Does any of the following sound familiar?
- You are feeling tired all the time
- Your hair is falling out
- You retain water
- You’re experiencing unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- Your libido is low
- You’re suffering with PMS or severe menstrual cramps
- You are having trouble getting or staying pregnant
- You’re often constipated
- Your muscles and joints ache
- Your skin is dry and your nails are brittle
- You get cold easily
- You can’t fall or stay asleep
- You have brain fog
- You’re having memory issues
- You struggle with depression or anxiety
- You get heart palpitation
- You have low immunity
Your thyroid can be out of balance.
The thyroid secretes hormones that regulate the energy production and metabolism of every cell in your body. That is why thyroid dysfunction can manifest in many ways, depending on which tissues are affected.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common type of underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces antibodies that attack and destroy healthy thyroid tissue. As the thyroid gland is damaged, it loses its ability to produce enough hormone and so all your body’s processes slow down.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid produces too much hormone. As a result, all of the body’s processes speed up.
Grave’s disease, also an autoimmune condition, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Here, the immune system creates antibodies that attach to thyroid cells stimulating them to overproduce thyroid hormone which can cause the thyroid to swell, resulting in a goiter.
Some causes of thyroid dysfunction?
- Stress
- Gluten and Neu5gc siglec from mammals
- Nutrient deficiencies especially selenium, iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin D
- Toxins
- Liver dysfunction
- Inflammation
- Genetics
- Infections
- Drugs
- Poor gut health and food sensitivities
What can you do to treat your thyroid disorder?
1. Clean up your diet
Improving your diet can make a big difference in your thyroid health. Go for fresh, organic fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, seeds and algae that contain vitamins and minerals needed to support your thyroid.
Gluten can trigger the formation of antibodies that attack not only gluten molecules but also the tissue of the thyroid. Caffeine, refined sugar and flour can imbalance stress hormones which disrupts the thyroid and impair gut function.
2. Try to avoid exposure to toxins
Our exposure to industrial chemicals increases: in our air, food, water, furniture, household products, personal care products, and more.
These chemicals disrupt the orderly functioning of the endocrine system (our system of hormones). Depending on your genetic makeup, diet, stress level, and other risk factors, an endocrine disruptor might affect your sex hormones, stress hormones, thyroid hormones, or all three.
You can minimise your exposure by using a water filter, avoiding processed foods, using clean, chemical-free products, no plastic packaging and bottles.
3. Stress reduction
Stress reduction is essential as stress provokes the adrenals to release stress hormones, including cortisol. Excess cortisol creates inflammation, disrupts thyroid function, distresses the gut, and generally plays havoc with your entire system. Excess cortisol can also disrupt the pituitary, which, in turn, can disrupt the thyroid.
4. Exercise regularly
Moderate exercise is important due to its role in stress relief, in reducing inflammation and increasing blood flow. Exercise also helps achieve better sleep, which is key to the healing process.
5. Use food as your medicine.
Support your thyroid with this breakfast. Free from gluten, sugar and dairy, good for gut and thyroid.
Ingredients:
- 60 gr buckwheat flakes
- ½ apple, grated
- 125 ml plant-based milk
- 125 ml plant-based yoghurt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seed
- ½ tsp grounded cinnamon
- 2 brazil nuts
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Place it in the fridge overnight. At your breakfast time, you can add some more plant-based milk if needed and a nice topping.
For the topping, you can use:
- Sliced strawberries, Blueberries, Mint leaves, Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, Hemp seeds
A natural supplement can be Ashwagandha. It is a herb that seems to stimulate your endocrine system, boosting thyroid hormone levels by reducing cortisol, your primary stress hormone. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, so you must use it at least 8 weeks before you notice some effects. You can take 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract daily.
Note: Ashwagandha should not be used if you have an overactive thyroid as it may boost thyroid hormones and make your symptoms worseIt is always better to treat the root cause of your complains with a therapist. A Psycho-Neuro-Immuno-Endocrino (PNI) therapist can give you all the advice needed to help you overcoming an autoimmune disease. Ask me for more information.