Graves Diet

[LittleEd]

Folks, I talked to my endocrinologist about the way certain foods seem to affect my thyroid. She said nothing I eat can help or hurt my thyroid, but I could swear I feel it almost HURT about a half hour after I eat a lot of dairy. Also, if I eat something like Sun Chips--or any thing else with a lot of enriched wheat flour, etc.--I feel it as well along with a "pumped up" feeling. I read some about it online, but the endo claims it doesn't have much to do with my diet. Does any one have any suggestions? What types of food do you avoid or add to your diet? I do try to get more protein than I used to--and sometimes it seems to help.

Thanks,
Ed

[Mzzchief]

Watch the kelp supplements. Recently they have been implicated in Arsenic poisioning.

I've heard that L-carnitine is helpful for Graves (hyperthyroidism).

Also eating lot of the cruciferous veggies like broccoli is good too. They are contraindicated for hypothyroidism.

Avoid soy, bottom line... its an endocrine disrupter.

Listen to your body... keep a food journal.
If you suspect a food, eliminate it for 3 days.
See if there is an improvement in your moods and general well being.
On the fourth day, eat quite a bit of the suspected food thruout the day. This does not mean pig out on it, which will induce dyspepsia in even the most resilient stomach.
Just take moderate portions of it thruout the day. See how you feel by evening and the following morning.

If you're achey when you get out of bed, and its not from pitching hay the day before, then that's a sign right there to stop eating that food.

Perhaps at a later point you can experiment by reintroducing it in small, infrequent quantities. But if its making you sick now, avoid it. Its only one type of food, there are so many other good things to eat... its just not worth making yourself sick over it.

Take care of youse
: )
Mzzchief

[AR-10]

Read labels and avoid iodine within reason. You don't have to go iodine free, although that would help. Just avoid obvious things like kelp or seafood.

The salt that is in processed food...I don't know if it has iodine in it or not. I have been told yes and no.

Here's a tip, and the reason I posted.

Ensure helps you put on weight and provides a meal-in-a-bottle, sort of. I was drinking six a day at one point to keep from losing weight.

It also has 1/4 the daily requirement of iodine. It was fueling my hyper phases and making me ill.

Read labels.

[stella5349]

Kelp is not good for anyone as a alternative. Way way to inconsistant of iodine.

I remember my Grave's time and I remember eating anything I wanted - I forgot to eat at times. but never paid attention much to what I ate when I did.

Now I am hypo and your are right - it seems more is out there for us.

BAsically I think you need to go right back to the basic habits of eating as we do.

Try planning very simple meals and document what bothers you. keep a log and see if there is a connection. You may be the next dietician for hyper thyroid patients.

[LittleEd]

Thanks for the links...

It seems there are tons of supplements and foods that can help with hypo but not so many for hyper. One alternative health care "expert" suggested I try kelp, which I had used several years ago as a mineral supplement. But kelp is so full of iodine I told the person I think it might be better for someone with hypo and not hyper.

[mirabella45]

Why yes,,,yes I am..   The movie  MEET THE PARENTS The guy was a professional milker..The teats of cats

[Dogdancing]

http://graves.medshelf.org/Self_Help

http://www.thyca.org/rai.htm

found these today good info.

[LittleEd]

One medical book I read suggested avoiding dairy for three months and see if the condition improves. It's interesting how you can find this information on your own but the endocrinologist just brushes it all off and ignores what you're telling her about the symptoms. Also, mushrooms can be added to the list of foods I think set me off--and get me pumped.

[Dogdancing]

...you makin' fun of cow nipples?

:)

[Dogdancing]

intersting you mentioning this... I just started recording what I have eaten that sends me "spinning" off the deep end mentally, so I can avoid it until my levels stop yoyoing.

I definitely have seen that my diet can rev up my immune system (aggrivatign the graves), but I lack any specifics or scientific studys to back this up.

Paja

[LittleEd]

There have also been times when large amounts of citrus--even lemonade--seemed to have irritated it. But, over these past two years, I've become so conscious of my thyroid and the symptoms that it seems to be leading to a whole new mental disorder--like paranoia. For a long time I was in the habit of feeling my pulse every few minutes, because of all the attention that had been brought to it.

I was just wondering if any one else has noticed problems with certain foods--and if they have any recommendations.

[mirabella45]

teats?

[kipland]

Hi Ed,
Although I can't answer your question about what foods to avoid or add, I find it interesting that you notice your thyroid hurting after eating dairy.  Your thyroid is the only gland in the body that absorbs iodine.  Before getting the radioactive iodine treatment, patients are supposed to follow a low iodine diet for a week or two beforehand, so the thyroid is starved for iodine.  That way, when they ingest the pill, it will travel to any thyroid tissue in the body.  When on the low iodine diet, you're not supposed to have dairy products at all due to iodine in cattle feed, the products containing iodine used to clean teats and udders, and a small amount from equipment cleaning products.  Interesting.

Hopefully, you'll get someone who can help you.  Also hope you're feeling better!