Eating For Your Thyroid

Thyroid imbalance is much more common today than ityou to eat less fat and cholesterol and help you lose
was even a decade ago. Despite all the imformationweight by eating more fiber.
available through books, magazines and articles like thisEven though fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins and
one, more work needs to be done in educating theantioxidants, they are quite high in simple sugars. For
public and the medical community. It has become athis reason, keep your fruit intake to 2 servings per
hidden epidemic throughout the United States so it isday. Eat fruits with the lowest glycemic index which
important to learn how to eat well to support yourare apples and organic berries. When it comes to fat,
thyroid.you want to avoid fats that come from meat and
The best eating plan for someone dealing with anydairy as well as fats that are solid at room
thyroid disorder is one that contributes to their overalltemperature. If you eat too much fat, you will continue
health. This means a low-glycemic, high-complexto be hungry, and as a result, eat more calories.
carbohydrates, low-fat diet. Eating foods that fall intoYour body can adjust its metabolism when you eat
this category will cause you to lose weight and keep itgood quality proteins and carbohydrates. It cannot do
off for good. The best part is you will stay full longer,this if you eat too much fat. Fat gets absorbed from
intake fewer calories and receive a good amount ofyour intestines and goes straight to your fat cells for
vitamins, minerals, trace elements and fiber.storage. If you reduce fat in your diet, you will lose
This means staying away from refined sugars andweight even if you eat the same amount of calories. In
simple sugars which cause sugar to enter theother words, if you reduce your fat intake by 10%, you
bloodstream faster and produce a higher rise in bloodwill lose approximately 10 pounds. Include good fats
sugar. The higher the blood sugar levels after food issuch as olive oil, sesame oil, macadamia nut oil and
consumed, the higher the insulin levels. The GLYCEMICwalnut oil.
INDEX is defined as how high your blood sugar goesThe Mediterranean diet is a great way to eat. It
up in response to eating a particular food. The higherincludes lots of green vegetables, nuts, fish, lean meats,
the rise of blood glucose, the higher the food'swhole-grain cereals and olive oil which will help you lose
glycemic index.weight and prevent you from gaining weight . This way
You need to learn how to reduce the amount ofof eating is your first line of defense against chronic
simple sugars you eat per day as well as learn how toillness, heart disease and weight loss.
lower the gylcemic load at every meal. Here are someHere are some more tips for a successful weight
tips and suggestions on how to do just that:management program:
1. Replace white bread with 100% WHOLE GRAIN1. Do not skip meals - make a plan to eat 300-400
BREAD which has a lower glycemic index.calories meals every 3-4 hours. Increasing the
2. Increase your consumption of OATS and BARLEY.frequency of meals will promote lower insulin levels,
3. Eat foods like whole grains, barley, nuts,improve insulin efficiency, and lower your cholesterol in
pumpernickel bread, and dried legumes which have athe process.
much lower glycemic index.2. Eat breakfast - it is the best way to kick-start your
4. Avoid white bread, white potatoes, chips,metabolism for the day and give you energy.
sweetened breakfast cereals, sweet potatoes, sweet3. Watch what you drink - avoid drinking beverages
corn, white rice, cookies, biscuits and buckwheat - all ofwith high-fructose corn syrup used in many soft drinks
which have an intermediate glycemic index.which cause weight gain.
5. Choose leafy greens, whole grain breads,4. Be aware of portion sizes - you can fill your plate up
unsweetened crackers made from rice andwith vegetables, leafy greens, etc. but the protein
unsweetened muffins.source should be the size of a deck of cards and
6. Avoid cookies, cakes, ice cream, doughnuts, andwhole-grains should equal approximately 1/2 -3/4 cup.
pastries which are full of refined sugars and fat.5. Increase your calcium intake - calcium affects the
To lower your glycemic index of your meals, increasemetabolism of fat cells and speeds it up helping you to
your fiber content. This will raise the effeciency oflose weight when consume with high amounts of
insulin, keep you full longer and will reduce your caloricbranched-chain amino acids. You can get these amino
intake naturally. If you do eat cereal, chooseacids by eating fish, whole-grains, chicken, sesame
whole-grain varieties that will give you more calcium,seeds, mushrooms, lentils, and chickpeas.
fiber, iron, folic acid, Vitamin C, and zinc. They will cause