If you are one of those people who simply have to look at a slice of cake to gain weight, you might be suffering from hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland, which is situated under your Adam’s apple, quite low down on our neck, plays a major role in both weight gain and weight loss because it is responsible for the secretion of several important hormones that regulate our metabolism.
Metabolism, highly simplified, is the process of burning calories so that they can be converted into energy. This enables us to use our muscles and ensures that our essential organs, over which we have no control, are able to function. If we are overweight, we need to encourage our bodies to burn our own body fat rather than drawing energy from the food we eat. If we have an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, this is not an easy task.
Can we encourage our thyroid to become more active?
In a word, yes, but it isn’t going to happen without some serious input from your side. Remember the old saying: “No pain, no gain”? Unfortunately, exactly that applies here. But there are also several useful tips for getting your thyroid back into shape.
Iodine: One of the most important minerals for a healthy, active thyroid is iodine, so if you use prefer to use rock salt for cooking, it’s time to switch to natural sea salt, which contains natural iodine. Avoid iodized salt – the real thing is always better than something which has to be supplemented to make it “healthier.” There are also lots of foods that naturally contain iodine. Fish and other seafood, like shrimps, crab, and lobster are an excellent healthy source. Seaweeds also contain iodine, so if you like sushi, you’re well on the way. Pressed kelp tablets are another way to consume seaweed if you don’t like its flavor. Turkey breast, boiled eggs, bananas, prunes, boiled potatoes, and plain yogurt are also good sources of iodine.
Down with sugar and starch, up with protein, whole foods, and raw vegetables: If you’re trying to lose weight, sugars and other refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, cakes and cookies, noodles and rice are to be consumed with extreme caution. There are two basic sources of energy that your body can burn for energy– carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and fats. Protein is used to regenerate and grow cells, but it doesn’t provide the body with energy. If you eat a lot of “bad” carbohydrates, your body is going to burn those bad carbohydrates, because they are very much easier to burn than fat is. If you don’t supply your body with carbohydrates, it is forced to burn fat instead, and if you keep your fat intake down too, your body will be forced to burn its own fat (which it actually stores, just in case it finds itself in a situation in which it is not supplied with carbohydrates or additional fats). Eating protein, whole foods and raw vegetables – which are hard to digest – activates your thyroid and thereby the fat-burning process.
Healthy Supplements: Besides iodine, several other supplements help to restore thyroid activity. These include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, Vitamins A and D, the B Group Vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Think about it like this: Without the right fuel, a car will not run properly – perhaps it will not run at all. Besides normal gas, there are also several other fluids it needs, so that various other systems work properly – water in the battery, hydraulic oil for the brakes, clutch and power steering, water and anti-freeze in the radiator and as irrelevant as it may be for the functioning of the motor, water and perhaps some kind of cleaning and anti-freezing agent for the windshield wipers, so that you can clean the windshield while you are driving. Without these fluids, that car isn’t going to work the way you want it to, and without certain crucial vitamins, minerals, and foodstuffs, your body isn’t going to function properly either.
Calm down and get moving: If you want your thyroid to function the way it should, you need to avoid stress, and if you can’t, you need to learn to cope with it better. Have a long, relaxing bath every evening, meditate in a quiet place, lie on the couch and listen to calming music, burn a scented candle and sip some lavender tea, just sit in the garden and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and forget about work, appointments and whatever is waiting for your attention. Or go for a long walk. Exercise is also very important for activating the thyroid, but if you are very stressed, the last thing your body needs is a strict exercise regime at the gym – all that does is add to your stress. Rather go on long, easy walks. The current accepted “target” is 10,000 steps a day. Try meditating while you walk.
Amazing adaptogens: There are several other supplements, referred to as adaptogens, which have many beneficial properties. They reduce inflammation, help you to cope with stress, improve concentration and much more. Most importantly, if you suffer from hypothyroidism, one of the adaptogens, ashgwanda, helps to balance your thyroid hormones. Another adaptogen, Rhodiola, reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol is released into your body when you are under stress, and as long as your cortisol levels are up, you will not burn any fat at all. Other adaptogens are holy basil, ginseng, and licorice root.
Intermittent fasting: This is not nearly as terrible as it sounds. It’s all about having a daily eating window and literally not eating or drinking anything except an occasional cup of tea without milk or sugar and lots of water outside of those hours. Ideally, you want to aim at eating your first meal at midday and your second (and last) meal at 5 pm. That way, your insulin will only spike twice a day – at each meal – it will go down again during your fasting period. Then, and only then, will your body start to burn calories? It’s a simple principle – insulin in your system, no fat burning! Some people are lucky enough that their insulin levels go down again quickly after a meal, but if you have hypothyroidism, that’s not the case so that the intermittent fasting principle can save the day for you. And the next time someone tells you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, simply laugh at him!
Conclusion
So! What’s the plan of action? If you aren’t sure about your thyroid hormone levels, get them tested. Step 2 is to change your diet – remember, “Down with sugar and starch, up with protein, whole foods, and raw vegetables.” Start intermittent fasting. Part of changing your diet is to include lots of iodine-rich foods and to switch to natural sea salt. Start eating foods that are rich in the vitamins and minerals mentioned above – e.g. liver, dark green vegetables or lentils for iron; meat, eggs, brewer’s yeast, legumes and lentils for B vitamins; sweet potatoes, kale or berries for Vitamin A; fish, mushrooms and plenty of sunshine for Vitamin D; nuts, chia seeds and mushrooms for selenium; lamb, pumpkin seeds and cocoa for zinc; plenty of oily fish, flax and avocados for omega-3 fats. Step 3 is to take relaxation time for yourself and Step 4 is to look at taking some of the adaptogens as supplements. Good luck on the road to a new, slim you!
References
https://www.webmd.com/women/picture-of-the-thyroid#1
https://healthwholeness.com/vitamin-rich-foods/iodine-rich-foods
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3139/13-Ways-to-Treat-Hypothyroidism-Naturally.html
https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis/
http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/adaptogen-herbs-to-heal-your-thyroid-and-boost-metabolism/
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