Graves Disease Diet: Dr. Myers Diet Plan for a Healthy Thyroid

As a Functional Medicine doctor, my first priority is to get my thyroid patients healthy by getting to the root cause of their chronic illness. I work with them to heal leaky gut through proper diet and routine, detoxify, eliminate infections, relieve stress, and of course optimize their diet. I call this protocol The Myers Way® because it truly is a way of life, and I know this because I live by it! Read on to learn about my Graves disease diet. You may know that I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, so I follow the same diet that I recommend for my patients and that I outline in my new book, The Thyroid Connection. The Myers Way® diet emphasizes plenty of vegetables, fruits, spices, and healthy fats and proteins from organic, grass-fed, or pasture-raised sources, and it steers clear of inflammatory foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, nightshades, caffeine, and sugar. You can find other recipes similar to these in The Thyroid Connection. It includes a complete 28-day plan with amazingly delicious recipes, daily stress relief, and other powerful tools to overcome thyroid dysfunction and jump start your health! Here is what a typical day of food looks like for me:

Dr. Myers’ Graves Disease Diet Plan

The key to any beneficial diet plan is balance, balance, balance. You have to feed your body with the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you need. In the case of a diet for Graves disease, you want to target your thyroid and make sure it is especially nourished. You want to avoid foods that can lead to inflammation, and go for foods that contain magnesium, like leafy greens including kale, iodine, like salmon, and zinc, like in potatoes -- in fact, you'll find all of these foods incorporated into this Graves disease diet plan! Check out my Graves disease diet menu, and see what an average day of eating right can look like.

Breakfast

Everyday Smoothie

This simple and protein filled smoothie is perfect for a delicious and quick breakfast! If you're someone who is more on the move, don't let that get in the way of having a proper breakfast. In under ten minutes, you can nourish your body with vitamins C and E. This low-calorie smoothie can attribute most of its amazing benefits from kale - this vegetable is a superstar when it comes to your health, and it has more calcium and iron than most other veggies! Don't skip breakfast. Start your day the right way by giving your body what it needs.

Lunch

Arugula Salad with Crispy Salmon This is my favorite salad that I eat at least twice per week. The iodine content of the fish makes it an excellent source of nutrition for the thyroid. Arugula, which is a great source of vitamin K and low in calories, tastes delicious whether it's raw or cooked, so if you're feeling for a warmer feel free to toss it on the stove! The star of the show, which is the wild-caught salmon, is extremely rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, B vitamins, and a lot more.

Dinner

Acorn Squash Shepherd’s Pie The coconut cream in this recipe is naturally thyroid-supportive and it also lends a delicious creaminess without the dairy! Coconut in general is packed with fatty acids that are saturated and super easy to digest. Coconut is also rich in iron and gives you a nice fiber boost. A serving of this hearty pie is sure to fill you up and nourish your body with lots of protein and healthy fats.

Dessert

Chocolate Cinnamon Truffles I absolutely love dark chocolate and let myself have it at least once per week as a treat. The key is just to make sure you’re choosing dairy-free, 80% or higher dark chocolate, that is organic and GMO-free. The darker the chocolate, the better the benefits! Additionally, when it comes to sweeteners, opt for a natural choice (dates, stevia, etc) instead of white sugar and enjoy! These are definitely the best way to end your day.

Learn More About Amy Myers

Dr. Amy Myers is a functional medicine physician and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection. Her second book, The Thyroid Connection, explores why thyroid disease is such an epidemic and what truly causes thyroid dysfunction, and provides a 28-day plan to jumpstart your health and reverse thyroid symptoms, whether you have Graves disease, Hashimoto’s disease, thyroid cancer, nodules or cysts, or have had your thyroid removed or ablated. This was just a snapshot at what a day of healthy eating can look like, and there are so many delicious recipes available out there that are thyroid-friendly. In general, it's important to have a balanced diet. Load up your plate with the good stuff, like vegetables and foods rich in healthy fats. Your thyroid requires iodine to work well, for example, so be sure to really make the effort to ensure you're getting what you need. Don't let disease define you. Tackle it holistically and nourish your body. Instead of letting my Graves disease control me, I took my life into my own hands and followed the best diet for graves disease. You can too! Further Food Collagen can help heal leaky gut. Learn more here.

FAQs

Want to read more? Dr. Myers on Why Conventional Medicine Gets Thyroid Disease Wrong Understand The Root Causes of Thyroid Dysfunction – A Q&A with Dr. Amy Myers