Posts Tagged ‘Thyroid’

Thyroid Weightloss Diet: The Effective Way to Shed Pounds

January 30th, 2010 admin

Patients suffering from hypothyroidism usually find it hard to lose weight. This is because their endocrine system is not working at optimum levels and their body’s metabolism rate is very slow. Most thyroid patients lose hope as far as losing weight is concerned. But there’s one effective way to shed pounds – the solution is a thyroid weightloss diet.

To induce weight loss amidst thyroid health issues, these diet tips may help:

1. Eat reduced amounts but more frequently everyday.

Thyroid problem is a tricky disease. It is a type of disease least diagnosed by health experts although a lot of overweight patients are suffering from it. Worse, not even their doctors realize that it is the main reason why they can’t seem to lose weight despite their momentous efforts. The thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism. And one way to improve your body’s metabolic rate is to force your system to process the food that you eat everyday. Skipping meals and following an irregular eating habit is a sure-fire way to lower your metabolism.

2. Lean meats.

Meat is a good source of protein. However, you have to limit your intake to the lean parts alone. Protein can help you build muscles. When eating meat, make sure that you strip away the fatty parts. You’ve got to help yourself achieve a zero cholesterol diet to initiate weight loss despite your thyroid problem.

3. Uncooked fruits and vegetables are healthy.

Uncooked food such as fruits and vegetables would do your body a lot of good. Raw vegetables have all the nutrients intact, which is perfect because you are going to need them to process the fats inside your body. With the nutrients in place, fats are burned instead of stored in the blood stream. Fruits are known to be anti-oxidants as well. They contain lots of vitamins and minerals that can satisfy even the biggest hunger but won’t make you fat. There are many vegetables that are rich in fiber too. Fiber can help greatly in flushing away toxins, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides inside the body.

4. Eat healthy snacks.

If you have been depriving yourself of food but are not improving at all in the weight section, you have to check the type of foods that you are eating. Maybe you’re not choosing healthy foods at all. Your snacks should be well-monitored as well. Instead of fries and chips, choose the healthier options such as roasted nuts. Try to change your coffee habit into a tea habit as the latter is more natural, has less caffeine, and contains loads of nutrients that can help your body.

5. Watch your every bite.

If you’re suffering from thyroid problems, it is very important that you take caution in every single food item that you put inside your body. If you can, you must estimate the calorie content the food you have eaten and see how much you’ve gone overboard. When you do go overboard, be sure to burn the excess fats through regular exercises.

These five simple tips can help you greatly in losing weight even if you have thyroid problems. Follow a thyroid weightloss diet religiously and you’ll see positive effects in your body shape and frame in as little as four weeks.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , , , No Comments »

Food For Your Thyroid Is Food For Thought

January 29th, 2010 admin

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food“. This was of course spoken in an era where drugs were not prolific and lifestyle played a greater part in maintaining good health. His words do of course ring true today – illness is after all, not due to a deficiency of drugs, so why treat it with a drug unless you absolutely have to?

Most illnesses can be put down to an imbalance or a loss of vitamins and minerals. “But I eat a good diet”, I hear you say. Unfortunately in our modern world, this is not enough. Why are our bodies deficient of these essential nutrients? There are numerous reasons, such as the way we grow, pick and process foods as well as eating foods that decrease our body’s ability to absorb nutrients and can actually suppress thyroid function.

Before we proceed, what is thyroid?

It is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. This gland controls how quickly our body will use up energy and make protein. It also controls the sensitivity of our body to other hormones. The thyroid is found in the neck underneath the thyroid cartilage and at almost the same level as the cricoid cartilage.

Thyroid Disorder

The thyroid hormone, the hormone secreted by the thyroid, is important at a certain level. It functions as a stimulus for metabolism. It is also critical to a cell’s normal function.

Excess in production of the thyroid hormone results to hyperthyroidism. It causes our body system to “speed up” thus resembling the symptoms of epinephrine overdose. Symptoms include fast heart beat, palpitations, anxiety, diarrhea and weight loss.

In contrast, insufficient production of thyroid hormone in the body results to hypothyroidism. One of the factors that cause hypothyroidism is iodine deficiency. Some of the early symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

- Fatigue

- Cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold

- Depression

- Muscle cramps and joint pain

- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

- Goiter

Essentials for a good thyroid function

There are essential nutrients needed for a healthy thyroid. One of which is tyrosine which is contained in foods such as avocado, banana and pumpkin seeds. Another is zinc found in foods such as seafood, nuts and a variety of meats. Other food contains one or more these essential nutrients. For example, peas are high in both iodine and zinc, turkey is rich in selenium, tyrosine and zinc. Trying to work out a healthy and balanced diet that contains all of these nutrients could be tricky.

Vivienne Savill is also the author of The Complete Guide to Fixing Hypothyroidism. This book goes one step further to ensure your food really is your medicine. It contains around 150 recipes that are delicious and easy to cook for a good thyroid health. Also contained in this great book is information about herbs and supplements that will treat your symptoms and have you feeling better real soon. You will also find a really useful acupressure program to balance your thyroid function.

So if you are sick of being told that you need a drug for the rest of your life, check this book out. This alternative treatment for your thyroid is well worth a look.

Posted in Medicine Tags: , , No Comments »

Natural Treatment For Thyroid Disease

January 29th, 2010 admin

Thyroid hormones regulate the speed at which your body cells work.If too much of the thyroid hormone is produced,the body cells work faster than normal causing over activity of the thyroid.This condition is called hyperthyroidism.

However,if too little of the hormones are produced ;the body cells work more slowly causing the body cells to work more slowly.This under activity of the thyroid is called hypothyroidism.

To diagnose either condition,a physician can perform a simple blood test that will measure hormone levels.If the test shows an abnormality either direction,the doctor will probably run a thyroid profile to determine how severe the problem is.

Although the usual course of treatment for thyroid conditions is prescription medications,or in extreme cases,surgery,there are simple steps nutritionally that will help prevent either condition from occurring in the first place.

Here is a list of five very effective supplements that will work to support your thyroid.

1.Iodine:Iodine is a key element in thyroid production.But it is a double edged sword.You absolutely need it,but not too much of it.A careful balance has to be maintained.It is suggested after much study that a 100 mcg(micrograms)per day is a safe dosage to maintain healthy thyroid support.

2.Selenium:Selenium is crucial in both production of T4 thyroid hormone(thyroxine)in the thyroid gland,as well as in the conversion OF T4 to T3 thyroid hormone.

Recommended daily dosage per day is 200mcg.This is more than is contained in a common multivitamin.Supplemental selenium can be purchased rather cheaply at your local health food store.

3.Zinc:Zinc is necessary for the TRH hypothalamus hormone to stimulate the pituitary gland,which in turn signals the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone.

The recommended dosage of zinc per day is at least 10mcg.This should be taken with 1mcg of copper.A zinc-copper ration has been shown to be helpful for thyroid patients.A good zinc-copper product should contain at least 1-2 mcg of copper.

4.Vitamin D:In addition to the above recommended minerals,Vitamin D is crucial for thyroid hormone production in the pituitary gland. It now appears that the amount of Vitamin D people need has been
greatly under estimated,nor is it toxic as was originally thought.

Recommended daily dose of Vitamin D is at least 800IUs.A good, cheap way to obtain Vitamin D is to get plenty of sunshine. It can also be obtained by taking cod liver oil.

5.Vitamin E:Vitamin E allows for excellent antioxidant protection and in some cases helps menopausal women avoid hot flashes without resorting to hormone therapy.

Recommended dosage is 400-800IU daily.

Here are the five most essential nutrients for feeding the thyroid gland. It is recommended however that other crucial nutrients be added to this list for overall optimal health of the thyroid.

Other necessary supplements would be : Vitamin A:Recommended daily dose of 5000-10,000IU.
Vitamin C:Taken in a buffered form of at least 2000-4000mcg daily.

It is also highly recommended to ensure that your thyroid is functioning optimally to take high doses of essential fatty acids(EFA) in a 2:1 mix of Omega 3 and Omega 6. This can be obtained in 1000 mg capsules at your local health food store.Recommended daily dosage should be 2000-4000 mg .

Long term sufferers of thyroid disease,would do well to take extra amino acids since the thyroid is basically an amino acid tyrosine. Amino acid metabolism is crucial for thyroid function.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , No Comments »

Thyroid Cancer Treatment in India at Jaslok Health Group with Recreation Package

January 24th, 2010 admin

Thyroid Cancer Treatment in India can be done under Jaslok Health Group which is known as pioneer in the treatment of Cancer patients for long time. India provides professional medical team of surgeons and physicians for the comfort and benefit of the patient at its best. Thyroid Cancer is a cancer that starts in the thyroid gland. To understand Thyroid Cancer, it helps to know about the normal structure and function of the thyroid gland. Thyroid cancer usually refers to any of four kinds of malignant tumors of the thyroid gland: papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected than men. Papillary and follicular tumors are the most common. They grow slowly and may recur, but are generally not fatal in patients under 45 years of age. Medullary tumors have a good prognosis if restricted to the thyroid gland and a poorer prognosis if metastasis occurs. Anaplastic tumors are fast-growing and respond poorly to therapy. Jaslok Health Group in India provides best physicians and surgeons to their patients for better assistance and treatment.

Modules present for Thyroid -

Benign nodules are not cancer. Cells from benign nodules do not spread to other parts of the body. They are usually not a threat to life. Most thyroid nodules (more than 90 percent) are benign. Malignant nodules are cancer. They are generally more serious and may sometimes be life threatening. Cancer cells can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant nodule and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. That is how cancer spreads from the original cancer (primary tumor) to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Most often the first symptom of Thyroid Cancer is a nodule in the thyroid region of the neck. However, many adults have small nodules in their thyroids, but typically fewer than 5% of these nodules are found to be malignant. Sometimes the first sign is an enlarged lymph node. Later symptoms that can be present are pain in the anterior region of the neck and changes in voice. Thyroid Cancer is usually found in a euthyroid patient, but symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism may be associated with a large or metastatic well-differentiated tumor. Nodules are of particular concern when they are found in those under the age of 20. The presentation of benign nodules at this age is less likely, and thus the potential for malignancy is far greater.

The following are the major types of thyroid cancer -

Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers account for 80 to 90 percent of all thyroid cancers. Both types begin in the follicular cells of the thyroid. Most papillary and follicular thyroid cancers tend to grow slowly. If they are detected early, most can be treated successfully. Medullary Thyroid Cancer accounts for 5 to 10 percent of thyroid cancer cases. It arises in C cells, not follicular cells. Medullary thyroid cancer is easier to control if it is found and treated before it spreads to other parts of the body. Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer is the least common type of thyroid cancer (only 1 to 2 percent of cases). It arises in the follicular cells. The cancer cells are highly abnormal and difficult to recognize. This type of cancer is usually very hard to control because the cancer cells tend to grow and spread very quickly.

If the nodule is benign, patients may receive thyroxin therapy to suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone and should be re-evaluated in 6 months. If the nodule is malignant or has indeterminate cytologic features, it may require surgery. Common Thyroid Cancer surgeries include thyroidectomy, lobectomy, and tracheostomy. Radioactive Iodine-131 is used in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer for ablation of residual thyroid tissue after surgery and for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Patients with medullary, anaplastic, and most Hurtle cell cancers do not benefit from this therapy. External irradiation may be used when the cancer is resectable, when it recurs after resection, or to relieve pain from bone metastasis.

The essential necessary for the treatments for Thyroid Cancer, is provided by Jaslok Health Group in India. People from overseas are coming to India and taking advantage from Jaslok Health Group. The treatment in India is cost-effective, recreational packages are provided by the Medical Tourism to their customers. They are entertained personally by the Physicians. Jaslok Health Group is one of the acclaimed medical groups which are promoting new and reasonable ways to treat new types of health problems. Thyroid Cancer treatment is done with modernized techniques with modernized equipments and under experienced physicians. We assure continuous quality improvement in all aspects of our mission. We commit to excellence in all we do, we provide excellent service to patients, staff, and all others who use, work in, or visit our facility. We always seek and are sensitive to the advice of our constituents. Being a land of exotic location Medical Tourism in India is providing one of the best Recreational packages or Holiday Packages for the patients who are coming to India for Treatment.

Posted in Health Mind Body Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments »

Body & Health: Your Thyroid and Weight Loss – the Connection is Real

January 24th, 2010 admin

Your thyroid dictates much of your metabolism, any malfunction or disease afflicting this area may cause you to have problems in metabolism leading to a drastic problem with your weight â?? you may either gain weight, lose weight, or may find that losing weight is harder than usual.

Those that plan diets do not take into consideration how their thyroids and metabolism may affect their weight loss program. Most experts and even the media pitch in and recommend that the best way to lose weight is cut calories.

Those with a condition called hyperthyroidism suffer from an overactive thyroid leading to one having his or her metabolism skyrocket. If this is the case, then you will probably lose weight fast. This is a nice proposition for some who wish to lose weight. However, this is actually hazardous to the health.

Aside from the medical difficulties such a disease brings, one will also notice weight problems as a result. These people have trouble keeping on weight and may notice weakness and bulging of the eyes. This disease may need special treatment from doctors.

Hypothyroidism on the other hand works in the other direction â?? slowing metabolism until the body gains weight at an incredible rate. Like hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism causes a general weakness in the body. It too may need special treatment and may cause serious health problems if left unattended.

While cutting calories in itself can be very hard for most people â?? imagine, the people involved in life and death struggles at the supermarket regarding whether to buy that extra box of sweets, some have exactly the opposite problem.

Instead of eating too much calories â?? which is a problem in itself, they eat too little calories instead.

Problem? What Problem
The problem with some is that they believe that since the experts say that they have to cut calories, cutting calories to an inordinate amount will reap greater results. Unfortunately, it doesnâ??t work that way. While cutting calories helps diets, consuming too little calories pushed the body into a hoard mode, the bodyâ??s metabolism slow to adapt to the lesser amount of available energy.

If your body enters this mode, your body will work at such slow metabolism that losing weight becomes impossible.  The technique here should be to reduce calories without the body slowing its metabolism. Only then can losing weight become easier.

Another problem that can arise from decreased metabolism is that when your metabolism slows due to a drastic reduction in metabolism, and then you suddenly eat a good, hearty, calorie-filled meal, you are bound to gain more weight owing to the increased surplus of energy.

This is why an imbalanced meal is highly discouraged among those that seek to lose weight. The sudden loss and increase of calories will cause an imbalance in oneâ??s energy consumption directly affecting fat deposit.

Here is a simple computation to help you get to the right amount of calories you will need per day so that you get your nutrients in the right balance.

First of all, multiply your weight in kilograms by 30. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide it by 2.2 to get to its English equivalent. We divide this number by 30 because that is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight per pound of weight.

For example if your weight in pounds is 150, divide it by 2.2. That will give you a figure of 68.18. This is your weight in kilograms. Multiply this by 30 and you will arrive at the amount of calories you will need per day to maintain 150 lbs.

You may consult a nutritionist to help you come lose weight. In the end it all comes down to math. If you consume more that your body needs, it stores it as fat. Now is probably a good time to start studying the back of those grocery cartons.

Try to keep your diet at a 40% protein, 25% fat, and 35% carbohydrate meals at 300 calories per meal. Spread out these meals in a day for optimum results.

While it may be simple computation to get at numbers, do not forget the earlier mentioned fact that the body adapts to its condition. Expose it to extreme ones and you may find yourself getting results you never wanted. Consult a nutritionist for more advice.

Posted in Health Mind Body Tags: , , , , , , No Comments »