If your thyroid gland starts to slow down and produce less of the vital hormones that help to regulate your metabolism, it can leave you feeling fatigued and even depressed. Over 11 million Americans deal with Hypothyroidism, which is when your thyroid is not working efficiently. Creating a proactive routine to keep your thyroid in good shape can help you stay healthy and ready to face the world.
The symptoms of Hypothyroidism are common to many illnesses and can be misdiagnosed or ignored for many years. When your thyroid is not producing enough hormones, your metabolism will slow down, causing a variety of effects. If you feel tired and fatigued even when you are getting enough sleep, you might want to get your thyroid tested.
In fact, hypothyroidism can make you feel depressed and cold, cause weight gain, dry out your skin, or make your hair thin. You should invest in your own health and have thyroid testing included with your yearly physical check-up. The medical treatment is simple and easy through synthetic hormones, and you can adopt some of these habits to help take care of your thyroid gland for the long term.
Increase Your Antioxidants
Oxidative stress can be very damaging to the thyroid when the natural hormonal balance of the body is upset. Your thyroid is responsible for creating the hormones that control your metabolism, energy levels, and healing. That makes it even more important to try to keep your thyroid nourished with healthy antioxidants.
You can add berries to your diet for a big boost in your antioxidant intake. Choose strawberries, blueberries or raspberries to add to your daily cereal or as a snack. Colorful vegetables like carrots, beets, and peppers are also a great source of antioxidants.
Regular Iodine
The thyroid needs a regular source of iodine to help synthesize the hormones that it creates to regulate your metabolism. An iodine-rich diet can help your thyroid to function more consistently. You can get enough iodine through a regular diet including dairy, seafood, and seaweed.
If you are a vegetarian and eat a lot of soy, you may want to keep close attention to your iodine levels. Although soy has many great health benefits it can act as a blocker for iodine absorption. This can interfere with the proper hormone balance in your thyroid.
Resist Crash Dieting
Unexplained weight gain can be a sign that your thyroid isn’t working efficiently. If you haven’t changed your diet or your physical routine but, you just keep gaining weight, your metabolism might be slowing.
The urge to diet or fast to lose weight can be tough to resist. But, a rapid increase or decrease of calories in the body can confuse the thyroid and cause it to start working at a slower pace.
Conclusion
To stay ahead of thyroid issues you need to follow a proactive health plan. Pay attention to your body and let it tell you what is wrong with the symptoms. Get thyroid testing with your regular check-up and follow some of these tips to take proper care of your thyroid gland.
