Paleo thyroid cure
Women lose 25 lbs in 30 days on the doctor-prescribed plan that works like thyroid meds!
Brittany Williams’ daughter Avey was just 4 when she was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and prescribed an antiinflammatory diet as part of her treatment. “Our family of five all went on the diet to support her,” says Brittany, who created wheat- and dairy-free versions of favorites like spaghetti and tacos. Little Avey improved. But Brittany, who’d battled a slow thyroid since she was a teenager, suffered her own health complication: She developed a tremor in her hand. The cause? Her new way of eating, a version of the Paleo Diet, “had made my thyroid work so well, the doctor said my thyroid medication was too much. It was making my hands shake!” Brittany’s doctor took her off the meds— and she went on to lose 125 pounds. Terry Wahls, M.D., isn’t surprised— he says thyroids love Paleo
When Italian scientists recently put patients with sluggish thyroids on a Paleo-style plan, the study subjects lost 5% of their body weight in just 21 days and saw a 44% drop in dangerous blood compounds that trigger and worsen thyroid disease. Like Brittany, these folks are proof that eating foods similar to those hunted and gathered during the Paleolithic Era—including nonstarchy veggies, sweet potatoes, fruit, nuts, seeds and high-quality protein— can powerfully heal a sluggish thyroid gland.
Scientifically proven!
One big advantage of the Paleo approach to eating is that it eliminates “highly inflammatory foods like sugar, processed junk, gluten, soy and dairy. That’s
key, since the thyroid is very sensitive to inflammation,” explains David Brownstein,
M.D., author of Overcoming Thyroid Disorders. In fact, a Swedish team found that Paleo reduces inflammation faster than even the ultrahealthy Mediterranean diet. Separate findings show that the less inflammation we have in our bodies, the more thyroid hormone is produced. “The thyroid establishes how fast metabolism works, so the healthier it is, the easier weight loss becomes,” notes Dr. Wahls, who regularly prescribes a Paleo-style approach and has seen patients drop up to 200 pounds.
There’s more. Experts say that when we go Paleo, our overall nutrient intake soars by as much as 1,000%. That means we get hefty doses of thyroid boosters like “selenium, iodine, zinc, vitamin C and the antioxidant glutathione,” Dr. Brownstein notes. “They’re crucial to healthy thyroid function.”
Bonus: As the Paleo foods flood the body with nutrients, they trigger hormonal shifts that dramatically dial down appetite— which is why research shows that Paleo dieters can enjoy unlimited portions and yet still automatically consume 400 fewer calories a day. Says Dr. Wahls: “Women come to me saying the weight is melting away!”
Real-world easy!
“When I first started this diet, I was ‘stress cheating’ after the kids went to bed,” admits Brittany. “But after explaining to Avey that we were eating things that made us feel good and strong— something clicked. I wanted to be 100% for her.” Brittany knew the drive-thru was her weakness, so she challenged herself to make dinner in her Instant Pot— a trendy multifunctional pressure cooker— every night for a year. “You can make meals that are better and faster than fast food, which I needed in order to succeed.” She dropped 46 pounds over the next 90 days and started blogging about her experience. Brittany was soon an impressive 10 sizes smaller and inspiring other women, like Kacy Kinsey, 46, an Oklahoma mom struggling with a slow thyroid, exhaustion and stubborn weight gain. “I went to Brittany’s site looking for Instant Pot recipes, and I loved how she made healthy eating sound so doable,” Kacy shares. “Other diets felt impossible to stick with, so I was shocked that this way of eating made me feel great so quickly. I went from barely being able to get myself out of bed to up at 5 am and full of energy.” Kacy shed a quick 66 pounds without counting calories and feels totally transformed. Bonus: Her husband lost 50 pounds, too. “I tell everyone to try it. I think you’ll be amazed!”