A healthy diet and lifestyle are essential for maintaining thyroid health. 4 ways in which you can change your lifestyle are:
- Having a good 7-8 hours of sleep
- Regularly exercising
- Having a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables
- Reducing and managing stress
How Does our Diet Affect our Thyroid?
Our diet plays an important role in keeping our thyroid healthy and ensuring it functions well. Iodine is the chemical element responsible for making the 2 thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. Some foods that are rich in iodine are:
- Strawberries
- Cranberries
- Potatoes
- Yoghurt
- Iodine supplements
Food Sensitivities
People who are sensitive to wheat and gluten are known to commonly develop thyroid disorder due to an inflamed thyroid. Soy products can inhibit thyroid hormone absorption and can sometimes cause a weaker immune system.
The World of Vitamins and Minerals
Combining these 4 factors with medication and supplementation are effective to balance hormonal systems and flush out any excess rT3. For women, making these changes ensures a regular menstrual cycle. For both men and women, rebalancing hormones allows fat shrinkage and an increase in lean muscle.
Nutritional deficiencies
Combating our nutritional deficiencies can optimise thyroid health.
Selenium enables the thyroid to function properly. A diet insufficient in selenium can trigger thyroid disease. It helps the overall balance of the T4 hormone secretion in the body. Foods that are high in selenium include:
- Brazilian nuts
- Grass-fed beef
- Eggs
- Spinach
Vitamins B1 (Thiamine) and B12 (Cobalamin) are important to regulate hormonal balance and assist the energy release from the food we eat. Sources of B1 include:
- Pistachios
- Sunflower seeds
And sources of B12 include:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Grass-fed beef
Probiotics
Consuming probiotics is important to keep the gut healthy by containing beneficial bacteria. Fermented foods such as yoghurt, cheese and kimchi lower the overall inflammation in the body and gut.
Detox
Detoxing the body is beneficial to remove any toxins from our system. Even though our body has an excellent detoxing system, making lifestyle changes can enhance this process.
Chlorine, fluorine and bromine are common toxins present in toothpaste, tap water and cleaning agents. These can interfere with the iodine uptake needed to ensure the thyroid functions properly.
Eating organically and drinking enough water improves our body’s ability to detox itself.
Lowering stress by practising yoga can stimulate the thyroid gland and balance its metabolic functions. Stress can exert the thyroid gland, increasing levels of adrenalin and cortisol. Stress also indirectly leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, damages the adrenal and thyroid gland and releases antibodies that suppress the immune system.
Specific yoga poses such as the “shoulder stand pose” really stimulate the thyroid gland.