Some thyroid resources to keep you busy

Greetings one and all. It has been too long since I last managed to tap out some thyroid information and it share with everyone. Hardly a day goes by without something in the news or world events providing inspiration to write about but I just have not made time to sit down and formulate these thoughts into blog posts (yet).

So today I made time. 

I want to share with you some links I have found very useful in my pursuit of good thyroid health. I am sure, having found your way here, you are aware that thyroid disease does not respond well to a one size fits all treatment and so the more information you can gather for yourself, the greater your chances of finding something that works for you. Personally I follow advice from several sources, though not rigidly. Life (and disease) is fluid, ever changing, and while it is important to live well for good health it is also important to enjoy life. Let’s not get bogged down trying to be prescriptive about everything.

Go forth and multiply your thoughts and ideas on how to life well with your thyroid.

www.raypeat.com – Ray Peat understands thyroid disease, metabolism and womens health. Some people may find his work hard to swallow but I think he is right on, man.

http://hypothyroidmom.com/hypothyroid-mom-top-resources/ - Dana Trenti is hypothyroid mom and was one of the first resources I came across in my own search for information. Importantly she campaigns for thryroid testing in pregnancy to prevent unneccesary miscarriage. Although she advicates a Paleo style diet (and I do not) she has some great blog posts so have a look round this site. I am listing her top resources post here which includes Scottish Thyroid Petition, Lorraine Cleavers #thyroidnews and thyroiduk. All great resources.

http://180degreehealth.com/ - sign up to receive some colourful information on how to raise your body temperature. Its not all thyroid related and these guys say its ok to eat MacDonalds, or even worse WHEAT but they are dealing with people who have been at the extreme end of the dieting cycle for too long and are suffering the ill effects which include low body temperature and slow body functions which are of course the same as having low thyroid function. I have found their concept useful. 

www.dannyroddy.com – Danny Roddy explores a lot of Ray Peat ideas and looks at raising body temperature – albeit to regrow hair. It’s all good thyroid health really J

That’s kind of all I have time to give just now but I hope to be back with more soon. Remember, as with all these sites, feel free to ignore content and get back to what you were doing. It is YOUR body, YOUR health and YOUR journey after all. Stay well.

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Talking about a revolution...

As I research other posts about more intense thyroid stuff I want to take this opportunity to kick off our next revolution. Yes, you heard that right – I want to start a revolution….. in the kitchen. And I want you all to do the same. I promise it will change your life forever. We will start with the meat on your bones.

I began making my own stock regularly a few months ago and the main purpose of such an undertaking was to get more gelatin into our diet. “Gelatin?” I hear you ask. Yes, gelatin.

Gelatin has a funny reputation, certainly I thought it was bad for you at one point, well it is used to make jelly and anything as tasty as jelly has to be bad for you right? But before that was the sheer horror that it had come from cows feet or pigs trotters (groooooosssssss – my younger self would have said).  But for my baby boys first birthday last year I made jelly using gelatin leaf from the shops and that all turned out fine, not gross at all! Especially the fizzy wine adult jellies…..but that’s a tale for another day. My point being, I had not yet started my healing journey and was not aware of the wonder stuff that is gelatin. And broth.

(Before I go any further I just want to clarify - gelatin is what makes the broth set and go jelly-like when cooled). 

Anyway, perhaps it’s because I am a highlander but simply hearing the word ‘broth’ is healing to me. It is such a soft and soothing word. Thinking of broth conjures an image of a deep, steaming bowl of tasty scotch broth with veggies, barley, peas, lentils and a piece of meat somewhere tucked away in there. Hot, sweet, soupy goodness. (I have to stop and get a pan on soon before I salivate over my keyboard I think…)

So you get the picture. I already think broth is good.

The revolution comes when I make my pan of broth with actual bones. Stock that I have prepared myself by simmering the animal bones in the slow cooker for around 24 hours. Forget your stock cubes or your boullion. Get the bones from your butcher and fire them in the slow cooker for a day. Real food and real tasty too – you will not taste anything as good EVER, I can assure you.

Now the added bonus – what it does for your health. 

Well for a start…bone broth heals your insides (remember I talked about them – your insides – in my Food for thought post – it got pretty technical). The broth will start to mend your gut lining and that of your intestines. This could lead to an easing of food allergies or intolerance's.

Broth provides you with the basic building blocks for your body – boiling down the bones releases all those minerals that built them up so strong. And you get to consume that – nourishing your own body.

Suffer with sore joints? Consuming bone broths is shown to be anti-inflammatory so as well as healing your stomach, it will heal the other areas of your body where inflammation can occur like your joints. 

Specifically for thyroidians like myself, bone broths will aid liver function and boost your metabolism. Need I say more? No, but I will.

Bone broth, or more specifically as in all these cases - the gelatin in broth, is full of protein so you can cut down the amount of meat in these dishes if you need to keep costs down.

And at the end of the day, I find it very therapeutic. There is something deeply satisfying about creating such a nourishing and wholesome food for your family. From scratch, just like your parents, grandparents and/or great grandparents would have done (though perhaps they didn’t use a digital version with two heat settings, a timer and a warming function)

So that’s the latest – get your bones on. Start the revolution!

If you are interested in reading more I have listed a few articles here on the subject. Bone broth is a huge subject and everyone has their own methods - tell us how you make yours! www.facebook.com/MyThyroidTherapy

Some great articles on broth:

www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

undergroundwellness.com/top-5-reasons-why-bone-broth-is-the-bomb/

www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-crucial-reason-you-need-more-gelatin-in-your-diet/

 

There's been a misunderstanding...

I spoke with an old friend yesterday, our chat was long overdue because I am rubbish at picking up the phone and calling friends (slapping self on wrists). During the course of our conversation she asked how I was getting on with my thyroid. She really is a lovely person so this was no surprise in itself, but what struck me was the level of genuine concern about my wellbeing whilst dealing with an underactive thyroid. Now, I have to say all of my friends are very supportive of the lifestyle changes I have implemented to help my thyroid but I can’t help get the feeling when speaking to others that thyroid disorders are pretty well misunderstood and largely underestimated.

Let's start with misunderstanding first of all because I think it applies to those suffering from thyroid problems as much as the rest of the population. I mean, out of everyone we should understand this affliction the most - right?

Those of us who are lucky enough to have been given a diagnosis are being told that taking a pill every day for the rest of our life will sort everything out and get us back to good health. We are told this pill is an exact match of the hormone that your thyroid gland secretes so there are no side effects. But the misunderstanding has already started here. The doctors have only partially explained the treatment and this leads to a misunderstanding for the patient (you and me). When we take the tablets and don’t get better we go back to the doctors and are told that it can’t be the thyroid (our bloods are looking ok) so it must be something else. Maybe you are just suffering from depression? Accompanied with IBS? And even chronic fatigue? We can give you tablets for all of those things. (Waaaaaaa STOP NOW PLEASE)

Another misunderstanding comes from the whole eat less/lose weight battle that most of us are fighting. You will be aware that low thyroid function tends to come hand in hand with a slower metabolic rate. And with a slow metabolic rate comes low energy, and with low energy you tend to have inefficient calorie burn.  A triple whammy that helps make up one very vicious cycle. It is not just a case of greed or laziness as is often preceived. (Well, not always anyway). But don't let this make you complacent. It helps to remember that you need to be healthy to lose weight, you don't lose weight to be healthy. That is why I am trying to get my treatment right, speed up my metabolism and slowly build exercise back into my life.... gently.

I do feel strongly about this. We need everyone to be aware of these thyroid misunderstandings. We must work hard to help people recognise the symptoms as well as learn how to control them. I want everyone to feel empowered to optimise their treatment and follow a pro-thyroid diet and lifestyle because next up comes underestimation of how serious this illness can get. And that, my friends, is scary.

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