The Hypothyroidism Diet (for everybody)

If you're diagnosed as hypothyroid, your doctor will likely write you a prescription for synthetic thyroid pills and send you on your way, with little if any advice on diet and lifestyle. But if you believe, like I do, that the right diet and lifestyle changes are the best cure for most disease (and the wrong ones are the cause of it) then you'll be hungry for information on what you can do to heal your thyroid beyond popping pills.

So you'll definitely want to read the new book The HypoThyroid Diet: Lose Weight and Beat Fatigue in 21 Days by Kevin Dobrzynski, DN, which details the changes you can make to lose weight, feel more energetic and support whatever medication program your doctor has prescribed.  But truly, this diet and lifestyle advice would help just about anybody over 40, because even with healthy thyroids most of us start to face health issues as we age—like slower metabolism, sluggish digestion, decreased energy—that this book addresses.

Dobrzynski, a doctor of Naprapathy, developed his expertise on the subject more than two years ago when his wife was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and was struggling to recover. After exhaustive research he developed a diet and lifestyle plan that helped his wife lose weigh and gain energy and has since helped scores of patients. I interviewed Dr. Dobrzynski to learn about the key principals of his hypothyroidism diet. Here are eight of them, and there's even more intriguing advice in the book (Of course, this advice should in no way replace that of your own doctor—always consult with him or her before making any major changes):

1. Eat organic when possible. "Eating organic is key, because many of the herbicides and fungicides used on non-organic produce are hormone disruptors that mimic estrogen. You want to avoid estrogens because they inhibit the conversion of  the thyroid hormone T4 to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone that makes everything work right."
2. Slash sugar and caffeine intake. Of course you know you shouldn't eat much sugar but Dobrzynski says that caffeine is a bad idea too (sigh . . ): "Caffeine creates stress on the body and causes issues with your adrenal glands and leads to elevated levels of cortisol, which then inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3." For the record, Dobrzynski says that he enjoys a cup of coffee each morning, so you don't have to go cold turkey, but green tea (in moderation) is a better choice.  And the American habit of slurping super-sized cups of Starbuck's all day is definitely a don't for people with thyroid disease. 
3. Avoid exposure to halogens: People with hypothyroidism should try to avoid excess exposure to the class of chemicals called halogens—which includes chlorine, fluoride and bromine. "These halogens can block the absorption of iodine into the thyroid. Fluoride (in particular) is a big bully—it will attach to the iodine receptor sites and not let iodine in." To avoid them, filter your drinking water, avoid too much time in chlorinated swimming pools and hot tubs, and generally try to go as organic and natural as possible with what you use on your body and bring into your home.
4. Go gluten-free. I won't go into the arguments for giving up gluten (especially wheat, as I've written about previously), but Dobrzynski confirms that people with hypothyroidism generally get healthier when they give up gluten altogether.
5. Eat fat (but only the good kind). Newsflash: Most of those "healthy" oils you've been told to eat for the past couple of decades—corn, safflower, sunflower—are actually bad for you. "Polyunsaturated oils are very unstable and easily turn rancid," says Dobrzynski. But (finally) here's some good news: On the hypothyroidism diet you do need to eat plenty of fat. "Hormones are produced by cholesterol, so it's important that you get enough of it," says Dobrzynski, who recommends you use raw organic butter or coconut oil for cooking. Olive oil is good too, as long as you don't heat it more than slightly (it oxidizes at high heat). "Use olive oil in salad dressings or saute food in water and then drizzle olive oil over it as a finish."
6. Take immune-boosting supplements. "One of most important things you can do when you're hypothyroid, and especially if you have Hashimoto's thyroidosis, is start to heal your gut using a good probiotic," says Dobrzynski. "You should also optimize your vitamin D levels to support your immune system. Get a blood test to learn your vitamin D levels. The hypothyroid body uses vitamin D differently so you may need higher doses than other people do." (More on probiotics and vitamin D).
7. Eat quality salt. Unprocessed, natural sea salt contains minerals, including iodine, that the hypothyroid body especially needs. Dobrzynski recommends the salts sold by Celticseasalt.com. "Since salt is an anti-diuretic it can prevent water loss and retain minerals in your body," he says. He often adds a quarter teaspoon of Celtic sea salt to his water just before bed and first thing in the morning.
8. Exercise the right way. Of course exercise is important to healing, but Dobrzynskisays that there's a danger in going overboard. "People with hypothyroidism often do a lot of cardio to try to lose weight, but over-exercising can backfire by keeping cortisol levels elevated, which leads the body to resist breaking down fat," he says. Instead of spending hours on the treadmill, try the exercise plan laid out in The HypoThyroid Diet, which involves short bursts of intense strength training with rest period in between. "Research shows that short, intense bursts followed by rest is the best way to exercise," he says. "It helps the body produce human growth hormone, which reduces body fat and builds muscle."

Believe it or not, Dobrzynski has a lot more to say about treating hypothyroidism, including lots of fresh advice on improving digestion. You can pre-order The HypoThyroid Dieton Amazon.

More on thyroid health:

Could it Be Your Thyroid?

How to: Thyroid Cancer Self-Exam