Thyroid Hormone Imbalance

If you have menstrual issues like having your period twice in one month, you may have a thyroid hormone imbalance.  Your thyroid plays an important part in your body functions.  Read on if you have these hormonal issues.

Eating right

Diet, of course, is a huge part of how we feel.  If we eat the right foods, we feel better because our bodies get the nutrients they need.

This isn’t rocket science – we all know we need to eat a well-balanced diet.  That can be hard with busy lives but without a proper diet, that includes vitamins, minerals, fat and protein, you can have all kinds of problems like:

• Headaches and mood swings
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Tiredness
• Unusually heavy bleeding
• Infertility

We all know eating right is what we need to do but sometimes it is hard to do.  But, in order to start feeling better, we need to manage what we put into our bodies.  Knowing is half the battle so here are some reasons you may have a thyroid hormone imbalance.

Thyroid hormone imbalance

All those issues above could point to a thyroid hormone imbalance caused by our eating habits.  We can develop hypothyroidism (low) or hyperthyroidism (high) and neither one of them is good.  We need to bring this back into balance so that our symptoms disappear and we feel normal again.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are other symptoms of a thyroid problem.  Maybe you’re always cold or your hair seems to be falling out more.  All of these issues need to be looked at to determine if you have a thyroid hormone imbalance.

Tests show my thyroid is fine

Have you been to your doctor and they took tests, only to discover that your thyroid came back ‘normal’?  Yep, that was me too!  They always check the thyroid levels with certain symptoms because the thyroid is so important for our bodies working properly.  But, the tests always come back normal.  Yet, I still had issues.  Does this sound like you?

What can you do?

If your doctor won’t do a complete thyroid panel and you still feel awful (i.e. symptoms don’t go away), there are a few things you can ensure you’re getting in your diet to help your thyroid.  They are:

• Iron – I definitely had low iron especially because of my heavy periods.  Are you tired all the time?  It could be from low iron.  Note:  It’s best to check with your doctor on your iron levels before taking a supplement.
• Zinc – eat beef or spinach!
• Selenium – supplements are available but you can also find selenium in Brazil nuts.
• Vitamin D – getting just a little bit of sun can help absorb this vitamin.  Just remember – not too much sun exposure.
• Magnesium – found in leafy greens like kale and spinach.
• Vitamin A – Eat your carrots!  Eggs are also a good source.
• Iodine – many of us do not get enough in our diets and it is absolutely essential.  You can find iodine in:
  • Kelp
  • Eggs
  • Strawberries
  • Raw dairy

Conclusion:

Do you see how important it is to eat a balanced diet?  I know it’s hard – especially with the demanding lives we have.  But, knowing is the first step to changing.