Your Thyroid on Paleo

Hey guys!  I'm spending the weekend traveling to San Jose to run the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon with my mommy and some of her crazy runner friends.  I couldn't leave those of you who enjoy my blog without something to read, so I've scheduled a few updates while I'm gone.  If you're interested in tracking my race, you can choose to use Runner Tracking at Competitor.com.  Just search for me, Juri Peterson.  I look forward to sharing my 5th half marathon and first Paleo race experience with you all!

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Thyroid health is a subject near and dear to my heart.  For you see, I don't have a thyroid.  I was diagnosed with goiters on my thyroid in Late 2009.  A surgery in early 2010 revealed that I had Thyroid Cancer and my entire thyroid and 2 lymph nodes in my neck were removed.  The process of learning to live on synthetic thyroid hormone has lead to a healthier and more active lifestyle.  Paleo is a new addition to this lifestyle, one that has brought changes that I didn't think were possible.  

My Paleo friends who do have a functioning thyroid should know that the Paleo Lifestyle does put them at risk of hypothyroidism.  As Sebastien from A Paleo Diet Lifestyle writes: "Iodine is a mineral that is really important for proper thyroid functioning and most people today have very low levels of iodine. You’re at risk of being even more iodine deficient on a paleo diet if you eliminated conventional salt from your diet. In fact, salt started to be iodized because goiters in North-America were a major health problem and most people were deficient in iodine because the soils are now almost universally deficient in iodine. Chronic low levels of iodine lead to the enlargement of the thyroid that we call goiter. Seaweeds are a great source of iodine." 

From my experience with hypothyroidism, you feel lethargic, have short term memory problems, weight gain, bloating, joint pain, hair loss, mood swings and depression.  I had all of those during a 30 day period before I started my synthetic thyroid hormone.  

It seems the iodine and the need to supplement is still debated in Paleo circles.  The folks over at Paleo Plan asked the question "Do you need to Supplement Iodine?".  Their article is inconclusive, but does state that "The recommended intake of iodine per day is 100-150 mcg."  They also link to a website that lists foods high in iodine.  

PALEO FRIENDLY FOODS HIGH IN IODINE 

Measurement is based on a 100 g or 3/4 cup portion

• 1 cup seaweed (hijiki) - 47000 micrograms
• 1/4 lb sea fish - up to 350 micrograms
• 1 cup Basil - 42 micrograms
• 1 cup watermelon seeds - 24 micrograms
• 1 cup Parsley - 22 micrograms
• 1 cup daikon radish - 19 micrograms
• 3 eggs - 15 micrograms

While most people following the Paleo diet do eat eggs regularly, you can see that good sources of iodine that fit into our lifestyle are few.  To get the iodine you need, you'd have to eat large amounts of certain herbs OR you can eat fish a few times a week.  Another option is to use iodized salt in your cooking.  Keeping your thyroid working properly is essential for you to be successful on the Paleo Diet.  You'll feel all the benefits of being healthier and stronger.

Why run Paleo?

When you tell people that you're on the Paleo Diet you inevitably get asked two questions: What is the Paleo Diet? and Why did you decide to do that?  

I've been running for 4 years.  I took up running because my Daddy (an amazing Ultra Runner) invited me to come run the Disneyland 5k.  He was running his first half marathon and my momma (an amazing trail runner) was going to run her first 5k. When someone offers to pay for your entire trip to Disneyland AND your race fee, you do it even if you have never run more than a mile in your whole life.

Surgery and radiation left me swollen
and gave me a radical scar in May 2010.

Running the Disneyland 5k
Sept 2010

I took a brief break in late 2009-early 2010 to deal with thyroid cancer.  But returned to Disneyland, this time with 2 old friends who had found a love for running as well.  I finished the 5k and thought "I'd like to try a half marathon."  

circa 2006, at 230 pounds

Ran my FIRST half marathon with my
mommy on her birthday June 2011

As you can see, my body had already gone through an amazing transformation.  I started my journey in  2006  at 230 pounds.    I used a modified South Beach diet and CURVES for Women workout, then tried Herbalife, then settled on a calorie restrictive diet (1200 calories) and working with a personal trainer. Through all those efforts I lost 85 pounds.

Four half marathons and multiple
5ks in 10 months

I ran 4 half marathons and tons of 5ks between June 2011 and April 2012.  And while my activity level continued to increase, my weight did too.  Slowly, over a year, I put twenty pounds back on.  I truly feel that RUNNING MADE ME FAT.  And it was due to the excessive amounts of carbs and sugars that my body was asking for because it wanted quick energy to replace what I was burning on my long runs.  I was starting to feel the effects of the excess weight on my body and seeing it in my pace.  I needed to do something since my calories in vs calories out approach wasn't working anymore.




A friend mentioned that they may start the Paleo Diet since they were in the same place as I was, carrying around weight that had been previously lost.  I had heard of it, and it sounded radical, a fad diet.  Intending to debunk their idea I headed to the internet.  What I found was a very divided opinion on the validity of the Paleo Diet.  But after being sent the Beginner's Guide To Paleo , I found myself standing on the side that thought it made sense.  Low Carb diets had worked for me in the past, why not try the "Whole Foods" approach as well.  It couldn't hurt to try it for 30 days.

In a recent race, running with
 my daughter

I wish I had taken before and after pictures during my first 30 days.  I dropped 10 pounds and lost a whole pants size.  My abdominal fat has always been a problem area and it immediately began to decrease.  I always notice a drop in SIZE before I lose any actual weight.  My leg muscles grew even more developed, helping my speed.  I finally started seeing some PRs again!  But even more amazing, I FELT better.  I had more energy, my environmental allergies decreased, my skin looked great.  I couldn't deny these results.  And so at the time of this post I'm on day 47 of the Paleo Diet.

When I'm asked those questions about Paleo and my choices, I answer, "Paleo is eating Whole Foods that our bodies were meant to utilize.  No processed oils, sugars, grains, legumes, soy or dairy*." And I chose to go Paleo because I wasn't living up to my full potential.  My dietary habits were in the way of success.  Check back later to hear about my techniques for carbing up before a long run.  It's a challenge on the Paleo Diet but not impossible! I've now completed 2 long training runs while Paleo and plan to stay Paleo for the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon on October 7th, 2012.

And if you have your OWN answers to people's questions about Paleo, I'd LOVE to hear them!