The Low Carb Kitchen: hypothyroidism

Monday, November 16, 2015

Conquering weight loss with Hypothyroidism

Thyroid (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So this is a challenge all by itself. Since being diagnosed earlier this year with good ol' Hypothyroidism, and needing desperately to drop weight I have come to the understanding just how challenging this feat is when you have this glandular disease.

There are two types of Thyroid issues that are prevalent, one is Hypo and the other is Hyper. One makes weight gain difficult, the other makes it almost impossible. Guess which one I was lucky enough to get, yep the one that makes losing weight hard and gaining weight oh so very easy. Lets face it, I love food and love to cook so this made this battle a big uphill climb to begin with.

So what makes this a bigger challenge for me than it was oh say, last year? Well turns out all the great diet foods that are wonderful and healthy aren't necessarily good for a person with Thyroid problems. Yeah, foods that are high in Goitrogens are not good for those suffering with a malfunctioning, under functioning Thyroid. Yay me...and the list is long. making coming up with low carb and healthy recipes for my particular condition a big, well I have to say this word a lot these days, even in this post, C-H-A-L-L-E-N-G-E.

So what is a Goitrogen? According to Websters Dictionary,

Definition of :GOITROGEN: a substance (as thiourea or thiouracil) that induces goiter formation

Partial list of foods high in goitrogens:

Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Turnips
Kale
Cauliflower
Brussel sprouts
Rutabagas
Soy and that which contains Soy
Mustards

That is a partial list..what makes this so hard is those are great foods for those on diets, especially a low carb lifestyle that depends on greens to keep the belly full and the weight off.
My next goal is to find and develop recipes that are mindful of the impact these vegetables have on those suffering with Hypothyriodism.