ngerman8 – Page 9 – Thyroid Dietitian: Nicole Morgan, RDN, LD, CLT

Grain Free Shopping List

December 29, 2014 By ngerman8

Get Your Grain Free Shopping List!

Are you ready to test out a grain free diet to see how you improve? This shopping list will help guide you on your journey. As I always say, “what you eat starts with how and what you shop for”. Not grocery shopping (or shopping improperly) is often why many “diets” and new habits fail to succeed.

Grain Free Shopping List Download Here

**I offer customized plans and counseling as well. Always check with your Doctor or Registered Dietitian before making significant changes to your diet.

This grain free diet is not meant to be a fad diet. See my previous post for a full explanation. By now we know that “going gluten free” can help many improve their thyroid function and levels. What we are finding is that there is often cross contamination with wheat and gluten on other grains. There is often molecular mimicry as well. This means that the body detects that you have consumed a grain, but often it gets confused for a gluten containing grain when it is not. Lastly, we are not 100% sure that gluten is what is causing 100% of the inflammation, attack, and sensitivities. It may also be the entire grain which makes eating grains an issue.

Therefore, “going grain free” is meant to be a type of elimination diet. The challenge is to test it out for 3 months, and see how you feel! I recommend keeping a food journal and symptom tracker every day.

90 Day Grain-Free Challenge

December 20, 2014 By ngerman8

I got my most recent bloodwork results back, and I am just not seeing the changes that I would like. Maybe I am being too much of a perfectionist, or maybe I know too much now, and want to be my healthiest me. Regardless, I don’t think going gluten free is enough of a diet change for me. A grain-free diet may be a nice trial.

When Going Gluten Free Doesn’t Work

Some say that eating gluten free has not worked for them. This could be due to lack of knowledge about what eating gluten free really means, or they are still taking in gluten from cross contamination. And then for others, like myself, you may have to avoid other foods as well to see progress.

According to my MRT test results, I was fairly reactive to 3 grains: quinoa, millet, and wheat. The general rule of thumb is that when you are reactive to 3 or more foods in a group, avoid the whole group (for a few months). Perhaps it is time to follow my own LEAP protocol to the fullest! This is one of the main reasons I am taking the grain-free challenge. If the “healthy” grain, quinoa, is causing inflammation in my body, then what about the other untested grains?

The other main reason is that research has shown gluten free diets should help those with an autoimmune disorder, but some of this research was just done with the whole entire grain, and not just the gluten molecule. So, the theory is: Maybe it is the entire grain that is bad for autoimmune disease. I am not 100% sure on this, but it makes sense.

Take the Grain-Free Challenge!

Not getting better? Have you eliminated gluten or grains yet? Test it out for the New Year with me! I will be posting on my Facebook page for 90 days: tips, recipe ideas, and more.

I am not promoting a FAD diet here. My goal is to educate, and let you make your own choices and decisions. This is meant to be a sort of elimination diet test–I repeat, not a fad diet. The reason going grain-free is not a fad diet is because we are searching for a diet that will improve autoimmune health, and if it does, it may become a lifestyle change.

And always check with your doctor before taking on any significant diet change or medical change in your life.

Feel free to contact me for more customized, personal support or plans at the e-mail address below.

How to Boost Metabolism with Low or No Thyroid

November 23, 2014 By ngerman8

This is a frequently asked question about thyroid health and nutrition that I get: How can I boost my metabolism when I have very low thyroid function, or none at all? Maybe you have even had your thyroid removed and are struggling with the effects of a reduced metabolism.

I will admit: I do have a big fear of losing my currently “good” metabolism. I fear the hypothyroid state.

So, I figured I would answer this question for all my readers out there, and to help squash my own fears, and let you know that it will be OK. There are many ways to boost the metabolism and make sure you are feeling closer to 100%.

It’s Not Just The Thyroid’s Job

Thankfully, we have other body processes and organs/glands that affect the metabolism. It is not just the thyroid. However, the thyroid plays the largest role in metabolism.

First, make sure you are looking at ALL areas of a health when you address metabolism: everything from hydration to sleep.

Medication Management

Of course I am not a Doctor, so I can not write about medication recommendations. But, make sure you are working with a practitioner who understands YOU. Make sure you are getting the proper dosage that is right for you. If you are getting T4 only medicines (like Synthroid), make sure you research all of your options. You may need to do bloodwork to check how well you are converting T4 to T3 (active hormone). Without enough T3, the metabolism suffers and you may feel more symptoms of hypothyroidism.

The pituitary still will secrete TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) when you do not have a thyroid. Of course, this will change depending on medication. But, remember that the thyroid is only in charge of secreting thyroid hormones: T4, T3, etc. So, in the absence of the thyroid gland, medication provides those hormones which create the rest of the feedback system.

Organ Congestion

Remember how I said other body functions (not just the thyroid) can improve metabolism? Well, if you have a congested liver or gallbladder, for example, your metabolism may suffer. Fats will not be correctly metabolized if your liver is “congested”.

What leads to congestion? Environmental toxicity, poor diets, nutrition deficiencies, excess alcohol consumption.

Iodine for Thyroid Support

Some may be deficient in iodine which leads to lower thyroid function. Iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormone.

A word of caution: Iodine may not be appropriate for those with Hashimoto’s as many report that taking iodine can cause a “flare up” and increase the autoimmune attack. It is best to work with a healthcare professional on this one, and iodine testing may be most appropriate.

Interestingly enough, some research has said that when patients severely restrict iodine, they were able to reduce their autoimmune attack.

Overall, iodine intake recommendations vary from person to person. So, there is no general recommendation. Get tested! I plan to do my iodine loading test sometime soon, and will let you know how it goes. (I plan to use Hakala labs)

Address the Adrenals

If you work on improving thyroid function and health, your adrenal function should also improve. However, if you are still not getting better, you may need to address adrenal health.

In simple words, the adrenals may become so weak that they force the body to reduce the metabolism to conserve.

There are supplements that can help to support adrenal health, but remember to put your focus on thyroid health and total body health first before addressing the adrenals. Meditate, reduce stress, enjoy light exercise, eat a healthy diet. If you try to heal the adrenals first without healing other aspects, you will not get very far!

Productive Sleep

Without it, our whole body suffers! Make sure you are getting 7-9 hours.

Focus on Strength

Are you over the age of 35? If so, muscle mass is on the decline. This means metabolism is on the decline. Make sure to get some form of strength exercise in every week. After all, muscles help increase that calorie burn!

More importantly, find a strength exercise that does not cause too much stress on your body. Traditional heavy weight lifting might not be best for someone with a depressed immune system trying to heal their body.

Try out yoga or pilates, for example.

Diet Rich in Fiber and Whole Foods

Don’t neglect the diet. A diet rich in whole foods will best support the body processes. More importantly, find a diet that causes the lowest level of inflammation in YOUR body.

Magnesium: The Missing Nutrient

November 20, 2014 By ngerman8

What does magnesium have to do with thyroid health? It can often be overlooked as the cause of your fatigue or mood swings. Just remember that we need magnesium as much as other minerals since it is involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body!

Importantly, a deficiency in magnesium can make it difficult for the body to reduce inflammation. And inflammation is a root cause of autoimmunity.

Without magnesium, many body processes slow, which is similar to what it feels like to have hypothyroidism. We blame fatigue and various symptoms on the thyroid insufficiencies, but don’t forget to think about the total health of everything you are doing. What is the big picture? Magnesium could be the culprit especially if you are not following a healthy, balanced diet.

Two more hidden causes for a magnesium deficiency:

1. Leaky gut and an imperfect intestinal microbiome (bacteria in the gut). In other words, you may not be absorbing 100% of the nutrients from your foods.

2. Mega doses of vitamin D. Some report feeling symptoms of excess vitamin D intake when they do not take magnesium. Magnesium deficiencies will also be amplified if not supplementing with magnesium while taking vitamin D. For example, I start to get muscle twitching if I am not taking magnesium. Overall, if you are taking mega doses of D, magnesium is generally recommended as well.

How to know if you need to supplement

Of course, you are going to know what I recommend: Choose foods high in magnesium first!

See how you feel with an improved diet. If you are still unsure if you are getting enough magnesium, there is blood testing that can be done to find out mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

Highest Sources of Magnesium in Food

Seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame
Leafy greens: Spinach, swiss chard
Beans and peas: Navy beans, black beans
Nuts: cashews

These are just some of the highest sources, there are plenty of other veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes that contain good sources of magnesium.

Since my diet contains a good amount of magnesium, I do not have to supplement with much additional magnesium. But, I still take about 100-200 mg of magnesium glycinate per day because I am supplementing with larger amounts of vitamin D3. This is low compared to what I usually recommend, but I am already eating a lot of cashews and seeds every day.

Conclusion: Re-evaluate your diet, and make sure you are including plenty of magnesium-rich foods DAILY. See if your fatigue and symptoms improve. If not, feel free to contact me for a more complete diet analysis, and we can consider supplementation. In my patient experience, not enough people are getting their magnesium and they have symptoms that might be caused by inadequate intakes.

How Gluten Affects Hashimoto’s

November 14, 2014 By ngerman8

Avoiding gluten has been implicated in nearly every autoimmune condition. What does this mean? And how does this make sense for Hashimoto’s and the thyroid? These are the questions many have, and most people I come across do not understand why I avoid gluten. They think I am following some crazy fad diet. There is always science behind what I do. And following a specific nutrition protocol by a RD is never a fad diet.

Here is a diagram from Dr. Aristo Vojdani. We are about to get science-y!

This may be a little confusing for some, but also know that this picture does not explain the entire gluten-autoimmune connection.

First, know that “Leaky Gut” aka intestinal permeability always exists with autoimmune disease.

Now, look at the picture where the tight junctions are. In autoimmune states, we always have some level of permeable junctions meaning that there are some food molecules and/or food chemicals that get through those tight junctions. The majority of the time, this is gluten. Then, the body recognizes the gliadin peptides (gluten) as foreign and starts attacking them, AND attacking other parts of the body (in this case, the thyroid).

In fact, many grains are a problem for those with autoimmune conditions. For me, I currently avoid all gluten containing grains, but also quinoa and millet. Why? My MRT LEAP testing results came back showing I had sensitivities to wheat, quinoa, and millet. Everyone is different, and what causes inflammation in one person could be very different in another. That is another reason why LEAP MRT is important for autoimmune states. It helps narrow down what is causing inflammation and helps to eliminate it! This greatly reduces symptoms as well.

Did you know: Excess gluten consumption can be a triggering event for Hashimoto’s

Overall, the main takeaway is that eating gluten increases the autoimmune attack, and increases the attack and destruction on the thyroid. Yes, there may be some people who can still eat gluten, or may do well just avoiding wheat. The only way this can be done is through testing, and trial, and checking your symptoms. My thoughts are that those who still eat gluten may be at the very early stages of any autoimmune disease and may not have much intestinal permeability.

Get Tested Before Eliminating Gluten

One more word of caution:

We always recommend getting tested for Celiac’s disease before going gluten free since the incidence of Celiac’s is higher in those with autoimmune disease. Some may be somewhat asymptomatic and can still have Celiac’s. If you go 100% gluten free, they can not detect the gluten antibodies in your system and you will also begin to heal. Then, you will not get a correct diagnoses.

References:

Mori, K. Does the gut microbiota Trigger Hashimoto’s Disease? Discovery Magazine, November 2012
The Immunology of Immediate and Delayed Hypersensitivity to Gluten – European Journal of Inflammation Vol 6 No. 1 1-10 (2008) Editorial – A. Vojdani Beverly Hills, CA (now Los Angeles, CA) T. O’Bryan, Warrenville, IL,( now Chicago, Il), G. H. Kellermann Neuroscience, WI, USA
The Immunology of Gluten Sensitivity Beyond the Intestinal Tract – European Journal of Inflammation Vol 6 No 2, 0-0 (2008) Aristo Vojdani, PH.D, M.T., Thomas O’Bryan, D.C., CCN, DACBN
Fasano A. Leaky Gut and autoimmune disease. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2012 Feb;42(1):71-8.
Ulluwishewa, et.al. Regulation of Tight Junction Permeability by Intestinal Bacteria and Dietary Components. The Journal of Nutrition. March 23, 2011

Zinc for Thyroid Health

November 4, 2014 By ngerman8

Today I will be talking all about the mineral, zinc for thyroid health!

What does zinc do in the body?

Zinc acts as a cofactor for over 100 different enzymes. If you don’t have enough zinc, certain body processes that require those enzyme functions will not work as well. For example, zinc is needed for proper thyroid hormone production. In research, there is a recurring correlation with low zinc status and hypothyroidism.

Zinc plays an important role in immune health, skin integrity, and the body senses.

I often find my patients not eating enough food sources of zinc, so supplementation or increasing food sources of zinc may be needed. But, talk to your doctor or dietitian before supplementing.

Did you know: There are only 5 “very good” food sources of zinc out there! So, this is an important mineral to be mindful about.

4 oz. of beef or lamb is a very good source of zinc
1/4 cup of sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds are a very good source
1 cup of garbanzo beans or lentils
1/4 cup cashews

Other notable good sources:

quinoa
turkey
spinach
shrimp
tofu
green peas
oats

I recommend eating one “very good” source of zinc every day, or at least two “good” sources of zinc along with a balanced diet. However, those with limited or restricted diets may find it hard to get enough zinc in their diet. Even if you eat one serving of pumpkin seeds, that only accounts for a portion of what you need for the day. So, you can see how it would be easy to run low in zinc.

Supplementation

Now there is the question about supplementing. What type of zinc to take if you decide to, and how much?

I will say that if you supplement with more than 25-30 mg of zinc per day, you will need some copper in your supplement to help balance out the zinc and make sure you don’t begin to run deficient in copper.

The zinc and copper balance and ratio can be tricky, so I never recommend supplementing with mega doses. Your best bet is to keep your supplement as low as possible, and primarily use foods to get what you need. This is a much better way to keep zinc and copper in balance and stay healthy.

That being said, many will still argue about which form of zinc to supplement with. I use the zinc monomethionine version with a tiny amount of copper in it. I focus on getting plenty of seeds in my diet. The great thing about seeds and nuts is that they contain both copper and zinc (and a lot of other great nutrition).