The HypoThyroid Diet

Lose Weight and Beat Fatigue in 21 Days

Kevin Dobrzynski

• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781614481478
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Endocrinology & Metabolism

The purpose of "The Hypothyroid Diet" is to help those with hypothyroidism lose weight, beat fatigue, and feel normal again. The number one thyroid disorder in the US is Hypothyroidism yet medication for this problem doesnt always work. This program helps jumpstart the thyroid by removing harmful substances that starve the thyroid and giving it the nutrients it needs to thrive.,

Chapter 1

Hypothyroidism and Digestion

One of the major complications with hypothyroidism is how it affects the digestive system. The metabolic slow-down causes a number of digestive problems in patients with this condition.

Symptoms of sluggish digestion include bloating, indigestion, constipation, malabsorption, and flatulence.

These symptoms exist for a number of reasons…

Research has shown that people with hypothyroidism have lower levels of serum gastrin and other enzymes that are produced by the pancreas. Gastrin is responsible for the production of hydrochloric acid, which aids in the digestion of food in the stomach.

The reduction in HCL means that food will sit in the stomach longer and leave the stomach only partially digested. If the food leaving the stomach is only partially digested, it will make digestion more difficult during the next phase of the digestive process.

Another problem that occurs with digestion is that the contractions of muscles that move food along through the GI tract have become sluggish. This will decrease the transit time of food through the entire system.

As a result, food remains in your system longer and can result in bacteria overgrowth, fermentation, and constipation, which can cause further health problems such as Candida and Dysbiosis.

Also, if food is not fully digested—it means the body will be unable to fully absorb the nutrients available in the foods you eat. This could lead to other symptoms of hypothyroidism such as depression.

As you can see, when you have problems with your digestive system not only can it cause symptoms directly related to digestion, but it can also lead to other health problems and symptoms indirectly related to hypothyroidism.

Don’t Overcook Your Food

I bet you can remember your mom telling you to eat your veggies when you were a youngster—hopefully you’ve listened and you’ve been doing it for years. Now, it’s even more important, because there is a lack of vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat, especially the veggies.

There is a downward trend of nutrient depletion from what sits on your dinner table. The amount of bioavailable vitamins and minerals has been shrinking from decade to decade and, as a result, you now must eat twice the amount of fruits and vegetables to make up for what’s missing.

The RDA for fruits and vegetables was a recommended five servings a day. Now, the servings have risen to 9-13 because of low nutrients in your food.

You can get some nutrients from fortified juices, milk, and cereals, but it just isn’t the same. Taking a multivitamin will help if you choose the right one, but it’s not as good as the real thing.

I am going to show you how to extract more nutrients out of the foods you’re already eating, how to make the food easier to digest, and how to lose a few pounds in the process.

There is a book written by a famous dentist—his name was Francis Pottenger. Dr. Pottenger documented the results of a little experiment he did with some cats, which has had a huge impact on how we eat, or at least it should have.

Francis decided he was going to study how food affected people. Well in this case, cats.

He started with groups of cats similar in size, age, and health. He fed all the cats a similar diet—the only difference was that one group got cooked food, and the other ate raw food.

At the end of the study, the groups of cats looked completely different. The study took place over a few years and the amazing thing was the group of cats that ate the raw food was lively and vivacious, while the other group was burdened with chronic disease.

The only difference was the mere cooking of the food.

Now, my point is not that you become a RAW foodie. My point is, if you eat the same foods you have been accustomed to, but start preparing them differently, you could make a big difference in how you feel and look.

For example, let’s look at meat. Americans eat a lot of meat, and most people eat their meat well done.

If you’re a steak lover, have you ever felt full and bloated after eating meat?

One of the problems with cooked meat is that it is very hard for your body to digest.

However, if you eat meat that is medium rare instead of well done, it will be much easier for your body to digest and you’ll get more nutrients from it because it hasn’t been denatured through the cooking process.

Meat contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as enzymes. Enzymes will help break the meat down naturally if not destroyed through cooking. The enzymes actually help digest your meal.

You will get more nutrients out of eating meat and your body will be happier if you don’t cook it all the way through. You don’t have to eat it raw, which may involve some risks, but just try eating it a little less cooked than what you’re accustomed to.

Another misnomer is that you should eat all your veggies raw to get all the nutrients from them.

Well, not so fast.

Did you know that you have to cook carrots to 104 degrees Fahrenheit to extract the beta carotene from them? Otherwise, all you get from raw carrots is fiber.

The fact is the body doesn’t contain a cellulose enzyme that is needed to break down the fibrous part of veggies and to extract all the nutrients. In order to get the most out of your veggies, you should cook them just a little bit.

I’m not suggesting that you overcook them until they’re mushy. Just cook them enough until they are al dente—still a bit crunchy, but not hard.

Most people, because of their digestive system, find it very hard to digest raw veggies, and cooking them slightly will make a big difference.

If you have no problems with digesting food, feel free to eat some raw veggies. A good rule of thumb is to have a variety of both raw and cooked veggies at every meal.

How to Make Digestion Easier

Because your GI system is not like that of others—and it runs at a slower pace, you must change some things about how you eat if you want to lose weight and feel better.

It amazes me that very few doctors address the diet of patients with hypothyroidism, even though digestive difficulties are a symptom of the condition.

The good news is you can help your digestive system by taking stress off of it just by doing some simple things. You may not even have to drastically change your diet.

First, it may be helpful to know a little about how digestion works, so you can take the steps needed to make things easier for your body.

Digestion begins in your mouth, and just by making a concentrated effort to chew your food more before you swallow will make digestion easier.

Your mouth contains an enzyme called amylase. This enzyme helps digest carbohydrates. The more you chew, the more you stimulate your body to produce this enzyme and the more this enzyme mixes with the food.

This may sound a little silly, but try counting how many times you chew your food before you swallow. Then, try increasing this number to 25-30. This simple step may help reduce your symptoms.

Also, this little tip will help you to not overeat.

Another simple thing you can do to help digestion is to drink more water.

Because of the decreased transit time of food through the GI tract, more water is extracted from the food, making it hard and difficult for defecation.

More water will help with digestion by softening the stool.

Also, water helps produce certain fluids of the body that help with digestion. These are the same fluids that you may have a limited amount of because of hypothyroidism. These fluids include enzymes and hydrochloric acid.

The body relies upon water to produce these very important digestive aids—so drink more water in between meals.

Notice I did not mention to drink more water with your meals and there is a reason for this.

Your body works very hard to break down the meals you eat, and if you drink a lot of fluids with your meal, it will make the process more difficult. You may be thinking that drinking fluids with meals helps with digestion, but the opposite is true.

Drinking a lot during the meal actually dilutes the acid and enzymes needed to break food down. This makes the digestive process longer and harder on the body because the body will need to produce more digestive juices to get the job done.

It’s ok to drink with your meal, but try sipping instead of gulping down fluids. Drink just enough to enjoy the taste of your drink or to rinse your mouth, but don’t use it to wash your food down.

The best time to drink is in between meals when there is no food in your stomach.

Also, be sure not to drink too much just before the meal or right after your meal. Allow 20 minutes before and after your meal before slugging down beverages.

Food Combining

The way you eat can be very stressful on your digestive system and if you have hypothyroidism, your digestive system is already running at half speed.

Your food choices with every meal greatly impact how easily and how fast your meal will be digested.

Thanksgiving dinner is a great example.

Think about how you feel after Thanksgiving dinner…you probably feel bloated, gassy, and tired. Often, it’s not because you ate too much, it’s because you have eaten heavy starches and heavy proteins together. This is very difficult for your digestive system to break down.

The food will sit in your stomach for a long time until it is digested. Plus, because it’s very hard on your digestive system, it requires a lot of energy—so you get tired.

Instead, try to eat your protein with your veggies, or eat your carbohydrates with your veggies, but don’t mix a heavy carbohydrate and a heavy protein.

Other great examples include steak and potatoes, hamburger and French fries—you get the idea.

It has been suggested that when you eat protein like meat your body produces a certain acid to digest it, and when you eat a starch like potatoes your body will produce an opposing acid to break it down. And when these opposing acids mix, it makes it harder to break the food down.

As a result, the food will sit longer in your stomach and the body will produce more acid, trying to get the job done. This process is hard work for your digestive system.

So, if you want to feel light after your meal and avoid bloating, fullness, and gas, try eating protein with veggies and your starches with your veggies and try to avoid mixing your animal protein and starchy carbs.

One of the problems with having hypothyroidism is that your metabolic rate has fallen, which causes your digestive system to slow down. Eating this new way will help your digestive system break down food much faster and easier.

This will lead to less digestive upsets and constipation. And…your body will be getting more nutrients—and the more nutrients your body gets, the less hungry you’ll be and the less food you’ll crave. Also, this process will help you lose weight.

The Most Powerful Digestive Aid

What I am going to suggest to you next is so simple and powerful, that it allowed one patient to stop his prescription medication for indigestion.

Unfortunately, you now live in a world of go-go-go. You’re probably unaware of the stress you’re under from day to day because you don’t pay attention to your body.

What you don’t realize is that subtle and constant stress on your body causes a stress response inside of your body, and these reactions can have an impact on your digestion.

One of the worst times to eat is when you’re under stress. When you’re under stress, the body will direct blood flow away from the stomach to areas of the body that require it in a stressful situation, like your brain and extremities.

Just think of yourself being chased by a pack of wild dogs…you don...