10 Dietary Tips For Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

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Written by Editorial Team

Editorial Team

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting..

Your thyroid gland produces hormones that help your body in metabolism. Metabolism, in turn, controls many bodily processes as it is literally the powerhouse of energy for your body. Thyroid hormones can also help in regulating blood pressure (BP), heart rate and body temperature. here we are discussing about 10 Dietary Tips For Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy.
An under-active thyroid (which leads to the condition called hypothyroidism) cannot produce enough hormones for the healthy functioning of the body. Find out Risks with hypothyroidism in pregnancy. While it is a problem in itself, it is more severe when you are pregnant because your child is completely dependent on you for his/her thyroid hormones for the initial 10-12 weeks after conception.
Read more about hypothyroidism here.

10 Dietary Tips For Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

If you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism, then your doctor must have prescribed you medications and suggested treatments. While you should follow these to T, you can follow the below dietary suggestions to boost your thyroid health which will complement your hypothyroidism treatment. The idea here is simple – you eat more of thyroid boosters and less or none of thyroid suppressors!

1. Eat healthy and on time:

Eat natural, home-cooked food. Avoid eating out. Stay away from prepackaged and processed foods. Try to eat as much organic food as possible. Wash your fruits and vegetables in vinegar bath before consumption. You need to eat on time, whether you have hypothyroidism or not and whether you are pregnant or not. But you absolutely need to eat on time to regulate your metabolism if you are both hypothyroid and pregnant. On the whole, eat fresh, clean and healthy food every day

2. Pump up iodine:

Iodine is vital for regulating the functioning of your thyroid gland. We normally get enough iodine through iodized table salt. So ensure that the salt you use in kitchen is iodized. Remember that the salts in processed and packaged food (like chips) are not iodized, so do not rely on them for your daily intake. Find out top iodine rich food here.

3. Get stocked up on whole grains:

A common symptom of hypothyroidism is constipation, which multiplies during pregnancy. Having a diet that contains whole grains adds on fiber and can ease the process of bowel movement

4. Eat your greens:

Thyroid requires Magnesium to do its job well. Greens such as spinach (पालक ), fenugreek (मेथी) leaves and lettuce are good sources of this super mineral. Make greens a regular part of your diet

5. Include berries in the diet:

Berries like strawberries and blueberries are power packed with antioxidants and can strengthen your immune system. You can choose your picks from a variety of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

6. Get enough Vitamin D and Omega 3:

Bone loss is a common symptom if you have hypothyroidism. Include foods that are rich in vitamin D, which together with calcium, will prevent bone loss. Omega-3 is also great to keep you healthy and regulate your hormones. Include foods such as salmon, eggs, walnuts, flaxseeds and mushrooms in your diet. Fish such as wild salmon, trout, tuna, or sardines will also supply you with Omega 3 fatty acids, and also contains selenium which helps a hypothyroid patient

7. Get more diary:

This is related to the previous point. Dairy products are rich in Calcium, which works with Vitamin D, to strengthen your muscles. Include whole milk, yoghurt, paneer (पनीर) and cheese in your diet

8. Include more protein in your diet:

Muscle loss is another problem during hypothyroidism and pregnancy. Include protein-rich food such as chicken, egg-whites, beans, lentils (dals) and pulses (राजमा, चना) in your diet which are all excellent sources of protein. Getting enough protein during pregnancy is not an issue even for vegetarians. Checkout. Apart from building and strengthening your muscles, these foods will also boost your energy levels

9. Snack on nuts:

Include nuts ansd seeds in your diet. Cashews (काजू ), almonds (बादाम), walnuts (अखरोट) and various seeds like pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, are great sources of magnesium and protein, the importance of both which have been established above. Nuts also contain selenium, another mineral that boosts the functionality of thyroid. Remember that nuts are also high on fats, so limit their consumption to a handful everyday

10. Avoid foods that can hurt your thyroid:

Yes, there are quite a few of these. For starters, you need to stay away from goitrogens (food substances that further suppresses thyroid functions). Major goitrogens are cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Soy or soymilk is also known to interfere with your thyroid function, especially if you have an iodine deficiency. Organ meats, such as liver and kidney, are full of lipid acids, which, if you intake in excess can disrupt both thyroid functions and thyroid medications you take
Diet for hypothyroidism
Hope these 10 Dietary Tips For Hypothyroidism is helpful. During PregnancyHypothyroidism should never be treated lightly as it can lead to severe complications, both for you and your baby. Especially, if you leave it untreated and unmonitored. But there is no need to despair. It is a simple condition to manage during pregnancy, as long as you know you have it and you know how to deal with it. So ensure you go for regular screening, take your medications, and incorporate the diet tips we mentioned above in your daily life. Find out 5 exercises for hypothyroidism during pregnancy.
Happy pregnancy

Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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