Can fasting heal Hashimotos?

Intermittent Fasting and Women with Hashimoto’s

There is a misconception that fasting — even intermittent fasting — is a big no-no when you have thyroid issues.

That’s not necessarily so. Fasting can offer enormous benefits for those with Hashimoto’s. But you shouldn’t just flip a switch and start fasting. It’s best to do some prep work first — I call it metabolic training.

In today’s blog post, I highlight the benefits of intermittent fasting and the most important thing you need to do before trying it!

Read on to learn more about if intermittent fasting is healthy when you have Hashimoto’s disease.

Intermittent Fasting With Hashimoto’s

I have worked with dozens of women with Hashimoto’s. Many of them come to my program believing that fasting is one of the worst things they can do for their thyroid health.

Busting through this myth is part of the education I provide in Step 2 of my Thyroid Reboot Method .

The first thing to understand is that Hashimoto’s is NOT simply a thyroid issue. It is an autoimmune disease that impacts the thyroid. So, how does fasting help autoimmunity?

My Six Favorite Fasting Benefits:

1. Fasting gives the gut a break and allows the gut lining to heal.
2. Fasting reduces the systemic inflammation that is the hallmark of autoimmune disease.
3. Fasting increases insulin sensitivity and stabilizes blood sugar.
4. Fasting improves your body’s ability to adapt to stress.
5. Fasting increases what is called autophagy — the process by which the body eliminates damaged cells.
6. Fasting increases the production of hormones responsible for growth, repair, and immune function.

So fasting benefits sound pretty good. Not so fast; there is a catch, so listen up!

If you haven’t trained for the experience, fasting CAN harm your adrenals, thyroid, and crash hormones. Think of it this way; you cannot spend months being a couch potato and then go to the gym expecting to bench press 100 pounds during your first workout.

Similarly, you cannot jump into intermittent fasting when you have the metabolism of a sugar burner. Before experimenting with intermittent fasting, you need to go from being a sugar-burner to a fat-burner.

What is a sugar burner? It’s someone whose primary fuel source is glucose. So, they lack the metabolic flexibility to access fat stores quickly for fuel.

People who eat an excess of carbohydrates are sugar burners. Whether those carbs are in the form of processed foods or whole grains, it does not matter. Both are glucose in the end.

You know you are a sugar burner when

• you get hungry every few hours and need to refuel
• you experience energy crashes throughout the day
• you get cranky, irritable, and tired when you’re hungry

Significant spikes cause these symptoms in blood glucose that result in massive insulin surges. It is like being stuck on the roller coaster from hell.

But you can retrain your body to access fat stores for fuel and not be so carb-dependent. We call this being fat-adapted (a fat-burner).

You know you are fat-adapted when you can easily go for 3-6 hours between meals and have stable energy levels.

For most people, it takes approximately three to four weeks of «metabolic training» to become a fat-burner and to start reaping the benefits of intermittent fasting. Working with a coach to guide you through the process is a good idea when you have Hashimoto’s disease.

If you are not ready for one-on-one coaching, I recommend reading The Paleo Thyroid Solution by Elle Russ.

To learn more about my Thyroid Reboot Method and about how to rebuild your thyroid function from the ground up, click here . Thanks for reading! I hope you found this blog post helpful!

Intermittent fasting on Hypothyroidism.

I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for a while and it helped me lose a lot of fat. I also do 36hrs fast once a month. But recently I got diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and right now I’m taking thyroxine tablets (empty stomach) and Vitamin D3 tablet once a week. I’ve consulted a doctor and informed him about my fasting but I forgot to ask whether I can continue fasting! ( He didn’t ask me to stop fasting either) So my question is, can I continue intermittent fasting while on Thyroid medication?

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Homoeopath 15 yrs exp Bangalore
Plz mention abt the weight loss with duration. For detailed information
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Homoeopath 13 yrs exp Bangalore

Homeopathy medication is safe and effective for all kind of disease and infection,no side effects. Detail case history needed for permanent cure. Chat online for consultation and treatment. Dr Merlin

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Homoeopath 31 yrs exp Delhi

You can continue with your fasting but fasting is not the good way to loose weight. Homoeopathic medicines will help you cure this problem effectively and without any side effects.

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Consult online or visit our Clinic. We provide medicines through Courier
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Homoeopath 25 yrs exp Noida

Yes u Candi fasting with thyroid medicine. But it’s not a healthy way to lose weight. It is possible that ur thyroid problem is triggered by this fasting. For weight loss First of all u should change your eating habits like 1. Don’t take tea empty stomach. Eat something like a banana (if you are not diabetic). ) or any seasonal fruit or soaked almonds and a glass of water first thing in the morning (within 10 mins of waking up). No only biscuits or rusk will not do. 2. Don’t Overeat 3. Take your breakfast every day. Don’t skip it. U can eat whatever ur mother or grandparent eat in bfast. I mean to say whatever is ur traditional food. If punjabi eat paratha, if belongs to south then take idli/ dosa etc. 4. Have light meals every 2 hours (in addition to your breakfast, lunch n dinner) e.g. Nariyal paani, chaach, a handful of dry fruits, a handful of peanuts, seasonal fruit, a cup of curd/milk etc 5. Finish your dinner at least 2 hours before going to sleep. 6. Avoid fast foods n fried foods 7.Take a lot of green vegetables n fruit. 8. Drink lot of water 9. Everyday preferably sleep on same time 10. Maintain active life style Exercise in the form of yoga, cycling, Swimming, gymming etc. Now about point no. 10. You should join a gym for weight training. Do it 2-3 times a week with at least 48 hours in between 2 sessions. On other days u can do cardio exercises. For more details u can consult me.

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General Physician 24 yrs exp Bangalore

Yes you can continue fasting while on thyroid medicines In fact if you loose weight your metabolic status might get better Continue the thyroid replacement and do a review check later after 6 weeks All the best

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Is Water Fasting Safe For Hypothyroidism?

Fasting is the oldest and most «natural» form of dieting for humans. Indeed, our hunter-gatherer ancestors had periods when food was more abundant and times when it was scarce. Modern humans today use a variety of different fasting methods to keep their weight in check. However, certain fasting practices may not be safe for people with specific health conditions. Here, we discuss water fasting and explore if it is safe for people with hypothyroidism.

What is water fasting?

Water fasting is when a person does not consume anything aside from water for a length of time. Technically, most people who practice various forms of intermittent fasting do a water fast, as they restrict food for several hours overnight. But, water fasts usually last at least a day or two and may even extend up to 72 hours.

People primarily use water fasts to lose weight. However, they may also water fast for spiritual reasons, before surgery, and for other health benefits like detoxing their system.

How do you do water fasting?

There are no scientific guidelines behind water fasting, and you can tailor this fasting to your specific needs. However, people generally do a water fast between 24 and 72 hours.

Before you do your first water fast, it can help to decrease meal portions to allow your body time to adjust to a decrease in food intake. Alternatively, you can also try intermittent fasting, where you fast for fewer hours at a time.

Some people should seek medical advice before water fasting, especially those with diabetes, eating disorders, women who are pregnant, older adults, and people with heart issues.

What are the potential benefits?

The human digestive system was not designed to work constantly. Yet, because of ease of access to food, food abundance, and the different nutritional composition of the modern-day diet, people tend to eat around the clock. Because most people eat first thing in the morning and right up until bedtime, the digestive system is continually working to break down food — even in our sleep. Therefore, one of the first things water fasting can do is give the digestive tract a break.

But, aside from a much-needed rest, water fasting may also do other things for the body, including:

• Improving regulation of the circadian rhythm
• Restoring balance in the gut microbiome
• Preventing weight gain
• Warding off metabolic dysfunction
• Enhancing kidney and cardiovascular function by lowering blood pressure
• Promoting autophagy (a process where old cells break down and get recycled)
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Most people use fasting to help with weight loss. Water fasting may help people lose weight because it allows the body to use alternative energy sources aside from glucose, such as ketone-like sources. Therefore, it may be a valuable tool for stabilizing blood sugar levels in people with metabolic dysfunction.

Water fasting may also boost your sensitivity to the hormones leptin and insulin. Leptin helps you feel full, whereas insulin pulls glucose from your bloodstream into your cells.

Is water fasting safe for the thyroid?

Some research suggests water fasting affects thyroid function. The thyroid gland is the metabolic powerhouse of the body, meaning that it regulates how cells utilize energy. To do this, the thyroid releases thyroid hormones that tell all the cells in the body what to do.

There are two primary states of thyroid disease: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is the most common, where thyroid hormone levels are too low, causing body systems to slow down. An autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Hyperthyroidism is where thyroid hormone levels are too high, causing body processes to speed up.

Most studies show that short-term intermittent fasting does not significantly impact thyroid hormone levels. However, it may enhance the absorption of thyroid medications like levothyroxine, depending on when it is taken. Additionally, if you have Hashimoto’s disease, well-timed fasting may improve inflammation and decrease the severity of autoimmune symptoms.

Because every person is unique, with individual responses to dietary changes, it is vital to work with a doctor—especially if you have a chronic health condition like hypothyroidism. Fasting can benefit specific individuals, but it can also have health consequences, especially for those with other chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, getting regular thyroid function tests is imperative if you are using dietary measures to help treat your thyroid.