Understanding & Caring for Your Body's Busy Butterfly

A small butterfly-shaped gland located just below your Adam’s apple—the thyroid—helps regulate your body’s balance or homeostasis. The thyroid usually operates without much notice until your doctor examines it during a routine checkup. Unless there are unusual findings or symptoms suggesting an issue, there’s typically no further attention given to the thyroid.

What Does the Thyroid Do?

The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, a group of glands that includes the pituitary, hypothalamus, thymus, pineal, testes, ovaries, adrenal, parathyroid, and pancreas. The thyroid gland releases hormones (such as T3 and T4) that travel through your bloodstream, controlling your metabolism, brain and heart function, and reproductive and menstrual cycles.

Recognizing When There’s a Problem

When the thyroid isn’t working as it should, it triggers a series of hormonal changes that impact various glands and systems in the body. This disruption often leads to one of two main conditions: hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism

This condition arises when the thyroid becomes overactive, like a butterfly that continuously flutters its wings. Symptoms may include an accelerated metabolism, frequent bowel movements, anxiousness, increased sweating, and, for women, light or absent menstruation. This condition often creates a sensation of internal heat and difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.

Hypothyroidism

This condition occurs when the thyroid becomes sluggish like a butterfly struggling to move its wings. Symptoms may include weight gain, lethargy, brittle hair and nails, feeling cold, tiredness, mild depression, constipation, and, for women, irregular or heavy menstruation.

It’s crucial to differentiate between thyroid disease and autoimmune thyroid disease. Thyroid disease affects the thyroid itself, whereas autoimmune thyroid disease involves the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking the thyroid. Understanding this distinction is vital for crafting the proper treatment plan.

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How to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy

1. Eat From the Sea

Opt for saltwater fish like cod and halibut, rich in selenium, which protects the thyroid and regulates hormone synthesis. Seaweed is also a great source of iodine, a key component of thyroid hormones.

2. Choose Foods From the Earth

Incorporate foods high in B vitamins, essential for thyroid hormones and cell energy. Balance your diet with pasture-raised poultry, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grass-fed red meat, which provide minerals essential for thyroid function.

3. Prioritize Relaxation

Engage in a daily relaxation practice, such as 10 minutes of silence and deep breathing, to improve your state of mind and body.

4. Move More

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Yoga poses like butterfly, fish pose, shoulder stand, and child’s pose are particularly beneficial for thyroid health.

5. Supplement

Since our diets aren’t perfect, supplementing with vitamins, minerals, or botanicals can provide extra protection against stress, toxins, and genetic predispositions. Consult with Denver Functional Nutritionist Nikki Burnett about the best nutraceutical products for you.