low iodine diet

[sharone]

ok, so i went to the doctor today and he's taking me off the 400mcg of levothroxine for the next week and putting me on the low iodine diet.the menu suggests a turkey sandwich, so i go to the deli and got some turkey , then i get home and im looking the diet up on line and a few said no turkey..does anyone have some suggestions on what i can eat thats quick and easy. oh and can i use the powdered creamer for my coffee, and drink diet pepsi? help, im so hungry..lol..

[Liz94]

I lost 8 pounds on that stupid diet and I'm a small person as well. It's been 4 months and I still haven't gained any back.  And trust me when I say I eat all day long!  Now that I get to add hypoglycemia to my wonderful array of ailments all I freakin do is eat!  BOO is right, LID stinks in a big way. Stupid diet. Stupid thyroid.

[shannon828]

The only way I survived was that I had wonderful people pick something out of the Thyca cookbook and make it for me.  I was in NO mood to cook since I was so irritated with how strict the stupid diet was.  My mom baked me three loaves of LID bread, a batch of brownies and a batch of crispy oatmeal cookies, a friend baked me corn muffins, my MIL made me black bean soup and pasta sauce.  ALSO, Fleischman's no salt margarine practically made life worth living, in addition to Health Valley canned goods (they have a ton of no salt added soups and even chicken broth!).  I am a skinny girl and have lost so much weight through this whole thing and that damn diet was the nail in the coffin!  I've been eating everything under the sun since I got off the diet to gain some weight, but at my appointment yesterday I have not gained one ounce in a week :(  BOO LID, YOU STINK!

[sharone]

thank u everyone..im lookin forward to getting better and beating this thing again..the loosing weight part is nice too...

[thyroidbride]

also, one thing I have been eating a lot of is LaraBars.  They are a natural food bar made up of only fruit and nuts.  You can get them at Whole Foods and they make a very portable snack.  Good luck!  I have already been on LID for 3 weeks and I feel your pain.

[Liz94]

Check bakeries in your area and ask them how they make their bread. I totally lucked out and found one near my house that specializes in baking with no iodine or salt, it was the best thing and it saved me from going bonkers.  I had to call several before I found it though. Also, we have a market here called "Sprouts."  They carry unsalted tortilla chips, unsalted spaghetti sauce, all organic meat products, etc. See if you have one of those in your area.  Oh and my doc told me I could have Coffeemate in my coffee, he said that was okay. He also said small amounts of ketchup, like a 1/2 teaspoon or small amounts of margarine were okay too. It's not NO iodine, it's LOW iodine.  I would ask your doc about that though, most docs have their own theories.  I bought a Magic Bullet and learned how to make smoothies with frozen berries and pineapple juice, ate tons of unsalted almonds, apples, sweet potatoes, and pasta.  It stinks but you do get used to it. And you WILL lose weight!  I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks.

[pep88]

go to: thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf... add the www and the http.  It got me through the WHOLE thing... Even made my own LID bread...  although I'd never do it again...  You need to be careful of all processed meats.  And I mean ALL.  Look for Kosher stuff.  I researched it, they use only non-iodized salt to make it Kosher.  Good luck!

[KelDC]

Oh, how I feel your pain.  I did the LID for two and a half weeks before my RAI.  =)

Turkey is fine to eat, from what I have read, but not deli turkey...it is processed and loaded with salt.  You can have fresh turkey, but you cannot have mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressing, etc (salt).  You also cannot have bread, unless you make it yourself at home.  That was according to the thyca guidelines my doctor gave me.  

Thyca's website (thyca.org) has a low iodine cookbook you can download/print for free.  It's pretty impressive, and it helped me a lot! There is also a low iodine cookbook by Norene Gilletz (sp?), but it's pretty pricey. My library was able to order it, though, so you could check yours.  Checkyourneck.org also has a smaller low iodine cookbook.  

Unfortunately, the powdered (and liquid) non-dairy creamers contain a milk derivative so they are a no-no, too.  The only "milk" subsitute that is allowed (lactose and salt free) is hemp milk.  If you have a Whole Foods or the like, you can get it there.  If not, it is available online.   Wish I had known that when I was on it!  

As for Diet Pepsi, I'm not sure....I think it's fine, as long as it doesn't contain any of the ingredients that are outlawed (iodine, Red Dye #something, etc.).  

Quick easy foods for me were: fresh fruit, dried fruit (apricots, cherries, prunes), unsalted nuts, unsalted Matzo crackers w/(natural unsalted) peanut butter, pasta w/veggies.... you have to get creative, but it can be done!

Feel free to contact me if you need to talk/vent or need some more food ideas!