There’s a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that you hardly give a second thought to, as you go about your daily business; but it plays a larger role in the function of your body than you may realize. This important gland governs your hormones and plays a key role in energy metabolism and boosts your genes, helping your cells do their jobs correctly.
The thyroid gland is what produces hormones that regulate digestive and heart function, brain development, and muscle control. It even has a role to play in keeping the bones healthy and mood balanced. This organ is very complex and an imbalance can throw off all your bodily functions, resulting in undesirable symptoms that can be unpleasant. Take care of your thyroid and don’t put your health at risk.
Let’s delve into a common thyroid disorder, known as hypothyroidism, and share our best natural ways to keep it under control.
What is hypothyroidism?
When you suffer from an underactive thyroid, it means that your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. This causes an array of unpleasant symptoms, such as an inability to tolerate cold, fatigue, depression, constipation and weight gain. If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to a number of serious complications, including heart problems, infertility and mental disorders.
How can I manage my hypothyroidism?
Following a healthy diet and using natural support remedies like active botanicals, vitamins and minerals is the first line of defence against managing an underactive thyroid.
Proper Nutrition for Balancing Hormones
It’s natural to feel extreme fatigue and brain fog when struggling with hypothyroidism. Your body will want to reach for sugar and caffeine for an instant energy boost. However, these only offer a temporary boost. In fact, your blood sugar levels can be thrown off and your thyroid can be burnt out – two things you you want to stay far away from.
Instead, ditch the processed foods and stimulants, and fill your diet with healthy protein and fats. Protein can help to normalize thyroid function, so enjoy healthy fats like nut butters, eggs, grass-fed meats, fish and legumes.
If you’re not consuming enough healthy fats, you may throw your hormones off balance, which in turn affects your thyroid. Enjoy a range of delicious, healthy fats like coconut and olive oil, nut betters, avocados, fish and plain Greek yogurt.
Herbs & Mineral Support for an Underactive Thyroid
Don’t let a thyroid imbalance affect your life! If endocrine health, weight management, stress, and other female health concerns are something you’re serious about getting under control, check out Thyroid Spark. This formula helps to support your thyroid and balance your hormones through a fantastic blend of ashwagandha, iodine, L-tyrosine and selenium, to name a few!
Those with hypothyroidism are commonly deficient in iodine too. This mineral is necessary for the body to produce thyroid hormones that further support both mother and baby during pregnancy and throughout infancy. Iodine can be consumed through dairy, seafood, iodized salt, or in a simple tincture form.
To synthesize thyroid hormones, zinc and selenium are two trace minerals that are essential to metabolic efficiency. Iodine and selenium work closely together as it helps to recycle iodine stores for the production of the thyroid hormone. Ultimately, zinc is needed to thyroid-hormone conversion, normalizing resting metabolic rate, and plays a critical role in immune functioning.
In the herbal world, Ashwagandha has remarkable stress relieving and rejuvenating properties. As hypothyroidism typically correlates to stress, this herb may help to lower cortisol levels, assisting with balancing thyroid functions.
