Boost Your Immunity Step 8: Dos and Don’ts to improve health of your thyroid, your metabolic engine — Dr. Anastasia Chopelas

One of the most important factors in how quickly your body responds to physical trauma, such as a simple bruise or scratch or invasion of a pathogen, is your thyroid. It is the metabolic engine of your body. Free healing audio: https://scientifichealer.com/wakeupbrain

It is therefore important to keep it in tip top operating condition. This article and broadcast is on the dos and don’ts for your healthy thyroid.

Thyroid replacement most prescribed medication in USA

The reason why this information is so important is that thyroid replacement hormone is the most prescribed pill in this country with 115 million prescriptions. There are also many subclinical thyroid dysfunction cases that have gone undiagnosed. This means that even though the thyroid levels are within the “normal” range, the symptoms show a deficiency, which is common.

Thyroid issues are hard to diagnose without the proper tests because it is the great pretender. It behaves like other problems, like depression, adrenal insufficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, etc.

The other problem is that the testing is usually restricted to the levels of TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone. Your pituitary sends TSH to your thyroid telling it your bloodstream needs more thyroid hormone. This process elevates concentration of it your bloodstream. So, if your TSH gets really high, your thyroid is not doing its job.

Thyroid is most often under-diagnosed because

The problem is over 20 years ago, the standards changed but yet many labs did not change their “normal” standards. With the new standards, if your TSH is above 2 mcg/dl, then it is likely there is some functional issue with your thyroid. The old levels showed 4.5 to 5.5 mcg/dl as acceptable. It is mostly not.

A better diagnosis is done with more detailed tests of T3, T4 and thyroid antibody levels. They should run mid range of the normal values. If you are suffering from the following symptoms, it is time to get your thyroid checked. Especially if you are a woman and have had children. Pregnancy can affect your thyroid.

Hypothyroidism signs and symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• weight gain, difficulty in losing
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Dry skin or orange tinge to skin
• Weight gain
• Puffy face
• Hoarseness
• Muscle weakness
• Elevated blood cholesterol level
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
• Thinning hair
• Slowed heart rate
• Depression
• Impaired memory
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• increased uti’s
• increased athletes foot
• high blood pressure, low blood pressure high cholesterol.

Hyperthyroidism symptoms may include:

• bulging eyes,
• rapid weight loss
• nervousness
• hyperventilation
• heart palpitations

First, before you do anything, check your current medications for interference.

The Dos For Keeping Your Thyroid Tip-Top

It is important to check thyroid levels regularly. A doctor may completely depend upon the blood test for diagnosis and overlook thyroid dysfunction. This leaves many people undiagnosed. Therefore, it is important to have a frank discussion with your doctor and seek clarity.

One simple check can help you decide whether it is urgent to get a test: you will need a glass basal thermometer. You can check your temperature upon arising mornings for 10 minutes. If it consistently measures more than a degree below normal (98.6 F), you could be hypothyroid. I measured 96 F consistently, for example.

Thyroid patients must always drink water without chlorine. Water also ensures cleaning the liver and kidneys of toxins.

3. Highly recommended nutrients.

4. Cook your brassicas or other goitrogens, which are thought to interfere with thyroid function. These vegetables like kale, broccoli and cauliflower are delicious and nutritionally dense. There are arguments back and forth as to whether they actually interfere with thyroid function. However, it is known that cooking these foods helps diminish the anti-thyroid effects of goitrogens.

5. Stay away from starvation or crash diets, which serve to shuts down your thyroid. A better strategy is to consume 3 to 4 meals a day, with protein, complex and fibrous carbs and whole foods like fruit. Choose a balanced diet, meaning containing a good balance of fats, protein and carbohydrates rather than stringently restrict one or the other. Starvation mode shuts down thyroid and slows your metabolism to crawl. This is when you become susceptible to colds and infections, meaning your immune system is on holiday.

6. Be careful with SOY — which has been shown to have a connection with suppression of thyroid function. My symptom was I was hungrier after I ate soy containing foods and it caused my hair to fall out. Shown to block iodine absorption. Not everyone has this issue, test it out for yourself.

7. Stop eating gluten — Intolerances and allergies to gluten (meaning all grains, not just wheat, rye and barley) are on the rise. There is a lot of evidence to show that autoimmune thyroid disorders are linked with gluten intolerance. It is said that the protein portion of gluten is molecularly similar to that of the thyroid and when our body absorbs it into the blood stream our immune system signals for it to be destroyed. The body then mistakes the thyroid for this tagged protein and then attacks the thyroid.

Complete elimination of gluten from your diet is important if you have an autoimmune thyroid disorder such as Hashimotos or Graves’ disease.

8. Consume more anti-oxidants. Fortunately these foods like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and colourful vegetables are delicious. Anti-oxidants are well known to help lower the signs of aging and fight degenerative disease but they’re also fantastic for your thyroid, especially if you have an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Look for things high on the ORAC scale, like cacao, one of the highest. blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pecans, artichokes, spinach, kale and beets,

9. Other beneficial supplements include CoQ10, vitamin C, Vitamin B, and Vitamin D

Some supplements such as calcium, iron, multivitamins containing iron, and antacids containing magnesium or aluminum can potentially have interactions with thyroid medications. Take these if needed in the evening away from your thyroid dose if you are on replacement therapy.

10. Exercise such as walking, yoga or resistance exercises can improve your metabolic function.

The Don’ts for Preventing Thyroid Dysfunction

1. Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol — Alcohol is a depressant and suppresses the thyroid gland functions. Tobacco or smoking blocks the iodide ration and synthesis of hormones.
2. Don’t restrict one macronutrient over others.- Fats, protein, and carbohydrates are the big macronutrients. They play a significant role in thyroid regulation in the body. However, following a low-carb diet can adversely affect the thyroid because of the lack of energy provided the body. Equally bad are non-fat or trans-fat eating patterns for those with thyroid issues. Essential fats are needed for several functions in the body and trans-fats are damaging.
3. Avoid sugar and caffeine — Caffeine tends to stress the body and so does sugar. Consuming caffeine is smaller quantities is acceptable for some as it helps them reduce inflammation as it helps open up the blood vessels. Choose cacao instead of coffee or tea because of the high antioxidant content. Consuming more than the recommended amount of caffeine can alter the TSH levels produced by the pituitary glands.
4. Do not self-medicate — Often thyroid patients in their struggle to feel better turn to the internet for help. The internet is filled with personal anecdotes and conflicting information on which medicines to use. You should get familiar with the symptoms and conditions that are thyroid-related but talk with a licensed doctor familiar with thyroid issues and get a proper prescription before you decide your own treatment. A clue to that would be what tests do they order to check your thyroid if you are complaining about energy levels and have many of the symptoms. If they only order a TSH, look elsewhere. Good doctors would be found amongst DO, naturopathic, or functional medicine doctors.
5. Don’t eat right after you take thyroid hormone: According to the Mayo Clinic, supplements such as calcium, iron, multivitamins containing iron, and antacids containing magnesium or aluminum can potentially have interactions with thyroid medications.
6. Avoid foods with high glycemic index: Restrict food with a high glycemic index such as corn, white bread, refined flour, muffins, cakes. Such food items increase the glucose content in the body too rapidly, causing a cascade of insulin from the pancreas, which converts this glucose rapidly to fat.

The Diamond Healing Method: Get Healthy No Matter What Your Doctor Says https://amzn.to/2yS4nCB . To request a brief portion of the thyroid chapter in this book, write tohttps://scientifichealer.com/contact. Get your wake up your brain healing audio here: https://scientifichealer.com/wakeupbrain

Timeline for the broadcast

• 1:31 Most prescribed medication
• 2:45 Thryroid tests are problematic
• 7:00 Common hypothyroid symptoms
• 11:26 Recommendations for a healthy thyroid

Watch video at https://youtu.be/Uo_C2d-UM-I

Originally published at https://scientifichealer.com on July 27, 2020.