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Real Life Nutrition Questions Answered

Real Life Fitness Questions Answered

Emma Brown
Nutritionist

Janet Aylott
Nutritionist

Kelly Marshall
Fitness Consultant

Q.

Any advice for an underactive thyroid?

Hi, I have hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and was wondering whether you would have a specific dietary plan to follow? I know there are foods that benefit the thyroid and help in supporting thryoxine levels. Many thanks

A.

Our expert says...

Hi there,

Thanks for your question.

It's important that you have discussed your condition with your GP, because depending on the severity of it, they may or may not decide to put you on medication. In most cases, medication helps to alleviate many of the symptoms, including weight gain.

In the meantime there are things that you can do to help in terms of food and exercise particularly.

Having an overall healthy balanced diet is important to ensure that you're getting the right levels of all the important nutrients that you need. Aim to have at least 5 portions of fruit and veg every day, choose complex carbohydrates such as wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread etc and opt for low fat versions of your protein rich foods such as lean mean, poultry, fish, low fat dairy foods etc.

In addition, sometimes people with underactive thyroids may be deficient in some micronutrients including iodine and selenium. Eating a good balance in your diet will help this. Foods rich in iodine tend to be things that come from the sea such as shellfish. Selenium is found in Brazil nuts, meat, shellfish and some fortified cereal products.

Exercise is really important because having an underactive thyroid does tend to slow down your metabolism. Being active will help to boost your metabolism and help with weight loss.

Losing weight is still possible even with an underactive thyroid, it may just mean that things happen a little more slowly and you may need some support from your GP to make sure you are at your optimum health.

I hope this helps? Please don't hesitate to come back to us should you have any further questions,

All the best

Janet

Disclaimer
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