avoiding goitrogenic foods is SERIOUS business

Yesterday i found the threshold.  About a half-cup of sauerkraut with my lunch, maybe a third-cup of cooked kale at dinner, plus an additional half-cup of the leftover coleslaw (just to finish it up), and i was COLD last evening.  I slept well, and woke this morning with a tongue that filled my mouth to overflowing.  Two strong symptoms with me, that my thyroid is under-performing.

I can usually have small amounts of problematic foods as long as i continue to eat well otherwise.  The other day, i had about a quarter-cup of baked beans without symptoms, and i had more than that of lentils on another day with impunity, but after my whole30 last year when i added refried beans in, a half-cup of THOSE caused the cold to grip me.  Then, a few months ago i tried a heritage variety of beans (Anasazi, and a small quantity at that) in my chili -- probably a quarter-cup was too much.

Obviously, different legumes, and different preparations of some foods (like cabbage) make a HUGE difference!  After all, i had a good-sized wedge of cabbage (probably a cup's worth) cooked with corned beef not long ago, and didn't turn a hair.  I can eat a reasonable serving of cooked broccoli or cauliflower (i avoid them raw these days) with no trouble.  If one has a weak or sensitive thyroid, only self-experimentation can teach you what you can live with and what is just TOO MUCH.

And these are only the goitrogens!  Grains and dairy cause a constellation of very different symptoms not necessarily associated with thyroid function.  One small serving of wheat doesn't bring on significant joint pain, and for those who don't realize they're sensitive because they don't have glaring symptoms -- well, they aren't likely to believe they have any problem at all.  It's only with an elimination diet and a LARGE dose of the offending substance that they'll come to notice they have ANY trouble!  I suspect that few people have as strong a reaction as Lori did to a foodstuff ... OR do as good detective-work in figuring it out.  You have to pay close attention to your body's cues, and not add too many novel foods too fast.

The additional amount of dairy (specifically, cream) that i've been consuming since my husband got home from his last business-trip has contributed its toll as well -- i've noticed before that dairy contributes to skin break-outs.  I had been thinking about trying a new recipe for barley bread, and i was curious to see if my reaction to that flour would be like what i have to wheat and oats, or more like my almost-nonexistent response to sourdough rye ... and now i'm glad i did NOT make it.  Too much of a load of "dangerous" foods at once!

Well, i've had fun experimenting but it's time to go back to a purer diet.  The last few days have "gifted" me with more body aches and allergies than i've felt for quite awhile, so enough is obviously enough.