Dear Thyroid^TM

This week, we have a guest post from a special lady with a special website: Melissa from The Cellulite Investigation.  Trust me, you’ll love the site — it’s a report on our modern cellulite epidemic, which resonates with the Cellulite Analyst (as she’s referred to) because of her own struggles with cellulite.  Today she’s written a post for us about her experiences with fluoride, which, of course, is so important to the thyroid community.  You’ll be shocked with what she’s uncovered:

It all started when I noticed a strange phenomenon while traveling. Living in the U.S., my face was one huge acne outbreak. Yet I didn’t need a single spot treatment when living abroad. This pattern repeated itself through two decades of frequent travel. Finally, after much perplexing, I understand the reason. It’s called fluoroderma, a form of halogen acne caused by fluoride.

Once I received the fluoroderma diagnosis, I began to limit my fluoride ingestion and saw immediate results with my cystic acne. In the beginning, I thought avoiding fluoride would be simple: just stop drinking fluoridated water. Turns out it wasn’t that easy. After a year and a half of trial and error, I finally succeeded in limiting my fluoride consumption enough to heal my fluoroderma (who says there’s no real cure for acne?!).

Now, dear Dear Thyroid readers, I would like to offer my fluoride-detecting superpowers to those of you who suffer with hypothyroidism. As you recall from earlier HTKYTA posts, fluoride blocks iodine receptors (iodine is also a halogen) and causes a decrease in absorbed thyroid hormone. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, fluoride in the range of 2-5 mg per day is enough to slow down thyroid function.1 In fact, fluoride was used to treat hyperthyroidism before more powerful medications were developed.

If you are looking to limit your fluoride exposure, here are nine sources of fluoride that might surprise you.

1. Non-Organic Tea

Tea leaves accumulate more fluoride from soil and air pollution than any other edible plant. Total fluoride content depends on steeping time. In one lab analysis, a cup of black tea was found to contain 17.5 mg of fluoride. The level in green tea was even higher, at 22 mg per cup. Non-organic iced tea, instant tea, and decaf tea are all known to contain high amount of fluoride.2

2. Processed Cereal

When cereals are manufactured using fluoridated water, the water evaporates, leaving concentrated levels of fluoride in the finished product. One study found that cereal made with fluoridated water contained fluoride levels ranging from 3.8 to 6.3 ppm (the maximum contaminant level for fluoridated water set by the EPA is 4 ppm).3

3. Other Food and Beverages Prepared in Fluoridated Water

This one is a little more obvious, but it’s still easy to overlook. Coming from someone who breaks out after eating steamed broccoli or drinking a single Newcastle (who knew Newcastle was one of the few cities in the UK to fluoridate its public water supply?), food and beverages made with fluoridated water are a significant source of fluoride exposure. When eating out at fluoridated restaurants, don’t forget that foods like pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables will contain some of the fluoridated water they were cooked in. Fruit juices can pack an extra fluoride punch due to the promiscuous use of fluoride-based pesticides. Which brings us to…

4. Grapes, Potatoes, and other Non-Organic Crops

The primary fluoride-based pesticide used in the U.S. is cryolite, most commonly used on crops of grapes and potatoes. The EPA allows over 7 ppm of cryolite on 30 different fruits and vegetables, including broccoli, citrus fruits, cucumbers, lettuce, peaches, peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes.4

5. Factory-Farmed Chicken

My fluoride-o-meter goes into hyperdrive with this one. When humans ingest fluoride, roughly half of it accumulates in the bones while the other half is excreted. A similar process must occur with chickens because it’s the chicken bones that contain the highest amounts of fluoride (commercial chicken feed can be high in fluoride-based pesticides). Chicken skin is another culprit. Watch out for soups made from a chicken stock base as well as mechanically deboned chicken products and luncheon meats.5

6. Teflon and Aluminum Pans

The next two fluoride sources have not been verified by my experience with fluoroderma, but the research makes them worth mentioning. I cook with cast iron, pyrex, and stainless steel, but some fluoridation opponents argue that teflon and aluminum cookware can leech dangerous fluoride compounds into the food. Considering that most of the fluoride added to the public water supply is a byproduct of the aluminum industry (you can check your local water report to find out where your fluoride comes from), this does not sound like an outlandish claim.

7. Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals

The list of fluorine-based medications is staggering, from anesthetics and antibiotics to antidepressants like Paxil and Prozac.6

[To find out if your medications are fluorine-based, here is an index of fluorinated pharmaceuticals from the Fluoride Toxicity Research Collaborative]

8. Showering/Bathing in Fluoridated Water

I haven’t found any scientific studies of fluoride exposure from bathing, so this evidence is mostly based on my anecdotal experience (although research does confirm that small amounts of fluoride may be inhaled or absorbed through the skin 7). I noticed a marked improvement in my fluoroderma when I installed a carbon filter in the shower, but I did not find complete relief until I moved into a non-fluoridated house. When I visit relatives who live in fluoridated cities, the fluoroderma flares up slightly even though the sink/shower is my only major source of fluoride exposure.

9. Non-Organic Wine

Remember all that fluoride-based pesticide they are spraying on grape crops? You probably don’t want to hear this, but it ends up in your wine glass. Researchers from California State in Fresno conducted a 5-year study on vineyards in San Joaquin Valley. They found fluoride levels between 3 and 9 ppm. At 6 ppm, one small glass of non-organic wine contains as much fluoride as a liter of “optimally” fluoridated water.8

Are you surprised by any of the items on this list? Do you know any I missed? And while we’re at it, what are your thoughts on fluoride? Could something we pay to add to the public water supply really be all that bad?

–

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For those who haven’t been following this column and my health journey from the beginning, I’d like to ask you to head on over to The Nourished Life blog and read a piece I wrote for the site this week.  But before you do that, let me give you a little background.

I based this column, How To Kick Your Thyroid’s Ass, on a Dear Thyroid letter I wrote, in which I mentioned I was working on kicking my thyroid’s ass, meaning, it wouldn’t get the best of me and I would find some way to get it working better.  That one line prompted this entire column, whose focus is on natural lifestyle choices, and food and the many ways it can help or hurt the body.

In short, food is science too, and I think that often gets overlooked.  Dietary choices aren’t only a means to lose weight or a caloric equation, they are scientific reactions within the body that can prevent, or contribute to disease.  And it’s funny to me that dietary solutions to symptoms and illness get marked as “alternative” because, since when is science an “alternative” approach?  In my opinion, dietary solutions aren’t in the financial interest of a doctor or pharmaceutical company, which is why they have been branded as “fringe”, “alternative”, “unsafe”, and “ineffective”.  The reality is, however, some doctors and researchers dedicate their entire lives to the discipline of food science.  Take the Rudd Center at Yale for example.  These people spend their waking lives studying food, it’s scientific components, and the effect of those on the body.  So how does this get lost in the doctor’s office?

You can hate me (in the comments section, wink wink), but I believe that our current medication-only approach in much of Western medicine (for the chronically-ill) is inevitably flawed because it does not address root problems of sickness.  Addressing root problems are considered alternative and controversial, and actually support financial interests that have nothing to do with the patient.  Patients who are on medication for years and never truly feel good or normal (even with balanced numbers) know this all too well.  My post for The Nourished Life blog goes in to this.

If we start looking at food as scientific reactions within the body, we can start relying on it more for better wellness and be less scared of its “alertnative-ness”.  Goitrogens, food allergies, inflammation, hormones, genetically-modified foods, vili damage, iodine deficiency or overload, enzymes, antinutrients, bacteria, lectins, amino acids, fatty acids, chemicals in industrial food, food contamination (mercury in fish, ammonia in beef, aflatoxins on nuts and seeds), irradiation, and the list goes on — all science.

My story of food and health and my Hashimoto’s in un-medicated remission started with food science.  Over the months, I’ve recommended a ton of great books, the ones I used in my journey, in hopes you’ll also benefit from it.  Another book I’d like to suggest today is “Win The War Within” by Floyd Chilton, Ph.D.  This book explores the epidemic of inflammation in our country, and how so many diseases are actually related, though they may not seem like it, via inflammation: diabetes, asthma, lupus, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, cancer, obesity, arthritis, dementia, atherosclerosis, psoriasis, and so many others.  Because autoimmune diseases, by nature, are inflammatory diseases, I’d suggest this book to anyone with autoimmune thyroid disease, or any inflammatory condition.  Along with extensive science and research, Chilton also provides a food plan that has been proven to reduce inflammation and inflammatory disease.  Let’s use this science to our advantage.

Until Next Week

Love Always,

Liz

–

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This week I’m introducing you to a lovely lady who’s devoted herself to food and healthy, natural living. Elizabeth Walling, of The Nourished Life is a food blogger, mommy, and traditional foods advocate blogging her way to better health and real food awareness.  And I love her story; it goes like this:

My name is Elizabeth Walling, and I have a passion for finding nourishment in life through food. I believe healthy, nourishing meals are a missing link today – without nourishment our bodies and minds can’t function at their best. It can be really hard to find meaning in life and become who you want to be without nourishment from real food. I know this from personal experience.

Like many people, my journey to health began with the best of intentions, but I was on the wrong path: a path filled with vegetable oils, tofu and skim milk. A path which I discovered to be strewn with misery, self-doubt and anger.

But this all began to change in 2008 when I discovered eating more natural fats is actually healthy. Then I found Nourishing Traditions and a whole new world of nutrition: one that includes butter and raw milk, local meat and eggs, kefir and sauerkraut. And I realized this path was different. It was a path filled with satiation and contentment, joy and laughter. I’d had no idea real food could literally bring a smile to my face.

So I’ve asked Elizabeth some questions this week, in hopes we can learn from her, expand our food knowledge, and determine what plan is best for us.  Here’s what she said:

Q: Your blog is called The Nourished Life. What does this mean exactly and what is your perspective on food?

A: When I first read Nourishing Traditions, the title really drew me in and made me want to start taking care of myself. I wanted to bring that feeling into my blog. And for me, living a nourished life has a lot to do with real, traditional foods, but it also means living in a way that is fulfilling to you. I also use the term “journey” a lot on my blog, because I want to make sure people realize healthy living isn’t something you learn overnight. It’s those small changes which add up over time that make the real difference.

Q: How long have you been interested in food and The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF)? How did you become interested in them?

A: I heard about Nourishing Traditions around the time my son was born about four years ago. My mom gave me a copy of Diana Schwarzbein’s book about the same time. Unfortunately I didn’t pay attention to either of these great books for another two years, when my mental and physical health were going downhill and I wanted some answers. I was already interested in eating healthy, but at the time I had bought into conventional ideas (you know, like don’t even think about touching eggs or real butter). I went to Schwarzbein first, and a few months later got a copy of Nourishing Traditions. I was just floored and fascinated by the wealth of information in that “cookbook,” and that’s when I really began my real food journey.

Q: Do you think food is directly related to health?

A: Without a doubt. I’m living proof: I am a totally different person on real food. Before, when my diet was full of vegetable oil spreads and tofu, I was a mere shadow of myself. I didn’t have a clear idea of who I was or where I was going. Life had kind of lost its luster, and when you’re in your early twenties that’s not a good sign! Food may not solve everything, but I truly believe it is the foundation of successful living.

Q: Do you think we face negative consequences when we put poor quality foods in our bodies?

A: Yes, probably more than most people think. Food used to be considered medicine. Now we just use conventional medicine like prescription drugs to mask the problems caused by a faulty diet. I can’t imagine how many health problems could be solved if more people ate real food!

Q: Do you have any personal experience with good food and better health?

A: Oh, yes. Dieting, over-exercising and stress gave me plenty of health problems. I had digestive issues, acne, embarrassing mood swings, trouble sleeping, feelings of hopelessness and anxiety (to name a few). All of these problems have significantly improved since I’ve started eating more traditional foods.

Q: Among other things, you believe in fermented foods and their health benefits. Do you have any tips or recipes to share with us?

A: For one thing, only do what you can handle at any given time. It’s so easy to jump in head first and burn out. The sauerkraut recipe in Nourishing Traditions and Eat Fat, Lose Fat is very easy and great for beginners. It was my first fermented food recipe. All you need is shredded cabbage, sea salt and whey. Then my mom came up with a great idea to add some whey to store-bought organic ketchup and let it sit in the pantry for a couple days. Viola! Easy fermented ketchup that the kids actually like.

Q: Do you find that it’s hard to eat healthy while being busy with work, and family, and life? How do you manage?

A: I think finding a balance between all those things isn’t easy for anyone. Honestly, I’ve managed by making my life very simple. I don’t do a lot of extracurricular activities. We spend a lot of time at home, a lot of time together as a family. I also try to keep meals fairly simple, and I let the kids get their own snacks like leftovers, fruit, nuts or cheese so I’m not constantly preparing food. Doing traditional foods does take up extra time, so I try to focus on just a few areas instead of trying to do everything. For instance, I do make homemade raw milk yogurt (in the easiest way humanly possible for me) and I do a lot of bone broth. Those are doable for me.

Q: Do you have any tips for eating healthy when eating out?

A: That’s a tough one. It’s hard to eat out in a healthy way, so what we do is eat out occasionally and don’t worry too much about it. But I know for many people eating out is a way of life, so in that case it’s good to pick a higher-end restaurant that might actually use genuine ingredients. Otherwise, try to avoid the fried stuff. Those vegetable oils are not your friend.

Q: What’s your favorite food blog?

A: Gosh, it’s not easy to choose–I follow a lot of blogs. I devoured Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Cheeseslave when I first discovered real food bloggers. There’s also a great blog called 180 Degree Health that is entirely unorthodox but inspiring nonetheless, and the comments are as entertaining as the posts.

Q: What’s your (food) guilty pleasure?

A: Mainly chocolate and rich desserts. I can really go for chocolate ice cream sometimes (Haagen Dazs is my favorite) . And then my other weakness is Italian food. Whether it’s pizza or fettuccine alfredo, I can really drool over that stuff. So I indulge occasionally and don’t let myself feel guilty about it. Life’s too short to give up everything!

Were you familiar with “traditional foods”, Weston A. Price, or Nourishing Traditions before reading Elizabeth’s story? If so, what has your experience with them been?  Do you feel better when eating traditional/real foods?  Or, if this is your first exposure, do you think you’ll read more?

Until Next Week,
Love Always,
Liz

–

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I was speaking to another Dear Thyroid lady this week about candida (that is, my immune system that is slowly recovering from being over-run by the stuff), and the most effective treatments in combating it. I do take several probiotics every day to help with this (I will be posting a resource list for HTKYTA in weeks to come, so you can see just which products, probiotics too, I find most effective and helpful). But, I know, intellectually, that a probiotic is not the best source of beneficial bacteria that I could potentially be ingesting. Naturally fermented foods are actually the best source for this immune-boosting, gut-healing bacteria. This means I have to get over my mental barrier with fermented foods. I may be a very adventurous eater, but I have a real problem with some fermented foods. It’s just a mental block, and it’s keeping me immobilized by candida.

Recently, I started trying (yet again) to incorporate real, healthful fermented foods into my diet — the same foods and the same way traditional cultures have eaten for thousands of years (kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, pickles, etc.). But keep in mind that fermented foods vary and some are pasteurized, heated, or force-fermented and devoid of good bacteria. So today, I’ve compiled a list of probiotics we can acquire from untraditional sources — those other than a pill supplement; that is, from real foods with live cultures.

Zukay sells a line of salsas, salad dressings, and relishes, all full of probiotics and live cultures: carrot ginger, cucumber mint, red pepper cilantro, sweet basil onion, and others. All products are raw and contain no soy. This would be a simple way to introduce fermented foods into your diet — simply add to salads, atop proteins, or dip with chips.

The Body Ecology Diet website (based on the book by author Donna Gates) offers a line of probiotic drinks that are fermented and contain the good bacteria we need, while still being tasty and refreshing. It is interesting to note that many of these drinks are grain-fermented, some from sources of gluten. However, the website claims that due to fermenting, no detectable gluten has been found in the products. Flavors include passion fruit, coconut, dong quai, whole grain, and innergy.

Recently I came across Coconut Aminos (essentially, a condiment that is used as a substitute for soy sauce), at Whole Foods. Besides being raw and naturally fermented, other health benefits include the fact that this product is soy-free and gluten-free (great for thyroid peeps who haven’t found a replacement for soy sauce or other soy- and gluten-derived condiments). The product is also rich in minerals, and essential amino acids that the body requires for muscle rebuilding and nervous system function.

And lastly — Rejuvenate Foods.  I’m a fan of the company and have been eating more of their raw sauerkraut recently, as well as on and off in the past. It’s good; yummy in fact, and I can actually feel a difference within minutes of eating — I feel better, and lighter (physically and mentally). Though, they also offer entire lines of other items, including salsas, kimchi, fermented salads and veggies, and various nut and seed butters. I buy their products at my local health food store.

Which fermented products do you use? Do you have a mental barrier with fermented foods too? Would you consider trying any of these, or other products that are fermented and contain good bacteria?

Until Next Week,

Love Always,

Liz

Also, Quin and Ericka, please email me your shipping info — you were announced as last week’s Shakeology winners, but we haven’t heard from you! Email me your addresses to claim your goodies!