What do you cook/eat when you are exhausted?

I'm sorry to hear that she has so many health issues, but unfortunately they tend to come together.

Does she have any food intolerance? I have Hashimoto and over the years it has seriously messed with my capacity to digest foods. I probably do not produce enough of certain enzymes and my gut microbiome (bacteria) gets easily off balance.

So , ideally she should first address these issues. Get her gut microbiome in order and identify any foods that trigger or worsen inflammation.

A rule of thumb for Hashimoto is to avoid gluten. I know, tough choice, but it is necessary. Google it and you'll see why. If you want to mimic at all cost the way of eating with gluten but go gluten free, it can cost you more, because for some reason gluten-free products are more expensive and it takes more time and effort. But there are recipes with rice flour that are easy and not that expensive.

There are other ways to eat. E.g. she can prepare raw desserts. There are many recipes that are easy to make. Some of them do not require food processors but most of them do.

So the first step would be research. She needs to find recipes that suit her.

I make and freeze gluten-free bread in advance.

Same goes for some other meals, like cream (no dairy see bellow) soups,

No dairy. Some doctors have a complete different opinion, but mine agree with me. It is not the only source of calcium and the downsides of consuming dairy are substantial. Google it.

There are alternatives BUT I'd stay clear of soy, or minimize it. Soy affects thyroid.

Also, she should limit the consumption of red meat.

When eating fish or poultry she should make sure that it's not filled with hormones and that the fish is not grown.

For Cushing's, in addition to already said, I'd add that she should watch her fat intake and make sure that it comes from healthy sources (olive oil, coconut oil... not all oils are the same, some are good only raw, some can take the heat). How are her calcium and vitamin D levels?

She should stay away from processed foods. They are filled with all sorts of additives .

There are no shortcuts. Once she adopts a lifestyle change , she WILL get better. In the meantime she has to make an effort to change the way she eats and starts exercising (I don't mean go to the gym, but walk,

do gentile stretching, or go for a swim, whatever she does she should enjoy the movement).

My favorite recipes are spinach (she can buy it frozen) and zucchini soups, fruit smoothies with green herbal tea instead of cow or plant milk, all sorts of fresh salads.

Her problem with energy won't be solved if she eats very caloric , sugary food. It will only make her more tired since she will experience sugar crashes. So she should make sure that at each meal she has enough protein and fiber.

Fore example when I make fruit smoothies, I add chia seeds or oat bran for fiber, flax seed for healthy fat and e.g. hemp or maca powder for protein. This way the fruit won't be digested to fast and spike my sugar levels. If I take too much glucose raising food, it will not only make me hungry sooner, but tired.

For a snack, of she eats fruit, why not combine it with almond butter? (I cannot digest peanuts)

Green beans are excellent, low glycemic index, good fiber levels and they are tasty and can be combined with both animal protein and vegetables.

So, the bottom line is, it will take some effort at the beginning to find out what she should eat (and what she likes to it), but once you set a good foundation, it will go smoothly.

I GET THE SAME I have HASHIMOTOS AND THE DRUGS BP MEDS OFTEN MAKE ME TIRED. ONE THING I find really good is I MAKE SOMETHING NUTRITIOUS LIKE CHICKEN STEW WHEN I have energy , THEN FREEZE IT in a one person portion. so all I NEED TO DO IS LEAVE OUT and heat either on the hob or in the oven. Another thing is to just remember that baking any vegetables is easy just put them in oven like baked potato or sweet potato and also a chicken breast no standing let the oven do the work.

I make a vegetable baked dish which is really tasty you could chop veg ahead it is put in a baking dish maybe even enough for 2 meals as I LOVE IT NEXT DAY HOT OR COLD,

Chop zucchini/ courgette into cubes , red onions as well red pepper and small baby potatoes lightly cover with olive oil ,and sprinkle with OREGANO IF YOU LIKE IT. bake at about 180 for 1/2 hour til veg seems soft or less then add feta cheese cubes and portobello mushrooms and bake till cheese melts and mushrooms soft slice them thin. I SERVE IT WITH Quinoa which you can also make ahead .YUM you can vary the veg but I LOVE THIS COMBO SERVE WITH BROWN RICE. I apologize for the caps this is only on this site my ipad just has a mind of its own !!! I just had a hair analysis done and I WAS SURPRISED WHAT FOODS SHOWED UP AS ones I SHOULD NOT EAT!

Things that I had no idea were affecting me .. maybe worth trying. I also have have been gluten free for years but i see the other person makes her own bread , I MORE AND MORE NOTICE HOW MANY INGREDIENTS GO INTO GLUTEN FREE BREAD SO HAVE RECENTLY OPTED FOR sourdough spelt bread which has fewer yukky additives. GOOD LUCK

Hi, Other than some responders' advice which I very agree, I have one suggestion of nutritious intake: plant based meal replacement shake by Kate Farms (google it for more info). It's expensive, but simple and easy and very health effective and beneficial. I am a Graves Disease patient and I use it every day (especially when traveling or in camping trip) for long time. It does me good.

I have hashimoto's, a migraine disorder and significant food intolerances. Some days the easiest thing is pre-made freezer meals. This was especially helpful earlier this year when I broke my leg and was non weight bearing for six weeks. I'm not sure where you are based, but I'm in sydney australia.

There is a bunch of companies that delivery premade, food intolerance aware meals that meet the nutrition (high protein, low fat, heathy wholemeal carbs) requirements, that are tasty for the rough days. They can be kept in the freezer for 3mths.

Cook on good days but have the back ups for those rough ones.

My go to snacks are, approved by my nutritionist:

cheese on vitawheats (3)

carrot and cucumber sticks

chobani FIT yogurt (this one is lactose free and higher protein)

rice crackers with salsa

I buy the mix it yourself salad kits from the store. I know it is more expensive but it takes less than two minutes to make the salad. there is no cutting only open and mix.

I know these things are not so good for the environment but I keep them on stock for the bad days:

single serve microwave rice packs

frozen steam fresh vegie packs

I also keep stocked up on:

tinned tuna

rice crackers

protein powder

frozen blueberries (costco sells huge bags!!)

frozen bananas

cereal

This way I always can make something super easy and quick. A banana and berry protein shake; tuna rice and vegie dinner etc.

thanks given me some extra ideas as i am about to have a total hip replacement so will need easy to make food cheers