Your thyroid
materials that fuel the thyroid’s production of key metabolism hormones. “Your brain starts to register that you’re burning through more energy than you have, so it powers down the thyroid,” explains Yale-trained physician Aviva Romm, M.D. “That’s when you start to experience symptoms like low energy and weight gain.”
To make matters worse, stress also depletes the minerals needed to recharge the thyroid. The body can refuel the gland with the raw materials it needs to run optimally, Dr. Romm explains, but doing so requires large stores of selenium and magnesium— much the way your remote batteries would need a large voltage infusion to start working again. The hitch: These minerals are also needed for the production of the stress hormone cortisol, says Carolyn Dean, M.D. “After years of struggling with chronic stress, many women simply no longer have the mineral building blocks they need to get their metabolism going again.”
Trying to diet away the resulting pounds only pulls the body deeper into a weight-gain cycle. Many diets focus on restricting calories or even eliminating entire food groups—but this prohibitory approach ends up stressing the body further. In fact, research shows that extreme dieting increases perceived stress levels by as much as 90 percent. “After just a couple of days, your brain starts to register a problem—hunger—and it decides that it’s time to pack on some weight and hold on to it,” explains Dr. Romm. This makes weight loss even more difficult, so we tighten the reins on our diet further—and end up getting pulled deeper and deeper into a vicious cycle of stress, dampened thyroid function and weight gain.
The good news: It is possible to quickly dial back stressors and get the thyroid functioning at its peak again. Drawing from breaking scientific research and the experiences of her own patients, Dr. Romm developed a four-week program that minimizes and eliminates common stressors, plus floods the body with the nutrients necessary to heal the thyroid and reignite fat burning. In fact, one study found that women who followed a thyroid-revitalizing plan lost 42 percent more belly fat than dieters who didn’t focus on revitalizing the gland. And it works outside of the lab too, promises Dr. Romm: “I know it sounds crazily simple but in as little as two weeks
I’ve watched patients lose as much as 12 pounds, erase multiple inches from their waist and drop clothing sizes.”
As the thyroid is recharged, the benefits multiply. Because the gland regulates functions ranging from hormone balance to digestion, when it’s rebooted, everything improves. Many women feel noticeable increases in energy, mental clarity and mood while also reporting improved immunity, less joint pain, fewer sugar cravings and deeper, more restorative sleep. These combined effects of Dr. Romm’s plan will not only help you look and feel up to 12 years younger— they will set you on an upward spiral of success that will help you keep off lost pounds for life!
Add dulse flakes
Sea vegetables are rich in iron and iodine—nutrients that nourish the thyroid to increase energy within 30 minutes. To get the perks, add 1 tsp. to smoothies. One to try: Eden Foods Dulse Flakes ($6 for 42 servings, iHerb.com) Enjoying 1⁄2 cup of coconut milk has been shown to boost metabolism by 56 percent and banish hunger pangs for 4 hours. One to try: Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk
($3 for 13 oz., supermarkets)
Add coconut milk
Add cocoa powder
Just 1 Tbs. of cocoa powder delivers enough magnesium to activate the thyroid as well as polyphenols that stimulate the production of dopamine to lift mood for up to 31⁄2 hours. One to try: Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa ($3 for 16 servings, supermarkets)