Thyroid Hacks for Women Over 40

Why You’re Tired, Gaining Weight, and Feeling Off—And What You Can Do About It

If you’re a woman over 40 and wondering why your metabolism has slowed down, your hair is thinning, and you just can’t shake that foggy feeling, you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone.

Your thyroid might be the missing link.

In this week’s Health Hacks podcast, we dove deep into why the thyroid is so critical for women’s health, especially during perimenopause and beyond. And in this blog, we’re giving you the key takeaways—plus the practical steps you can take right now to start feeling better.

What Does the Thyroid Do?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, but don’t let its size fool you—it controls your metabolism, energy, temperature, hair growth, mood, and even your menstrual cycle.

If it’s underactive (hypothyroidism), your entire system slows down.If it’s being attacked by your immune system (like in Hashimoto’s), you may swing between feeling exhausted and anxious, or gain weight while eating clean and exercising.

Signs Your Thyroid Might Be Off

If any of these sound familiar, your thyroid may be struggling:

• Constant fatigue—even after a full night of sleep

• Difficulty losing weight or unexplained weight gain

• Cold hands and feet

• Hair thinning or loss

• Dry skin or brittle nails

• Constipation

• Brain fog or depression

• Irregular or heavy periods

And here’s the kicker: many women are told their thyroid is “normal” based on one basic blood test (TSH), even though they have all the symptoms of imbalance.

What’s Really Going On?

In Functional Medicine, we look deeper than standard labs. We often find that the thyroid is struggling not because it’s broken—but because it’s under stress from things like:

• Chronic inflammation

• Blood sugar imbalances

• Nutrient deficiencies (like selenium, iodine, or iron)

• Autoimmune attacks (Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the U.S.)

• Poor gut health (over 20% of thyroid conversion happens in the gut)

A sluggish thyroid is often a symptom, not the root cause.

3 Functional Medicine Thyroid Hacks

Here are a few powerful shifts we recommend for women over 40 who want to support healthy thyroid function:

1. Balance Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar crashes can raise cortisol (your stress hormone), which suppresses thyroid function. Eat protein at every meal, especially in the morning. Avoid skipping meals and cut out refined sugar.

2. Run a Full Thyroid Panel

Don’t settle for just TSH. Ask your provider—or request through us—for a full panel including Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO antibodies, and Thyroglobulin antibodies.

This is the only way to uncover Hashimoto’s or poor conversion issues.

3. Support Nutrient Deficiencies

Key nutrients for thyroid health include:

• Selenium (200 mcg/day from Brazil nuts or supplements)

• Iodine (from sea vegetables or monitored supplement use)

• Iron, zinc, and magnesium (test before supplementing)

Real Life, Real Results

We’ve seen countless women in our clinic—just like you—who were told their thyroid was “fine” even while they were exhausted, bloated, gaining weight, and overwhelmed.

After identifying the real root cause, adjusting nutrition, reducing inflammation, and supporting the thyroid properly, they got their energy and life back.

You can too.

Encouragement for the Journey

If you’re feeling discouraged, let us speak some truth into your life today:

You are not lazy. You are not broken. You just need answers—and a plan that honors how your body was designed to function.

At Thrive, we believe that health is a gift from God—and that restoring it is a form of stewardship. Your body was created to heal. You are worth the time, effort, and care it takes to feel well again.

Take the Next Step

Listen to the full podcast episode here: “Thyroid Hacks for Women Over 40"

Want personalized support? Book a free 15-minute health consultation and we’ll help you get the labs, answers, and healing you deserve.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Let’s help you Thrive.

Schedule Your Free Health Consultation

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be made through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.