How to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy With Herbs and Lifestyle

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland situated in your neck underneath your Adam's apple. It's really small and weighs only one ounce. However, it serves a very important function--to take iodine from the foods that we eat and convert it into hormones. These hormones are responsible for things like weight regulation, fertility, metabolism, growth and keeping your body temperature regulated. If the thyroid is out of whack, any number of these body functions could also be out of whack.



If you think you have something wrong with your thyroid, the first thing you should do is a see a doctor for tests. Meanwhile, you can make sure your thyroid stays healthy by taking the following suggestions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Seaweed, especially kelp
• Oatstraw (Avena sativa)
• Sea salt, non iodized
• Say "no" to chemicals and artificial sweeteners
• Say "no" to meat with hormones
• Fish and healthy fats
• Detox

1. Kelp, also called bladderwrack, comes from the sea and is a very good source of iodine. As mentioned above, iodine is essential for a healthy thyroid. If you're taking kelp, just don't get too much sodium in your diet. Not every source of sodium has iodine in it. And even if it does, you run the danger of getting too much.

2. Oatstraw or avena sativa in Latin is also an important herb for healthy thyroid function. It's great for the nerves and is also helpful for boosting sexual function. This is mainly for those who are irritable or have a decreased sexual function due to a low thyroid.

3. Iodized salt is the worst thing to use if you want to keep your thyroid healthy. Even though the gland needs iodine, too much of a good thing can be a problem. Instead, use sea salt, which has a nice balance of minerals that will help support your body. But don't overdo it--too much of a good thing is not any good at all.

4. When making food choices, skip things that are rich in chemicals and highly processed. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners should absolutely be avoided. The body can't process these chemicals and it ultimately affects the thyroid.

5. Another thing that is bad for the thyroid gland are the hormones that are found in meats and poultry. Avoid them. Nowadays, even supermarkets carry hormone-free options which makes it even more affordable.

6. Fish, nuts, flaxseeds and anything else that is rich in healthy fats are great for the thyroid. Have at least three servings of fish a week or one small serving of nuts and flaxseeds each day to help boost your health and metabolism.

7. It is important to detox your body at least twice a year. I am not a proponent of harsh systems. I prefer to step back and examine my eating habits for about one week in the spring and one in the fall. I eat more fruits and vegetables during this time and focus on healthy food choices. This does a good job in eliminating toxins from the body without deprivation.

Tips & Warnings

• Following a healthy diet, avoiding chemicals, exercising and eating seaweed--the perfect prescription for increasing thyroid health.
• Make sure you consult a doctor about your thyroid regime.

[kohuether]

on 11/16/2008 Hey - thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed my article. :) I would love to hear how you're doing after using the suggestions.

[ReuseItAll]

on 11/14/2008 So GREAT!! I've had a thyroid condition since 1993! UGGG! I knew about sea salt instead of regular salt and I only purchase meat free from hormones. The rest of your tips were new to me!! I'm glad I found your article!! Thanks! I look for thyroid info all the time!