hey Faye!
Age is definitely a factor... cell turnover and metabolism is slowed ... we're not just not all sparkly and new the way we were when we first got our adult bodies.
Women in have it worse than men do...due to waning estrogen/progesteron... the coming of menopause... in addition to a lifetime of cycling thru monthly hormonal changes. This in addition to pregnancy, where your immune system is down regulated so that you can grow your baby without your body thinking its a hostile organism! All reasons in my opinion why thyroid problems are more frequently found in women.
The thyroid works in harmony with the other organs in the endocrine system... its a big balancing act. Like a orchestra where one "instrument" is off, it can get your endocrine symphony sounding wonky! Hence perimenopause is often when thyroid disease makes its entry... so is right after giving birth... whenever female hormones change.
I would recommend a diet of unprocessed whole foods. That means lots of produce, and sufficient amounts of lean meats, fatty fish. If you can tolerate them low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains and beans. You want to avoid soy protien (soymilk, tofu, soy protien powder) as it interferes with absorption from the gut, and binds receptor sites on the cell membranes all over the body. The crucifers (broccoli, cabbage, kale) can be a problem for some people if eaten raw. So its a good idea to steam or stir fry them to deactivate the chemicals in these foods that can interfere with your thyroid hormones.
Many people with autoimmune thyroid disease... autoimmunity to our thyroids being the primary cause of thyroid malfunction... do well on a gluten free diet, or by cutting way back on wheat, barley, rye. There seems to be a link between sensitivity to gluten and autoimmune thyroid disease. Sometimes a problem with dairy is the first indication of a gluten sensitivity as Lactose, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, is made at the tips of the intestinal villi, (which absorb nutrients from our foods). The villi can be compromised by erosion due to gluten and in this process Lactose is not made.
Some of us do better with a higher protien diet. How much? Divide your ideal weight in half, that's how many protien grams to aim for.
People with compromised thyroid function can have low levels of b12, iron,(be anemic) and vitamin D. Many of us have to take more than the RDA of vitamin D, because we have a problem with the receptor site for this prohormone on our cells that make it so that our cells don't take it up properly. You may want to get those checked... particularly if you are low in energy or getting heart palps.
DHA and EPA found in fish oil is great to help with mood.
I don't recommend flax oil anymore.
It does not contain either EPA or DHA... instead it has a precursor to them.... a fatty acid known as ALA. I have since learned that many people have problems converting the ALA found in flax oil to DHA and EPA. My personal fav is Carlson's Fish Oil, lemon flavor. It comes in a big bottle of free flowing oil, rather than in capsules. I put it in smoothies, or on my salads and veggies to help with the absorbtion of the fat soluable vitamins they contain. No fish burps and it has a deliteful lemony taste. There are other good brands out there, but when you are shopping for them, look for how my DHA and EPA are in them, not how much oil... the oil is simply a carrier.
Exercise if very important. 30 minutes a day or more.
You may be interested in checking out my blogs. Many of them are full of tips and tricks, health articles of interest. There are many excellent posts here on our team from our members.
Bottom line is that you've really got to find out what works for your particular body as we are all different.
Hope you are feeling better in no time...
: )
Mzzchief
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