Table of contents:
- How to treat hypothyroidism naturally
- 1. Adjust your diet
- Recommended food
- Foods to avoid
- 2. Exercise regularly
- 3. Avoid smoking
- 4. Manage stress
Almost all hypothyroid patients are advised to take hypothyroid medication every day, even for life. Unfortunately, not a few patients often forget to take medication so that their symptoms recur frequently. If you are one of them, you should also balance it with a healthy and natural lifestyle so that the symptoms of hypothyroidism do not get worse. So, is there a way to treat hypothyroidism naturally in addition to taking medication?
How to treat hypothyroidism naturally
Although they can help control the symptoms of hypothyroidism, healthy lifestyle changes remain cannot replace drugs hypothyroidism as prescribed by your doctor. Yes, you are still advised to take hypothyroid medication regularly, then balance it with a healthy lifestyle so that your body's metabolism is maintained.
Well, here's how to deal with hypothyroidism that you can do easily and naturally.
1. Adjust your diet
A nutritionist from New York, Natalie Rizzo, RD told Everyday Health that the symptoms of hypothyroidism can recur frequently and get worse because of the wrong diet. In addition, irregular eating habits can also increase your weight and worsen the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Well, one of the most important natural ways to deal with hypothyroidism for you to do is to choose the right type of food. This is a list of foods to eat and avoid to treat hypothyroidism.
Recommended food
Actually, there are no special foods that can increase the level of hypothyroid hormone in the body or treat hypothyroidism completely. However, there are some foods that people with hypothyroidism should eat more frequently to make their symptoms easier to control.
To help treat hypothyroidism relapse, eat lots of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, omega-3s, and fiber. All these types of food can help strengthen your immune system so that you avoid various diseases.
Foods high in fiber, for example, can help maximize absorption of hypothyroid drugs in the body. While some types of vegetables and fruits are rich in antioxidants that are effective against oxidative stress in people with hypothyroidism.
Foods to avoid
Not only focus on foods that should be consumed, you also have to avoid various types of foods that can worsen the symptoms of hypothyroidism, namely:
- Cruciferous vegetables for example pakcoy, broccoli, and cabbage. These vegetables contain goitrin compounds that can interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis.
- Foods high in salt, for example french fries and instant food. People with hypothyroidism are at high risk of developing hypertension and should limit their intake of salt from food.
- Foods made from soybeans such as soybeans, soy flour, soy milk, and edamame. Soybeans can decrease the effectiveness of thyroid medications so that they cannot be absorbed optimally.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is also important. The reason is, exercise acts like a natural stress medication which can also increase blood flow throughout the body, including to the thyroid gland.
You can choose any type of sport that you like. Whether it's walking, jogging, swimming, basketball, yoga, and so on. However, adjust it to your abilities and health conditions, yes.
Start with light exercise first such as jogging or yoga, at least 150 minutes per week (half an hour every day, five days a week). If your body is able to adjust to its rhythm, then you can gradually try moderate or vigorous intensity exercise.
Most importantly, consult your doctor first before you start exercising. The doctor will first assess your health condition and suggest the type of exercise that suits your health.
3. Avoid smoking
It is no secret that smoking must be avoided for the sake of health. How not, smoking clearly contains many harmful substances that can damage every organ of the body slowly, even at risk of causing death.
In the case of hypothyroidism itself, the chemicals in cigarettes can interfere with thyroid hormone production. In addition, the content of harmful substances in cigarettes can also inhibit the absorption of thyroid drugs, making them less effective.
4. Manage stress
People with hypothyroidism are prone to stress and depression. Even a little stress can slow down your body's metabolism, causing hypothyroid symptoms to get out of control and get worse.
Try to take your time to cool off from prolonged stress. There are many things you can do to deal with stress. For example, by taking walks, listening to music, watching movies, meditation, yoga, and doing your other favorite things.
The easier it is for you to control physical and mental stress, the smoother the flow of thyroid hormones in the body will be. As a result, your body will become healthier and stronger even though you have hypothyroidism.
