Do You Have an Underactive Thyroid?

Thyroid problems are very common in this country. About 27 million Americans have a thyroid imbalance, but not even half of them know it, because the symptoms, including changes in energy, mood, and weight, are similar to those of many other conditions. When thyroid hormones become unbalanced — when their levels in the body are either too high or too low — chemical reactions throughout the body are thrown off. Do you feel sluggish or have you started to pile on extra pounds that you can't blame on a poor diet or lack of exercise? These symptoms and others, including "brain fog," coarse hair and skin, depression, exhaustion, joint pains, constipation, and high blood pressure, may be signs that you have hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, which can sap your energy and cause you to gain weight.


An underactive thyroid is death to your metabolism, making attempts at weight loss very frustrating. In fact, most of my hypothyroid clients tend to be about 15 pounds overweight. The condition becomes increasingly common with age — up to one in five older women experience some form of it, especially white and Mexican-American women. A simple TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test can be done at your doctor's office to check your thyroid function. If you are diagnosed with low function, you can take some of the following steps:

You need to eliminate many of the environmental and nutritional toxins that have been shown to create thyroid problems. In addition to following this program, be sure to cook goitrogenic cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale, instead of eating them raw, which can stimulate goiters, a bump on the throat that indicates a swollen thyroid gland. Don't take a multivitamin with iron, cholesterol-lowering medication, or eat any food with iron, calcium, soy, or a high fiber content within a few hours of taking your thyroid medication — all of these can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. The stress hormone cortisol interferes with healthy thyroid function. Exercise is a great stress reliever that lowers cortisol levels while increasing your body's sensitivity to thyroid hormone.

Don't supplement with iodine. If you add salt to your food, choose iodized salt rather than kosher, but don't take supplemental iodine. Contrary to some nutritional advice you can find, supplemental iodine (or kelp) is not necessary; the average American diet has plenty already.

Take other thyroid-supporting supplements. Selenium is necessary for proper thyroid function. Other helpful supplements for the thyroid include vitamin D, zinc, and fish oil; in addition, choose foods that contain these nutrients. Be sure to consult your doctor before you try any supplements, especially while taking thyroid medication.

Discuss thyroid medication with your doctor.