Thyroid Nutrition: A New Standard of Care

Thyroid nutrition: what is it, and what does it mean? Should you eat differently when you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? What about parathyroid problems, is there a specific diet you should eat when you have hyperparathyroidism? Graves' disease: are there foods that you should avoid? Sadly, most of these questions are not addressed fully when you speak with your doctor or even your surgeon before you have a thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy.

If you have ever wondered how the food that you eat will affect your thyroid, then you will be excited to hear...

Julia Diaz, RDN, will begin collaborating with the Russell Center beginning in September 2025 (which is also Thyroid Cancer Awareness month!). She will offer complimentary consultations with any patient who is about to undergo thyroid treatment at our center, with the goal of optimizing nutrition.

Julia is a bilingual Registered Dietitian and 15-year thyroid cancer survivor whose personal journey has inspired her career. Based in Oakland, California, she works extensively in thyroid, parathyroid, and endocrine surgery nutrition, while also bringing experience from hospital care, dialysis, and other complex medical conditions. In her private practice, Julia focuses exclusively on supporting individuals with all types of thyroid cancer, those recovering from thyroid or parathyroid surgery, and people managing endocrine conditions across every age and stage of health. Highly driven and active, she channels the same passion she has for biking and tennis into empowering her patients. Her mission is clear: to ensure every patient feels fully prepared for surgery, supported in recovery, and confident that thriving, feeling great, and living a long, fulfilling life is absolutely possible through the power of nutrition and lifestyle.

I have followed Julia on social media for more than a year, which is why I originally approached her about this collaboration. During that time, she has been very precise about what nutrition can and cannot do. She has followed the science and has been very careful to follow the best guidance available for these patients.

Why are we doing this? So many of our patients have questions about thyroid nutrition, thyroid cancer nutrition, weight gain after thyroidectomy, Hashimoto's swelling, and so on. It's sadly outside of mainstream medical care, but thyroid and parathyroid nutrition affect the well-being of every single patient that we treat. Partnering with a world class expert in this area will ensure that our patients have the best outcomes of any patients in the world.

Innovating in thyroid and parathyroid treatment involves much more than doing new surgical techniques and treatments. Offering better and safer treatment options is what we have always done. But that was only the ground floor. When we started the Russell Center, we made it even better by focusing on the patient experience from start to finish. And now we continue our journey by adding a passionate dietitian who is a world expert in helping patients on their thyroid journey.

Julia, welcome to the team- Let's make thyroid nutrition a part of every thyroid treatment and set a new standard of care!