10 Hypothyroidism Diet For Women Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid
Below I’ve broken down 10 important tips that are a necessity for any
successful hypothyroidism diet for women. But more importantly, I’ve
broken them down so that you also understand why they are so important.
All
too often, we accept many things that we read as the truth without
questioning or verifying the facts with the proper research.
1. Avoid Anti-Thyroid Foods
The
first hypothyroidism diet tip that I want to share with you is one that
is very important. And this is because it’s a controversial topic
because there are some highly touted “health foods” that you are eating
which are actually contributing to your hypothyroidism.
Some of
the first foods that come to mind are any food that contains soy. This
includes soybeans, edamame, soy milk, tofu, etc. Soy is very estrogenic
and estrogens have been shown to inhibit the thyroid gland from
secreting its thyroid hormones.
And this is disturbing because I have seen more than one, very well respected hypothyroidism diet and
hypothyroidism treatment program that actually recommend soy without ever discussing this very important link.
Another very
controversial food that directly contributes to hypothyroidism is the
polyunsaturated fats in your diet. And one reason this is such a big
problem is that these fats have been touted for years for their
beneficial properties while ignoring the research that clearly show the
dangers.
But when it comes to your thyroid, these fats suppress
its function on just about every level. First of all, they block the
secretion of your thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland itself. Then
they also block the transportation of the thyroid hormone within your
bloodstream. And lastly, they block your cells from properly utilizing
the hormone once they get it.
The research against these fats
simply can’t be ignored. And the best hypothyroidism diet should exclude
these fats at all costs. Or else you’re only setting yourself up for
failure.
2. Increase Your Saturated Fats
Saturated
fats on the other hand carry a lot of unfounded negative criticism.
Criticizers of saturated fats still continue to cite outdated and poorly
executed research studies from more than 50 years ago while ignoring
the enormous amount of research showing their benefits.
One of the major benefits of the saturated fats being part of your
hypothyroidism diet for women is that they help to cancel out the
negative effects of the toxic polyunsaturated fats.
They also help by improving your body’s
insulin response which helps you to maintain balanced blood sugar levels
and reduce stress hormones. Elevated stress hormones are also one of
the many hypothyroidism causes.
But you do have to be careful with
many animal fats because they might not be quite what they seem on the
outside. For example, all conventionally raised cattle are fattened with
corn, soy, and other foods that are high in polyunsaturated fats. And
because of this, their body fat becomes very unsaturated in the process.
So
it’s important to include only high quality saturated fats in your diet
for hypothyroidism. This includes fats from grass fed and grass
finished animals, butter, and coconut oil.
3. Eat Your Fruit
Fruit can actually be one of your best friends when it comes to your hypothyroidism diet for women.
For
starters, most fruit is very high in potassium which plays an important
role in regulating your blood sugar. This helps to decrease the need of
insulin which helps keeps your blood sugar more stable for longer
periods of time.
And by
regulating your blood sugar, you automatically reduce your stress hormone response which, as I mentioned above, is a common problem with hypothyroidism.
However, there are
some fruits which are best avoided. Avocados are a good example because
of their high unsaturated fat content.
So, the key is to focus you hypothyroidism diet on the right fruits and avoid those that are working against you.
4. Increase Your Salt Intake
There
are a lot of myths out there regarding salt and sodium. But it’s more
important than most people realize, especially when it comes to your
hypothyroidism diet.
Sodium is actually a very important nutrient
that your body needs to carry out a multitude of functions. For example,
sodium is necessary for properly regulating blood pressure. But it also
has some other important functions in dealing with hypothyroidism.
One
of the more common hypothyroidism symptoms is edema. And edema is a
problem with your cells that causes them to take up more water. But when
your cells take up water, they lose sodium which is then excreted and
lost through your urine.
And when your sodium level is low, it
actually slows your metabolism and increases your stress hormones which
can also lead to sleep problem. And elevated stress hormones end up
making you even more hypothyroid.
And because you get sodium from salt, it
should make sense that salt is a necessary component of your hypothyroidism diet in order to help keep your stress hormones to a minimum and reverse hypothyroidism.
And most people need a lot more than they think.
5. Get Plenty of Bone Broth
Most people don’t even know what bone broth is, let alone that it’s
one of the best sources of protein that you can get. Bone broth was
actually a common part of most people’s diets more than a century ago.
But now, it’s become an almost entirely forgotten component of almost
every hypothyroidism diet for women.
Bone broth is best known for being high in
nutrients and very easy to digest. But it’s unique because it contains a
blend of very anti-inflammatory amino acids that are lacking among most
sources of meat.
6. Eat Some Shellfish
Living
close to water definitely has its perks, especially when it comes to
seafood. But shellfish in general are actually very beneficial to your
thyroid and can play a crucial role in your hypothyroidism diet.
For
starters, they are a good source of thyroid hormone which we rarely get
in our standard meat based diet these days. So eating shellfish alone
can help give your thyroid some much needed support.
Another
amazing benefit of shellfish is that they are naturally high in
selenium. And selenium is one of the key nutrients that are required to
convert the inactive T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone in your liver.
7. Cut the Processed Foods
If
it’s one thing that almost every hypothyroidism diet can agree with,
it’s that processed foods have no place whatsoever in your diet.
Processed
and/or packaged foods are loaded with processed grains that cause lots
of problems with your blood sugar. And this causes a spike in your
insulin levels which eventually leaves you with low blood sugar. And
this creates yet another stress hormone response in order to raise your
blood sugar levels back to normal.
There’s also the issue of these
processed foods being full of toxic chemicals like flavor enhancers and
preservatives. These chemicals are toxic and contribute to liver
congestion which makes it even more difficult for your liver to convert
the necessary thyroid hormones into their active form.
8. Cook Your Veggies
This
is another one of the more controversial topics when it comes to your
hypothyroid diet. And that’s because there’s a lot of misconceptions out
there regarding raw vs. cooked veggies.
Yes, raw veggies do contain more nutrients than cooked veggies. But it’s not about what you eat; it’s about what you digest.
Because
raw veggies are very difficult to digest, you actually extract fewer
nutrients from them raw than you do from cooked veggies.
You also
want to really cook your veggies well in order to help break down the
fiber and make the nutrients as readily available as possible.
Otherwise, the fiber can become food for bad gut bacteria which is
problematic and also contributes to hypothyroidism.
9. Don’t Overdo the Water
Continuing in our long list of controversial hypothyroidism diet topics, let’s discuss water.
Most
people are led to believe that they need 8 glasses of water a day or
even more. But what we already know about hypothyroidism is that is
causes water retention. So why does it make sense to drink even more
water when your body has a problem getting rid of it in the first place?
It doesn’t.
And this can cause your sodium levels to drop even more which as I mentioned above, also contributes to hypothyroidism.
The
best recommendation for water while on your hypothyroidism diet is to
drink when thirsty. If you work outside in the sun then odds are you’ll
need more water than me while I’m sitting here indoors moving only my
fingers on the keyboard.
The amount of water you really need depends on many variables. And your thirst is the best indicator of how much you need.
10. Drink Your Coffee
I thought I would round out the 10 hypothyroidism diet tips with… coffee.
Believe it or not, but
coffee has some amazing benefits for your thyroid.
But keep in mind that it has to be taken right or else it can have some
negative effects. You should never drink coffee on an empty stomach.
And it’s important to add the right ratios of fat and sugar.
Coffee
is high in caffeine which works to stimulate your thyroid. It’s also
high in magnesium and B vitamins which are both necessary for proper
thyroid function.
Studies also back up these claims showing that coffee drinkers have the lowest incidence of thyroid disease, including cancer.
I
know that many of the tips that I just gave you are controversial. But
they are all based on research even though the research might not have
made it into the public eye for one reason or another. That’s a topic
for another article. But I hope that you’ve learned some very useful
tips that you can immediately put into action and incorporate into your
hypothyroidism diet today to start seeing some results.
Watch this video to discover 3 things you can implement today to fix your thyroid.
