Before I discuss some Graves’ disease diet tips that can help restore your health to normal, let me tell you that I’m not only a licensed health care professional, but I’ve also been personally diagnosed with Graves’ disease. And nutrition definitely played a huge role in restoring my health to normal. I would caution you, being a holistic practitioner, I am biased towards natural treatment methods, so although most endocrinologists label Graves’ disease as “incurable”, based on my own personal experience, I believe that Graves’ disease It can be cured, and one’s own diet is important to restore your health.
So, if you are looking for Graves’ disease diet tips that will help restore your health to normal, then you will enjoy reading the following information. As I just mentioned, diet can play an important role in the natural treatment of Graves’ disease. However, I will tell you that while eating healthy and incorporating nutritional supplements can be beneficial, there are other factors that will also play a role in your recovery, which I will briefly mention in this article.
I also warn you that different doctors will have different opinions on what is considered “healthy” in regards to diet. And let’s be honest for a moment… no one eats the “perfect” diet, as in my opinion it’s okay to be “bad” once in a while. For example, I once consulted with a patient who loved smoothies, which, as you might guess, aren’t terribly healthy. And although it would be ideal for this person to completely eliminate milkshakes from their diet, having one once in a while is usually not a big deal. And the same goes for other foods.
Of course there are exceptions. For example, someone with celiac disease probably won’t be able to eat a gluten-based food “once in a while” without having a bad reaction. Another example involves someone who can’t “settle” for the occasional shake, or the occasional slice of pizza, etc. In other words, some better stay away from “bad” foods completely, or else they start consuming too many of them.
Food allergy testing is a good idea
Regardless, one of the first things I will recommend before someone changes their eating habits is to get tested for food allergies. Going to an allergy doctor might not be the best option, as they will usually only test for IgE antibodies. You may want to visit a holistic practitioner and get an ELISA/EIA panel, which also measures IgG antibodies and is usually more accurate (although this depends on the lab doing the testing).
Another alternative is to consider a GI Health Panel. Diagnos-Techs offers this type of test, which measures the health of the gastrointestinal tract and includes more than a dozen tests using saliva and stool samples. They also offer a FIP Food Intolerance Panel, which will determine if you are allergic to four of the most common foods (gluten, soy, milk and egg proteins).
A less expensive approach is to go on an elimination diet, where you eliminate all common food allergens (wheat, soy, dairy, etc.) and then slowly introduce one potential allergen, one at a time. There are different ways to do this, but here is an example. You can follow a purification program (outlined shortly) and then once the purification program is complete, introduce wheat for 3 days and see how your body reacts. Just make sure you don’t add more than one potential allergen, because if you were to add wheat and dairy, for example, and you had a bad reaction, you wouldn’t know which allergen was responsible.
A purification program can be beneficial
As I just mentioned, many people can benefit from a purification program. There are different types of these programs, and when undertaking one it is advisable to be under the guidance of a competent health professional. When I put one of my patients on a cleansing program, I prefer that they avoid gluten, dairy, soy, and other common allergens for at least twenty-one days. Again, the reason for this is that they are common allergens.
On the other hand, I encourage you to eat lots of vegetables, some fruits, as well as chicken, turkey, and certain types of fish. I recommend that you buy organic, at least when it comes to meats. While it would be great if they could buy everything organic, I realize some people can’t afford this, so if you must choose, I recommend eating organic meat and trying to stay away from non-organic vegetables. and fruits with high pesticide content. These are not necessarily the only foods I recommend, as most people can consume a small amount of raw nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, etc.), as well as a few other foods.
A real example of a Graves’ disease diet:
Here is an example of a daily protocol when I first started my Graves’ disease diet. Note that this is just an example, and not a diet I stuck to permanently (although it did train me to eat better, and I still eat healthy to this day):
Breakfast:
• Protein drink containing 2 cups of purified water, 1 cup of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries), a healthy form of protein powder, and 1 teaspoon of flax seed oil (after a month, I added an egg raw organic to this).
Mid-morning snack:
• Organic apples and raw sunflower seeds
Lunch:
• Grilled Chicken Salad: Organic Mixed Vegetables and Spinach, Organic Grilled Chicken
Mid-afternoon snack:
• Another protein drink (very filling and actually tastes quite good)
Dinner:
• Organic roast turkey
• Some type of vegetable (ie pumpkin)
Snack after dinner:
• 1 cup of raw nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews)
Although this diet is relatively healthy, you will notice that it is not perfect. Probably should have incorporated more vegetables, but overall it was a healthy diet. Today I still eat healthy, but every once in a while I incorporate some whole grains (for example, like a turkey wrap or a sandwich with whole wheat bread), and once in a while I even go out for pizza, like chocolate, etc.
If you currently eat a lot of junk food and/or have strong cravings for sweets and carbs, I wouldn’t expect you to change overnight. Under such circumstances, it is best to take it easy, and when I first see a patient who has strong cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, I put them on a protocol to help them get rid of these cravings and thus transition to a healthier life. diet much easier. Personally, I grew up eating foods like Fruit Loops, Burger King Whoppers, and French fries, and drank a lot of Hawaiian Punch. And while I was already eating much healthier when I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, it took a while when I started trying to eat healthy.
Drink plenty of purified water
You should also drink plenty of purified water during this time and avoid soft drinks, and even most juices, which can be high in sugar. As to what type of water to drink, different doctors have different opinions, but I recommend water that has been reverse osmosis or distilled, and then enhanced with minerals. Some will disagree with me, preferring water without added minerals. Either way, stay away from tap water, and I’d also be wary of drinking spring water unless you know the source is of good quality.
What are goitrogens?
There are also certain goitrogens that you should do your best to avoid. Goitrogens interfere with thyroid gland function, which is certainly not as important a factor in someone with a hyperthyroid condition like Graves’ disease as it would be in someone with a hypothyroid condition. But still, you want to at least minimize the following foods, and some of them you’ll want to avoid entirely. Personally, I ate some of the following goitrogens in moderation (ie spinach and broccoli), while completely avoiding others (ie soy). Anyway, here are some of the goitrogens to watch out for:
• Soy
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Peaches
• Strawberries
Where should you buy?
As for where you should shop, although you can shop at your local health food store, I personally like Trader Joes, which is a national chain that has a lot of natural and organic food at affordable prices. Some “regular” grocery stores, and even places like Wal-Mart, also carry natural and organic foods. While my wife and I love to shop at Trader Joes for most of our items, we buy some of our groceries at a local health food store and a few items at a “regular” grocery store.
Factors Other Than Diet Can Affect Your Health
In addition to eating healthy, there are other factors that can affect your health. Since it is difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals you need through your diet, it may be beneficial to take some quality nutritional supplements (i.e. B vitamins, vitamin D, iodine, essential fatty acids, a multimineral supplement, etc.) . As I’m sure you know, it’s also beneficial to be on a regular exercise program. Another important factor for people with Graves’ disease is managing the stress in their lives, because while almost everyone has to deal with stress, we all have different coping mechanisms. And those who don’t do a good job managing the stress in their lives are more likely to have stressed adrenal glands, which can lead to and exacerbate autoimmune disease.
Should I see a natural endocrine doctor?
While many endocrinologists label Graves’ disease as incurable, the truth is that many people like me are turning to natural treatment methods to help restore thyroid gland function and thus avoid antithyroid drugs and radioactive iodine. A competent natural practitioner who focuses on endocrine disorders can help you with your diet, recommend quality supplements, and put you on a comprehensive program that can potentially restore your health to normal. While not everyone is a candidate for natural treatment methods, most people can benefit from following a natural treatment protocol.
So for those looking for an ideal diet for Graves’ disease, hopefully they have a better idea of what foods to eat when diagnosed with this condition. Truth be told, most people should eat a healthy diet consisting of whole foods, regardless of whether or not they have an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Doing so can actually help prevent such conditions from developing, along with incorporating other lifestyle factors such as exercising regularly, getting quality sleep, and doing a good job managing stress. But for someone with Graves’ disease, eating healthy can definitely help improve their health and is therefore extremely important.
