Why Thyroid Support is Key to Digestion Support

Jan 25

Digestion is a metabolic process. Wait, what is a metabolic process?

Metabolic processes are chemical reactions that occur in our cells to sustain life. These processes lead to growth and allow us to maintain structure, reproduce, adapt and respond to our environment. The sum of all the metabolic processes in our body is referred to as our metabolism.

Yup-- metabolism refers to so much more than our ability to burn a lot of calories, the amount of food we “can” eat, and our ability to lose weight quickly.

Examples of metabolic processes in our cells include: digestion, immune system support, regulation of body temperature, pulse rate, sex drive (hormones), sleep, detoxification, muscle repair …..to name just a FEW.

The thyroid is the master controller of every metabolic process that our cells perform.

Think of the thyroid as the main power system of the body.

When the thyroid is not functioning optimally, other symptoms of dysfunction begin to show up. If the thyroid is sluggish and low functioning, then all of our metabolic processes controlled by the thyroid will begin to slow, too. This is yet another form of stress on the body. Now not only are our metabolic processes slow, but they aren’t prioritized by the body. We can see this presented as getting sick all the time, not sleeping well, not having a sex drive, muscle fatigue, congested liver, poor digestion, and low body temperatures and pulse rate.

Proper digestion is the foundation of our health and proper thyroid function is the foundation of our digestion.

We cannot have the health of one without the other.

When our thyroid is sluggish it slows or inhibits the production of stomach acid in the body. We absolutely NEED adequate amounts of stomach acid in order to properly break down and digest the food we eat. Stomach acid is also responsible for bathing the stomach and killing off unwanted pathogens and bacteria. So, without enough stomach acid, the food we eat is left undigested and goes rancid in the stomach and harmful bacteria and pathogens have an opportune environment to thrive in.

A digestive tract with impaired chemical processes leads to: Inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, bloating, gas, leaky gut, allergies, skin issues, hormone imbalance, sluggish liver, lood sugar dysfunction.

If you are struggling with any of these symptoms and believe that imbalances in your gut are the root to the problem, it would be incredibly beneficial to also support your thyroid/metabolism while also working on healing your gut.

Here are some simple tips to implement daily to start healing your digestion and metabolism TODAY:

Chew your food thoroughly. At least 20 chews per bite of food! This is really going to break down your food so your stomach has less work to do when digesting.
Avoid chugging liquids during mealtimes. This will further dilute stomach acid and gastric juices needed to digest food.
Sit down to eat your meals in a calm and relaxing environment. I know this isn’t always an available option, but do the best you can.
Support your blood sugar AND your thyroid by eating a protein, carb, and fat every 3-4 hours. Check out my Ultimate GF/DF Snack Guide for ideas.
Support your liver by eating enough protein, reducing stress, drinking dandelion root tea, and doing a castor oil pack over the liver a few times each week. Why support the liver? 80-90% of the active thyroid hormone, T3, is produced in the liver, kidneys, pituitary gland, and spleen-- not the thyroid! The liver is where inactive thyroid hormone, T4, is converted to active thyroid hormone, T3.