By now you’re probably getting tired of seeing the word “soy.” Maybe you’ve heard enough about it and want to move on. I hear you, but I have one more conversation to have about soy.
Freeing Yourself From Soy
Soy is a big business. Not only is it found in almost every prepackaged food, but you also find it in most personal care products. Soy is another area in which I am a little, “nuts.” You can find soy not only in foods, but in cosmetics, lotions, soaps, and other personal care products.
When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I cleaned out my cosmetics cabinet (which didn’t take long), and after reading the labels to my cleansers and shampoo, I tossed them as well. Three years ago, I found it difficult to find products that didn’t have soy in them. In addition to that I wanted products that were free from all chemicals. The result was I ended up making my own products. That’s right from shampoo and conditioner, to face cleanser and moisturizers, to body lotions and toothpaste.
When I look at toothpaste, I’m looking at the fluoride. If you remember in my blog Heavy Metals and Hashimoto’s, I discussed the effect of fluoride on the thyroid. Because of the poisonous nature of too much fluoride, I’ve eliminated it from my personal care arsenal. Now I use Coconut oil and activated charcoal or baking soda, cornstarch, almond oil, herbs, or essential oils depending on my need.
You don’t have to make your own products to enjoy soy free personal care. Today I have found a few companies that offer soy free products. I haven’t used their products, but they are soy free and have a good reputation. You may find what you need with Ann Marie Gianni Skin Care. You can also check out Acure Organics. They come highly recommended as well. I still make my own products. I’ve come to find it is the most economical for me and what I make works so I will continue to make my health care products. I know it’s not for everyone, but it works for me.
Dr. Wentz’s Take on Soy Free
Cosmetics
I’ve never been someone who focused on cosmetics so I’m probably not the one to speak to cosmetics in general. I read a blog a few years ago while researching Hashimoto’s that may interest those of you who are interested in soy-free cosmetics. Are You Sacrificing Your Health for External Beauty, is a blog posted by Dr. Izabella Wentz, June 6, 2016.Dr Wentz is the Thyroid Pharmacist and a woman who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. She is the author of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause.I have been reading and following Dr. Wentz’s work for years now. I find her work informative and it has been of great help to me in learning about Hashimoto’s.
Living with Hashimoto’s can be challenging. Eliminating soy from your lifestyle can be exhausting if you let it be. I hope some of the information in this post will help you as you move closer to soy-free living and will inspire you to share your knowledge with others.
The soy debate continues. Some people believe it is a major contributor in thyroid disease, while others think it’s healthy if it’s organic. If you have thyroid disease the one thing you need to remember about soy, is that it’s a goitrogen. That means it causes a reaction in the thyroid that produces goiters. Read more on thyroid and goitrogens in my blog 31 Foods Containing Soy. Organic soy is a goitrogen, so it still affects the thyroid the same way Genetically modified soy does.
Sneaky
Soy
In my last blog 31 Foods Containing Soy, I exposed foods that contain soy. You may find it difficult to remove it from your diet. You will find soy in almost every processed food. Look at the labels. Some manufacturers add soy to their product and list it on the ingredients under a “stealth” name. Some of these alternatives are:
Soy lecithin
Bean curd
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Soy milk
Soy sauce
Soybeans
Vitamin E/tocopherol
Glycerin
Bulking agents
Thickeners
Hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein
Guar Gum
And mor
Keep these in mind when you are purchasing any packaged foods. That includes vegan products. Because of the effect of soy on my thyroid, I have opted to eliminate it from my diet. I try to purchase only food products from nature (no processing). That includes organic range free beef and chicken, and organic fruits and vegetables.
I Was
Afraid to Eat Anything I didn’t Prepare Myself
You may think I’m crazy; a neurotic, who has gone over the edge.
I will admit, in the beginning I was a little crazy. I was afraid to eat
anything that I didn’t prepare myself. But three years later I have learned a
lot. Initially, I thought I couldn’t eat broccoli, kale, or cabbage. I know
better now. I didn’t want to go out to a restaurant because I was afraid to eat
what was on the menu. Today there are many restaurants that cater to food
sensitivities. I may have been a little more cautious because my food
sensitivity, which affected my thyroid, also prompted migraines; something I
have fought with for years. I will discuss my development in the area of food in
future blogs. I will also discuss migraine and how that fit into my Hashimoto’s
diagnosis.
One thing I want to share relative to my change in diet, is that
I feel a thousand times better than I did before my diagnosis.
Dietary
Substitutions
Over the last three years I learned to cook without flour, milk,
eggs, and butter. You may think it impossible, but it isn’t. Two years ago, I
prepared a complete Thanksgiving dinner without any of those ingredients just
mentioned. The surprising thing about the meal is no one knew it until after we
ate. Then I told them. They were all surprised.
I substitute flour for a gluten free flour mix. I mix my own
because I haven’t found a packaged gluten free flour that doesn’t have xanthan
gum in it. When I need to use milk, I use coconut milk. Yogurt or sour cream is
substituted with coconut yogurt. I use chia seeds in place of eggs. It can be
done, you need to do your homework though and experiment…a lot.
I eat more salads now than I ever did before being diagnosed
with Hashimoto’s. I mention the salads because they can be boring. Most people
won’t eat a salad without dressing. Salad dressings are the biggest culprit
when it comes to soy. It’s nearly impossible to find a salad dressing that doesn’t
include it. Because of this fact, I make my own. I use red wine vinegar, apple
cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut yogurt, and herbs
and spices. Use your imagination. It’s fun to create new recipes. I find it
challenging to make something work, even food. I will be sharing some recipes
in future blogs for anyone who would like to experiment.
Hashimoto’s
and Protein
One of the challenges with Hashimoto’s is protein. When I was first diagnoised, I was told I should eat 25 grams of protein for breakfast. I found it challenging to find a protein powder that didn’t contain soy, dairy or gluten. I ended up using Hemp protein which was free from soy, dairy, and gluten. For months I would start my morning with the same shake; coconut milk, hemp protein, chia seeds, mixed berries, and a banana. I changed out the berries from time to time. Today there are more protein options, such as Rootcology. I’m sure each part of the country has different options. Be sure to read the label before purchasing a protein powder. Many sneak that soy into the product, sometimes under an alternate name (see 31 Foods Containing Soy).
Everything
Changes with a Hashimoto’s Diagnosis
When you are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s everything changes. Your
diet is the first thing that should change. If you haven’t changed your diet,
you should. I’m not one for telling people what to do, and that isn’t my
intention here, but I suggest highly you change your diet because you will feel
like a new person. You will lose weight, be more focused, your skin, hair, and
nails will become resilient, and the pain you have been living with will be
reduced significantly, if not eliminated completely. Your mood will improve,
and you will see your life through a new point of view. I only share what I say
in this post because I want every person with Hashimoto’s to have the
information, they need to be a whole person again. I wish you all good thyroid
health so you can enjoy living again.