Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (249 page)

Raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower, rutabagas), soy, and millet. These can help to slow down thyroid function.

Water and calming herbal teas. Chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, fennel, and hops are all recommended.

Oats and lettuce. Both of these have calming effects.

AVOID

Stimulants. Tea, coffee, alcohol, drugs, chocolate, salt, colas, and nicotine can all speed up the metabolic rate and thus are not recommended.

Sea vegetables. These are rich in iodine and can increase the production of thyroid hormones, so are best avoided until thyroid function returns to normal.

Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods and dairy.

HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Take green superfoods daily, such as spirulina, blue-green algae, or barley grass. Those with an overactive thyroid have a higher need for nutrients, and these foods are a good way of increasing nutrient intake without taxing the system.

Take magnesium citrate. Magnesium is calming to the nervous system.

EXTRA TIP

Keep blood-sugar levels stable. This will help to keep energy levels stable. Eat small, regular meals and snacks.

HYPOGLYCEMIA

This means low blood-sugar levels. When blood-sugar levels drop too low, this causes an overwhelming craving for refined carbohydrates. To satisfy that craving more and more sugary foods are devoured, causing a see-saw effect of soaring and plummeting sugar levels. This is why if you start to eat just one chocolate bar, you crave another one.
The sugar gives you the rush but the drop is not far behind it. Excess insulin is produced with this condition. This will cause trouble for the pancreas as time goes on and that’s when hypoglycemia can end up as type-2 diabetes. There should be up to two teaspoons of sugar in the blood at any time for physical function and brain function. If your blood sugar is low you may feel tired, emotional, irritable, shaky, and you may have headaches and crave sweet foods or carbohydrates. This is hypoglycemia.

CAUSES MAY INCLUDE

Glucose imbalance.

Poor diet of too many refined simple carbohydrates.

Malabsorption.