Around 41 million people in India suffer from thyroid disorders in India. Women, especially in the later years of their life, are more prone to thyroid disorders. A few important factors that lead to this disorder are consumption of foods interfering with the thyroid gland functioning, genetics, and lifestyle.
Our body’s metabolism slows down because of hypothyroidism and causes a worrisome weight gain and other side effects like hair loss, constipation, fatigue, dry skin, changes in menstrual cycle, etc. However, with a proper lifestyle change and healthy diet, thyroid levels in people with hypothyroidism can be balanced and kept under control.
Here are 5 recipes to incorporate in your everyday diet –
Calcium Booster Juice
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 10 min.
Makes 2 small glasses
Ingredients
1.1 1/2 – cups carrot, unpeeled and chopped
2.1 1/2 – cups beetroot, chopped
3.2 tbsp.– chopped parsley
4.2 tbsp.–chopped celery
5.Crushed ice for serving
Method
Throw in all the ingredients in a blender and juice this mixture.Enjoy it without straining for maximum benefits! Have this first thing in the morning to get your boost of calcium.
Nutritional value per glass
| Energy | 50 kcal |
| Protein | 1.6 gm |
| Carbohydrate | 10.6 gm |
| Fat | 0.2 gm |
| Fibre | 1.4 gm |
| Calcium | 79.0 mg |
| Vitamin C | 11.6 mg |
| Folic Acid | 13.9 mcg |
Benefit
Your body’s ability to absorb calcium is reduced due to hypothyroidism. This might lead to bone loss. So, adding up calcium to your diet balances this. However, talk to your doctor before starting calcium-rich foods as excess calcium can lead to other health issues.
Apple Carrot Magic Drink – Vitamins & Fibre Rich Recipe!
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 15 min.
Makes 2 glasses
Ingredients
1.2 cups – carrot peeled and cut into sticks
2.1 1/4 cups – unpeeled apple wedges
3.1/2 tsp. – roughly chopped ginger
Method
Add all the ingredients in a blender to prepare the juice.Enjoy it without straining for getting good amount fibre, Vitamin A and C content. First thing in the morning makes this a very refreshing and healthy drink to start your day with!
Nutritional value per glass
| Energy | 103 kcal |
| Protein | 1.3 gm |
| Carbohydrate | 23.1 gm |
| Fiber | 7.9 gm |
| Fat | 0.6 gm |
| Vitamin A | 2381.4 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.8 mg |
| Vitamin C | 4.5 mg |
| Folic Acid | 18.9 mcg |
| Calcium | 108.1 mg |
| Iron | 1.8 mg |
Benefit
Consuming a diet rich in vitamin A along with protein increases your ability to convert T4 to T3. Since vitamin A supplementation can lead to other vitamin deficiencies,consuming foods that naturally have more carotenoids helps reduce other vitamin deficiencies and improves your TSH levels.
Tomato Fenugreek Rice – Iron Rich Veg Recipe
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 20 min.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1.1/2 cup – chopped tomatoes
2.3 cups – chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
3.2 tsp.– oil
4.1 –Bay leaf
5.2 – Cloves
6.25 mm (1″) piece – cinnamon
7.2 – Cardamoms
8.2 tsp. – finely chopped green chillies
9.1/4 cup – onion paste
10.2 tsp.– garlic paste
11.1 tbsp. – coriander-cumin seeds powder
12.1/2 tsp. – turmeric powder
13.2 tsp. – chilli powder
14.3 cups – cooked brown rice
15.Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, throw in the cloves, bay leafs, cardamom and cinnamon and sauté for about 30 seconds on a medium flame
2. Now add green chillies and onion paste and sauté for a few more seconds on a medium flame. Then add garlic paste and mix well
3. Now throw in the tomatoes and keep stirring on a medium flame till they are cooked
4. To prevent onions from burning add a bit of water while sautéing and add coriander-cumin seeds powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, 2 tbsp. water and cook for 2 minutes on a medium flame
5. Now it’s time to add fenugreek leaves and cook for another 5 minutes on a slow flame till the leaves are cooked
6. Add rice and salt, gently combine everything and cook for a few more minutes on a slow flame
7. Serve hot with fresh raita and papad!
Nutritional value
| Energy | 178 kcal |
| Protein | 4.1 gm |
| Carbohydrate | 32.4 gm |
| Fat | 3.0 gm |
| Iron | 1.4 mg |
| Fibre | 1.0 mg |
Benefit
Containing selenium, tomatoes are good for thyroid function. Also, turmeric and cinnamon with their antioxidant properties are very good for hypothyroidism. Fenugreek seeds are known to interfere with thyroid medication, and though there is no known contraindication for fenugreek leaves, it is better consume them in limited quantities.
Mushroom Brown Rice – A Veggie’s delight!
Preparation Time: 25 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 35 min.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients for the Brown Rice
1. 1 1/2 – cups brown rice
2. 3 tbsp. – chopped lemon grass
3. ¼ cup – thinly sliced spring onions
4. 1/4 cup – thinly sliced capsicum
5. 1 tsp. – finely chopped green chillies
6. 1 tsp.– dry red chilli flakes
7. 1 tsp. – olive oil
8. 1/4 tsp.– salt
For The Sautéed Mushrooms
1. 4 cups – mushrooms, chopped into quarters
2. 1/2 cup – sliced spring onion whites
3. 2 tsp. – chopped garlic
4. 1/4 cup – thinly sliced yellow capsicum
5. 1/4 cup – thinly sliced green capsicum
6. 1/4 cup – thinly sliced red capsicum
7. 1/2 tbsp. – lemon juice
8. 1 tsp.– corn flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
9. 2 tbsp. – chopped coriander
10. 1 tsp.– oil
11. 1/4 tsp. – salt
For the Paste
1. 3 – Whole dry Kashmiri red chillies, soaked
2. 2 tsp. –Thai ginger
3. 1 tsp. – sugar
4. 2 tbsp. – water
Method to prepare Brown Rice
1. Wash, soak (2-3 hours) and drain brown rice and keep aside
2. In a large vessel, boil 4 cups of water, add rice and lemon grass and cook on a medium flame till rice is almost done. Remove lemon grass, drain water and keep the cooked rice aside
3. In a pan, heat oil and sauté spring onions until translucent. Now add green chillies, capsicum, and red chilli flakes and sauté for a minute
4. Now add the cooked brown rice, salt and mix well. Remove from flame and keep aside
Method to prepare Sautéed Mushrooms
1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté spring onions till they are translucent
2. Now add garlic and capsicum and sauté for another few minutes
3. To it, add the ground paste and lemon juice, and sauté another minute
4. Now finally, add mushrooms and cook until they are soft and water has dried
5. It’s time to add the corn flour and coriander and toss gently, keep aside
For Serving
Add everything together and mix well. Serve hot with garnished spring onion greens.
Nutritional Value
| Energy | 121 cal |
| Protein | 3.4 gm |
| Carbohydrate | 20.7 gm |
| Fat | 3.3 gm |
| Sodium | 295.4 mg |
| Vitamin C | 28.0 |
| Iron | 1.5 mg |
| Potassium | 298.3 mg |
| Fibre | 1.6 mg |
Benefit
Spices like chillies and ginger increase your metabolic rate. It is also known that mushrooms, especially white button, Portobello, crimini and enoki are highly beneficial for someone with hypothyroidism. They have high iodine content and vitamin D along with antioxidant properties.
Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Preparation Time: 30 min.
Cooking Time: 5 hours 10 min.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1. 2 pounds – chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, drumsticks)
2. 1/2 cup – orange juice
3. 1 tbsp. –olive oil
4. 1 tbsp. – ginger, fresh
5. 1 tsp. –red chilli powder
6. 1 tsp. –ground cumin
7. 1/2 tsp. – ground coriander
8. 1/4 tsp. –crushed red pepper
Salt to taste
1. 2 tsp. – orange peel
2. 2 tbsp. – honey
3. 2 tsp. – orange juice
Method
1. For the marinade, stir together ½ cup orange juice in a small bowl along with olive oil, red chilli powder, ginger, coriander, crushed red pepper and salt
2. Now in a large resalable plastic bag, place chicken and pour in the marinade mixture and seal the bag making sure the chicken is well coated and then set it in the refrigerator for the next 4 to 24 hours for the chicken to tenderize and absorb the flavour intensely
3. Now in a small bowl, stir together some honey, orange juice and the orange peel and keep aside
4. While cooking, drain the chicken marinade, discarding every drop of it and heat up the grill. Place the chicken, skinned side up on a lightly greased grill rack and cover the grill for the next 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is golden and nicely done
5. During the last 10 minutes, take a brush and glaze the chicken with a good amount of honey mixture for the delicious crisp and sweet flavour
6. Serve hot with a side of fresh salad!
Nutritional Value
| Calories | 251 |
| Fat | 9gm |
| Cholesterol | 92mg |
| Sodium | 121 mg |
| Saturated Fat | 2 gm |
| Protein | 30 gm |
| Fiber | 0 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 11 gm |
Benefit
Spices rev up your metabolism. Orange juice used to marinate the chicken is high in potassium, and magnesium. These are highly beneficial for a person with hypothyroidism.
