ser·en·dip·i·ty

ser·en·dip·i·ty

“The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: a fortunate stroke of serendipity.”

I went to the Buckhead Diner yesterday to meet fellow bloggers and enjoy a delicious afternoon tasting Chef Charlie’s new menu (more about that later).

I came away with a special new friend and a personal commitment to talk about a condition we realized that we both suffer from, a condition few discuss or admit to and a condition---since it is mostly peculiar to middle aged women---doctors frequently over look, chalking symptoms up to female hormones, the time of the month, menopause.

Hashimoto’s Disease is essentially a failure of the thyroid gland. Our immune systems attack our thyroid gland. It expresses itself in a series of apparently unconnected, disparate symptoms. It is difficult to diagnose and often leaves the sufferer feeling like there is something wrong in their head rather than their body.

We sleep too much and even then, we are constantly tired. We are always hungry. We have random joint and muscle aches and pains. Our faces look puffy and pale and our hair thins. We are frequently cold, anxious or depressed, nervous, restless and irritable.

So, here’s the Question: along with medication, can diet make a difference for my new friend and me? Can certain foods help us feel better?

Well, yes and no---the research is mixed. There is some evidence that eating or avoiding certain foods can have a limited affect on thyroid function and the diets that some say do help are high in fiber. And, that can’t hurt any of us.

So here’s the deal:

                                                        **take your thyroid medication
            **talk to your doctor, ask questions until you get the answers you need

                               **eat a healthy diet that is high in fiber

        **avoid---as much as possible---overly processed foods like refined sugar and white flour     

                                **take a good B-complex vitamin

                                                         **exercise, exercise, exercise

**until better research comes along, (just) limit your intake of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, soy and walnuts