Your thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck below your Adam’s apple, is your chief gland of energy and metabolism and is like a master lever that fires up the genes that keep cells doing their jobs.
You can think of the thyroid as a fundamental mechanism in a complex machine, as every cell in your body has thyroid hormone receptors.
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, is a silent epidemic, according to many functional medicine doctors. People can suffer for years with symptoms that our conventional medical system frequently doesn’t know how to treat.
What’s worse, in most cases, hypothyroidism isn’t rooted in a thyroid problem in the first place. It’s rooted in an immune system gone awry, but most doctors don’t test for the antibodies that show the presence of autoimmunity.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:
- Extreme fatigue
- Depression
- Forgetfulness
- Weight gain
- Brittle fingernails and hair
Here are the 10 Secrets to fixing your thyroid issues:
1. Go Gluten and A1 Casein FREE – the most common allergies and food intolerance’s today are from wheat and dairy products because of the hybridized proteins of gluten and a1 casein. These proteins can cause “Leaky Gut” which in turn will cause inflammation of the thyroid and effect it’s function.
Follow a grain-free diet or at least go gluten free. Then only consume dairy products that come from A2 cows, goat milk, or sheep milk.
2. NO BPA – Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in plastic bottles and can disrupt your endocrine system and effect your thyroid.
I recommend only drinking out of glass, stainless steel, or BPA free plastic bottles.
3. Check Your Iodine Levels – If they are low use a kelp or organic liquid iodine supplement.
4. Heavy Metal Detox – I recommend using a combination of Milk Thistle, Turmeric, Chlorella, and Cilantro to detox these harmful metals from your cells and organs.
5. More Selenium – Make sure you’re getting enough selenium in your diet but also don’t go overboard.
Some of the best selenium containing foods are brazil nuts, salmon, sunflower seeds, beef, mushrooms and onions.
6. Adaptogen Supplements – Can lower cortisol levels and improve thyroid function like Ashwagandha and Tulsi.
7. Silver Fillings Removal – if you have amalgam fillings talk with a DAMS mercury safe dentist about proper removal.
8. Lower Carbohydrate Intake – Lower your intake of sugars and grains and replace them with healthy fats.
Most women especially consume far too many carbs which increase estrogen and negatively effect the thyroid. Instead consume healthy fats that will balance hormones, like: coconut oil, coconut milk, avocado, grass-fed beef, wild salmon, chia, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds.
9. Up The Protein
Protein transports thyroid hormone to all your tissues and enjoying it at each meal can help normalize thyroid function. Proteins include nuts and nut butters; quinoa; hormone- and antibiotic-free animal products (organic,grass-fed meats, eggs, and sustainably-farmed fish); and legumes.
10. Be Mindful of Goitrogens
These are foods that can interfere with thyroid function. Goitrogens include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga, turnips, millet, spinach, strawberries, peaches, watercress, peanuts, radishes, and soybeans.
Does it mean that you can never eat these foods? No, because cooking inactivates goitrogenic compounds and eating radishes and watercress in moderation isn’t going to be a deal-breaker.