Raw Spinach, Kale and Slow Thyroid

Raw Spinach

Hi Jane,

Do I have to worry about getting too much raw spinach and kale if I have a slow thyroid?

What is the scoop on too many of these greens? Or am I worrying needlessly?

I try and rotate my greens, but am having spinach and kale several times per week. Trying to get other greens in such as collards and I also eat green cabbage a lot.

Love BlenditandMendit, Lee

Dr. Ariel Policano to  the rescue:

Hi Lee,

Dr. Ariel Polocano

I believe it is more important to eat healthy, raw plant based foods than to worry too much about the goitrogens. Are you able to get some sea vegetables, such as dulse or nori into your food plan?

Enjoy all the good foods you are having. Remember to have lots of variety and you will be just fine!

Warm regards,

Ariel

And two cents from Jane, who is not a doctor:

If you are rotating your greens: http://blenditandmendit.com/the-protocols/30-day-support-protocol/bimi-blasts/day-9-bimi-blast/
and getting a wide variety, you probably have nothing to worry about;

KEY

Raw kale.

While I can’t speak to slow thyroid, I know that spinach can block the absorption of calcium due to its oxalates BUT one should not be relying only on spinach for their green smoothies, or on kale or any other green.

The key to good health and nourishment through green smoothies is a wide variety of greens and rotating your greens.
Many people become bored and lose interest in drinking their greens because they don’t consume a wide enough variety.

My regular supermarket stocks 17 greens, the health food stores have about 20 each and then there’s the farmer’s markets, seasonal greens and wild greens… once it’s on your radar you will see new and fresh greens often – lettuces, chards, kales, spinach, different varieties of each, dandelion greens, herbs like fresh basil, mint and dill, beet greens, bok choy, carrot greens, collard greens, salad greens…. purslane, etc.

Don’t Be Afraid

Don’t be afraid of any green that you think you don’t like – I was the same way with cilantro, I thought it smelled and tasted like soap – I now crave cilantro, who knew?

You can always start out with very small amounts of new greens and experiment. That’s what my website is for – I have over 200 recipe videos and a 30 Day Support Protocol with the recipes indexed by greens type. Plus Dr. Ariel Policano’s 21 Day Avo Smoothie Power Plan with recipes especially designed to help keep you warmer and fuller.

Every fresh green is a candidate for a green smoothie; that’s not to say you’ll end up liking them all. To this day I still don’t like mustard greens. That’s okay!! Just go to your stores, markets and farms when you can and dive in!

Also, I recommend you read Victoria Boutenko’s Green For Life to get more info on green smoothies and the importance of rotating your greens.

Lettuce blend and mend together, Jane