The Thyroid Connection
1 in 5 women have a thyroid disorder and yet this is the most underdiagnosed hormone issue.
Do you feel like your weight gain, hair loss, fatigue and mood issues might be part of a bigger issue? Have you even gotten tested but it came back “within normal range”?
This can be so frustrating and I’ve seen so many women at their wits end because they’re trying to feel like themselves again.
Getting an accurate assessment of this hormone is critical when you are trying to resolve period, fertility, and low libido issues. The thyroid gland is so important when it comes to your hormone health and it is a huge part of the Healthy Hormone Mastery Program.
I’d like you to be aware of what your thyroid is, does, and how it impacts your periods, fertility, energy levels and more before you find yourself in the doctor’s office. So, I’m going to run you through the basics and then talk about how to keep your thyroid healthy.
The thyroid gland is the largest in your endocrine system and it’s actually located in the front of your neck. This gland is essentially responsible for making your energy by controlling and regulating your internal body temperature. The thyroid works in tandem with your adrenals in tandem. Together they are there to take care of many vital bodily processes, such as -
Your metabolism and whether you’re a slow or fast burner of energy and whether you are gaining or losing weight
Your mood balance
The quality of your sleep
Your digestion
Regulation of your body temperature
Your sensitivity to other hormonal shifts throughout your cycle
A sluggish thyroid that isn’t humming away as it should will show signs of this in your experience of your cycle. Here are some of the signs your thyroid is struggling to do its job -
You are having multiple periods per month
Your bleeds are heavy and full of clots
You’ve experienced one or more miscarriages
You find you’re having many anovulatory cycles (that means cycles in which you might bleed, but you don’t ovulate)
You have unexplained weight gain despite eating well and exercising regularly
You feel exhausted all the time
You have cold or tingly feet and hands
You have puffy eyes
The nutrients that make the thyroid hormone are Iodine and L-Tyrosine. 60% of the iodine we have in our bodies is held in the thyroid gland. Tyrosine is an amino acid that you need to synthesize what your thyroid creates.
The best way to improve your thyroid hormone production is by adding in certain foods to your diet that will support the thyroid and protect it from disruption. You can also choose to avoid certain substances that will have an adverse affect on your thyroid. And make sure you include some Iodized Sea Salt in your cooking as well!
The three best ways to improve your thyroid function
Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, lauric acid and medium-chain fatty acids. Most of the oils popularly used in cooking, baking etc have a negative impact on the thyroid. Vegetable polyunsaturated oils have been linked to many thyroid diseases. Swapping out the other oils you use currently with coconut oil and getting two tablespoons a day into your diet will make a difference to your thyroid function.
Sea veggies are a great concentrated source of iodine. A little goes a long way, so picking nori, which has comparably low iodine is a good choice, as it will support your thyroid without risking disruption. Steaming, frying or roasting nori are good options for preparation as they produce a moderate release of the helpful iodine content.
A deficiency in Vitamin D has been associated with thyroid dysfunction. That’s because this vitamin is what’s called a hormonal precursor. If you’re not getting Vitamin D exposure from sunshine then you need to supplement with Vitamin D3 tablets. A lighter skinned person can just make sure they’re out in the sun for 30 mins, but if you’re darker skinned you may need up to two hours of sunshine a day to get the right amount of D. Just make sure you get out of the sun before your skin has the chance to burn.
Don’t Harm Your Thyroid
Avoid Fluoride and Chlorine - these chemicals are present in our drinking water and toothpaste so it’s best to get a filter that will take them out for you and choose flouride free toothpaste. Studies have correlated the amount of fluoride in our drinking water to an increase in underactive thyroid issues. Too much fluoride and chlorine can actually cause iodine deficiency.
Don’t Eat Too Many Raw Cruciferous Vegetables - Cruciferous vegetables like: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, bok choy and cabbage contain goitrogens which is a chemical that suppresses the function of the thyroid gland by disrupting and blocking the enzyme that lets your thyroid use the iodine in your body to make the thyroid hormone. If you have an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism then eating raw cruciferous vegetables can suppress the thyroid function. These vegetables have many other nutritional benefits so you just need to limit your intake to two times a week and be sure to cook them before eating. Of course if you have normal thyroid function there’s no need to avoid these. Otherwise you can substitute with celery, romaine lettuce, beet leaves, cucumber and chard.
Manage Your Stress - Stress throws your cortisol levels off, which is turn impacts your adrenals and therefore your thyroid. Cortisol helps your thyroid work more efficiently and so producing just the right amount is very important for healthy thyroid function. If your cortisol levels are low because of stress-induced adrenal exhaustion the thyroid cannot regulate your energy and metabolism. Chronic stress causes too high cortisol levels.
