By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Let’s address a topic that isn’t discussed out in the open that much. Menopause. Most every woman goes through this at some point, so it’s important to consider that this passage is not a disease or dysfunctional health. It’s NORMAL but the symptoms can vary widely, depending on several factors—many under your control.

In fact, at this very moment, one-third of the women in the United States are going through some stage of menopause—whether its peri-menopause, menopause or post menopause. Menopause has a wide range of symptoms and those symptoms affect every woman differently.

Some of the symptoms—hot flashes, insomnia, brain fog and mood changes can be severe enough to make it difficult to get on with normal day to day living, and while many women are (understandably) desperate for relief, traditional hormone replacement therapy can have some negative effects on long-term health. And—also very frustrating—is that only 1 out of 5 OB/GYN’s actually ever study menopause issues in medical school, leaving you in the dark when it comes to getting some relief!

There are many things you can do naturally to help ease the symptoms and your best bet is to work on diet and lifestyle changes first, then look for other natural options such as supplements and bioidentical hormone therapy.

The most common menopause symptoms that are bothersome include:

• Hot flashes, sweating
• Mood swings
• Anxiety and depression
• Vaginal dryness, pain with sex, and decreased sex drive
• Weight gain, especially around the midsection
• Insomnia
• Lethargy and loss of energy
• Dry skin, wrinkles
• Breast changes-larger or smaller
• Higher risk for chronic age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc.

Diet, Inflammation and Estrogen

Inflammation can most definitely exacerbate the hormonal symptoms that go along with peri- and menopause—and diet and lifestyle practices can play a huge role in this.

Here is something to consider: Only about 10 percent of women in China, and 20 percent of women in Japan experience hot flashes and the other uncomfortable symptoms of menopause.

Why is that?

While the differences may be due partly to cultural differences, it’s a fact that the majority of Asian women follow very different diet and lifestyle practices than women here in the US, which may be a big part of the reason for the differences in menopause symptoms. Let’s explore some of the reasons for that.

For one thing our Standard American Diet is highly inflammatory. We eat large quantities of meat raised on inflammatory grains, full of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. Conventional meat is also full of inflammatory omega 6 fats, instead of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats that are in wild caught fish and grass fed meats. Women on the western side of the globe consume more than twice as much red meat, and four times as much fat (usually in the form of inflammatory omega 6 fats), as women on traditional Asian vegetable, fish and rice based diets.

Most of the meat eaten in this country comes from Concentrated Animal Factory Operations (CAFO’s). The beef, pork and poultry are fed a diet primarily of corn and soy products, creating meat that is high in inflammatory omega 6 fats.

In addition, the feed operations that supply food to our livestock are full of pesticides, and usually genetically modified. Cattle, chicken and pork are given hormones and antibiotics to unnaturally speed up growth. And cows raised for dairy products are pumped full of hormones to create perpetually pregnant or lactating cows.

All of this not only creates higher levels of inflammation in our bodies, but the growth hormone and antibiotics in conventional meat also makes our own hormone go haywire—and that especially affects women in menopause.

Could it Be the Fiber?

Contrast the standard American diet with Asian women eating a traditional diet heavy in vegetables, rice and fish and you will find that only about 10-20% of the Asian women reported menopause symptoms—compared to 80% of American women. As the traditional Asian diet gets replaced with a more Westernized diet heavy in CAFO and processed meats, starchy, sugary foods and processed grain/seed oils, you will find that the incidence of menopause symptoms goes up.

Research is showing that women who eat a high-fat/ low-fiber diet experience higher estrogen levels at all points in their lives. Consequently, as the ovaries slow the production of estrogen, the women on the high fat/low fiber diets have the most dramatic drop in estrogen. Because Asian women eat diets that are far lower in fats and higher in fiber, over the course of their lives, they tend to carry lower amounts of estrogen as well, and they seem to have far less symptoms of estrogen withdrawal because of this.

More evidence of the diet and hormone link comes from a study from the University of California who interviewed Greek and Mayan women about their experiences going through menopause. About three-quarters of the Greek women had hot flashes, but they were considered minor, normal events and did not cause the women to seek medical treatment.

The Mayan women did not even have a word for hot flashes, as they did not normally occur. The Mayan diet of the women in the study consisted of corn, beans, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes and a variety of other vegetables, with very little meat or dairy products. In other words, very high in fiber.

The Greek women’s diet contained plenty of vegetables, but also lots of fish, meat and dairy. The difference between Americans and Greeks and other Europeans for whom hot flashes are common, and the Mayans and Asian women on the other hand, for whom hot flashes are rare or unknown, appears to be diet-related. The study’s conclusion was that the higher fiber diets contributed to fewer menopausal symptoms.

What does fiber have to do with estrogen?

Fiber helps regulate and balance estrogen. In one study, researchers found that among 250 women ages 18 to 44, those who reported eating the most fiber had the lowest blood levels of estrogen and other reproductive hormones.

High-fiber diets, they explain, decrease activity in certain intestinal enzymes, leading to less estrogen re-absorption in the colon. Fiber actually causes more estrogen to be excreted from the body in feces. This is a good thing, health-wise. It helps prevent the problems of estrogen dominance which can be detrimental to health.

A low fiber diet actually allows for more re-absorption of estrogen through the digestive system, which is then re-released into the bloodstream. Higher levels of estrogen worsen menopause and peri-menopause symptoms, increase risks of fibroid tumors, but also contribute to higher risks of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers. Higher levels of estrogen also contribute greatly to weight gain.

By contrast, a diet high in processed starches, sugars and unhealthy fats is very low in fiber, AND it also causes weight gain, obesity and inflammation. The more weight gained, the higher the levels of inflammation in the body. It’s a vicious cycle.

Women who consume higher amounts of processed vegetable oils, high sugar/starch diets have the highest levels of inflammatory biomarkers, body weight (BMI) and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, muscle and joint issues and bladder problems. Women on this type of diet also report far more negative symptoms in the perimenopausal period as well.

Excess fat also produces estrogen, especially as the ovaries slow down during menopause. Higher levels of estrogen indicates a higher than normal risk for postmenopausal breast cancer, according to the Nurses Health Study.

As the drops in estrogen become more dramatic during peri-menopause and menopause, the negative symptoms of menopause become more and more noticeable.

However, this study from Tehran University of Medical Sciences on women, menopause and diet showed that the women who consumed the highest levels of vegetables had the lowest reported menopause symptoms and also lower BMI.

And in one of the biggest studies on diet and menopause, this one-year intervention study of over 17,000 menopausal women, showed that the women who consumed the most vegetables, fruit, fiber and soy experienced an average of 20% reduction in hot flashes compared to the control group. This reduction in hot flahses was attributed to the healthier diet, high levels of antioxidants, plentiful fiber, and weight loss.

In addition to eating more vegetables and (small amounts of) fruit, it is important to include a particular type of vegetables, especially. Cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, arugula, kohlrabi and cabbage.

One study on cruciferous vegetables showed that increased intake was linked to lower levels of estrone (a more harmful type of estrogen). And this study, it was showed that an increased consumption in the brassica type of vegetables (cruciferous) changed estrogen hormone metabolites to significantly lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Grain, Inflammation Hormones and Weight Gain

Grain of all kinds—whether ‘whole-grain’ or ground into a processed flour and made into breads, pastas, crackers, pizza crust, etc. is highly inflammatory and high-glycemic as well, meaning it raises blood sugar. In other words, any type of grain will raise blood sugar.

Foods that spike blood sugar are not only physically addictive, but they increase inflammation in the body. Grains also do more than raise blood sugar; they also raise insulin levels, cause problems with thyroid hormones, and interfere with optimal levels of leptin (a hunger/satiety hormone), causing people to overeat.

In addition, menopause itself is somewhat inflammatory, and can be a cause of low-level inflammation and elevated CRP, a primary inflammatory marker that is connected to heart disease and other chronic health issues.

An inflammatory diet that includes grain can make this risk even worse. A high-glycemic diet is also associated with oxidative stress in pre-and post-menopausal women. This study of over 117,000 men and women aged forty to seventy found that higher carbohydrate intake (mainly from white rice and refined wheat products) and dietary glycemic load were associated with an increased risk of heart disease in both women and men.

Grains also contain potentially harmful anti-nutrients, along with gluten, a protein in wheat that causes inflammation and autoimmune reactions. These include agglutinins, which is a type of lectin that is associated with leaky gut, inflammation and overgrowth of bad gut bacteria; phytates, which also cause leaky gut, and block absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc; and digestive enzyme inhibitors which contribute to undigested proteins leaking into the blood and overstimulating the immune system.

And–there’s the gluten issue. Gluten is just one of the proteins in wheat that can cause a variety of symptoms including bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and gut inflammation. Even if you are not having a strong reaction to gluten, it can still be triggering reactions and inflammation. Gluten’s ability to create inflammation, weight gain, digestive issues, and mess with hormone levels should not be overlooked.

While many doctors can test for gluten sensitivity, it may not show up—depending on the test. Standard blood tests for gluten sensitivity only have about 15-20% percent accuracy rate. Gluten has to have significantly destroyed the gut wall for the blood testing to be actually be effective. And in many people, gluten damages other tissues in the body.

Current tests only screen for one component of wheat, alpha gliadin. Yet people can react to at least 12 different portions of the wheat protein. What does this have to do with menopause? It seems during perimenopause and menopause, hormone changes, inflammation and long term sensitivity to certain proteins such as gluten, can suddenly rear its head, so on top of the classic symptoms of menopause can come digestive issues, bloating, weight gain, and diarrhea as well.

All this can cause menopause symptoms to drastically intensify, in addition to being linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis, thyroid disease, anemia, and even diabetes. And it’s not just the gluten in wheat that can be a problem, rye, barley and sometimes oats can cause similar reactions. Corn, and even rice can also have a cross-reactivity reaction as well, so truthfully, you are better off avoiding all grains—even the whole grain ones.

It’s a fact that women with un-diagnosed celiac disease and those who are diagnosed celiac or gluten sensitive but don’t follow a strict gluten free diet, will have a much harder time going through perimenopause and menopause. Women who have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease can also enter menopause earlier, have higher than normal occurrence of osteoporosis, and other serious health issues.

While giving up your bread, pasta, pizzas, crackers, and other baked goods may seem like a huge sacrifice, the rewards of your health, well-being, hormone balance and even weight loss should make it all worthwhile. And fortunately, there are some great grain substitutes available now like tortillas made from coconut flour or almond flour, noodles and pasta made from black beans, breads made from almond flour or garbanzo beans and even pizza crust made from cauliflower.

Diet for Easier Menopause

So, what’s the bottom line for a diet to help with menopause symptoms?

1. Keep the fiber high

Eat plenty of organic vegetables and a couple servings of fruit. Try to get in a pound of veggies a day, which isn’t too hard if you throw some greens in with your eggs or smoothie in the morning, eat a big salad for lunch and have a dinner with healthy proteins and a big serving of veggies. This will help fill you up with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals—all of which help ease menopause, lower inflammation and help you feel full. Fiber helps to gently lower estrogen levels in the body, and eases the symptoms. This helps with weight loss too! Be sure to include plenty of cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, arugula, etc. And add in some non-GMO, fermented soy such as tempeh or miso to help further balance hormone levels.

2. Avoid sugars and grains completely—especially from processed foods

Keeping your blood sugar stable helps to balance hormones, calm your nerves, give you more energy, and stop the blood sugar ups and downs which sap your energy. Lower glycemic foods and lower blood sugar levels help you continue to burn fat for energy, keep insulin levels lower which helps fight cancer, helps you lose weight and helps to lower levels of unhealthy estrogens.

Lower blood sugar also goes a long way towards lowering inflammation levels which in turn drastically reduce heart attack, diabetes and cancer risks. Avoiding grains also help your body to better absorb nutrients from foods. You will get all the fiber you need from vegetables. Many studies find that the glycemic load of a postmenopausal woman’s diet is a strong predictor of her fat mass. Keep in mind glycemic load basically means carbohydrates and sugars.

3. Eat healthy proteins, naturally raised

Be sure to get in 50-100 grams of protein per day from natural sources. Natural sources include grass fed meats which are high in omega 3 fats, lower in omega 6 fats and high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which fights cancer, protects the heart and burns fat better. Other natural proteins are pasture raised eggs, also high in omega 3 fatty acids and other valuable nutrients, pastured chicken, and wild caught fish.

Avoid as much as possible any animal products from conventionally raised animals, including dairy, as these foods all contain harmful disrupting hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and unhealthy fats.

What really does seem to work best for menopause is the classic paleolithic diet: naturally raised meats and protein, fruit, nuts, vegetables, eggs, berries, and fish. AVOID grains, most legumes, sugars, dairy, potatoes, and added salt.

Over 24 months, menopausal women on a paleo diet lost more fat, more waist circumference, and lowered their levels of dangerous triglycerides than those on a standard so-called “healthy” diet.

While it may be difficult to stick at first, getting your diet in line, along with a few lifestyle changes like making sure you add in small amounts of exercise daily (outdoors if possible), avoiding smoking, drinking one drink or less per day, and cutting back on caffeine will go a long ways towards easing menopause symptoms. You can take back your life, regain control over your hormones—and your health, lose weight, and start feeling awesome. The next chapter in your life is about to begin!

Check out this next story below if you want an innovative new way to lose weight:

> Do THIS 1 hour before bed to pee out stubborn fat in the morning

References
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/diet-for-menopause/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-celiac-disease-cause-early-menopause-562633
http://drflannery.com/why-your-negative-gluten-test-may-have-been-wrong/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-menopause-diet/diet-rich-in-fruits-and-vegetables-tied-to-fewer-menopause-symptoms-idUSKCN1NP2DW
https://www.pcrm.org/news/exam-room-podcast/how-food-affects-menopause
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fiber-ovulation/high-fiber-intake-may-interfere-with-ovulation-idUSTRE5A23KC20091103
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/menopause-diet#menopause
Gottfried, S., 2016. The Hormone Reset Diet, Harper and Collins, New York, NY.

The post Stop Hot Flashes in Their Tracks and Ease Menopause Symptoms—Naturally! appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, BSN,co-author of the best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen,The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging&The Diabetes Fix

You are fatigued—beyond what a good night’s sleep would help, you lack energy, you’ve gained weight, you feel chilly most of the time, you may even be slightly depressed. You don’t even have the energy to follow any kind of fitness program.

You’ve been catching every cold or flu going around, so you go to your physician and he does some blood work. The doctor checks your thyroid, but he tells you, “Your TSH is in the normal range, so your thyroid is fine.” He sends you home with some vitamins, tells you to get a good night’s sleep or even worse, says it’s all in your head, and offers you an anti-depressant.

Back to square one? Why DO you feel tired all the time? Even if your physician is telling you your thyroid is ‘normal’, it may not be. Unfortunately, most physicians will only do a standard test for thyroid dysfunction which is the TSH test. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone.

Around 30 million people suffer from thyroid disorders. More than half of those (60%) have no idea their poor health and low energy is related to thyroid problems. One in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder at some point in their lives, and the number of people suffering from dysfunctional thyroid is increasing every year. Some studies have suggested that up to 10 percent of women over 60 have diagnosed or un-diagnosed hypothyroidism.

Low thyroid, the most common thyroid disorder, is characterized by foggy thinking, depression, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, an intolerance to cold, a hoarse voice, menstrual problems, infertility, muscle stiffness and pain, and other symptoms.

If you consider that every cell in your body has receptors for thyroid hormone, then it’s easy to see that the thyroid gland governs all major systems of the body. Thyroid hormone is closely tied to brain function, the G.I. tract, cardiovascular system, bone metabolism, red blood cell production and growth, gall bladder and liver function, hormone production, glucose control, cholesterol metabolism, nutrient metabolism, and body temperature regulation.

The thyroid is basically the accelerator in a sophisticated engine. If that accelerator isn’t working properly the engine is stuck going either too slow or too fast.

How does this happen?

Thyroid physiology is complex. Most conventional doctors use only a standard test for thyroid function which includes only TSH and T4. But this standard test only picks up a small percentage of thyroid disorders, unfortunately.

Normally when the body cannot supply enough usable thyroid hormone for it to function properly, the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) increases in an effort to get the thyroid to make more thyroid hormone. Many thyroid problems, however, exist even if TSH shows as “normal”. This is more common than you may realize.

Just what is considered “normal” on a thyroid test? Ranges for “normal” vary from lab to lab, and from one doctor’s interpretation to another doctor’s. Lab ranges are not based on research that tells us a true optimal range, but on a bell curve of values obtained from people who come to the labs for testing, many of whom may have thyroid problems. So that’s the starting point for thyroid (mis)readings. They just aren’t looked at within an optimal lab range context.

That brings us to another problem with the TSH standard thyroid test.

Many doctors consider the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level to be the gold standard for diagnosing thyroid issues. This test is typically performed each year as part of your routine physical. The problem with just this test is that it often will show up in the normal range, in spite of thyroid problems it’s just not picking up. In truth, looking at TSH levels is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to diagnosing thyroid issues.

Your body creates two primary thyroid hormones—T3 and T4. About 94 percent of the hormone made in the thyroid gland is T4. The remaining 6 % is T3, named for its three molecules of iodine.

Your body converts the T4 hormone into the active form of thyroid hormone, T3. If your body is not good at this conversion, (which happens fairly often) your TSH will still show as normal, even though you are low in T3. Many people are poor converters of T4, meaning they may have enough T4 in their bodies but just don’t convert the T4 into T3 well enough to function properly. When this happens, you can have all the symptoms of a low thyroid and still have a normal TSH test.

It is necessary to get a more thorough thyroid test called a “complete thyroid panel” that will look at T3 and T4 levels and other essential components of thyroid function.

What Causes Thyroid to Malfunction?

Interestingly enough, the liver and gut are primary locations for conversion of T4 to T3 and places where a breakdown in this conversion process can occur. (Are you beginning to see just how important your gut health to your overall health?)

Your liver metabolizes your hormones, filters out toxins, and cleans out the blood system. Many of the waste products from the liver are sent to the gallbladder or digestive system for removal.

Since thyroid function impacts the entire body, when it is low, everything is SLOW—including the liver, gallbladder and digestive system. A liver bogged down with toxic sludge cannot convert T4 into T3 very well, so easy to see how this becomes a vicious cycle.

That brings us to the all-important gut bacteria. Our intestines help to convert at least 20% or more of T4 into T3, but that requires healthy gut bacteria. Among many other things including having an effect on proper immune function, creation of serotonin (for a happy mood), and helping with digestion, the gut also helps convert T4.

A poor diet creates an overabundance of bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth. When there is a lack of the appropriate beneficial bacteria, the body cannot process the T4-T3 conversion well.

Other things that hinder thyroid conversion in the gut include antibiotic use, inflammation from gluten and other food allergies, and certain medications—all leading to inadequate T3.

If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, it is very likely that you will have thyroid problems as the two maladies tend to go hand in hand.

Cortisol, the stress hormone can further decrease the active T3 levels as well. Low serotonin (of which 90% is created in the gut) and low levels of dopamine, two essential brain neurotransmitters can also cause thyroid problems.

Nutrient deficiencies can also lead to thyroid problems. Iodine, selenium and zinc are vital to proper thyroid function, so deficiencies in these minerals can cause thyroid disorders.

So, it’s easy to see that there are several reasons that a poor diet, high in processed starches and sugars and additives, will not only cause gut dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bacteria), but will also lead to nutrient deficiencies, all opening the door to thyroid dysfunction.

Thyroid problems tend to run in families too, so if you know your grandmother, or mother had thyroid problems, it’s easy to assume you may get them too, at some point in your life.

Thyroid disorders can have a negative impact on almost every body system.

Since they govern your metabolism, thyroid hormones can cause you to lose or gain a lot of weight, affect your sleep, your mood, your energy, your appetite, your digestion, how fast your hair and nails grow, how well your body heals, and how well you fight infection. A high or low thyroid also has a big effect on emotions and mental capacity, causing either anxiety and nervousness, or depression and brain fog.

Thyroid dysfunction falls into two main categories: hypothyroid or low thyroid, and hyperthyroid or high thyroid. Hypothyroidism is the most common type of dysfunction and affects primarily women (but men can be affected, too) of all ages. Often hypothyroidism is related to an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland becomes overactive and makes excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. When the thyroid gland is overactive every function in the body is sped up, causing nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, sweating, weight loss, and in, among other symptoms.

The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is the autoimmune disorder Graves’ disease. This type of thyroid disorder causes the body to make an antibody that causes the thyroid gland to go haywire. Graves’ disease tends to run in families and is more commonly found in women.

Hyperthyroidism also may be caused by lumps or nodules in the thyroid gland that cause the thyroid to produce excessive amounts of thyroid hormones. In addition, inflammation of the thyroid gland—called thyroiditis—resulting from a virus or a problem with the immune system may temporarily cause symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

You can actually have fluctuating levels of both hyper-and hypoactive thyroid as well.

Signs and Symptoms low thyroid include:

• Fatigue that won’t go away with a good night’s sleep
• Lethargy, no motivation to exercise
• Depression and/or moodiness
• Feeling chilly all the time
• Elevated cholesterol, especially LDL
• Dry hair and skin
• Slow-growing hair and nails
• Brain fog, trouble concentrating and forgetfulness
• Hoarse voice
• Unexplainable weight gain
• Constipation, bloating and other digestive issues
• Muscle weakness
• Weak immune system
• Heavy menstrual periods, premenstrual syndrome and infertility
• Gallstones
• Anemia

Signs and Symptoms high thyroid include:

• Nervousness and anxiety
• Insomnia
• High heart rate, fast breathing
• Eyes that appear bulging
• Unexplained weight loss
• Heavy perspiration
• Muscle weakness
• Multiple bowel movements throughout the day
• Thin, brittle hair
• Light or absent menstrual periods

The two main types of thyroid problems, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and treatment for each is very different. In one case we want more thyroid hormone, and in the other case you need less thyroid hormone.

Treatment options differ depending on each patient’s particular disorder and the specifics of the case. Here’s how thyroid problems are usually treated with conventional medicine.

• For hypothyroidism, the common treatment from a conventional medical doctor is to give you synthetic thyroxine or T4. The problem with this treatment is if your body does not convert T4 into T3 well, it doesn’t matter how much extra T4 or thyroxine you get.

If the doctor has done a thyroid panel and sees that you are low on T3, he may prescribe combination of the synthetic version of T4 and T3. Patients who don’t convert T4 to T3 well do better on naturally-derived hormones like Armour Thyroid because it contains both T4 and T3 in the correct ratio.

• For hyperthyroidism, the most common conventional medical treatment (in the U.S.) is radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid medications or surgery that removes a large portion of actual thyroid gland.

All of these treatments can have lots of side effects and may not be entirely affected. Meanwhile your whole life can be affected by thyroid disorders, so getting to the bottom of it is of key importance.

Natural Thyroid Treatments

1. Supplements to Boost Thyroid Function

Iodine and selenium—These minerals are vital to proper thyroid function, whether you have hyper- or hypo thyroid problems. Most people with a low thyroid are deficient in iodine, and worldwide, this is the number one cause of low thyroid.

While iodine-rich foods are plentiful, they are not in the typical Standard American Diet. Seaweeds like dulse, kelp, and nori are one of the richest sources of iodine, along with wild-caught fish like tuna, cod and shrimp, and raw dairy and eggs.

While you can purchase iodine-enhanced salt, it actually can have an unexpected result. In countries where iodine has been added to table salt, rates of autoimmune thyroid disease have actually gone up. The key to adding iodine to the diet is to balance it with selenium as the combination of nutrients will help thyroid function.

Selenium is one of the most important minerals for a healthy thyroid, and helps balance levels of T4 hormones, while helping convert T4 into T3. To get more selenium, add in foods that are good sources like Brazil nuts, spinach, yellowfin tuna or halibut, canned sardines, grass-fed beef, turkey, and beef liver. People with Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or other autoimmune disorders are most deficient in selenium, so a supplement might be necessary to get the needed amounts.

Zinc—A catalyst for many different pathways in the body and essential for digestive health, and for converting T4 to T3. It is also valuable for immune function, tissue healing (internally and externally), and the production of TSH.

Zinc is very helpful to heal and tighten the intestinal junctions in the gut that contribute to intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut’. For this reason, increasing your zinc levels may help reduce your symptoms and even lead you towards remission!

B vitamins are also very important for thyroid health, especially if you are vegan. While B12 is the primary B vitamin that plays a role in thyroid health, it is important to take B vitamins that exist in a balanced, multi-B vitamin, as the B vitamins work best in the correct balance with each other.

One of the nutrients that people with Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid disease are particularly prone to being deficient in is Vitamin B12. In fact, in studies, people with Hashimoto’s reported testing deficient in this all important vitamin, and 76 percent said they felt better after taking a B12 supplement.

The best sources of B12 and zinc are animal proteins like beef, turkey, eggs, etc. Other non-meat options include green peas, asparagus, chickpeas, cocoa, Brussels sprouts, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, and mushrooms, but these are not as well absorbed as the B12 from animal sources. Note—if you are taking extra B12, take a multi-B supplement as B vitamins work best in the correct balance.

Lastly, other nutritional deficiencies also play a role in thyroid dysfunction. These include deficiencies of vitamin D, omega-3 fats, vitamin A, and vitamin E, so be sure to supplement with high quality forms of these nutrients, as well as getting plenty of wild caught fish, grass fed meat, and colorful veggies in your diet. And don’t forget to get some sun!

2. Manage Your Stress

Physical and emotional stress can elevate the hormone cortisol and put your body into a chronic state of ‘fight or flight’. Cortisol has negative effects on your body long term like increased blood pressure and pulse rate, and creating high levels of inflammatory proteins that suppress immune function and damage the thyroid gland and adrenals. The hormonal changes in the body also affect libido, fertility problems, mood swings and more.

Managing stress is tricky if you cannot take away the cause. You can however, do plenty of things that help ease the effects of stress, including getting a good eight hours of restful sleep, meditation, vigorous exercise, and making time to relax with friends and family.

3. Reduce Toxins and Inflammation

Chemical toxins including medications, birth control pills, commercial beauty products, cigarette smoke and household cleaning products can all contribute to inflammation—especially in the gut, affecting the T3-T4 conversion.

Many household cleaning products and beauty products can contain very toxic, unregulated chemicals which can wreak havoc on the body. These toxins exit out through the digestive system and contribute to the inflammatory processes in the body, affecting thyroid function.

Other inflammatory toxins include air pollution, unfiltered tap water, plastic bottles, pesticides on fruit and vegetables, conventionally raised meat, and conventionally grown wheat, corn, oats and soybeans (sprayed with the herbicide glyphosate, that harms gut bacteria). These toxins act as hormone or endocrine disruptors and interfere with thyroid hormone metabolism and function.

Chronic inflammation in the gut is very common and most common is inflammation related to gluten in wheat, barley, rye and spelt. Gluten is a very common allergen that affects at least 10 to 20 percent of the population. Even if you have no sign of a gluten intolerance, it is so tightly associated with thyroid problems, it is wise to remove gluten entirely from your diet.

Key Points to Solving Your Thyroid Problems

While it isn’t an overnight remedy, you can take these steps if you have experienced any of the above symptoms for hypo or hyperthyroid problems and fix the problem not the symptoms.

• The thyroid gland is the body’s thermostat, regulating every function in the body. Thyroid problems will affect weight, appetite, moods, fertility, digestion, energy levels, and libido.
• Hypothyroid conditions are fairly common, especially in women, and often undiagnosed.
• Request a Full Thyroid Panel if you have any symptoms of hyper or hypothyroid.
• If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you can be pretty certain that you may also have a thyroid problem. Celiac disease can go undetected, get a full celiac panel test. And be sure to ask your doctor for a full thyroid panel test.
• Other co-existing health issues for thyroid problems include anemia, high cholesterol, depression, heavy menstrual periods and infertility. If your doctor diagnoses any of these, you should also request the full thyroid panel.
• Optimize Your Nutrition by making changes in your diet and supplementing with essential nutrients. Cut out processed, sweetened, starchy foods and conventionally raised foods.
• Minimize stress by exercising and meditation.
• If you need a thyroid supplement, request a bio-identical, natural hormone replacement that contains both T3 and T4, like Armour thyroid.

Once you get back on track with your thyroid in the optimal ranges, you will absolutely feel like a new person!

References
https://draxe.com/thyroid-problems/
https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pesticide-use-thyroid-disease/
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/hashimotos-and-zinc-deficiency/
https://drknews.com/conversion-t4-t3-important-consideration-low-thyroid-function/
https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20723100,00.html?slide=103830#103830
https://floridahwi.com/why-your-thyroid-disorder-diagnosis-may-have-been-missed/

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