Nourishing the Thyroid
By guest blogger, Raquel Reis

Have you ever wondered why you have low energy even after a full night of sleep and countless cups of coffee or why when you exercise and monitor everything you eat you can't lose weight? Perhaps you've been given antidepressants but deep down inside you know that's not the solution.

It might have to do with your thyroid, the gland that governs our metabolism. If it is your thyroid you would not be alone for about 20 million people in the U.S. have some form of thyroid disease. If you have already been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and are doing everything your doctor and the Internet are telling you but you are still not feeling well don't get discouraged, we are here to help.

What is the solution?

The thyroid is one of the most important, and often mismanaged, glands we have working in our body. This butterfly-shaped gland located bellow the center of our neck secretes hormones that control some major functions including weight management, how we use energy, how we metabolize food, and even how we sleep. For women, hormones can shift out of balance during childbearing and menopause, and even under chronic stress, putting them at a higher risk
for thyroid conditions than men.

The thyroid gland needs specific vitamins and minerals to properly do its job. Since we are all unique in how our hormones are functioning, the best way to get a handle on what our body specifically needs is to come to the office for your personalized Nutrition Response Testing to identify your specific needs and imbalances.

There are many ways to support thyroid health easily and naturally, utilizing food and nutrients to encourage proper functioning. The way we eat can actually help, or hurt, our thyroid gland. With the right information, we can make simple choices to improve thyroid health. Here's how:

Know the possible contributors to thyroid disease:

Pesticides
Artificial sweeteners
Low fat, No fat diets (or diets high in the wrong fats)
Iodine Deficiency
Highly refined, processed and packaged foods
Mercury toxicity
Food allergies
Gluten
Sugar
Goitrogenic foods (broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, radishes, kohlrabi, turnips, daikon, and rutabaga - DO NOT eat these foods raw. Other Goitrogenic foods to avoid include raw almonds, millet, canola, pine nuts, peanuts and cassava.
Fluoride
Soy and soy containing foods

The nutrients our thyroid needs are easily accessible in many foods and dietary supplements.
Look for foods and supplements that contain:

Iodine
Sea vegetables: Kelp, nori, kombu, dulse, arame, wakame, hijiki
Seafood: Haddock, clams, salmon, shrimp, oysters, sardines
Iodized Sean salt

Secondary sources: Eggs, spinach, garlic, asparagus, Swiss chard, mushrooms, summer squash, sesame seeds, lima beans

Selenium
Tuna, mushrooms, beef, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, organ meats, halibut

Zinc
Beef, turkey, lamb, fresh oysters, sardines, walnuts, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, pecans, split peas, ginger root, whole grains

Copper
Crabmeat, oysters, lobster, beef, sunflower seeds, beans (white beans, chickpeas, soybeans), shitake mushrooms, pearled barley, tomato paste, dark chocolate

Iron
Organ meats, oysters, clams, spinach, lentils, white beans, pumpkin seeds, blackstrap molasses

Vitamin A (beta-carotene)
Asparagus, lettuce, kale, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, liver, winter squash/pumpkin, cantaloupe

Vitamin C
Parsley, peppers (chili, Bell, sweet), strawberries, guava, papaya, citrus, kiwifruit

Vitamin E
Sunflower seeds, beans, asparagus, vegetables, whole grains, liver

Vitamin B
Egg yolks, organ meats, wild rice, wheat germ, mushrooms, poultry (white meat), liver, fish (tuna, trout, salmon), brown rice, sunflower seeds, walnuts, beans (navy beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, lima beans).