Cerro Gordo Dept. of Public Health

Summer 2019

WELLNESS NEWSLETTER

K E E P I N G E M P L O Y E E S S A F E , H A P P Y & H E A LT H Y !

Let us recognize your organizat ion’s health & well -being efforts!

The Cerro Gordo County Department of Publ ic Health, a long with the Mason Ci ty Chamber of Commerce and their Works ite Wel lness Committee, want to recognize organizat ions in North Iowa leading the charge in employee health and wel l -being. Organizat ions tak ing responsibi l i ty in protect ing and enhancing programs, pol ic ies and systems focused on employee and bus iness health are encouraged to apply for workplace wel lness recognit ion!

Application Submission Deadline August 16, 2019 Award Announcements October 2019 Awards/Recognition Banquet October 3, 2019

(Annual Mason City Chamber Meeting)

APPLY ONLINE:

www.cghealth.com

A N N UA L WO R K P L A C E

W E L L N E S S AWA R D S P R O G R A M

WELLNESS NEWSLETTER Cerro Gordo County Public Health Services Index

Page 2

Nutrition Hot Topics

Katelyn Nicholson, RDN, LD

One of the top most misdiagnosed conditions is under (or, over) active thyroid conditions. Unfortunately, many patients miss receiving proper diagnosis and care for their thyroid because the appropriate labs were never ordered. Even more problematic, your symptoms plaguing your daily life as a thyroid patient may have been shrugged off as “normal.” But when did unrelenting fatigue, stubborn weight loss, or depression become tolerable or normal?

When I hear people complain of stubborn weight loss, cravings, dry skin, acne or eczema, unexplainable fatigue, inability to focus or concentrate, problems with menstruation or fertility, or even abnormal metabolic lab results for cholesterol, iron, or blood sugar, I immediately question if their thyroid is properly functioning.

There are many reasons why a large percentage of our population is suffering from a low functioning thyroid. These reasons range from environmental toxins like mercury, which block active thyroid hormone from entering the cells through the receptor site, to low nutrient status, which inhibits the conversion of the inactive thyroid hormone T4 to its active form T3. Because everyone is different I use lengthy checklists and labs to assess an individual’s unique root cause of low thyroid.

What I do not look for in these assessments, however, is if a person eats cruciferous vegetables and whether or not foods like broccoli, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, radish or cabbage are the trigger for their hypothyroid or an autoimmune Hashimoto’s condition.

Why not? There is a lot of chatter in the pop-nutrition culture saying that these vegetables have an ill effect on the thyroid because they contain goitrogens. Goitrogens can block iodine from entering the thyroid and eventually cause a swollen thyroid or goiter. Because iodine is critical for normal thyroid function, some believe that if you consume too many goitrogens, then your thyroid will not function properly, leading to an underactive thyroid.

The active form of your thyroid hormone is called triiodothyronine – the “iodo” part of the word highlighting the significance of iodine in proper hormone function. So you can see why people would be curious to know if foods containing substances (goitrogens) would block iodine from the thyroid and question if they should eliminate or at least eat them with caution.

The truth is, you would need to consume a large amount of these vegetables for their goitrogenic constituents to have an impact on your thyroid. Even more important is that you would have to consume them raw. When was the last time you ate 10 cups of raw Brussels sprouts or blended up 5 cups of raw kale in your protein smoothie and consumed it every day? Exactly.

Cruciferous Vegetables Do they negatively affect Thyroid Health?

Choose

These:

Vitamin A: orange and yellow vegetables or dark leafy greens

Vitamin D: look for a high-quality D3 supplement

Omega-3 Fats: fatty fish like sardines and wild salmon; walnuts; and flax, chia, or hemp seeds

B Vitamins: wild meat, poultry, eggs, green leafy vegetables, legumes

Selenium: seafood, eggs, Brazil nuts

Tyrosine: poultry, grass-fed dairy, avocado

Iodine: sea vegetables (nori, wakame, etc.), seafood, grass-fed dairy

Steam or cook your cruciferous veggies to decrease the amount of goitrogenic properties. Remember, however, that the longer vegetables are cooked, the more water-soluble nutrients (including disease-fighting phytonutrients) are lost in the cooking process. Clearly, you want to steam or cook lightly and not for too long or at too high temps. The ultimate goal is a mixture of raw and cooked vegetables.

https://drhyman.com/blog/2015/06/10/food-bites-with-dr-hyman-crucifers-and-thyroid/

WELLNESS NEWSLETTER

Because most of us steam, lightly boil, roast, sauté or bake our cruciferous vegetables, the amount of goitrogens our body actually receives is that much less due to the effect cooking these foods has on active goitrogenic level. So, my advice is not to worry about eating moderate servings of raw or cooked cruciferous veggies and to actually make a point of consuming 1 to 2 servings of them daily because they are so fundamentally crucial to disease prevention (especially cancer), as well as normal metabolic function (such as detoxification). If you are still concerned about how eating these vegetables affects your thyroid then follow some of these guidelines: Know the whole story. Cruciferous vegetables are not the only foods that contain goitrogenic

substances. Cassava (yuka), sweet potato, millet, soy, and even certain medications (such as Lithium) contain goitrogens. The goal is not to demonize individual foods, but to eat a variety of foods in moderation. Especially when studies repeatedly show that the goitrogenic substances in food are nothing to fear in terms of how they affect your thyroid function.

Focus on the proven triggers for thyroid dysfunction. If we are to single out foods that specifically do impact your thyroid function then let’s spend time examining foods like sugar, gluten, conventional dairy foods, and processed soy. All four have been researched and shown to negatively impact your thyroid. One of the first suggestions I give newly diagnosed thyroid patients is to go 100% gluten free.

Concentrate on what we can have! The best way to prevent your thyroid from crashing is not to eliminate healthy foods that are sensible parts of your whole foods diet (broccoli or kale), but to abundantly consume real, whole, nutrient-dense foods that contain copious amounts of thyroid-friendly nutrients (vitamins A and D, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, selenium, tyrosine, and iodine).

Bottom Line:

There are just too many important health benefits from eating cruciferous vegetables to think that tossing them from your healthy, whole foods diet makes sense. The only time I would suggest monitoring your intake of them is if you have a known iodine deficiency coupled with advanced, uncontrolled hypothyroidism. Work with your local (Functional Medicine) provider to discuss the best supplement and diet to replenish your iodine levels and replete your overall nutrition and health status.

Calories: 229 Total Fat: 8.4 g

Total Carbohydrate: 2.7g Dietary Fiber: 1 g

Sugar: 0.5 g Protein: 33 g

Recipe of the Month: Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli From: draxe.com

Ingredients: 1 lb. thin beef ribeye, sliced into strips 1/4 c. coconut aminos 2 T. white wine 2 T. apple cider vinegar 2 tsp. coconut oil 2 cloves smashed and chopped garlic 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 head broccoli, broken into pieces 1 T. sesame seeds

Directions: 1. Add the liquid to the slow cooker. 2. Add garlic and stir in spices. 3. Toss meat in slow cooker to coat. 4. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 5. Add broccoli about an hour before serving. 6. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top and serve.

https://drhyman.com/blog/2015/06/10/food-bites-with-dr-hyman-crucifers-and-thyroid/

Summer 2019

Diabetes Prevention Program

NEXT CLASS STARTS JULY 10!

Convenient Location:

Mason City Family YMCA Wednesdays @ 10:00 AM

Former Participants:

"I didn't expect much from the program in the beginning. I had tried everything (or so I thought). But this program really works if you take it seriously.”

“My A1C has dropped 1.5 points in just 4 months of the program! My doctor is ecstatic.”

641-421-9300

6 Benefits of Exercising in Nature

1. Fresh air has more oxygen

2. Greenscapes raise serotonin levels

3. Triggers primal regions of our brain and psyche

4. More sensory stimulation

5. Increases feelings of well-being and lowers depression

6. Sun exposure increases vitamin D levels and helps optimize hormones

Summer 2019

Move Outside No-Equipment Outdoor Workout

WARM UP (5 - 10 minutes) Perform these drills in 30 to 60 second intervals:

Walking w/ high knees

Jogging w/ high knees

Front crawl

Lateral Shuffle (L & R)

Quadruped bird dog

Forearm Plank

ROUND ONE: Basic Drill (5 minutes)

Power walk, jog or run on walking trail or path (desired distance)

Perform squat jack 10x and lateral skater 20x

Repeat sequence until time is up.

ROUND TWO: Pacer-Partner Challenge (5 minutes)

Pacer: Do forearm side-plank leg lift 10 x on each leg

Perform body-weight bridge 20x

Partner: Do burpee (vertical jump and pushup are optional)

(The pacer completes all reps and switches with the partner when they finish their drills.)

ROUND THREE: Pacer-Partner Challenge (10 minutes)

Pacer: Do walking lunges to desired distance and back. Repeat until partner completes

drills.

Partner: Perform jumping jack 20x, sit ups 10x, and pushups 5x.

(The pacer and partner switch roles after the “partner” completes all his/her drills)

ROUND FOUR: Group Challenge (3 minutes)

Do plank jacks 50x

And frogger jumps (deep squat with fingertips

touching ground between jumps) 50x.

Finish before 3 minutes = rest!!

COOLDOWN (5 minutes)

Static stretches

Skills & Drills. Lewis-McCormick, Irene. IDEA Fitness Journal. April 2019