How Thyroid issues affect your weight - When I talk with women suffering with unexpected weight gain, often one of the first questions I am asked is "Is it my thyroid?"

Sometimes, my answer is "Yes" - after all, our thyroid hormones play a huge role in regulating our metabolism and how we use nutrients.

And research shows that even small changes to the thyroid function can cause weight gain. In fact, many women who have been told their thyroid test results are "normal" may still have a reduced thyroid function (subclinical hypothyroidism) that's enough to cause weight gain and other bothersome symptoms.

At the clinic, I work with women suffering from a wide range of thyroid issues from those just starting to suspect they have a thyroid problem to those already taking medication. And I tell each and every one of them how they can benefit from natural thyroid support and a holistic approach that considers thyroid function as part of overall hormonal balance.

The thyroid and unexpected weight gain: an early signal - Unexpected weight gain and difficulty losing weight may be one of the first noticeable signals that you're struggling with hypothyroidism (a sluggish thyroid) or subclinical hypothyroidism. Many women tell me about their frustration with gaining five pounds every year and not being able to figure out why!

Reduced thyroid function may be the result of the thyroid's impaired ability to produce hormones, or the body may have difficulty using the thyroid hormones. Either way, problems with your thyroid hormones may cause the rate at which you use nutrients (your metabolic rate) to slow down.

We are especially prone to thyroid issues and weight gain as women because the thyroid is linked to other systems that affect weight including the proper functioning of our neurotransmitters, reproductive hormones, and adrenal glands.

Thyroid issues affect women of all ages - While we see women of all ages with thyroid issues, there are times in your life when your hormones fluctuate more and when the development of thyroid issues may be even more likely.

If you have any questions related to thyroid, ask me by clicking on 'Consult'.

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Revealed - How Thyroid Issues Affect Your Weight

What you eat plays an important role while you are udergoing thyroid disorders. Certain nutrients can influence the functionalities of the thyroid gland, while some foods can prevent the body s ability to absorb the hormones to a substantial extent. As with a lot of health conditions, some factors are not in our hands which include family history and the environmental factors around you. However, the factor that you can control, is diet.

You can empower yourself to choose a healthier lifestyle through the right diet. It is advisable that you choose your foods wisely. Some of the following foods are known to be beneficial in managing thyroid:

1. Yoghurt
You will be happy to know that dairy products can contribute to fulfilling the much-needed iodine requirement of your body. Since livestock are generally given copious amounts of iodine supplements and the process of milking incorporates iodine-based cleaners, you can get plenty of iodine from dairy products, particularly, yoghurt. Greek yoghurt is one of the prime sources of iodine and can make up to about 50 percent of the daily intake of the nutrient.

2. Seaweed
When suffering from thyroid, you need iodine to function properly. Producing adequate levels of the thyroid hormone is important to fulfil the needs of the body. Though taking iodized salt can help a lot in your daily iodine intake, you can take additional aid from seaweed. It is important to understand that taking too much iodine can trigger the symptoms of hypothyroidism and the trick here is to balance out how much your body needs.

3. Milk
Much of the iodine in one s diet comes from dairy products. When you drink about 1 cupful of low-fat milk, you can effortlessly consume around 1/3rd of the daily iodine requirement. It would be better if you take milk rich in Vitamin D. If you are neither a fan of milk nor yoghurt, you may also resort to cheddar cheese, as a single slice can give you around 12 micrograms of the much-needed iodine.

4. Chicken
While all the hype is about iodine, zinc also plays an important role in controlling thyroid symptoms. When you take too little amount of zinc, you can get hypothyroidism and in case you already have this condition, your body will need it more since the thyroid hormones help in the absorption of the minerals. Meat, particularly chicken is an amazing source of zinc when you have it roasted.

5. Fish
Fish is yet another source of iodine since it is found in sea water as well as in soil. Taking 3 ounces per serving of baked cod fish can give you around 99 micrograms of iodine. Moreover, shellfish, lobster, and shrimp are good sources of iodine as well.

By adding these foods, you can definitely control your thyroid symptoms to a considerable extent. Controlling your diet is the key to managing your thyroid condition, and therefore you must pay special attention to it.

Diet Tips For Managing Thyroid!

Hormones are chemicals produced by the body for optimal functioning of the various body systems. The thyroid produces thyroxin which controls body metabolism, and reduced levels affect metabolism. Deficiency of Iodine is the cause behind it as it is required by the body to produce thyroxin. Hashimoto s thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disorder is another cause.

Some common signs of it are extreme fatigue, intolerance to cold, constipation, puffy face, hoarseness of voice, increased cholesterol level, weight gain, muscle and joint pains and aches, altered menstruation and depression are some of the common symptoms. 

Homeopathy has some very good remedies that are aimed at managing the person as a whole and not just the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Calcarea Carbonica: The most common and popular homeopathic medicine, it is useful in patients who present with the following symptoms.
Intolerance to cold
Fat, flabby, fair person
Excessive sweating on the head
Peculiar food habits including craving for eggs, chalk, pencils, lime,
Aversion to fatty food substances
Constipation i.e. first part of stool is hard followed by softer stools
Excessive menstruation, prolonged and occurs earlier than the regular date, almost always associated with cold feet
Sepia Officinalis: Another significant remedy, Sepia is used when the patient has the following symptoms.
Weak, pale yellow, tend to faint easily in cold temperatures
Extreme intolerance to cold, even in a warm room
Irritable, indifferent
Significant hair loss
Excessive menstruation, occurs earlier than schedule, along with a bearing down feeling that the pelvic organs will pop out through the vagina, and so she always prefers to sit cross-legged
Constipation i.e. stool is passed out as small balls that is painful to pass
Craving for pickles and acidic food stuffs
Lycopodium Clavatum: Symptoms of patients in whom Lycopodium will be used are as follows:
Emotionally irritable and physically weak
Yellow face with blue circles around eyes
Excessive hair fall
Craving for hot foods and sweets
Gastric troubles with excessive flatulence
Acidity that worsens after eating starchy foods, especially in the evenings
Constipation with hard, painful, incomplete stooling
Graphites: Presenting symptoms where Graphites is mainly used include:
Obesity
Intolerance to cold
Depressed emotionally, timid, indecisive, weeps listening to music
Bloated, gassy abdomen
Chronic constipation with hard, painful stooling process
Nux Vomica: The patient in whom Nux Vomica can produce wonderful results presents with the following symptoms:
Cold to the touch
Extremely temperamental, gets offended easily, extremely sensitive
Chronic constipation with scanty stools and a chronic urge to pass stools
Gassy, bloated feeling in the stomach
Desire for alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulations; fatty and spicy foods
Prolonged excessive menstruation
These are commonly used remedies; however, a detailed discussion with your homeopath is essential to zero in on the remedy that will work best for you.

Hypothyroidism - Symptoms + Homeopathic Remedies 

The thyroid hormones, namely T3, T4 and TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) play a pivotal role in various metabolic processes in the body. Any imbalance in the level of these hormones can interfere with the normal body functions. While an elevated level of the thyroid hormones gives rise to Hyperthyroidism, a reduced level of the same thyroid hormones can lead to a condition medically termed as Hypothyroidism. A proper diagnosis and treatment can bring about a significant improvement. However, there are some common mistakes that many people with thyroid problems often make.

Choose your diet with care: The health benefits of a balanced and nutritious diet are known to all. However, a food considered healthy may not be an ideal choice for a thyroid patient. Time and again, broccoli and kale have been recommended for its nutritive value. However, these vegetables may not be a good choice for thyroid health. Known to contain goitrogens, they may interfere with the production of the thyroid hormones. Gluten, a protein present in wheat, rye, and barley, though healthy should be avoided, especially in the case of Hypothyroidism.
Obesity may not be the trigger: While it is a healthy practice to maintain a healthy body weight, it is unfair to blame the extra kilos for every single disease that you suffer from. Many people believe that losing weight is the best way to deal with thyroid problems. However, the fact is quite different from what you believe. Thyroid problems can be an outcome of various triggers where losing weight may provide negligible or no assistance to reverse or improve the condition. In fact, rapid weight loss may give rise to some complications which may aggravate the condition further.
Thyroid glands are not always at fault: Many people associate thyroid problems with some abnormalities or improper functioning of the thyroid glands. There is no denying the fact that problems in the thyroid glands often trigger thyroid disorders. However, this is not the only cause. A host of other factors such as stress, medical conditions, certain medications and unhealthy lifestyle habits may be equally responsible for the thyroid problems. In some cases, the body may fail to utilize the thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid glands. In another condition, the thyroid hormone produced is unable to enter the cell (triggered by a problem in the cell receptor). It is important to identify the root cause of the problem rather than generalizing.
People with hypothyroidism do not need to gulp down tons of iodine. Always use the amount recommended by the doctor. Increased intake of iodine supplements (way above the recommended quantity) may result in unnecessary health complications such as Wolff-Chaikoff effect.
Many health organizations or individuals may promise instant relief and cure. They may lure you with some irresistible offers. However, it will be foolish on your part to fall for such claims. Always seek the help of experienced and genuine health professionals.

Thyroid - 5 Common Mistakes That Most People Do!

Almost all the metabolic processes in a person's body are influenced by the hormones produced by the thyroid gland. The most common types of thyroid diseases caused due to dysfunctional thyroid glands are thyroid nodules, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiter, thyroiditis, and thyroid cancer. 

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland is underactive and the amount of hormones produced is insufficient. Hypothyroidism can be caused due to multiple reasons such as iodine deficiency, radiation or surgery on the thyroid gland, and drugs such as lithium and phenylbutazone. You should note that treating thyroid is not a speedy process and a reoccurrence of symptoms might also take place. However with the appropriate remedies and proper diet control, one can make sure that these symptoms are less pronounced. 

Ayurveda:
According to ayurveda, imbalance or disequilibrium in the doshas is the main cause of hypothyroidism. The kapha dosha i. E. The dosha responsible for body fluids and lubrication and pitta dosha i. E. The dosha responsible for fire and water body humors, are vitiated. Lifestyle and diet discrepancies further promote imbalances in the doshas. Hypothyroidism is categorized under the yapya diseases which recur once you cease to take the treatment. 

Treatments:
1. It is essential to consume adequate quantities of milk. 
2. Apart from that, coconut oil is one of the best remedies for a hypothyroid patient, since it increases slow and sluggish metabolism. Coconut contains mcfas i. E. Medium chain fatty acids and mtcs i. E. Medium chain triglycerides in abundance which help the metabolism be revved up. 
3. Ayurvedic herbs useful for treating hypothyroidism are kanchnar, bauhinia variegata i. E. Purple mountain ebony, jatamansi, brahmi, guggulu, shilajit, gokshura, and punarnava. 

Remedies:
1. Consume a mixture of indian gooseberry i. E. Amla churna with honey, daily before breakfast. 
2. One of the main causes of hypothyroidism is insufficient amount of iodine. Drinking the juice acquired from jalakumbhi i. E. Pistia stratiotes everyday in doses amounting from 11gm to 22gm increases the iodine content and helps treat hypothyroidism.

Ayurveda and Hypothyroidism

Thyroid disorders are associated with the thyroid gland. A thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland situated right at the base of one s neck. The role of the thyroid gland is to carry out numerous metabolic processes within the body. The brain regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland through a feedback mechanism. There are a number of disorders, both severe and trivial, which could affect the thyroid gland.

Main symptoms of thyroid disorders:

Weight loss and weight gain

Changes in heart rate (arrhythmia)

Hair loss

Frequent mood swings

Swollen neck

Sudden bouts of moderate to high fever

Other symptoms include:

Numbness or a tingling sensation in the hands

Constipation

Abnormalities or irregularities in menstruation

Brittle nails and dry skin

Blurred vision

Weakened muscle tone and frequent tremors in the body

Treatment Options:

Intake of thyroid hormone pills may prove beneficial. Once you start with the treatment, you may notice significant improvement within the first two or three weeks. Generally, once affected by thyroid disorders, one might have to be on these medications his/her entire life. Over time, this treatment procedure should result in lowering of the cholesterol levels, increased energy; but in certain cases, might throw up side effects in the form of sudden and unexplained weight loss.

Anti-thyroid medications help reduce and regulate the secretion of the thyroid hormone, thus treating certain thyroid disorders (such as hyperthyroidism).

Beta blockers are drugs help in reducing high blood pressure, heart palpitations and controlling heart rate.

In severe cases, such as enlargement of the thyroid gland, surgery is advised by the doctor, in which the thyroid gland is removed. Tumors or thyroid nodules are also treated by this surgical process.

In cases of thyroid cancer, besides the surgical procedure, radioactive iodine therapy (radioiodine) is recommended. This therapy helps destroy the thyroid gland and other thyroid (malignant) cells which may be taking up iodine. However, the side effects of this technique are minimal. This procedure helps to destroy those tissues which may not have been removed by the surgery. If the thyroid cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to other parts within the body, this particular mode of treatment can be very effective.

Types of Thyroid Disorders:

Hypothyroidism: This is a condition characterized by an underactive thyroid gland. In this case, sufficient thyroid hormone is not secreted in the body.

Hyperthyroidism: This is characterized by an overactive thyroid gland, that results in overproduction of the thyroid hormone.

Thyroid cancer: It is a type of cancer of the thyroid gland.

Goiter: This is a disorder wherein the thyroid gland gets abnormally enlarged.

Thyroid nodules: This is marked by swelling of the thyroid gland.

Thyroid Disorders - Signs & Symptoms To Watch Out For!

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