Hello Friends,
I have been on this crazy journey of healing my body and learning ALL about nutrition - even down to the nitty gritty macro & micro molecules. As a self professed Hashimoto Warrior & FIGHTER against Alopecia, nutrition is obviously going to be the one thing I have to get the dirt on.
In learning about healing my body, & bouncing back from this constant push and pull with these autoimmune diseases, I have learned that my body is sensitive to Gluten & Dairy!!! No more bread & NO more cheese! Seriously...whose sick joke was this?! As a precautionary, all soy, sugar, caffeine, & alcohol are out too! So this means no more enjoying sushi, the occasional cookie & tea, and not even a glass of wine! The HORROR!
So, it leaves one with the question - well what in the heck CAN I eat?! Meat of course! Lots and lots of meat! But not too much! Because 50% of your diet should be plant based! Both meat & vegetables have great sources of protein - which is so important to healing our bodies, especially if you like to workout like me!
But...what has the BEST source of protein? This question was one that I had been perplexed on. I've read study after study, article after article...and you know what I found - a lot of contradictions. There are those who argue 100% for meat, 100% for vegetables, and then there are those who are somewhere in the middle. So while this post isn't going to be scientific in any way possible - I am not a scientist - it is going to be my understanding of the whole protein debate, and the version I will be following for myself. DISCLAIMER: If you disagree with my views, then by all means you do you! I am not here to change your mind. I am here just to offer another view on things.
What is a protein? We learned this in school right? I won't bore you with the scientific jargon so to put it plainly; It is an organic compound that consists of one or more long chains of amino acids which is essential in our body for things like our muscles, hair, collagen, etc. It is also essential as an enzyme and antibodies.
Sounds pretty important right? So why haven't we really gotten down to what is more important? Meat protein or vegetable protein? I can say this...they are NOT equal. Gasp! Say What?! You heard right! Meat is the better choice when it comes to protein! It is what those in the scientific community like to call a "complete" source of protein because it has all of the essential amino acids. Vegetable sourced protein is "incomplete." So what does this mean? It means you can get more of the proteins you need from a single source of meat compared to having to consume a larger variety of vegetables.
Does this mean you should stock up on all meats and think of vegetables as secondary? Well...hold on...slow your roll there! That is definitely not what I am saying. Vegetables offer so much more than just protein, such as fiber, essential vitamins and minerals, and is low in calories in comparison to meat. What does all of this say to me? It says BALANCE! It says 50% vegetables, 30% protein, & 20% healthy fats. Or somewhere right in that ratio. The healthiest diet I have found comes from a ratio of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats.
Now, in those dealing with Hashimoto or any sort of autoimmunity like this, you will hear to go completely vegetarian and to receive your protein from plant based sources like soybeans and wheat, or to receive your proteins from dairy. However, this could not be further from the truth and can actually do more harm than good! Why? Let me break it down.
You want to stay as far away from soy as you possibly can. Soy has been linked as an inhibitor of T4 to T3 conversion. This means your thyroid will not be able to function optimally because it is not firing like it properly should. Soy is in everything so you will have to be on the look out . Read all of the labels on your food. Do NOT use Vegetable oil...it is 100% soybean oil. You even have to check your salad dressings.
Wheat contains gluten. Gluten has been linked as a primary source of gut irritation, causing intestinal permeability, damaging the balance of the gut flora, and increasing autoimmune reactions in those with an already autoimmune sensitive system. This means avoiding ALL bread, anything containing wheat, rye, & barley, even things like cookies. Gluten is found in almost all processed foods as it is used as a stabilizing agent.
Dairy can either be a primary sensitivity, or it can be a secondary sensitivity due to the gluten-induced damage to the gut, per Dr. Izabella Wentz, in her new book "Hashimoto Protocol." The irritants in dairy are casein and whey, which have been linked to bloating, coughing, acid reflux, and joint pains. All of which I have personally experienced myself recently after eliminating cheese from my diet, and then trying to reintroduce it. I didn't think I was sensitive to dairy, I was just eliminating it as a precautionary. In doing this, I found my body IS in fact sensitive to it. Whether that is a primary or secondary sensitivity is to be determined. This means avoiding cows milk, ice cream, yogurt, butter, cheese, etc.
So what now? You have an autoimmune condition and are now told not to eat the three things found most common in the American diet. What do you eat? You eat a balanced diet of meats and vegetables. Chicken, Salmon and Eggs are the best sources of protein in meat without receiving a lot of fat (except for salmon which has the good fat). The best sources of protein in vegetables is spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and avocados. Of course these suggestions are not the only source of protein BUT they are certainly some of the highest sources.
To sum this all up, meats are always going to be your best source of protein because they contain all of the essential amino acids you need in one source. Vegetables are an incomplete source because you need to eat a larger variety to obtain the same amount of proteins as in meat proteins. It is important to have a balanced plate of vegetables vs proteins. I would even say as far as a 2:1 ratio, as vegetables provide more than just the proteins we need. If you have an autoimmune condition such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, stay completely away from Soy, Gluten, & Dairy. These will do more harm to you and your system than it will help. It is important to find BALANCE. So where does that leave me on the issue: I'm in the "somewhere in the middle" club.
I hope this has helped you navigate the difference between meat based vs plant based proteins. While this isn't a complete list of eat this, don't eat that...you will have to do your research and find what works best for you and your body.
Mahalo!
Sincerely,
Brittany Bowman
