7 Days, 7 Ways to Feed your Thyroid hence your Weight, Mood, and Sleep

Listen to Michele's radio interview (bottom of this blog). Your thyroid gland needs food! It requires iodine and essential trace minerals for it to function properly. Do you have a sluggish metabolism? Puffy? Brain fog? Eating foods rich in iodine ensures the thyroid is overseeing your metabolism, detoxification, growth and more. The lack of iodine may lead to an enlarged thyroid, fatigue, lowered immune system, weight gain and even anxiety and depression. But the good news is there are many fab foods that are rich in iodine that can be incorporated into your diet. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iodine is 150 micrograms daily for adults. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it is recommended that you get 290/mcg every day.

7 Ideas

1. Sea Vegetables The sea hosts the wonderful storehouse of iodine foods, including Kelp, Arame, Hiziki, Kombu, pulse flakes and Wakame. Kelp has the highest amount of iodine of any food on the planet and just one serving offers 4 times the daily minimum requirement. 1 tablespoon of Kelp contains about 2000/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Arame contains about 730/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Hiziki contains about 780/mcg of iodine, 1 one inch piece of Kombu contains about 1450/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Wakame or Dulse flakes contains about 80/mcg of iodine. I recommend sprinkling these into soups or salads or hide them in casseroles. Tastes just like salt.

2. Cranberries This humble little berry is another great source of iodine and antioxidants. About 4 ounces of cranberries contain approximately 400/mcg of iodine. I recommend buying fresh or frozen berries or juice. Read the label on juice, as it may contain added sugar and we do not want that!

3. Organic Yogurt A natural probiotic, yogurt is an excellent iodine food you should add to your diet. One serving holds more than half of your daily needs. 1 cup contains approximately 90/mcg of iodine.

4. Organic Navy Beans Holy Beans. These babies are packed with iodine and fibre. Just 1/2 cup of these beans contain about 32/mcg of iodine. A great addition to soups.

5. Organic Strawberries Berry up! This tasty red fruit packs up to 10% of your daily iodine needs in a small handful. One cup of fresh strawberries has approximately 13/mcg of iodine. If your buying a punnet try not to eat them on the way home!

6. Himalayan Crystal Salt Grey salt? Yes. While many types of table salt are iodine-enriched, they processed and void of other essential minerals. Go the Grey! Just one gram of himalayan salt contains approximately 500/mcg of iodine.

7. Potatoes Spuds get a bad wrap these days. Bring back the spud love. It is the richest sources of iodine in the vegetable kingdom. Bake it with the skin on and one medium-sized baked potato holds 60/mcg of iodine.

* Iodine Supplements:  Only take supplements under the advice of a qualified nutritionist or GP. Email us at info@ahealthyview.com for an appointment in person or over the phone. Listen to Michele's radio interview with The ThinkerGirls below - 4th February, 2017.