Your Weight Loss Problem is Really a Thyroid Problem

By Angeline - August 21, 2012

Did you know that your thyroid gland is one of the most important factors that regulates your metabolism? Well, thanks to environmental factors and overly processed foods, most people's thyroid gland is not working 100% correctly, and that could mean a "broken" metabolism.

You see, these overly processed foods are lacking the nutrients that optimize your T3 which is what makes sure your thyroid is regulating your metabolism for high performance. What's really scary is...

So many people who struggle with their weight and cravings for sweets might actually have an issue with their thyroid, and usually are lacking Triiodothyronine (T3), making it very difficult to lose weight. T3 regulates fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism, so it's a very important hormone for fat loss.

Here are the 3 best ways to increase T3 levels...

1. Eat enough calories. When people go low cal, they often drop their calories way too low. When your body doesn't think it's getting enough food, it lowers its metabolism in order to more efficiently use the food it's receiving.

So, if you cut calories too much, you actually condition your body to hold on to body fat for "survival." Make sure you consume enough calories - no less than 1200 for women and at least 1800 for men (though for most, 1600 and 2100 are more appropriate minimums).

2. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. In addition to getting enough calories, make sure the foods you choose are rich in nutrients. The efficiency of T3 is impaired if you aren't feeding your body what it needs to produce it. Selenium, Iodine, and Zinc are required for the production of T3.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is used by the thyroid to produce T3. Foods rich in dietary selenium include: nuts, seeds, meat, oats, and most all seafood.

Iodine is also a trace mineral that is required for T3 production. Food containing iodine include: shellfish, beans, sesame seeds, seafood, spinach, seaweed or kelp, and squash.

Zinc is another trace mineral that is needed for endocrine glands to signal to the thyroid to produce T3. Zinc is in these foods: crab, dairy, chicken, turkey, nuts, beef, and beans.