Are you popping a pill the moment you wake up?
If yes, then you are not alone, sadly as per a recent survey , nearly every 3rd Indian suffers from some or other form of thyroid disorder. Perhaps the most stunning statistics are that up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition and that women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems.
So is there any route out from thyroid or is it to be a pill-popping process for the rest of your life…lets find out some life truths about this little butterfly shaped gland at your lower neck, which is causing you so much of stress!
What is Thyroid?
The thyroid gland is in your neck, just below the Adam’s apple. A part of the endocrine system, the thyroid creates hormones and controls how your body uses energy and your body’s sensitivity to other hormones.
The thyroid produces a hormone called triiodothyronine, known as T3. It also produces a hormone called thyroxine, known as T4. Together, these hormones regulate your body’s temperature, metabolism, and heart rate. They also regulate various functions in the body including digestive function, bone maintenance, brain development and muscle control.
Poor functioning of thyroid leads to poor metabolism, weight gain and high cholesterol levels.
What is TSH?
The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a pituitary(pituitary gland is the master gland in our body) hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) hormones.
What is Hypothyroid?
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. This condition may cause weight gain, dry skin, constipation, feeling cold, hairfal , brittle nails,frequent infections or low immunity,dizziness and slow heart rate.
If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels and adviced statins, get yourself checked for thyroid too. As it is very likely that your cholesterol levels are high due to an underfunctioning thyroid and fixing your thyroid will fix your cholesterol as well.
What is Hyperthyroid?
Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which thyroid gland produces excessive hormones. This condition may cause signs and symptoms such as weight loss, irritability, sweating, and irregular heartbeats.
More than 80% of thyroid disorders today are hypothyroid in nature. So sharing practical tips, do’s and don’t’s for hypothyroidism. Hence forth read thyroid as hypothyroid in the article.
Why should I do the Full Thyroid Profile Test and not just the TSH?
The Thyroid Profile test measures the levels of total thyroxine [T-4], total triiodothyronine [T-3] and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood.
If you have normal levels of T3, T4 and TSH, you have a great thyroid function. But if you have a normal TSH and an abnormality in your T3 and T4, you still need to improve your thyroid function. In nutshell your thyroid health depends on all 3 above hormone levels and not only TSH. If the levels of T3 and T4 are not normal the body cannot convert fat into energy leading to weight gain.
What causes an imbalanced thyroid and why is it rampant now?
Thyroid is majorly a lifestyle disorder caused by wrong eating pattern, regular junk food consumption, irregular sleep cycle and chronic stress. It’s rampant now because of processed food choices, high-stress lives and an indisciplined lifestyle.
It is entirely reversible with clean eating habits and a healthy lifestyle.
Shouldn’t medicines cure the imbalance?
The thyroid tablet prescribed to you does not cure or repair your thyroid gland. It only helps in producing some thyroid hormones and the dosage keeps on increasing based on your lifestyle.
The medicine also interferes with the absorption of vital vitamins and nutrients like Vit. B12, Calcium, Selenium, Vit D to name a few. To supplement these thyroid pills, most people are also given calcium and multi-vitamins. The pills and supplements both have their own list of side effects.
So choice is yours -Living rest of your life with thyroid pills and its side effects, increasing dosage and weight with time.
Or
Working towards naturally curing and nourishing the thyroid gland and losing excessive weight with a healthier lifestyle and be free from medicines.
What are the main triggers and how can I work around them?
Though certain genetic factors or thyroid surgery may also cause thyroid. The most common triggers for alarming rise in thyroid disorders today are:
Chronic Stress: The No. 1 killer for most lifestyle diseases. Under stress body produces excessive cortisol hormone and less thyroxine . Leaving your immunity levels low and causing constant fatigue.
Poly unsaturated fats(PUFA) and Refined oils :Soyabean oil,corn oil,sunflower oil and most of the other refined vegetable oils are rich in PUFA. PUFA does not allow production of thyroxine by thyroid gland which is required to convert fat into energy. So when these PUFA rich oils are consumed the fat is not converted into energy and hence the slow metabolism and weight gain.
What are some natural healers or preventers that I should have for my thyroid?
Relieve your stress: Proper time management, mental stimulating activities, deep breathing, regular sleep pattern, a hobby or just time out with your friends can do wonders for you.
Balanced Nutrition: Your thyroid is likely to function at its best by “mind- fullness” and “moderation” in everything you consume. Most of the food we eat outside or the highly processed junk we love is rich in poly-saturated fat! Refined vegetable oils have been stripped of most of their nutritional value. Eat home cooked as much as possible and be aware of what’s going into your body – its as simple as that!
Right cooking technique: I recommend cooking oil-free and as much as possible. Yes you can cook all lentils(dals), gravies and most of routine and fancy foods at home using zero oil. Desserts too can be prepared without adding refined sugar or chemical laden sugar free. You just need to unlearn bit of the traditional cooking and relearn some basic cooking techniques.(Log on to www.umanarula.com and get in touch with me today for more info on cooking techniques and recipes.)
Use of Natural Oils: Natural oils contain vitamins, minerals and other nutritional factors that help nourish your thyroid gland and produce hormones that convert fat into energy. Unrefined, cold pressed and natural saturated fats are the right choice. They include olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil,sesame oil and home made desi ghee or clarified butter. But do check labels for ‘blended oils and refined oil’.
Special benefits of Coconut oil for thyroid: Un-refined coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid oil with innumerable benefits. It is the only food besides breast milk that contains the immune boosting lauric acid, from being one of the best oils to cook foods that need to be cooked at high temperature, to usage on the skin and hair. It energises and cures the thyroid gland unlike your morning pill.It also helps in the burning of belly fat due to its thermogenic and MCT properties. Include 2-3 teaspoons raw or use while cooking.
Improve on the Selenium: Selenium gets depleted when your thyroid gland is not functioning well. Sometimes in severe cases of thyroidism you may need to supplement with selenium. Natural foods like nuts and seeds, almond, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are rich in Selenium.
Avoid eating the cruciferous veggies raw: Cruciferous veggies like cauliflower,broccoli,cabbage etc contain goitrogens which interfere with normal functioning of thyroid gland. So avoid eating them raw. However the goitrogens are destroyed while cooking. So you may have them in cooked form.
Physical Activity: It improves your blood circulation and increases nutrient supply to your underfunctioning thyroid.
Relaxation, deep breathing and neck exercises: Simple yoga asanas help in reducing stress levels and neck exercises speed up the recovery of thyroid.
Adequate Sleep: The repair and regeneration of body cells and organs takes place only during sleep. If your sleep routine is disturbed, repair and regeneration of thyroid gland gets affected.
P.S.:It’s important to realize that intake of thyroid medication cannot be stopped in a day or two. First we make necessary lifestyle changes and over a couple of weeks slowly the medicine dosage is first reduced keeping your doctor in loop and gradually discontinued. Thyroidism is reversible but it happens over a period of time and the approach is not one size fits all. For a customised nutrition plan to suit your needs and thyroid levels, do get in touch with me, I would be happy to guide!
For customised Nutrition Plans, visit www.umanarula.com.
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Uma Narula is an award winning practising Nutritionist since 10 years.If you have any queries regarding your health,weight loss and nutrition you can email at uma@nutriguide.co.in or call on +91 99676 35556 / +32 468 29 79 49.