The Thyroid Diet by Mary J. Shomon (2004, Paperback)

I'll get the bad stuff out of the way, because there's not much. The book I have is the paperback version, and the text is very hard to read for someone who is in the throes of hormone hell. But the information is just right.

So, on to the good stuff- Mary Shomon has Hypothyroidism, so she understands what we hear when we're walking into the doctor's office and the only prescription we receive is "Eat Less". Thyroidosis, Hashimotos, Grave's Disease, etc... all of it has nothing to do with "eating less", and everything to do with what we've eaten for our entire lives, how we approach food, and what we've done in the past with our medical histories to change the way our body works. Our bodies have become inundated with chemicals, preservatives, medications, and certainly, fats. But, The Thyroid Diet doesn't say, "put the fork down", it says, "be wise about what you put on that fork".

That's what makes Ms. Shomon's book different from other "diet" books. You aren't given a scheduled eating session, told to weigh all you eat. You're given an in depth explanation of what hormones affect your metabolism, and what you can do by making simple changes in your daily diet to make those changes. Yes, you are told to exercise. You are told what are good foods and what are bad, but you're also told WHY these are important. It's not just a dictatorship- it's a partnership. You are taught to be partners with your own body's needs.

She is also very clear on what T3, Free T3, and T3 means. Blood tests are required for a clear understanding of what your body is reacting to and she gives specific tests to take. Mary also runs an online forum, and is easily found online, answering even MORE questions for those who haven't heard about a pituitary, a thyroid, or DHEA. For years she banged her head against the walls trying to get doctors to listen that her issues weren't just because she was a woman- they were because she is human. None of the book is condescending, nor do you feel as if you are being treated like a wayward 11 year old who has spent too much time in the cookie jar.

I've read You-On a Diet, which is the only other book I would describe as worthy on the topic. But, Mary's book is certainly one that is focused on specific issues, with specific patients in mind. She tries to lead you away from damaging your body further, and she does so with passion, and compassion. I haven't read this much about the way a body works since going through the Merck Manuals. She's just quite thorough, and well-spoken.

Great book , well written and laid out , without the bias of a certain diet's viewpoints. Finally a book with the specific foods that either help or hinder the weight issues that come with hypothyroid patients specifically , not just a side bar to a generally written diet. I get Mary Shomon's emails weekly from her about thyroid , and saw this book on her site and went right to ebay to find for less :) Best 10 bucks i've spent in eons :) I highly recommend it for any hypothyroid patient struggling to find out the answers and getting nowhere with your doctors. She's dealt with it herself and knows what works and what don't .

I found this book to be very informative and to help me in decisions of my diet.
I like it very much and plan to use it a lot in the future. It is a helpful piece of information for anyone with hypothyroidism.

Gives many good recipes. Very informative regarding vitamins that are necessary to keep thyroid patients feeling well. I would recommend this book to anyone who is having thyroid problems and dealing with weight gain/loss issues.

Excellent book, would recommend anyone with thyroid problems to read. Seems the Doctors that treat hypothyroidism should be made to read this,

I struggle from Hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed 3years ago. I was happy to find this book. It has great information and things I did not know about. The doctors simply do not tell you all of this information. I read it and highlighted info I wanted to discuss with my doctor. I took it to my doctors appointment and we went through it. She changed my prescription and I am feeling better. I am very grateful for this book.

I was very disappointed in this book.
It made me feel like all was lost, no matter what I ate or how much I exercised, that having a thyroid problem could never be fixed.
It made me feel like I was doomed to gain weight with a thyroid problem and nothing would help.

I did not like the pessimistic view point of this author!!

I appreciated the information on supplements and if they help in weight loss. Being hypothyroid, I was aware of a lot of the information because of educating myself through Mary Shomon's web site. If you have just been diagnosed, this is an excellent book to purchase. Losing weight and being hypothyroid is not easy and any informative book that teaches different helps to try is worth purchasing. And this book is at the top of my list. Mary Shomon has been an excellent advocate for all thyroid sufferers. Keep up the good work, we need you.

Since I was diagnosed hypothyroid, this book enables me to learn what others have found to help them succeed in living with hypothyroidism and their weight loss efforts. Thanks.

This book is helpful but very wordy! It has a lot of medical jargon that I really don't understand. Explanations of such things would help a bit!