Losing weight fast, especially before Christmas can be difficult.

Start by correcting some of those ‘bad’ eating habits:

Don’t eat while you are doing other activities e.g. watching TV.  Eat only at the table, not at the fridge or while standing.

Don’t eat quickly.  If you eat slowly it gives your mind enough time to register that you are full.  Make sure you cut your food into smaller pieces and try to stop loading your fork until the previous mouthful is finished.

Don’t buy ‘junk’, high calorie foods.  Always take a list when you go shopping to prevent impulse buying.

Buy snack foods in the smallest package.  The larger the size, the more you are likely to eat and drink.  E.g. if you like to treat yourself to potato chips, buy small packs not the ‘jumbo’size.

Plan meals in advance.  This will definitely help to prevent consumption of high calorie junk food.

Plan a strategy to avoid overeating at social events.  Have a large nutritious snack before going out, so you are not as hungry and tempted to overeat.

Do not use smoking as a method of reducing appetite.

By following these guidelines, you will lost weight without really trying and look amazing for the Christmas holidays!

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.