Just Eat Real Food To Help Heal Your Thyroid

Written by lyndon@synergynutritionals.com.au in Nutrition

Food really IS medicine so it’s vital to just eat real food to help heal your thyroid.

Just Eat Real Food (JERF!) To Help Heal Your Thyroid

Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to eat well 100% of the time. So what can you do to make things easier? Here are my tips to help you get started…

My 5 Naturopathic Diet Tips

Eat More Veggies

Veggies should be a staple in your diet. In fact, there’s considerable research to show eating an array of veggies helps safeguard lifelong health.

That said, did you know there is one important caveat when it comes to eating vegetables?

Ignore the hype around kale as it’s one vegetable you should not be eating. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, a family of vegetables which are also classed as goitrogens. This means they have the potential to block healthy thyroid activity.

> > If you would like to learn more this article explains why kale is not that healthy for you: Love Your Thyroid? Why Cruciferous Vegetables Can Harm Your Thyroid Health

Should you eat raw veggies?

A thyroid problem is a ‘cold body issue’. It’s therefore best to emphasis foods that are warming and nourishing as this helps warm up your body from the inside out. Think stews, soups, and steamed veggies.

You may also want to consider adding in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, pickles, and coconut kefir. Fermentation activates the good bacteria, vitamins and enzymes in foods, and also makes nutrients more available for absorption.

Ditch Processed Foods

Did you know processed packaged foods contain a surprising amount of ingredients that can harm your thyroid?

In my opinion the worst offenders are:

  • Processed foods containing artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sugar, soy, corn (maize), and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
  • Soft drinks, including diet soft drinks.
  • Canola and soy oil. These are usually labeled as ‘vegetable oil’. It’s highly deceptive as it makes these oils sound healthy when they are anything but healthy. Canola and soy are not vegetables, and vegetables are not normally a source of dietary oil.

Go Gluten-Free

Did you know one of the signs of a gluten intolerance is weight gain, especially around the middle? Hence the term ‘wheat belly’. For this reason it’s common to experience significant improvements in thyroid health, even weight loss when you follow a gluten free diet. Could a gluten free diet help heal your thyroid health?

The other big problem with gluten is that it fuels inflammation, particularly within the digestive system. This creates digestive distress which in turn reduces absorption of a wide range of critical nutrients, many of which support your day to day thyroid health.

It’s important to take care when selecting ‘gluten-free’ products. Most food manufacturers these days use corn (maize) and soy ingredients as substitutes for gluten containing grains.

I list healthier options here: Here’s A Simple Gluten Free Shopping List For Thyroid Health

Avoid Fad Diets

Fad diets may promise rapid loss but they are not sustainable. Furthermore, long-term calorie restriction slows thyroid hormone activity, especially proper peripheral conversion of thyroxine (T4) to active triiodothyronine (T3).

Clean Up Your Diet

Choose organic fruit and vegetables whenever possible as conventional produce can harbor multiple pesticide residues. Your decision to purchase good quality organic produce can significantly lower your pesticide intake.

Organic food = LESS thyroid disrupting chemicals.

Organic farmers also take a firm stance on biotechnology that modifies the genetic make-up of a plant by saying ‘NO to GM foods’.

Most towns and cities now have local farmers market. This makes it much easier to stock up on healthy organic produce.

In Summary

When it comes to eating habits that support your thyroid health it’s vital to focus on REAL foods that are tasty and nutritious. This ensures your body gets the wide range of nutrients it requires to help heal your thyroid. Along with some regular physical activity it could make all the difference in the world.

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