Know your thyroid glands and how to take care of them

NEW DELHI: Do you constantly feel run down, exhausted and cold when others are warm? This so happens when the thyroid gland isn't working as well as it should be, you don't feel well. You end up putting on tons of weight irrespective of trying extremely hard despite trying very hard to keep your weight in the limit. These could be signs of Hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone. These hormones are needed to keep your organs functioning properly, which is why you feel dull and low, when they are in short supply.

Many times, most women do not realise that they have a thyroid problem and therefore bring about no change in their lifestyle. While there is no substitute for getting a proper diagnosis and starting hormone replacement treatment if you have hypothyroidism, leading a healthier lifestyle and following a strict routine will help you feel better faster.

One of the first things you need to do is get your diet in order. Nutrition and eating "well" plays the most important role in driving optimum functioning of the Thyroid gland.

Sheta Mittal, Co-founder of &Me, a women's food and healthcare brand, says: "For Thyroid gland nutrition, eating well, specifially includes consuming adequate amounts of Iodine and Tyrosine. Tyrosine and Iodine together make the famous T4/T3 thyroid hormones. We can get Iodine from sea food, dairy products and iodized salt, and Tyrosine from sesame seeds and soybeans in the diet. Also, make sure you include the full profile of micronutrients and macronutrients on a daily basis. Low fat, micronutrient rich, fibre heavy diet with 2-3 cups of colourful fruits and vegetables daily will help you lose weight or least to say maintain your weight, Instead of popping thyroid pills, a lot of women these days are opting for a more natural choice."

Thyroid pills inject artificial Thyroxine (T3) in the body, and if the lifestyle is not in check the body gets immune to the pill and the dosages keep increasing over the lifetime. Look for new age products in the market that are providing healthy alternatives to managing Thyroid in lifestyle formats such as teas, juices and so on. Make sure you do your research and look for nutrients above in the ingredients, she says.

"While exercising is the last thing you want to do when you're feeling this lethargic, giving your body regular physical activity will boost your energy, help with weight loss efforts, and lower your stress levels."

She adds: "Activities such as brisk walking and some toning exercises that target key muscle groups, including legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms, can prove to be extremely helpful in losing that extra weight. 30 mins a day, 5 days a week, is sure to take you a long way on the journey to staying fit."

One thing you must pay grave attention to is keeping you mind stress-free. "Stress can make hypothyroidism worse. Stress can make any body problem worse. Why, because stress takes up a lot of mental energy and sucks nutrients, halts functioning of the body organs. Learning how to cope with stress can make a big difference in helping the body to function well and make you feel better. Yoga, meditation, deep breathing, or just chilling out to some relaxing music can all help you de-stress and let go of the anxiety. Find a stress-reducing technique that works for you and incorporate it into your lifestyle."

Getting sufficient good quality sleep will help improve your daytime fatigue. Make sure you set a regular sleep and wake time while keeping your bedroom temperature cool.

"It is extremely important that you do everything you can to keep yourself healthy. Bringing a change in your lifestyle can definitely help balance your thyroid levels, helping you avoid any serious health abnormalities, making you a fit and healthy individual," ends Mittal. (IANS)

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