Low iodine diet

I had to observe a low iodine diet before the radioactive iodine dosage, and I had to continue it for a few days after the treatment. So I was on the diet July 5-16. It was really hard and I didn't enjoy it. But I survived it! That's the message I can share. I can't tell you how to love the diet, but I got through it.

My mom did the diet with me, and I really respect her for that.

Here is a list of things you can't eat on a low iodine diet: salt, sea salt, dairy items, soy items, chocolate, any commercially baked goods like bread, cookies or anything like that. Also no carrageenan, no dried fruit because of the sulfuric acid, egg yolks, and definitely no seafood allowed. Also nothing with red dye #3, which means no maraschino cherries. Basically since no salt is allowed, that meant no fast food or processed food. You would be surprised how many thing have salt that really shouldn't.

Here's what can be eaten on the diet: 6-7 oz. of meat per day, four servings of grains per day (oatmeal, pasta, dry cereal), fresh fruits and vegetables, unsalted peanut butter, raw almonds, egg whites. I could cook with olive oil, but no butter. I could have all the soda I wanted and all the candy, provided it doesn't have chocolate or red dye #4. I could put kosher salt on my food because it doesn't have any iodine in it.

Dairy is not allowed on the diet because the cow that produced that cheese, sour cream or milk ate food with iodine in it. If I had cows of my own, I could restrict them to a certain diet and then have the dairy it produces. But I don't have cows. So. There's that. Let me also be clear about one thing; this is a low iodine diet, not a no-iodine diet. That's why I'm allowed to have some meat and some grains.

It was a tough diet and I especially missed milk and bread. I know other people have made their own bread in a certain way, but I didn't really look into it. If I have to have a second treatment and do the diet again, I would definitely look into making some bread. My mother in law is the master of making bread, so I would seek out her help.

A typical breakfast would be egg whites with sautéed bell pepper and probably a diet coke. Or I would have oatmeal with agave nectar. I love oatmeal with milk so it's really creamy, but I couldn't have milk. Agave nectar's consistency is similar to honey and it gave the oatmeal a creamier texture. I would add blueberries to that. For lunch I might eat plain organic rice cakes, which were very hard to find without salt! When I was camping and I needed to muster up energy, I might fry a 4 oz hamburger patty or eat some peanut butter. I looked to those things to get energy. 

I have a great penchant for all things sweet; I love chocolate, ice cream, sweet coffee drinks, cookies, I'm known to make a mean batch of cake pops, and the list goes on. This diet didn't allow any of that. I loved to eat unsalted peanut butter with honey. That was my savior on this diet.

I made a point of buying meat at Trader Joe's. I trust that store the most. Some of the meat I bought was organic and some was just grass-fed and free range.

Outside of the diet, I like to use store-bought marinades to bake chicken or steak. Of course those marinades are full of salt and I couldn't use them, so I cooked all my meat in a frying pan with olive oil and seasonings like dill and cayenne. I fell in love with dill!

My dinners would be some meat with maybe sliced Persian cucumber that is salted with kosher salt or some sautéed bell pepper. I had a total craving for salt, and the kosher salt helped that a lot. It tasted just like regular salt.

I've read online that some people lose weight on the diet, but I didn't. I think that has a lot to do with being hypothyroid. My mom enjoyed the diet. It's not good long term, though. Things like yogurt are so good for the body! Can't miss out on that.

I must say that I ate a lot of candy and drank a lot of sugar-free Redbull when I was camping. I think that was my own personal rebellion against the diet. Like okay, I can't eat ANYTHING but I can have gummy worms and Redbull.

 Camping and observing a low iodine diet is possible :)

 While camping, Johnny had a craving and ended up making fried jalapenos using pancake batter and cheese. Obviously this was torture and I could not eat them for a number of reasons.

 I told you I drank a lot of Redbull.

Mmmmm delicious steak on the diet.