Ask A Dietitian
Posted by humboldt_honey on Jul 23, 2008 · Member since Feb 2007 · 12529 posts
I signed up to go to a free local agency seminar. Part of the flyer says, "Come and learn about jump starting a vegetarian diet" and to come with questions. I called and asked if the dietitian could also answer vegan-realted questions and was told, yes. So, what questions would you like to ask a nutritionist. I'll report back after the seminar at the end of August.
You're probably going to ask the thyroid stuffs already...so that has always been my big thing. stupid thyroid... =-p
bp - Being awesome is a side effect of a vegan diet. 8)
fb - Let me know what specific thyroid-related questions you have.
bp - Being awesome is a side effect of a vegan diet. 8)
fb - Let me know what specific thyroid-related questions you have.
I have one! I've found so many conflicting things about this: What foods really are goitrogenic? Is soy really bad for your thyroid if you are hypo? And how much is too much? I would love to get to ask a nutritionist that.
Sure. (I had to look up "goitrogenic.")
HH, ask about b12 for me.... I've always had b12/folate isssues pre-veg and after veg.... OH, and ask about celiac and veg.... if you don't mind ;)b I wish I had cool dietian resources.... I'm beginning to thing CO sucks....
Do you have something specific in mind?
I thought it'd be a class of 20-30 people, but I found out it's a seminar of a few hundred, so I'm going to see if I can email our questions early so the presenter can maybe incorporate them into her presentation.
wow, HH, that's a huge crowd! I've only been to a handful of seminars about becoming a masseur with my auntie and they've always been under 50. I don't have any ?'s but i will think on it.
Do you have something specific in mind?
I thought it'd be a class of 20-30 people, but I found out it's a seminar of a few hundred, so I'm going to see if I can email our questions early so the presenter can maybe incorporate them into her presentation.
I really want to know the answer to "the soy question." If we're taking thyroid supplements, say for Hashimoto's, can we eat tofu and other soy products, or not? If so, with how much time between pills and soy? Are soy isoflavones different than say tofu? And are they "safe" to take?
Are there any foods that people with thyroid disease should avoid or favour in their diet?
Do you have something specific in mind?
I thought it'd be a class of 20-30 people, but I found out it's a seminar of a few hundred, so I'm going to see if I can email our questions early so the presenter can maybe incorporate them into her presentation.
If there is some way to aide the absorbtion of b12/folate by dietary means? Maybe by taking supplements with specific foods or on an empty stomach.... It's not that I don't consume enough of the vitamins, I just have issues absorbing them. I also know b12 is water soluble so I could be simply peeing a lot of it out. I wonder if there is a way to prevent that from happening?
HH, ask about b12 for me.... I've always had b12/folate isssues pre-veg and after veg.... OH, and ask about celiac and veg.... if you don't mind ;)b I wish I had cool dietian resources.... I'm beginning to thing CO sucks....
pooh bear this blog has some great celiac info...and lots of her recipes are vegan..I think she used to be vegan before she developed celiac as well as a number of other allergies..
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
yay yabbit! You got all my questions for me =-)
What is the TRUTH about soy? I mean, you read some articles that says it is so good,then other say it is so bad. So which is it? Personally, I believe it is good because it is a major part of my diet and don't want to change that. But which article is correct really? I have heard both that it prevents breast cancer, and that it also increases risk for breast cancer. So which is it?
The presentation was last Thursday. I liked the presenter. It sounds like she didn't know much based on what I have to report back, but she was really quite knowledgeable. Just not about the thyroid. I think her day job is to advice patients undergoing medical procedures on what to eat during the recovery. Or something like that.
There was a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation before questions. Her last slide was how going vegetarian (she's veg) helps the environment.
Thyroid
1. What foods really are goitrogenic?
2. Is soy really bad for your thyroid if you are hypothyroid?
3. If we're taking thyroid supplements, say for Hashimoto's, can we eat tofu and other soy products, or not?
a. If so, with how much time between pills and soy?
b. How soy is too much?
4. Are soy isoflavones different than say tofu? And are they "safe" to take?
5. Are there any foods that people with thyroid disease should avoid or favor in their diet?
The dietitian didn't know anything about the thyroid. Not even the basics, so I couldn't get the answer to any of these questions.
Soy
1. What is the truth about soy? We read some articles that say soy has beneficial health effects, but then other say it is bad. (Are less processed soy foods, like tofu and tempeh, “better” than more processed foods, like textured vegetable protein (tvp)?)
I said there is conflicting news about whether soy is a danger to women, or beneficial. I've also heard that there are categories: less processed foods, like tofu and tempeh, are beneficial, and more processed foods, like TVP, are harmful. Are all types of soy safe and how frequently should it be eaten? She didn't really answer the question, except to say that soy is fine to eat, but to avoid TVP because it is stripped of nutrients, like white sugar.
Vitamins
1. Is some way to aide the absorption of B12/folate by dietary means (maybe by taking supplements with specific foods or on an empty stomach)?
There are no methods to enhance the absorption of B12.
2. How far apart should calcium absorption and oxalic acid they be separated? (Example: can I eat kale with black pepper and still absorb the calcium?)
There is no need to separate foods if the dose of oxalic acid is low, so pepper on kale should be fine. However, if you have a large dose of oxalic acid, like a cup of coffee, then wait 2 to 3 hours before eating calcium-rich foods for maximum absorption.
thanks! Sorry she wasn't more helpful....
Thank you HH for asking! ;)b
I will definitely get that appt made with the nutritionist and report back. Thanks for trying anyway.
We love ya!!
Thanks for getting this information for us - I didn't know that about TVP, so that's helpful, at least.
I just re-read this. I had no idea coffee was full of oxalic acid. :o
Here's something I stumbled across discussing the effects of soy on thyroid - no idea how reputable this info is, but just thought I would share it with the others who are trying to sort this out:
http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/davis_soy_safe.htm