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.

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.

Confused about Whole Grain vs Whole Wheat?

At least once a week someone asks me about  the differences between whole grain and whole wheat.  Because I kept getting that question, I thought that maybe I should just share the answer with all of you just in case you were wondering the same thing.  First of all, grains (also known as cereal grains) are grasses that are cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds¹.  A whole grain is the entire edible part of any grains.  A list of grains includes the following:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Spelt
• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Buckwheat*
• Rye
• Quinoa*
• Millet
• Amaranth*
• Sorghum
• Teff

*not real grasses, considered as pseudocereals

The entire (whole) edible parts of the grain include the following²:

1. Bran:  the outer layers of the grain that supplies antioxidants, B vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fiber.
2. Endosperm: the inner part of the grain with most of the proteins and carbohydrates and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
3. Germ:  the small but very important part; it sprouts, generating a new plant.  It is rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, trace minerals, antioxidants and essential fats.

As you see, most of the fiber and vitamins/minerals come from the bran and the germ parts of the grain.  When the grain is milled, the germ and the bran are stripped away leaving behind the endosperm, which is how white flour is produced.  Because this flour does not contain any vitamins or minerals, the government has required that iron and B-vitamins are added back in to the flour, hence the name “enriched wheat.”

So how do you select which bread to choose?  Here are some tips:

1. Look at the ingredients label on the product.  Look for the words “whole grain”, “whole wheat”, or “100% whole grain.”  You would want to purchase this product.
2. If you see the word “enriched” or “wheat flour” do not purchase.  Wheat flour is another name for white flour!  Do NOT be fooled by the words on the package—it’s just advertising!
3. Beware of breads labeled as “7-grain” or “multigrain” as these may or may not be true whole grains; it could just be a marketing ploy.  The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients label.
4. Pay attention to the amount of dietary fiber on the label; if the product is a whole grain, it will be high in dietary fiber.

So the bottom line to this article, in terms of nutrition, both “whole grain” and “whole wheat” are great for you!  In fact, whole wheat is a type of a whole grain.

¹“Cereal.”  Wikipedia. May 23, 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal>.  May 28, 2009.

²Duyff, Roberta Larson.  Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.  New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.

Thyroid and Emotions

I felt the need to touch on this subject because for the last month, my emotions (my mental state) have been all over the place!  I had all sorts of feelings and I know I was getting on my mom and friends’ nerves because I began to complain more, snap more, give up and even question my physical appearance!  In just 1 week after being excited about my new exercise program, I crashed the next week–I stopped exercising because my mind was thinking, “what is the point of killing myself with exercise if I am still gaining weight?!”   Basically, I became emotionally unsteady for sure!  Have you felt this way too? Do you know someone going through something like this too?  Don’t give up on yourself or them! 

They thyroid imbalance has the potential to cause a person to become depressed.   (I have several books written by numerous doctors to validate my claims–I’ll share that later.)  Though I have been on this journey now for about 15 years, I have cycles too that seem to align with a woman’s cycle of life that throws me off.  I can recall feeling the same way at 30 and then at 35, but because there’s so much time between the two periods sometimes I don’t recognize that my thyroid is off, until I get really low, which by then I am depressed and angry.    I was so depressed and angry that I wasn’t seeing any results that I stopped taking my thyroid supplements.  Yes, I did!  I felt that they weren’t as effective and I was tired of the doctors “trying things”.  After all, I got a Master’s Degree for doing research, I can try things too.  Against my doctor’s wishes, I stopped taking the supplements and he supported me with 1 condition that if I continue to gain weight and get sluggish, I have to start back in a month.  Well, guess what?  I continued to gain weight even with burning 400 – 500 calories 5 days per week with a strict diet!  In 1 month, I gained the 12 pounds that I had lost 2 months prior!!! Now wouldn’t you get depressed on that?!!

So, I had to remind myself that I do not have a thyroid gland (or I should say that I have very little gland left) because I had the radioactive iodine treatment 14 years ago and I need to take the supplements just so that I can have some thyroid hormones.  I had to stop comparing my situation to every case study that has been done to help folks with this disease.  Most of those patients still had their thyroid gland.  Any rate, though I thought I wasn’t seeing results, the extra thyroid supplements were preventing me from getting worse. 

So, now I am on my way back up again.  I started back taking compound T4 on March 13th, as well as avoiding foods that could potentially work against the thyroid–foods like cabbage, turnips, strawberries, just to name a few (check out my previous blog on this topic).  I am feeling better and I LOVE myself again!  I will keep myself in check by blogging about my status–it’s therapeutic.   

If you are feeling similar to my feelings, don’t give up, don’t get depressed or frustrated.  It may not be you, it could be your thyroid imbalance.  If you haven’t been seeing a doctor, please schedule an appointment now.  Everyone needs support when fighting against this disease!  I learned this after 15 years!

Ever Wonder about Omega-3’s?

Omega-3 essential fatty acids, simply called Omega 3’s for short, are essential for a healthy life, particularly a healthy heart.¹ The body cannot make omega-3 by itself, but it is essential for a person to consume these through foods (hence the name Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids).  There are other types of essential fatty acids, but the two principle types are omega-3 and omega-6; both are important in the right proportion.²  Most Americans have a diet that is imbalanced in the consumption of omega-3 and omega-6.  One reason is because we are a “quick and easy” processed meals society.  The ideal amount, is 1 to 2 ratio omega-6 to omega-3 instead of being 25 times more Omega 6!²  Since our diets are already rich in omega-6s, this article will focus on how to get more omega-3s. 

 

First, let’s start with the benefits of omega-3s. Many studies have shown that people who consume a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids¹:

·        Have a decreased risk of developing heart disease

·        Have a reduced risk of death from a cardiac causes, when taken after a heart attack

·        Ease depression and bipolar depression

·        May protect against Alzheimer’s disease

·        May lower chance of developing dementia

·        May help in treating hyperactivities disorder (ADHD)

·        May help to treat joint pain, stiffness and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis

 

You can obtain omega-3 by eating cold-water fish, ground flaxseeds, or supplements.  Consult your doctor to schedule a physical assessment; then work with your doctor, dietician, or fitness/nutrition counselor to determine the appropriate amount you need.

 

¹Schulman, Robert MD.  Solve It With Supplements.  New York: Rodale, 2007.

²”Introduction to Probiotics.” National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  Jan 9, 2009. Jan 17, 2009 <http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics/#uses>. 

My Thyroid Drama!

Okay, I have been dealing with this see-saw game with my thyroid drama since 1994, when I was first diagnosed.  And you know what?  It is FRUSTRATING with a big fat F!  I don’t know if you or one of your loved ones feels the same way as I do, but it makes me sick at times.  One week I am feeling free and fabulous, the weight is in check and I am looking great and the next two weeks, I am feeling sluggish and have put on an additional 3 pounds despite eating all the right things.  What is really going on?  It shouldn’t be this way.  After all, I did have the radioactive treatment back in 1995; I thought it was supposed to eliminate all of this up-and-down crap!  Yes, I am not a happy camper right at this moment and I need to blog about it so that it can make me feel better to know that I am not alone. 

 

So What Happened? 

I believe in my personal opinion and from articles that I read that I got this thyroid disease due to my traumatic stress.  After all, I was perfectly fine in college.  When I started my first year in graduate school to work on my PhD in Electrical Engineering, I was stressed out and I was a very long way away from home. After being diagnosed, I was put on PTU and synthroid for a year before going to another doctor who introduced me to the idea of this radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment.  It is an outpatient treatment whereby the doctor gives you a dosage of a radioactive isotope of iodine (I131) for you to drink.  This “cocktail” is interesting to say the least. He said that if I was tired of going round and round that I should just have the procedure.  What he failed to tell me was the percentage of likelihood that it would not work long term.  He said that it could be a chance that I develop hypothyroidism (see my previous blog entry on the basics of thyroid disease, http://rhondascooking.wordpress.com/2008/08/02/do-you-have-a-thyroid-problem/), but he never said how much was that “chance” and because I trusted him, I said okay, let’s just do it!  I later learned from various sources online that it was a 75 – 100% effective, so I guess I represent that small percentage of those that the RAI treatment didn’t work.

 

What is RAI treatment? 

According to mythyroid.com, RAI treatment results in destruction of thyroid tissue, there is often a transient period of several days to weeks when the symptoms of hyperthyroidism may actually worsen following radioactive iodine therapy. Many patients are able to tolerate the initial few weeks without any problem whatsoever. Others may not be so successful and will likely become hypothyroid and will continue to have to take meds to manage this!

 

So, just in case you may be thinking about having it done, PLEASE talk to someone first before deciding to do it.  See what happened to them and then make your decision.  I do have an opinion about it—let’s just say that if I had to do it over again, I would have not selected that option because after about 12 years later, I am back on the see-saw with the up and down, hormonal imbalance.  

 

 

Sources that discuss the RAI Treatment:

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/raiprep.html

 

http://www.mythyroid.com/iodinehyper.html