Nourish Your Thyroid
Fuel Your Energy
In this Newsletter:
➡️ Key nutrients your thyroid needs
➡️ Thyroid-friendly foods (and foods to avoid)
➡️ How sleep, stress & movement impact your thyroid
➡️ Easy daily habits that support healing
When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 10 years ago, I thought medication was the full solution. And while it helped, I still felt exhausted, foggy, and “off.”
It wasn’t until I started implementing practices to nourish my thyroid and reduce inflammation through food and lifestyle changes that I truly began to feel better.
This newsletter is all about the practices that helped me move from surviving to thriving — and how they can help you, too.
👉 Missed my last two newsletters in thyroid series? Check them out here: My 10-year thyroid journey & Thyroid 101.
🍽️ Nutrients Your Thyroid Needs to Thrive
Your thyroid relies on key nutrients to function — think of them as raw materials that keep the hormone-making machine running smoothly. Without them, even a healthy gland can underperform.
Here is what matters most:
Iodine – Essential for making thyroid hormones T3 and T4.
Selenium – Helps convert T4 to active T3 and protects the thyroid from inflammation.
Zinc – Supports hormone conversion and immune health.
Iron – Needed for thyroid hormone synthesis.
Tyrosine – An amino acid that combines with iodine to make thyroid hormones.
👉 Pro Tip: A balanced, whole-food diet naturally covers many of these nutrients, keeping your thyroid nourished.
Additional nutrients that will help your thyroid as well as reduce inflammation:
Magnesium - Helps convert inactive T4 into active T3, supports adrenal function and reduces inflammation.
Vitamin D - Supports immune regulation and may help reduce thyroid antibodies.
Omega-3 - Help reduce inflammation and support hormone receptor sensitivity.
👉 Important Note: When considering supplements, always consult with your health care provider. Over supplementation of nutrients can also trigger or worsen your thyroid condition.
🥑 Foods for Thyroid Support
Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods that supply the above nutrients and help reduce inflammation (a major trigger in thyroid dysfunction):
✅ Wild-caught fatty fish (like salmon, sardines) - rich in omega-3s
✅ Brazil nuts - just 1–2 per day provide all the selenium you need
✅ Cooked leafy greens (like spinach or kale) - great for magnesium and iron
✅ Pasture-raised eggs & poultry, grass-fed beef, lentils - high in protein, zinc, iron, and tyrosine
✅ Berries - antioxidant-rich for immune and gut support
✅ Bone broth - helps support gut health and nutrient absorption
✅ Pumpkin seeds, almonds, beans - plant-based sources of zinc, iron, and magnesium
👉 Pro Tip: Cruciferous vegetables can be beneficial, however, if consumed raw, they contain goitrogens (compounds that can interfere with iodine uptake). Cook or steam your veggies to deactivate most goitrogens.
🚫 What to Minimize or Avoid
Some foods and chemicals can interfere with thyroid hormone production or worsen autoimmune flares:
⚠️ Gluten – Common trigger for Hashimoto’s due to molecular mimicry.
⚠️ Dairy & soy – Can be inflammatory or difficult to digest for some people.
⚠️ Ultra-processed foods – Can spike inflammation and drain your nutrient reserves.
⚠️ Excess Raw Cruciferous Veggies – Contain compounds (goitrogens) that can interfere with iodine uptake. Normal servings are fine, cooking deactivates most goitrogens.
⚠️ Excess alcohol – Can impair liver’s ability to convert T4 to T3.
⚠️ Plastics & xenoestrogens – Disrupt thyroid signaling.
👉 Pro Tip: Not everyone needs to cut all of these forever — but doing a short-term elimination (e.g. 4–6 weeks) can help you learn what affects your body. Five years ago I tried an AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) elimination diet for a couple of months — and it was truly a game-changer for me.
☀️ Lifestyle Habits That Support Thyroid Function
The thyroid doesn’t work in isolation — it’s influenced by your entire lifestyle. These habits can make a huge difference:
💤 Prioritize Sleep
Aim for 7–9 hours. Poor sleep = hormone chaos (including thyroid and cortisol).
Create a calming nighttime routine and dim screens 1 hour before bed.
🧘♀️ Manage Stress Daily
Chronic stress increases cortisol → which blocks T4-to-T3 conversion,.
Try 10 minutes of meditation, breathwork, or journaling daily.
🚶♀️ Gentle, Consistent Movement
Strength training supports metabolism.
Walking, yoga, or gentle stretching can reduce inflammation and ease stress.
Avoid overtraining — too much high-intensity cardio can backfire with thyroid issues.
🌞 Get Natural Light in the Morning
Supports your circadian rhythm → which helps regulate TSH and sleep-wake hormones.
Just 10–15 minutes on your balcony or a walk outdoors helps.
👉 Pro Tip: First thing in the morning, instead of grabbing my phone, I get outside for some sun (if possible, meditate for at least 10 mins and go through my affirmations. It definitely helps me manage my stress - I feel a difference if I skip a day.
📌 5 Easy Daily Habits to Start Today
Start small. These are the easiest, highest-impact shifts for better thyroid health:
🥜 Eat 1–2 Brazil nuts daily (selenium power boost)
🥚 Add protein to breakfast for hormone support & stable energy
🥬 Reduce processed foods & alcohol intake — both increase inflammation and make it harder for your thyroid (and liver) to do their job.
🌞 Get 10–15 minutes of morning sun to boost vitamin D and regulate TSH
🧘♀️ Do a 10-minute walk or meditation to lower stress and support hormone conversion
💛 You Don’t Have to “Push Through”
If you’re dealing with thyroid issues, you’re not lazy, broken, or making it up.
Sometimes the body whispers before it shouts. And listening to those whispers — through food, movement, and rest — is the most powerful thing you can do.
✨ Healing doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Start small. Stay consistent. Your thyroid will thank you.
Here is to healthier happier you!