A common thyroid-gland disorder can pile on pounds, sap your energy, and leave you achy, bloated, and moody—all at once. The problem: hypothyroidism, or when you’re low on thyroid hormones. Experts now think lifestyle changes—even a little sushi—may prevent or delay it. “Anyone who has warning signs should act now,” says Richard Shames, MD, co-author of Feeling Fat, Fuzzy, or Frazzled? Here are four smart steps.
1. Order the dynamite roll
A healthy thyroid needs iodine, selenium, and magnesium. Iodine is a building block of thyroid hormone, and many people with hypothyroidism don’t get enough. What you eat can help keep levels healthy: sushi, seafood, or sea vegetables like kelp, for instance, contain iodine. Multivitamins also usually have sensible amounts of the stuff, plus selenium and magnesium, which help make and metabolize thyroid hormone. (Just be careful: Too much iodine can also trigger abnormal thyroid function, Dr. Shames says.)
2. Cook your broccoli
Raw cruciferous vegetables—think broccoli and cabbage—are packed with healthy nutrients, but they also have compounds that interfere with the body’s ability to use iodine for thyroid hormone production. Cooking them inactivates most of the bad compounds, says Sherrill Sellman, a naturopathic doctor and author of Hormone Heresy.
3. Rinse—and repeat
Rinse well after brushing to avoid swallowing fluoride toothpaste, and don’t drink too much fluoridated tap water. Studies suggest that fluoride may decrease your body’s production of thyroid hormone and interfere with how the hormone moves through your blood, says Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, a panelist for the National Research Council’s recent scientific review of fluoride standards for drinking water.
4. Say no to stress
Manage it however you can—keep to your workout schedule and get more sleep, for instance. Here’s why: Exercise boosts circulation and enhances relaxation. And that helps keep your body’s production of the hormone cortisol under control, which, in turn, improves thyroid function, Sellman says. Meanwhile, if you don’t feel like working out, a good night’s sleep can fight that low-energy feeling. Sweet dreams.
By Kathy Summers
Comments (4)
Sushi has contamination and chemical risks (Mercury, pollution, Hepatitis, and more). You shouldn’t ignore those risks and tout sushi or seafood as ‘health food.’
Raw vegetables, like broccoli, is much more beneficial for nutrition, fiber, and immune system function than any cooked version of the food.
2 out of 4, 50% is not bad advice I guess.
@ trueweightloss:
this article is speaking about a specific health problem: low thyroid activity. Your comment is more general, and misleading for those who are suffering from this specific problem. I found the information in this article very helpful. And btw — lots of people eat sushi and have no problems with it.
Mercury is less of a concern compared to the benefits of Omega-3 and n-3 LCPUFA (Long Chain Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids). The report from the USFDA shows that there are way more benefits than drawbacks. Higher testing scores of children that ate fish and whose mothers ate fish while pregnant. Then there are the significant decrease in heart attacks and stroke from adults that ate. I highly suggest reading the report, especial section 3 that shows all the studies they collected. Also, a study from the University of N. Dakota shows the selenium found in fish can counter-act the mercury.
Pollution in fish isn’t a big concern here in the US and virus or bacterial concerns are the same for ANY food handling. AKA, go to places with A grade health department ratings. There are parasite concerns with raw fish but if sushi places follow code and freeze their fish properly this is also alievated. There is more concern with parasites in freshwater fish and especially more rish in countries outside the US.
I just got done writing a research paper on sushi.
Thanks for making this info available. V. Useful. Is the rest of your research accessible at all as it would help inform the public about what really is ‘ healthy foods’