Since one of the functions of your thyroid is controlling metabolism,
there seems to be a big connection between the increased rate of
thyroid symptoms and problems in America and the increase in weight
control problems. The following natural thyroid boosters are ideas that
have been shown to help boost thyroid function, and hence help increase
metabolism and make it easier for you to lose weight as well as maintain
a normal weight.
Thyroid Booster #1: Reduce Iodine Blockers in the Diet
Besides
eating iodine-rich foods, it is important to reduce your intake of
goitrogens (iodine blockers) like peanuts and soy. All raw cruciferous
vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, turnips, kale, and cauliflower are
also goitrogens. Make sure and cook them before eating them in
significant amounts.
Soy products are probably the worst goitrogen
offenders, first of all because cooking does not destroy the
anti-thyroid substances in them. Second of all, studies show they are in
70% or more of all foods on our grocery shelves in the form of soy oil,
vegetable oil, texturized vegetable protein, soy flour, soy protein
isolate, etc. We have been told for quite a while now that soy is good
for us, so you may find it hard to believe that soy can actually promote
weight gain by interfering with thyroid function. However, there are
many studies to back up this claim, so we highly recommend that you
follow this suggestion to avoid all soy products, except small amounts
of fermented soy like natural soy sauce, tempeh and miso.
Thyroid Booster #2: Reduce Refined Foods and Vegetable Oils
Refined
grains and sugars, as well as being bad for you in many other ways, put
too much stress on the thyroid and can interfere with good thyroid
function. In addition, vegetable oils have been proven to fatten up
animals, but also cause them thyroid and other problems, including
cancer. So if you want to have a healthy thyroid, reduce your
consumption of all vegetable oils -- this includes canola, corn, and
soy. This also means not eating out or eating packaged foods very much,
as restaurants and packaged foods often contain some of these oils.
Thyroid Booster #3: Add Natural Sources of Iodine to Your Diet
Some
natural sources of iodine that seem to be well used by the body include
unrefined sea salts, kelp, bladderwrack and other seaweeds, eggs,
butter, and most sea-foods, especially cold-water deep-sea fish. Fish
sauce is also a rich source of iodine if properly prepared, and is often
used in Thai cuisine. It may also be useful to supply extra iodine in
your diet by taking kelp or bladderwrack extracts or another herbal
formula that contains seaweeds as well as other herbs that can be
helpful for nourishing the thyroid gland.
Thyroid Booster #4: Add Minerals and Vitamins that Support Thyroid Function
Zinc,
chromium, selenium and manganese are all minerals that have been shown
to support the thyroid. You can add more minerals to your diet in a
natural form that will help support your thyroid gland by using a whole
food based greens supplement and/or coral calcium which contains trace
minerals like zinc and selenium.
One of the most beneficial
vitamins for the thyroid gland is vitamin A, although B, C and E
vitamins complexes are also important. Those with hypothyroid often have
problems converting beta-carotene to vitamin A, so it is important that
you get some real vitamin A. Never take synthetic vitamin A, as studies have shown it to be toxic at higher levels.
Many,
if not most of the vitamins you find in the stores today are isolated
nutrients that come from synthetic sources. This is generally because
these vitamins cost less to manufacture than vitamins from living food
sources. However, vitamin supplements that are synthetic do not provide
all the co-factors necessary for your body to fully utilize that
supplement. So, these products may bring much needed nutrients to your
body in the short term, but over the long term will likely cause other
problems in your body. Although they are difficult to find, it's worth
it for your health to seek out only 100 percent whole food supplements
and super foods.
Thyroid Booster # 5: Get More Exercise, Especially Rebounding
Exercise
is also good for your thyroid -- any kind. A rebounder can be
especially helpful, but all exercise will stimulate the thyroid gland
secretion and will help increase the sensitivity of your cells to the
thyroid hormones. If you are too tired to get much exercise, you might
want to think about adding coconut oil to your diet or perhaps some good
super foods to help boost your energy levels so that you feel like
exercising.
Thyroid Booster #6: Add Virgin Coconut Oil To Your Diet
Coconut
oil, because of its metabolism-stimulating properties, seems to be an
excellent thyroid system builder. If you have problems with your
thyroid, you want to be sure to include coconut oil in your diet.
Remember how we told you that animals got fatter when eating vegetable
oils? Well, these same farmers then tried giving their animals coconut
oil to see if that would fatten them up without the same problems their
animals experienced on vegetable oils. Guess what? It made the animals
more active and more lean instead! So add coconut oil to your diet
today!
Thyroid Booster #7: Stop Using Fluoride in Your Water and Toothpaste
According
to Cherie Calboun in "The Coconut Diet", a growing body of evidence
suggests that fluoride may interfere with proper functioning of the
thyroid. This means that if your water is fluoridated, it may be
extremely helpful for you to buy a water filter that filters out
fluoride. If you're not sure, check with your water supplier -- about 50
percent of America's tap water is fluoridated today. You also want to
avoid fluoride toothpastes, since some of it inevitably will be
ingested.
Although none of these suggestions should take the place
of your consulting a health care practitioner, many have found that by
incorporating them into their lifestyles, their thyroid symptoms got
better and it became easier to lose weight.
- Karen Pijuan 
