Forever, Jane and I have had two eggs, two pieces of Canadian bacon for breakfast. Now it seems—we can’t.
We have to take Levothyroxine on an empty stomach, without calcium or magnesium or soy for at least 4 hours.
Now we also have to avoid anything that’s high cholesterol. We cannot have Eggbeaters, because we are allergic to onion—which Eggbeaters contains in sufficient quantity to cause problems.
We cannot have cereal, because we can’t have the milk, or soy, and almond milk is fortified with calcium.
We cannot have either eggs or bacon because of cholesterol.
We are now having Eggos. I got some nice muffintops but we can’t have those either, because they’re reinforced with calcium.
Sardines are out: there’s no way either of us could choke down one at 7 am. And besides—Jane’s also on a low sodium diet, so that would be out, too.
I tell you, this is a poser. I can cope with lunch and supper and bring us down to nearly zilch in cholesterol…but! breakfast! Wah!
At least the ricotta desserts still work.
Did you run that 4 hour restriction by a pharmacist? I just looked it up on Walgreens and they say not to take an antacids or “product with iron or calcium” within 4 hours but I wonder if that includes the foods you list which would have much lower concentrations.
4 hours restriction is a long one… I have hypothyroidism and take Euthyrox, but I have to wait only half an hour before eating something… Or maybe restrictions change with country…
Varies by doctor, too: some will up the meds to compensate for, say, 40% of the dose being chewed up by, say, milk in the morning. Others want you to wait 4 whole {sigh} hours and keep a lower dose. Yep, we asked the doc directly at least on some items.
Try looking up what people in other parts of the world have for breakfast. Somewhere out there must be a food combo that works. Fish or other seafood maybe? It’s very random for breakfast, but not eating four hours after you get up can throw your system off all day as well. The meds can’t be taken before you go to bed?
Is oatmeal out of the question? Boxed cereal for the most part all have vitamins and calcium in them even without the milk, but oatmeal could work if made without milk. Grits? Hm. Boiled eggs sans the middle?
Oatmeal or the Multigrain Cheerios is working for me. Hard for me to get up and make eggs every morning.
Hmmm… The Johns Hopkins Drug Guide doesn’t say anything about what not to eat (“no food interactions”). The PDR likewise, although it give a whole list of other drugs you should be cautious about taking with it, including some OTC meds. I second getting a bit more guidance from a pharmacist or your doctor. Is that 4 hour wait before or after taking the meds, i.e., can you take your thyroid drugs, then wait a bit and have breakfast? Can you juggle the schedule and take it just before bedtime, when you’ve had dinner several hours before?
That’s about a 10 hour before and 4 after. Which is a pain. Jane woke me to take the med at 5:15 am, which I think means she wants cereal for breakfast. She loves Kashi Lean. And we have Almond Milk for it. I bought extra, thinking there would be no problem. I read the label for sodium, carbs, and fats: now cholesterol, and I’m going to have to add yet another mental filter for calcium: that’s a lot of wickets to go through. So far, Multigrain Eggos most fill the bill; and I think I can make that recipe for a freehand batter: it’s essentially pancake/waffle batter, substitute whole wheat, a whoooooole lot of wheat bran, and there is a baking substitute for eggs; flax meal, which I have. Gotta check on the cholesterol, sodium, carb, fat content of flax seed.
I like having rice mixed with things for breakfast: rice with dried cranberries, raisins, apple bits, cinnamon, brown sugar, or rice with shredded chicken, grapes, nuts and celery with a squeeze of lime juice, or rice with shredded chicken, chicken broth, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Gazpacho, hot, cold, or frozen into a sorbet on hot summer mornings, is another favorite.
I grew up on beans on toast with sliced tomatoes for breakfast or smashed beans and salsa in tortillas.
Oatmeal is tasty with applesauce instead of milk and butter stirred into it. Add berries and cinnamon for variety.
I hope these suggestions help you figure out new breakfasts. Sometimes, it’s hard to think of foods other than the traditional ones for breakfast. Look to Asia for other possible breakfast foods.
No, they have to be taken on an empty stomach in the AM: if possible we get up at 5 am, take meds, then go back to bed—yes, I know: it’s a lot like taking them really late the night before 😆 but—even so, that’s breakfast at 9, so it’s still running late and we’re ravenous by then.
We’re not allowed rice or potatoes on the diet; bread is pushing it. So is cereal. But…ya gotta have something! And the only way Jane can get oatmeal down is if it’s cooked in milk. Otherwise it tastes bad to her.
I swear, cooking for 1 person with likes and allergies is hard; cooking for 2 is harder—thank goodness we share the same meds, same restrictions, or we’d be bonkers!
The suggestions are much appreciated. I don’t think we can manage sardines, and fruit intake is restricted, so there’s that; but there’s got to be something out there!
Can you have egg whites? They can make a nice omelet.
Re the Eggbeaters – What about egg whites? (From a carton, I mean – not separating all those eggs!) They’re not yellow, but they do scramble, and they’re sold mostly as a baking ingredient so they don’t come with spicing at all. And the whites are where the protein is.
Re the bacon – If Jane can deal with Nova lox (the least salty kind — you might even rinse it off first), you can frizzle it up in some olive oil, and make a Nova lox-egg white omelet. If even nova lox is a non-starter, there’s probably something you could do with frizzling up thin-sliced salmon fillet and spicing it to taste, and using it as egg-white-omelet filler. By “frizzle” I mean actually cook it until it’s browned, as if it were bacon. And both salmon and olive oil have the right kind of fatty acids if you’re cholesterol-sensitive.
Re the thyroid meds – in answer to other folks, no, you can’t take it at night unless you’re not interested in sleeping. It’s a waker-upper. My solution is to eat/take vitamins first, then wait the four hours for the thyroid. BTW, re the calcium thing, there *may* be differences here between the generic Levothyroxine and the non-generic Synthroid. When my doctor first gave me some Synthroid samples, he said it didn’t matter when I took them. My scrip is for generic, though, and that comes with the “no calcium” warnings, plus an admonition to take it with a full glass of water. This might be worth asking the doctor or pharmacist about too.
Poi?!? 😀 I’ll send you some, if you want!
I found an egg white omelette/frittata recipe that might work for you. I tried it out on DH, who is picky, and he went back for seconds.
Put one 4 oz. container of artichoke hearts (either frozen and defrosted, or marinated) in a nonstick frying pan. Break up with a spatula and heat until sizzling, then add in 2 c. spinach leaves and a dash of garlic. Stir fry until the spinach is wilted.
Separate 8 eggs and keep the whites, then add 1 whole egg (some cholesterol there, but much less than with 8 whole eggs!) Beat until blended, then pour over spinach and artichoke hearts. Fry until browned, then pull up the edges and allow the still liquid part to run under and brown; if you are feling talented, you can try flipping the whole thing. Serve with a dash of pepper once the eggs are set.
I’ve always wondered what poi is like. 😉
Wallpaper paste. Yuck.
It depends on what your taste buds have gotten used to, and there is a ‘getting accustomed to it’ curve. Many people prefer the slightly fermented ‘sour’ poi,2-3 days old; I like the new poi better.
If you REALLY want to try poi, I’ll send you a can of the dried, powdered stuff. The fresh will probably not travel well. It doesn’t do real poi justice; Tulrose’s comment about wallpaper paste might apply here. Or you can come to HI and try the real stuff! 😀
Have the ricotta deserts for breakfast. Nothing says you have to eat only breakfast foods for breakfast… Find something else you can bear for dessert, or start the day with a salad….
That’s an idea. Maybe we can figure out a breakfast one.
I’d say that an egg isn’t going to kill your cholesterol level, but eating several eggs a day might. (My cholesterol seems to be driven by carbohydrates. Years of low-fat dieting didn’t even slow it down.)
Good point. Our 2 eggs was starting the day already 100 points above the daily max of 300.
I have access to a Middle-Eastern/ethnic market with some herb mixes (onion and garlic free).
Sabzi-o-kuku is intended to go in scrambled eggs – it’s parsley, cilantro, fenugreek, and basil, according to the label. About a tablespoon per egg, and I put some boiling (or at least really hot) water on it to get the herbs softened before I add the eggs.
The other one is za’atar: thyme, sumac (a sour seasoning), sesame seeds and a little salt. Just the thyme and sumac is really tasty in itself.
(Also, there are curry blends without onions or garlic. (I know someone who can eat onion and garlic, but only fresh. Dried has effects they describe as ‘covered by EPA and OSHA’.))
My mom was known to have fish for breakfast on rare occasions. I have tried that and thought it was fine; just have a mild.fish, if a stronger taste bugs you.
My grandmother used to say she herself grew up having salmon croquettes occasionally for breakfast. Your mileage may vary. I’ve never tried them for breakfast. That sounds too much like a lunch or supper food. Maybe I need to try it for breakfast and see.
Potato pancakes?
Gazpacho? Frijoles refritos?
Corn pone?
Or maybe… Soupçon de médecin nouveau? — Time for a 2nd opinion?
We used to have fish for breakfast at least once or twice a week. Besides, one can eat anything for breakfast. There’s no need to be restricted to traditional meal arrangements. Eat your lunch or dinner for breakfast – who cares?
Hmm, Dad has weetbix (wheat biscuits) with orange juice.
Grilled tomato and mushrooms?
@P J Evans – are you saying you managed to lower your cholesterol by reducing your carbs?
Second or third the suggestion for egg whites. They come in pint or quart cartons (like milk cartons) and are probably somewhere near the Eggbeaters – that’s where they are in my grocery anyway. You can scramble them or make an omelet, frittata, or quiche. I don’t know about cereal, though. What little flavor I notice in oatmeal is OK with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if it would be possible to fiddle the South Beach recipe for oatmeal pancakes in order to leave out the cottage cheese. Maybe putting some low-sugar syrup or jam on them would work. They are more hassle than an omelet, though. Have you tried the steel-cut kind of oatmeal? The texture is entirely different, perhaps the flavor might be too? You might also try some of the less-usual grains, like buckwheat and quinoa. Hmmm…I wonder if it would be possible to make potato pancakes out of sweet potatoes…?
I’ll look up that recipe.
How about oatmeal made with cranberry juice instead of water. It adds quite a zing. You can vary the amount of cranberry versus water if it is too much. Good for the kidneys and bladder too.
I’ve taken levothyroxine for at least 15 years – I always take it at night, just before bed, along with my lisinopril. It’s done well by me; my dose dropped from 150mg to 125mg last year, still feeling fine – my TSH gets tested every 6 months, and if I noticed a problem my doc would check sooner.
Are you sure you have to take it in the morning? I read about the thyroid long ago, and it seems the recommendation for morning was based on the idea that you’d get more dosage after you first took the pill. I’ve never felt a problem with that – I wonder if there have been any recent studies on time of day effect? I wonder how much is really known that 4 hrs is needed?
Your eggs and bacon sound great for breakfast; I wish I had time to do something like that. Easy breakfast foods tend to be high carb, which I have to avoid. I found Special K Protein Plus which is low carb for a cereal, and I use milk on it. That will get me from 7 am to 11 am, then i get really hungry, probably because there is no fat involved. Diet and med management is hell sometimes.
Thanks for the info. Almond milk is pretty good for a substitute, except the calcium dose; will take a look.
Check out unsweetened organic coconut milk.
I’ve been on levothyroxine since 2000. I only have 1/8 of a thyroid gland left after surgery. The ONLY way I was able to achieve my target TSH level of < 1.5 was to religiously follow the med/food timing outlined. I stop eating at 5-6pm and get up at 4-5am to take my thyroid meds. Then I eat breakfast ~ 9am….sometimes later cuz I'm usually not hungry now that my leptin sensitivity has been reactivated (anti-inflammatory diet). No biggie, but then I'm a morning person and get up early anyway.
I was failed by my health care providers in terms of managing my thyroid levels after surgery so I had to research the issue on my own. I found substantial information on Mary Shomon's about.com site and she provides literature sources for most of her information. A couple of years ago I stumbled on the calcium issue and made some changes that allow me to maintain a TSH level < 1.5 instead of hovering around 2.0. A small change but it made a difference in terms of energy level and other thyroid symptoms!
Managing reverse T3 appears to be one big issue that lots of thyroid patients miss and endocrinologists in general ignore as long as your TSH levels are on target. Who wants suppressed metabolism?!?!?
I have no suggestions about breakfast as it's a non-issue for me. But the idea of mixing dried fruits and nuts etc with rice (I'd use quinoa) is interesting….as I get tired of organic oatmeal/yogurt/raw ginger/cinnamon/fruits/nuts every so often.