09/20/2008

All Natural

Thyroid Boosters

Note:  We suggest that before making any changes, you ask your licensed health care practitioner.  None of the statements we make in this report have been evaluated by the FDA.  The products we recommend are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Number One Weight Problem Cause May Be Under Active Thyroid

Research indicates one major cause of weight problems in America today may be an under-active thyroid gland, especially among women.  That’s because the thyroid gland controls body temperature and metabolism, and when the thyroid is sluggish, body temperature and metabolism tend to slow down.  In fact, thyroid hormones influence all the cells in your body.  That’s why they can have an impact on many things including reproduction, growth, nerve & muscle function, blood sugar and insulin and more.  Some other symptoms of low or hypothyroid are fatigue, cold hands and feet, depression, anxiety, constipation, easy bruising, insomnia, dry skin, unhealthy and brittle nails, allergies and asthma, migraines, acne, hair loss and low sex drive. 

If you are already taking thyroid medication, some of these all natural thyroid boosters may still help you.  However, if they help to boost your thyroid function, you may need less medicine or to discontinue your medicine, so make sure and talk to your doctor.  Even if you don’t take thyroid medicine, but have some of these symptoms, all natural thyroid boosters may help you too.

Many People with Normal Thyroid Tests Have Thyroid Problems

According to Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., in his book “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypothyroidism,” many people who test normal for thyroid levels are actually suffering from undetected thyroid problems.  This is because the test measures thyroid hormone levels in the blood, but what is in your tissues is far more important.

Thyroid Problems:  An Epidemic Today?

In fact, there seems to be an epidemic of thyroid problems today, probably caused in no small part by our diets.  Why is this so?  It’s generally accepted that low levels of iodine can cause low functioning thyroids.  That’s why iodine is added to our salt.  However, refined table salt, with iodine added, may not be the best delivery system.  We also are eating more and more goitrogens (iodine blockers) in our diets today, like peanuts and soybeans.   Furthermore, about ½ of America’s water is now fluoridated, and some studies show that fluoride consumption can also be a problem for the thyroid gland.  Increased exposure to pollution, pesticides and heavy metals may also be factors.

All Natural Thyroid Booster #1:
Avoid Iodine Blockers in Your Diet

Besides eating iodine-rich foods, it is important to reduce your intake of goitrogens (iodine blockers) like peanuts and soybeans (including soybean oil, which is found in most packaged foods today, including salad dressings).  Soybean oil is also used quite often in restaurants, so ask before ordering.  All raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, turnips, kale, mustard greens, brussels sprouts and cauliflower are also goitrogens.  Make sure and cook them before eating in significant amounts.  Legumes like lentils, peas and bean sprouts also contain goitrogens and need to be cooked thoroughly.

Soy Products Are The Worst Offenders

Soy products are probably the worst goitrogen offenders, first of all because cooking does not destroy the anti-thyroid substances in them.  Second of all, studies show they are in 70% or more of all foods on our grocery shelves in the form of soy oil, vegetable oil, texturized vegetable protein, soy flour, soy protein isolate, etc.  We have been told for quite a while now that soy is good for us, so you may find it hard to believe that soy can actually promote weight gain by interfering with thyroid function.  However, there are many studies to back up this claim.  In fact some of these studies even show carcinogenic properties of soy, so we highly recommend that you follow this suggestion to avoid all soy products, except small amounts of fermented soy like natural soy sauce, tempeh and miso

All Natural Thyroid Booster #2:

Add Iodine and Mineral-Rich Super Foods to Your Diet

Iodine

Some natural sources of iodine that seem to be well used by the body include unrefined sea salt like Premier Pink Sea Salt or Celtic sea salt, kelp, bladderwrack, nori and other seaweeds, eggs, butter fat, and most sea-foods, especially cold-water deep-sea fish.  Fish sauce is also a rich source of iodine if properly prepared, and is often used in Thai cuisine.  It can be found in asian markets.

It may also be useful to supply extra iodine in your diet by taking kelp or bladderwrack extracts or another herbal formula that contains seaweeds as well as other herbs that can be helpful for nourishing the thyroid gland.  Make sure and look for formulas that are well made with a high potency and without toxic fillers. 

Other Minerals That Support the Thyroid

Zinc, Chromium, Selenium and Manganese are all minerals that have been shown to support the thyroid.  You can add more minerals to your diet in a natural form that will help support your thyroid gland by using a greens supplement like Quantum Greens mix, or the Quantum Trio that includes the greens mix and also coral calcium with trace minerals.  Quantum also make a Thyroid Complex supplement that includes kelp and noni and other thyroid boosting ingredients.  If you look for another brand of supplement, make sure that it is well made, non-synthetic and contains no toxic ingredients.

Vitamins That Support the Thyroid

One of the most beneficial vitamins for the thyroid gland is vitamin A, although B, C & E vitamins complexes are also important.  Those with hypothyroid often have problems converting beta-carotene to vitamin A, so it is important that you get some real vitamin A, which can be found in butter fat from dairy products that come from grass-fed cows, liver and also in Cod Liver Oil.  We recommend the Quantum or Carlson brand of cod liver oil for a supplemental source of vitamin A.  Never take synthetic vitamin A, as studies have shown it to be toxic at higher levels, and we think it’s bad for you at lower levels as well.

Only Use Real Food Supplements and Super Foods, Never Synthetic

Many, if not most of the vitamins you find in the stores today are isolated nutrients that come from synthetic sources. This is generally because these vitamins cost less to manufacture than vitamins from living food sources. These synthetic vitamins are most often either made or processed with hydrogenated sugars or with petroleum derivatives, such as coal tar for B vitamins.  The simple fact of the matter is that vitamin supplements that are synthetic do not provide all the co-factors or other nutrients necessary for your body to fully utilize that supplement. So, these products may bring much needed nutrients to your body in the short term, but taking such a fractionated product long term will likely cause other problems in your body.  They also tend to cause degraded cells over the long term.  It’s worth it for your health to seek out only 100% real food supplements and super foods, like the Quantum and Peak Energy Brands. 

For more about how to choose superior vitamins,
go to our Healthy Vitamins website.

All Natural Thyroid Booster #3:

Avoid Other Foods That Tax the Thyroid

• Refined grains and sugars, as well as being bad for you in many other ways, put too much stress on the thyroid and can interfere with good thyroid function.
   
• Vegetable oils – when vegetable oils were fed to animals to fatten them up, it worked great to make them fatter!  However, it also induced thyroid and other problems, so if you want to have a healthy thyroid, reduce your consumption of all vegetable oils – this includes canola, corn, and soy.  This also means not eating out or eating packaged foods very much, as restaurants and packaged foods usually contain these oils.

All Natural Thyroid Booster #4:

Get More Exercise

Exercise is also good for your thyroid – any kind.  A rebounder can be especially helpful, but all exercise will stimulate the thyroid gland secretion and will help increase the sensitivity of your cells to the thyroid hormones.  If you are too tired to get much exercise, you might want to think about adding coconut oil to your diet (see next suggestion) and/or some good super foods to help boost your energy levels so that you feel like exercising.

All Natural Thyroid Booster #5: 

Add Virgin Coconut Oil To Your Diet

Coconut oil, because of its metabolism-stimulating properties, seems to be an excellent thyroid system builder.  If you have problems with your thyroid, you want to be sure to include coconut oil in your diet.  Don't forget to stay away from all vegetable oils.  Remember how we told you that animals got fatter when eating vegetable oils?  Well, these same farmers also gave their animals coconut oil to see if that would fatten them up without the same thyroid and cancer problems their animals experienced on vegetable oils.  Guess what?  It made the animals more active and more lean instead!  So add coconut oil to your diet today!

Nourishing Planet has a premium organic, extra-virgin coconut oil that is all natural, made without high heat or chemicals of any kind.  This oil retains the taste and aroma of fresh coconuts, and it can be substituted for all vegetable oils in cooking and baking.

All Natural Thyroid Booster #6:

Stop Consuming Fluoridated Water

and

Using Fluoride Toothpastes

According to Cherie Calboun in The Coconut Diet, a growing body of evidence suggests that fluoride may interfere with proper functioning of the thyroid.  This means that if your water is fluoridated, it may be extremely helpful for you to buy a water filter that filters out fluoride.  If you’re not sure, check with your water supplier – about 50% of American’s tap water is fluoridated today.  You also want to avoid fluoride toothpastes, since some of it inevitably will be ingested – try brands like Weleda and Peelu.   

Weleda and Peelu are usually at your local health food store, as well as Carlson cod liver oil and other brands of coconut oil.  The Quantum vitamins and all natural health food supplements, fluoride water filters, as well as the Nourishing Planet virgin coconut oil can be found online at www.ecoviva.com .  EcoViva is a company that seeks out and only sells the best in natural health products, so you can be confident that if you see it on their web site, they’ve done a lot of research to confirm that it’s a great product!

Copyright, 2006, EcoViva LLC.  All rights reserved.  This article may be copied in its entirety if all links remain intact.