3 Dietary Tips for Managing Hashimoto’s Disease

Making dietary changes can be difficult and confusing because there is so much contradicting information on which foods or "diets" are best for optimizing your thyroid function. The key to any dietary changes is ensuring that they are sustainable long-term.

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

Protein is essential for adequate hormone production, including thyroid hormones. The amount of protein someone should be consuming each day will differ based on their activity level and the type of activity they do. As a general rule, you should try to consume a protein source with each meal, having around 25-30g of protein per meal.

In addition to your meals, ensure your snacks throughout the day have a protein source as well. Again, this will differ depending on what your activity level is like and how many meals/snacks you have per day. Calculating your protein does not have to be a perfect science; however, being aware of how much you are currently consuming versus how much you need for optimal health and making appropriate adjustments is important.

Don’t Be Afraid of Healthy Fats

Yes, there are fats that are less ideal to consume on a regular basis (processed and fried foods); however, there are many healthy sources of fat that are essential to thyroid health, heart health, gut health, and weight loss!

When there is a thyroid imbalance, especially if it is autoimmune in nature (i.e., Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease), systemic inflammation is likely present. One of the best ways to reduce inflammation is by incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet on a daily basis.

Using more anti-inflammatory oils, such as avocado and olive oil, has been shown to greatly reduce systemic inflammation and improve health. These oils are best used raw (i.e., on salads or drizzled on top of food at the end of the cooking process) or when cooking with low heat.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another important source of fat to include due to their ability to reduce inflammation. Consuming fish 1-2 times per week and/or supplementing is a great way to get your omega-3s.

Eat Your Veggies

The more vegetables in your diet, the better. A great place to start would be to have at least 2-3 different types of non-starchy vegetables with each meal. Including vegetables in your breakfast and snacks is a good strategy to help increase your daily intake. Vegetables are a great source of micronutrients that are essential for thyroid function and thyroid hormone production.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, rapini, bok choy, etc.) have gotten a reputation over the years for being "goitrogens," and individuals with thyroid imbalances were and are still being told to avoid these goitrogenic vegetables. A goitrogen is a compound that blocks thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones.

The reality is that in order for cruciferous vegetables to have a negative effect on thyroid function, they need to be consumed both raw and in large quantities. Cooked or steamed cruciferous vegetables pose no concern for thyroid health and have far too many benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, to be completely eliminated from one's diet.

Looking For More Support?

If you would like guidance in making dietary changes that will improve your thyroid health and be sustainable long term, there is so much we can do to support you! If you want to learn more about how naturopathic medicine can improve your thyroid health, you can read more about that here. You can reach out to us for more information or book a complimentary consult with me here!