Ben Greenfield, BenGreenfieldFitness
Thyroid Nation
Hey, I’ve got some news about exercise, today!
You know that tiny, butterfly-shaped gland Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ sitting inside your throat?
Yes, yes – the one responsible for the metabolism of literally every cell in your body……
Well, I’ve personally cracked the code on how to absolutely ***destroy*** it.
Yes, by combining lots of cardio, some hard weight training, any form of exercise, a busy work life, cutting sleep here and there, eating quick meals, and using a few other techniques I’ll explain to you in just a moment, I’ve managed to do a real number on my precious little thyroid gland.
Ouch.
According to my lab results, it’s gotten low enough to screw my metabolism for a really long time, unless I do some things to reverse it NOW (all reversal steps are here – but I digress).
So how did I manage to ruin my thyroid? Below are the step-by-step, easy-to-use instructions, just in case you want to ruin your thyroid too, or you’re curious if you already have:
(tongue-in-cheek)
Thyroid Destruction Step 1: DO SOME REALLY HARD OR LONG EXERCISE
What counts?
- Back-to-back days of weightlifting, Crossfit, or hard heart pumping session exercise
- “Junk” miles while running or biking at the same ho-hum tempo pace, day after day.
- A 2-3 hour run nearly every weekend while training for your next marathon.
- Limited recovery days and for heaven’s sake, zero recovery weeks.
After all, you’ll go nuts if you don’t get a chance to go to the pain cave every day! ha!
Thyroid Destruction Step 2: DON’T GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO EAT GRANDPAPPY FOODS
What the heck are “grandpappy” foods? That’s right: foods your ancestors would’ve recognized, like:
- Bone marrow, bone broth, and nourishing foods like liver.
- Wild-caught fish, pastured pork, natural eggs, and grass-fed beef.
- Fermented goodies like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and miso.
- Lots and lots of very, very dark vegetables and fruits.
How inconvenient. Our silly, weird grandpappies.
Thyroid Destruction Step 3: AVOID NATURAL THYROID-SUPPORTING NUTRIENTS AT ALL COSTS
Yes, please, please, please do not eat:
- Seaweed, nori, kelp or dulse for iodine.
- Brazil nuts, oysters or shellfish for selenium.
- Aloe juice, coconut oil, or boiled ginger for gut thyroid conversion.
These foods are hard to open and/or strange to eat. Avoid them.
So, once you’ve done (or already done) everything above, how will you know if you’ve actually succeeded in destroying your thyroid?
Well, here are your best clues and symptoms (and exactly what I personally experienced):
- You feel fatigued. No matter how much you sleep – if you can sleep.
- You get brain fog, just like clockwork – every afternoon. Sluuuugish.
- You get moody. You snap. Then you get depressed. Then anxious. And repeat…all day long.
- Your digestion slows down. Let the gas and bloating ensue! Maybe constipation too.
- Your skin gets kinda dry. A little hair falls out. Wounds don’t heal as fast. Aging ensues.
- And most frustratingly, it gets harder to burn fat, especially on your belly and butt.
Sound familiar?
OK, OK, I’ll stop. YES, I am being extremely sarcastic here.
There is no way in heck you would EVER want to destroy your thyroid.
It would make you fat, undermine all your workouts, and take years off your life.
Yet, day after day I speak to athletes and exercise enthusiasts around the globe who have done just that. And trust me, the doctors are *not* doing the right tests to figure out if you actually need help. But it’s a real epidemic. And frustrating for you.
Fortunately, you CAN fix this. And you can do it on your own, without lots of money or fancy medication. I did.
It’s an easy choice. You can wait until your body starts to fall apart like mine did, or you can get what you need to know NOW to have a shiny, happy, chuggin’ along little thyroid gland for the rest of your life.Leave your questions, comments and feedback below, and here’s hoping you enjoyed my frisky, tongue-in-cheekiness.
About the Author
Ben Greenfield Voted as the top personal trainer in the USA and one of the world’s most influential people in health and fitness for 2013 and 2014, Ben Greenfield – Fitness And Lifestyle Performance Coach is head coach at Greenfield Fitness Systems, an Ironman triathlete, Spartan racer, nutritionist, and fitness coach. He holds masters degrees in exercise physiology and biomechanics, and advanced certifications in sports nutrition, personal training, and strength and conditioning. With over a decade of experience helping professional, collegiate and recreational athletes and exercise enthusiasts achieve their goals, and using practical methods and cutting-edge science, he teaches you how to use the most efficient techniques possible to transform your body, achieve your physical goals and become superhuman – whether you want to finish a triathlon, shed a few pounds, or just live as long and healthy as possible. Check out his website, BenGreenfieldFitness.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
