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.
Written by R. Kalpana
Nutritionists have a role to play that goes beyond mere meal-planning, says Kalpana, who believes she can motivate others to stay on the path towards a healthier life. A certified dietician with a PhD from SPMVV University, she is a Mary C Jacob Award-winner for Merit in Physiology from Madras University and has worked across various hospitals as well as nutrition clinics. She has been published both nationally and internationally in various science and health journals and writes regular health blogs for Sify. At home, Kalpana tracks her family’s food choices – she ensures that they follow a healthy lifestyle – and she believes she can help HealthifyMe users to do the same. People who really want to change the way they eat will see success, she claims, of the opinion that nutrition, lifestyle and behavioural changes can be transformative only in tandem. Eat good food, to your heart’s content, but ensure you also exercise are fundas she urges you to follow.
It’s a wonderful and informative post… Thanks for sharing.
weight loss is a very big problem now a days,we have to control that. Nice unique information.