Hypothyroidism Bloating

Losing weight with hypothyroidism can be a long and winding road to follow. But, there are little tips and tricks that can help you feel better and maybe fit into those shorts that you wore last year. One of those tips is how to handle hypothyroidism bloating.

You know that feeling. Your lower abdomen is distended and feels puffy. Your pants start to feel tighter for no apparent reason. First let’s discuss what bloat is. Bloat is the inflammation and unwanted retention of water in your lower intestines. So, how do you deal with the “Bloat”?

There are a number of ways to combat hypothyroidism bloating. First and foremost you want to up your water intake. Yes, I know that this sounds counter intuitive but by taking in more water you will trick you body into thinking that it doesn’t need to store water since it’s getting an abundant supply. Also, by drinking more water you’re able to flush the toxins out of your system that is causing the inflammation in your bowels.

And speaking of flushing your bowels you will need to up your fiber intake. By adding both soluble and insoluble fiber you enable your body to retain more of the water that you drink to end up in the intestines where it will do the most good. There are plenty of natural sources of fiber but if you need to you can always use a good dietary supplement. This tip has another benefit also. People with hypothyroidism suffer from constipation on a regular basis. This will help not only with the bloating but also with this often aggravating symptom of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism Bloating and Colon Health

In keeping with good bowel health you should add some from of a probiotic into your system. Yogurt can be one of the best ways to get these kinds of good compounds into your system. Make sure that you find a brand that has not only active yogurt cultures but specifically mentions the addition of probiotics. These will help to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria or flora in your digestive system. This can be especially important if you just have finished a course of anti-biotics. Antibiotics are notorious for killing off the good bacteria in your system.

There are certain foods that can cause inflammation of the digestive track and subsequent bloating and one of these culprits are sugar substitutes such as the ones found in diet sodas. Some sugar substitutes can aggravate your digestive track causing it to become inflamed and swollen. So, in this case it may be necessary to switch back to regular soda or even better avoid it entirely. Water is always the best alternative.

Last but not least, lower your salt intake. Sodium’s effect on your body causes it to retain water. By reducing your sodium intake not only are you doing your heart a favor you will also be able to flush water from you system more readily.

Give these tips a try. You may not lose a ton of weight but you will look and feel better and whether of not you are suffering from hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism bloating you have to agree that this is a good thing.

Beginning a Hypothyroidism Diet with a Diet Detox

It seems all the rage lately, Detox or Cleanse diets. Celebrities ranging from Beyonce to Oprah are doing them. But, are they effective and what does being on a detox diet do to your system? Should you jump start your hypothyroidism diet with a detox diet?

What is a Hypothyroidism Diet Detox or Cleanse?

First, let’s talk about what a detox diet or cleanse diet is. A detox or cleanse diet is a diet where your intent is to rid your body of the toxins that it absorbs via your environment or the foods you eat. The diet can range from various levels of fasting to eating only fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking fresh water for a certain length of time to even taking natural laxatives to help your body to expel the toxins from your digestive system.

What are their effects on the body?

But, you need to be aware that the effects on the body can range from the mild to the severe. Depending on which route you decide to follow you could be in store for some discomfort. For example, if you decide that part of your regime is to cut out caffeine then you can expect headaches as you withdraw from its use. The more intense the detox the more severe the effects on the body and supposedly the more effective the cleanse. But are they safe?

Safety First

First of all, you should only proceed with something like this while under the watchful eye of a doctor. There are serious concerns you need to consider such as protein deprivation and electrolyte imbalances that can harm the body should the Detox be too severe and maintained for too long of time. In extreme circumstances your heart can be affected if you don’t take steps to maintain a proper balance. The average healthy adult can fast for 2 – 3 days usually without any adverse effects. Go beyond that without proper care and planning and your taking your chances. And anytime you take laxatives for any length of time you run the risk of becoming dependent on them.

Hypothyroidism Diet Detox

So the big question is “Should You Detox before starting on a hypothyroidism diet?” Well, the answer is really up to you and to what degree you intend to take it. It may be a good way to jump start your hypothyroid diet regime if done correctly and is not too intense. Since your systems is already out of kilter due to your low thyroid you don’t want to do anything that will upset that delicate balance that you have worked with your doctor to maintain. Provided that you are on hormone therapy. If not, you should get your hormone levels adjusted prior to starting any kind of weight loss program otherwise it might not do any good.

I would think though that since a large part of maintaining any diet is to boost your metabolism that you wouldn’t want to short circuit that process. Maybe by cutting out certain things such as caffeine and by drinking more water it will be enough to begin to slowly clean your system.

You should remember that the body already has a pretty efficient system in place to rid the body of toxins on a daily basis. The liver, kidneys, skin and the colon cleanse the system of any toxins that are breathed in or ingested on a daily basis. So I would think that you would want to only enhance that process and not make it difficult for that process to work.

The bottom line is that you should give careful thought to any hypothyroid diet that includes a detox or cleanse that way you don’t upset your body’s natural processes. As with anything moderation is the key. Detoxing with a gentle detox process may just help to jump-start your hypothyroidism diet.