As a busy career woman or entrepreneur, it’s easy to assume that constantly feeling tired is a byproduct of work-related stress, but that may not be true. The unending fatigue you’re struggling with might be a symptom of something much worse – like low thyroid function. According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and nearly 60 percent of them are unaware of their condition. Also, women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems and one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. That is why it’s important that you learn about the thyroid and how it works. In this article, I’ll be telling you everything you need to know about the thyroid. As you read further, you’ll discover the roles that it plays in the body and what to do when there’s a dysfunction. But first, let’s define the thyroid.
What Is The Thyroid?
The thyroid is a gland located at the base of the neck, just below your Adam’s apple (vocal cords). It is a small butterfly-shaped organ that controls the body’s endocrine system. Just like other glands in your body, the thyroid creates and releases hormones that perform vital roles in the body. These hormones help regulate metabolism in the body when produced at the right amount. However, a deficiency or an excess in production leads to thyroid disease. Some common kinds of thyroid diseases and disorders include Grave’s disease, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
What Does The Thyroid Do?
The basic function of the thyroid gland in the body is to create and release thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism. Metabolism is an important process that helps convert food to energy in the body. It is this energy that keeps your body’s system functioning optimally. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland also perform muscle and digestive functions and help in brain development and bone maintenance. To perform optimally, they need a good supply of iodine from the diet.
The thyroid gland produces two important hormones which include, T4 (thyroxine, made up of four iodide atoms) and T3 (triiodothyronine, made up of three iodide atoms). Amongst the two hormones, T3 (also known as triiodothyronine) is very active while T4 (also known as thyroxine), is an inactive pro-hormone. During the production of thyroid hormones, the thyroid gland secretes 20% of the highly active T3 and 80% of the inactive T4. However, after production, certain enzymes found in the liver and kidney may convert the pro-hormone T4, into T3. Both of these hormones help in the conversion of food to energy and tells the body’s cells how much energy to use. A functional thyroid ensures that the right amount of hormones are produced, to keep your metabolism working at the right rate. As your body uses available hormones for metabolism, the thyroid gland produces replacements.
Additionally, there are other hormone-producing cells inside the thyroid gland known as C-cells. These cells release an important hormone called calcitonin. Calcitonin helps to regulate calcium and phosphate levels in the blood, which is vital for bone health and maintenance.
What Causes Low Thyroid Function?
About 10% of women in the U.S suffer from low thyroid function, also called hypothyroidism. It is a health condition where the body is unable to provide adequate amounts of thyroid hormones. Low thyroid function can happen due to low iodine levels, poor diet, and autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or Grave’s disease.
How To Improve Low Thyroid Function
Here are a few tips that can help you boost your thyroid function.
1. Consume More Iodine
The primary mineral that supports the thyroid is iodine. So, if you want to boost your thyroid function, you have to consume more of it. Iodine deficiency is a common deficiency for Americans. However, with a bit of effort, you can add iodine food sources to your diet. The best sources of iodine come from sea kelp, and dulse which is a red seaweed that grows in the cold waters of the Northwest Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.
You can use the following supplements to increase iodine levels and boost low thyroid function:
- Kelp powder capsules
- Home-blended Kelp Powder from dried seaweed. Use to season your food or add to smoothies.
- Liquid iodine drops, only if recommended by your physician or naturopathic doctor.
- Sea Salt. Use to season food or add to smoothies and hydrating beverages.
2. Eat a Thyroid Support Diet and Avoid Goitrogens
- Eat a Low sugar diet with moderate fat and protein and plenty of high fiber vegetables and fruit.
- Eat therapeutic foods like Oats, kelp, seaweed, artichokes, onions, garlic, dulse or red seaweed, Swiss chard, turnip greens, egg yolks, wheat germ, cod roe, oysters, clams, and shellfish. Many of these foods have naturally occurring iodine. Iodine like all vitamins and minerals is best absorbed and utilized by the body from whole food sources.
- Avoid goitrogen-containing foods unless cooked. Goitrogens are substances that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland and slows the thyroid’s ability to produce other hormones needed by the body. Foods that contain goitrogens include Broccoli, turnips, cabbage, carrots, kale, rutabaga, soybean, spinach, peanuts, yams, radishes, millet, green peppers, beets, celery, lettuce, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kohlrabi, peaches, pears, strawberries, apples, apricots, blackberries, raspberries, prunes, cherries, honeydew, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, peas, sorghum, bamboo shoots. These foods are all very healthy for people with normal thyroid function. But for those who are healing a low functioning thyroid problem, it’s best to either avoid or only eat when cooked.
- Avoid all soy products, which are known endocrine disrupters.
- Avoid known food sensitivities.
3. Use Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy consists of using hot and cold water to increase blood flow, pump the lymph system and in this case stimulate thyroid. Here are a couple of different techniques.
- Short cold spray to thyroid located at the base of the neck after warm bath/shower to stimulate the thyroid.
- Alternating hot and cold compresses to thyroid gland daily to “pump” the thyroid and stimulate it: Hot compresses molded to neck for 3 minutes followed by 30-60 seconds of cold compresses. Repeat 3‐5 times during each treatment. Recommended treatments, 2 to 4 times daily.
- After a warm bath or shower, finish with a cold shower to the middle and lower back to stimulate adrenals and help regulate cortisol levels which can negatively affect the thyroid.
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4. Implement Lifestyle Recommendations
- Do not use an electric blanket. The body’s metabolism will be slightly raised if the body must generate its own heat to keep warm.
- Exercise daily to stimulate the thyroid gland and elevate the body’s metabolic rate.
- Improve overall digestion and assimilation of food. Slow down when you are eating. Enjoy your meal and chew food well to help increase digestive enzymes.
If you need a solution for your low thyroid function, you can book an appointment with me today. As a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I can recommend personal lifestyle changes that can help improve your thyroid hormone levels.
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