Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that quite a few people suffer from and it has been proven that this can be controlled through proper diet. What you need to figure out is which diet will be the best for you. Some people think that one way to figure out which version of the autoimmune diet is best for you might be to use blood typing. Those with blood types that need meat (Type O) might do better on Paleo, those who are not big meat eaters (Type A) may do better with the Vegan version. The remaining blood types (B and AB) might need some hybrid of the two. Whichever you chose it is vitally important to eat as much variety as you can within all these restrictions and to supplement with iron, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D as it becomes necessary.
Here’s a quick overview of the most popular diets currently being used:
Paleo Autoimmune Diet
The Paleo diet or Paleolithic diet, also called the Cave man diet or Hunter-Gatherer diet, is one in which you are told to eat like our nomadic ancestors. Centered around common modern foods, this diet consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.
Critics argue that this diet is essentially just the Atkins diet with a few updates, but it has a loyal following. And if you really ate like our Paleolithic brethren, that is, you hunted around the African plains with a spear and a few rocks, you would eat a diet that was largely plant based with a few lucky days of meat being thrown in. And you would spend a lot of time running and doing old school cross fit maneuvers as you escaped hungry lions and hyenas. Definitely a formula for good health – if you didn’t get eaten.
The autoimmune version of this diet removes grains, eggs, beans, legumes, dairy, soy, refined sugar and salt, all processed oils and nut based oils, and night shades (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes) and, sometimes, nuts.
It’s really restrictive, but can be quite effective. The real issue seems to be – can you come up with a diet plan that isn’t basically all meat all the time? And you definitely can. You need to make a conscious effort to have plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Some people with Hashimoto’s do very well on this diet and it can dramatically improve the health of your gut on its own. Add some supplements that heal the intestines, as well, and you could have a winning formula.
Vegan Autoimmune Diet
The flip side of Paleo is the Vegan autoimmune diet. It is, essentially gluten and, in some cases, grain-free vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no animals, and no fish. And in some cases, no grains or beans. Critics of this diet argue that you don’t get enough amino acids from plants alone and many Hashimoto’s folks are also iron, B12 and Vitamin D deficient and it’s hard, to virtually impossible, to effectively keep those levels up without animal products or supplementation.
It also takes a lot of things, pardon the pun, off the table. So it doesn’t leave you a lot left to eat.
But this diet also has its loyal fans and can be very effective in reducing the inflammation that drives the autoimmune process and destruction of the gut. If supplements are added here, and you eat enough, you can also have a winning formula with this approach.
Finding the correct balance between diet and health is where Dr Alain Sanua can help you. Dr Alain Sanua believes in a holistic approach to healing which is very effective. Contact Dr Alain Sanua for a consultation and start your road to recovery.