What is the Thyroid?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that wraps around the trachea at the front of the throat. This gland produces and releases hormones that control metabolism. When you eat something, the thyroid hormones in your blood work together to release energy from that food for your cells to use, and the amount of thyroid hormone determines how quickly or slowly your cells use that energy.

What is Thyroid Dysfunction?

If your thyroid produces either too much or too little hormone, you may experience problems with your metabolism, often manifested as weight gain or loss, fatigue, and difficulty regulating your body temperature. HYPERthyroidism refers to an over-active thyroid that produces too much hormone, and may lead to fatigue, weight loss, sensitivity to heat, and a faster heart rate. HYPOthyroidism refers to a less-active thyroid that produces too little hormone, and may lead to fatigue, weight gain, and sensitivity to cold. 

Thyroid dysfunction is very common, and may occur at all ages. More women than men are affected by thyroid issues. Some risk factors for thyroid dysfunction include a family history of thyroid issues, a medical condition such as type 1 diabetes, consuming excessive iodine, either from a medication or from your diet, being over 60 and postmenopausal, if a woman, and treatment for a previous thyroid issue. 

Thyroid dysfunction can be difficult to identify at first, as the symptoms can result from a variety of causes, or be dismissed as “normal” aging.  In order to pinpoint a diagnosis, your healthcare practitioner can order a panel of blood tests to determine the amounts of thyroid hormone in your blood, can use an imagining test such as a thyroid scan or an ultrasound, or perform a physical evaluation. 

How is Thyroid Dysfunction Treated?

If you have hyperthyroidism, conventional treatment options include medication to suppress the thyroid, radioactive iodine to damage thyroid cells to prevent them from making thyroid hormones, beta blockers to help control symptoms, or surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid. If the thyroid is removed, a person will need to take synthetic thyroid hormones for the rest of their life. If you have hypothyroidism, you may be prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone to replace the hormone that your body does not make.

Thyroid disorders are a serious medical condition, and need to be properly diagnosed and treated by your medical practitioner. In addition to the treatment prescribed by your practitioner, the thyroid in particular is especially sensitive to certain lifestyle patterns. Important areas to focus on are:

1. Sleep. All of the hormonal systems in our bodies are dependent on sleep in order to regulate, and your thyroid is no exception. Sleep is not an optional part of your health; it is an essential and necessary component. Make changes to support regular, high-quality sleep such as giving yourself regular sleep and wake times, allocating enough time to sleep, and creating a good sleep environment, which is usually a cool, dark, tidy room. A wind-down routine to help manage stress and reduce screen time before bed is also conducive to a good night’s sleep.
2. Nutrition. As with sleep, all of the hormonal systems in our bodies are sensitive to what we eat. Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, good fats, healthy lean proteins, and a variety of nuts and seeds, and reducing or eliminating gluten may be especially important to support thyroid health and reduce symptoms. In addition, deficiencies may contribute to thyroid problems. Work with your healthcare practitioner to identify and correct nutritional deficiencies, first with a varied whole-foods approach and then with supplementation if necessary. 
3. Movement. Movement is so important for mental health and mood regulation. An overactive thyroid may lead you to feel anxious and nervous, and an under-active thyroid may lead you to feel sluggish and fatigued. Regular movement, especially if you can get outdoors for some of it, helps with all of those things. 
4. Stress. All of the hormones in our bodies are exquisitely attuned to the effects of stress. Stress can disrupt your menstrual cycles, your mental health, your immune response, and your thyroid and metabolic hormones. The thing about stress is that there is no way to get rid of it: it’s a part of life, and does stimulate growth and change. The problem with stress is when it becomes chronic, and when we cannot regulate our system to return to a baseline to rest. If we are chronically in a fight-flight-freeze-fawn state, it throws all of our systems off. Meditation, gratitude, affirmations, play, sleep, good nutrition, movement, time outdoors, and connection with those who love us all offer antidotes to stress. It can be very beneficial to seek education and support in this area if you struggle with it. 

Support For Thyroid Issues with TruBalance

If you have fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, and temperature sensitivity, talk to your health care practitioner about the possibility of thyroid dysfunction, and get the support you need to manage your symptoms and prioritize your health. At TruBalance, we can help you take thyroid dysfunction into account as part of our personalized goal-setting. Whether you need help balancing hormones, supporting optimal nutrition, or working toward weight loss, at TruBalance we are here to help. Dr. Traci Kiernan’s cookbook, Eating on Purpose, is chock-full of suggestions about sleep, movement, hydration, stress management, and nutrition, and of course full of recipes that use whole food ingredients, good healthy fats, and lots of fruits and vegetables in order to provide you with delicious and nourishing meals for any time of the day.