A lack of thyroxin to stimulate the organs of the body causes a problem with metabolism. Although your doctor may place you on an oral thyroid medication to replace what your body is not absorbing or receiving from your thyroid gland, you still need a diet that will help you achieve a healthy weight and lifestyle. Learning how to eat correctly is part of the plan. When you have hypothyroidism and you take thyroid medications, check with your doctor before consuming foods with iodine since it may affect the medicines, according to Medline Plus.
Kickstarters for Metabolism
Finding foods that kick off the metabolism to a calorie-burning start begins with proper food choices in your diet. Since your thyroid already has difficulty with providing proper metabolism, you need to watch each food you put into your mouth. Start your day with water, and end it with water. Water will help flush impurities from your body and help it to work better. Avoid soft drinks and diet drinks. The preservatives and flavorings slow the metabolism, causing you to feel discouraged to lose those extra few pounds.
Choices of Protein
Your diet should consist of fish three to five times each week. The fish oil will help keep the fat at a lower level in your blood and will help your heart and thyroid to function better. A healthy heart will have the ability to pump blood throughout the body easier and circulate fluids out of your body quicker. Eating low-fat meats such as skinless chicken and turkey will add to a healthy diet to boost your metabolism. Stay away from gravies and extra fats added to make your meats tastier, such as butter. Broil or cook your food on the grill. Avoid adding dressing to your turkey, as it is high in carbohydrates because of the breading. Eat eggs for another source of protein.
Low-salt Foods
Hide the saltshaker if you can. Only use salt for emergencies such as an oven catastrophe. Do not use it on your food. Salt causes the blood vessels to become tougher and lose their elasticity over time. Also, salt causes your body to retain fluids because your heart has to work even harder, Medline Plus states. Use other spices in your food to liven it up. While you do need a little salt in your diet for your proper health, you do not need much of it. MayoClinic.com states the average adult should not ingest more than 2,300mg of sodium each day, and only 1,500mg if you have certain health conditions. Most prepared foods, such as boxed dinners, frozen dinners and soups contain extremely high levels of sodium.
Fiber
Another important facet of your diet is fiber. Fiber helps you digest your food quicker and easier, MayoClinic.com says. You can help rid yourself of toxins at a faster rate, and your bowels will move more easily. You will gain sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals gained from eating high-fiber foods such as fresh fruit and raw vegetables. Vitamin B, found in fresh green leafy vegetables, helps break down carbohydrates and speed up your metabolism.
