Mary Shomon's diet in the treatment of hypothyroidism

First, a few words about Mary Shomon. She is a famous American writer who knows about hypothyroidism firsthand. She herself faced this disease, so she endlessly searched for all possible methods of its treatment. As a result of painstaking work and research, Mary came to her own conclusions and findings. Thus, the Mary Shomon diet was developed, aimed at sustainable weight loss in thyroid diseases. Mary presented all practical knowledge and recommendations in her bestselling book "Diet for Hypothyroidism".

Let's recall the terminology of this disease. Hypothyroidism is a pathological change in the hormonal system of the body, characterized by reduced production of hormones T3 and T4 with increased TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels. T3 is the hormone triiodothyronine, T4 is thyroxine.

As a result of thyroid dysfunction, the following symptoms appear: weight gain, depressive mood, decreased performance. This disease causes particular trouble for women. Due to decreased hormone production, dysfunction of the genitals occurs, which leads to various neoplasms in the ovaries, uterus and mammary glands. Also, as a result of hypothyroidism, early menopause or infertility may occur.

To treat hypothyroidism, endocrinologists usually prescribe hormonal therapy and a special diet, since normalizing the patient's weight plays an important role in this case. The Mary Shomon diet has proven itself very well for hypothyroidism.

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Indications

• Despite the decrease in appetite, body weight increases, and losing it is quite difficult.
• Characteristic swelling of the facial area, as well as the arms and lower extremities. It should be noted that in this situation, diuretic drugs do not have the desired effect.
• Brittle nails and increased hair loss appeared.
• The general condition of the human body is characterized by fatigue, apathy, and sleep disturbances.
• The occurrence of increased sweating.
• The presence of pathological changes in blood test results (elevated cholesterol levels, triglycerides, increased atherogenic index).
• Cardiovascular disorders characterized by arrhythmia, bradycardia and shortness of breath.
• A hormonal imbalance that results in disruption of the menstrual cycle in women.

General information Mary Shomon's diets

Mary claims that it is not necessary to limit yourself in the amount of food you eat. The main thing is to correctly calculate your optimal daily rate of kilocalories. To do this, use a certain formula: body weight (in kilograms) is multiplied by 25, then 200 kilocalories are subtracted from the resulting amount. That is, the kilocalorie limit in the daily menu should not exceed 500. In other words, if the amount of daily kilocalorie consumption is less than 1200, there is a significant slowdown in metabolic processes. Ultimately, the patient gains weight.

The author is sure that there is nothing to worry about if after the calculations the amount of calories seems impressive. It is better to eat a lot, but in small portions. After each meal, the metabolism speeds up. As a result - a steady decrease in body weight.

In addition to nutrition, special attention should be paid to physical exercise. The maximum effect is provided by exercise bikes, frequent walks in the fresh air, and swimming. Thanks to this, the mood improves, sleep is normalized. A person feels rested and full of energy.

Basic principles of Mary Chaumont's diet for hypothyroidism

It is important to understand that for patients with hypothyroidism, the process of getting rid of excess weight has a slightly different character than for healthy people. First of all, you need to make sure that the results of the TSH analysis are low. The fact is that many specialists believe it is correct to limit the dose of thyroxine taken as soon as the TSH level falls below 5 mIU/L (the norm for a healthy person is from 0.5 to 5 mIU/L).

However, American biochemists, as a result of clinical trials, have voiced a different opinion. They have proven that for people with hypothyroidism, the normal TSH level is no higher than 2.5 mIU/L. Paradoxically, many practicing endocrine specialists are confident that the optimal TSH level is 1 mIU/L. In other words, for the well-being of patients taking hormonal drugs, it is necessary to achieve a lower TSH level.

It is also important to pay attention to the fact that some medications and foods reduce the effect of L-thyroxine. This group includes contraceptives (estrogens), calcium preparations (including vitamins). It is necessary to exclude products containing soy from the diet.

Benefits

The benefit of the Mary Shomon diet is that its use gives an effective result in the process of weight loss and improvement of the physical and emotional state of the body. Another important criterion is the absence of contraindications for the appointment of this diet. Thus, the Mary Shomon diet minimizes the risk of complications and more severe forms of hypothyroidism.

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What can and what can not?

What foods can you eat on the Mary Chaumont diet?

• Increase the amount of vitamin-containing foods (vegetables, unsweetened fruits and fresh greens) in your menu. These foods contain a lot of fiber. As a result of their use, metabolic processes improve, excess fluid and salts are removed, which leads to a decrease in swelling and weight loss.
• Include cereals in your daily diet. Oatmeal and buckwheat porridge are especially useful for hypothyroidism.
• Increase the consumption of foods containing tyrosine (lean meat, fish, chicken). There is also a lot of tyrosine in avocado, almonds, pumpkin seeds, lentils, bananas and lima beans. It is allowed to consume low-fat yogurt and milk.
• It is recommended to place special emphasis on products that contain iodine. Most of this substance is found in seafood. But it should be noted that it is recommended to eat iodized salt no more than 2 times a week.
• For hypothyroidism, foods containing selenium (seafood, meat, Brazil nuts, garlic, onions, unrefined grains) are useful.

What shouldn't you eat when on a diet?

• It is advisable to limit or completely exclude soy products from your menu, the consumption of which leads to disruptions in the functioning of the thyroid gland.
• You need to forget about such food products as sugar, baked goods, and various confectionery products.
• Reduce water consumption to half a liter per day.
• It is best to avoid mustard, kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli and turnips (cruciferous family).
• Remove fatty meat and fish, as well as smoked foods and fast food products from your diet.
• It is not recommended to consume fatty dairy products (homemade milk, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese).