5 tips for a slow thyroid gland

An underactive thyroid occurs when your thyroid produces too few hormones. This slows down your metabolism. This can have several causes.

The medical term for an underactive thyroid is hypothyroidism. This can be temporary, but usually an underactive thyroid is permanent. Only a doctor can determine if you have an underactive thyroid.

Thyroid medication is then prescribed to keep the values ​​in your blood stable. But a healthy lifestyle also helps with a slow thyroid gland. This is of course not a replacement for your thyroid medication, but it is a push in the right direction.

We give you information about the function of the thyroid gland, explain what a slow thyroid gland is and give you 5 tips that can help you.

The function of the thyroid gland

The thyroid gland is one of the most important organs in your body. This organ has many functions, the most famous of which is to stimulate the resting metabolism.

The thyroid gland also helps with your digestion and the regulation of your body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and your (female) hormone balance.

If a problem arises in the thyroid hormones, these functions are disrupted. A slow thyroid gland is especially common.

What is an Underactive Thyroid?

If your doctor determines that you have an underactive thyroid gland based on certain symptoms and blood tests, this means that you have a deficiency of the active thyroid hormone “triiodothyronine” (T3).

This can be caused by, among other things:

• Too little movement
• stress
• Inflammation
• Shortage of nutrients you need for the construction and conversion of thyroid hormones
• Liver problems
• An autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's

5 Tips for better thyroid function

In addition to thyroid medication, you can also help your slow thyroid gland with a healthy lifestyle. That is why we now give you a number of tips.

Note: These tips are not a substitute for thyroid medication. If you want to stop this, always consult a doctor.

Tip 1 - Keep moving

The production of the T3 hormone is directly related to exercise. And when you are not active, your so-called “energy factory” is in sleep mode. You turn it on again with movement.

You're not supposed to run a marathon right away to give your underactive thyroid a boost. Not at all. Just make sure you stay active.

For example, do your shopping on foot, take the bike instead of the car and take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make it as easy on yourself as possible, but stay active.

Tip 2 - Eat enough

If your energy intake is insufficient, no leptin - the hormone that gives you a feeling of satiety after eating - will be produced. The production of thyroid hormones can then not be started, which can cause an underactive thyroid gland.

So make sure you always get enough calories through your diet. Also keep this in mind if you have a slow thyroid gland and want to lose weight. If you eat too little, your body will not get permission to increase the metabolism.

Eating less does not always lead to weight loss. Make sure you eat healthy - think of vegetables and whole-grain products - and don't take in too much sugar.

Tip 3 - Ensure changes in temperature

One of the thyroid's jobs is to control your body temperature. You can put your thyroid gland to work through temperature changes.

For example, take a cold shower or set your thermostat to 17 degrees in the winter.

Tip 4 - Take green tea, ginger and lemon

There are several herbs and other ingredients that can help you with an underactive thyroid. Green tea, ginger and lemon also contribute to this.

Lemon

Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that can boost your immune system and balance your body's pH levels. It can also purify your skin and help with any weight gain.

A thyroid needs various vitamins and minerals - such as vitamin C. So put a slice of lemon in your glass of water.

Ginger

One of the main causes of an underactive thyroid is inflammation. Ginger contains essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium and may help fight inflammation.

Moreover, because it is widely available, ginger is one of the easiest remedies for an underactive thyroid.

Did you know that ginger can also be used as an essential oil? For example, mix ginger with coconut oil and apply it on your body.

Green tea

If you have a slow thyroid gland, which means it doesn't produce enough hormones, your metabolism slows down. This means you burn fewer calories, which in turn leads to more weight.

Green tea stimulates your metabolism and can therefore also reduce your fat percentage. For example, drink 2 cups of green tea per day to accelerate your fat burning and increase your metabolism by 100 calories per day.

Lemon, ginger and green tea can therefore contribute to a better functioning thyroid gland. All these ingredients are already processed in our Lemon & Ginger Matcha . For example, one cup a day can already help you with your slow thyroid gland and your healthy lifestyle!

Tip 5 - Watch your nutrition

Finally, some tips about your diet that can help with your slow thyroid gland. In tip 2 we already indicated that you should eat enough healthy food.

Also note the following:

• Do not do a crash diet (such as the soup diet, fruit diet or yogurt diet)
• Don't be afraid of carbohydrates
• Regularly eat white fish and occasionally seaweed/samphire
• Eat organic and pure varied dishes

A healthy lifestyle can therefore help with a slow thyroid gland. So be sure to try our Lemon & Ginger Matcha, which contains the healthy ingredients lemon, ginger and green tea.