The majority of us have a favored set of habits we undertake before surrendering to sleep. These might include taking a soothing bath, enjoying some herbal tea, or immersing in an engaging novel — these small behaviors aid in calming the mind and body following an exhausting day.
Interestingly, one aspect you may be unaware of is the influence your nighttime ritual has on your thyroid.
As it turns out, this little butterfly-shaped gland within our endocrine system is crucial to our general wellbeing. Its function extends beyond managing our metabolic processes; it also plays pivotal roles such as aiding respiration, assisting digestion, contributing to intellect development and fertility—even according to information provided by the Cleveland Clinic.
To state the obvious—when your thyroid functions optimally without hiccups—it enhances the overall performance of your bodily mechanisms.
In keeping with this understanding, we turned for advice from Dr Deena Adimoolam MD —an endocrinologist and internist based in New York City—who provides six evening routines anyone can adopt starting today that will support healthy thyroid functioning.
Incorporate A Lot Of Vegetables In Your Evening Meal
A beneficial practice for your general well-being, including thyroid health, is to have lots of vegetables on your plate.
The rationale behind this suggestion is that consuming a good amount of vegetables provides the body with high levels of antioxidants which in turn reduces inflammation within the body.
Chronic inflammation over time can potentially afflict your thyroid and intensify chronic diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, stroke and diabetes according to Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Adimoolam suggests incorporating abundant amounts of vegetables into your diet daily even though no specific food has been proven conclusively to prevent or trigger thyroid-related conditions. Additionally, there are currently no definitive studies linking anti-inflammatory foods specifically with improved thyroid health.
Then arises the question — what exactly is an ample quantity? According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, adults should consume roughly two-three cups of vegetables per day.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
Many foods, such as veggies, can help combat inflammation; however, some encourage it. Sweetened drinks like soda are paramount among these.
Overconsumption of added sugar may induce inflammation as per Harvard Health Publishing. Chronic inflammation has been found to negatively impact thyroid health.
A correlation also exists between the consumption of sugary beverages and the risk factors for weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other metabolic disorders according to findings by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It’s worth noting that most added sugars in an average American diet stem from soda and sweetened drinks stated by CDC. In fact, one quarter of our total sugar intake comes from soft drinks specifically.
According to Dr. Adimoolam’s guideline about limiting your daily caloric intake from added sugars should be around 10 percent only. If your daily calorie count is near 2000 calories a day then ideally only around 200 calories need come from additional sugars – roughly translating into about twelve teaspoons of sugar. Just to put this into context: there are ten teaspoons of extra sugar contained within a single can of regular-sized soda based on data provided by CDC’s research findings.
Thus if you aim to maintain both good thyroid function health and overall wellness simultaneously staying clear off bedtime sodas (or any time indeed) would seem definitely advisable in favor opting for water or unsweetened alternatives.
Increase Your Fish Intake
Indeed, incorporating more seafood into your meals might bolster your thyroid health. This is attributed to the abundance of essential nutrients present in fish that contribute to optimal thyroid function.
Sea-dwelling foods are rich in minerals such as selenium, iodine and zinc. “The production of thyroid hormones heavily relies on these minerals, particularly for those diagnosed with a thyroid disorder,” explains Dr. Adimoolam.
Fish products, like yellowfin tuna in particular, are teeming with selenium whereas oysters and Alaskan king crab boast high levels of zinc.
Furthermore, several varieties of fish including cod, shrimp and tuna provide a good source of iodine as per the USDA.
Suggestion
Don’t prefer seafood? There’s another way to include iodine in your meals – use iodized salt sparingly while cooking. Alternatively, you might want to think about taking a multivitamin that contains iodine. Nevertheless, it would be best if you discussed with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen. This cautionary step is crucial because overconsumption of iodine could adversely affect your thyroid function according to USDA guidelines.
Emphasize the Importance of Adequate Sleep
Operating with insufficient sleep is never optimal for anyone, this includes your thyroid gland.
There was a study conducted from July to September 2021 documented in Sleep Science that demonstrated this: The research determined individuals suffering from disrupted sleep patterns noted significant escalation in particular hormones via their thyroid function tests. This suggests that subpar sleep quality may influence thyroid hormones adversely.
The interconnectedness of sleep and the health of your thyroid could potentially be linked to stress, as pointed out by Dr. Adimoolam. Sleep deprivation puts additional pressure on your body resulting in increased stress levels which can impact negatively on how efficiently your thyroid functions, as noted by El Camino Health.
Stress might further worsen conditions affective the thyroids such as Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis according to research published in November 2022 paper in the Medical Science Monitor.
In contrast, “More restful hours during night-time result in diminished bodily stress and enables organs like the thryoid to function optimally,” says Dr. Adimoolam.
To promote better overall wellbeing and enhance life quality, she advocates for at least seven hours of uninterrupted nocturnal slumber daily.
Engage in a Leisurely Stroll
Embarking on an after-dinner walk is an effortless approach that could enhance your thyroid function and overall well-being.
Regular physical activities benefit all aspects of your body, thereby enabling optimal functions for every system – including the thyroid gland, as highlighted by Dr. Adimoolam.
Moreover, walking presents specific advantages: It has been demonstrated to lower chances of hypertension, heart complications, and diabetes; reinforce bone structure and muscle health; aid with weight management according to National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Walking also promotes emotional wellness and tension relief because physical activity tends to reduce stress-related hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol while increasing endorphins or ‘happy hormones’, as per Harvard Health Publishing.
As common knowledge dictates, stress management plays a significant role in maintaining efficient thyroid functionality.
Incorporate Meditation as a Regular Practice
Engaging in calming activities that decrease stress levels can significantly benefit your overall health, including your thyroid function, notes Dr. Adimoolam. This justifies why practicing meditation every night is an superb mechanism to diminish stress rates that could potentially harm the health of one’s thyroid.
Numerous studies testify to the efficacy of mindfulness meditation – focusing on the present experience and engaging in mindful breathing – particularly good at moderating our body’s reaction to tension (and also aiding anxiety and depression relief), as accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Even sparingly taking out only few minutes from your schedule for daily meditation can aid you in diffusing major stresses, decluttering mindspace and relaxing before sleep time. Additionally, regular meditation could probably even enhance the quality of your sleep.
For instance: An insightful research conducted in April 2015 published within JAMA Internal Medicine reported that individuals who followed mindfulness mediation over a course six weeks experienced lesser bouts with insomnia along added decrease with fatigue or feelings of being low.
The significance of this result lies within how optimal-quality sleep is paramount for maintaining efficient functioning of one’s thyroid.