What is the thyroid? I hear a lot of people, mostly women, say they have a problem with their thyroid but feel helpless when it comes to correcting this imbalance. What is the thyroid? A butterfly-shaped gland in the center of your neck, the thyroid is the master gland of your endocrine system. It’s a regulator of everything from your metabolism, body temperature, and even your bowel movements. So thyroid hormones obviously play a huge role in different bodily functions.
Many people are not willing to put in the work that it might take to resolve these problems, but simple changes to your lifestyle can do wonders for your overall health. And let’s face it, if your thyroid is not at it’s optimal level of health, your not at your optimal level of health.
So many issues stem from thyroid imbalance including weight gain (weight loss), dry skin, cold hands, fatigue, constipation, and depression to name a few. So what can you do? Here are five natural things you can do today to start healing your thyroid.
Five Tips for a Thriving Thyroid
1. Go Gluten and Dairy Free – Dairy and wheat are two of the most common allergies and food intolerances today largely because of the fact they’ve been so hybridized over the years. The proteins in dairy (A1 casein) and in gluten can cause “Leaky Gut” which can lead to inflammation of the thyroid and effect it’s function.
2. Get Sleep – Aim to sleep 7-9 hours which will help to support your adrenal glands.
3. Increase Your Selenium – Make sure you’re getting enough selenium in your diet but also, don’t go nuts! Some of the best food sources of selenium are brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, mushrooms and onions.
4. Limit Your Carbs – Begin lowering your intake of sugars and grains and try replacing them with healthy fats like avocados, coconut milk and hemp seeds. A lot of us ladies tend to binge on carbs which can actually increase estrogen and negatively effect the thyroid.
5. Find a functional medicine doctor – A functional medicine doctor can run a few laboratory tests and work with you to find our root cause of the thyroid imbalance. I recommend a functional medicine doctor, as opposed to a general practitioner, because he or she can work on issues specific to you; and you are what matters!
Looking for a recipe that won’t stress your thyroid? Try my Blueberry Cream Pie!
Blueberry Cream Pie
Crust:
1 1/2c mixed nuts (I used hazelnuts, walnuts & almonds)
3/4c pitted medjool dates
Pie Filling:
1c macadamia nuts
4T coconut butter
2T coconut oil
1t lemon juice
1T vanilla extract
10oz. blueberries
2-4T full fat coconut milk (though water will work, too)
Directions:
To make the crust, place the nuts in a food processor and grind until you have a fine meal. Careful not to make nut butter! As the machine is running begin to add in the pitted dates. Press this mixture into a pie or springform pan and set in the fridge.
For the cream filling… you’ll love how simple this is…. put all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender or processor and blend till smooth! Pour the cream batter into the pie crust and store in the in the refrigerator or freezer.
When you’re hungry for this delicious pie, just pull it out of the freezer to thaw twenty minutes prior to serving.
You could also use a mini cheesecake pan for perfect portions!
Kristine Thomas with Welli 