Jen’s Top 9 List: Diet for Health (Thyroid Too)

See my post “Jen’s Green Drink Recipe“, if you want to “build your own” powdered blend, which saves money too. Below are more ideas, to tweak your diet on your way to natural health!

In one week, seven folks sought me out for thyroid health info. It’s become a hot topic, and no wonder- instead of trying to heal health problems with the foods and herbs God’s given us, we’re more often told how to treat symptoms, usually with drugs. My dentist scoffed when he found I’d gone to another (specialized) dentist to remove my silver/amalgam fillings (containing mercury). But I had done enough research to feel that leaving the amalgam fillings in my mouth could be potentially hazardous to my thyroid (and possibly other body parts.) Maybe I’ve become one of those whacky folks people roll their eyes at. At least that dentist did! (I’ve since gone to a different dentist…)

Traditional medical treatment had failed me. Not that I think doctors are pharmaceutical drug pushers. Drugs have their place, after all. Almost ten years ago, when I was a complete basket case, a prescription for Synthroid got me out of a horrible funk. My health improved radically. I did have to up the dose, and eventually felt like some old symptoms were returning. So when I discovered more natural approaches to thyroid health, I was eager to implement those approaches.

To sum it up, it appears that many health issues (thyroid included) are thought to be caused by inflammatory conditions. With hypothyroidism becoming almost epidemic, perhaps there is something quite inflammatory about our modern diets!

So I’ve decided to include links here, to several of my favorite items (featured at my shop). These are products I feel have helped me in my quest for health. My thyroid’s doing much better. I take ThyroGold (natural OTC thyroid gland), plus a lot of natural foods and herbs.

When my thyroid was at its worst, I was taking three baths a day to keep warm, heating tap water to drink so I wouldn’t get a chill (from room temperature water!). You get the idea. It was bad.

And now I feel great- it’s a miracle! I thank God, who I feel sent me on a long mission to wellness. In Genesis 1:29, God said, “I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will be your food.” Our culture has strayed from such natural food, creating our own weird “foods”, with the help of machines, pesticides, genetic modification, etc. Maybe it’s time to get back on track!

Note that I’m not advocating that everyone should get off drugs right this second! But, there may be a long, natural journey ahead, for those who choose it.

And now, the list (some things might seem weight-related, but hypothyroid-sufferers often have weight problems too…)-

Eight Fave Health Products I’m Using

“Berkey Water Filter“- I’ll start with my water filter, since that was one of my initial purchases this past year. Much of what I read indicated that fluoride and chlorine potentially disrupted thyroid health, and I wanted a good filtering system that would get rid of those. It’s tricky to find systems that get rid of fluoride, but this one did the trick. In the process, we all discovered how incredible pure water could taste. Yay, Berkey!

“Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder“- Nothing was working… I’d gained some weight I couldn’t shake (trying every latest trend in the process). I thought of protein powders, but so many include bogus, cheap ingredients. Sweeteners- even low calorie ones- all keep the sweet-tooth thing going. (We need to re-train our tastebuds!) Other powders may include bean proteins (the cheapest of proteins). I finally tried this whey powder, adding it to morning smoothies. It really seemed to help- I think it stimulated my digestive system, while nourishing me so I didn’t get ravenous. This product is quite pricey when bought in the smaller package but the large package is a great value. I’ve bought 20 lb. of this stuff in the past year! It’s a convenient, quick meal to add this to my morning smoothie, and the weight’s stayed off.

“Heather’s Tummy Fiber“- A friend had asked me to research an expensive weightloss product (TR90), so I found an ingredient list and researched each item. It seemed that acacia senegal (which is what “Heather’s Tummy Fiber” is) can lend a feeling of fullness, and soothes the stomach and digestion. A lot of IBS (irritabable bowel syndrome) sufferers resort to this product with much success, but it also seemed like a good ingredient to mix into my morning smoothie. I mix a half cup of it into eight cups of my protein powder, which makes blending my smoothie more of a one-step process.

“Organic Tart Cherry Powder“- A lot of supplement/powder mixes contain the cheapest ingredients. TR90 contains non-organic dried fruit powders. But… cherries are on the Dirty Dozen list (most full of pesticides). I really wanted to include tart cherry powder in the protein powder I was mixing myself, since it’s so helpful for inflammatory conditions (low thyroid, etc.). I was still having knee problems too, but apparently, this stuff’s helped. My knees have been great for months now! AND, this cherry powder is organic. It might seem expensive, but… it takes 52 pounds of tart cherries to make one pound of the extract powder. Can you really find organic cherries fresh for less than that anyway? I mix about 1/3 c. of this stuff into my 8 c. mix of protein powder; again, it saves time in the morning when I just need to add one scoop of a mix that contains everything I want to include.

“Nopal Powder“- This stuff’s actually prescribed in Mexico to treat diabetes. How exciting! I bought it because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, but found my blood sugar levels leveling out too. A friend suggested that I just buy fresh cactus leaves at hispanic markets, but… I need convenience. Again, I just add some of this into my big mixture o’ protein powder, with the other herbs, dried fruits, and tummy fiber, adding a scoop or two to a smoothie, and I’m good!

“Ashwagandha“- Say what? It’s an herb- a root powder. Reminds me a bit of ginseng, but it’s touted as helpful for those with thyroid disorders. It’s an “adoptogen”, which, in my words, means it can fill in the nutritional gaps for whatever we need at the moment. At night, it can promote a good night’s sleep, as it supplies a nutrient for that, but in the morning it can improve focus and increase energy due to some other nutritional factors. Yes, I add it to my protein mix too.

“Chlorella Powder“- On my path to thyroid health, I knew I wanted to get rid of the mercury that was potentially disrupting my endocrine system. Mercury can apparently play quite a part (of the bad guy) in the thyroid scenario. Many a dentist will disagree (“what’s wrong with the mercury in your fillings?!”). But a good many folks had written about how removing their amalgam/silver fillings had allowed them to give up their thyroid meds. An ultimate goal! It’s also suggested that, in any case, one can begin with a heavy-metal detox, starting with a cleansing diet. Chlorella (a little seaweed-type powder) can be a part of that cleansing diet, binding with the mercury in our system to aid in its removal. So I started guzzling an 8-ounce container of water with a scoop of this mixed into it every morning, first thing. I say, “guzzle” because I just want to get it over with. I don’t want to mix it into my smoothie. It tastes a tad fishy, I suppose. My husband and daughter-in-law can’t hang with it at all, though our oldest son and I think it’s drinkable (but then, we’re OK with sushi too). The powder mixes up pretty well when I shake it up in the container with water.

“Cod Liver Oil“- Helps balance your Omega 3/6 ratio. You can eat weekly rations of wild-caught salmon instead, but… that’s not always convenient. These capsules are handy, although I get the Liquid Fermented CLO from “Renewed health Supply”, since I’m so hardcore and didn’t want capsules or the flavored oils offered on Amazon. These WOULD be a next-best choice for me though. Purported to help improve so many conditions, & promote general health/well-being. Yay!