Another year’s gone by, and my thyroid levels have stayed great. Optimizing my thyroid function is working. I suspect a lot of these tips are good for anyone- husband Tom and I have stayed healthy all during this flu season. It’s been awesome!
I’ve got a few other posts on the subject too. Find my article on the Green Drink I have every morning, here. There’s also my List of 8 Diet Ideas to boost thyroid health, if you want to check that out too!
- Remove Silver Fillings: Consider getting amalgam (silver) fillings out. They contain mercury- ew! (Major endocrine disruptor).
- Get Enough Iron: A bit of beef liver can help us get enough iron–it’s the most-absorbed form. I take these liver pills, from grass-fed cows, or even this powdered liver powder, that I mix in with my morning green drink. It’s hard to gag down– I guzzle it as quickly as possible, and I did get used to it. (The powder is the most economical way to get this form of iron.)
- Mega-Greens: Spirulina and. Chlorella can supply mega-nutrients–nourishing to the thyroid gland. I have two tablespoons of these powders every morning. Or– these tablets are easier to take.
- Super-food Herbs: A mix of various super-food herbs, blended into a jar of protein powder or gelatin, can make it easy to get a natural, extra boost. Just mix some into the morning’s hot drink or protein shake. Ashwagandha Root Powder is an adaptogen, so it may help the body fill in missing nutrients to improve function. Other good herbs to consider- Eleuthero root, Astragalus root, Codonopsis root (pretty pricey, but it is an extract), Fo-Ti root (it has rave reviews as a hair tonic and gray-hair-delayer as well), Devils Club bark. More herbs/foods that can fight inflammation (which aggravates so many issues, including thyroid): Nopal Powder and Tart Cherry Powder. I usually mix one or several of these in with the batch of whey protein powder, gelatin, or whatever I’m mixing into my morning drinks at the time. I use one mix this way, instead of several individual scoops of this or that.
- Minerals: Some hypothyroid sufferers have noticed great improvement from taking mineral supplements. I prefer whole-food forms of nutrients (we’re less likely to get overloaded on any one mineral this way). One of my favorite natural sources for minerals is Capra Mineral Whey. Maybe it’s because it’s from goats that graze on the mineral-rich grasses of the Capra region. It seems to work. Expensive, but I love this stuff. Also, mineral-rich, hormone-balancing herbs like nettle, yellow dock, horsetail, alfalfa, and rosemary are good to add to the diet too.
- Chromium: This is an important mineral to aid thyroid function, but it takes some effort to find great sources. A few ideas: Grape juice (and red wine), and brewer’s yeast are just a few of the many whole foods that do contain some chromium.
- Zinc & Selenium: Zinc can be added to the diet by eating beef, lamb, pumpkin and/or sesame seeds. And it only takes about two Brazil nuts daily to get enough selenium.
- Cod Liver Oil: Cod Liver Oil can help balance our Omega 3/6 ratio- another plus. Especially if you’re like me- I don’t always eat weekly rations of wild-caught salmon. The capsules are handy.
- Pure Water: A “Berkey Water Filter” (or other filter designed to remove fluoride and chlorine) is a good investment. Fluoride and chlorine can potentially disrupt thyroid health. Plus, the water tastes great.
- Natural Thyroid Gland Supplement: I’ve been to the doctor pretty irregularly now, since I’m feeling so healthy. I got my thyroid levels checked anyway, fairly recently, and they were fine. The doctor preferred that I would continue with a prescription thyroid, but I’ve been successfully using an OTC thyroid supplement (“Thyro-Gold“) instead. I’ve been using it for three years and have never felt healthier. Getting older, but getting better too.
There you have it- my top ten. It’s working for me–I love it that more people have told me I look younger now than I did ten years ago when I didn’t know I was hypothyroid. AND, I feel younger. Hurrah!
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