January is Thyroid Awareness Month!

Okay, I know this isn't THE most exciting topic, but I tried to make it so by putting an exclamation point at the end of my title. :)

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I pulled this information from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html.

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone. It is one of your endocrine glands, which make hormones. The thyroid helps set your metabolism - how your body gets energy from the foods you eat.

Millions of people in the U.S. have thyroid diseases. Most of them are women. If you have a thyroid disease, your body uses energy more slowly or quickly than it should. A thyroid gland that is not active enough, called hypothyroidism, is far more common. It can make you gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. That condition is hyperthyroidism. Too much thyroid hormone can make you lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat.

There are many causes for both conditions. Treatment involves trying to reset your body's metabolism to a normal rate.
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As many of you know (because it's on my ABOUT tab), I have Hashimoto's Disease (hypothyroidism) which is an autoimmune disease. I'm going to go through some of the things that I do on a daily basis, with the hopes that it might help someone else.

In dealing with this over the past 8-ish years, I have found that I have to make sure that I take my thyroid medicine according to the instructions (sounds simple - but really - it's a science all in itself). For MY medicine, here's what I have to do every day (and I know many fellow hypothyroid friends who do the same): upon waking with an empty stomach, the first thing I do is take my thyroid medicine with a big glass of water. Then, I am not allowed to eat or drink anything for about an hour. After the hour mark, I take my allergy/asthma medicine. Since no vitamins or supplements are allowed for 4 hours within taking my thyroid medicine because they could affect absorption, I drink my Shakeology for lunch. Yes THAT's what is in my thermos everyday...in case you were curious. ;)

Also, I try to be VERY careful about the food that I eat. If it's "bad" for me, I know I will have to work harder to not gain weight from it. So, I TRY to stay away from "bad" food, but I am human after all. :D In addition, I have found that if I stop working out, I will put lbs back on. So, I am very regimented with my workouts as well. I know it sounds like a strict life, but I also know what obesity can do to your health (read my 'GIVING BACK' tab and you'll know why).
I can't lie, it's an uphill battle, especially in the world of weight loss, but good health is sooooooo worth it.

If you think that you might have a thyroid problem, do your homework and figure out what symptoms you have. Next...please see a doctor (they will make you get a blood test or two) and then start taking the necessary steps to control this disease.

Good luck!