How You CAN Include Brassicas in Your Diet and Not Harm Your Thyroid

I’m frequently asked by people whether it is safe or not to include foods from the Brassica family in their diets. I know I have spoken about this before, but it’s important enough that I will write about this again. The important compounds in this family are those that can be very helpful to you for many reasons. The Brassica family consists of broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabe, bok choy, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, among others.

Every food has something in it that might not be good for someone, especially when eaten in excess. The same holds true for Brassica foods. But they hold many protective qualities for you, and for those reasons should have a place on your plate.

Brassicas are high in a sulfur compound called sulforaphane. Many have touted this as what makes it harmful to the thyroid, but it also has many attributes to it that deserve your consideration before you completely dismiss it. Sulforaphane is extremely beneficial to the liver, and during its detoxification, it promotes the production of glutathione. Glutathione is one of the most potent anti-oxidants in your body.  It helps you to stay safe while it scavenges for free radicals and keeps them from taking over. This makes it highly protective to you from cancer cells.

Broccoli sprouts have the highest level of sulforaphanes in the broccoli family. They have been studied extensively in their role in helping to reduce the expression of cancer, especially in breast, prostate, and other hormone-related cancers. Sulforaphanes keep the reproductive hormones in a safe realm.

Certain forms of estrogen get converted into harmful metabolic by-products. The Brassicas help to decrease the harmful metabolic by-products of these estrogens. They help to go towards a more protective estrogen that helps fight against cancer.

So, you can see that there are good reasons for including Brassicas in your diet: hormone balance, extra anti-oxidants, and protection against cancer.

With all these wonderful benefits, what could the downside possibly be? There is an enzyme that causes your body to convert the sulforaphanes into isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates inhibit the enzyme thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO helps make the thyroid hormone, so that you could potentially be hypo-thyroid. However, this is when you consume very large amounts of Brassica foods. There are those that eat large amounts because they are hyper-thyroid and want to reduce their TPO.

The good news is that there have been studies done with both rats and humans that show when you add extra iodine, you don’t become hypo-thyroid. The thyroid peroxidase is iodine-dependent – more iodine helps your body to use the TPO.  Drinking a quart of kale juice is too much if you are hypo-thyroid. If you eat a little kale, the iodine in a little kelp will help.

You also want to make sure you get enough iron-containing foods. Excessive sulfur lowers iron and copper, resulting in anemia along with the low thyroid function. So make sure you eat enough iodine and iron foods, such as sea vegetables and micro-algae.

There are three ways you can eat your Brassicas without having their counter-productive expressions:

1. Lightly steamed – this will decrease the availability of isothiocyanates, as well as the sulforaphanes, so don’t overcook them.
2. Add iodine – add a sprinkle of kelp, dulse, or any other sea vegetable to get your iodine and iron.
3. Fermentation – this deactivates the effects of the isothiocyanates while keeping the sulfur content high.

The best thing to remember, though, is that everybody is unique. Follow what’s been true for you.  Experiment with smaller amounts of Brassicas and add iodine and iron. Your body is the real answer to what is right for you.

To help you learn more as you experiment, there are many VITAL Healing Kitchen shows and topics that review this topic and show you great recipes at the same time. There was done just this last week that even included a recipe for a Cauliflower Rice Pudding. Yum! They are all available within our VITAL Community.  Come join the rest of the group and have fun!

http://drritamarie.com/blog/2014/10/01/how-you-can-include-brassicas-in-your-diet-and-not-harm-your-thyroid/

Deliciously Nutritious Arame Carrot Salad Recipe

Sea vegetables, what you probably call seaweed, have been used for thousands of years for their ability to prolong life, prevent disease, and give beauty and health to help you have a long and happy life.
Eating seaweed should come naturally to us.  Our body began its development in a saline solution while we were in the womb, and while there we were nourished with blood that has almost the same composition as sea water.

Seaweeds are classified by their colors: reds, browns, greens, blue-greens, and yellow-greens.  The color is related to the light that is available to them for photosynthesis.  The environment they grow in plays a part in the nutrition they offer us.

These sea vegetables contain ten to twenty times the minerals of many plants that are grown on land, as well as a wealth of vitamins and other trace elements that are necessary for our metabolism.  This is why they are revered not only for food, but for their medicinal qualities as well.  Some of these plants are known to remove radioactive and toxic metal wastes, as well.

This particular recipe is one of my favorite, which is why I’m very excited to share it with you.  I have many sea vegetable recipes to choose from for you to experiment with in my book, Greens from the Sea.
The seaweed in this recipe is called arame.  Arame can be very cooling, so it’s nice for those warmer days.  It also has a mildly sweet  flavor.  Another reason I’m excited to share it with you is that arame is known to soften areas in the body that have become hardened, thereby benefiting the thyroid.

Arame is one of the richest sources of iodine.  It is also highly concentrated in iron and calcium; excellent for relieving high blood pressure; helps to build bones and teeth; it helps with mouth afflictions; and relieves menopausal symptoms.  If you enjoy my thyroid elixir, you can consider adding arame to it since it has been known to promote the growth of glossy hair and prevent its loss.  Arame also can help you to have a clear complexion and soft, wrinkle-free skin.

For these reasons and more, I encourage you to give this recipe a try.

Arame Carrot Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup arame sea vegetable
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1 bunch basil, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup water, from soaking arame
• 1 large or 2 small cucumbers, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrot, shredded (omit if they spike your blood sugar or replace with daikon)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

 

Directions:

1. Soak arame for at least 10 minutes in enough water to cover, until it softens.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, basil, and cilantro.
3. Juice lemon and lime.
4. Drain arame.
5. Combine lemon and lime juice with chopped garlic, ginger, cilantro, and basil, olive or sesame oil, and enough soak water from the arame to make a salad dressing consistency.
6. Toss dressing over arame, sliced cucumbers, and shredded carrots. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Serve as a side salad or over a bed of lettuce.

Get to know these wonderful friends from the sea. You will soon find yourself including them as a regular part of your diet when you discover how you feel when you eat them.  For more recipes, get a copy of my recipe book, Greens From the Sea

http://drritamarie.com/blog/2014/09/27/deliciously-nutritious-arame-carrot-salad-recipe/ 

Guggulu: An Herbal Preparation for Your Thyroid

You have often heard me speak about the benefits of taking the adaptogenic herb ashwagandha to help with your thyroid. But there is another herbal preparation that I have mentioned that doesn’t seem to get as much press – guggulu.

It has a name that sounds more like a dance step than the broad health-giving attributes it has.
Guggulu, often called guggul, also has a more popular name – bdellium. Guggulu is derived from the gummy residue liquid of a plant that is a myrrh relative. It is found in the dry desert areas of Northern India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Guggulu is similar to another Ayurvedic preparation – triphala. They are both considered tridoshic, meaning they are balancing to all three doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha. These doshas are the foundation of traditional Ayurveda. Pitta is the fiery dosha, and this is the one that guggulu stimulates, thus enhancing warmth, digestion, and the circulatory and reproductive processes. Guggulu also regulates vata (nerve force) and kapha (fluid aspects).

In Sanskrit, guggul means ‘one that protects against diseases.’ It is used to remove ‘ama,’ or toxic substances that are created from sluggish digestion and circulation, thus slowing metabolism. As part of this toxic removal, it is used for a wide range of ailments – everything from rheumatism and arthritis, to obesity. It also helps with sluggish liver, stimulates the libido, bronchial congestion, and skin diseases such as psoriasis and acne.

What does this have to do with the thyroid? In Ayurveda, the thyroid is related to ‘Agni’ or metabolic fire. It is considered to be responsible for all activity in the body. How quickly or slowly the life-energy flows through the body is dependent on the thyroid.

The rate of metabolism depends on how much Thyroxine is produced. When the ‘Agni’ is low, a person is hypothyroid, with its weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and brittle hair. But when the thyroid gland is over-active, you are hyperthyroid. The ‘Agni’ is high and you have a fast metabolism. This person is irritated, angry, has a low weight, diarrhea, and menstrual disturbances.

The guggulu resin removes toxins from the lymph system by kindling your digestive fire and speeding up your metabolic activity. But through this removal of toxins, it also balances thyroxine by decreasing any excess and increasing any deficient production. What this means is that it will normalize your T3 and T4 levels and help your body absorb iodine. Studies have also shown that the resin has a component called guggulsterones. They have anti-inflammatory properties that are similar to other non-steroidal drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Since supporting a normal inflammatory response helps support normal thyroid health, you can see the benefits of this valuable herbal preparation.

And if this isn’t enough, guggulu also has been reported to support normal blood sugar levels, healthy cholesterol, and weight!

So try guggulu, and then you can dance to the guggulu beat!

http://drritamarie.com/blog/2014/09/23/guggulu-an-herbal-preparation-for-your-thyroid/

Dr. Ritamarie’s Awesome Cherry Chocolate Macaroons

I recently was introduced by a friend to a company that has some good products, one of which is a cherry concentrate. My friend sent me a free bottle of it and invited me to try it. I thought, “No way; that will shoot my blood sugar through the roof.” But after looking at the research, I decided to give it a try.

I mixed 1 ounce of the cherry juice in 16 ounces of water and I tested my blood sugar every 10 minutes for a full 3 hours, just to be sure. My highest reading was 96!

I was thrilled because it tasted so good, and tart cherry juice has been shown to be more effective than non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for joint pain and arthritis.

Of course, my mind started racing with ways I could use the cherry juice to create some tasty and healthy recipes. This Cherry Chocolate Macaroon is one of my efforts, and my favorite, so far.

If you try it, share your results with pictures and comments.

You can get a free bottle of the Apothe-Cherry™ concentrate by using a coupon code the company supplied me when I ordered.

Go to http://www.mypuriumgift.com/ and use gift code drritamarie (all lower case). The gift card gives you $50 to use, and all you have to pay is shipping.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Organic Cherry Chocolate Macaroons 

Ingredients: 

• 1 heaping Tablespoon Artisana coconut butter 
• 2 teaspoons Apothe-Cherry™ concentrate 
• 1 Tablespoon hemp seeds 
• 2 teaspoons raw cacao powder or raw carob powder 

Directions: 

1. Mix together in a bowl until it’s a smooth consistency 
2. Form into balls or cookie shapes 
3. You can eat as is, or put them in the freezer to firm up 
4. Takes 2 minutes to make. Yum! 

Besides being delightful to the palate, there are a number of health components to this treat. Due to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid, the coconut butter can help prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases; support your immune system; support healthy metabolic function; improve digestion; support weight loss; and give you an immediate source of energy. It’s properties are antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, and antibacterial.

Hemp seeds are a source of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which is a fatty acid found in the oils of certain plants. 20% of the hemp seed is ALA. Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the effects of harmful fat and cholesterol accumulations. Using food high in alpha-linolenic acid also makes sense as a preventive measure for nearly everyone, since most people are severely deficient in it, even in the absence of circulatory problems.

Cacao has antioxidants, increases the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, and minerals such as magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese. Cacao also contains oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. If you have chronic pain or are sensitive to chocolate, consider substituting carob for the cacao.

The Apothe-Cherry™ is from a company called Purium. It is made from sour/tart cherries, which is a nutritionally dense food. They contain a wide variety of antioxidants and phyto-chemicals. I have a limited number of gift cards that allow you to get a couple of bottles for free. Click to order Apocathe-Cherry using gift code drritamarie – all lower case.

Other benefits of this cherry juice I thought you might be interested in are:

• Contains melatonin, which may help balance circadian rhythms for proper sleep 
• May support healthy joint function 
• Promotes healthy uric acid metabolism 
• Is a rich source of anti-oxidants 
• Can help prevent or even reverse premature aging 

You can also make these macaroons with ground almonds or pistachios instead of hemp seeds for different tastes. Another thing you could always try is to soak chia seeds in the cherry concentrate and water to really ramp up the cherry taste. The fun is in the experimenting.

http://drritamarie.com/blog/2014/09/19/dr-ritamaries-awesome-cherry-chocolate-macaroons/

SHINE the Light on Your Thyroid Questions to Learn the Answers

Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front part of your neck. The bony structure in front of your neck, commonly known as the Adam’s apple, in conjunction with the thyroid cartilage that forms it, is there to protect your thyroid gland. Your thyroid’s main job is to control the amount of oxygen utilized by each and every cell in your body. Thus, it controls your metabolic rate, i.e., the rate at which your body burns fuel.

If your thyroid gland is under-functioning, you burn fuel more slowly and often have difficulty with getting rid of excess body weight. People with overactive thyroid glands are usually thin and wiry with rapid heart rate and agitation.

Thyroid gland function is complex, and there is no need for you to become an expert in its physiology and biochemistry. It is important, however, for you to have a general understanding to enable you to best take care of this precious gland. Thyroid problems leave you feeling tired and unmotivated.

You can learn to assess yourself and balance your nutrition for better health.I was recently a part of the Hashimoto’s Institute’s telesummit, along with such other renowned guests as Andrea Nakayama, Dr. Alan Christianson, and Dr. Izabella Wentz. If you would like to learn more and have access to these experts, go to the Hashimoto’s Institute.

If you want to attend a live session and hear more informed experts on the HPAT axis, such as Dr. Tom O’Bryan and Deanna Minich, the SHINE conference I am sponsoring will allow you to not only listen to them in person, but ask them your questions to get in-depth answers. Get the details at SHINE Conference.

There is a light ahead that will illuminate answers for you – let’s SHINE on it.

http://drritamarie.com/blog/2014/09/22/shine-the-light-on-your-thyroid-questions-to-learn-the-answers/