Losing Weight With Hashimoto’s Disease

Hashimoto’s disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, a small gland at the base of the neck below your Adam’s apple. This throws the body’s functioning haywire as the thyroid gland – a part of the endocrine system – needs to be in top working order. The gland produces hormones that coordinate many of your body’s activities.

The resulting inflammation, known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, affects the functioning of the thyroid gland, which is not able to produce the thyroid hormone. The underactive thyroid gland signifies a condition known as hypothyroidism. How does Hashimoto’s differ from hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism is a state of sluggish thyroid function and metabolism while Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease process that can result in symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto’s disease mainly affects middle-aged women but also can occur in men and women of any age and in children.

A drop in the thyroid production leads to lower energy levels. A person with this condition is prone to weight gain due to the slow metabolism. So it is essential to make a balanced healthy diet and exercise a part of the lifestyle.  Since the immune system has been compromised, it is essential to eat lots of fibre-rich and colourful vegetables and fruits. Eat small frequent meals to improve metabolism. Opt for a suitable physical activity to control weight gain, which is inevitable in this condition. Medications like steroids given as part of treatment also cause weight gain. And we all know that weight gain is a major risk factor for many non-communicable diseases. So eating healthy and exercising are a must.

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