Balanced thyroid health is CRITICAL for overall health. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above the collarbone. The thyroid gland is involved in nearly every process in the body, but most notably it regulates metabolism, growth & development.
If you suffer from thyroid problems, you may have been painted a bleak picture. Although symptoms from thyroid imbalances are inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable, a thyroid imbalance is not the end of the world and there are many things you can do to naturally support your thyroid health.
Read on for my top natural ways to improve your thyroid health!
1. Consume more thyroid superfoods
The following foods have been shown to greatly improve & support thyroid health.
Cooked cruciferous vegetables, such as: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, and brussels sprouts
Organic, wild-caught fish (especially salmon, sardines, herring & mackerel)
Nuts & seeds- especially Brazil nuts
Sea vegetables - such as arame, dulse, kombu, nori, kelp, and wakame
2. Improve gut health
Limit sugar intake as much as possible- sugar wreaks havoc on your gut! Consume fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt) daily.
3. Maintain adequate iodine levels in the body
Iodine is required for the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone for cases where you have hypothiroidism. The best form of iodine is that which occurs naturally in food. Here's some foods you can incorporate that are naturally high in iodine:
Sea vegetables
Ocean fish
Eggs
Raw dairy
Strawberries
Beef liver
4. Reduce EMF exposure
The thyroid is very sensitive to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Although it's impossible to avoid EMFs in this day & age, you can reduce exposure to them. Turn off tech devices like computers while not in use. Consider sleeping with your phone on airplane mode, and/or keep your phone in another room and use an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake up in the morning. Use a wired headset to talk on the phone instead of Air Pods. Avoid using microwaves and cook your food over the stove whenever possible.
5. Reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors in the environment
There are so many environmental toxins that we come into contact with every day! Many of these chemicals alter our natural hormonal function and wreak havoc on our endocrine system. Like EMFs, it's impossible to avoid ALL environmental toxins, but we can significantly reduce exposure. The poly-chlorinated and brominated chemicals, like PCBs and flame retardants, block iodine from doing its job and many of these are present in our drinking water. Consider the following tips to reduce exposure to environmental toxins and naturally support your thyroid:
Install a high-quality water filter in your home, or at least purchase filtered water
Switch to more natural home cleaning products, laundry products, etc. I love Branch Basics.
Eliminate artificial fragrances in your home. Artificial fragrance is the new secondhand smoke!
Avoid plastics as much as possible. Switch to glass storage containers and cook with wooden or metal spatulas/spoons
Balancing your hormones through diet & lifestyle is possible! Work with a certified Hormonal Health Coach to stay accountable to your health goals. Book a free consult with me here to learn more.
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