Is low thyroid letting you down?

Under-functioning low thyroid or hypothyroid is very common in Australia, affecting up 15 per cent of women of child bearing age.

One of the main symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland is fatigue, so if you have been feeling overly tired lately, it may be a good idea to have a blood test to check your thyroid function.

Other symptoms include:

• weight gain
• constipation
• feeling cold
• dry skin
• depression

The thyroid gland is really the master conductor of the body, so when it’s underactive, everything becomes sluggish. It governs metabolism, in other words, how fast your bodily processes are occurring. So when it’s not up to speed, you may feel as if you’re running on flat batteries!

Fortunately there are lots of things that can help.

Exercise:  Although you are feeling tired, exercise is critical to your wellbeing. Exercise regularly – daily for 45 minutes.  It will improve your energy and also stimulate thyroid hormone secretion.  Try yoga or walking – the main thing is to just get moving!

Stress management: Try to reduce stress levels as part of your daily routine as the hormone involved in the stress response – cortisol – can contribute to hypothyroid issues.  Make sure you get 8 hours restful sleep every night.

Foods to increase:

• Iodine rich foods:  seafood, seaweeds such as nori in sushi
• Zinc rich foods: seafood especially oysters, lamb and beef
• Copper rich foods: Sesame seeds (tahini), cashews, barley, sunflower seeds
• Selenium rich foods: Brazil nuts – 2, 3 a day, sardines and most fish
• Vitamin A rich foods: All orange and yellow coloured fruits and veg, spinach
• Vitamin D rich foods:  salmon, sardines – and don’t forget 15 mins of sun every day!

Foods to avoid:

Goitregens – these are foods that can slow down thyroid function.  They include RAW cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, radishes, strawberries, soy, pine nuts, walnuts.

There are also very effective natural medicines available to support your thyroid.

For more information download our Low Thyroid Fact Sheet.

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It is becoming clear that some tips to avoid breast cancer risk factors involve modifying some behaviours that we can control with our daily choices.

The latest research on this topic points to the power of diet for beating this common disease.

The research found that carotenoids – naturally-occurring nutrients found in brightly coloured vegetables and fruit – are believed to have cancer-preventive properties.

These are the nutrients that give vegetables and fruit their bright orange, green, red, and yellow pigments.

The researchers found that among premenopausal women those who ate a diet rich in these foods had an almost 20 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. And among women who smoked, the protective effect of carotenoids against breast cancer was even stronger.

The following tips will get you on your way to improved health and lower breast cancer risk:

• The women with the lowest breast cancer risk ate two or more servings of carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetables per day. Aim for this number at a minimum, and more is better.
• You can find plenty of beta-carotene in the following foods: carrots, sweet potato, spinach, kale, pumpkin, cabbage, cantaloupe, broccoli, peppers, apricots, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, plums, raspberries and corn.
• Don’t rely on dietary supplements for your carotene fix. Studies show that only food provides benefit and that for some people, such as smokers, carotene supplements can do more harm than good.

Oestrogen is processed and removed from our bodies via two routes – a healthy route, or an unhealthy route.  Oestrogen that is metabolised via the unhealthy route is converted into a form that can drive the development and growth of breast cancer.  Fortunately we are able to assess how you are metabolising your oestrogen by a simple urine test.   In my opinion, this is something all women should have checked.  If the test shows you are metabolising oestrogen the wrong way, we are able to step in with treatment that will redirect your oestrogen down the healthier route, and so reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. http://bit.ly/1h7nj0t

The post Tips to avoid breast cancer appeared first on Women's Health Naturally.