Weight gain and thyroid are considered synonyms in today’s modern world. It is estimated that 5% of the world’s population is suffering from thyroid with women being more than 50%. Though weight loss becomes a big challenge with hypothyroidism it is not impossible.
Firstly we need to know
why thyroid patients gain weight ?
When your thyroid gland doesn’t function properly it does not produce enough hormones which lead to a chemical imbalance. This imbalance leads to
- Low BMR- which means lesser calories burned with the same physical activity
- Fatigue and lethargy – prevents from indulging in physical exercise which further leads to lesser calories burned
- Constipation-directly responsible for weight gain
- Anxiety and stress – which elevates the stress hormones which prevents fat burn.
The reason why a lot of thyroid patients go undetected for a long period of time is the symptoms being very mild. Regular check up and proper medication can keep this upcoming epidemic on bay.
Dietary support for thyroid.
If you are suffering from Thyroid disease (Hypo or Hyper) your diet has a huge impact on your health. There are foods which inhibit absorption of the thyroid medicine and should be avoided for 3-4 hours after eating the medicine.
Avoid raw Goitrogenic foods-
are plant food which contain enzymes which disrupt normal functioning of thyroid gland. Common Goitrogenic foods are cabbage, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, soya, peanuts. If these foods are eaten in the raw form they could be very harmful but if steamed or cooked well the harmful enzymes present in them become inactive.
In short thyroid patients can consume 1 serving of any of the above mentioned foods but only in cooked form. Avoid adding them to your salads.
Regulate iodine intake-
Iodine is an important mineral needed for the synthesis of thyroxin. Normally this mineral is present in water and reaches our body through the vegetables we eat. Though there are some regions which are deficit in this mineral due to which the government decided to fortify common salt with it. A lot of debate and research is going on to decide the RDA of iodine in our body. As both high and low intake could disturb the normal functioning of the thyroid gland the best solution is to keep the intake moderate. We advise to mix regular table salt with sendha namak in equal proportions for cooking purpose.
Medicine and food restrictions-
as we all know that thyroid medicine should be eaten empty stomach, but certain foods prevent utilization of this medicine. These foods should be avoided for 3-4 hours after eating the medicine. These foods block the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine. Foods to be avoided are- soya and its products, kale, cabbage, broccoli, iron rich foods like turnip, iron supplements, calcium fortified juices. Though if the foods mentioned above are eaten in the second half of the day they have no side effect on the absorption of iodine.
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High fibre–
it is very important to eat 30-35 gms of fibre daily by thyroid patients as constipation is a common symptom faced by all. Eating adequate fibre could prevent weight gain. But avoid any high fibre supplement along with your medicine. if you include chia, flax or isabgol seeds in your meals eat them post lunch or dinner
Best foods for thyroid patient
- Apples
- Yogurt
- Mustard oil
- Olive oil
- Eggs
- Whole grain
- Garlic
- Lentils
- Avocado
- Peppers
- Drumstick
- Green tea 1-2 cups
