Hypothyroidism Diets - What to Avoid and What to Eat

It is essential to understand that hypothyroidism is a hormonal disorder, and generally, any step you take for treatment should yield results, provided the measures taken are right. Good hypothyroidism diets are one of the most important components in your effort to curb this hormonal disorder.

Your body is different from that of everyone else and reacts differently to different foods. As such, you must consult your doctor on what constitutes a good diet in hypothyroidism for you. Broadly speaking, there are a quite a few guidelines that are considered safe and effective for those suffering from hypothyroidism. Here's how you should prepare a general plan for hypothyroidism foods:

\"Hypothyroid Diet\"

Know what to avoid first

Hypothyroidism Diets - What to Avoid and What to Eat

In a disorder as serious as hypothyroidism, it is prudent to first know what to avoid than to know what to eat since it always pay to adopt a 'safety first' approach. Good hypothyroidism foods are those that will not escalate the disorder and will complement the medications. Listed below are foods you must avoid:

• An excessive intake of dietary fiber is known to be bad for hypothyroidism since they contribute to a low release of hormones. Thus, if you are on medication for increasing hormone levels in your body, you must keep your intake of dietary fiber to the minimum.

• You should also avoid foods such as walnuts, soybean flour, multivitamins that contain iron, iron supplements, supplements that increase calcium content in the body, antacids that contain magnesium or aluminum, medications for ulcers, and drugs that can lower your cholesterol levels. If you must eat some or all of the foods discussed in this article, maintain a substantial gap between the intake of hormone medication and such foods. It is very important to avoid interactions between these medicines and foods.

• Soy is something you would do well to avoid as much as you can. However, this is easier said than done because of the presence of soy in just about every food you eat. You can consult a nutritionist and prepare a list of foods that have minimal soy content.

• Depending on how much iodine you consume with your daily foods, you can either increase the hormone levels or decrease the hormone levels further. Good hypothyroidism diets will enable you to have only as much iodine as is necessary to remain healthy. Again, your doctor will give you useful guidance on which foods can help balance your iodine levels.

Know what to eat

• Depending on your doctor's advice, you may eat foods that have a good amount of minerals.

• Consume lots of fruits and vegetables.

• Eat a lot of lean protein.

• Selenium is one of the most important hypothyroidism foods because it helps release the hormones in your body and converts the T4 into its active variant known as T3. Brazil nuts are a powerful source of selenium and are generally safe for consumption.

No matter what you eat, you must sincerely keep taking the medicines prescribed by your doctor. A good diet in hypothyroidism must not advocate skipping your medication for hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism diets complement the medicines you take to improve the hormone levels in your body. However, make sure you consult your doctor before you get started with any diet plan.

Hypothyroidism Diets - What to Avoid and What to Eat

Christian Garcia is author & founder of http://www.symptomsforhypothyroidism.com. An online resource for sufferers of Hypothyroidism.