Navigating Hashimoto’s and Inflammation: How Personalized Diet Can Make a Difference
Struggling with Hashimoto's and inflammation? Discover actionable tips, diet strategies, and the role of tracking your calories and macros for managing symptoms and improving overall health.
Managing Hashimoto's and Inflammation
Living with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can feel like a daily battle. This autoimmune condition not only affects your thyroid but can also lead to systemic inflammation, making it difficult to feel your best. If you’re seeking guidance tailored to managing Hashimoto’s and inflammation, this guide will help you understand the condition better and empower you with actionable steps for improvement. Always consult a medical professional if you experience symptoms and methods on how to manage this condition.
What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, impairing its ability to produce essential hormones. Over time, this can lead to hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid underperforms, causing fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and more.
Chronic inflammation plays a key role in Hashimoto’s. Addressing this inflammation through diet, lifestyle, and other strategies can significantly alleviate symptoms.
Understanding the Link Between Hashimoto’s and Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. In autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, this process goes into overdrive, attacking healthy tissues and exacerbating symptoms. This chronic inflammation can:
Worsen thyroid function.
Contribute to fatigue and joint pain.
Impair digestion and gut health.
Reducing inflammation is a cornerstone of managing Hashimoto’s and improving your quality of life.
The Role of Diet in Managing Hashimoto’s and Inflammation
Your diet plays a pivotal role in controlling inflammation. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, certain dietary patterns have been shown to benefit individuals with Hashimoto’s.
1. Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties can help combat oxidative stress and inflammation. Include:
Fruits and Vegetables: Focus on leafy greens, berries, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Healthy Fats: Avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Whole Grains: Opt for gluten-free grains like quinoa, brown rice, or oats, as gluten sensitivity is common among those with Hashimoto’s.
Herbs and Spices: Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon have potent anti-inflammatory effects.
2. Consider Eliminating Gluten and Dairy
Many individuals with Hashimoto’s report improvement in symptoms after eliminating gluten and/or dairy. Gluten can trigger an immune response in those with sensitivities, exacerbating inflammation. Dairy, while a good source of calcium, may also cause issues for some people due to its inflammatory potential.
The book "The Autoimmune Solution" by Dr. Amy Myers discusses the benefits of eliminating gluten and other inflammatory foods.
Harvard Health also highlights the connection between gluten sensitivity and autoimmune diseases (source).
3. Track Your Calories and Macros
Calorie and macronutrient tracking can be especially beneficial for managing weight and energy levels, common concerns for those with Hashimoto’s. By monitoring your intake:
You can ensure you’re eating enough to fuel your body without contributing to weight gain.
You can track protein intake to support muscle maintenance and recovery.
You’ll gain insights into how certain foods impact your symptoms.
Apps like Welling are designed to make this process easy, personalized, and effective for individuals managing chronic conditions.
Tell Welling your custom diet preferences for managing specific diets
If you have specific diet preferences, for example you want to eat more foods that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory, you can tell Welling and Welling will take this into account when it provides feedback and recommendations. You can set this in the Allergies and Restrictions menus in the app.
