The Stupid Diet

What is the Low Iodine “Stupid Diet”

Well, for us lucky enough to prep our bodies for Radioactive Iodine Treatment (RAI), we have to get ready by starving our bodies/thyroid cells of iodine for 2 whole weeks. By doing so, when you take the radioactive iodine pill, your body is ready and willing to accept it. The next day, we go to the nuclear therapy lab and get a whole body scan. If there are any thyroid cells, they will ‘light up’ due to the radioactive iodine. This first dose in not dangerous, nor require seclusion due to being ‘radioactive’. But if you are positive for thyroid activity, you will continue the diet and return to take a higher dose, requiring seclusion.

Why seclusion? Well if you have a healthy thyroid, it can be damaged by radioactive activity, so stay away!

Here are some tips I like to make the Low-Iodine diet bearable. Let’s admit, it sucks. Especially if you hate to cook, like me! I eat out numerous times a week, so this diet sure puts a damper on my culinary enjoyment.

A few things that get me through the day.

Oatmeal with brown sugar and strawberries.

Licorice and Jelly Bellys.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade

Great Harvest Cinnamon Raisin bread, toasted with margarine

Fruit smoothies. Frozen fruit (costco) with egg white protein or Hemp Milk, banana

Pasta with Low Sodium sauce (Whole Foods) and ground beef

Grilled Steak and Sweet Potatoe with brown sugar or roasted potatoes (sprinkled with non-iodized salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Grilled Sweet Corn

I have somehow found a way to actually gain weight during the Low Iodine diet. Must be all the carbs I have discovered, that make me oh so happy.

If you do love to cook, don't forget to download the Low Iodine cookbook from thyca.org!