I’d like to thank my agent and friend, Carol Mann, who in her calm and steady way always manages to keep me headed in just the right direction. I am also extremely fortunate to have Sarah Durand at HarperCollins as my editor all these years. Her insightful editing and thoughtful approach pushes my work to levels I couldn’t achieve without her guidance. I am so grateful to have these two talented and caring women in my life.
I am in awe of my husband, Jon Mathis, whose metabolism still makes me marvel, and I wish to thank him for his support, time, energy, love, and especially that pair of rose-colored glasses he’s worn every time he has looked at me, even long before our wedding! Without him as my partner, my books would never become reality. And to both Jon and my daughter, Julia, who were patient and supportive (and did I say patient?) throughout the entire process of writing this book!
To my best friend, Jean-Marie Yamine, who is, as always, my sister, my Richelieu, my adviser, my personal pep squad, and the best brainstorming partner a writer could have.
And thanks to my dad, Dan, and my brother, Dan, for their support, and my mother, Pat, who even though she is gone, is with me always in heart and spirit.
Thanks also to my in-laws, Barbara and Russell Mathis, for their unfailing support, and for providing a safe and cozy haven for their son and granddaughter during my working weekends.
Many thanks to my dear aunt, Rita Kelleher, and my cousins, Ellen Blaze and Joan Kelleher, who are so supportive of me and my family.
I am indebted to Rosario Quintanilla and Elizabeth Mensah-Engmann for their many hours of caring for me and my family while I finished the book.
Many thanks to Jim McCauley, whose recipes and food ideas have truly changed the way I eat—buffalo burgers, who’d have thought?—and who has added so much to this book! And thanks to his partner, Edward Inderrieden, for his support of both Jim and me during the making of this book, and for willingly taste-testing all the recipes!
Kudos to Linda Souter and Paige Waehner, who were incredibly talented and diligent researchers and provided a great deal of assistance in putting together this book.
Continuing gratitude to Kate Lemmerman, MD, Bob Umlauf, PhD, and Silvia Treves, who keep me running smoothly, in both body and mind.
To all my dear friends on the Momfriends e-mail list for your support, cheers, camaraderie, and momvibes, during our more than 7-year daily cyberspace kaffeeklatsch!
To my unofficial news bureau, Rose Apter, Kim Carmichael-Cox, and health writer extraordinaire James Scheer, who regularly send me news reports, articles, and books that are right on target and always just what I need.
I must thank the many doctors, practitioners, and experts who provided information for the book, or who took time to brainstorm with me, shared their insights, or otherwise have contributed greatly to my thinking in the area of thyroid disease and nutrition. We are all fortunate to have these smart and caring people out there thinking about, researching, and caring for our health: Ken Blanchard, MD; David Brownstein, MD; Hyla Cass, MD; David Derry, MD; Udo Erasmus, PhD; Bruce Fife, ND, CN; Ted Friedman, MD; Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD; Donna Hurlock, MD; Dave Junno, PsyD; Stephen Langer, MD; Scott Levine, MD; Joseph Mercola, DO; Roby Mitchell, MD; Richard Podell, MD; Byron Richards, CCN; Marie Savard, MD; Karilee Halo Shames RN, PhD; Richard Shames, MD; Jacob Teitelbaum, MD; and Ken Woliner, MD.
Special thanks to Marisa Lavine and the Endocrine Society, Terry Dunkle of DietPower, Susan Burke of Ediets, Ric Rooney and Bart Hanks of PhysiqueTransformation, and Ray Faraee of Iherb for assistance and support.
And my heartfelt gratitude and commiseration to the thousands of people who have written to me to share their stories, pain, tears, laughter, joy, and sorrow as they go through this journey of thyroid disease and face the challenges of weight loss. I know exactly how you feel, and I can only hope that you find a glimmer of hope somewhere in this book, because you more than deserve hope, good health, happiness—and answers.