Let’s talk about food, after all you are what you eat! What you eat when you have hypothyroidism is kind of a big deal. It’s important to know what foods to avoid if you have hypothyroidism.
When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism I was 15. I went years with no issues as long as I just simply took my Synthroid. That changed in my mid 20’s. I began to develop symptoms even though my levels were in the normal range. I was taking my Synthroid, but not all of my symptoms were being alleviated. This frustration is what led me down the path to discover everything I am teaching you. I read a lot about my disease, check out this post Hypothyroid Books where I share some popular books on the subject.
What you eat will play a big role in the way you feel and look as you begin your journey to manage your disease. But, let’s be real. You probably won’t like the list of “no” foods I’m about to share with you. A lot of your favorites are most likely on the list. I get it, I understand, I’ve been there. I can tell you that I cheat. I am not 100% perfect, 100% of the time. I can tell you though, that making these diet changes is 100% worth it, 100% of the time.
Once I made these changes I felt better, almost instantly. It’s been 6 years since I’ve made these changes and I don’t regret the decision to change what I eat one bit. Back to the cheating, I do cheat; I live in the real world and you do too. I don’t expect perfection, and you shouldn’t either (who needs that pressure!). Aim to follow the diet restrictions 90% of the time. I should say though that for the first 6 months to 0ne year you should aim for closer to 95%-99% of the time (I was super strict the first year). The more you can stick to the diet restrictions the faster you will feel and look better. After all, feeling and looking better is the goal!
Let’s get into it… I’m sure you are ready to find out what is on the “no” list. Don’t worry, there is a “yes” list too! I’ll share some of my favorite foods that are amazing for thyroid health as well! It’s not all bad news, I promise!
Foods to Avoid if you have Hypothyroidism
Soy
Soy is a popular “health” food these days. People use it as a milk substitute. It’s also a major ingredient in Asian foods and vegan products and food as well. Soy interferes with your body’s ability to absorb your thyroid medication, it is also a “goitrogen” (a food that inhibits iodine absorption in your body. Remember that your thyroid needs iodine to function properly. Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that can absorb iodine. Soy interferes with your thyroid medication and interferes with your body’s ability to absorb iodine. I eliminated soy completely from my diet and felt so much better!
I actually discovered that soy was responsible for a patch of redness on my face that I had for years! My dermatologist couldn’t even figure it out. When I stopped eating soy the red patch disappeared like magic.
Gluten
Yep, this one is the worst one on the list. I can see your face right now… it’s not a happy face! Cheer up! I promise eliminating gluten is worth it, especially if you are dealing with digestive issues. Remember when we learned that your thyroid regulates your digestive system? Your thyroid hormone levels play a big role in the proper functioning of your digestive system. When you are hypothyroid your digestive system is already struggling. Gluten can be hard to digest even for people with otherwise healthy digestive systems, so it makes sense to eliminate it. If the cause of your hypothyroidism is autoimmune (Hashimoto’s) this puts you at a greater risk for having, or developing another autoimmune disease.
Guess what? The most common autoimmune found in conjunction with Hashimoto’s is Celiac. Yep, the autoimmune that is caused by eating gluten is found most often paired up with Hashimoto’s. If you have Hashimoto’s you should consider getting tested for Celiac. Ditching gluten was huge for me! I was dealing with MAJOR digestive issues for years. I went through the Celiac testing process and thankfully was negative. However, I still went gluten free and it changed my life. Imodium AD is no longer my best friend!
Sugar
Thyroid disease slows down your metabolism, and makes it difficult for your body to regulate your appetite. Sugar is inflammatory, autoimmune disease causes inflammation in your body. If you have Hashimoto’s you want to avoid inflammatory foods, you want your body to enjoy a reduction in inflammation, not add to it. But, that’s not the only reason to avoid sugar if you are hypothyroid. The “sugar rush” and subsequent “crash” you experience after eating sugar are also messing with your HPT axis. Eating sugar with hypothryroid is essentially cancelling out your thyroid medication. Your thyroid is not functioning properly already, with sugar in your bloodstream it’s adding to the already existing problem. Eliminating sugar with help your thyroid medication work better, lower inflammation in your body, and help your HPT regulate itself and get you closer to homeostasis.
Processed Foods
This one is because processed foods very often are made with soy, gluten, and excessive amounts of added sugar. As much as possible you want to cook from scratch. Avoiding chemicals added to processed to foods to preserve their shelf life is a good thing for everyone, even those who don’t have hypothyroidism.
Dairy
This one is optional in my opinion. Dairy can be inflammatory and hard to digest for certain people. You may find that eliminating dairy is a huge breakthrough for you. An elimination may lower inflammation in your body, improve your digestive system, and help your body to better absorb and synthesize your thyroid medication Or, like me, you may find that it isn’t a big factor for you. I don’t have any issues with dairy, but I also eat it in moderation. For the meal plan I worked around dairy, and if I included it in a recipe it is optional. You can always easily ditch the dairy.
Goitrogens
I introduced you to this term when we talked about soy. Soy is a goitrogen, but not the only one. Remember that a goitrogen is a food that interferes with your body’s ability to absorb iodine, a mineral necessary to thyroid function. Goitrogenic foods include the already discussed soy as well as brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. If you cook goitrogens it lessens their effects. So, if you have to eat one of these foods; cook it first.
Alcohol
You should avoid or cut way back on alcohol. It interferes with your body’s ability to convert T4 to T3.
Caffeine
Caffeine interferes with your body’s ability to absorb your thyroid medication. If you enjoy coffee make sure you space it out with thyroid medication by at least an hour. I drink coffee, but I take my thyroid medication in the evening and I only drink coffee in the morning or early afternoon.
Do you have hypothyroidism? You might enjoy my post about my journey with hypothyroidism, check it out here. Also, check out Hypothyroid Books for some reading material on hypothyroidism.
