Are You Sabotaging Your Thyroid?

Every workday for the past 13+ years I have seen patients struggling with symptoms of thyroid imbalance like:

• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Weight management issues
• Poor temperature regulation
• Anxiety and depression
• Irregular or heavy menstrual cycles

What many of them don’t know is that their lifestyle can greatly affect their thyroid function and symptoms. Let me explain myself, the thyroid just as any other gland in the body is really sensitive to our daily exposures and experiences. 

Things such as stress, air quality, food and what we put in our skin can impact how our thyroid works. I always try to educate my patients about this topic and empower them with healthy alternatives so they can thrive and enjoy their life symptom free. 

That’s why this month I’ve decided to share with you 3 surprising things that may be sabotaging your thyroid function without you knowing. And obviously, I’ll also share some healthy alternatives. Let’s get to it!

Plastics:

We all know plastics are not the healthiest thing out there, but did you know they could be affecting your hormones? 

Here’s the thing, plastics don't really degrade naturally into the environment, instead they just break into tiny little pieces called microplastics. They end up in our water and food, (yes we EAT them) yuck!

Plastics are not just made of one thing, they may have many different chemical compounds, some of them known to mess with our hormones like BPA and phthalates. 

Alternatives: Try to avoid plastic as much as you can, use glass, stainless steel, wood or silicone containers, bottles and cooking items, opt for glass blenders and mixers, and avoid receipts which are high in BPA.  Not sure where to start? Start with avoiding plastic that gets hot. This means not leaving plastic water bottles in the sun and taking into account your coffeemaker with hot water making your daily coffee…

Pesticides:

Pesticides can have negative effects on our hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Research is showing that they may also disrupt other hormone receptors, like thyroid hormone signaling.

Alternatives: Some fruits and vegetables have been found to contain a variety of pesticides. That’s why I recommend that you opt for organic foods as much as possible. 

Check out the dirty dozen list by EWG, those should be the top priority in avoiding for non-organic produce. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup:

HFCS has been linked to insulin resistance, weight gain and high blood pressure. You can find it in common junk foods such as soda, baked goods, and processed foods. But it can also be hidden in foods you may not suspect like in ketchup, some juices, salad dressings, canned fruit and fruit cups. 

Aside from being linked to weight gain, insulin resistance and hypertension, HFCS may also be contaminated with mercury during its manufacture.

An article found detectable levels of mercury in HFCS from 3 different manufacturers. No one wants this heavy metal in their system, as mercury is known to impact the thyroid and hormone regulation.

Alternatives: Avoid HFCS, use natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.