Low Iodine Diet

[KytKattin]

In all honesty, I feel kind of like a rabbit. I know they can’t eat the large amount of fruit i’m eating, but still. It feels healthy like rabbit food. I normally eat pretty healthy things anyways, but now all the bread has basically been taken out since most is made with salt. I can’t have dairy anyways due to being allergic, but my soy has also been cut out, so none of my delicous fake cheese and ice cream. No fish either. So that leaves popcorn, limited rice, some meat, and fruits and veggies. I can still have non-iodized salt, so that helps. I downloaded the cookbook from the Thyroid Cancer Survivors website. There are some good foods there. My mom went with me to the store yesterday and we bought a ton of spices and stuff that I can have. Tonight my boyfriend and I are going to cook up some buffalo steaks. Yummy! I can only have meat once a day, and in small amounts. I do like fruit, it’s just that it is so sweet, you know? For dinner I had popcorn with olive oil (to take the place of butter) and my salt. It tasted like heaven after eating fruit all day! On the other hand, I have been doing pretty good so far. I am certainly more tired since I don’t have as many carbs to keep me going. In the last month though I haven’t had the weight problems that many people have after their thyroid is removed. It has stayed the same, even though my metabolism has all but died. My mom says it’s because I don’t eat dairy. The worst thing about the diet is waking up in the middle of the night with leg cramps. Horrible, horrible leg cramps. I don’t know if I can still take my calcium supplement on this diet, so they are getting worse and worse. I will try to drink more of that orange juice with added calcium to see if that helps. Less than two weeks and my life should start going back to normal! I am so happy about that.

I have to say though, that this diet, other than leaving me always hungery, makes me realize what I put my rabbits through when I only give them a little bit of good tasting stuff (pellets, treats, greens) and unlimited good for them stuff (hay). It’s not as bad as people make it out to be. They humanize them way to much. Yeah, it’s nice to be able to eat whatever your want whenever you want, but at the same time, for me, especially with my milk allergy, I feel so much better not eating the foods that are bad for me! So the next time your rabbit is begging for something that’s not good for it, don’t feel so bad because it’s not as bad as their cute, watery eyes make it out to be.

Sorry this is so long. Writing stuff down and sharing makes me feel better. I don’t mind if no one reads or responds to it!

[Sarita]

Can you eat nuts?

I’ve heard that a spoonful of mustard helps with cramps – heard that on People’s Pharmacy on NPR and this woman swore by it. She had I guess a tablespoon of yellow mustard a day (it doesn’t sound too appetizing by itself to me but it might be worth looking into).

You can go to their website (peoplespharmacy.com) and pull up leg cramps too and see what they say.

[KytKattin]

Thank you! I will have to see if our mustard is salt free. Mostly though, I know that calcium for sure helps with them. Walking can make them worse, but I still try to go out for daily walks. I know this is better for me in the long run since it builds bone density, which may be a lifelong problem for me since I’m on the thyroid hormone, as well as being a woman. Gah. All of this little stuff! Oh, and yes, I can eat nuts. I have to buy the ones in the baking isle, since they are unsalted. Plus I’m allergic to peanuts, but that’s the only type. Right now I’ve been eating fresh ground almond butter mixed with honey on apples or celery.

[Deb'sBuns]

This probably has nothing to do with what you have; but I get alot of leg cramps if I don’t eat enough bananas. I’ll eat like 4 banANAS a day for acouple of days then I’ll feel better.

[bunnytowne]

I used to take magnesium to help with muscle spasms.  With calcium.   I found since I stopped taking calcium my trigger finger went away. My ring finger would pop and get hung up when I put it almost straight. 

Health food eh?  Not bad.  You seem to be doing so good with your eating.  I use salt without iodine in it too.  I have thyroid problem.  If I eat potato chips my neck swells. Hurts so I don’t eat chips. Don’t need that much salt anyway.  Especially with iodine.

[KytKattin]

Bananas have potassium in them right? I can’t remember if that’s supposed to help or not, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to eat more bananas I suppose. I just don’t like them as much as I like more sour fruits. I could still manage to eat one a day.

I made balsamic vinaigrette chicken a few nights ago, as well as stuffed green peppers with basmati rice and buffalo yesterday. So I have been eating some very good things, but the cooking of them takes a lot out of me. I have lots of leftover peppers though, so that should be good for a few days. I’ve also been putting various spices on my main staple; popcorn. Sometimes they are good, sometimes not. Mrs. Dash is pretty good. I find that it is hardest to keep hydrated. I’ve only been managing 4 glasses of water a day. I have no idea how i’m going to manage 6-8 glasses for every hour that i’m awake after the big dose! Only for the first day or two I think though. I wish I could just have an IV at home. Haha.

I took the little dose today. I’ll try to flush it all out of my system by drinking a ton of water before Monday so maybe nothing will show up on the scan and I won’t have to take the big dose. I know, wishful thinking. Tomorrow is my birthday, well actually I was born at midnight, so yeah, technically still tomorrow, but closer to now I suppose. This will probably be my most boring birthday ever. Or at least up until this time, as I’m sure if I get old then they probably get less fun, maybe even depressing. Well it’s not like 19 is that special. It’s just the last year I’m a ‘teenager’. Which is probably something i’ll look back on and think how young and naive I was for thinking it wasn’t special.

[bunnytowne]

Umm balsamic viniagrette sounds good.  You have a nice menu of food prepared.  OH boy.  I could put that vinegar in some veggie when I make like spinache. 

I found eating a lot of bananas makes you more attractive to mosquitos.  Cuz the potassium.  I found that to be true.  I used to eat a banana a day til someone told me was potassium that attracted them.  They would come to me of all the people in a crowd.  My son too they like hiim.  I stopped bananas except 2-3 times a week.  1/2 in blueberry and soy milk in a blender.  Cut down on my mosquito problem.  Quite a bit.

Wow I should go to your house to eat.  With all that water you gone be in the bathroom a lot. 

Oh another thing that has lots of potassium is dandeloin.  People used to put them on salads.  Now most people see them as a weed.  The good thing about the dandeloin is it is a duiretic.  The thing about dueretics is they deplete your system of potassium.   However with dandeloin it gives your system potassium and is a duiretic too.  Much better for you.

OH no rambling again.   Well I hope this helps.

[Author]

Messages