As the years progress, thyroid problems seem to rise. Women especially are more prone to them. The thyroid glands play a crucial role in metabolism, heart rate regulation, and organ functions. Therefore, when it becomes underactive, you may experience difficulties managing your weight, along with many other health complications.
What is hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is the most common type of thyroid disorder. This gland is found in the front of your neck and is responsible for making thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy. When your body doesn't make enough of these hormones, it causes your body to slow down.
What causes hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism can happen for many different reasons, but our current chaotic lifestyles may be contributing to it. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder. This means your immune system starts to attack itself. This is more common in women than men. Common causes for hypothyroidism include:
- Radiation treatments.
- Medicines such as amiodarone, lithium, and interleukin-2 can prevent the thyroid gland from producing hormones normally.
- Too much or too little iodine - The thyroid gland must have iodine to produce thyroid hormones.
- Damage to the pituitary gland.
- Removal of the thyroid gland.
How can you diagnose hypothyroidism?
Health providers can test for hypothyroidism with blood work. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test, T3, T4, and thyroid antibody blood tests can determine a diagnosis for hypothyroidism. An abnormally high TSH means hypothyroidism is present.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- A puffy face
- Slow heart rate
- Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
- Dry skin
- Depression
- Joint and muscle pain
- Trouble tolerating cold
These symptoms may look like other health problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis.
About 10% of women suffer from an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can lead to many debilitating symptoms and have a big impact on one's quality of life. There are many nutrition and lifestyle changes that can be made to improve the levels of thyroid hormones.
Diet
Creating a food plan high in micronutrients can increase the activity of your thyroid gland. If you have hypothyroidism, consider adding these foods to your diet.
- Cranberries
- Eggs
- Seaweed
- Iodized salt
- Fish (cod, tuna, salmon)
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Cashews
- Brown rice
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Kombucha
If you are undergoing treatment for hypothyroidism, you may want to steer clear of foods that impede hormone absorption such as:
- Caffeinated drinks
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fried and processed foods
- Soy-based foods
- Foods containing gluten
- Cauliflower, kale, broccoli, and cabbage
Treatment
We know that taking thyroid hormone replacement medications will increase thyroid hormone levels. But, there are ways to naturally boost low thyroid functions. Thyroid Support at Sol Nutrition helps support low thyroid functions by increasing blood flow to nourish the glands while detoxing the lymphatics. Thyroid Support helps with improving metabolism for weight management, promotes happiness, uplifts mood and mental clarity, and may also help with hair loss.
Liver detoxification
Liver detoxification plays an important role in thyroid functions as your liver is involved in the conversion of thyroid hormones as well as boosting your metabolism which is lowered with under-active thyroids. Healthy Liver at Sol Nutrition supports a healthy metabolism and body detox. The healthy herbs in this supplement improve the production of liver enzymes which help detoxify your liver. A strong liver promotes healthy metabolism and improves weight management.
Exercise
Exercising regularly, especially in the mornings can help boost thyroid hormone levels. Exercise is great for boosting metabolism and stimulating the thyroid gland for thyroid hormone production. Here is a low-impact full body routine any beginner can do.
Stress
Lowering stress levels is key as stress increases cortisol levels which in turn decreases the production of thyroid-stimulating hormones as well as inhibiting T4 to T3. Stress relief steps such as yoga or practicing meditation can be helpful. Read our blog on How to Reduce Stress here to be well-equipped next time you are in a stressful situation.
Get enough sleep
Hormone levels change throughout the day, increasing and decreasing based on your needs. TSH levels are usually the highest at night and impact your quality of sleep. Without getting a proper amount of sleep, your TSH never reaches a high level, which can impact thyroid levels over time. Consider reading our blog post for How to Sleep Better & Sleep Longer here.
Takeaway
It is important to get the right diagnosis about what is going on with your thyroid in order to find the best relief. By making additional lifestyle changes and Incorporating high-quality supplements into your life, you can support your body and allow it to heal with these lifestyle recommendations to boost low thyroid functions.