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Take Your Life Back and Stop Hypothyroidism Naturally at the Source |
Don’t
expect to hear this from your doctor, but following the right hypothyroidism
diet plan is by far the biggest factor in overcoming hypothyroidism.
You
can do everything else right and be using the best available supplements or
medication, but if your diet isn’t right, then you will be forever fighting a
battle that you just can’t win.
Then
there’s the problem of actually finding the “right” hypothyroidism diet to
follow. Most diets for hypothyroidism are completely outdated and based on poor
research, if any research at all. But there’s also a lot of great research out
there that is just now starting to connect a lot of the dots with
hypothyroidism.
But
unfortunately, it will take years or even decades for the general public, or
even the medical community, to accept the fact that many of the dietary beliefs
that exist today are completely false. And there’s a good chance that they
never will.
Until
that time comes, I plan to share all kinds of hypothyroidism diet tips with
you, starting with these 10 below.
Below
I’ve broken down 10 important tips that are a necessity for any successful
hypothyroidism diet. But more importantly, I’ve broken them down so that you
also understand why they are so important.
All
too often, we accept many things that we read as the truth without questioning
or verifying the facts with the proper research.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #1 - Avoid Anti-Thyroid Foods
The
first hypothyroidism diet tip that I want to share with you is one that is very
important. And this is because it’s a controversial topic because there are
some highly touted “health foods” that you are eating which are actually
contributing to your hypothyroidism.
Some
of the first foods that come to mind are any food that contains soy. This
includes soybeans, edamame, soy milk, tofu, etc. Soy is very estrogenic and
estrogens have been shown to inhibit the thyroid gland from secreting its
thyroid hormones.
And
this is disturbing because I have seen more than one, very well respected
hypothyroidism diet and hypothyroidism treatment program that actually
recommend soy without ever discussing this very important link.
Another
very controversial food that directly contributes to hypothyroidism is the
polyunsaturated fats in your diet.
And
one reason this is such a big problem is that these fats have been touted for
years for their beneficial properties while ignoring the research that clearly
show the dangers.
But
when it comes to your thyroid, these fats suppress its function on just about
every level.
First
of all, they block the secretion of your thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland
itself.
Then
they also block the transportation of the thyroid hormone within your
bloodstream.
And
lastly, they block your cells from properly utilizing the hormone once they get
it.
The
research against these fats simply can’t be ignored. And the best
hypothyroidism diet should exclude these fats at all costs. Or else you’re only
setting yourself up for failure.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #2 - Increase Your Saturated Fats
Saturated
fats on the other hand carry a lot of unfounded negative criticism. Criticizers
of saturated fats still continue to cite outdated and poorly executed research
studies from more than 50 years ago while ignoring the enormous amount of
research showing their benefits.
One
of the major benefits of the saturated fats being part of your hypothyroidism
diet is that they help to cancel out the negative effects of the toxic
polyunsaturated fats.
They
also help by improving your body’s insulin response which helps you to maintain
balanced blood sugar levels and reduce stress hormones. Elevated stress
hormones are also one of the many hypothyroidism causes.
But
you do have to be careful with many animal fats because they might not be quite
what they seem on the outside. For example, all conventionally raised cattle
are fattened with corn, soy, and other foods that are high in polyunsaturated
fats. And because of this, their body fat becomes very unsaturated in the
process.
So
it’s important to include only high quality saturated fats in your diet for
hypothyroidism. This includes fats from grass fed and grass finished animals,
butter, and coconut oil.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #3 - Eat Your Fruit
Fruit
can actually be one of your best friends when it comes to your hypothyroidism
diet.
For
starters, most fruit is very high in potassium which plays an important role in
regulating your blood sugar. This helps to decrease the need of insulin which
helps keeps your blood sugar more stable for longer periods of time.
And
by regulating your blood sugar, you automatically reduce your stress hormone
response which, as I mentioned above, is a common problem with hypothyroidism.
However,
there are some fruits which are best avoided. Avocados are a good example
because of their high unsaturated fat content.
So,
the key is to focus you hypothyroidism diet on the right fruits and avoid those
that are working against you.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #4 - Increase Your Salt Intake
There
are a lot of myths out there regarding salt and sodium. But it’s more important
than most people realize, especially when it comes to your hypothyroidism diet.
Sodium
is actually a very important nutrient that your body needs to carry out a
multitude of functions. For example, sodium is necessary for properly
regulating blood pressure. But it also has some other important functions in
dealing with hypothyroidism.
One
of the more common hypothyroidism symptoms is edema. And edema is a problem
with your cells that causes them to take up more water. But when your cells
take up water, they lose sodium which is then excreted and lost through your
urine.
And
when your sodium level is low, it actually slows your metabolism and increases
your stress hormones which can also lead to sleep problem. And elevated stress
hormones end up making you even more hypothyroid.
And
because you get sodium from salt, it should make sense that salt is a necessary
component of your hypothyroidism diet in order to help keep your stress
hormones to a minimum and reverse hypothyroidism.
And
most people need a lot more than they think.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #5 - Get Plenty of Bone Broth
Most
people don’t even know what bone broth is, let alone that it’s one of the best
sources of protein that you can get. Bone broth was actually a common part of
most people’s diets more than a century ago. But now, it’s become an almost
entirely forgotten component of almost every hypothyroidism diet.
Bone
broth is best known for being high in nutrients and very easy to digest. But
it’s unique because it contains a blend of very anti-inflammatory amino acids
that are lacking among most sources of meat.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #6 - Eat Some Shellfish
Living
close to water definitely has its perks, especially when it comes to seafood.
But shellfish in general are actually very beneficial to your thyroid and can
play a crucial role in your hypothyroidism diet.
For
starters, they are a good source of thyroid hormone which we rarely get in our
standard meat based diet these days. So eating shellfish alone can help give
your thyroid some much needed support.
Another
amazing benefit of shellfish is that they are naturally high in selenium. And
selenium is one of the key nutrients that are required to convert the inactive
T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone in your liver.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #7 - Cut the Processed Foods
If
it’s one thing that almost every hypothyroidism diet can agree with, it’s that
processed foods have no place whatsoever in your diet.
Processed
and/or packaged foods are loaded with processed grains that cause lots of
problems with your blood sugar. And this causes a spike in your insulin levels
which eventually leaves you with low blood sugar. And this creates yet another
stress hormone response in order to raise your blood sugar levels back to
normal.
There’s
also the issue of these processed foods being full of toxic chemicals like
flavor enhancers and preservatives. These chemicals are toxic and contribute to
liver congestion which makes it even more difficult for your liver to convert
the necessary thyroid hormones into their active form.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #8 - Cook Your Veggies
This
is another one of the more controversial topics when it comes to your
hypothyroid diet. And that’s because there’s a lot of misconceptions out there
regarding raw vs. cooked veggies.
Yes,
raw veggies do contain more nutrients than cooked veggies. But it’s not about
what you eat; it’s about what you digest.
Because
raw veggies are very difficult to digest, you actually extract fewer nutrients
from them raw than you do from cooked veggies.
You
also want to really cook your veggies well in order to help break down the
fiber and make the nutrients as readily available as possible. Otherwise, the
fiber can become food for bad gut bacteria which is problematic and also
contributes to hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #9 - Don’t Overdo the Water
Continuing
in our long list of controversial hypothyroidism diet topics, let’s discuss
water.
Most
people are led to believe that they need 8 glasses of water a day or even more.
But what we already know about hypothyroidism is that is causes water
retention. So why does it make sense to drink even more water when your body
has a problem getting rid of it in the first place?
It
doesn’t.
And
this can cause your sodium levels to drop even more which as I mentioned above,
also contributes to hypothyroidism.
The
best recommendation for water while on your hypothyroidism diet is to drink
when thirsty. If you work outside in the sun then odds are you’ll need more
water than me while I’m sitting here indoors moving only my fingers on the
keyboard.
The
amount of water you really need depends on many variables. And your thirst is
the best indicator of how much you need.
Hypothyroidism
Diet Tips #10 - Drink Your Coffee
I
thought I would round out the 10 hypothyroidism diet tips with… coffee.
Believe
it or not, but coffee has some amazing benefits for your thyroid. But keep in
mind that it has to be taken right or else it can have some negative effects.
You should never drink coffee on an empty stomach. And it’s important to add
the right ratios of fat and sugar.
Coffee
is high in caffeine which works to stimulate your thyroid. It’s also high in
magnesium and B vitamins which are both necessary for proper thyroid function.
Studies
also back up these claims showing that coffee drinkers have the lowest
incidence of thyroid disease, including cancer.
I
know that many of the tips that I just gave you are controversial. But they are
all based on research even though the research might not have made it into the
public eye for one reason or another. That’s a topic for another article.
But
I hope that you’ve learned some very useful tips that you can immediately put
into action and incorporate into your hypothyroidism diet today to start seeing
some results.
Watch
this Video HERE
– Diet Plan
for Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Function): Proper Foods For Hypothyroidism
Author Bio:
Tom Brimeyer – The
author of Hypothyroidism Revolution – is a practitioner of functional medicine,
health researcher and author on nutrition, hormones and hypothyroidism.
His personal
mission is to inspire and educate people to take control and achieve true
health by correcting their hypothyroidism and underlying causes of their health
problems instead of being stuck relying on doctors and drugs that merely cover
up their symptoms while their health continues to suffer.
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