Discover a Diet for Hypothyroidism

By Marley Carley

People with thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism need to modify their diets to ensure that they are getting the right nutrition on a daily basis. One of the most crucial tasks of a thyroid patient is to determine what kinds of food will help normalize his body, and which types of food will be detrimental to his condition and to his health in general. Today's discussion will center on both sides of the coin, so you will be well-informed by the time you are ready to make the necessary changes to your diet.

1. The first thing you have to do if you want to implement an effective diet for hypothyroidism is to weed out the secret "thyroid killers" in your current diet. Thyroid killers are food items that cause havoc with your body's natural hormone balance.

Processed foods are at the very top of the list of foods that you should not touch at all. 99% of all processed foods contain common preservatives that have dire side effects over the long term.

Thyroid patients tend to experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance more quickly than people who don't have thyroid disorders, so it is best to steer clear of these food items altogether. You should also pay attention to fruits and vegetables that are goitrogenic.

Examples of these whole foods are cruciferous vegetables, and leafy vegetables like spinach. Goitrogenic foods contain chemical compounds that also disturb the natural hormone balance of the body and thus, their consumption should also be limited.

2. Avoid food items that are high in refined sugar (or any type of commercial sugar) and syrups. HFCS or high fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener used in many food products, from cookies to soft drinks. People who have hypothyroidism can't afford to gain more weight, because the extra pounds are more difficult to shed off due to their low BMR, or basal metabolic rate. Sugary items also cause spikes in a person's blood glucose levels. Opt for natural sweeteners, like stevia and honey, instead. If you are hankering for chocolate, mix yourself of a batch of warm chocolate from cocoa powder sweetened with stevia or honey. Limit your intake of candy, because it is so easy to go over single servings when you are munching on a familiar treat.

3. If you want a good source of usable protein, iron, selenium, iodine, and zinc, opt for free-range poultry and grass-fed beef. Organic meats are still the best source of protein, according to established medical research. As long as you stick to the right servings, meat should bring more benefits than disadvantages.

4. In order to speed up your metabolism, you need to split your meals into five to six smaller meals spread evenly throughout the day. Don't skip meals, and definitely avoid starving yourself, because the wider the gap between meals, the slower your metabolism gets. This is the one diet secret that many people still don't know. Eating less frequently will not help you lose weight. Eating small, frequent meals will!