Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James
Dr. Lewis recently had the opportunity to be a guest on the Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James where he spoke about thyroid issues and what you can do about them. Thyroid issues are becoming more and more common, so learning how to prevent and treat them is more important than ever. You can listen to that podcast here.
Ashley James is a health influencer and she has hundreds of podcasts and lots of information on how to be a healthier you, physically and emotionally. These podcasts and articles can be found on her website here.
Thyroid Issues
It seems as though everyone knows someone who has a thyroid issue, it may be themselves, or a friend or relative, but there’s no denying that thyroid problems have become much more common in recent years. There are many contributing factors like stress, environmental and dietary toxins, poor nutrition, hormone imbalances, etc., but the good news is that you can do something about it. Diet is the biggest thing to consider changing if you’re concerned about thyroid health, but iodine, fish oil, and certain vitamins and minerals are crucial to achieving and maintaining thyroid health.
Iodine
Adequate iodine levels are necessary for the thyroid to function properly, and iodine absorption is often inhibited by fluoride, bromine, and chlorine. These chemicals are commonly found in tap water, and they can bind to the iodine receptors, preventing your body from being able to absorb the iodine it needs. It is often necessary to eliminate these chemicals from your diet before supplementing with iodine so your body can properly absorb it.
Fish Oil
Fish oil should be a part of everyone’s diet/supplement plan due to the many benefits. Fish oil may help balance cholesterol levels, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and it may even improve the symptoms associated with certain psychological disorders because it supplies the brain with the fat it needs to function correctly. We likely still haven’t discovered all the benefits of fish oil, but we know it’s incredibly important to your thyroid and overall health.
Vitamins and Minerals
Taking a high-quality multivitamin can be beneficial because it provides a wide-range of nutrients, many of which you likely aren’t getting enough of through diet alone. Vitamin deficiencies are very common today due to stress and environmental toxins that deplete certain vitamins and minerals, and diets that are high in processed food that contains few nutrients. Another big cause of the increasing deficiencies are gut imbalances. When the good and bad bacteria in your gut aren’t balanced, or if you have leaky gut (many people do without realizing it) or digestive disorders, then you probably aren’t able to absorb much of the vitamins and minerals you do eat and/or supplement with. This is why the first steps to healing usually include cutting out fake food (processed, packaged food with long ingredient lists), eating lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and healing your gut through the use of probiotics, celery juice, and supplementation. Fixing these issues can greatly improve your overall health, and may help prevent or lessen thyroid issues.
