It is amazing how many people have thyroid disease in the United States. The World Population Clock estimates the United States Population at more than 310 million as of October 2010, and approximately 27 million people suffer from thyroid disease. If you do the math, with these figures approximately one out of 11 people have thyroid disease. Thyroid disease is common in well-known people: Did you know that former President George Bush as well as his wife Barbara Bush have thyroid disease? Tipper Gore and Oprah Winfrey have it as well.
Thyroid disease in history is extremely interesting. Back in the mid-17th-century, enlarged thyroids (goiters) were thought to be beautiful and a fashionable thing to have. In historical literature, surgery was done on them only when a patient had trouble breathing. Many people died from surgery at this time to remove the thyroid, and those that lived had problems with severe hypothyroidism. It was only 300 to 400 years ago that the thyroid was named by Thomas Wharton, and society today is fortunate indeed to have a better understanding of the thyroid and its functions.
A brilliant surgeon by the name of Theodor Kocher won the Nobel Prize in 1909 for his work in thyroid surgery. He developed a new technique for its removal and was strict with sterile technique. Later in his career, he lost fewer than 1 percent of his patients when he performed the operations. Hallmarks of his career also included gaining a better understanding of thyroid function.
In 1891, George R. Murray noted success treating a patient with severe hypothyroidism with sheep thyroid extract. In a little over 100 years, injections have been replaced by daily synthetic tablets for thyroid replacement. There is so much more to learn about how the thyroid functions and perhaps better ways to replace what is missing. According to diabetes literature, we are close to developing the artificial pancreas. In what year do you think we will be able to say the same thing about an artificial thyroid?
This book will help you understand your thyroid condition, whether it be hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Options available for treatment in the year 2010 will also be discussed. If you have a chronic disease, proper nutrition will always help you stay healthy. Understanding a meal plan that stabilizes weight and offers healthy foods may be confusing. This is true especially if you have more than one medical condition that affects what you can eat. The recipes in this book have been analyzed for many different nutrients. You may not be interested in all of them. If you have a co-existing medical condition where this information is needed, then you'll be able to decide if the recipe can possibly be used. It should also be noted that the analysis of the recipes includes only the basic ingredients. If there are optional ingredients, you should account for them separately.
Reading The Everything® Thyroid Diet Book will answer many of your questions. Make sure all meal plans and medical therapies used are approved by your physician and medical team, including your dietitian, nurse, and pharmacist. Sometimes people have other members of their teams, such as a physical therapist to help with exercise. To locate a dietitian in your area, call the American Dietetic Association at 800-877-1600.
The meal plans in this book are just examples. The information provided is for you to get started improving your health and asking the right questions with your medical team. This book is not a replacement for medical advice. Ask your medical team what is correct for you, and don't be afraid to use the many resources at the end of the book. They should help you gain further understanding of the mighty thyroid!