What?! I have a nodule in my thyroid!

As I have said countless time to many of my friends, family members and fellow followers, this darn thyroid dilemma is indeed a roller coaster ride!!  Just when I thought I was about to come to the end of the ride, I see a huge hill that I have to go up before the ride ends.  Normally I am an amusement park fanatic–I LOVE roller coasters, the bigger they are the better!  However, this thyroid roller coaster is not as exciting as the “Goliath” at Six Flags Magic Mountain!

As you have read in my previous posts, I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder in December 1994; several people noticed physical change in my eyes, but I didn’t see any changes prior to that time.  So, after the diagnosis, I have been up and down, and changing from obese to overweight…it’s just been draining. A year after the diagnosis had the radioactive iodine treatment (RAI), then I was in a normal state for 5 years–that’s where I began to have lots of stress in my life.  And from that moment onwards, it’s been a roller coaster ride that has not come close to the end!

What’s the latest update?

On October 30, 2009, I learned that I had a nodule in my thyroid after having a basic ultrasound done.  I was surprised, but for years, I didn’t even know that I still had much of a thyroid since I had the RAI treatment.  I was told that after taking that treatment, that I would have very little thyroid left.  Well, after reviewing the results with my doctor, I learned two things: 1) My right thyroid lobe is almost a normal size, and 2) I had a nodule almost the size of the right thyroid lobe!  These two results were shocking to say the least!  What the heck happened?  How could I have had any thyroid left after having the RAI?!  Because I never had any further analysis/tests performed on my thyroid since the RAI procedure 14 years ago, I can’t say weather or not I had the nodule then or if it just started growing over time.  Why in the world haven’t other doctors tested me over the 14 years?  This makes no sense to me because I have been complaining about my thyoid being out of whack for the last ten years!!!  Crazy, huh?!  The following are my results.

• Normal thyroid size (according to a health blog post): average size ranges between 3 to 4 cm in height, 1 to 1.5 cm in width and 2 to 3 cm in depth
• My thyroid size:  Left lobe (0.4 x 0.7 x 1.5)cm and Right lobe (1 x 1.1 x 3.1)cm
• My nodule size (found in right lobe): (0.8 x 1.1 x 1.2)cm in diameter

So what’s next for me?

My doctor wanted me to have an ultrasound guided biopsy to further explore the nodule and to determine if it has any cancer cells.  When I heard this I was like hold on, let me make sure that my seat belt is still on because I was getting ready to go down the large hill on my roller coaster ride!  I had no idea what to expect.  Heck, I didn’t even know what an ultrasound guided biopsy was, so I had to do my research.  I turned to the Internet and my books from Mary Shomon, Author of Living Well with Hypothyroidism and Founder of thyroid-info.com website, to learn some basic information about this procedure.  This test is basically a needle biopsy called Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) that is guided by ultrasound to help find the correct position of the nodules and analyze them. OMG, a needle in my throat?!  What in the world is going on!

Stay tuned for my biopsy experience and my results.

Follow me on twitter: @rhondapeters, @rhondascooking

To learn more about the thyroid and Mary Shomon’s work visit: Thyroid-info, About.com

Trader Joe’s Gluten-free Pancake Mix

Trader Joe’s has gluten-free mixes available now and I had the opportunity to test the pancake & waffle mix! Check out the detailed product review with a few tips.

Trader Joe’s Gluten-free pancake mix review

Gluten-free does not mean healthy…read the labels!

Okay, I had to write this post regarding gluten-free not necessarily meaning healthy. I get so sick of new products being introduced to the market as gluten-free, but only to find in the ingredients list that it is made with a bunch of hard to pronounce ingredients that are crap for the body! Time and time again, I have heard so many people say, “It’s gluten-free so it’s healthy.” This is a huge, huge assumption.

I am gluten-free and a healthy conscience eater. I do not eat foods with artificial flavorings and try to stay with the gluten-free whole grain flours, etc. So, it’s more than just about eating gluten-free, it’s about eating healthy first. That’s the most important thing and I wish that manufacturers would stop trying to just “get in the game” by making products with unhealthy ingredients and look to make gluten-free products that are healthier for the body! So, in the event that this doesn’t happen soon, we must take charge and make the right decisions for our total well-being. Don’t just get so happy when mainstream manufacturers launch a gluten-free product. Do your due diligence and read the labels and make sure that the product has healthy gluten-free ingredients.

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It’s one of those days…life w/hypothyroid

OMG, this morning was one of those darn mornings!!!!!!!!!!! I got up with all intentions of exercising but I was due for a weigh-in prior to the workout. So, I took off all of my heavy garments so I didn’t have any extra stuff adding to the fat, and as I stepped on the scale I was excited because I had been eating well and reducing the late healthy snacking. I knew that I hadn’t exercised in a couple of days, but I hadn’t been eating like a pig either. Well, as I stepped on that scale, confident that I was going to be a few inches closer to my 1 pound loss per month goal, I was surprisingly shocked at what I saw! I gained 1.6 pounds in 5 days!!!!!!! I was UPSET, angry, disappointed and sad. What happened? So, rather than exercising at that moment, I decided to meditate and pray to remain calm and optimistic that I will get better—one day I will loose all of the weight that my body is holding on to due to an out-of-whack thyroid. I felt better, but I did feel the need to post my feelings as a status update on my twitter and facebook page and I did get a few comments confirming the same thing.

After my sadness, I decided that I will not stress out about this gain, but instead try to remain calm. I think what has been happening is that I have been under quite a bit of stress with my business and volunteer activities. So, rather than stress about my 1.6 pound increase, I am going to keep repeating my affirmations and keep expecting the best in terms of my health! I spoke with Mary Shomon, a thyroid activist and author, over the weekend and she said that it is likely that my adrenals are low and that my body is likely going through other hormonal changes since I am… hmmm, getting older.

I am waiting on the test results from a recent saliva test and allergy test that I took a week ago. Even though I was calm that day, I would not be surprised if my adrenals where crazy! I’ll share with what happens!

PART 2: I Survived…
I survived today and I felt so much better after writing out my feelings and taking a step back to think about life. Of course, my mom had to give me a little shake too to remind of these things. So, as I close out my day to prepare for the next day, I’m feeling great about life despite the setback with this crazy, hormonal, autoimmune disorder!

Potassium Can Help Balance Blood Pressure

Throughout my teen and adult years, my mom has always encouraged me to eat bananas.  In fact, she would always say, “Eat a banana to get your potassium.”  So I ate the banana even though I didn’t know why potassium was good for me and I’m not sure that she even knew why either.  All I knew was that “mom’s always right!”  Well, recently, mom did it again, she reminded me to eat my banana, but unlike the past, I decided to find out why I needed to have this banana!  Needless to say, mom was indeed right to encourage me to get my potassium.

Through my research, I learned that potassium is one of three major minerals, called an electrolyte.  The functions of potassium include the following¹:

• Assist with regulating fluids and mineral balance in and out of the cells
• Assist with maintaining normal blood pressure by blunting sodium’s effects on blood pressure
• Assist with transmitting nerve impulses/signals
• Help muscles to relax

As you see, if you have challenges with high blood pressure or if you eat a lot of foods high in sodium, then you should definitely start to boost your potassium.  So how much potassium is necessary daily for men and women to achieve these benefits¹?

• Ages 9 – 13                        4500mg
• Ages 14 and up                   4700mg
• Breast feeding women          5100mg

Potassium can be found in almost all foods; see the table below to find out what foods have potassium; these foods are ranked from highest to lowest.

Food	Amount	Potassium (mg)
Lentils, cook	1 cup	738
Salmon fillet, baked	3 ounces	628
Mahi-mahi fillet, baked	3 ounces	533
Cod fillet, baked	3 ounces	517
Portabello mushroom	1 piece	484
Yam, baked in skin, peeled	1 cup	475
Red beans, can, unsalted	1 cup	460
Crimini mushrooms	1 cup	448
Mustard greens, cooked, no meat	1 cup	404
Potato, baked, no skin	1 each	391
Almonds, dry-roasted	1/2 cup	373
Banana, medium	1 piece	358
Broccoli, florets, uncooked	1/2 cup	325
Spinach, cooked, no salt	1/2 cup	302
Broccoli, chopped, cooked	1/2 cup	293
Turkey, breast, no skin, roasted	3 ounces	292
Beef, any cut, trimmed, cooked	3 ounces	269
Celery sticks, 4-inch long	1 piece	260
Chicken, breast, no skin, roasted	3 ounces	256
Romaine lettuce, shredded	1 cup	247
Baby carrots	10 pieces	237
Tomatoes, chopped, fresh	1/2 cup	237
Okra, cooked	1/2 cup	234
Cherries	1 cup	222
Coconut milk	2 tablespoons	220
Green beans, cooked	1/2 cup	159
Lemon, fresh	1/2 cup	120
Cow’s milk	1 cup	120
Green peas, cooked	1/2 cup	110
Apple, small	1 piece	107

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¹Duyff, Roberta Larson.  Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.  New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.

Rhonda’s Food Review: Baby Bananas

I absolutely love baby bananas. A friend told me about these petite delights at the end of 2008, but I was I unable to find them until  few months ago at Super Wal-mart! I was surprised when I saw them but I knew instantly that these were the bananas that she told me about many months ago. I could not wait to peel this wonderful, tender fruit when I got into my car! I must admit that when I first tasted it, I did taste a slight difference than the familiar taste of  the “regular” or mature banana. The biggest difference was that  it was much sweeter than the mature banana.

Baby bananas are typically grown in more humid climates like South America or Central America. Many of the baby bananas that I have seen come from Ecuador and sold by Chiquita or Dole.   These delicious bananas are about 3 inches long and are sold in about 10 to 12 in a bunch.  Sometimes they are also known as lady fingers or baby fingers.  In addition to Super Wal-mart, these bananas are sold at Whole Foods or at most ethnic grocery stores, especially those focused on Latin/Spanish cuisine.  You will pay twice as much for these wonderful delights (~ $1.49 – $1.99/lb), but they are worth it!

Also, baby bananas are awesome when darn brown with a few yellow areas and used in a smoothie.  So, if you can’t eat them fast enough, have no few, just save for use in a smoothie!  Click picture below to watch the food review video!

(click to play video)

How to Select Green Tea?

Okay, I am sure that you have seen several varieties of tea at the supermarket that range from bagged tea leaves to loose tea leaves to bottled teas to herbal teas, like mint, chamomile, jasmine, etc. There are so many types that it may be hard for “neo-tea drinker”s to choose. I used to be one of those neo-tea drinkers, but after traveling to China, my appreciation for tea grew tremendously! Not only did I learn about the history, I learned what to look for when selecting tea and how to steep the perfect cup of tea! In fact, my first tea party was in Shanghai, China!

One of the biggest things that I learned is that full tea leaves that are mostly sold loose are far better than the crushed tea leaves that you get in most bagged tea. The flavor profile is far more intense and you get more of the wonderful antioxidants.

My recommendations for selecting green tea:
1. Select a green tea that is 100% green tea leaves or green tea leaves mixed with other tea leaves or natural herbs/spices such as mint leaves paired with green tea leaves. Avoid the tea that is mixed or infused with flavors such as vanilla, caramel, etc. The tea will lose more of its natural properties as these flavors are processed and added to the tea leaves.

2. Stay clear away from those bottled green teas that have a long list of ingredients that includes high fructose corn syrup and food coloring! This is not good for the body.

3. Purchase loose green tea leaves at least once to experience its natural flavor. You will need to purchase a tea ball or a cup with a basket to hold the leaves as the tea steeps or else you will have leaves floating in your cup, which is how it is consumed in China!

My top 3 favorite brands of tea when I am not drinking Longjing Green Tea from China are as follows:
1. Revolution® Tea – full-leaf tea; available in silk bags or loose in several varieties.
2. Mighty Leaf® Tea – full tea leaves; available in a proprietary silk Tea Pouch™ or loose in several varieties.

Both of these brands can be purchased from selected grocery stores/specialty stores or ordered online. If you unable to purchase these brands then I recommend that you purchase Tazo® tea. This tea is also available both full leaf and in regular tea filter bags. Though it did not make my top list it is in 3rd place.

A Perfect Cup of Green Tea

1 teaspoon loose green tea leaves (or 1 tea bag)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon raw honey or raw agave nectar (optional)

Add tea leaves to a tea ball or strainer and place in a large ceramic cup.  Bring water to a boil (be careful not to allow the water to come to a rolling boil). Pour hot water over tea ball and let steep 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove tea ball and serve.  If desired, add honey or agave nectar to tea.

Gadget of the Week: Tea Ball

There are so many different types of tea accessories available that you can purchase to make sipping on a perfect cup of tea enjoyable.  When I first started drinking tea, of course it was in the tea bags, but later I transitioned to full leaf tea and for that I needed something to hold the leaves.  So, I found a number of accessories, which include stainless steel tea balls, infusers, mesh strainers, etc.  Which should I choose?!  Everyone has their own preference, but over time, I began to favor those accessories that would allow me to have the full flavor of the tea after steeping.  So, my favorite tea accessories are the mesh balls and strainers.

Tea accessories can be purchased anywhere tea is sold, as well as online http://bit.ly/J9vmy.

The Short Story of Green Tea

Green tea originated in China thousands of years ago and was used for medicinal purposes. Botanical studies indicate that India and China were among the first countries to cultivate tea.¹ Tea is made from the leaves of a single plant species called Camellia sinensis.² There are three main varieties of tea—green, black and oolong. The differences between them are the processing techniques. Green tea is the least processed made from non-oxidized leaves whereas black and oolong tea leaves are fermented (oxidized).

Tea, especially green tea, is packed with lots of wonderful benefits such as antioxidants, EGCG—epigallocatechin gallate, that have been known to reduce high blood sugar, lower risks of heart attack, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and to slow cancer growth. Green tea naturally has caffeine that ranges between 30 and 35mg per cup (black tea has about 40 to 60mg per cup) and coffee has 100 to 150mg per cup.² So as you see, not all caffeine is bad for you! In fact in 2006, The Journal of the American Medical Association published that by drinking green tea you may prolong your life! Now isn’t that worth a cup of tea?!

Studies have shown that women who drank 5 or more daily cups of green tea benefited most, decreasing their heart disease mortality risk by 31% compared with women who drank one cup or less per day. Men who drank the most tea also did well with a 22% risk reduction.

¹“Green Tea.” Wikipedia. July 15, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea. July 15, 2009.
²Chappell, Mary Margaret. “What’s Brewing.” Wildoats. January/February., 2007.