Thyroid Nutrition

The Thyroid Diet

If you have a thyroid problem, the way you should eat is very similar to that of an individual who does not have a thyroid issue. Organic foods contain fewer amounts of chemicals and pesticides and can have a negative effect on the thyroid gland. The main goals of a thyroid diet are those which remove any stress from the thyroid gland itself and any systems that may be affecting the thyroid gland. The first major priority in eating to have a healthy thyroid is to make sure you do not have blood sugar swings. This requires consistent eating throughout the day of high-quality protein at every meal without eating too many carbohydrates. Remember that blood sugar swings not only affect the thyroid gland itself but also indirectly affect adrenal gland function which, as previously discussed, is highly connected to thyroid physiology.

The ideal protein/carbohydrate intake for someone with thyroid gland dysfunction is to eat a moderate- to low-carbohydrate diet with the exception of post-exercise carbohydrate consumption. The food you consume after you exercise and the meal following your post-workout meal can contain more carbohydrates than you would normally eat. You can do this because your body is much better at handling carbohydrates and blood sugar after you have participated in exercise.

The next important step in optimizing thyroid function is to alkalize your body. Your body contains approximately sixty trillion cells which are involved in six trillion chemical reactions every second. Your cells work best to carry out these chemical processes in an alkaline environment versus an acidic environment. The machinery in your cells that produce energy and burn fat can most easily do their job when the pH is alkaline. Eating foods that drive you into an acidic environment will put undue stress on your cells leading to sub-optimal energy production and function. The best way to find out if you are in an acid or alkaline state is to do a first morning pH test with Hydrion pH strip paper. You should be aiming for a pH of 6.5-7.5. A pH below 6.5 indicates an acidic cellular environment that could be contributing to a decrease in your metabolism. At the same time, you should not be too alkaline which would be a pH above 7.5. This would indicate a catabolic state meaning your body is breaking down its tissues rapidly due to some kind of metabolic or chemical stress. Start by taking your first morning urine pH for five days consecutively. Eliminate the highest and the lowest of the five readings and then average the middle three to attain your pH.

So how do you become more alkaline? The first thing you must do is eat a vegetable or fruit or both at every meal. Produce contains alkaline-forming substances including calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. These are "buffering" agents meaning they help to reduce acid by-products of metabolism. The way foods are designated as acid or alkaline is based on the "ash" that is left over when they are burned: the more buffering minerals in the ash, the more alkaline the food. In addition, the protein content of a food will also determine its acid/alkaline status. The presence of more amino acids (protein) in a food leads to more acidity in the body due to amino acid metabolism in the liver resulting in acidic by-products.

Adding sweet potatoes and yams as well as lentils will enhance your alkalinity. In addition, try to eat at least two cups of alkalinizing greens such as kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, or collard greens each day. Lean towards the three most alkalinizing grains: oats (gluten-free if you have Hashimoto's or Graves'), quinoa and wild rice.

There are many other strategies you can use to become more alkaline. Taking an alkalizing bath of one-cup epsom salts and a half-cup of baking soda will aid in alkalizing your body. The epsom salts contain magnesium which is a buffering mineral that will assist in the elimination of acid residues that result from metabolism and detoxification. The baking soda is also extremely alkaline and will aid in neutralizing acidic compounds that the skin is eliminating. Take one of these baths every day, and if you are an athlete, take one at the end of your training day to enhance healing of acidic muscle tissue that has been broken down.

The next thing you can do to alkalize is to drink a morning cocktail of a quarter- to half-teaspoon of unrefined Celtic sea salt, a juiced half-lemon or lime, a greens supplement and a half-teaspoon of buffered vitamin C powder. This cocktail will flood your system with alkalizing agents that mop up acid residues in the body. Please be sure to use unrefined Celtic sea salt which is extremely alkaline as opposed to table salt or sodium chloride which is extremely acidic. Table salt has been stripped of its alkaline minerals resulting in a toxic and acidic product.

Your evening ritual should consist of taking 200 mg of potassium bicarbonate and 100 mg of magnesium glycinate before bed. Increase by one of each until you achieve an alkaline first morning urinary pH.