Low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism, is a common, yet often overlooked, cause of chronic fatigue. Back in the 1950's it was considered to be a condition rarely encountered in clinical practice. Today, it's practically an epidemic. It's estimated that 25% of people show measurable signs of hypothyroidism on blood analysis. The good news is that there are a lot of actions you can take to protect your thyroid gland. I'll explore 3 of them that you can easily put in place right away and start protecting your thyroid and increasing your energy.
1-
Avoid gluten. Gluten is a protein found in the common grains that most people eat several times a day—wheat, rye, barley and oats, as well as the heirloom varieties of wheat, spelt and kamut. A huge segment of the population is intolerant to gluten meaning that their bodies produce antibodies that attack the gluten AND healthy tissue. There is a very strong link between autoimmune hypothyroid and gluten intolerance. I've had patients bring their abnormally high thyroid stimulating hormone levels to normal within as little as six weeks. Gluten Free Diets are becoming more and more available. There are many gluten-free alternatives to your staple gluten containing foods. My favorite are kelp noodles.
2- Hydrate with pure water. This is actually 2 recommendations in one. Chronic dehydration can lead to inflammatory disease, so it's important to consume at least ½ your body weight in fluid ounces every day. An even bigger concern is the quality of the water. Chlorine and fluoride added to municipal water supplies disrupt the binding of iodine to form thyroid hormones. Further, chlorinated water in the shower is even worse because the vapors enter the body via the lungs, in much higher concentrations that found in drinking water. Keeping well hydrated with pure spring, reverse osmosis or distilled water will protect you from the dangerous additives in our current water supply.
3- Include sea vegetables daily. Greens from the sea contain a wide variety of minerals and vitamins that support thyroid function. The most important of these is iodine. Since most of our soil is deficient in iodine, there are very few vegetables that contain significant amounts of iodine. Iodine is critical for thyroid function. In fact, a certain species of kelp, laminaria digitata, has been found to contain measurable amounts of the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. Eating 1-2 ounces of sea vegetation each week is a good starting point.
If you have a diagnosed or suspect thyroid dysfunction, talk to your doctor before beginning a new program. Ask your doctor to order thyroid antibody tests, especially if you currently have any type of autoimmune disease.
Being healthy is your birthright. Take good care of your thyroid gland and you'll be energetic and clear headed well into your twilight years.
I've created a gluten survival pack, available for free on my website. It contains e-books, mp3 recordings, and special lists of hidden sources of gluten. To order yours now, go to https://drritamarie.com/GlutenFree.htm Included in the gluten package are recipes for sea vegetables and a powerpoint presentation on thyroid health.
Have an energized day.
Love, Health and Joy,
Dr. Ritamarie
www.freshnfunliving.com
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