Kevin Dobrzynski - The HypoThyroid Diet: Lose Weight and Beat Fatigue in 21 Days

About the Author

Dr. Kevin Dobrzynski DN attended The University of Rhode Island for his undergraduate studies, where he also competed in collegiate football and specialized in sports medicine.

He continued his education at The Chicago National College of Naprapathy, where he graduated with honors.

He is currently licensed in Illinois as a Doctor of Naprapathy.

Kevin is also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and he is a Metabolic Typing Advisor through healthexcel.

Dr. Dobrzynski uses exercise prescription along with nutritional counseling and supplementation to create the backbone of his practice. He believes that exercise and correct nutrition play an essential role in preventing and rehabilitating the body of DISEASE.

Combining alternative medicine with exercise creates a healthy option and balance to give you the freedom while staying in control of your own healthcare.

His love of nutrition and fitness and genuine concern for others drive his pursuit of excellence in his work, as well as his service to the community.

Kevin's goal is to expose as many people as possible to the best natural health resources so that others can stay in control of their own health. Kevin has been practicing in the suburbs of Chicago for 10 years. He is married to wife Amy and together they are raising two healthy children, Brook 5 and Dean 3.

Chapter 1

Hypothyroidism and Digestion

One of the major complications with hypothyroidism is how it affects the digestive system. The metabolic slow-down causes a number of digestive problems in patients with this condition.

Symptoms of sluggish digestion include bloating, indigestion, constipation, malabsorption, and flatulence.

These symptoms exist for a number of reasons

Research has shown that people with hypothyroidism have lower levels of serum gastrin and other enzymes that are produced by the pancreas. Gastrin is responsible for the production of hydrochloric acid, which aids in the digestion of food in the stomach.

The reduction in HCL means that food will sit in the stomach longer and leave the stomach only partially digested. If the food leaving the stomach is only partially digested, it will make digestion more difficult during the next phase of the digestive process.

Another problem that occurs with digestion is that the contractions of muscles that move food along through the GI tract have become sluggish. This will decrease the transit time of food through the entire system.

As a result, food remains in your system longer and can result in bacteria overgrowth, fermentation, and constipation, which can cause further health problems such as Candida and Dysbiosis.

Also, if food is not fully digestedit means the body will be unable to fully absorb the nutrients available in the foods you eat. This could lead to other symptoms of hypothyroidism such as depression.

As you can see, when you have problems with your digestive system not only can it cause symptoms directly related to digestion, but it can also lead to other health problems and symptoms indirectly related to hypothyroidism.

Dont Overcook Your Food

I bet you can remember your mom telling you to eat your veggies when you were a youngsterhopefully youve listened and youve been doing it for years. Now, its even more important, because there is a lack of vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat, especially the veggies.

There is a downward trend of nutrient depletion from what sits on your dinner table. The amount of bioavailable vitamins and minerals has been shrinking from decade to decade and, as a result, you now must eat twice the amount of fruits and vegetables to make up for whats missing.

The RDA for fruits and vegetables was a recommended five servings a day. Now, the servings have risen to 9-13 because of low nutrients in your food.

You can get some nutrients from fortified juices, milk, and cereals, but it just isnt the same. Taking a multivitamin will help if you choose the right one, but its not as good as the real thing.

I am going to show you how to extract more nutrients out of the foods youre already eating, how to make the food easier to digest, and how to lose a few pounds in the process.

There is a book written by a famous dentisthis name was Francis Pottenger. Dr. Pottenger documented the results of a little experiment he did with some cats, which has had a huge impact on how we eat, or at least it should have.

Francis decided he was going to study how food affected people. Well in this case, cats.

He started with groups of cats similar in size, age, and health. He fed all the cats a similar dietthe only difference was that one group got cooked food, and the other ate raw food.

At the end of the study, the groups of cats looked completely different. The study took place over a few years and the amazing thing was the group of cats that ate the raw food was lively and vivacious, while the other group was burdened with chronic disease.

The only difference was the mere cooking of the food.

Now, my point is not that you become a RAW foodie. My point is, if you eat the same foods you have been accustomed to, but start preparing them differently, you could make a big difference in how you feel and look.

For example, lets look at meat. Americans eat a lot of meat, and most people eat their meat well done.

If youre a steak lover, have you ever felt full and bloated after eating meat?

One of the problems with cooked meat is that it is very hard for your body to digest.

However, if you eat meat that is medium rare instead of well done, it will be much easier for your body to digest and youll get more nutrients from it because it hasnt been denatured through the cooking process.

Meat contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as enzymes. Enzymes will help break the meat down naturally if not destroyed through cooking. The enzymes actually help digest your meal.

You will get more nutrients out of eating meat and your body will be happier if you dont cook it all the way through. You dont have to eat it raw, which may involve some risks, but just try eating it a little less cooked than what youre accustomed to.

Another misnomer is that you should eat all your veggies raw to get all the nutrients from them.

Well, not so fast.

Did you know that you have to cook carrots to 104 degrees Fahrenheit to extract the beta carotene from them? Otherwise, all you get from raw carrots is fiber.

The fact is the body doesnt contain a cellulose enzyme that is needed to break down the fibrous part of veggies and to extract all the nutrients. In order to get the most out of your veggies, you should cook them just a little bit.

Im not suggesting that you overcook them until theyre mushy. Just cook them enough until they are al dentestill a bit crunchy, but not hard.

Most people, because of their digestive system, find it very hard to digest raw veggies, and cooking them slightly will make a big difference.

If you have no problems with digesting food, feel free to eat some raw veggies. A good rule of thumb is to have a variety of both raw and cooked veggies at every meal.

How to Make Digestion Easier

Because your GI system is not like that of othersand it runs at a slower pace, you must change some things about how you eat if you want to lose weight and feel better.

It amazes me that very few doctors address the diet of patients with hypothyroidism, even though digestive difficulties are a symptom of the condition.