Dear Thyroid^TM

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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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!

I’ve been reading a bunch of 2010 top food trend predictions this past week and they got me thinking. I decided to make a list too. While everyone else may be predicting the most popular conventional and consumer-driven food choices for this upcoming year, I’d like to make some health and food predictions that I hope will become popular — especially in our lovely little (or, not-so-little!) thyroid community.

1. Superfoods are trendy these days, and usually happen to be exotic, inaccessible foods that most people have never heard of, let alone are willing to track down at the health food store and shell out the money to purchase. But we’re all familiar with coconut, and I truly consider it to be a superfood. Healthy variations of coconut (preferably organic, minimally-processed, unsweetened) are widely available on the internet and in grocery stores. Though coconut products are not recommended for hyperthyroidism patients, as coconut is known to speed the thyroid, those with hypo symptoms can use it liberally in their diets. I use coconut shreds in my salad for lunch everyday, and coconut oil in my cooking at night. Because it’s full of fat (good, plant-based fat), it satiates and leaves me feeling full and satisfied, and stabilizes my blood sugar so I’m not hungry an hour later and also don’t get the shakes. It’s good at speeding up the thyroid, aiding in weight loss, and treating underlying infection, all while strengthening the immune system.

2. Let’s kill “everything in moderation” this year. A little endocrine disruptor here, and a few bites of soy there — we may put it out of our minds, but it still does affect our bodies. Instead of believing everything in moderation is okay (ie: “a little can’t hurt you”), let’s remember that our bodies are already sick. Anything we can do to lighten their load is worth the effort.

Though, I also don’t think we need to get down on ourselves (or get neurotic). What I’m talking about here are the conscious choices we make that we know aren’t good for us. We simply cannot possibly avoid every chemical in the air, water, food, food packaging, etc. around us. It is so pervasive. But, when we can choose — when we have the conscious choice — let’s choose a lower toxic load for our bodies.

3. More and more of us have decided to go gluten-free, and also identify and eliminate other food allergies. For most of us, these choices have equaled big health gains. My hope for the New Year is that we’ll keep spreading the good word, providing our fellow thyroid patients with sound gluten-free (and food-allergy) resources for them to determine if adopting a GF lifestyle is for them. And hey, gluten-free eating is becoming very mainstream. Even those who aren’t “sick” are finding they feel better when eliminating wheat and other grains from their diet.

4. And finally, this year, I’d like to see the creation of a patient-centered symptom list. I’ve mentioned it over and over — the “acceptable symptoms” list for thyroid patients and the various incantations of thyroid disease is limiting, misleading, and exclusive. I’d like to propose that we create our own list. Meaning, share your symptoms with us — all of them. Whether you just have thyroid disease, or you have two or three or four other diseases and conditions to contend with… what are your symptoms? Because many of the symptoms we experience can be things we don’t want to talk about openly, I propose we keep it anonymous. I’m going to be ironing out the details in weeks to come, but for now, if you feel comfortable, email, Twitter, Facebook, or comment some of your symptoms — whether they’re on the “acceptable list” or not; whether you think they’re thyroid-related or not. Make sure to mention that it’s a symptom you want to add to our list. I’d like to display this somewhere for those pre-diagnosis, or those new to thyroid disease to learn from, and use as a legitimate resource, versus the ten-bullet symptom list they’ll find at their doctor’s office. It can also be used as a resource when their doctor tells them their symptom is “simply not related to thyroid disease”.

What are your health resolutions for the New Year? What trends do you hope catch on? What symptoms do you experience that you think need added to the list?

Until Next Week,

Love Always,

Liz

Have a question, comment, story, love letter, or rant/rave to send me?: Liz@DearThyroid.com

I’m starting this installment with a dedication.  I’m dedicating these words to our good friend and thyroid sister, Mrs. Anita Roberts.  She wrote a little note this week that, once read, prompted me to remember why it is I care about all this food stuff to begin with.  I start getting that excited-with-a-whole-lot-of-sadness-and-heavy-knotting in my stomach when I read things like that.  It’s the kind of emotion where you only feel so excited and ready to live and confront life because you just realized how many absurdities and how much perversion really exist (and how much needs to be fixed).  She says she relied heavily on Dr. Mercola in her note, of whom I am a fan and who is really a health pioneer and actually believes in people like you and I — the chronically-ill.  As Anita says, “I’m a bit new to doing it right; had massive illness kick my head into proper gear. But at the same time, I think I can be a testament to the efficacy of doing it right. It takes work. It takes effort, determination and thought. And it’s worth it in ways I can’t even articulate.”  I agree, and so, Anita, thank you. 

This week, I want to have a little heart to heart with you all; well, maybe more like “straight talk”.  There are a few things I think we should talk about.  You’re well aware — I’m constantly immersed in food:  thinking about food, reading about food, planning what I’d like to eat and shopping for such food (which, yes, usually turns out to be rather delicious).  It’s really always been this way — even long before thyroid disease and long before I’d ever heard the word “autoimmunity” or, as a writer, understood its sickly implications and all-too-sad metaphor.  Food was and is so much of me.

For the last two-and-a-half years, food has become something much more meaningful than what is a chinois?, or, quinoa is actually a fruit, or, “orecchiette” means “little ears” and “farfalle” means “butterfly”, or that you never press things down — pancakes (wait until you can see the bubbles), steaks, burgers — you let them cook and you let the heat from the griddle or grill do its job and you never press them down.

Now, food is much more about the science behind it (micronutrition it’s called) — what it’s comprised of and how it will either help or hurt my body to function.  What nutrients do bodies need to perform at their peak and am I getting those everyday?  What are the best nutritional strategies for easing inflammation and repairing my gut?  How do I feed my brain and which foods will help me avoid the infections to which I am prone?  In trying to sort of these kinds of questions, I’ve also gotten a rude awakening.  The food we eat in this country isn’t really food.  It’s been altered, coated, made artificial, concocted, sterilized, killed and implanted without our consent, and largely, without our knowledge.  It’s all so foreign at this point and no longer travels that straight and sacred path from ground to table.

I don’t write these things to scare you or to be all debbie downerish, which we all already know I’m very good at.  I write these things because they affect our health and have the ability to make us more well or make us more sick.  And because this information is being suppressed so that consumers like you and I continue buying our food all under the illusion that we are protected from disease-promoting foods, let’s be clear: we simply are not.  Food will either fuel our bodies, or it will cause our bodies to violently react or go into deficits.  Our food choices and our food purchases are that important and they are the very basis for any wellness at all.  These words are all in an effort to prompt you to see how our food system is corrupt and how this corruption affects our bodies.  But (and this is a big, huge, life-changing “but”) — we have the power to give a damn and do something the fuck about it.

As people with chronic illnesses, we have to be very in tune with our bodies.  After all, we’re scrutinizing every doctor’s appointment, every blood work and lab results, our medication level and the appropriate ways to take it (first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach and with a full glass of water).  We examine and scrutinize everything.  We like to pick apart test results and ask the physician why, if our numbers are in range, do we still feel like dog shit.  Or, if our numbers are out of range, why can’t he reduce/increase the dosage appropriately?  Or, the best of them all — why the hell wouldn’t our weight loss/weight gain/fatigue/depression/insomnia be related to our thyroid disease — just how can this be so???

In light of all of that, below is an abbreviated list of other things we need to scrutinize… things we have to scrutinize.  They’re current food-related issues that I think it’s important you know about.  This is what is happening to our food supply without our consent and while our bodies are acting out in rebellion. We have so many reasons to actually give a damn about this list:  125 million Americans with (diagnosed) chronic illness, 50 million with (diagnosed) autoimmune disease, and 27 million with (diagnosed) thyroid disease. No longer can each case and every incidence be solely genetically justified.  

1. Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs)  are those foods that are not indigenous to our planet.  The main purveyor of GMOs is the Monsanto Corporation.  They create seeds that have been implanted with bacteria or other foreign entities (such as proteins, for example) that either extend the shelf life of a crop, or make them resistant to pests, herbicides, etc.  Unlike many European nations, the American food industry is not required to label a food as genetically-modified.  If you eat processed foods, you will almost certainly be consuming a genetically-modified corn or soy ingredient/derivative. No one knows the health risks associated with eating foods that are foreign to our bodies and the earth’s ecosystem, though many diseases and side effects have been implicated.  And wouldn’t it make sense that, after time, the body reacts against these foreign entities?  Autoimmune disease, anyone?
2. 1 in 100 people (that number grows every year) are gluten intolerant. Period.  We are being exposed to gluten in epic proportions with every bite of processed food because gluten is used as a filler and flavoring agent. Standard blood work often does not identify a gluten allergy/intolerance.  Both blood work and intestinal biopsy can result in false negatives.  Most recently, cutting-edge research has shown that one need not have gluten antibodies in their bloodstream or damaged villi in their gut to be intolerant.  One study found gluten antibodies on the thyroid itself, in a patient with Thyroiditis!  An inflammatory protein on an inflamed gland — how revolutionary! Our understanding of this gluten protein is so minute compared with the damage it can be doing to our systems while we’re awaiting outdated and flawed tests to determine what action we will take.  Start listening to your own body versus a possible false negative.
3. An acronym you need to know: C.A.F.O, or Confined Animal Feeding Operation.  C.A.F.O.s are horrific close-quartered animal production “farms” (read: death warehouses) where cows (dairy and otherwise), pigs, chickens, etc. are contained in such close quarters and in such inhumane ways that they end up acquiring various illnesses and conditions.  Animals are forced to live in pools of their own feces, chickens are forced to sit upon ammonia-laced newspaper shreds which end up literally burning right through their feathers and skin, causing scarring.  Animals are given a sickly cocktail of hormones and antibiotics due to the tight space and communicable ailments, as well as have their beaks or tails cut so that they cannot bite each other in the tiny spaces in which they are forced to live.  Animals are not even fed a diet they would naturally eat in the wild, which means they are given grains and soy (both almost always genetically-modified).  This unnatural diet causes bacterial infection, which prompts antibiotic use as well.  This doesn’t just refer to the meat our country is eating, but also eggs and dairy, and it is toxic.
4. Pesticides used in growing our food contain endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.  Plain and simple.  Buy organic. (Also, don’t forget that these chemicals are damaging to the liver and the liver is vital in thyroid function and overall health). 
5. Our fruits, vegetables, some grains, and now, meat products are irradiated, if not purchased as organic.  Irradiation is a process used to kill bacteria and viruses from food products.  However, it does not kill all bacteria, which renders some “irradiation-resistant” (super bug, anyone?).  Also, of course, there are other major drawbacks that include reduced vitamin and mineral content in the food (as much as 5-80%!), creation of free radicals and new toxic chemicals, and the reduction or death of enzymes.  Killing enzymes is a big deal folks.  Our bodies require enzymes to digest food.  The enzymes naturally found in foods are what our body uses to process the food without putting strain on our organs and system.  According to the Organic Consumer’s Association (a great organization): “If unlabeled, raw foods that have been irradiated look like fresh foods, but nutritionally they are like cooked foods, with decreased vitamins and enzymes. The FDA allows these foods to be labeled ‘fresh.”  Each time we take a bite of a non-organic food that has been irradiated, we’re putting huge amounts of stress on our bodies and we aren’t even certain of the long-term side effects. 
6. The façade of pureness emanating from the bottled water industry is, quite frankly, a load of bullshit, as the industry is self-regulated (read: nearly no accountability whatsoever).  Most bottled water is not even filtered, but instead, sourced from municipal tap water supplies and, then bottled and sold under the guise of purity.  Both tap water and bottled water contain all sorts of pharmaceuticals, as well as chlorine and fluoride.  Chlorine will give you a yeast infection (systemic, intestinal, or otherwise localized) before you can say Diflucan, please.  Fluoride will slow thyroid function and has been linked to everything from spotting on the teeth (ironic, right?) to neurological damage.  Bottled water is not clean and is not pure and it is lacing our insides with chemicals. 
7. The breeds of cows from which we derive our dairy, called A1 cows, contains a genetic mutation which contains the small protein peptide called BCM 7.  What you need to know about BCM 7 is that it causes undesirable side effects in human beings and is linked to a variety of illnesses.  The milk we buy in the grocery store comes from A1 cows.  BCM 7 is not only an opiate, but is linked to everything from autism to schizophrenia, as well as interference with immune system response, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, mucus secretion, and inflammation.  In addition, according to some researchers, casein is “the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered”.
8. I saved the most important for last: Codex Alimentarius.  If nothing else, please pay attention to this one.  Codex Alimentarius is a set of rules and regulations that are being imposed worldwide, which promote ideas of “consumer safety” in the food industry, which sounds like a good thing, right?  But in reality, its aim is to limit the scope of the natural health community, all in the interest of big pharmaceutical companies.  Things like organics and herbal supplements and vitamins are all in jeopardy.  The head of this committee, Dr. Rolf Grossklaus has announced that there is no room for nutrition in the realm of health and that nutrients are, in fact, toxic entities that are dangerous to the public health.  You realize this gives me a panic attack every time I think about it, right?  Hearing someone tell me that all my hard work — all these nutrients and vitamins and minerals, pesticide-free foods, omega 3s, probiotics, herbs and supplements that I have been putting into my body for the last year and a half have nothing at all to do with my no need for medication, with my antibodies in range, with my — hello!! — remission from an autoimmune disease!?! (how is this even possible??), infuriates me more than anything because food does and can bring about wellness.  My goal isn’t to preach a miracle cure-all, but my story has to elicit hope.  And the idea that hope is being taken from people like you and I — those with an official diagnosis — is simply vile, especially considering it’s all in the name of profit.  Please read more into Codex and spread the word and take action against it.  

On a lighter note — some people/organizations/websites that I like, maybe you will like, and whom I trust (though always with a discerning eye because we can’t and don’t always agree on everything):

1. Dr. Mercola
2. Organic Consumer’s Association
3. Michael Pollan
4. Civileats
5. Marion Nestle 
6. Food Renegade

Think about it.

Until Next Week,

Love Always,

Liz

Have a question, comment, story, love letter, or rant/rave to send me?: Liz@DearThyroid.com