The following recommendations are helpful for improving your thyroid function. Use these diet and lifestyle approaches to keep your thyroid as healthy as possible.
1. Start with a 30-Day Paleo Reset
● Eliminate vegetable oils, gluten, grains, sugar, and processed foods
● Emphasize whole foods; meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds
● Do not restrict calorie intake — eat to satisfaction
● If you have an autoimmune thyroid condition, do not reintroduce gluten
2. Include a variety of Carbohydrate sources to match activity levels
● Very-low-carb diets can reduce thyroid function
● Aim for at least 30 percent of calories from starchy plants, fruits, and gluten-free grains if tolerated
● Increase carbohydrate intake if very active
3. Include Selenium- and Iodine-rich foods
● Selenium-rich foods include: Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, beef/lamb kidney, red meat, mushrooms, poultry
● Iodine-rich foods include: seaweed, fish, poultry, dairy, cranberry, potato
4. Eat one pound of fatty fish per week
● Omega-3 fats in fatty fish are anti-inflammatory
● Inflammation can impact thyroid function and worsen autoimmunity
● Fatty fish include: salmon, sardines, tuna, trout, mackerel, herring, whitefish, sturgeon
5. Exercise appropriately
● Both too little and too much exercise can impact thyroid function
● Aim for a mix of cardio and resistance exercises (e.g., walking/jogging and weight lifting) three to five days per week
● Avoid over-exercising, which stresses the thyroid
6. Reduce stress
● Stress can worsen or even cause hypothyroid symptoms and autoimmunity
● Stress management is a non-negotiable part of healing from thyroid conditions
● Commit to regular (even daily) stress management practices such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, journaling, etc.
7. Minimize Goitrogens
● Excess intake of goitrogenic foods can contribute to thyroid conditions
● Foods high in goitrogens; yuca/cassava, soy, millet, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, collard greens.
● Cooking these foods and consuming more iodine-rich foods can help combat this effect. Limit your intake of raw goitrogenic foods to three to four servings a week (I.E., no green smoothie with raw kale every day). Cooked goitrogenic foods may be consumed daily provided your iodine intake is adequate.
8. Include Fermented foods
● Fermented foods include; kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir
● Fermented foods contain live organisms as well as prebiotic fibers to help promote gut health
● Good gut health is strongly connected to thyroid health
● The gut microbiome needs probiotics and prebiotics to thrive