Thyroid health

Most of us still blame our weight gain on lack
of willpower, eating too much and not
exercising enough. Unfortunately, magazines,
the internet and even many well-meaning
practitioners continue to perpetuate the blame
game. But when your thyroid is imbalanced,
you’re likely fighting an uphill battle with your
weight that simply isn’t your fault. And you can
do something to stop it.
When thyroid hormones are low, it causes
physical changes in your body and brain that
increase weight gain. Even with minimally low
thyroid hormone, the centers of the brain that
control appetite are altered and the chemical
“messengers” that regulate how and when we
eat get mixed up. These messengers include
serotonin, beta endorphin, and GABA (gamma-
aminobutyric acid), which perhaps not
coincidentally, are also tightly connected to
moods. If that wasn’t enough, the hormone
leptin — which stimulates weight loss,
decreases hunger, and increases fullness — can
also become inefficient when thyroid hormone
is low.
These changes often lead to sharp
carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, distressing
changes in body shape, as well as low energy,
and depressed mood. But you have the
opportunity to nip this weight gain in the bud.
And the sooner you do, the less likely you’ll be
continuing on the path toward worsening
thyroid imbalance and even more weight gain.