Having an honest discussion about the best and worst foods for the thyroid is the best way to address dysfunction. You have probably read or heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” more than a few times. This is being proved true every day
People who are regularly physically active will almost always be healthier in mind and body than sedentary individuals. We know now that nutrition is just as important; if not more important.
Nutritionists now believe the foods and beverages you put into your body are responsible for as much as 65% to 75% of your fitness and wellness.
This means if you have an under-active thyroid, eating certain foods and avoiding others could help alleviate the problem. It bears noting that if you have a thyroid disease or an inflamed thyroid that is not treated for some time, the inability of this gland to create healthy levels of hormones may require a daily and lifelong hormone supplementation.
However, in many cases, following the dietary advice below has worked wonders for reducing the symptoms attached to hypothyroidism, preventing it from occurring in the first place, and in some cases removes the problem entirely. Before engaging or considering taking any steps towards removing or including foods, please consult your physician. You have allergies that could compromise your goals.
Stop Eating Junk
Avoid the caffeine, flour, salt, refined sugars and simple carbohydrates in your diet. This means eating more natural foods like vegetables, nuts and berries, and less processed foods. Eat out less and cook for yourself more. If the food you predominantly eat comes in a can, wrapper, box or bag, it is highly processed and can lead to thyroid problems.
Eat Protein at Every Meal
Did you know protein is the vehicle which transports thyroid hormones to all the tissues and cells in your body? Skip the soy products, fake meats and energy bars, and opt instead for wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, and pasture-raised, organic eggs and poultry.
Get More Good Fats Into Your Body
The lie spread by the sugar industry for decades that fat will make you fat and sugar is better for you has been exposed time and again. Dietary fat is not body fat. It is silly to think that eating healthy fats will make you fat.
The last time you ate a slice of pie, did you turn into a pie? Does eating a ham sandwich turn you into a ham sandwich? Eating sugar is what makes you fat, not eating the essential fats your body requires.
When you don’t have healthy levels of fat and cholesterol in your body you can disrupt your healthy hormonal balance, and this includes negatively affecting your thyroid hormones. Extra-virgin olive oil, avocados, wild-caught fish, nuts and nut butters, flax seeds and coconut milk products all carry healthy fats that help your thyroid do its job properly.
Supplement
The following nutritional deficiencies are common in many modern Americans. They are also seen regularly in others that live in modern, westernized countries.
- Vitamin D
- Fiber
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Vitamin A
- B vitamins
As modern diets are often woefully inadequate in these nutrients, daily supplementation can help ensure you get these and other nutrients in your body, supporting a healthy thyroid and endocrine system.
Cut Out The Wheat
The gluten found in wheat bears a strikingly similar molecular composition to that of thyroid tissue. This means that if you have Hashimoto’s disease, every time you eat gluten you increase the autoimmune attack response on your thyroid. Wheat, white flour and other processed grains are also often accompanied by preservatives, additives and unhealthy chemicals and compounds that lead to an unhealthy thyroid.
Get Probiotics Into Your Body
Did you know a full 20% of how your thyroid functions depends on a healthy gut? The “good bacteria” in your gut includes probiotics. Fermented foods like sauerkraut are full of healthy probiotics, and there are yogurts and supplements you can take to increase the level of probiotics in your gut as well.
Cut Back on the Carbs
As mentioned earlier, too much sugar is never a good thing, refined sugar especially. Cut back on the simple carbohydrates in your diet, as well as grains and other high-carb foods, which can negatively impact your thyroid. When women eat too many carbs, they increase their estrogen level, which can cause their thyroid to work improperly.
Cut Out the A1 Casein
Dairy foods can cause a leaky gut, which in turn promotes inflammation that directly affects thyroid function. Avoiding dairy products which contain A1 casein could be a simple move that returns your hypothyroid to a normally functioning gland once again.
I hope that the information provided here serves a guide to help you if you are interested in being proactive about your thyroid health. But please, consult a practitioner before implementing anything that affects your health.
Deika King, TND, MH, CCT, PSc.D
Traditional Doctor of Naturopathy
832-422-7271
