I was recently reading an article for fitness professionals regarding the thyroid gland and possible reasons for thyroid-related challenges. I have a couple of clients who deal with thyroid problems, and women in particular are 5-8 times more likely to experience thyroid problems than men. Statistics show that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with a thyroid condition in her lifetime. So for these reasons, I thought I would write a blog post about the thyroid gland and possible reasons for thyroid dysfunction.
Firstly you should know that thyroid testing in modern medicine is designed to detect full-blown pathology and often misses thyroid problems. So someone who is experiencing symptoms of low thyroid function may still show blood test results within normal range.
The most commmon symptoms of low thyroid function are fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, cold hands and feets, sluggish bowels, depression, cognitive decline, and low vitality.
The thyroid gland serves as an overall "regulator" for the body's vital functions, and in particular, it controls body temperature and sets your metabolism. It ensures every system in the body is running smoothly.
In order to optimize thyroid function, there are many factors to be considered.
11 common "roadblocks" that can contribute to thyroid problems:
1. High Blood Sugar- Make balancing blood sugars and insulin levels a top priority by reducing processed carbohydrates and sugars.
2. Being Overweight- Poor food choices and stress can mess with the leptin signal to the brain. Leptin is the hormone which lets the brain know that "I am full". When this leptin signal is not functioning properly, it can cause cravings for sugars and processed carbs. This can contribute to a vicious cycle of weight gain and potential further health problems such as diabetes. Research shows that losing excess weight helps to bring thyroid function back into balance.
3. Chronic Inflammation- If the internal body is "on fire", this will impair thyroid function. It is important to heal any digestive issues (i.e. if you have problems with gas, bloating, constipation, IBS, yeast overgrowth, etc...), maintain a healthy weight, eat a clean whole food diet, avoid overexercising, and take a mindful approach to managing stress. All of these things will support less heat in the body and thus, support healthy thyroid function.
4. Stress- Stress is a major cause of thyroid dysfunction. Too much stress affects the pituitary gland, which reduces TSH & T4 output. This creates low thyroid symptoms such as weight gain, depressed mood, and fatigue. It is important to cultivate an ability to "unplug" from our busy-ness in order to give the body and the mind a chance to rest.
5. Liver Overload- A poor diet, caffeine, alcohol, and environmental toxins can toxify the liver and impair the body's ability to convert thyroid hormones (specifically convert T4 to T3) to active form. It's important to lighten the load that the liver has to deal with by minimizing these factors.
6. Gut Imbalance- Promote a healthy gut with good bacteria by ingesting probiotics every day. This can be done through food or supplement. Natural probiotic food sources include refridgerated sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, kombucha, plain kefir and yogurt. Good supplements have a wide variety of bacterial strains and a high number of microorganisms.
7. Leaky Gut- Over 70% of the body's immune system is in the gut. Experts believe that ALL autoimmune disease begins in the digestive tract! "Leaky gut" refers to a gut who's wall has been damaged and thus is permeable to bad stuff like bacteria, viruses, and undigested proteins. Once these things are in the bloodstream, they can lead to autoimmune dysfunction. Thus it is vitally important that you Heal your gut!
8. Too Much Exercise- Performing lots of steady -state cardio exercise can stress the nervous system and raise cortisol levels. To reduce this stress and still get the benefits, reduce volume of exercise and increase intensity for shorter time periods.
9. Iodine supplementation- Iodine is a major contributor to autoimmune thyroid functions. Consult your doctor before supplementing with iodine.
10. Low Selenium Levels- Good selenium sources include fish, mushrooms, and brazil nuts. Selenium supports good thyroid function.
11. Low Vitamin D- Low vitamin D levels will negatively affect thyroid health. In winter, food sources are not enough. Consider taking a vitamin D supplement in winter.
Remember, thyroid dysfunction is often missed by conventional testing. So if you have had testing done and received results within the "normal" range but are still experiencing symptoms, it will be worth doing further investigation and considering all of the factors listed above in order to optimize healthy thyroid function.
Embrace & Enjoy Great Health! Be Well.
I am a wellness educator and trainer who is passionate about helping others to look, feel, and be their best in body, mind, and heart. Thanks for visiting my blog!