Some sources say that about 50% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese. Usually, the biggest frustration in this area is BELLY FAT. The are of the body that’s the hardest to slim down for someone without PCOS, let alone with a metabolic and hormonal condition like PCOS.

When I first came off birth control, I gained 15-20lbs and would’ve been considered overweight. While I’ve never been extremely overweight or obese, I do know what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in the shape of my body, and to loathe my stomach.

I used to wear loose tops all the time to try and hide my belly pooch, trying to fake a flat stomach.

Once I understood more about what PCOS actually is and how it contributes to weight gain, I was able to shed those extra pounds and have kept them off ever since.

My mission today is to help you understand the underlying root causes of PCOS weight gain, so you too can begin to lose fat in a sustainable way. You don’t have to suck it in your whole life! #truthbomb

3 Ways PCOS Causes Weight Gain

#1 Insulin Resistance

Before you scroll away because you’ve been told you don’t have blood sugar issues- read this. Even women with “normal” blood glucose and insulin levels can be insulin resistant. If you want to read more in depth about what insulin resistance is, go check this out.

Chronically high or imbalanced levels of blood sugar or “glucose” means your body needs more insulin to allow glucose to get into your cells. Tons of insulin and sugar floating around creates an environment where you body becomes desensitized to the signals of insulin, leaving you with high insulin and possible high blood glucose.

When insulin is high a lot, it turns into a storage hormone. You might be able to guess what it stores – FAT, on your body.

High Insulin  = High Fat Storage

In women with PCOS, insulin resistance creates issues in the ovaries, and excessive amounts of androgen “male” hormones like testosterone are produced.

With high androgen levels, we will deposit fat in the area that men usually do – the BELLY.

To add insult to injury, high belly fat creates more insulin and hormonal issues, which creates more belly fat, which creates more insulin/hormone issues. . .and you can see where I’m going with this. A vicious cycle of weight gain.

The vicious cycle continues with the next causative factor in PCOS weight gain. . .

Happy Hormones Tip: Eat a High-Fat, Low-Carb breakfast daily to help reset insulin sensitivity and fat-burning.

#2 Inflammation

Science has illuminated in the last several years that PCOS is not only a condition of weird hormones and insulin resistance, but also one of chronic, low-grade inflammation. Typically, this type of inflammation starts in the GUT, which is why we devote a whole week to learning about gut and inflammation in my PCOS Hormone Bootcamp program- it’s incredibly important!

Here’s the kicker: This inflammation creates more insulin resistance, and allows the ovaries to continue over-producing androgen hormones.

Specifically, the theca cells in the ovaries are the androgen-producers, and inflammation leads to the overproliferation of these theca cells, and therefore you get more androgens, more insulin resistance and more belly fat.

Happy Hormones Tip: Eat the rainbow daily. Each colour of fruits and vegetables contains different nutrients and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals to reduce inflammation and reset insulin sensitivity.

#3 Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen Dominance, or the excess of estrogen in relation to progesterone is a common part of PCOS as well. In fact- estrogen dominance (and the above factors) are what lead to ovarian cysts that are common in PCOS.

When in balance with progesterone, estrogen actually boosts metabolism. Things go awry when there’s too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. Then estrogen doesn’t have progesterone to keep her in check and make sure she doesn’t run wild.

Excess levels of estrogen can also be converted into more testosterone, not a great thing when it comes to PCOS, weight gain and belly fat.

Over time, this excess estrogen gets deposited in adipose (fat) tissue, specifically in the lower belly, hips and thighs. Eventually, fat tissue in these areas can begin to create its own estrogen, compounding the problem. More estrogen being stored, and more estrogen being produced.

This makes keeping weight stable difficult, especially with insulin resistance and inflammation also happening at the same time.

As you can see- all of these imbalances feed on each other. They make each other worse, and the vicious cycle continues. . .unless you break it. So go break the cycle!
 

Happy Hormones Tip: Eat 2-4 cups of cruciferous vegetables daily. These vegetables contain estrogen-detoxifying compounds. Examples include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, turnip + greens, etc. Check out a full list and examples of how to eat them over here.

I’m no stranger to struggles with weight loss. I first started dieting and exercising to change my weight when I was 16 years old, although if I had my way I likely would’ve started earlier- even though I was a slim girl, I never saw myself that way. Just because I was one or two pant sizes bigger than the other girls in my class, I thought I was huge. 

I also didn’t have good role models growing up- the women in my family were constantly hating on their bodies and always dieting. I thought that if I didn’t have a flat tummy, toned arms and a “thigh gap”, I was unworthy of being called “beautiful”.

Throughout the next several years, I dieted on an off basically all the time, usually by restricting my fat intake, lowering my calories and doing loads of cardio and attending bootcamp exercises classes at the local rec centre. 

It always worked temporarily, until I was in my early 20s and was diagnosed with PCOS. Calorie counting didn’t work, and when I went back to the treadmill, I gained even MORE weight. I couldn’t understand what the fuck was going on, and I felt like a failure. 

Although doctors and various “experts” over the last several decades have heavily promoted long cardio sessions and hardcore bootcamp classes as being the best for weight loss, this is a total MYTH, and a myth I’m super excited to BUST for you today. 

The Bad Science

First of all, let’s talk science. 

The thought process behind using cardio for weight loss centres around calorie expenditure. For instance, 1 pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. So, if you want to lose 1 pound per week, you need to burn an extra 500 calories per day according to this theory. 

Doctors and others may suggest that doing an hour on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike daily with some calorie restriction on your food will get you there. But what happens at the end of the week when you’ve burned all these calories and the scale still doesn’t budge?

Part of this has to do with heart rate. When you do cardio, it’s at a steady pace for the entire time. Generally, this is inefficient at burning fat, as variations in heart rate (like in High-Intensity Interval Training) become more effective partly by “keeping your body guessing” and putting yourself into that fat burning zone. 

Also, doing long, drawn out cardio often leaves us tired and hungry. So we eat more. Or, if we have the willpower to stick with the 1,200 calories a day we’ve chosen for our weight loss diet, we aren’t giving our bodies the proper fuel to recover from this exercise, which creates a mess in your body. We’ll talk about this more in the next section. 

Your Body On Cardio and Bootcamps

To help you understand WHY these forms of exercise are inefficient for weight loss, you must understand HOW your body reacts when you participate in these activities. 

For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to use jogging as an example. 

You go out for a run, hoping to shed those pounds. You slowly work your way up to longer and longer distances. 

As you are running, a stress reaction starts in your body. Cortisol, your main stress hormone, is released. While this is a good thing if you’re literally running for your life, chronically high levels of cortisol (i.e.: from long distance running), tells your body to make and release more sugar into the blood so your body can make more energy. 

Higher levels of blood sugar is one of the simplest ways your body packs on the pounds. Plus, this leaves you feeling ravenous. The sugar and carb cravings will be yelling at you and guess what- you’ll likely eat and average of 100 more calories after you’re done than you burned off during the exercise!

Additionally, doing this type of exercise (or other cardio and bootcamps), causes your body to burn muscle instead of fat. Less lean muscle mass slows your metabolism, and it becomes even harder to burn those calories to get the weight off. Plus, you’ll become weaker, more tired and more irritable. And your hormones will start screaming at you. 

High levels of cortisol and imbalanced blood sugar mean hormonal hell. Your body steals building blocks (like pregnenolone and progesterone) to make more cortisol, leaving you deficient in progesterone. Low progesterone isn’t able to keep estrogen in check, so estrogen dominance can result. 

Estrogen dominance then starts a STORM in your body of weight gain- especially in the hips, thighs, belly and back- and moodiness, anxiety, depression and of course- bad periods. 

Many women with hormonal imbalances with estrogen dominance at the root (like PCOS, Endometriosis, PMS, and heavy, painful or irregular periods) feel the worst when they do cardio and bootcamps because it increases their symptoms- even if during the exercise they feel fabulous. 

You can read more about Estrogen Dominance to see if this hormonal imbalance is part of your inability to lose weight and improve your emotional state by clicking here. 

What Can Be Done Instead

So that’s all great- but what can you actually do to effectively burn fat without losing muscle and creating hormonal imbalances?

First, correct your hormonal imbalances with food. 

You cannot out-exercise a bad diet ladies.

It’s just not possible. No matter how long you stay on that treadmill or how many bootcamp classes you attend, if you’re scarfing down a bagel for breakfast and eating take out for dinner every night, the scale is going to climb. 

Second, switch your exercise to the fat-burning kind. The de-stressor kind. Think High-Intensity Interval Training for 20-30 minutes max, and some yoga to balance it out.

There are so many different reasons our bodies may be suffering, trying to figure it all out can be dizzying. Hormone imbalance is really a hot topic these days in the wellness sphere, and for good reason. 

Millions of women everywhere are suffering needlessly with hormonal imbalances. Busy, stressful lives, widespread toxicity, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle are contributing to these imbalances which seem to plague us. 

As you may be aware, I have hormonal imbalances myself. I have PCOS as well as an underactive thyroid gland. I deal with adrenal insufficiency as well. All of these issues seem to be connected, and the hormone estrogen is one of those connections. 

If you’re struggling with weight gain in the hips, thighs, belly and back, or are dealing with mood problems and bad periods, I urge you to read on. What you will discover may be the lightbulb moment you need to begin taking targeted and natural action to smooth your symptoms and allow you to LIVE again. 

What Is Estrogen Dominance?

First of all, let’s get this out of the way. Educating yourself about WHAT is going on in your body and WHY (this comes below) will give you the direction you need to keep going. 

Estrogen dominance is a term that’s become quite popular, but many don’t truly understand what it means. Often we think “dominance” must mean too much, but this is not the case.

Estrogen dominance is simply an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, in favour of estrogen. This could mean that:

(1) You have excessively high levels of estrogen

(2) You have normal estrogen and low progesterone

(3) You have low estrogen and extremely low progesterone

Therefore, it is possible for women of all ages (even through and beyond menopause) to be estrogen dominant. There are 3 main estrogens, (1) estradiol, (2) estriol and (3) estrone. For the purposes of this article, I’m talking about estradiol- the estrogen that is most important throughout our lifespan. On the flip side, estriol is highest in pregnancy, and estrone becomes the dominant estrogen post-menopause. 

What Are The Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance?

There are so many different symptoms or complaints of estrogen dominance, and I’ll outline them below based on the 3 possible variations of estrogen dominance we discussed above. 

(1) Excessively high levels of estrogen and low progesterone

• Sore, swollen and tender breasts
• Breast growth beyond puberty
• Swelling in the hands/fingers, legs and ankles
• Menstrual cramps
• Heavy menstrual flow
• Impatience 
• Being called “too bossy”

(2) Normal to high estrogen and low progesterone

• Absent periods
• Irregular periods
• Menstrual flow clotting
• Sore, tender breasts
• Water retention/swelling
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Fibroids
• Endometriosis 

(3) Low estrogen and extremely low progesterone

• Memory loss
• Depression 
• Hot flashes or night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Low libido
• Chronic fatigue
• Insomnia
• Sagging breasts
• Quick weight gain
• Bloating 
• Absent or irregular periods

Other, more general symptoms and signs of estrogen dominance include:

• Accelerated aging
• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) – feeling “hangry” between meals
• Premenopausal bone loss
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Uterine cancer and fibroids
• Breast cancer
• PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• Ovarian cysts
• Anovulation 
• Low progesterone and/or luteal phase defect
• Cervical dysplasia
• Hair loss
• infertility
• irritability
• Mood swings
• PMS or PMDD
• Sluggish metabolism
• Fat deposition in the hips, thighs, belly and back
• Gallbladder disease

How You Get Estrogen Dominance

So how did we get here? What happened in our lives that brought on estrogen dominance and all these bothersome symptoms?

Toxicity 

First and foremost, we must chat about toxicity. There are infinite sources of toxicity in our environment, and we cannot escape it. This sometimes makes us feel like giving up- because if we don’t have control, what’s the point? The truth is we do have control.

The main sources of toxicity we can’t control are:

• Air pollution
• Use of chemicals in clothing, furniture, cars, etc

Sources of toxicity we can control:

• Food and water
• Household cleaning products
• Indoor air environment
• Makeup
• Personal care products such as deodorant and shampoo

As you can see, a lot of the control is in our hands. This is really important, as toxins can disrupt proper estrogen and hormone metabolism (endocrine disruptors) contributing to any or all of the symptoms listed above. 

Specifically, it’s important to watch out for xenoestrogens, man-made estrogens found in many places, including:

• Commercially-raised meat and dairy products like chicken, beef, pork, and all dairy
• Non-organic foods with high levels of insecticides and pesticides
• Tap water
• Shampoos, lotions, soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics, deodorants, etc
• Soft plastics (BPA is a popular xenoestrogen here)
• Artificial food additives, including artificial sweeteners and MSG
• Non-organic soy and soy derivatives like soy protein isolate
• Dryer sheets
• Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Disposable menstrual products like tampons and sanitary pads

The problem with these xenoestrogens is that they mimic the function of our natural estrogen, but in a much stronger or more powerful way. Beyond giving our bodies too much estrogen, they will also disrupt that delicate estrogen-progesterone ratio, the definition of estrogen dominance. 

Poor Diet

Diet is one of those areas where we do have control, and ignoring this is detrimental to our health. As you can see from the above list, five of the ten sources of xenoestrogens mentioned are food-based. 

This makes logical sense then that dietary xenoestrogens are contributing to estrogen dominance. You can also see that these foods aren’t healthy choices either, so eliminating them from your diet is the easiest way to ditch 50% of the xenoestrogens you come into contact with. 

Beyond dietary xenoestrogens, other dietary problems can contribute. For example, if you eat a diet high in refined carbs (think bagels, bread, muffins, noodles, donuts, crackers, etc), your blood sugar and insulin balance will be upset. 

When this happens, insulin messes with your ovaries, changing up estrogen and progesterone balance. Additionally, insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalance create more opportunity for your body to store extra fat and to be anxious, depressed, irritable or down right moody. 

Birth Control and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Medications are another branch of toxicity worth it’s own section. Many women today are on some form of hormones birth control, like the pill, shot, IUD or patch. Other peri- and post-menopausal women are given synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 

All of these drugs push high amounts of synthetic estrogen into your body. Because the lab-made estrogen doesn’t look or at the exact way our natural estrogen does, it often binds to receptors first and has the same powerful and harmful action as other xenoestrogens. When women using hormonal birth control pee, the hormones are left in the water system, ending up in tap water. Local filtration systems just aren’t enough to remove the hormones from the water. 

The good news is that there are many non-drug ways to have contraception, or hormone support, depending on your needs. For example, the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) can be used to prevent pregnancy or enhance fertility, depending on your goals. 

Estrogen Dominance and Weight Gain

So what’s the connection between having estrogen dominance and weight gain? It’s pretty simple. 

Estrogen is partly responsible for keeping our metabolisms in good shape. It also helps to maintain fat loss in proper levels. Having too much can slow metabolism, as can having too little. So, you’re more apt to gain weight, especially in the hips, thighs and back, as well as the belly. You might notice you started out as a pear shape, and have gained weight and now have an apple shape, with much of your weight in the belly area as time goes on. 

Beyond this, estrogen dominance negatively interferes with thyroid hormone. The thyroid is the main controller of our metabolism, and of estrogen dominance is slowing our thyroid, our metabolism will slow and we will gain weight. 

Many women with estrogen dominance also have some level of thyroid dysfunction. 

Estrogen Dominance and Mood Problems

Beyond weight gain, mood disturbances are a big light bulb that estrogen dominance may be contributing to your issues. 

When estrogen is in balance, we feel sexy, strong, confident and ready to take on the world. We are uplifted and pleasant to be around. 

When estrogen dominates over progesterone, this can lead to anxiety (progesterone is a calming hormones) and depression, which may be seen even with low estrogen levels. 

Additionally, excess estrogen may have you feeling super irritable, or people may begin calling you bossy because of the way you act. 

These things don’t have to be cause for using anti-depressants, but rather are a signal to bring estrogen and progesterone into balance naturally to restore your moods. 

Estrogen Dominance and Painful, Heavy and Irregular Periods

Another big sign of estrogen dominance is period issues. Specifically, heavy, painful and/or irregular periods.

Having too much estrogen in relation to progesterone can stall or halt ovulation altogether. No ovulation = no period. 

Excessive estrogen also builds up the lining of the uterus more than normal, and often results in heavy periods accompanied by clotting. Pain and menstrual cramping may also be severe with estrogen dominance.
 
 

Waking up, stepping on the scale. Shocked by the number, you remove jewelry and heavy clothing. It barely budges. Stripping down naked, you step on again. Still a scary number. How is it possible to gain 5lbs in a week? Depressed and exhausted by what you see, you would rather climb back into bed under the covers than get dressed and go about your day. What’s the point of leaving the bed anyways? You’re just going to be tired all day, and self-conscious that everyone is judging your ‘lumpy’ body. 

This is a familiar tale among the women in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program that even I have felt from time to time. Why will my body not cooperate? How can I make it do what I want?

Firstly, don’t give up- there’s ALWAYS an answer, even if it takes some time to find it. 

Today, I want to help you find that answer- the relief of knowing that you’ve been searching for. 

Why Am I Exhausted and Gaining Weight Like Crazy?

The answer could be connected to what’s happening in your neck. Yes, that’s right- I’m talking about your thyroid gland. And before your close out this article because your thyroid test has come back “normal” I urge you to finish reading and take my Hormone Imbalance Quiz to see if those ‘normal’ tests are telling a lie. 

Under active thyroid, sometimes called hypothyroidism is a very common issue with women. Your thyroid gland has many very important functions in the body (which you can see below) and may become sluggish over time for various reasons, which are outlined below. 

Simply put, if your thyroid is under active, it may not be producing thyroid hormone (T4) and may not be able to convert T4 to the more metabolically active form of thyroid hormone, T3. Doctors will often test Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), but this is a hormone made in the brain to tell the thyroid to make more hormone rather than being an active thyroid hormone itself, so it’s often not the best measure of thyroid health. However, high TSH levels could indicate a sluggish thyroid as well.

NOTE: Research suggests that upwards of 90% or more of under active thyroid cases are Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid condition that requires slightly different treatment than regular hypothyroidism. If you are unsure or would like more clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact me or ask your doctor.

The thyroid gland has many functions, such as regulating:

• Metabolic rate
• Heart and digestive function
• Muscle control
• Brain development
• Bone maintenance 
• Menstrual cycle length and blood flow
• Estrogen metabolism and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) production
• Progesterone production

Symptoms of Under Active Thyroid

• Weight gain that won’t shift no matter what you try
• Depression
• Hair loss (sometimes very dramatic)
• Dry or cracked skin and heels
• Low libido
• Constant fatigue- like you could sleep 12-14 hours a night and still be tired all day
• Weakness
• Cold intolerance and/or cold hands and feet
• Muscle cramps and aches
• Constipation
• infertility
• Irregular, heavy or painful menstrual cycles
• irritability
• Memory loss and/or brain fog
• Puffy face
• Hoarseness
• Lump in the throat or chronic sore throat
• Weak immune system- chronic colds, flus and other infections

To see if your thyroid gland may be under active, contributing to your symptoms, and learn why this might be happening and what to do about it, take my quiz. 

5 Foods to Shift the Scale and Energize 

#1 Sea Vegetables

Food is medicine. If only our traditional medical doctors would subscribe to this school of thought, we would all be better off. But instead of blaming others for our lack of answers or relief from suffering, it’s time to take back control of our own thyroid health with foods. As the thyroid gland requires small amounts iodine to function (T4 uses 4 iodines and T3 uses 3 iodines per molecule), sea vegetables can be beneficial. 

Unlike iodine supplements, which can be extremely high in dosage (and too much iodine actually depresses thyroid function), sea vegetables contain iodine in a natural form along with many other vitamins and minerals that promote good thyroid health. 

For example, just 1 tbsp of dried dulse (a type of seaweed) contains 500% of your daily recommended intake of iodine. Sea vegetables like dulse and other listed below also have loads of hormone-promoting vitamin C, blood sugar-balancing manganese, skin-clearing vitamin A and energy-boosting iron. 

Like the mineral iodine, iron is important for thyroid health. Low iron (Ferritin blood levels below 70) contribute to thyroid dysfunction, thyroid-related weight gain and hair loss, fatigue and mood disturbances like depression. 

Some examples of sea vegetables you can use in your diet include:

• Dulse 
• Kelp
• Nori
• Kombu
• Agar 
• Wakame
• Arame

How to Use Sea Vegetables

• Purchase a shaker of dulse and/or kelp flakes and sprinkle on your food in place of salt (sea vegetables have a naturally salty flavour)
• Rehydrate strips of arame and/or wakame and add to salads and soups (these are nearly tasteless)
• Add to cooked gluten-free whole grains like buckwheat, brown rice and/or quinoa
• Make a lunch wrap with nitrate-free deli turkey, sauerkraut, avocado wrapped in nori sheets instead of flour or lettuce-based wraps

#2 Sesame Seeds

A favourite seed very high in the mineral zinc, sesame seeds could be supportive to a healthy thyroid gland to shift the scale and energize you. As little as 1/4 cup contains 25% of your daily recommended intake of zinc. 

Zinc is required in a few steps to creating healthy thyroid hormones. First, zinc is required to produce T4, the less metabolically active form of thyroid hormone. Zinc is also necessary to convert inactive T4 into the highly metabolically active thyroid hormone, T3. Lastly, Zinc is needed for the health of your thyroid hormone receptors. You can have sufficient levels of T3, but if your thyroid hormone receptors aren’t working optimally, you can still experience thyroid symptoms like weight gain, fatigue and hair loss. 

Zinc to the rescue! 

How to Use Sesame Seeds

• Sprinkle a tsp or two on soups and salads
• Add a tbsp to smoothies
• Use tahini (sesame seed paste/butter) in place of almond or peanut butter
• Make a salad dressing with tahini, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, spices and a bit of honey and drizzle on salads or dip proteins like chicken or fish
• Add sesame seeds or tahini to the batter of gluten-free baked goods like muffins

#3 Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are one of my favourite “therapeutic foods” to recommend to my private clients. A therapeutic food is simply a food high in one or several nutrients, which if taken consistently in high enough amounts, could help to alleviate symptoms. Brazil nuts are one of the highest sources of selenium, another healthy thyroid mineral, like zinc, iodine and iron. 

Two Brazil nuts contain about 100mcg of selenium, and most times about 100mcg to 200mcg of daily selenium is recommended for thyroid disorders. This means that simply eating 2 to 4 Brazil nuts daily as a “therapeutic food” could increase selenium levels in the body, assisting thyroid health. 

Selenium is required for the conversion of inactive T4 into the more active T3 thyroid hormone. Selenium deficiency could contribute to low levels of T3, creating those yucky symptoms of weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and menstrual irregularities. Having adequate selenium levels in the body also helps to lower antibody levels, which is fabulous for the autoimmune thyroid disorder of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (which makes up about 90%-97% of all thyroid disorders). 

How to Use Brazil Nuts

• Simply eat 2-4 raw Brazil nuts daily with a meal or as a snack
• Chop them and use them in a grain-free, nut/seed based granola
• Add chopped nuts to salads
• Throw a few Brazil nuts into smoothies or hot tonics/elixirs

#4 Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (like Bragg’s or Filsinger’s) has numerous health benefits, and supporting a healthy thyroid gland for weight management and good energy is one of them. 

Specifically, apple cider vinegar contains acids, enzymes and beneficial probtiocs- all necessary for thyroid function. 

Remember that T4 must be converted into T3 to be used effectively in the body? Well, about 20% of this conversion happens in your gut! So, if your gut health is in disarray (as it is in every women with thyroid dysfunction I’ve seen clinically), your thyroid will suffer. 

Using apple cider vinegar could help to increase stomach acid, which is great for disgusting food properly. Insufficient levels of stomach acid (aka hypochlorhydria) is a leading cause of leaky gut, and a leaky gut will reduce active thyroid hormone and increase inflammation- potentially contributing to hypothyroidism and autoimmune Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. 

Apple cider vinegar also contains beneficial probiotics, and these healthy bacteria are very important for thyroid health. For example, gut bacteria assist the conversion of T4 to T3 in the gut. Specifically there is an enzyme involved in the gut conversion that actually comes from healthy gut bacteria. If this conversion is reduced, you may end up with “normal” thyroid labs despite having thyroid-related symptoms like unexplained weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and depression. 

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar

• Put 1 tsp to 1 tbsp in a small glass of warm water and drink 15-30 minutes before meals to increase stomach acid and aid digestion
• Use ACV with lemon juice, cayenne and cinnamon in warm water as a stimulating morning tonic
• Use ACV instead of other vinegars or lemon juice in your homemade salad dressings
• Add 1 tsp to 1 tbsp ACV to smoothies

#5 Beet Kvass 

Beets are a serious superfood. They support the liver, build the blood and provide valuable vitamins and minerals. When you use beets to create the tonic Beet Kvass (see recipe below), it’s like putting those benefits on overdrive. 

Beet Kvass is a fermented beet drink. It contains loads of nutrients including iron, folate, manganese, magnesium, fibre and vitamin B6. 

Because it’s fermented, Beet Kvass also had loads of those beneficial bacteria or “probiotics” that I mentioned in the previous section. 

We know that iron and probiotics are both important for healthy thyroid function, and beets are a great way to get both (and more)!

Beets also help to detoxify the liver. Liver health is important for thyroid function in a few ways. For example, when you eat a meal with fats, your liver and gall bladder create and secrete things like bile acids to help break it down. Bile acids need to be converted into secondary bile acids in the body to function as they should, and probiotic gut bacteria are how it’s done. 

When bile acids are converted properly by probiotics, activity of enzymes that convert T4 to T3 are increased. 

How to Use Beet Kvass

• Drink 1/2 to 1 cup daily as a beverage
• Use as a base in smoothies
• Use as a base in salad dressings

Beet Kvass Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 litres water
• 1.5 tbsp sea salt
• 3 beets (peel if not organic)

 
Instructions

1. Wash beets and chop roughly. Add to a glass mason jar big enough for all beets and water, or use a couple of smaller jars if necessary. 
2. Add the sea salt.
3. Add water to about 1/2 inch below the lid.
4. Twist on lid tightly, and you might want to label with the date.
5. Keep the jar at room temperature for 4-5 days or up to a week. 
6. After fermentation time, store the kvass in the fridge. 

 
NOTES

• Optional flavour additions: thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped; 1 lime, washed and quartered, turmeric powder, star anise, cinnamon sticks
• You can reuse the beets for a second batch, but after fermenting a second time, throw the beets away and start fresh.