Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology
Page 12
CUSTOMIZED DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR SPECIFIC CONCERNS
Although enzymes can provide critical support to digestion and increase nutrient absorption, you may find yourself still experiencing specific symptoms that require a more customized approach. Let’s explore some of these symptoms and how you might address them directly.
Certain factors such as your ethnic background, current health status, habits, environment, stress levels, infections, toxin exposure, and symptoms may require more specific dietary modifications in addition to those included in the healing diets. Here are some targeted modifications you can consider based on your symptoms or underlying triggers:
For food-sensitivity reactions such as breakouts, bloating, fatigue, and/or headaches after meals: do a food-sensitivity test and remove foods based on the results.
If you are an athlete and are finding that you are lacking in fuel: try increasing your carbohydrate intake through healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and whole fruits.
For fructose malabsorption or blood-sugar abnormalities: reduce fructose intake to less than 50 grams per day.
For symptoms of copper toxicity, such as acne/hormonal breakouts, fatigue, emotional lability, or a reddish tint to hair: consider a low-copper diet.
For symptoms of citrus sensitivity such as fatigue, allergies, headaches, sinus issues, rashes, and upset stomach: remove citrus fruit.
For impaired detoxification: try a two-week vegan/vegetarian diet.
For Candida: try a yeast-limiting diet like the Body Ecology Diet.
For neurological issues such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, epilepsy, or migraines: try a ketogenic diet—a low-carb diet where the body breaks down fats for fuel instead of relying on carbohydrates.
For sulfur toxicity with symptoms such as dry skin, breakouts, and rashes: follow a low-sulfur diet to eliminate symptoms.
For mercury toxicity: follow a low-seafood diet.
For severe reactions to dairy with continuing symptoms: experiment with a trial beef avoidance (may be especially helpful with pain).
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DIGESTIVE ENZYME SUPPLEMENTATION
ENZYME TYPE
PURPOSE
HOW TO TAKE
RECOMMENDED BRAND
Betaine with pepsin
To support protein digestion, low stomach acid
Dose determined by trial, usually 1–7 capsules per day with protein-containing meals
Betaine with Pepsin by Rootcology or Pure Encapsulations
Fat digestive enzymes
To support fat digestion
With meals, follow package instructions
Rootcology Liver & Gallbladder Support; Digestion GB, Pure Encapsulations
Pancreatic enzymes
To support digestion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
With meals of protein, fat, and/or carbohydrates, in case of pancreatic enzyme deficiency
Rootcology Pancreatic Enzymes Plus; Pure Encapsulations Pancreatic Enzymes
Systemic (or proteolytic) enzymes
To break down CICs, reduce antibodies against food and the thyroid
5–10 capsules/tablets on an empty stomach, 3 times daily, apart from food
Wobenzym; Pure Encapsulations Systemic Enzymes
Vegetable digestive enzymes
To break down fiber and starch in vegetables
Take with starchy and/or fibrous foods such as raw fruit and veggies
Rootcology Veggie Enzymes; Digestive Enzymes Ultra, Pure Encapsulations
Gluten/dairy digestive enzymes
To minimize reactions from accidental exposures to gluten and/or dairy
Take with meals when eating out, eating foods that may be cross-contaminated with gluten/dairy, or after accidental exposures
Gluten/Dairy Digest, Pure Encapsulations
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For inflammatory issues not resolved by other diets or interventions such as pain, vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, urinary burning, kidney stones, or irritable bladder: follow a low-oxalate diet.
For cases of malabsorption: consider reducing raw foods and try pureeing foods.
For improving detoxification: increase your intake of raw foods.
For mold toxicity: you may benefit from avoiding high-mold foods and beverages such as peanuts, raisins, dried fruit, nuts, coffee, beer, and wine or eating a low-mold diet like the Bulletproof Diet.
If you do remove or eliminate a certain food or foods as recommended in some of these steps, you can test it to see if it is in fact what’s causing your symptoms. To do this, remove all sources of the food for three weeks, observing your symptoms throughout, and then reintroduce the food by eating it during three consecutive days. Observe your symptoms over these three days to determine if the food is indeed reactive.
If you didn’t see your symptom listed above, see if you can spot it on the chart here—and if you do, give the suggested strategy in the “Also Try” column a go.
I’ve written about resolving many of these symptoms in great detail on my website. If you’d like more details on any of these symptoms as well as more symptom solutions, please visit thyroidpharmacist.com/food to get my free Thyroid Symptom Solutions eBook.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: USING NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE WITH THE RECIPES
When you get to the recipes, you’ll see a nutritional analysis at the bottom of each one that shares the B12, iron, iodine, magnesium, and selenium content. These key nutrients are included because they are involved in and often deficient in thyroid conditions. It should be noted that in the case of iron, there are two forms: heme and nonheme. Animal proteins contain both heme and nonheme, while plant foods contain just nonheme. Since nonheme is not as easily absorbed, it’s best to consume plant foods high in iron with vitamin C–rich foods. My Truffled Veggies is a perfect example of an iron-rich plant-based dish!
The nutritional analysis also includes macronutrient details, which can help you determine your need for specific supporting digestive enzymes. For example, meals that are richer in protein will require more betaine with pepsin compared to foods that have low amounts of protein. If a dish doesn’t contain protein, you will not need the betaine with pepsin.
Each recipe is analyzed for one serving, but of course some individuals will consume more than one serving—you can simply double (or triple) the serving figures depending on how much you are eating for your meal. Additionally, I’ve included sodium and potassium for each recipe, for those who wish to track their levels.
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WHAT ARE YOUR SYMPTOMS TRYING TO TELL YOU?
SYMPTOMS
COMMON NUTRITIONAL CAUSES
ALSO TRY
Acne
Gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, toxins
Tanning, organic skin care, sweating, zinc, fish oil, low-copper diet
Anxiety
Caffeine, tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, blood-sugar imbalances, gluten, dairy, nuts
Selenium, balancing blood sugar, probiotics, fermented foods, magnesium, low-copper diet
Asthma
Dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts
NAC, indoor air purifier, salt therapy, SIBO treatment, address mold/yeast
Depression
Gluten, dairy, grains, soy, nuts/seeds
Blue light during the day, probiotics, fermented foods, fish oil
Fatigue
Poor digestion, gluten, dairy, nutrient deficiencies
Betaine with pepsin, lemon water, thiamine, green smoothies; test for B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels
Gallbladder issues
Egg, pork, onion, poultry, milk, coffee, orange, corn, nuts, tomatoes
Liver & Gallbladder Support by Rootcology; Digestion GB by Pure Encapsulations
GERD
Gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts
H. pylori treatment, digestive enzymes, magnesium
Hair loss
Low ferritin, blood-sugar swings
T3 containing thyroid meds, optimize TSH, biotin, zinc, gelatin, collagen, omeg
a-3s
IBS
Gluten, dairy, grains, raw vegetables
High-dose probiotics, digestive enzymes, parasite cleanse, SIBO testing
Migraines
Gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, corn, sugar, citrus, coffee, tea, chocolate, beef
Magnesium supplement, Epsom salt baths, H. pylori testing
Pain
Gluten, dairy, grains, nightshades
Low-level laser therapy, Epsom salt baths, acupuncture, chiropractic, magnesium
Trouble gaining weight
Not eating enough calories
Support adrenals, gut testing, the Root Cause Building Smoothie, track calories (use a calorie-counting app), reduce stress
Trouble losing weight
Carbohydrates, gluten, dairy, processed foods, low-calorie diet
Rest more, test adrenals, probiotics, less exercise, more calories (real food), multivitamins, check medication side effects, test for nutrient deficiencies, check digestion and nutrient absorption
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I specifically did not include calories, because I feel that we should be focusing on nutrient density for healing rather than counting calories. If you follow my meal plans, you will be consuming appropriate amounts of nutrients with a whole-food approach and therefore your calories will fall into place. You will find that soon enough you will feel and look healthier and begin to shed unwanted symptoms.
4.
Making It Work! Habits, Tools, and Strategies for Success
Changing the way you’ve been eating, just like changing any habit, can be challenging at first, since it requires paying more attention than we normally do to what we put in our bodies. But it is so worth it! Your body will repay you, and you will soon see that your symptoms will vanish before your eyes. Furthermore, as time goes on, you will get in the habit of eating nutritious foods, and this way of eating will become second nature.
One way to prepare for the challenge is to make sure you are in the right frame of mind. This is the one that sees the attention you are paying to yourself and your nourishment needs as an essential act of self-care, one that will hopefully continue on indefinitely. As I tell my clients, the practice of compassionate self-care is a long-term strategy for your best health.
Of course, there are also tangible ways to prepare for and even minimize any stress you may feel about making dietary changes. You may have heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.”
After reading up on the theory and guidelines, you may be interested in the practical applications of your new lifestyle. If you’re anything like me and my clients, you likely have lots of questions, and I know that sometimes just one of these questions may be a roadblock for getting started or continuing on the road to success.
In this chapter I share some of my best success strategies for making the new lifestyle work for you, including:
Optimizing your kitchen for your new lifestyle
Getting the right tools to make life easier
Choosing the most healing ingredients
Making healthy replacements for common staples
Shopping for quality and specialty foods without breaking the bank
Keeping the new diet exciting
Making real food in real life when you’re busy
Making the lifestyle work with the whole family
Dealing with unsupportive people
Eating out
Let’s dive in!
LET’S LOOK AT YOUR KITCHEN
I’ve found that having a reliable plan of action for making over your diet starts with making over your kitchen! I have two suggestions to do so. I recommend, first, “greening your kitchen” by removing the low-hanging, everyday toxins that are present in your kitchen and may be seeping into your foods, and, second, investing in tools that will help make life easier, either by speeding up or simplifying a cooking process.
Greening Your Kitchen
You may not realize it, but toxic substances are likely lurking throughout your kitchen cupboards and drawers; they exist in cookware, food-storage containers, utensils, and more. Here are seven simple ways you can minimize your in-home exposure:
1. Use glass baking dishes, ceramic-coated pots and pans, and cast-iron skillets instead of Teflon-coated or stainless-steel pots and pans.
2. Use wood utensils instead of plastic or metal-coated ones.
3. Use glass containers, such as wide-mouth Mason jars, instead of plastic containers for food storage.
4. Invest in BPA-free storage bags.
5. Never heat or cook foods in plastic, as this can release toxins.
6. Swap out aluminum foil for chlorine-free parchment paper when baking, grilling, and steaming.
7. Invest in a reverse osmosis filter to remove fluoride, a thyroid toxin, from the water supply you use for cooking and drinking.
Transitioning your kitchen into a space that contains fewer toxins will likely take time. However, you shouldn’t feel the need to postpone trying any recipes or removing reactive foods from your diet until you’ve greened up your cooking space. In fact, the sooner you get started on your healthy diet, the sooner you will likely start to feel better. Make the adjustments in your kitchen as time and money allow, and make cooking healing foods for yourself the number-one priority.
Kitchen Tools That Simplify Your Life
Many of these tools may seem like a luxury but they are a worthwhile investment because they can make your life much easier as you adjust to a real-food lifestyle and increase your likelihood of success! Here is a list of must-have tools:
Slow cooker: A slow cooker is an electric pot that cooks your food slowly over a longer period of time at low temperatures. You throw in raw ingredients, turn the pot on, and can go to work or take a nap while the pot does all of the work! It has become such an essential part of my cooking that I’m not sure how I functioned before I got one. I use it to make Bone Broth, Winter Oxtail Stew, Cuban Ropa Vieja, Hubby’s Carnitas, and many other favorite dishes. One of my favorite things is to wake up or come home to fragrant food that’s waiting for me!
High-powered blender: A high-powered blender is a workhorse that can be used to make green smoothies, cauliflower mashed potatoes, soups, nut butters, and even your own mayonnaise and coconut yogurt. If I could have only one appliance in my kitchen, this would be it!
Masticating juicer: A masticating juicer “chews” fruits and vegetables instead of cutting and spinning them, allowing more nutrients to infuse the juice. Drinking the juice lets you get more nutrients into your body!
Electric pressure cooker: An electric pressure cooker is a fantastic cooking appliance that allows you create hearty, nourishing meals in a relatively short amount of time. When you add your ingredients, along with water or cooking broth, securely fasten the lid, and set the controls to heat the vessel, the contents are under pressure, water reaches a higher temperature than its normal boiling point, and the resulting cooking process is sped up.
Glass baking dishes: Glass baking dishes are an incredibly versatile must-have in your kitchen. I use them for quiches (Mexican Quiche; Broccoli and Chicken Quiche), Baked Ginger-Lemon Chicken Thighs, Bacon and Chive Scalloped Potatoes, Almond and Date Snack Bars, and so much more. I recommend getting a variety of sizes. Some also come with tops, so you can use them to store leftovers.
Mason jars: I love my Mason jars. They can be used for serving beverages, food storage, and meal preparation for the whole week when you make Jar Salad and smoothies.
Fermenting crock pot: If you want to get fancy, traditional Polish or German fermentation pots can be used to make fermented vegetables, which help to repopulate the gut with good bacteria.
Some optional but fun tools include:
Spiralizer: This awesome tool makes all kinds of veggies into noodles and thin slices that cook much faster. The veggie noodles made at home are much healthier than gluten-free noodles, which are full of processed grains! I love making noodles from zucchini, bee
ts, and sweet potatoes!
Waffle iron: Every now and then you may miss certain textures or comfort foods. Dedicating a waffle iron to gluten-free creations for those slow weekend mornings might be just the thing that hits the spot (speaking from personal experience here!).
Roasting pan: I love using a roasting pan for quick one-pot weekday meals. You can place a whole chicken or duck on top of veggies in a roasting pan, add some fat, such as coconut oil or duck fat, cover, and let them bake! Keeping the moisture in results in juicy meats and yummy veggies.
Cast-iron skillet: Cast-iron skillets are fantastic for making quick stir-frys, hashes, and one-pot stovetop meals. As an added bonus, they can help with supporting your iron and ferritin levels!
CHOOSING QUALITY INGREDIENTS
Over the years, I’ve learned how to shop efficiently for the highest-quality ingredients. I want to share some tips on how you can do the same.
When it comes to proteins, it’s important to remember to choose organic varieties over conventional when possible. Organic practices require livestock to be raised outside at least part of the year and that a percentage of their diet be met through foraging for food (this is where the terms “pasture-raised” and “grass-fed” come from). This more natural lifestyle leads to proteins that are higher in beneficial omega-3s and lower in omega-6s. Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better immune function, and organic meats have been shown to contain about 50 percent more than conventional meats.
Fish should be wild caught and low in mercury. Some excellent choices are salmon and sardines, while tuna and shark should be limited due to high mercury content.
If you can find a local farmer who raises chickens, ask if you can buy their eggs; chances are they will be from happily roaming chickens. Inquire about the feed—some people who previously thought they were egg intolerant have found that they tolerate eggs from chickens fed a non-GMO and soy-free diet.