Hyper thyroidism is the result of over activity in the thyroid. The thyroid over produces the hormones T3 and T4 which regulate body temperature, metabolism, and many other organs and functions within the body. When people are suffering from hyper thyroidism they may experience such symptoms as irregular heart rate, heat intolerance, and weight loss.

There are many other symptoms that result from a hyper thyroid condition but none of the symptoms specifically point to the thyroid gland as the cause of the symptoms. It is only after blood tests are conducted to ascertain the level of TSH in the blood that one can be properly diagnosed with a thyroid condition.

There are many measures that one can take to insure that they maintain a healthy thyroid gland and reduce the possibility of over or under production of the hormones produced by this gland. The easiest method to help the thyroid is through a change in diet.

The thyroid gland can be significantly affected by some of the foods that are in an individual’s daily diet. The use of polyunsaturated oils has gained in popularity over the past few years for many individuals watching their weight. However these oils block the production of thyroid hormones and can lead to hypo-thyroidism.

Most of the foods that people eat are treated with chemicals. Some vegetables are sprayed with chemicals when they are in the field. They are sprayed with chemicals after being picked to preserve them or ward off insects. Many of these chemicals produce negative effects for the thyroid when they are eaten.

An individual suffering from hypo thyroidism needs to include foods in their diet that will stimulate the production of the T3 and T4 hormones. These diets include foods that are rich in protein and fatty acids, iodine, selenium, fiber and vitamins. By avoiding fast food, sugar, and refined foods an individual is not only making their body healthier but also making their thyroid healthier as well.

The important of a healthy and well balanced diet has positive effects on the well being of an individual and addresses many issues. For a person with a thyroid condition eating six small meals per day instead of the standard three will assist in helping the nutrients and proteins to be absorbed into the body in a smooth and seamless manner. In addition eating several small meals instead of three helps many people to lose weight because they do not develop the hunger that comes between three small diet meals.

There are several books available that outline the types of diets that are available to help an individual lose or gain weight and address their thyroid at the same time. It is important that when one is considering a drastic change in diet that they speak to their physician prior to starting the plan. A physician can help by providing options that will help to increase the proper functioning of the thyroid and insure a safe treatment plan.

The thyroid gland sits on top of your esophagus just below the Adams apple in your neck. Of all the glands inside your body, the thyroid gland is the largest by far. You can actually feel it when you lightly prod your neck. Check its size regularly as you will quickly feel it increase in size when it may have problems.

Many people that are overweight blame the thyroid and in some cases they are one hundred percent correct. The thyroid determines how fast your body metabolizes energy that you take in in the form of food. In some cases the thyroid secretes too little hormones and the person’s metabolism slows down tremendously, causing sudden and unexplained weight gain.

The thyroid also controls how fast and efficient your body produces muscle from the proteins you eat. Muscle burns energy much faster than fat, so muscular people tend to have a much faster metabolism, but even these muscular individuals will gain a lot of weight quickly once their thyroids mal-function.

Some doctors call the thyroid the big brother of all the hormone excreting glands in your body; as the thyroid determines how and to what extend your body will react to other hormones. This explains the lack of libido, fatigue and restlessness associated with thyroid problems, as all of these symptoms may be hormone related.

So how can such a small gland have such a huge effect on the body? The thyroid secretes two hormones, namely thyroxin also referred to as T4, as well as a hormone called triiodothyronine (T3). Together these two hormones control the way your body grows, how it deals with energy resources and output. The thyroid also has a massive influence on other glands, stimulating them to work properly.

Thyroid problems are diagnosed as either an overactive thyroid – called hyper thyroidism or an under active thyroid – hypo thyroidism. Depending on what your thyroid condition may be, it can be treated by either taking chemicals that will stimulate an under active thyroid to produce more hormones or on the other hand, restrict the secretion of thyroid hormones.

You may wonder – does my thyroid have a mind of its own and the answer may be just like life, even the thyroid has a superior overlooking its functions. The thyroid is controlled by two parts of the brain; namely the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Any medications aimed to influence the workings of these brain parts may thus directly have a side effect on the thyroid functions.

Never take any medication that states it will relive low metabolic rate by stimulating your thyroid, unless a doctor has prescribed it for you. Tampering with your thyroid functions when nothing is wrong may see you disrupt your whole bodily hormonal functions with horrible consequences.

A short visit to your doctor and a little blood sample taken will tell you exactly the state of your thyroid. This test should be done from the age of 27 onwards.

• Sudden weight gain
• Muscle and joint pains
• Abnormal hair loss
• Loss of libido
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Mood swings

These common symptoms are often over looked at and missed. Many excuse these symptoms as becoming older, sitting at a job desk or other common normal life events. The truth of the matter is many people suffer from hypothyroidism and don’t even know it. If you experience many of the symptoms above chances are you might have an under active thyroid gland.

Out of these 6 symptoms Sudden Weight Gain or being overweight could be one of the most embarrassing symptoms at times. Nobody likes looking in the mirror and seeing themselves puffing up or looking tired and over weight. You want to look vibrant and healthy, and having an under active thyroid could be stopping you from obtaining the image you want to see yourself as.

But all is not doom and gloom if you have this condition. There is good news to be heard and one of the best things you can do for your thyroid is eating healthy foods. Certain types of foods actually stimulate your thyroid and if your never eating these types of foods you could be holding yourself back on achieving your weight goals.

Here are some powerful thyroid foods

* Raw Foods

* Juices like carrot and celery

* Prunes and nuts

* Watercress

* Poultry

* Sources of vitamin E

* Seaweed (iodine content)

* Herbal teas such as green tea

Adding these types of foods to your everyday eating habits can greatly raise your thyroid function. Sound to simple? Most diseases and conditions today are direct results of our eating habits and hypothyroidism is no different. It is easy to add these foods to your diet and you would be doing your body a great deal of benefits. After all you want to look at yourself in the mirror and start to see your vibrant healthy self once again don’t you? If you don’t know if you have an under active thyroid there are ways at home you can test to see if you have this condition.

Oprah Winfrey has been in the spot light for quite a few years now with her weight problems. There is hardly a person in America who does not know about her struggles with weight. Obviously she is no slacker and has worked really hard to take off the weight, only to see it come back with a vengeance and tip the scales even more than before. Finally, she has a clue as to why she has so much trouble losing her weight. She has a thyroid problem.. Her thyroid gland is diseased and has probably been out of balance for a very long time, if not her entire life. How many other women have experienced this same problem without realizing that they too have either a diseased thyroid gland or at least a sluggish or under active thyroid gland that does not produce enough of this all important hormone?

If your thyroid gland is not working properly, you will find it almost impossible to lose weight and keep it off. Have you ever heard for women who work out in the gyms at least 5 hours a week and still struggle with losing weight? I have heard of them and now I know why. A thyroid imbalance known as hypothyroidism can do severe damage to a woman’s ego, self esteem and body image. Not only that, not enough thyroid hormones circulating in the body can cause all kinds of health problems. You may be reading this article just for information to help you fix your low self esteem, others really need this information to save their health from deteriorating.

If you are embarrassed about the way you look because of excess body fat, it may not be your fault at all. I’m not talking about over eating. You more than likely are watching your diet. I’m talking about not eating the right foods that will feed your thyroid gland naturally and help keep it balanced so that you have a naturally balanced body weight and a good self image. But first of all, you should go to your doctor and be tested for a thyroid balance if you have been dieting and exercising like crazy and still struggling with your weight.

Then, learn all you can about adding the most thyroid nourishing foods to your diet and removing the bad ones. Bad foods meaning certain products containing soy, diet bars, diet sodas and certain vegetables that are bad for the hypothyroid sufferer, vegetables like peas and corn and other bad for thyroid vegetables, like broccoli for example.

Learn how to add in the good foods like coconut oil, certain nuts, whole organic milk products, the best kinds of vegetables for you and many others. Protect yourself image. You can find more information on what the best approach to defending yourself against an imbalanced thyroid in eBooks online. You can find invaluable information from people who have been in your shoes and found a way out.