Is your thyroid the cause of your weight gain?
What is the thyroid and what does it do?
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck and plays some very important functions on your body. It produces two main hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and these two hormones affect every cell in your body. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating your:
Metabolism, the rate at which you use energy or you burn calories
Body temperature
Hair growth
Mood
And it also helps in the production of protein and other hormones. If your thyroid is not working as it should, you could experience weight gain and have difficulty losing weight.
Types of thyroid conditions
There are two main malfunctions of the thyroid, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid wherein it does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Common symptoms include:
Weight gain
Cold intolerance
Fatigue
Sleep problems
Trouble concentrating, described as brain fog
Depression
Dry skin
Muscle cramp
The two root causes of hypothyroidism are immunity and inflammation, they MUST be addressed in order to get your thyroid to function properly.
Inflammation suppresses thyroid hormones and decreases the responsiveness of thyroid receptors. Even with medications, if your receptors are not responding, the meds will not be effective. Inflammation also decreases the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone to active form of thyroid hormone. Most of the hormone medicines (Synthroid, Unithroid, Levoxyl, etc.) are inactive thyroid hormone, and if you give this medication to someone who has inflammation, it will not work because it cannot be converted to the active form.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone or overactive. Common symptoms include:
Weight loss even with increased appetite
Irregular heartbeat or increased heartbeat (commonly more than 100 beats per minute)
Heart palpitations
Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
Changes in menstrual patterns
Increased sensitivity to heat
An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
Fatigue, muscle weakness
Difficulty sleeping
Skin and hair thinning
What can you do to support and to naturally boost your thyroid?
Iodine is one of the key nutrients required for the thyroid hormone and it requires more iodine than any other tissue in the body. As a result, the thyroid takes iodine before any other tissue can get it. However, if there is not enough iodine to go around, the thyroid will swell up to try to trap it more efficiently which could develop into goiter.
Have your doctor test your blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine.
Low levels of thyroxine and high levels of TSH can indicate an underactive (hypo) thyroid while high levels of thyroxine and low or nonexistent levels of TSH can indicate you have an overactive (hyper) thyroid.
Remove inflammatory foods such as anything that is highly processed and replace with anti-inflammatory whole foods such as sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables (if you can tolerate them), salmon, sardines, etc.
Thyroid conditions can occur because of certain nutrient deficiencies, adding certain nutrients can be effective:
Selenium - eat foods high in selenium like Brazil nuts, grass fed beef, egg, spinach, and yellowfin tuna.
Take a high quality whole-food multivitamin, and make sure you’re getting enough iodine, B-vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, zinc and copper. Vitamin B12 Good sources of B 12 include raw milk, raw cheese, cottage cheese, wild caught salmon and grass fed beef. Thiamine is abundant in Crimini mushrooms, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, and ground flaxseed.
Supplement with probiotics, as good thyroid functioning depends on a supply of healthy gut bacteria.
Detoxifying your body regularly helps to remove toxins and improve nutrient absorption.
Certain herbs can effective on supporting the thyroid:
Ashwagandha helps balance your hormone levels and is the first choice in Ayurveda. The herb is useful for underactive and overactive thyroid issues. It also helps to stimulate a sluggish metabolism, lose weight, boost immunity, reduce anxiety, stress and insomnia.
Tulsi: Tulsi or Holy Basil is similar to ashwagandha.
Black walnut hull is a natural remedy for treating goiter and hypothyroidism. The herb is rich in iodine and is a natural detoxifying agent.
Follow a gluten-free diet, which has also been shown to improve thyroid function. Research has found a link between wheat allergies and thyroid disease.
Lifestyle changes:
Practice stress reduction techniques such as meditation or deep-breathing. Chronic stress is said to be one of the main triggers of hypothyroidism.
Avoid chemicals like triclosan, which is commonly found in items like antibacterial soap, deodorant, lotions, and even in cutting boards.
Exercise — this is especially important to correct thyroid function. Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day is a good place to start.
Certain essential oils have been found to be effective in supporting thyroid function:
Lavender
Frankincense
Clove
Lemongrass
Myrrh
Peppermint
Thyroid essential oil blend
6-8 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Frankincense essential oil
5 drops Clove essential oil
5 drops Lemongrass essential oil
5 drops Myrrh essential oil
5 drops of Peppermint
Carrier oil of choice
Directions:
Add oils to a 10-ml glass rollerball bottle and top off with a carrier oil of your choice. Replace top, cap, and swirl to combine. To use, apply daily directly to your thyroid.
In Good Health,
deon
Source: Draxe.com, danettemay.com
DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to provide medical advice. The purpose is to provide education and broader understanding to my readers. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. I do not recommend or prescribe, or recommend changing dosage or discontinuing, any prescription medications or pharmaceutical drugs.
