Secrets of Sarah blog

The Best and Worst Foods for Your Thyroid Is there a thyroid diet? Your thyroid is your body's silent workhorse—most of the time, it functions so smoothly that we forget it's there. But this little, butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the base of your neck helps regulate your metabolism, temperature, heartbeat, and more, and if it starts to go haywire, you'll notice. An underactive thyroid—when the gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone (TH)—can bring on weight gain, sluggishness, depression, and increased sensitivity to cold. An overactive thyroid, on the other hand, happens when your body produces too much TH, and can cause sudden weight loss, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nervousness, and irritability. Genetics, an autoimmune condition, stress, and environmental toxins can all mess with your thyroid—and so can your diet, one factor you can completely control. Here are the foods that may help keep your thyroid humming along, as well as some that won...

11 Essential Nutrients Your Body Needs Now With so much information circulating out there about nutrition , it can be challenging to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need each day. In fact, with some sources listing as many as 90 essential nutrients , following a balanced diet can quickly become overwhelming. However, getting all the nutrients you need doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, by just being mindful about a few specific nutrients, eating a healthy diet full of  nutrient-dense foods  can be pretty simple. Breaking it down into essential versus nonessential nutrients can help simplify and streamline your diet, making it easier than ever to achieve better health. But what are those nutrients, and what do nutrients do, anyway? Let’s take a look at the 11 essential nutrients your body needs, why and how to obtain them. What Are Nutrients? According to the dictionary, the official  nutrients  definition is “a substance that pr...

Menopause and Weight Loss Weight Management and Menopause The war against weight gain is a common struggle for so many people and one that often find themselves losing.  Sedentary lifestyles paired with the convenience, availability and low cost of nutritionally low but calorically high foods stack the odds against you accomplishing your goal of maintaining your weight or losing weight.  It seems that the entire outside world is committed to you weighing more. When you enter into menopause, it appears that even your own body is siding against you.  All of your best efforts are met with poor results as the weight slowly accumulates.  You feel hungrier.  You lack the energy to exercise at the frequency or intensity that you did previously.  Additionally, the biological changes negatively influence your mood which makes you more likely to seek out high calorie “comfort food” rather than healthier options. To add to the problem, you are aware of...