Anyone who suffers from hypothyroidism – also referred to as an underactive thyroid – knows that trying to lose weight with this condition is very difficult. It seems that the mere thought of eating causes those pounds to pack on, and while others are able to enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods, you sit there, resisting temptation, feeling miserable and not losing weight anyway! The bad news is: there are certain foods that you need to avoid if you have an underactive thyroid. But the good news is: there are lots of delicious foods you can eat. You just need to do more advance planning than most other people. Let’s take a look at the foods that you should avoid if you suffer from hypothyroidism.
To eat or not to eat? That is the question?
If you suffer from hypothyroidism, you need to watch what you eat much more carefully than most of the people around you. First of all, let me point out the fact that “going on a diet” can be very burdensome – you feel like you have to be on the alert all the time, just in case you eat the wrong thing, and many “diets” are very one-sided anyway. Besides those negative aspects, it’s also a fact that most people who lose weight on one of these one-sided diets regain it again in no time at all. The best way to combat the problem is to make the necessary adjustments to your diet for once and for all, and to see it as a new way of life: “No thanks. I don’t eat anything that contains sugar!” rather than “I won’t have any cake thank you. I’m on a diet at the moment.” Do you see the difference – it’s about permanence and not a temporary state. But, despite those things you must banish from your diet, many of which are undeniably delicious (and also extremely bad for everyone, even if their thyroid functions normally), there are so many other delicious things you can replace them with. One of the best tricks is to drink lots of water and calorie-free beverages, like herbal and fruit teas without sugar, tea or coffee with just a little milk if you can’t drink it black. Add some xylitol to your beverages if you can’t do without that little bit of sweetness. Drinking a lot fills your stomach, and you won’t feel as hungry – and we all need lots of fluids anyway.
So, what are those foods that you should be avoiding?
Sugars and refined carbohydrates – there are so many reasons why we shouldn’t eat sugar, regardless of our weight, metabolism, age, thyroid activity and the general state of health. The human body is well able to function – in fact, it functions better – with no sugar at all. If you want to add sweetness to beverages, use xylitol, but with caution because too much of it can cause diarrhea in some people. Sugar also causes inflammation within the body, and inflammation inhibits the production of the critical thyroid hormones, T3 and T4, which are responsible for the regulation of your metabolism, your temperature, and your heart rate.
- Processed foods and fast foods – processed foods contain high levels of sodium and other unhealthy salts. Like sugar, these salts induce inflammation, which in turn inhibits the production of T3 and T4.
- Cruciferous vegetables – a big name for a well-known group of vegetables which includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, radishes, turnips, and kohlrabi. These otherwise healthy vegetables inhibit the activity of the thyroid and may even cause it to enlarge, especially if you do not consume enough natural iodine. If you do not want to cut them out completely, at least limit your intake.
- Tap water – this is possibly one of the biggest challenges because everyone needs to drink lots of water. Unfortunately, the chlorine and the fluoride they add to our household water inhibit the production of the thyroid hormones. Overcoming this one is not so easy. Some people are lucky enough to be able to collect fresh spring water, but beware here too – spring water is often lacking in calcium, so you need to make sure you’re supplementing somehow. Another alternative is a reverse osmosis filtration device under the kitchen sink, which filters all those harmful substances out of the water – but this way, you’ll need to supplement your calcium too.
- Gluten – many people with hypothyroidism are also sensitive to gluten, so it’s wise to avoid anything that contains high levels of gluten. Flour, noodles, barley, and rye are all high in gluten. Luckily, most supermarkets have a range of gluten-free products, but avoid those that are highly processed.
- Soy – although soy has long been a firm favorite with vegetarians and people who want to eat less meat, it’s coming more and more under the spotlight due to the isoflavones it contains, which inhibit thyroid activity. What’s more, they also inhibit the absorption of thyroid medication.
Conclusion
So, where does that leave you? No refined flour products, like cakes and cookies, white bread or noodles, no sugar, no cabbage (I can hear some cheers!), cauliflower and broccoli, no tap water, no soya. But think about all that delicious stuff you can eat – fresh fruit and a wide range of vegetables, oats, meat (especially lamb, beef, and turkey), dairy products, nuts, seeds (like chia, sesame and pumpkin seeds), legumes. You need to adjust your diet to suit your body, and because a thyroid diet is basically a healthy diet for everyone, if you’re a mom (or dad) you can simply start buying your groceries and cooking accordingly. Chances are, your family won’t even notice the change!
References
https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20986201,00.html#worst-processed-foods-0
https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/5-foods-avoid-hypothyroidism-thyroid-disease-thyroid-diet/
https://www.activebeat.com/diet-nutrition/hypothyroidism-diet-6-foods-to-eat-and-6-foods-to-avoid/7/
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