4 Tips for Helping You Overcome Hypothyroidism

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, staying at a healthy weight was challenging enough. With getting to the gym and eating right becoming even more difficult with quarantine and social distancing, you may have struggled to lose the extra pounds you gained and fight fatigue. While some of your issues may be attributed to coronavirus, the underlying problem may be occurring inside your body.

Your thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that instruct the body to metabolize calories and give you energy. When the thyroid isn’t producing enough of these hormones, this condition is called hypothyroidism. This condition may be discouraging, but there are ways you can overcome it! Read on to learn more!

Get Your Blood Evaluated

The best way to know whether you have an under- or over-functioning thyroid is to have it tested. A simple blood evaluation will reveal your current hormone levels and determine whether this gland is performing properly. With these results, you can better understand the problem and seek treatment to regulate your thyroid. Your provider can prescribe medication to make up for your thyroid’s deficiency. After taking the right steps, you can notice a difference in your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Stay Active

Unfortunately, those who struggle with hypothyroidism tend to experience weight gain, loss of muscle, depression, and low energy levels. In addition to boosting your thyroid hormones and metabolism, exercise can help fight against these negative symptoms. In fact, patients who have thyroid conditions are often encouraged to exercise seven days a week, as opposed to the typical recommended three days a week. By staying active, you can make sure your body knows to burn calories and metabolize your food as it should.

Eat These

In many cases, hypothyroidism is partly caused by an iodine deficiency. A thyroid that is functioning properly uses iodine to produce its hormones, but your body doesn’t create this chemical. It must glean iodine from the food you consume. As a result, eating more seafood and dairy products like eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt can be extremely beneficial for patients with this condition.

Avoid These

If you have a thyroid condition, you need to steer clear of certain foods, especially refined sugars, but some others may be surprising to you. Vegetables in the cabbage family (e.g., cabbage and kale) as well as broccoli, peanuts, and Brussel sprouts can actually interfere with thyroid function because of a chemical called goitrogen. It is particularly potent when these foods are raw, but cooking them can reduce goitrogen enough to make these vegetables harmless to your thyroid.

No matter how long it takes to get back to “normal” after the pandemic, you can have more energy and maintain a healthy weight. Ultimately, when you seek treatment and make the right lifestyle changes, you can give your thyroid a chance to function properly.

About the Practice

When you’re not feeling your best, Richardson Pain & Wellness can provide the care necessary to get your body running optimally. In addition to hormone replacement therapy, including thyroid treatment, we also offer medical weight loss support and pain management. If you would like to learn more about how thyroid treatment or our other services, you can contact us through our website or by calling 972-907-1125.