How can I live better with Hashimotos?

5 Ways to Live a Healthier Life With Hypothyroidism

Let’s be real here. Having a chronic illness like hypothyroidism is no fun. It’s something that you have to constantly think about and manage, making choices that are healthier or, at the very least, not harmful. Throw in a menstrual cycle and you’ve got quite the task. Hypothyroidism has a lot of side effects like weight gain, fatigue, depression, and a heavy and/or painful period. While you may not be able to make your illness go away, you can do things to manage it. The five lifestyle changes below can boost your mood, energize you, make your period go a bit more smoothly, and even work to heal your thyroid.

Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

This might seem challenging, especially because hypothyroidism can make it hard to lose weight. It’s an important factor in having a healthy life, though. Having too much body fat can make your body resistant to insulin and this can affect your hormone levels. It’s a vicious cycle because people who are overweight need more thyroid hormone for their thyroid to work correctly. The following tips can help you get to or maintain a healthy body weight which can improve thyroid function and reduce your risk for thyroid cancer. Win win!

Eat a Balanced Diet

One of the kindest things you can do for your body, regardless of health conditions, is to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. This is especially true if you have hypothyroidism. Choosing certain foods with nutrients that can counteract the effects of your chronic illness can leave you feeling more energized, boost your mood, and give you an overall sense of wellness. Clean eating is something that many professionals recommend for those with a thyroid disease. This means ditching the pre-packaged foods and choosing healthier options like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and a moderate amount of whole grains. Your diet should include plenty of Selenium, Omega-3s, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamins B6 and E.

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Exercise in Moderation

Exercise goes hand in hand with a balanced diet if you have hypothyroidism. Walking, running, or lifting weights are all powerful ways to take control of your health but make sure you’re listening to your body. Hypothyroidism can worsen if you overexert yourself because it removes an iodine molecule from your inactive thyroid hormone (T4), making it so that your body can’t convert it to T3, your active thyroid hormone.

Another benefit to exercise for people with hypothyroidism that experience period cramps are the boost in endorphins you get when you get your heart pumping. These endorphins can act as natural painkillers, making PMS symptoms milder or eliminating them completely.

Get Enough ZZZ’s

We all wish there were a few more hours in the day so we could get everything done. It can be tempting to skimp on sleep in favor of tackling your to-do list but sleep is a critical function, especially if you have hypothyroidism. When you’re sleeping, your body has a chance to repair tissues and lower the stress hormone cortisol. If you have trouble sleeping, exercise and stress management can help.

Manage Your Stress Levels

We live in a world where stress is sometimes glorified and misunderstood as success. When you’re living with hypothyroidism, it’s really important to manage stress because it can wreak havoc on your thyroid by increasing the resistance of your thyroid receptor cells to your thyroid hormone and weakening your immune system. Yoga, meditation, and, of course, exercise can all help you to keep your stress levels at bay.

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Living with a chronic illness isn’t easy. When you also have a period to deal with, it can be even more challenging. The good news is that, between medication and lifestyle changes, you can live a very healthy and happy life. All it takes is making a few tweaks to your routine and you could be feeling better in no time.

Living With Hypothyroidism

Living with hypothyroidism can make each day a drag as it drains the body of energy and causes chronic fatigue, among other life-changing symptoms. This week at LetsGetChecked, we are joined by Stephanie O’ Quigley to discuss the symptoms of an underactive thyroid.

Stephanie has suffered from hypothyroidism for 11 years and for the majority of her time living with the condition, she told only her close friends and family about her battle. Stephanie now uses her platform in the hope of empowering others who are going through the same thing, and to provide advice to those who suffer from hypothyroidism.

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What Is Hypothyroidism?
What Are The Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism?
Living With Hypothyroidism
Find Out More About Hypothyroidism with Dr. Dominic Rowley

What Is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a hormonal disorder.Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is not producing a sufficient level of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T4 and T3 are responsible for regulating metabolism, breathing, hair growth and heart rate. For that reason hypothyroidism is also referred to as having an underactive thyroid. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder.

Women are 5-8 times more likely to suffer from hypothyroidism than men and 60% of those who suffer from a thyroid disorder are unaware of their condition. Hypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism.

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Hyperthyroidism is the opposite and symptoms present when the thyroid produces too many hormones. Due to the condition going largely un-diagnosed, the difference in prevalence of hypo and hyperthyroidism is unknown but unspecified thyroid problems are said to affect 200 million people worldwide.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism?

Unusual weight gain and poor appetite
Constipation
Feeling cold when others are not or having a body temperature consistently below 37 °C (98.5 °F)
Brain fog, poor concentration or memory
Neck swelling, snoring or hoarse voice
Muscle or joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.
Worsened PMS, irregular periods, infertility and low sex drive.
Mood disturbances such as mood swings, anxiety or depression.
Hair loss
Dry skin
Hoarse voice or sore throat
Poor hearing

Living With Hypothyroidism

When did you first begin to think that you suffered from hypothyroidism?

I remember I was on a school trip in Greece when I was fifteen years old. It was the first time I was away with all my friends and we were all sharing rooms together. Of course, we were staying up late and were extremely active during the day. I barely ate the food because it was all unfamiliar and not what I was used to. By the end of the trip, I was falling asleep throughout the day and had no voice left whatsoever. I thought it was the tiredness catching up on me so I came home and took some cough drops for my throat and went to sleep. I didn’t wake up or eat for 72 hours. I went to school in the weeks following and would come home and fall asleep in my school uniform. My parents knew there was definitely something wrong and brought me to get everything checked. I found out the results that I had an underactive thyroid. It was hard to understand that I would have to take medication every day for the rest of my life.

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What does it feel like?

Thankfully, even though I have had it for about 11 years, I feel pretty good now. I work long days and exercise a lot and for the most part, I’m able to keep up and bounce back from tiredness quicker than I did when I was a teenager. Having an underactive thyroid means your body will never function as well as everyone else’s. It’s just something I have to manage for the rest of my life.

What advice would you give to someone who is in a similar situation?

If you don’t have thyroid issues, get checked regularly. If you do, get checked regularly as well. Managing your thyroid levels takes a lot of time and consistency but it’s your wellbeing at stake and worth every minute of energy you need to achieve the best thyroid levels.

How do you manage your thyroid issues now?

I was transferred to a natural thyroid medication called Armour Thyroid and taking this in conjunction with Eltroxin has allowed me to maintain optimal thyroid levels. It wasn’t until I combined the T3 and T4 hormones that all my hypothyroid symptoms began to dissolve. I worked hard on my fitness and diet over the past 5 years and can see the positive effect this has on me. I wouldn’t give up exercise for the world, it makes me feel better more than anything else.

It’s empowering. good health is truly empowering.

Do you think it’s important to use your platform so people who suffer from an underactive thyroid can feel less alone?

One hundred percent! I have been blogging for 6 years and it’s only in the last year or so that I have felt the value of bringing the truth to anyone who reads my blog. I have suffered from hypothyroidism for 11 years and only my close family and friends knew. Until you suffer from it yourself do you understand completely what it’s like to have a hormonal imbalance and the effect of it. By putting myself out there and being vulnerable, I can do it with conviction knowing there are so many women out there who are going through the same stuff and can benefit from hearing my story. I want to create a conversation to let people know its not common. The struggle is definitely real but you are not alone by any means.

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What are the best three things you can do to help yourself live with an underactive thyroid?

It sounds like a cliche, and probably the last thing anyone wants to hear, but exercise, sleep, and diet are all really important when it comes to feeling better with an underactive thyroid. By creating a good pattern of food, exercise and sleep your overall mental health improves along with increased energy and motivation; all of which are lacking when your thyroid is not being treated effectively. These are the things that are in your control so choose to make the right decision!

Find Out More About Hypothyroidism with Dr. Dominic Rowley