The Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, and an important part of the endocrine system (which produces and controls hormones). Thyroid hormones control the rate of many activities in your body; almost every cell in your body as a receptor for thyroid hormone! It affects and controls:

• Heart rate and body temperature
• Metabolism
• Physical energy
• Brain and mental focus/clarity
• Digestion
• Mood regulation
• Sex/Reproductive Hormone production (like estradiol and progesterone)
• Skin, hair and nail health
• Sleep

The thyroid acts somewhat like your body’s thermostat; it regulates body temperature as well as other important functions such as heart rate, brain development, the reproductive system, and bone maintenance. When the thyroid gland is not working optimally, it can affect a person’s whole being!

According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12% of the US population will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime and an estimated 20 million Americans (that’s about 15% of the country) have some form of thyroid disease. Yet, it’s estimated that 50 to 60 percent of people with thyroid disease go undiagnosed!

To read more about the thyroid and symptoms of a thyroid imbalance, CLICK HERE. (Always consult your physician if you are experiencing any changes in your health, symptoms or think you might be struggling with a hormone imbalance.)

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Triggers of Thyroid Dysfunction:

• Systemic inflammation
• Chronic Stress
• Nutritional Deficiencies
• Poor inflammatory diet
• Unhealthy body weight
• Medications
• Sedentary lifestyles
• Poor Gut Health
• Poor Liver Health & Detoxification Pathways
• Environmental Toxin Exposure

There are many possible reasons for thyroid dysfunction, and diet plays a HUGE role! Food is information for our body; what we eat has a direct impact on how our thyroid functions, and ultimately how we feel and function as a whole!

Foods to Avoid:

• Gluten
• Conventional Dairy
• Conventionally raised animal products
• Refined sugars and flours
• Artificial ingredients and additives
• Processed, packaged, inflammatory food products

Why these foods? Because they raise inflammation and stress within the body. Why Gluten? Gluten is a protein that body is not able to digest. When consumed, it causes an inflammatory response within the digestive tract, and over time can lead to a condition called Leaky Gut. Throughout this, the body response to the inflammation by creating antibodies. Funny enough….gluten particles look almost identical to thyroid cells. So the body’s natural immune response is to create antibodies against the gluten, but “mollecular mimicry” can occur where the body ends up attacking the thyroid cells, instead of the gluten particles. This occurs in the autoimmune disorder Hashimoto’s. So over time, consuming gluten can have a significantly negative impact on the thyroid.

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So a healthy thyroid is one that is getting all of its nutrients! The thyroid needs all these nutrients to thrive. They’re all involved with the different steps needed in order to convert and absorb the hormones!

Nutrients needed for Thyroid Health:

• Iodine
• Selenium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Protein/Amino Acids

Best Food Sources:

• Iodine: Sea vegetables, like seaweed or kelp
• Selenium: Brazil nuts, shrimp, sardines, salmon, grass fed beef
• Vitamin A: Grass fed liver (only need this occasionally), carrots, sweet potato, kale, spinach, mustard/collard/turnip greens, and winter squash
• Vitamin B2 and B12: Grass fed beef, whole eggs and wild caught seafood
• Vitamin D: Natural sunlight, mushrooms, seafood, egg yolks, supplementation
• Zinc: Pumpkin seeds, seafood, oysters, almonds
• Magnesium: Pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, swiss chard, sesame seeds, quinoa, cashews, dark chocolate and avocado
• Protein: high quality chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, seafood (wild caught, antibiotic and hormone free, organic grass fed)

Focus on lots of color and whole, nutrient dense foods to help support your thyroid, your hormones and your health from the inside out!

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website.