Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Thyroid and Women’s Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Thyroid health is important for our overall wellbeing. But did you know that it can also affect women’s health concerns? In general women are more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid issues. In fact, up to …
Thyroid Health and the Adrenal Glands Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND When it comes to holistic health care 2 of the most common things to talk about are thyroid health and adrenal health. What is interesting about these 2 topics is that they are more …
How the Thyroid Impacts Weight Management
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
One topic that comes up often around summertime is weight management. Everyone wants to be ready for the beach! And one part of managing our weight is by working with our thyroid. Everyone knows the thyroid controls weight! But just how does it do this? Well, it works by increasing or decreasing our metabolism. In the medical world, this is known as basal metabolic rate or BMR. It is the number of calories you use to just live. Sleeping, breathing and even sitting are all things that contribute to the BMR. Being highly active and engaging in physical exercise will cause it to increase. BMR is usually calculated based on the following factors: age, gender, height, and weight. (1) In addition to the thyroid, other hormones can and do affect weight. For right now I will just be focusing on weight on weight. Let us get into it, shall we?
Studies show that people with low thyroid function had lower BMRs, compared to those with a higher-than-normal amount of thyroid hormone, who had higher BMRs. (2) Meaning, those with a decreased thyroid function gained weight easily; while those with an increase in thyroid function were able to lose weight.
Now, it is especially important to first determine if weight loss or weight gain is related to the thyroid. Bloodwork is always a wonderful place to start. While you are waiting for the test results you should start a food diary of anything you eat throughout the day. It is especially important to be honest about what you are eating if you want to try to balance your food intake. I know it might be embarrassing to write down or tell a nutritionist you had 4 slices of pizza, 3 times this week; but it’s easier to understand what we need to do when someone is honest about what they eat; rather than saying what they think we want to hear. Why do I am harping on this issue? Even with a thyroid disorder, what we eat is one of the most important things to help regulate our weight. While it is true that having a lower/higher level of thyroid hormone will make it easier to gain or lose weight, it is not the only concern regarding a healthy weight. Having a healthy or unhealthy relationship with food is just as important to talk about. (3) If you have a thyroid disorder and an unhealthy relationship with food, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire; it will only make it worse.
SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?
Well first, get blood work down then do your food log. Once you have your blood work and food log feel free to contact an Invite Health nutritionist. I am always happy to go over your food log. Email me at carcidiacono@invitehealth.com, if you are interested in working with me! Next, work with a nutritionist to determine what is going on with your thyroid. Is it higher than normal? Lower? Is there an autoimmune problem going on?
SUPPLEMENTS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT and thyroid health
In addition to working on the thyroid and what you are eating, there are supplements that studies show can help with weight loss and weight gain.
HELPFUL WEIGHT LOSS DRINKS
*The following smoothie recipes can be used as a meal replacement
1 scoop of InVite Health Weight Management Protein
1 scoop of Oranges Hx
1 scoop of Collagen Hx
1 dropper-full Green Tea Tx
Open 1 capsule of Probiotic Hx Weight into the shaker or blender and mix.
Cut up and remove the pits from cherries! You can use as many or little as you like
Make any brand of Jell-O and add the cherries. While it is still liquid add the contents of 2 Trim Hx. Portion this delicious treat into 8 portions (each portion will be about ¼ cup not counting the cherries).
Allow it to cool and harden for a nice nighttime treat!
HELPFUL WEIGHT GAIN DRINKS
*The following smoothies will be best eaten in between meals for weight gain benefits (not instead or in place of one of the three meals eating each day)
Retro Weight Gainer
Milk of choice – Add 1 scoop of each of the following:
Weight Management Powder
Cocoa HxⓇ
Organic Greens Plus
Collagen HxⓇ
1 Avocado, or banana or 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Superfood Weight Gainer
Milk of choice and 1 avocado and 1 scoop of each:
Weight Management Powder
Reds Hx
Purples Hx
Yummy muffins!
To a blender add ½ cup of oatmeal, 2 eggs, 1 banana, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 scoop of Weight Management Powder. Add 2 scoops of Multi Energy Powder. Start with 2 tablespoons of water, adding as you blend. Your goal is a mix that is thick, but you can still pour. Place in muffin tin and bake till a toothpick comes out clean. 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes is ideal, but it is best to test!
SOURCES
Summertime Blues Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND You may have heard of something called SAD or seasonal affective disorder. This is sometimes referred to as the “wintertime blues”. What you may not be aware of is that while SAD is typically associated with winter it can …
Extreme Heat and Joint Pain Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND While the warm, balmy weather of summer may help to reduce the joint pain of rheumatoid arthritis and even TMJ for some people for other people summer can leave them in MORE pain than the frigid …
Dehydration
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
One topic that seems to come up frequently is dehydration. This topic is important, especially in the summer weather because a common cause of dehydration is simply sweating. As we all know, the hot, humid weather that is typical of summer can and does impact how much we sweat and therefore can increase fluid loss and the need to intake fluid. Now I bet I know what you are thinking, but Dr. Claire, I work in air conditioning! I do not sweat profusely! Does that mean I do not need to worry about dehydration? Well, I am sorry to tell you this but even with AC you should still think about dehydration! In fact, since AC’s suck the moisture out of the room (and the moisture inside YOU) being in AC can actually increase the need for fluids. (1) How do you know if you are dehydrated? What are the possible complications and just what can you do to help prevent becoming dehydrated? Let us get into it, shall we?
Dehydration is a fancy way of saying that your body is losing more fluid than you are drinking. In addition to excess sweating, dehydration is most commonly caused by vomiting and diarrhea. In this blog we will be focusing on sweating as a cause of dehydration. (2) How can you tell if you may be developing dehydration? The obvious answer, thirst may not be the most reliable way to determine hydration because in many people the thirst sensation may not be trigged until after dehydration has begun! It can also be difficult for some infants or even young children to articulate when they feel thirsty. In both infants and young children, you should look for certain changes in behavior. You may notice a lack of tears, dry mouth and even a decrease in urination. There may be rapid heartbeat as well as skin that does not flatten after being pinched. They may lack energy. Lastly, they may have shrunk eyes, cheeks, or soft spots. (3)
Dehydration can be mild or even severe. In this blog I will be focusing more on mild dehydration since severe dehydrations is considered a medical emergency. Please seek care if a child or older adult is dehydrated or there is severe diarrhea, bloody stool, diarrhea for 3 or more days, inability to keep fluid down or disorientation. (2) How can you compare the signs of mild dehydration vs more severe? Please see the chart below. (2)
| Mild dehydration | Severe dehydration – all listed mild dehydration symptoms plus : |
|
Why is dehydration so concerning? Well, it can lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. It can also affect our electrolytes leading to muscle spasms and this can even make us faint or in some extreme cases trigger a seizure. One of the most serious complications is shock. Long lasting or frequent episodes can damage kidneys and our urinary tract. (3)
What can you do to prevent dehydration?
Watermelon is 92% water, and it is quite tasty too. (4) You can feel free to just munch away or even use it to make popsicles! In fact, for a summer treat try the following recipe! To start with, cut up approximately 3 cups of watermelon. Add the chunks to a blender. Add 2 scoops of Reds Hx and 1 scoop of Organic Greens. As you blend add just enough water so you can pour the mix into molds and freeze overnight.
Leafy greens are another great source of water! (4) feel free to use your favorite greens to make a delicious salad. For example, take your greens of choice with cooked beets, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado (reliable source of potassium!). To this delicious summer salad, you can add a dressing made with ¼ cup olive oil that is mixed with 2 scoops Greens Hx and the contents of 1 Aged garlic.
Citrus fruits are 88% water! (4) Feel free to add 3 or 4 clementine’s to a blender (do not forget to peel them first lol). Add 1 cup of carbonated or fizzy water and 2 scoops of Oranges Hx plus 1 scoop of Collagen Hx. Blend for a fancy summer drink!
Strawberries are a family favorite! They are full of water! (4) I like to make a spread that is like jam! To a saucepan add 2 cups of cut strawberries. Add ¼ cup water and cook till it gets to 220 degrees. Now I will be honest here, I usually just wing this step and simmer for about 10 min after the mix starts to boil. Like most people I am doing 10 things at a time. I have no time to sit and “baby the berries.” Lol – remember this should be fun not just a chore you hate. Anyhoo back to the spread! After it is done cooking add 2 scoops of Reds Hx and 2 scoops of Organic Greens! You can mix it with a fork or carefully use an emersion blender to blend everything together. Feel free to use on toast or a frozen dessert! You can even use it in yogurt!
Feel free to just make a smoothie mixing any of your favorite invite powders!
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