If you are suffering from hypothyroidism, it is important for you to deal with the condition so that your daily life and activities do not get affected. Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland becomes under active and does not produces sufficient amount of hormones. This affects the metabolism rate of your body. Hypothyroidism has several symptoms which include fatigue, constipation, dry skin, muscle cramping, hoarse voice, depression, sudden gain of weight and brittle hair and fingernails.

Here are some important tips which you should follow in order to deal with hypothyroidism and for its treatment:

Go Gluten and A1 Casein free: Common allergies and food intolerance, which occur today are because of wheat and dairy products because of the hybridized proteins of A1 casein and gluten. These may lead to a leaky gut, as a result of which inflammation of the thyroid gland takes place. This affects the thyroid s functioning. You should avoid grain and gluten in your diet. Try to consume dairy products coming from A2 cow s milk.
Avoid BPA: Bisphenol A or BPA is present in plastic bottles. These are capable of disrupting the endocrine system and also affect the thyroid gland. You should avoid drinking from plastic bottles and drink water from glass, stainless steel and plastic bottles which are BPA free.
Check your iodine levels: In case your iodine levels are low, you should use an organic liquid supplement. Kelp is ideal for this purpose.
Heavy metal detox: You need to detoxify your body and eliminate traces of harmful metals from your organs and cells. For this, you may use a combination of milk, turmeric, chlorella, cilantro and thistle, which are ideal for a metal detox.
Increase your selenium intake: It is important for you to consume sufficient amounts of selenium in your everyday diet, but you should not consume them in excess. You should eat food items containing selenium in good amount such as salmon, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, mushrooms, onions and beef.
Take adaptogen supplements: You should lower your cortisol levels and improve thyroid functioning by taking supplements such as tulsi and ashwaganda.
Remove silver fillings: If you have amalgam fillings, you should consult a dentist and get the fillings removed.
Lower your carbohydrate intake: You also need to reduce the amount of sugar and grains in your regular diet. Instead, take healthy fats. Consuming too much carbohydrates leads to increased estrogen, which affects thyroid negatively. Choose healthy fats like coconut oils, avocado, wild salmon, hemp seeds and flax seeds. These will help in balancing your hormone levels.
Hypothyroidism usually occurs from common causes such as toxicity due to radiation and metal exposure, deficiency of iodine and selenium, food intolerance and hormonal imbalance due to stress and excess carbohydrates.

Hypothyroidism - 8 Tips To Help You Deal With It!

3 Foods to Avoid If You Have Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism causes the thyroid gland to produce excess hormones, which accelerates the metabolism, in turn affecting the heart, bone health, and mood. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism include increased heartbeat, insomnia, anxiety, heightened hunger, and weight loss, all of which can be controlled via medicines and a healthy diet plan.

However, there are certain foods that can worsen the condition and lead to the severity of the symptoms. These should be avoided at all costs by anyone suffering from hyperthyroidism.

- Caffeinated drinks

Caffeinated drinks can worsen hyperthyroidism symptoms by aggravating palpitations, anxiety and insomnia. These include energy drinks, coffee, black tea, alcohol, soda. It is advisable to replace these drinks with healthy herbal tea or lemon water, which are apt refreshments with multiple health benefits.

- Foods with high glycemic content

Processed refined grains lose their nutrients like vitamin B and become not only useless but harmful to the body. The high glycemic content in refined grains can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar level, which can trigger terrible mood swings. It is advised to swap these with whole grains, quinoa, oatmeal and wild rice.

- Trans fat and hydrogenated oil

Trans- fat and partially hydrogenated oil are the culprits of heart diseases. To ensure the health of your heart and reduce the chances of hyperthyroidism, it is important to minimize the consumption of all the foods that list hydrogenated oil in their ingredient list. These are cookies, margarine, cakes, donuts, French fries, crackers and many others.



3 Foods to Avoid If You Have Hyperthyroidism

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck, just below your adam's apple. Hormones produced by the thyroid gland do everything from maintaining your heart rate to regulating your body temperature to controlling your body weight. 
Millions of people worldwide suffer from thyroid dysfunction and several don't know about it. This is primarily because people don't tend to link the common symptoms first with a thyroid disease. Some people suffer from mood swings, trouble with memory, weight gain or fatigue, all of which they look upon individually as a problem and hence not piecing together the puzzle of their real medical condition. Here are a few insights that'll help you cope:
How does the thyroid gland work?
About 85% of the hormone produced by our thyroid gland is t4, which is an inactive form of the hormone. After t4 is made, a small amount of is converted into t3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone. T3 is then converted to free t3 or reverse t3. It is the free t3 that forms the base of thyroid functions. 
What is hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, accounts for 90% of all thyroid imbalances. The signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism develop slowly, often over a number of years, which is why it is often missed from regular treatment charts. For instance, fatigue and weight gain are often attributed to stress, lifestyle changes and natural ageing process. But as time goes by, some of the symptoms show a higher level of manifestation like muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol, thinning hair, puffy face, hoarse voice and slowed heart rate. 
If left untreated, hypothyroidism may lead to goiter (enlarged thyroid), increased memory problems, low blood pressure, decreased breathing and in extreme cases, unresponsiveness and coma. 
This disease may also occur in newborns, infants and children. Symptoms include excessive sleepiness, poor muscle tone and constipation. It is important to diagnose and treat it early, as in severe cases it may lead to mental and / or physical retardation. In children and teens, it can result in stunted growth, and delayed puberty.
What is hyperthyroidism?
It's the opposite of hypothyroidism, which means in this case the thyroid overproduces hormones. Common symptoms include lack of sleep, weakness, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and hand tremors. While genetics are partially responsible for it, it is also triggered by autoimmune disorder. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medication, radioactive iodine (not the first or best choice as it harms white cells too) and surgery. Keeping a focus on your calcium and sodium intake is crucial to curb the disorder.
Treatments: 
Conventional treatments rely mainly on drugs and surgery. Alternative treatments involve diet and lifestyle changes. Taking multivitamins, going gluten free, getting a good night sleep, and reducing stress is all said to help heal your thyroid gradually.

Thyroid Dysfunction and Treatment

Cow urine therapy has been in practice for many health problems in india for centuries. In india, cow is a symbol of spirituality and cow urine is not only used in devotional practices, but also comes packed with a bunch of health benefits.

'kamadhenu' is worshipped for thousands of years as the goddess who fulfils desire. In ayurveda, cow is considered as the mother of all entities as the products obtained from cow are beneficial to all mankind in many ways. The milk, urine, curd, ghee and dung obtained from cow are beneficial in different ways as food supplement and medicine. Cow urine or gomutra destroys the poisonous effects of residues and makes body disease free. The medicinal usage of panchgavya, especially cow urine is practiced in ayurveda which is classified as complementary and alternative medicine.

The two indian epics, shushruta samhita and charaka samhita, have described that the consumption of cow urine produces body warmth. In modern medical science, it has been well established that the thyroid hormones are responsible for producing body warmth. The oral administration of cow urine has thyroid stimulating effect and therapeutic value of urinary iodine present in the cow urine is immense. Cow urine or gomutra contains iodine, which is easily absorbable from the gastrointestinal tract. The mean urinary iodine levels in dairy cows may vary from 79.2 to 94.8 micrograms of iodine per litre of urine depending upon their physiological conditions. Iodine is an essential element to produce thyroid hormones such as triiodothyronine and thyroxine. These are catabolic hormones that generate heat and cause body warmth. It has been proven that the cow urine contains iodine in required level for normal functioning of thyroid gland.

Urinary iodine concentration in cow urine varies depending upon its biological status and it could stimulate the patient's thyroid gland activity on oral administration of iodine. Thyroxine stimulates more oxygen utilization and heat production by many different cells of the body.

During iodine deficiency, the pituitary gland secretes enhanced amounts of thyroid stimulating hormone (tsh), which causes compensatory adjustment. This leads in the production of more extensive secretory epithelium which in turn will result in enlargement of the thyroid gland and loss of colloid material in the thyroid follicles. In this scenario, exogenous supplementation of iodine brings back the normal thyroid status.

The administration of cow urine, which contain good levels of iodine, can keep the thyroid gland activity on a better footing. We now have the support of scientific validation for the experience of warming up of the human body after consumption of cow urine or gomutra.

Cow Urine Therapy for Thyroid

The thyroid gland in your body is responsible for controlling and secreting those hormones that help in your natural growth and development. These hormones are crucial in regulating some of the most important functions of your body,  such as your heart rate, breathing, your body weight, your menstrual cycle and your muscle power to name a few. 

Problems of the thyroid gland (such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) can hamper all of these vital functions, and these problems usually arise due to a poor diet. However, your diet can also help in improving the health of your thyroid gland. Here are some diet tips to help you out:

1. Include lots of iodine in your diet
Iodine is a  nutritive element, without which your thyroid gland will not be able to function at all, being its building block. Therefore, iodine rich foods, such as fortified salt, eggs, seaweed and other dairy products should be a part of your diet. Along with iodine, zinc, selenium, copper and iron are other very important elements that should be a part of your diet too. 

2. Plenty of B vitamins and antioxidants help
Since stress (blame it on cortisol, the stress hormone that overworks your thyroid in case of chronic stress) plays a major role in hampering the proper functioning of your thyroid gland, eliminating it and detoxifying yourself is extremely important. This can be done by  including plenty of B vitamins and antioxidants in your diet. White meat, fishes like tuna, peanuts, brown rice and fruits such as goji berries and wild blueberries can be of great help in this regard.

3.  Say no to soy
Soy is one of the main culprits behind the malfunctioning of your thyroid gland, as it contains an element known as isoflavones, which can reduce the iodine reserve in the gland. Apart from that, vegetables that belong to the brassica family such as cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are linked to causing goitre and must be avoided. Consumption of gluten must be avoided too, as it can cause autoimmune thyroid disorders, celiac disease and hormonal imbalances.

4. Enjoy your daily meals
In today's fast paced world a stress-free meal is a thing of the past as most people are in a rush to get done with their breakfast, lunch or dinner. This hampers your digestive function and also puts stress on your thyroid glands. The best way to eat is to sit on a table and relax, enjoying every morsel you swallow. This ensures your thyroid remains healthy.

Diet Tips to Improve the Health of Your Thyroid Gland

The body has multiple chemicals called hormones, which regulate many of its functions. Increased or decreased levels of these hormones affect various functions including metabolism, growth and sexual functions. Thyroxin produced by the thyroid (situated in the front of the neck) is one such hormone, which has a significant role to play in metabolism.

Graves  disease is one of the main causes of hyperthyroidism, where there is excessive production of thyroid hormones. Graves  disease is an autoimmune disorder, wherein the body reacts against its own tissues. It is very common in women than men, especially after 20 years of age. Family history also has a strong correlation in developing Graves  disease. The high levels of thyroid hormone increase the rate of metabolism, thereby altering weight, mental energy levels, physical stamina, and also mood.

Thyroid hormone is related to metabolism and more amount of it lead to higher metabolism. This causes the following symptoms.

    Intolerance to heat
    Excessive sweating
    Nervousness and anxiety
    Inability sleep, as the mind is always excited
    Increased appetite (sometimes despite weight loss) due to higher metabolism
    Irregular menstrual cycles
    Palpitations (rapid, loud heartbeat)
    Irregular heartbeats (tachyarrhythmia)
    Fine tremors of the extended arms
    Breast enlargement in men, known as gynecomastia
    Extreme moodiness, causing irritability and anger
    Inability to focus and concentrate
    General fatigue and shortness of breath with any exertion
    Increased frequency of bowel movements

In addition, the eye symptoms are quite diagnostic including:

    Protrusion of the eyes (exophthalmos), giving an impression that they are going to fall out
    Double vision
    Excessive tearing
    Increased irritation in the eyes

Diagnosis: The first symptom would be the presence of an enlarged thyroid gland (front of the neck above the collarbone), and the some of the above symptoms would be present.
In addition, tests to check for thyroid gland functioning including T3 and T4 levels would reveal increased amounts of hormone in the blood stream.
As a confirmatory test, the radioactive iodine uptake test also is done, which will indicate increased uptake by the thyroid gland. This indicates that the gland is functioning at an increased pace and requires additional iodine for the production of thyroid hormones.

Treatment: There are two approaches to it, one to control the symptoms and the other to control the thyroid gland per se.

    Beta blockers are very useful in controlling rapid heart rate and anxiety.
    Prednisone may be used to control eye irritation and swelling
    Antithyroid drugs are used to control the production of thyroid
    Radioactive iodine is given orally to control excessive thyroid production
    In severe cases, thyroid gland may be surgically removed partially or completely

Graves  disease is not life-threatening and once symptoms are controlled, the patient s quality of life improves drastically.

Graves' Disease - Things You Should Know About It

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