We all know the food we eat has a direct effect on how we look and feel. How much you choose to pay attention to—or disconnect—from that direct relationship is reflected in everything from your weight to your mood, your ability to get a good night’s sleep, how many aches and pains you suffer, the condition of your skin, and how sharp you are mentally.
It’s true that we are what we eat; the foods we consume become part of us as they’re absorbed, utilized and processed. Protein is used to build and repair tissues, fat helps the body absorb and move nutrients, and carbohydrates provide energy. Some types of food support optimal thyroid function and health, while others don’t.
Nutrition may be a complex science, but your own biochemistry doesn’t have to be a mystery. After all, you can easily recognize the effects of your food choices. A greasy cheeseburger leaves you sluggish and sleepy after lunch, and your jeans feel too tight after a spaghetti supper. Have a vegetable omelet for breakfast and you feel sharp and energized all morning.
It doesn’t make sense to ignore the relationship between what you eat and how you feel, or to ignore the inextricable link between diet and thyroid disease. If you want to be healthy, you have to eat healthy, and that means avoiding foods that worsen or aggravate thyroid disease.
Hypothyroidism can result in weight gain, brain fog, depression and fatigue. Whether you’re taking thyroid replacement or relying on an alternative type of therapeutic support for your condition, diet matters.