5 Tips For Eating to Support Your Hashimotos

You are what you eat! We’ve all heard this since childhood, right? But if you are of the 14 million people in the United States living with Hashimoto’s right now, this little nugget of wisdom is especially important to pay attention to. Why?

Because autoimmune diseases, like Hashimoto’s, are often driven by inflammation and directly tied to diet and lifestyle. Which is great news because your choices around what you eat and how you live are solely in your hands.

So here are some simple guidelines to focus on when trying to gain control of your Hashimoto’s:

1.       Cut out inflammatory foods. To reduce the inflammation response in the body that is causing the immune system to attack the thyroid, reduce inflammatory foods. Two culprits in our modern diet include gluten and dairy (especially pasteurized/homogenized dairy products). Soy, sugar and vegetable oils (like sunflower, safflower, canola and corn) can also trigger an inflammatory response, as can regular unsprouted grains and many food additives.

2.       Eat nutrient-dense foods. If you’re cutting out inflammatory foods, replace them with nutrient-dense choices, as in the ones loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber—aka fruits and veggies. These are the foods that are easiest for your body to digest, are the least allergenic and pack the biggest antioxidant punch.

3.       Pile on the leafy greens. Think kale, spinach, arugula, bok choy, collards and watercress. These powerhouses offer an abundance of B vitamins, which are needed to support thyroid health and boost the immune system.

4.       Eat enough high quality proteins. Some options included grass-fed,/grass- finished beef, organic chicken, wild-caught fish, tempeh, lentils, almonds, chickpeas, and pumpkin seeds. These options contain amino acids. Amino acids play an important role in cellular development, hormone production, appetite control, and help boost metabolism. Inadequate protein intake can cause suppression of the thyroid gland leading to lowered metabolism and lowered energy. Eat up those proteins and aim for about 30 grams of protein per meal.

5.       Choose complex carbs. Found in whole plant foods, complex carbs are digested and absorbed slowly by the body. Meanwhile, simple carbs, found in sugary and processed foods, cause spikes in blood sugar that detrimentally affect metabolism and overall thyroid health.

When it comes to what to put in your body to promote healing, remember inflammation = inflammation. So reduce inflammatory foods and add in those nutrient-dense ones instead.

Happy eating!

-Rachael