Caffeine & Hypos

[dmcoluccio]

If you have Hypothyroidism or believe you may have, caffeine is a big no no! It causes insulin resistance. I spent the weekend reading Mary Shomom's book Living Well With Hypothyroidism. It's a must read! She also doesn't recommend the Atkins diet but, recommends the South Beach Diet. I am definitely switching over! I am not having an results with Atkins or working out. South Beach is so much more heathy for your system and heart and combats insulin resistance. I'm having all my bloodwork done tomorrow so, I may learn more what's stalling the weight loss. I hope this helps many of you out there and please read these books. I wish I had discovered these years ago!! Have a great day! :wave:

[atmasters]

I have never realy looked into the South Beach diet. I herd it is the same as Atkins. Are they not bolth Low Carb diets ?

[Rosebud]

South Beach is so much more heathy for your system and heart and combats insulin resistance.
You are welcome to your opinion, but I'd just like to mention that there is absolutely no scientific proof of this. ;)

Dr Agatson, the author of the South Beach Diet, makes some statements in his book about saturated fats, but fails to provide any data to support his claims. If you check the research sections here, you will see that saturated fats are actually helpful, not harmful.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with South beach, in fact it sounds like a useful, healthy plan. I just hate to see it written that Atkins is unhealthy.

I wish you much success, whichever you choose. :)

Rosebud:rose:

[dmcoluccio]

I didn't say Atkins is unhealthy, I just said South Beach was a more healthy approach to heart heath and to combat insulin resistance, which I fear I have. There hasn't been much reseach on South Beach because it is still fairly new. Consumer Reports just came out with their findings last week on the top rated diets and Atkins came in last of the top 5. They are doing their own research on South Beach because their isn't much study on it. You can go on ConsumerReorts.org and read it yourself. I didn't come here to bad mouth Atkins. I loved the diet but, this time around it just isn't working for me. I just wanted to share my info with the Hypothyroid group here. It's an important issue to us.

Atmasters - it's a bit different as it incorporates a little more GOOD carbs and ONLY good fats. It is still fairly low carb. Each meal is balanced to combat insulin resistance and to process carbs at the slowest rate. Each meal keeps you full longer. It works for overall heart health and I really need to focus on my health because my dad died at 49 from heart disease so, I'm at higher risk. I never looked into South Beach or know what it was about until I read my Hypothyroid book. It's a good read. I learned a lot. You should check it out. I actually learned more about foods than Atkins book, which could be beneficial to your diet. Take Care, Deanna

[dmcoluccio]

Opps, I forgot one point. One thing the South Beach Diet book taught me about (which I have comfirmed with my cardiologist) was Partially Hydrogenated oils. They are very dangerous to our bodies. They are not mentioned in Atkins book (unless I missed it) and he actually encourages eating foods with with it present. I'm sure I will take some knowledge from each diet to custom a diet that will work for me but, I will leave the Hydrogenated oils out. It was just on the news recently that they are trying to ban putting those oils in any of our foods. I cleaned out my frig and pantry today and couldn't believe all the items with those oils in them. A lot of it were things my kids eat! I threw it all out :rheart: ...Deanna

[Rosebud]

Opps, I forgot one point. One thing the South Beach Diet book taught me about (which I have comfirmed with my cardiologist) was Partially Hydrogenated oils. They are very dangerous to our bodies. They are not mentioned in Atkins book (unless I missed it) and he actually encourages eating foods with with it present. I'm sure I will take some knowledge from each diet to custom a diet that will work for me but, I will leave the Hydrogenated oils out. It was just on the news recently that they are trying to ban putting those oils in any of our foods. I cleaned out my frig and pantry today and couldn't believe all the items with those oils in them. A lot of it were things my kids eat! I threw it all out :rheart: ...Deanna
You might want to go back and read DANDR again. Dr Atkins strongly advised against the use of trans fats. :exclm:

Rosebud:rose:

[atmasters]

Thanks for the info dmcoluccio please let me know how you do on your new way of eating. I am sure you will most likely combine the two diets like you said. You might just come across a great way to break a stall. I hope you do leave the forum it is great to here from you. :wave:

[MoseyMan]

Lots of so called "healthy" oils turn to transfats when heated. Olive and coconut oil do not as readily.

Obesity became a big issue when vegetable and soy oils were introduced as being 'healthy' and the public was scared away from animal fats (meat and butter) and told to eat margerine and vegetable oils. It has been pretty well documented that saturated fats are good for you and make the body lean.
Vegetable and soy oils are used to fatten animals for meat because of the effect they have on the thyroid. (I've read a lot of the studies done by ranchers beefing up their animals.)

[dmcoluccio]

Thanks Rosebud. I think I will get refreshed on the book. It's been about 5 months. You know a lot more than me. Any hoot, I have gone down a pound just 1 day on the diet. It's been over a month since I've seen the scale go down. Maybe I've found something that will work for me. I'm excited to see my doc today. I have a list of tests I'd like him to run since we are running my bloodwork for Hypo anyway. I'm praying that there isn't anything that is hindering my weight loss efforts. I will keep you all posted, Deanna :wave:

[huxster]

Hi DmColuccio ,

I was wondering if you could provide more information on coffee being bad for hypos. I do recall hearing about a study that indicated coffee raised insulin levels, but then I also heard that people who drink coffee are less likely to get diabetes ... Perhaps coffee is not bad unless a person has insulin resistance, otherwise it should lower blood sugar because higher insulin would drive it down ...? I'm confused now!!! Did she go into any depth on this topic?

Thanks, Anne

[Lessara]

It was reported by ADA that coffee makes the body more insilin resistance. I read it on their website. Wish I had the link...

[Faust]

She also doesn't recommend the Atkins diet but, recommends the South Beach Diet.

IAC, Mary Shomon now has her own diet book out:
The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060524448/qid=1122314612/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-8714958-1544045?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ... and I was -- unfortunately -- as unimpressed with this book as I was with impressed with Living Well With Hypothyroidism. She seems to have come down with a rampaging case of New Ageism, and in this books makes startling claims about meditating to blue chakras, how breathing out of one nostril and than another will cure all sorts of ailments, a few other wacky things. If I have a chance tonight I'll post some of the more bizarre things she writes in this book, at least they looked so to me.

In sum, I think Living Well With Hypothyroidism is a matchless source for the layman (like me) who suffers from hypothyroidism, but I'm not sure she's anyone I'd give any weight to vis a vis attempting to lose weight.

My $.02, and doubtless worth every penny.

[huxster]

Hi Faust -
I love your avatar - so appropriate for a person whose hypothyroid. My doctor, who seems to be pretty with it as far as thyroid and adrenals, wasn't too impressed with her work. I mentioned some information I've gotten off her website and he sort of did the, oh - yeah, she likes to sell lots of books.

Nevertheless, if there is a thyroid related reason to give up my major vice - coffee, I will have to consider it! My doctor is not too pleased about my drinking coffee (hard on the adrenals), but I'm down to one cup a day. It does help me focus.

Anne

[wcollier]

My doctor, who seems to be pretty with it as far as thyroid and adrenals, wasn't too impressed with her work. I mentioned some information I've gotten off her website and he sort of did the, oh - yeah, she likes to sell lots of books.

Huh? More likely, she advocates for patients and doctors find it threatening.

[Faust]

Hi Faust -
I love your avatar - so appropriate for a person whose hypothyroid. My doctor, who seems to be pretty with it as far as thyroid and adrenals, wasn't too impressed with her work. I mentioned some information I've gotten off her website and he sort of did the, oh - yeah, she likes to sell lots of books.

Interesting. I thought I was the only one out there who is a bit skeptical of some of her advice. Perhaps it is that I can afford to be, as I've also been very lucky in that levothyroxine seems to give me everything I need. Like I said, though, I think she does an excellent job in describing the condition, the treatments, the symptoms and some of the problems people have getting a diagnosis. That she kind of goes overboard (particularly in the diet book) doesn't take away from that. I think using simple common sense can point out to most readers where she's going too far.

FWIW, I gave up caffeine when I restarted Atkins. I feel a lot better, after a three day headache. ;) Of course I also drank at least nine or ten cups a day. Kinda gross, but I've had a problem with rectal itching for years that also seems to have cleared up. Though that may be Atkins related, since I had it back when I was thin I'm kind of inclined to think its caffeine related, since I had done the 10+ cups a day thing for close to 20 years.

Oh, and I only went with "classic" Eeyore as my avatar b/c I couldn't find a Heffalump :p

[huxster]

Hey everyone,

I thought that I picked up that kind of vibe from my doc, but I wasn't sure how to interpret it. He is listed on top docs, that's how I found him. He has presented at the Broda Barnes conventions and seems to be highly regarded.I do believe that he is profoundly concerned about thyroid issues.

Who knows, maybe it's hard for some people to see others have success or maybe HE just doesn't find her work that useful. After all, he might not be able to appreciate the level at which she writes, which I assume is for the layperson. I've found lots of good info on her website.

Although I am somewhat concerned at this point (he has done no bloodwork) that he does not subscribe to the thyroid resistance theory, I would highly recommend him. During my first visit, he spent almost an hour and a half with me - much of that time painting a picture of the precursors to thryoid problems. I am very grateful to him for getting me from point A to point B, but now I need to move on and get to point C. Since anyone who suffers from this problem needs to get themselves educated one way or another, the time period I spent under his care was not wasted. I know more now and through talking to other people, I learn a bit more every time I visit here.

Take Care,
Anne

[burchets]

I think the best proof for something is to test the theory you're reading. I have had really bad blood sugar swings in the past. Sometimes my sugar was in the 50's and sometimes in the 200's. Now it is a stable 95 most of the time, unless I cheat and eat something I'm not supposed to and then I get a headache. I have been able to drink caffeine right along with no major blood sugar swings. I think caffeine can affect some sensitive individuals, but I haven't noticed any problems.

[dmcoluccio]

Hey guys. Sorry, I haven't been around in a while. I had no idea my old thread was being resonded to. Anyway, I received my bloodwork and nothing was wrong. I am not insulin resistant! Needless to say, I started back on caffeine because I just plain feel better drinking it. I'm very dissappointed in Mary Shomon and all the advice she gave in her two books. I followed her diet to the tee and in several months I had no change in my weight. So, the last 2 months I've been following Atkins and working out until I fall over! Finally, the weight is coming off. I just needed to push myself as far as I can go. I feel the key to losing weight while being hypo is working out consistantly. I know that's what you don't want to hear (those of you who currently don't work out). Believe me, I've spent the last year in a half trying everything to lose weight without having to work out. Nothing worked. I had to bite the bullet and make myself do it. Now I like it because I'm consistantly losing and feel so good. That's what keeps me going. Have a great day, Deanna :wave: