So I wanted to talk today about our thyroids. A healthy thyroid is important to our health, as our thyroid controls many of our bodily functions, including maintaining our energy levels, sleep, and balancing our metabolism.
Thyroid issues are on the rise in the United States and worldwide, and millions of us literally have impaired or improperly functioning thyroids. We must take action!
In order to function optimally, we need to nurture our thyroid with the right nutrients. One of the most important nutrients to build thyroid hormones and keep our thyroid healthy is iodine. Unfortunately, many of us are deficient in iodine.
Zinc, iron, copper and selenium are also essential to producing thyroid hormones. We also need the antioxidants of A, C and E to neutralize physical oxidative stress, a condition which often occurs along with poor thyroid function.
One of the best and easiest ways to get these nutrients into our diet (especially iodine) is by adding sea vegetables! “Sea vegetables?” you might say- “What the heck? It does NOT fit my lifestyle to have to go to an Asian restaurant and chow down on seaweed every day of my life.” Don’t worry! It is a whole lot easier than that, I promise. :)
Here are my top 3 favorite Sea Vegetables, along with some ideas on how to incorporate them into your life, so you can start benefiting ASAP!
1. Dulse: This is the sea vegetable I personally use more than any other. I buy dulse in the form of flakes from Wholefoods or a health food store, and shake about 1 Tbs. on my dinner salad almost every night. What could be easier than that? I love the taste, and to me it almost makes for a “bacon bits” ingredient replacement! (Is that weird? Does anyone else who eats dulse know what I mean?).
1. Hijiki. Black seaweed that looks like cut up, shredded pieces of black angle hair pasta. Soak for ½- 1 hour, until it softens. Great on salads, and especially yummy when tossed with broccoli, along with some Liquid Braggs (unfermented soy beans, so use sparingly) or Nama Shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce, also use sparingly as it contains some gluten) and lemon. Can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
3. Nori wrappers: Me love nori wrappers!! Also sold in health stores and Wholefoods. Opt for the raw kind rather than the
toasted variety, when available. You can stuff sprouts, avocados, nut pates and other vegetables in them for quick wraps.
Another GREAT thing about sea vegetables is that since that ones mentioned above are purchased already dried, so they won’t go bad. You can keep them stocked in your pantry for use as needed. It is a good idea to keep your Dulse near where you keep your cayenne pepper or other salad spices, so when you go to make your salads you won’t forget to add some in!
Have an awesome start to your week! Take care of yourself, never forget about your post workout snack, and be sure to give yourself some “me” time – so you can work on the improvements and New Year’s resolutions that are important to you.
All my love,
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly! Oh my gosh…you are AMAZING. Thank you so much, you have no idea how every post inspires I love ya. You need to stay in LA & teach :)
Okay so….side question (im so sorry i know its off topic) but in a reply to someone you suggested NOT to eat fruit before a meal because of digestion time. Do you agree that it is not good to eat fruit (say an apple) AFTER a (vegan) meal?
I’ve heard with food combining fruits and vegetables are not well together :( But i know your beautiful green smoothies suggest both together and I love making a mean cucumber/celery/apple juice. In terms of feeling well and losing weight…do you have certain rules you give your clients about food combining?
I thank you so much. You are totally THE word for beauty and health!!!
Hi Rachel! Wow, I humbly thank you so much for your kind words. :)
Fruit is okay on an empty stomach before a meal, but it is best to wait 20 minutes to eat something else so it can pass. Also, greens and fruit combine well together, but not fruit with starchy vegetables. It is ridic when people try to put all veggies in one category! Romaine lettuce and yams for instance, have totally different properties. :)
Hope to see you back here soon! xx Kimberly
looooove sea veggies. omg. I also love wakame, kombu, and mukabe (not as easy to find). I go to a local Asian store every week and pick up this stuff…. so good! Unfortunately they don’t carry dulse though. Check this out:
https://www.seaveg.com for plenty of awesome products (including dulse). yay!
Hi Kimberly!
I absolutely love your blog, and I have got all my friends reading, too. You absolutely GLOW on Good Morning America and your other segments! Your beautiful, radiating glow is proof plenty that you are full of wisdom :)
We all want to buy your future books!
Wow! Your posts so often touch on topics that I have just been researching!
My favorites are laver and nori and alaria. I love wakame, but I suspect that even the high-quality one I get might not be raw. I’m about to place an order for bulk seaweed, to eat with the miso I bought recently.
I have seen you suggest before not to eat miso every day, but I was wondering if that only applies to misos made with table salt. I bought the South River brand, which is made with sun-dried sea salt. Would it be okay to eat this every day? If not, how much is too much?
I saw another poster ask you to recommend a salt limit (like, a maximum of salt milligrams from overt sources) per day, but I don’t think you saw the post. Would you mind making such a recommendation? I, too, would like guidance in that area.
Hi Rose, Thank you so much for your kind words, and yes the book is coming. :)
I started to write you a long response, but realized, why don’t I do a blog on it?? Others will surely benefit. Thank you so much for your proactive questions, and the great blog idea. I will post tomorrow. :)
Lots of love!
Hello, Kim!
Great info- I don’t know much about thyroid health. Will try eating more dulse, I agree it tastes “bacon-y”, but NOT in a gross way! lol When I ate cooked food, I would make “DLTs” (instead of BLTs): dulse leaves, lettuce, and almond mayo on sprouted bread. Yum!
Hey, I was wondering if you have seen a new product, coconut aminos? It’s supposedly a healthy soy-free and gluten-free “soy-sauce”. Do you think this would be healthy? I ask because I read somewhere that ANY “aminos” product is dangerous due to MSG, even nama shoyu.
Here’s the link:
https://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html
haha and tomatoes of course!
Hi Marcheline, Wow, that looks like a great product! I have not seen it sold in any health stores. You will have to tell me how you like it. I am a huge fan of anything made from fresh young coconuts.
Foods always contain MSG when these words are on the label:
MSG, Monosodium glutamate, Monopotassium glutamate, Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, Gelatin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP), Autolyzed Plant Protein, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate, Textured Protein, and a few others…
There is some controversy as to whether Nama Shoyu definitely has MSG or not. None of these words are listed in their ingredient list.
Hmm. Their website says:
“Coconut Aminos is 14 times more abundant than soy sauce in naturally occuring Glutamic Acid…”
Which I’m told is another term for MSG. I’m confused :(
Thanks for your response!
Oh, I forgot to mention, I found it at my local Whole Foods.
Speaking of MSG, isn’t nutritional yeast made from the same things as MSG? That’s what I’ve read at least. I’m dying to try nutritional yeast for its cheesy taste, but I’m pretty allergic to MSG.
Hi Love, If you are allergic to MSG you can’t have nutritional yeast unfortunately. :( Some kind of pine nut pate or spread might be good for you for cheesiness. ;)
Hi Kimberly, Could you explain why someone couldn’t have nutritional yeast if they are sensetive to MSG? The ingredients on my nutritional yeast are : Dry Yeast, niacin(B3),Pyridoxine(B6),Ribiflavin(B2), Thiamin HCI(B1),Folic acid, and vitamin B12. Is there a hidden source of MSG in one of those ingredients? Thanks! Randi
I personally don’t believe hidden/naturally-occurring MSG in nutritional yeast is a real thing, but some have speculated that it is. I personally have nutritional yeast on a regular basis and have never seen any adverse effects.
Hey Kim!
I love those Dulse Flakes! I even sprinkle them on my dogs food! I also like to stick a piece of kombu in my soup while it is cooking and remove it before serving. Good for digestion too! :)
HI Love, how come you don’t eat the kombu? Too tough?
I guess I could! Never thought about it, I just always read to remove it before eating. :)
Hey Kimberly,
Thank you for this post! I have an underactive thyroid and treat it with medication, unfortunately. But I’ve tried to speak with my specialist about natural methods, but it’s definitely tough to do so with their negative reactions. I have brought up the link between iodine and thyroid health to her in the past, but she has stressed to me not to focus on iodine, because she says it is already abundant in our diet. What’s your take on this? I never fully agree with MDs, so I like hearing different perspectives. I would love to take this matter into my own hands, and watch her slowly decrease the dosage of my medication!
Thanks for all your great tips!
Hi love, there is iodine in fish and other sea food, as well as eggs, beans, and milk. I don’t eat any of those foods- so if you are a vegan the sea veggies are esp. key. Also, table salt with iodine added in is poison and who knows if our bodies are able to adequately assimilate it in that form? But back to the big issue. An issue with a specific organ usually points to imbalance in the body- and this often starts with the biochemistry of overally acidic blood. If we can shift our blood and body to be a more alkaline pH, then we can work to rebalance everything. That is why when people lose weight the healthy way, an added benefit is that their hair and skin starts to look better and better. Everything is connected and everything shifts. So I think if you focus on eating really well and making your all over body balanced and healthy, that would include your thyroid. :)
I read on a woman to woman website (christian N.D.) that most women and some men are
very low in iodine and that you can get a iodine urine test done so I went to my doc and she
agreed and I had the test done through the hospital (24 hr urine void) and my test came
back saying I was very low, god bless my doc who had a listening ear, I am now taking dulse
daily you have to be patient as it takes quite a while to build up your levels when they get
depleted its not an easy thing to do, read books and get educated on the issue….god bless
you as to reach for good health………sarah
Wow! I agree with the other people who say that somehow you always know just what’s on my mind and post about it. I spent the whole weekend trying to find out more about thyroid care and info, because I suspect something might be up there. I’m just afraid that some whackadoo doctor is going to put me on medication I have to take forever (which is what my mom’s been doing with synthyroid for over 40 years). It freaks me out to me a slave to life-long medication! Thanks for the advice, and special thanks to the person with the DLT idea–sounds delish!
Kim,
Your website, by far, is the easiest to navigate and has the most down to earth approach to eating raw. There’s just SOO much info, I’m getting a little overwhelmed.
I’m just starting this journey, tip toing through the Green Smoothie, and I wanted to ask your opinion on incorporating raw and living food into 50% of my meals. I say that because I believe I can truly commit to that number. I have a couple of questions, if you have a few minutes:
1) Is there a certain form to follow for what to eat when? For instance, what should you start your day off with? What should you end it with? What should you combine or not combine as far as food? Please note that I’m not vegan, nor do I completely plan to be, but I am on board with less or no red meat, little poultry and lots of fish.
2) You menion probiotics in some of your posts. What kinds are good and how much?
3) Are there any rules to raw or living foods as far as cooking them at all? Is it totally prohibited, or can we do so in moderation?
Those are what I have so far, and again, I really appreciate your “real world” approach to this lifestyle.
All my best,
Nicole
Hi Love, that is fantastic about 50% raw. I would recommend starting each meal raw. So fruit at breakfast, salad for lunch and dinner to start. That way you will get it in!
If you cook, try to use coconut oil as it doesn’t get rancid like olive oil or other oils.
For probiotics I like Dr. Ohhira, but it is a bit expensive. Like $50 at the Vitamin Shoppe.
Hope to see you back here soon! xx Kimberly
Hey Kim,
great post as usual!
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and having been experiencing the symptoms like crazy! Facial hair growth, acne, weight gain, depression, hair loss, lethargy. I’ve also found myself eating more and more food. Even though I’m still eating 70% raw and all vegan, I’ve been eating so much that I’m gaining significant weight. Are there any foods you would recommend to focus on or avoid to ease some of my PCOS symptoms?
I appreciate any recommendations!
HI Amanda! I’m so sorry to hear about that. Be sure to take a probiotic every day, and work on cleansing your body adequately. Gravity colonics might be really useful to you, or at the very least enema bags. Make sure you are having lots of green drinks, and salads!
Keep in touch, and let me know if you need more ideas. Lots of love, Kimberly
Thanks Kim, I appreciate the recommendations, I’m already doing those so would you happen to have anymore ideas? If not, thank you so much anyways
Try having a lot of raw sauerkraut with your salads, which have a ton of friendly flora in them in a food-based source. Make sure you are eating lots of salads! The colonics should not just be once in a while. Magesium-Oxygen powders/supplements can be helpful for daily cleansing. It is not a laxative, and just brings more oxygen into your system, which would be great for you. Let me know how you do! xx Kimberly
Hi Kim!
Since going off the pill about a year ago I have not had a period. My tests came back fine and my doctor said that she can have me take pills when I’m ready to get pregnant but I was wondering if you knew of any natural ways to restart my period. Thanks!!
Hi Kimberly,
I have low-thyroid and am currently on synthroid. I have read information here and there that claims eating raw vegetables in the cabbage family can block production of the thyroid hormone due to goitrogens. It is said that if you cook these veggies then that will destroy that harmful substance. What is your opinion on this? I want to incorporate as much of the raw lifestyle as I can, but am trying to be careful with my thyroid(so hopefully one day i can get off synthroid completely!!). I love your blog and all of your tips make so much sense, so I look forward to hearing from you :) Thanks!
Hi Brooke! I too hpe you can go off the medication completely one day! I hope you are eating sea vegetables. As for the goitrogens, they say that about cooking with oxalic acid also. I’ve heard that more about red/purple kale, and to stick to the dark green kale, but I am not completely sure. You should ask your doctor if you are concerned. And of course, I would totally avoid soy!!!!!!!!! Come visit me again soon! :)
Hi, just looking quickly at your site and was wondering if you know much about nodules.
I have a one large nodule and a couple of small ones in my thyroid. I had them biopsied 4 years ago and they came back fine. I have had them rechecked recently and they have increased in size slowly. I am due to have another biopsy done on them. Is there any information you can give me as I would like to reduce the size of these.
HI love, well for that you would definitely have to check with a doctor. I can say in general that a high raw green diet helps clean out many such conditions. You should start drinking the Green Smoothie!
Hi Kimberly,
I’m half-way through your book and thoroughly enjoying it! I am only 25 years old and while thin, I lack energy daily. I look forward to starting your plan and increasing my beauty energy! I had a question about sea vegetables. If I go to a sushi restaurant, I will typically order miso soup, edamame, seaweed salad, and maybe one type of roll. Is the seaweed salad typically sold in restaurants suffice as a sea vegetable? If I eat all of these things, what is the best order to do it in and what is the best type of roll for me to order? You mentioned avocado roll but would that consist of avocado, rice, and nori paper? Is it also ok to eat miso soup? Sorry for so many questions, I appreciate your help!
Just to let you know, the seaweed salad they usually sell in restaurants has a lot of white sugar in it (that’s why it tastes so much better than if we make it at home). I don’t believe edamame is fermented, so if you are following Kim’s diet she definitely doesn’t recommend it. Miso on the other hand, is fermented so it is definitely a step up.
Avocado rolls are pretty yummy too, they also have cucumber in them!
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Hi Kimberly! I love your book, I’m almost finished with it and would love to start changing my diet so I can have more beauty energy, because even though I’m thin I lack energy, have bad digestion and acne. I’m also excited about your plan because I’ve had to cut gluten and lactose from my diet, due to an intolerance that I have to them and thought, this is perfect for me; however, I do have some concerns. I have been told by my doctor that I will be taking synthroid for life and I’m a concerned that the absorption of the synthroid will be blocked or flushed from my body. I have to take it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, but in the blossoming beauty phase it says to take hot water w/lemon juice and a probiotic, in that case what do I do first? On top of that I weigh less than 100 lbs! The last thing I want is to lose more weight. Help! I’m so confused!
Hi Kimberly, I would like to know which book has the “Keeping your tyroid healthy.” I have hypo thyroid disease and I would like to get your book. I also suffer with gastric issues and I have changed my diet and I have constant gassing after I eat anything. Is it possible your book can help me?
Thank you,
Maryann
Yeah, because humans evolved eating a wide array of “sea vegetables.” lol
Hi Kimberly,
I love your blog and your books. I have a question about sea vegetables: are they contaminated with the same contaminants as fish and other seafood?
Thanks,
Jen
I generally use dulse or kelp from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, and you can find info about heavy metal and radiation testing of their sea veggies right here:
https://www.seaveg.com/shop/index.php?main_page=page&id=21&chapter=1
Hi Kim,
Just found this as I was looking into dulse/kelp supplements. I was wondering if you thought those were as good/better/worse than the dulse flakes you recommend? The brand I was looking at is NOW foods. Thanks and happy new year!
Hi,
My wife suffers from hypo thyroid. Can I add these Dulse, Hijiki and Nori Wrappers in GGS.
It took me a long time for getting my wife to a state that she drinks the ggs every day. Being vegetarian me and my wife don’t like the smell/taste of the seaweed. Can I add these to my GGS so that we get the nutrition from it without knowing the taste/smell.
It would be really helpful to know if these doesn’t have any side effects when taken with GGS.
I highly appreciate your blogs and your attitude towards healthy society.
Thanks.
hello Kimberly Snyder. you look beautiful with and without makeup, can you post more pics of you without makeup so we i can see the benefits of all the foods you consume