This is a condensed form
of the diet recommended by Dr. Ray Peat
PHD PHYSIOLOGIST – ENDOCRINOLOGIST—RESEARCH BIOCHEMIST WITH
OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING
NUTRITIONAL PLAN FOR OPTIMUM THYROID FUNCTION
1. ALWAYS combine a protein, fruit, fat and fiber (raw carrot/bamboo shoots) at meals & plenty of salt.
2. TRY TO ONLY EAT ORGANIC FOOD AS PESTICIDES AND HORMONE RESIDUES CAN
SUPPRESS THYROID FUNCTION AND INTERFERE WITH HEALTHY CELLULAR PROCESSES!
Primary Protein Sources
75-150 grams daily depending on your body weight
and nutritional needs
EGGS- MILK- CHEESE- (no yogurt—lactic acid suppresses liver function. The liver is important for clearing thyroid suppressive hormones): 1 egg contains 6-8 grams protein; 8oz milk contains 8 grams protein; 1oz cheddar cheese contains approx 8 grams protein. Whole milk contains more nutrients than low fat or non fat but if weight loss is something that you desire then low fat is OK. Never drink non-fat milk. Raw milk is of course best but otherwise pasteurized is better than homogenized and homogenized is better than none!
SHELLFISH-OYSTERS-MUSSELS-CLAMS-PRAWNS 1-2 x / week (Rich sources of thyroid supportive minerals not found in terrestrial foods). Shellfish are not high in heavy metals contrary to popular opinion as they are lower on the food chain but tuna, shark, swordfish and larger fish higher up on the food chain contain much higher levels of heavy metals and thyroid toxic fish oils.
BEEF-LAMB-WILD MEAT-ELK-BUFFALO-VENISON ETC----Grass fed Organic is best of course. Always try to eat some gelatin rich broth/gravy with the meats to improve the balance of amino acids
SHANK MEAT, OXTAIL AND KNUCKLE BONES ARE RICH SOURCES OF GELATIN:
BOILED SHANK or OXTAIL or WHOLE CHICKEN: ---COVER WITH WATER, BOIL 3 HOURS or until meat comes off the bone easily, LET BROTH COOL, REMOVE FAT ON TOP (if chicken then you must be sure to remove the fat=PUFA—see below, if beef/lamb/or other ruminant then remove fat as needed to avoid calories or keep the fat to increase calories) Use at least 1-3 cups of broth 2X weekly. You can add the bone broth to meat drippings and boil down to make gravy if desired or use as base for other soups. This bone broth is especially nutritive and healing to the intestines because of the gelatin and helps to keep the amino acids from meat balanced and supportive.
LIVER cooked with plenty of BUTTER and or COCONUT OIL AND SALT (add seasonings as desired). You are trying to obtain approx 4oz liver/ wk. Venison and wild game liver are my favorite otherwise Mary’s organic chicken liver or Buffalo liver are my choices from the store. (I prefer the buffalo liver lightly cooked and the chicken liver well cooked) The liver does not store the majority of toxins contrary to popular opinion. Mammals store toxins in the fat so if eating beef or lamb fat you should make sure that it is grassfed organic red meat.
Depending on lifestyle, exercise and calorie/energy requirements, try not to eat more than 4-6oz meat/day. Supplement your daily protein with additional proteins such as milk, eggs, cheese and shellfish. 4oz meat/shellfish/liver/chicken/fish, etc contains approx 25-30 grams protein}{1 tablespoon powdered gelatin contains 12 grams protein which will set 1 cup water, so 1 cup of broth contains approx 10-15 grams protein.
FRUIT
contains some protein
natures best source of carbohydrates
Fruit must be very ripe and soft and easily digestible. Carbohydrates from fruits should comprise 30-50% of your calories at each meal. Orange juice counts towards this daily sugar total (min. requirements: from 180-270 grams sugars/day)
FRESH TANGERINES-ORANGES–MANDARINS- CLEMENTINES –less GRAPEFRUITS as they are thyroid suppressors - SOFT RIPE STONE FRUITS-CHERRIES-APRICOTS-PLUMS-NECTARINES-PEACHES, ETC, CANNED LOGANBERRIES AND LYCHEES are OK.
JUICY RIPE PEARS, RIPE WATERMELONS AND THEIR JUICE. OTHER MELONS ONLY IF RIPE AND DON’T CAUSE GAS. MELONS GROUND UP IN A BLENDER ARE EASIER ON THE DIGESTION. South AMERICAN FRUITS LIKE CHERIMOYAS, SAPOTESOURSOP, and GUAVAS are good - ONLY WELL COOKED APPLES AND COOKED BANANAS/ and cooked PEARS if they are not soft & juicy. WINTER FRUITS LIKE PERSIMMONS (SWEET AND RIPE ONLY), PINEAPPLE, PAPAYA, MANGO AND KIWI, all must be sweet, ripe, soft and juicy.
ORANGE JUICE (freshly squeezed from sweet, ripe oranges is best) ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR THYROID HEALTH. Drink 1-2 quarts orange juice daily, occasionally grape juice is OK too as long as it is drunk with some fatty foods to slow the absorption of the sugars. For example, full fat cheese, like triple cream brie or other full fat (not low fat) cheese. Make sure to only drink natural, pulp free OJ as pulp is being genetically modified to stay suspended in the juice. Avoid all enriched OJ’s as the forms of calcium and Vit D they use to fortify are toxic. One 8oz glass of OJ contains 25 grams of sugars and about 2-3 g of protein.
OTHER DRINKS
MILK (1-2 quarts milk daily is especially good for thyroid health), otherwise supplement of homemade eggshell powder is necessary for proper thyroid support.
COFFEE AND OR TEA are best served with added heavy cream and white granular suger, and/or coconut oil. These added calories help your body respond well to the caffeine and prevent "overdrive". WATER ONLY WHEN THIRSTY. TOO MUCH WATER WHEN NOT THIRSTY OR NOT EXPIRING CAN DILUTE YOUR MINERAL BALANCE AND UPSET YOUR THYROID AND ADRENAL HORMONE BALANCE.
HONEY / SUGAR / SWEETENERS
Raw honey is nature’s best sweetener. Local honey is most supportive to your immune system. Honey can count towards your 30-50% of calories as carbohydrates. Sugar from the honey is thyroid supportive, it helps your liver’s metabolism and clearance of thyroid suppressive hormones and provides sugars that do not feed harmful bacteria and parasites in your intestines. White sugar is the 2nd best sweetener to use. It is not bleached, contrary to popular opinion, but filtered to remove the burnt caramelized portion of the sugar (the brown molasses portion). Any carbohydrate that is caramelized/burnt/browned is carcinogenic (e.g. burnt toast, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc.) and also more allergenic due to the caramelization process. So if you can suck on sugar cane, that is better than white sugar, but if not, then white sugar is the safest sweetener out of all the sweeteners except raw honey. Agave nectar contains caramelized sugars, most other syrups do as well.
FATS
COCONUT OIL - eat 2-3 Tablespoons daily. BUTTER (in large quantities if weight gain is desired, otherwise eat coconut oil in large quantities if weight loss is desired)
OLIVE OIL if desired and in SMALL QUANTITIES (NO MORE THAN 1 TBLS/DAY, olive oil contains 10% PUFA’s—see below)
BENEFICIAL FIBERS
RAW CARROT SALADS / BAMBOO SHOOTS RAW GRATED CARROT SALAD WITH COCONUT OIL (WITH LEMON/LIME JUICE or with VINEGAR, which is BETTER FOR A FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY—common problem in thyroid disease as immunity is depressed) OR just munch on raw carrots AND/OR BAMBOO SHOOTS DAILY. EAT AT LEAST 1-2 LARGE RAW CARROTS DAILY OR ó-1 can BAMBOO SHOOTS DAILY (rinse and soak shoots before eating-check label to avoid brands with added citric acid---see below)
VEGETABLES
All should be well cooked—make sure to drink the liquid the veggies are cooked in as this will contain a lot of the minerals!
Vegetables are only OK IF THEY ARE WELL COOKED AND SOFT AND WELL DIGESTED AND DON’T CAUSE GAS – COOKED SNOW/SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND COOKED GREEN BEANS (only eat occasionally as all beans/peas are thyroid suppressors)
COOKED ROOT VEGGIES (only eat occasionally as ALL starches are hard on the digestion, do not promote thyroid health and feed harmful bacteria and parasites) but ONLY EVER EAT WELL COOKED AND ALWAYS WITH BUTTER AND/OR MILK AND/OR COCONUT OIL TO HELP WITH THE DIGESTION OF THE STARCHES (saturated fats such as butter and coconut oil inhibit bacterial growth). POTATOES (do contain some protein as well, 8oz potatoes contain 8 grams protein),-BEETS,-CARROTS,-TURNIPS,-RUTABAGA,-PARSNIPS BRASSICA VEGGIES: SHOULD BE WELL COOKED ONLY. (only eat occasionally as all brassica family vegetables are thyroid suppressors:
-BRUSSEL SPROUTS, -CABBAGE, -CAULIFLOWER, -BROCCOLI, -KALE
FRESH SWEET CORN THAT IS SWEET AND TENDER AND NOT TURNED REALLY STARCHY.(only eat in the summer months when corn is fresh and sweet)
SMALL SUMMER SQUASH THAT HAVEN’T FORMED MUCH STARCH -- WELL COOKED – zucchini etc (only eat in moderation as a condiment to your main meal)
OTHER VEGETABLES ARE OK IN SMALL QUANTITIES/condiments
MINERAL RICH GREEN BROTH for minerals: Boil 1lb green leaves (kale, collards or other green leaves, fresh or dried nettles are best as they are NOT thyroid suppressive like the kale, collards etc are), with just enough water to cover and boil for 20-30 minutes. Strain leaves and discard, drink 1-2oz/day of the broth for Calcium, Magnesium, Vit K and many other beneficial minerals. Please be sure to only cook in enamel or glass cookware or the magnetic type of stainless steel to avoid the leaching of heavy metals from such cookware as cast iron, nonmagnetic stainless steel (leaches nickel) or aluminum—the various heavy metals that leach from these cookwares adversely affect thyroid and other organs functions even in very small quantities! (This applies to the cooking of all foods, not just mineral rich green broth!)
AVOID AVOID AVOID
Most importantly you are trying to AVOID ALL POLY-UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA’S) that are potent thyroid suppressors as well as OTHER compounds that suppress liver, immune system and digestive health.
AVOID PORK-CHICKEN-TURKEY (THEY ARE FED SOY & CORN AND THEIR FAT CONTAINS HIGH LEVELS OF PUFAS, SO IF YOU HAVE TO EAT THESE MEATS, THEN DO NOT EAT THE FAT/SKIN)
AVOID FISH EXCEPT SMALL WHITE FISH BUT MUST DISCARD SKIN (LARGE FISH CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY-suppressed the thyroid- AND ALL FISH SKIN CONTAINS PUFAS).
AVOID ALL GRAINS: whole grains contain PUFA’s - FRUIT IS A BETTER SOURCE OF
CARBOHYDRATES THAN GRAINS especially in thyroid disease.
AVOID ALL NUTS AND ALL SEEDS, PEANUT BUTTER, AND ALL BEANS/PEAS (EXCEPT FRESH PEAS AS NOTED ABOVE) (THEY CONTAIN THYROID SUPPRESSIVE PUFAS & OILS AND OTHER THYROID SUPPRESSIVE COMPOUNDS AND MOST BE AVOIDED BY THOSE WITH LOW THYROID FUNCTION AS DIAGNOSED BY SYMPTOMS, TEMPERATURES AND PULSES, BLOOD TESTS ETC.)
AVOID VEGETABLE OILS=PUFAS: SUNFLOWER - SAFFLOWER - CANOLA - CORN – SOYCOTTONSEED - PEANUT - HEMP - FLAX - PALM - SESAME - VEGETABLE AND FISH OILS. (—ONLY EAT COCONUT- BUTTER & only a little OLIVE OIL—no more than 1tbls/day) AVOID POTATO CHIPS AND CORN CHIPS AND CAKES/PASTRIES AND CORN SYRUP AND PROCESSED FOODS, AS THESE ARE FRIED/COOKED/CONTAIN PUFAS. (YOU COULD MAKE YOUR OWN OVEN FRENCH FRIES AT HOME IF FRIED IN expeller pressed COCONUT OIL) AVOID PROCESSED FOODS LIKE SODAS WITH HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PRE-PREPARED FOODS IN RESTAURANTS, DELIS ETC. ALL THESE FOODS ARE MOST LIKELY TO CONTAIN HARMFUL SUBSTANCES. EAT WHOLE UNPROCESSED FOODS ALWAYS!
AVOID NOODLES, PASTA, BREAD, MUFFINS, BISCUITS ETC. EAT SPARINGLY- LETTUCE GREEN SALADS, IT IS BETTER IF GREENS ARE COOKED (see above)
AVOID blueberries as the tiny seeds are intestinal irritants, instead eat locally ripe raspberries and blackberries
AVOID cheese made with microbial or natural enzymes, vegetable rennet or enzymes, eat only cheese made with
ANIMAL rennet (cultures are OK), check labels of hard cheeses (Italian Parmesan is usually made with animal rennet but check to be sure), Nancy’s cottage cheese and cream cheese is made with cultures and no rennet but you will need to rinse Nancy’s cottage cheese before eating as the lactic acid content is very high.
AVOID dairy products and other products with carrageenan, carob bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, agar agar, and other thickeners such as starch (corn, potato, wheat, rice starch etc). Check half and half, cream, ice cream and all products to avoid these contaminants.
AVOID all products that contain citric acid. Read labels carefully as LOTS of products contain citric acid and it is very allergenic and NOT supposed to be in our food. Natural citric acid from citrus fruits is tolerated well by the body but synthetic citric acid that they use in foods is very harmful and toxic. Commonly found foods that are contaminated with citric acid: fruit candies, bamboo shoots, carbonated and other bottled/canned drinks, prepared desserts, meals and other processed foods.
AVOID processed meat products as these could contain harmful meat glue (but not listed as an ingredient!) but also harmful preservatives such as sodium nitrates, nitrites and other harmful additives.