you need to experiment with different eating styles. Andrea played with macrobiotic eating and it worked for her for a while. Me, I’m finding a grains-free approach better.
* cholesterol-rich foods are needed for thyroid health. Eggs! Eggs! Fat! Eggs!
* protein and fat-rich foods are also key (I’ve gone on about this here).
* get rid of chemicals and ALL endocrine disruptors. Again, check out my thinking here and here. The thyroid relies on the endocrine system. ANYTHING reported as an endocrine disruptor has to be eliminated. The average person can probably handle them in smalls amounts. But AI types – nope.
* bone broth is the bomb. See my recipe here.
* Iodine-rich foods are great, so are fish stocks and seaweed and sea salt
* Avoid soy. Correct!
* Cruciferous veggies like kale, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower etc…only eat them cooked due to the goitrogens.
* meditation! Yes! Andrea suggests it helps because it aligns the key glands that are out of whack in AI types – the pineal, the hypocampus, the thyroid, the pituitary.
* do easy exercise. But do it everyday. Hello! Exactly my thinking.
* at the end of the chat she recommended the book Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck, for AI types who might have fertility/hormone issues (as I do).
For more, check out her Nourishing Thyroid Health DVD. And Andrea’s blog.
And feel free to post some questions and comments below…I’ll invite Andrea to wade in and answer any you might have.
I completely agree that you can heal your body (from certain things) without medication. After 2 years of different medications, doctors, etc, I managed to (almost) completely rid myself of crippling bowel symptoms with a diet plan given to me by a fantastic dietitian. I have a fairly boring diet and still get triggered by certain things, mainly stress, but my diet has been the key and I can now work and go to uni.
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Sarah, are you still on medications or do you use alternative therapies instead now? Also, how did you manage to cure yourself of infertility? (wish I could do the same
)
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September 13th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
Hey Jessie, I’ll write about the infertility stuff soon…it’s a tricky one. I’m still on T4 and a t3 compound. I haven’t got to Andrea’s stage, sadly.
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September 14th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
If I could be incredibly nosy, I would love to ask how you got your periods back. You mentioned you lost them for a year, and acupuncture helped. I ask not because I am a creepy stalker who is interested in strangers’ menstrual cycles, but due to PCOS and Hashimotos, I am in a similar situation. Not planning to have babies any time soon but would love to know how to get my female hormones back to normal, for general health reasons! I hope this can be included in your fertility post!
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October 13th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Not to take away from the food topics as I have the same issues too, this is why I follow the blog, but I recenlty heard that I was pretty much infertile too! I would love to here more on your experience…………I could use anything positive will help.
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October 14th, 2011 at 9:10 am
low thyroid is very much linked to fertility issues (generally estrogen dominance). And all can be helped through strategic food choices
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October 14th, 2011 at 9:36 am
Thank you Emma, I will look into that a bit more.
Hooray! I absolutely believe it is possible to heal your body from AI disease, but one thing I’d like to point out… generally by the time you get to the doctor to be diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease in the first place (which, for the Type A types it generally afflicts, is usually after a LONG time of being macho) a lot of damage is done. Your thyroid might be a puny little shrivelled walnut from years of immune system attack. If so, it can’t produce enough thyroxine to keep your body going. Healing this takes TIME. To simply deny your body medication at this early stage will not work for everyone, and can do somebody a lot of damage. I’ve heard horror stories of women attempting suicide before realising, yes, meds are necessary for some. This affects your brain, your moods, even your heart – not stuff you want to be taking chances with.
I’m on a much lower dose than I was, due mostly to including what you mentioned – good food, learning to love myself and treat myself with kindness, cutting back on the alcohol/caffeine/sugar/brutal cardio/gluten, meditation, kinesiology, therapy, EFT, etc. I went off meds completely once, due to my own macho dumbass ideas, and it was the worst thing I ever did, took me a year to heal from that. Cut back slowly!
I decided long ago that whether I eventually got off medication or not, wasn’t as important as how I treated my body and how I felt about myself. If I am eating amazingly nutritious foods, exercising gently, meditating and absolutely radiating self love, but I still have a pill in the morning, thats fine. Do what works for you.
And, I absolutely agree with you on the cholesterol. Animal fats are incredibly healing and nutritious, you dont need a lot of them because they are so nutritionally dense, but they are absolutely vital for healing. Great advice. xx
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Glad to hear you like, Mia. I know you know this stuff well. I’ve also reduced my T4 and T3 medication. And I”m about to reduce it again. And agree…we arrive so damaged that it DOES require serious medication for a while…
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Awesome, congratulations!! I am hearted to hear that healing is coming for you too. Very happy for you. Slowly, slowly. xx
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Sarah, iodine can make the autoimmune situation much much worse. Just google for ‘Hashimotos iodine’ to get the whole story. If you have Hashi’s, don’t be eating iodine rich foods in the thought it’s going to boost your thyroid. It can make you very ill.
http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroidbasicsthyroid101/a/5lies.htm
Interesting article… I wish that we could all afford to eat macrobiotic,organic foods like Andrea says. It’s not always feasible. Interesting article, thanks.
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September 13th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
So true, Annabel. My naturopath put me on iodine drops, halved my thyroid meds dose and set me back months in my recovery. She also did a lot of good things for me like helping me rid my system of Candida, but she just didn’t know the difference between AI hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s) and the other sort of underactive thyroid. I got very ill and have been researching immune system modulation, trying to get myself back on track. Like Monkey Mia said, ‘Slowly, slowly.’ All this great information helps and gives me heart. Thanks everyone!
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September 13th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Iodine is an interesting one. I stupidly self medicated and went and got myself some iodine drops and completely made things worse. fortunately it didn’t take long for me to realise it was completely counter productive. all of the advise that sarah lists below is the way forward for me and I am trying – although being sugar free is my greatest challenge. i still take the meds and am glad of them, but they can’t do everything. a good diet, being gentle on myself and daily exercise is what is making the biggest difference now. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing. x
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September 14th, 2011 at 3:42 am
Hi Gals – I had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, too. Midway in my healing process I was diagnosed with it. I did NOT ever take iodine drops or synthetic iodine pills. I don’t take ANY supplementation because I believe supplements actually throw the body off balance. I only ate foods that were rich in iodine like sea vegetables, sea salts, sea foods, and grass-fed butter. the key is to find out why the body is rejecting iodine. It could be that the other “halides” are in too large a quantity in the body and the patient is not able to absorb iodine. The hanlides can be found in Bromated flour products (many products in the market contain this), chlorine and flouride in the water supply. I remember when my body was rejecting iodine I used to break out with huge hives all over my face – at that time I was also drinking large quantities of chemical sweetener that, I believe, disrupted my endocrine system.
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I have hypothyroidism and am a living example of healing through food-
although I healed not my thyroid, but my Stage Four Endometriosis, so severe
that I was told I could not have more children. After my first surgery was not successful,
and I still felt miserable in every way, I began the research, meticulously pieced together,
that led me to a new way of eating and living that eventually healed almost all my symptoms- chronic, debilitating fatigue, muscle pain, spasms, horrible headaches, swelling,
blurred vision, depression. A wonderful specialist took care of the internal mess and then
my stomach and back pain was gone, too.
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Maggie, can you tell us more about what you learned? Thanks!
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And TSH levels…. TSH is a *rubbish* test. TSH changes three times a day in itself… it’s not accurate!
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Hi Sarah
I have just across your site as i was googling for information as i have just found out that i have an overactive thyriod.
It has been great to read your journy and know that YES i am not going crazy.
Can i ask regarding your thyriod was it over or under active?
Keep up the good work.
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Mine was overactive when I was 21. under a few years back. Read my first post on auto immune – there’s a category in the top bar on the home page…it describes my journey in detail
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Seriously considering enrolling in IIN. From all your reports it’s a great course. How did you feel the support was from an online perspective?
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Hey Jen, support-wise – we were “buddied” up with a former INN student for the whole year and did a phone conf with them (skype) once a month. My buddy was unreal. She lived in Montana and grew heirloom seeds to sell online (a business she started off the back of INN). I chose her (you get a bunch of bios to choose from) because she’d had thyroid disease…she still emails to see how I’m going. A GREAT woman. So, yes, lots of support. Also, the forums are very active. Everyone shares their tips and recipes. I didn’t need this so much (I’m online too much), but it’s there if it suits you. Let me know if you need more info x
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There is a lovely article about you in this weeks New Idea. No wonder you enjoy cooking – your kitchen is bright and looks like a happy place to hang out in.
Out of all the photos I’m sure were taken, not sure the photographer was very complimentary with one of them.
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September 13th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Oh! I’ll have to check it out. I don’t mind a crap photo. Keeps it real!
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September 13th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I didn’t say it was crap, just not the best photo shot.
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September 13th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
I actually bought this mag yesterday but didn’t realise you were in it until now. Oops. Yellow really suits you and agree that the main photo is great. A good photographer would know that it’s all about eyes to camera. PErhaps something caught you eye out the window?
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Great information! Oh the the soy bit… eeek!! I’ve Sjogren’s Syndrome (AI disease) and removed dairy a few months ago and cleaned up my diet. I replaced the dairy with soy and my skin has never broken out more and frankly in my mid 30s this is NOT a good look, and never have I been so tired and autoimmun-y. I ditched the soy only recently and I’ve already more energy and more creativity.
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September 14th, 2011 at 3:43 am
Good for you for listening to your body and ditching the Soy!
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Thanks Sarah and Andrea, that was great. xx
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I love Top Chef so I was so excited when this popped up in my reader! Andrea was great, she seemed really positive and fun. And eggs are basically my favourite food ever so anything encouraging me to eat them is fine by me!
Sarah, just a question about cabbage – I love kimchi (I prob eat a little 1-2 times a week), do you think I should ease up? I don’t have any thyroid or AI problems that I know of.
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Great post Sarah, I love all your food information.
As for everyone who reads this blog, I was hoping you can help me with something…
I live in Melbourne and am looking for a nutritionist or dietician who specialises in AI problems and Sarah’s way of thinking about food. I have Crohn’s disease and Fructose Malabsorption, as well as a few other AI problems. Can anyone recommend a nutritionist or dietician who thinks a bit outside the square? The dietician provided by the hospital is quite conventional. Love to hear any suggestions.
Cheers, Sarah.
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September 13th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Hi Sarah,
Try Emma Sgourakis – thenutritioncoach.com.au
She’s in Sydney, but regularly comes down to Melbourne, and does in-depth phone consults regardless. For a nutritionist aligned with this way of thinking about food, you won’t find any better. And she’s an amazing person to boot.
Good luck!
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September 14th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Thanks Cassie, I’ll check her out!
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September 16th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
I can also vouch for Emma – you won’t find a better nutritionist!
Kitsa
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Sarah, is this way of eating beneficial for non-thyroidy/non AI types?
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And! Re the cruciferous veggies, I always add to juices, raw obviously. Is there a reason not to? Thank you!
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September 13th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
I was wondering the same thing, Sita, as I add raw greens to smoothies….is it only for AI types that raw greens are a no no?
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September 13th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I’ve yet to try a green smoothie – I always juice and I can’t say it tastes that good! When you add greens to smoothies, do you add the whole vegetable? Got any good combinations? And do you add fruit? I’m a bit confused about that aspect too – I’ve read a lot that says not to combine fruit and vegetables, but then most recipes have both… I’m thinking we need an Ask Sarah post!
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September 13th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Hi Sita – I’m not sure about the combining fruit and veg rules…I tend to make separate smoothies either with berries or greens but maybe they’d be good together? I just add the leafy part of the greens (spinach, kale etc) to the smoothie in raw form, and add coconut water, chia, yoghurt, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla and a raw egg.
September 14th, 2011 at 12:14 am
Hi Sita- I read that leafy greens can be mixed with fruit but not with melons and to have more greens than fruit. I have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast for the last 3 weeks and have never felt better, I don’t crave coffee anymore and my sugar cravings are nothing like they use to be, I don’t have AI problems so I really don’t want to give these up.
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My new housemate has thyroid issues. but she is also allergic to saturated fats. seriously. she can’t have more than a few grams or she’ll get all fuzzy and slur her words and vomit if she’s had way too much. she also has an injured back.
i think she would have some trouble following alot of these rules.
any advice?
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I have a nagging worry about fertility as well. How does one get tested for that?
Also, I’ve recently taken a completely grain-free approach as well (as a bit of an experiment) and am seeing such miraculous results that I almost can’t believe I ate them for so long in the first place. You mean this is what normal, happy, non-moody people feel like?!
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September 13th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I’ve been experiencing the same thing, Sarah! Since going grain-free my energy levels and feeling of vitality have improved enormously, not to mention the disappearance of my frequent digestive upsets and cravings for sweets etc – it’s really amazing.
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September 18th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
have just got around to reading this… (another fab AI article, Sarah!)
I agree, Sarah, I have rheumatoid arthritis, and recently had a major flare up. Am still on meds (for only the second time in 9 years), but have been able to cut the dose in half by giving up gluten (and getting my sugar intake down, again).
I can’t believe how much better I feel, my head is clear, my digestion has improved out of sight, I’m sleeping well again, and I have so much energy! And, same as Jemma, no cravings, so it hasn’t felt difficult at all.
I’ve been feeling so good that yesterday I decided to have a sneaky treat with a coffee. Within 20 minutes I was yawning, and as soon as I got home, sugar coma. Two hours and a fuzzy head later… will not be doing that again.
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Yes, I definately think that human body, given the right nutrients can heal itself. I think each one is individual though. I don’t have thyroid issues but I do suffer from leaky gut & ibs. Unfortunately I’ve found I’m intolerant to a few things – a couple of them being eggs & whey (yoghurt). I’ve dabbled with gluten free before I knew my intolerances but I’m not actually intolerant to wheat/gluten. I have tried soooo many different diets and was now heading toward a paleo type one. But I think in the long term I actually go well with some grains and not just protein. But everyone is different and has a different journey to make. I’m still working through trial and error to see what suits me. Arrrghhhhh why can’t it be more simple!! Good on you though Sarah, you’ve found what works for you.
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September 13th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Thr problem with grains is actually the antinutrients like gluten, gliadin, phytates, saponin and lectins. These upset your stomach and cause you to lose nutrients from the other food that you eat. If you do not want to give up grains, white rice is actually ok (its not huge in nutrients but it IS harmless) and you can soak certain grains to remove the antinutrients. Weston A Price Foundation has some great advice on soaking, and Marks Daily Apple has some great info on the antinutrients in grains.
Personally I dont do well on low carb and function much better with some starch in my diet, as everyone is different. I eat potatoes, quinoa and occasionally rice in an otherwise Paleo/ wholefoods diet, and found that this has worked really well for my leaky gut issues. Hope that helps! xx
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September 13th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Thanks so much MM! Your comments on grains makes sense. Sometimes I’m ok but sometimes I think I can over-do it with the gluten. I also don’t do well with things like rye, it seems to make my ibs (spastic colon) well…spastic! I do like rice and I’m pretty sure I’m okay with this. I use basmati as I don’t seem to do that great with brown rice (though I haven’t tried to soak it yet). As for the spuds, they are my all time faves! I’m pretty sure I do ok with them too.
That’s helped and perked me up Monkey Mia, my diet has been doing my head in lately!!
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September 13th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
You’re welcome.
Rye has gluten in, are you sure you arent having troubles with gluten? I dont do well on rye for that reason, but Im celiac, so thats to be expected. I have colitis also, so I understand how you feel with the gut issues. Its enough to make you nutty!
Brown rice actually can upset some people more than white, and here is why: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-rice-unhealthy/ I love this guy, he isn’t too militant and his logic is backed up by hard data. Keeps the head-spinning to a minimum.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Well….they keep telling my I’m not celiac and I have also had an intensive blood test (through my naturopath) to find my intolerances. It only came up with eggs, whey (and some milk products??), almonds, asparagus & oysters. I do eat oats (porridge) every morning which contain gluten and that seems to be fine. The brown rice article was quite interesting. I always suspected that white rice couldn’t be all that bad! I do like the sound of your style of eating too. I think it might be the balance that I’m looking for.
I have immune issues and am interested in exploring some of these things… but have to say I don’t like the ‘easy exercise’ part of this. My body loves to be pushed and I feel much better when I do strenuous exercise like running etc. I’m trying to add in some easy stuff too though.
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I’m being tested for an underactive thyroid at the moment, so this was really interesting for me. As a vegetarian, I’ve fallen into the habit of eating a lot of soy products but lately I’ve been noticing I feel really bloated and uncomfortable the following morning… so… yeah… intriguing…
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September 14th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Soy is REALLY bad for you. It’s packed with phytoestrogens.. avoid at all cost.
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November 6th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
I’d just like to know WHY soy milk is bad for you. I put it on my cereal every morning for a few years now because I heard it was good for women going into menopause, I do like the nutty taste. I’m interested to know what effect it has on your body.
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November 7th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Bad for so many reasons; here’s a few:
- just 30ml daily can cause breast abnormalities
- powerfully estrogenic = increased incidence of thyroid disease, gallbladder malfunction, cancer, infertility, heart disease, osteoporosis (established more than 50 years ago)
- in pre and post-menopausal women, pre-cancerous signs are elevated in breast tissue with soy consumption
- high in isoflavins (thyroid inhibitors) making it anti-ythyroid
- contains trypsin that blocks protein digestion, and causes conditions of the pancreas including pancreatic cancer
Soy protein (especially when not completely fermented; eg soy milk) HIGHEST phytic acid levels of any food – blocks mineral absorption (namely Zn, Ca, Mg, Fe)
- contains blood clot promoting substances
- Soy baby formula and protein powder has all of the above issues as well as 100 x more aluminium than dairy milk
For references: http://www.litalee.com/shopexd.asp?id=188
Further reading: http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/the-ploy-of-soy
And another excellent read: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/natural-estrogens.shtml
Read read read!
I work privately with clients one-on-one to educate and recommend foods that suit their individual biology.
Hope this helps.
emma@thenutritioncoach.com.au
Hi Sarah,
Great article, thanks so much! I just this afternoon cancelled a personal trainer I had signed up to because it pretty much ended up being a strict diet which was sooooo unloving and against my values.
Anyway, that aside – I wanted to ask you about supplements? I have Hashimottos, and was given A LOT of supplements from a nutritionalist and have stopped now but am wondering should I start them up again. I was taking iodine, selium, Vit D, Vit C, falxseed oil, flora plus, Vit b12. And coconut water. Do I need all of this?
I do yoga, meditation, try to eat well, although I do still drink coffee (once daily) and wine (a couple of times a week).
Would love your opinion
xx
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Sarah, I just listened to your podcast with Andrea which was wonderful. You mentioned A types are more prone to pushing themselves etc… which I totally agree with. I know you have made a lifestyle change recently to help overcome your illness, but with a new TV show, writing a book, writing an ebook, travel and everything else you may have on the go, are you not heading towards a relapse?
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September 13th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Also, I would like to know if you get information overload from all the various ‘health gurus’ you talk to? Your chat with Wayne(?) Gillespie said abolutely no to sugar yet Andrea said now and again is ok. Guess we all need to work out what best suits our bodies, but it does get confusing now and again cause there are so many good and bad arguments against all foods.
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September 14th, 2011 at 3:34 am
@Alex – I believe “everything in moderation.” When it comes to healing an illness, it’s best to eat really clean (no sugar), but as your body gets stronger, a little bit of homemade apple crumble, prepared with great ingredients and loving energy, can be good for the soul.
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this was great! really enjoyed listening.
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Loved this Sarah, I don’t have AI problems but I love hearing and learning about these things! I’ve been thinking of enrolling into IIN but am 5months preg with baby number 3 so maybe not just yet, it’s something that I would love to do though, it’s not crazy expensive though is it? Hope you don’t mind me asking
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Another interesting article! I have had an underactive thyroid since birth (unusual), and the only medication in the UK to treat it is thyroxine – of course, my blood tests always come back ‘normal’, but I still have most of the symptoms. It is so frustrating, and seems to be the last few years that I’ve felt worse, I even gave up alcohol completely a couple of months ago, but can’t say I feel much better for it! I feel like a hypochondriac at the best of times… xx
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September 14th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
What is ‘normal’ and what blood tests are you having done?
TSH is unreliable. Forget that test.
Test for FT3 and FT4… cholesterol, liver etc. You need a full thyroid panel to accurately diagnose what’s going on. : )
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September 14th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I disagree re TSH. I find it a very useful guage for me, and it tends to mirror fairly accurately where my body and symptoms are at. Agree however that we need the whole panel to accurately measure what is going on. Everyone with Hashimotos differs to quite a large degree on bloodwork!
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September 17th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
They will only do TSH, and go on that – difficult to know where to go to get help sometimes! And with private healthcare, because it is a pre-existing condition, I usually find I am not covered anyway! Still searching!
Thanks for your comments xx
How do people make the mental switch to moving slower instead of hammering it out on the road or at the gym and eating fats (good ones) instead of being strict with themselves? After years of punishing myself with no results (but instead a whole lot of health problems with hormones and thyroid) I find it really hard to accept that this way of living wont make me balloon. I read all the information and would be over the moon if this worked for me but I’m finding the head shift really hard. All this stressing is probably putting my cortisol levels up..gee never ending cycle! Any tips of experience would be great x
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Thanks for the ‘intro’ to a great health coach! I’m definitely signing up to her blog.
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Wow all this information is amazing! Also overwhelming! What do I do first, what is right for me, what will work, what is a waste of time, what, what, what! I am hypo-thyroid, metabolic-syndrome. Wrongly diagnosed as chronic fatigue for years when all the damage was done as I wasn’t on right treatment. Currently on thyroxine and seeing a physiologist, but not shifing weight or gaining strength. Exhausted all the time, grossly overweight, have intolerances to gluten/dairy so haven’t had them for 10 years. Drink soy instead but noticed you said it is a ‘no’ ~ wonder why? Also stopped sugar 3 weeks ago but can’t say I feel any better for it:( My daughter sent me this ~ bless her, so I do want to follow up and would love to know any suggestions as to what is the best ‘first’ thing to do. It’s been such a long battle and I feel defeated before I even start but thanks. Any suggestions would be appreciated. X
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September 17th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Hi Cathy
You are certainly in the right place, this site is great, I love it!
Can I mention another website on here? http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com – is another good thyroidy one…
It seems there isn’t a one bill fits all approach to these illnesses, and it sounds like you have tried a lot for yourself already.. Someone will be along with some more info for you I’m sure, but wanted to say hello xx
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Thank you xx! It is such a lonely battle & I find not many understand, especially the ‘medical profession!’ I will definiteley look up the suggested webpage, blessings Cathy XXX
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This is a great blog you do, thanks Sarah!
Just wanted to drop a quick response – this topic is right up my alley at the moment! I’ve been doing additional research into the Thyroid lately with a practitioner in California; so I wanted to add a few comments to some of the questions that were put forward in this discussion …
- Sarah L: regarding your fructose malabsorption / Crohn’s disease, repair of your intestinal lining is paramount; the bone broth is even more important for you. It’s gelatine will not only nourish your thyroid but help to rebuild your leaky gut
- Sita & Jemma: Don’t do cruciferous vegetables raw, including in juices or kale in you smoothies. They contain compounds that inhibit uptake of iodine to the thyroid, making them powerfully anti-thyroid. Cook these vegetables really well or avoid altogether is you show any signs of a sluggish metabolism
- Nina: sounds like your housemate would do well to address and strengthen her digestion …possibly low stomach acid, weak bile secretion, overloaded liver or even maybe gallstones? Any of these things would bring on nausea with fats (no such thing as an allergy to saturated fats)
You inspired me to write a blog post that addresses more about nutritional approaches to improving thyroid health … see my blog here is you like: http://www.thenutritioncoach.com.au/blog/
Hope this helps a bit. Hypothyroidism (and with it, oestrogen dominance) a growing problem in women; something I work on with clients all too frequently now. But as you’ve mentioned Sarah, there’s SO much that can be done through food! And yes, bone broth definitely is the bomb!!
x Emma
PS: Thanks for the lovely comments Cassie and Kitsa!
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[...] In Sarah Wilson’s interview with Andrea Beaman, Andrea mentioned something really interesting- thyroid inflamation. I have been aware that my [...]
Hi All, I just wanted to share my findings that have worked for my young family, we have 2 active pre teenage boys. When our first child was born he had very very bad eczema, the first trial we did was to change my diet while breastfeeding. It worked a treat, both for baby and for me (I had suffered IBS in the past), no other trial was needed and his skin 10 years on is still eczema free, and our overall family health is outstanding.
We have a diet of no grains (wheat, rice, oats, corn, spelt etc) low fructose and very little processed foods, except for plain chips out of desperation! I can say that we have never needed to go to a doctor. Both boys have never had any medication of any kind, other than homeopathic remedies. I am not against doctors, I have a fabulous doctor and have introduced my children to him, there just has been no need to go.
Moderation is the key I guess. We might have a pizza once a month, and only if we are well rested and stress free. Our foods of choice are Meat, soups/broths, Quinoa, buckwheat, eggs, cooked vegetables. Organic is great but not so much when picked young and has had far to travel. Fresh is best and local markets are the key. Fruit in moderation, when picked ripe. Well that is what has worked so well for us over the past 11 years. There is also a new bakery that makes completely grain free breads, they are so good and so much better than gluten free stuff and has make life so much easier especially in respect to school lunch boxes!!
The hardest thing for us is that we are often mistaken as having gluten free diets, and prior to discovering the grain free bakery had been on a gluten free diet, but we found that rice effected us the same as wheat. Rice and maize is found in most gluten free goods.
My husband is alway telling me to let people know our journey but I haven’t found the need to before reading this blog. I hope this helps anyone especially in regards to gluten free diet not working, perhaps grain free may be the way to go, or to trail anyway.
Thanks for listening, and good luck with your health.
Em x
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November 5th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
That is an inspiring story, Emily. Well done. I was wondering if you could tell me where the bakery is that you mentioned? I would love to try that bread. Thanks!
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November 5th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Hi Lucy
Thanks for your comments.
The bakery is called “Deeks” they are from Canberra. https://www.deeks.com.au. The founders are Bill Giles and Rob De Costella (aka deeks). They have been trailing grain free breads for a long time now and have a pretty big selection.
We have recently moved to Byron Bay and I have the bread delivered to my door as there is no supplier here yet, but I do know that they deliver to sydney and a few places along the south coast – supply and demand i guess. If you give them a call they can let you know who they supply to.
I would love to know what you think once you have tried it?
Em
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[...] subjects, plus she has thyroid issues herself. She has a whole section on auto-immune disease. This interview she had with Top Chef contestant Andrea Beaman really helped me. She healed her thyroid with [...]
[...] Andrea Beaman recommended this one to me. I read it in one sitting. Anyone wanting to get pregnant will very much benefit from this read. It makes sense. You can buy the book here. [...]
Hi Cathy,
Re: SOY… Soy is definitely a no-no, being highly inflammatory, it mimics estrogen (which you definitely want to avoid if trying to balance other hormone-related issues), and it directly interferes with thyroid function. That’s just to start! Have a look around online, there’s definitely debate about soy out there, but there’s a lot of information to help you decide what to do about it. Apparently the only safe soybean product is a fermented one (i.e. japanese style).
Maybe try oat or rice milk substitutes if you must have dairy. They are not too bad taste-wise!
All the best with persisting on the sugar-free diet. It IS worth it, although it may take you a little longer to see the results if you have a long time of mis-diagnosis and wrong treatment to recover from..
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ALL OF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A CONDITION CALLED LEAKY GUT OR INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY. ONCE YOU HEAL YOUR LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, YOUR AUTOINMUNE REACTION WILL GO AWAY.
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Hey just wondering if anyone here has tried the BodyTrim diet?? It sounds as though it might work well for people with thyroid issues.. Am going to give it a good try soon, so would like to hear if anyone else has already done it..
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I am really angry with your posts! I was an avid follower of yours until i have read these last few posts about thyroids.
It is extremely irresponsible that you are advocating self healing and diet adjustment for thyroid problems. Thyroid problems often progress very fast and the best method is to go see an endocrinologist and have it monitored closely!
People listen to you and take your advice seriously and you are letting them down and quite frankly if you are treating your own thyroid problem with the same disregard then you are letting yourself down.
I am not speaking from a far off place, I have a thyroid problem myself and if I were to listen to your advice ide probably be dead!
please seriously consider the idiotic thing you say on this especially if they are medically related!
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[...] to this awesome podcast about thyroid health with one of my favorite bloggers Sarah Wilson talking with natural foods chef Andrea [...]
Hi,
I have mild hypothyroidism. I was doing kale juices for one year. After I eliminated, it has been consistently going down but is still a little high. 5.2. Doc recommended low dosage of syntheroid but I first want to try natural ways and healthy eating first and in 2 months it has lowered. My question is I heard about the benefits of maca on thyroid. But I’m so scared of trying as when I thought the kale juice was so good, and it wasn’t for me. All other bloodwork is normal. Anyone know effects of maca on thyroid??
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I have to go outside and move (aka brisk walk today as I have missed yoga class) but I cant break away from your site because think I have found the fundamental crux to my health issues…
Low TSH yep / Low T3 yep / Low T4 yep / Very heavy bleeding yep / verging on anaemia and for 4+ years that I have been taking meds trying to be ‘healthy’ & with little change.
I had that Whisky Tango Foxtrot moment as I read and then listened to the podcast with Chris. OMG you guys were talking about me! Holy!!!
My gluten grain soy & sugar loaded but dairy light omnivore diet was possibly working against me. Much work to do, very excited to start this journey.
thank you so much for your informative interesting website and sharing your experiences too.
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I was taking too much kale juice. One large class for a year, and since I stopped my thyroid went from 7.43 to 5.2 in 2 mo. without medication. I am taking seaweed, Thyrostym (which contains iodine), and maca powder (which also contains iodine). I feel better, but how do I know if I am taking in too much iodine??
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