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  • Life, Wellness

    4 Top Tips for Thyroid Health

    If you are joining me for the first time, this post with tips for thyroid health is the third in a three-part series on the thyroid. In previous posts, I discussed the signs and symptoms of underactive thyroid and lab tests to request to get a full picture of your thyroid function. In this post, I want to share some tips for a healthy thyroid and what you can do if you are hypothyroid to help your healing process.

    In this article:

    First and foremost you must seek to find the root instead of treating symptoms.

    Low thyroid function can come with some pretty uncomfortable symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and dry skin. While it may be tempting to try to treat the symptoms with things like caffeine, ibuprofen, and topicals, it won’t solve the problem. When I was at my worst, I would wake up with splitting headaches and feeling like I had a horrible hangover without having a drop to drink the night before. I tried everything to get rid of my headaches like acupuncture, chiropractic, essential oils, and I even resorted to Advil (which is the only thing that gave me relief). I didn’t want to rely on taking medication, but I had no idea how to fix the issue. The problem was that I was treating the headache and not the real problem, which turned out to be low thyroid function due to nutrient deficiencies and stress.

    Many of the tips I am offering here aim to address root causes rather than just relieve symptoms and will help improve your thyroid health naturally.

    Thyroid Health Tip #1 – Nourish your body

    It is so important to eat a diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits and offers a wide variety of nutrients. Some (but certainly not most) people may be able to get what they need from food alone, provided they have a varied diet that includes nutrient-dense, whole foods. It turns out that I am not one of those people. I, personally, have to rely on supplements to feel my best. The only accurate way to determine if you are getting all of the nutrients you need is to have your levels tested. I highly recommend doing this because it takes the guesswork out of it. I spent a lot of money trying out different supplements based on what I thought I needed, and it turns out the nutrients I was deficient in were not even on my radar.

    There are some essential nutrients that your thyroid depends on to function optimally, so if you are low on any of these, you may not be at your peak.  Consider taking supplements for your thyroid health. (Disclaimer: these are suggestions only and not intended as medical advice.)

    Iodine

    Did you know that women require more iodine than men? This is especially true during times of stress. The thyroid cannot function properly without an adequate supply of iodine. While many people believe that the addition of iodized salt to the diet eliminated iodine deficiencies, this isn’t always the case. If you mostly eat at home and have swapped out table salt for sea salt, for example, you may not be getting enough iodine.

    Easy self-test for iodine deficiency

    There is a really cheap and easy way to test yourself for iodine deficiency at home. All you need is a USP tincture of iodine (you can purchase at your local drugstore or online) and a cotton ball. Dip the cotton ball into the iodine and paint about a 2-inch circle on an area of soft skin such as your inner thigh or the inner upper arm. This will stain your skin a yellowish-orange color. If the stain disappears rapidly, like within an hour, you likely lack enough iodine. If the stain lasts more than four hours, then your iodine levels are likely fine. If you find that your iodine is lacking, consider adding more iodine-rich foods to your diet or possibly incorporating a supplement (be sure to work with a professional for dosing instructions).

    Foods that contain iodine:

    Seaweeds are nature’s richest source of iodine. Kombu, Wakame, and Nori are a few examples. If eating seaweed is new for you, here is a great article that gives you some preparation ideas. https://www.integrativenutrition.com/blog/2015/11/7-ways-to-eat-more-seaweed-and-why-you-should

    Selenium

    Selenium is a trace mineral that has a variety of functions. Among them is assisting in the production of thyroid hormone. Selenium is an underrated mineral, and I will talk about all of its benefits in a later post. For now, just know that it is essential for optimal thyroid function. Unfortunately, there’s no easy self-test for low selenium. Micronutrient blood testing must be done to know for sure.

    Foods that are high in selenium

    Many foods contain selenium in varying quantities. The quality in which your food is grown will impact its overall nutritional profile as well as the selenium content. Some selenium-rich foods to consider adding to your diet are Brazil nuts, fish, grass-fed beef, lentils, oatmeal, cashews, and bananas, to name a few.

    Zinc

    Zinc is another trace element that plays a role in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Changes in Zinc levels may correlate with changes in thyroid function, and changes in thyroid function may correlate with changes in levels of Zinc, so it is easy to see that they are interconnected. Zinc also plays a vital role in immune function, and some theories suggest that previous infections may be a trigger for Hashimoto’s. Adequate vitamin D is also necessary for proper immune function.

    Foods that are a good source of Zinc

    Brewer’s yeast, egg yolks, kelp, legumes, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, seafood, and soybeans are a few foods that are a good source of Zinc. It can also be found in many types of meat and liver.

    Thyroid Health Tip #2 – Avoid Gluten 100% of the time

    As mentioned previously, the autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the most common cause of low thyroid function. Research shows that there is a strong link between autoimmune thyroid disorders and gluten intolerance. You have probably considered cutting back on gluten, but If you have an immune response, it can last for several months. This means that each time you consume gluten, it’s like starting all over again. Your best bet is to eliminate gluten entirely.

    Thyroid Health Tip #3 – Love your Liver

    When it comes to your thyroid function, you probably don’t give much thought to your liver, am I right?! Well, it turns out that your thyroid and liver are very intricately connected. A healthy thyroid is more than just sufficient thyroid hormone production. It also depends on the delivery and metabolism of those hormones. A healthy liver is essential to this process. For tips on how to give you liver a little more love, check out this post.

    Thyroid Health Tip #4 – Stress Less

    When faced with chronic stress, your body will produce excess cortisol. Among other troubles that excess cortisol will cause, it also decreases the production of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and increases the conversion of T4 into RT3 (reverse T3). Reverse T3 as you might recall, is an inactive form of thyroid hormone. When more T4 is converted to RT3, it means less is being converted to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone. So not only will your thyroid produce fewer hormones in general, your body will convert less of those hormones into their most useful form. The result is a much slower metabolism and all the woes that come with it. Finding a stress management technique that works for you is crucial to your thyroid health and overall health.

    Implementing any of these tips can be helpful for maintaining or restoring proper thyroid function, but I always encourage you to consider the bigger picture. Even if you are getting all the nutrients you need, but are stressed to the max, or have a sluggish liver, it may not do you any good. It is a combination of actions that will have the most significant benefit. Modern medicine likes to treat the parts without addressing the whole. My philosophy is always to treat the whole to benefit the parts.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746228/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11115789/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30060266/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15244201/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9872614/

    https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/95/9/559/1574610

  • Life, Wellness

    Are you a Highly Sensitive Person?

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    Have you ever come across a book, movie, or story that made you think “OMG, this explains my whole life?!”  I recently read a book called The Highly Sensitive Person and that was exactly my thought the entire time.  I had someone mention this book to me almost a decade ago and it never occurred to me to read it because I didn’t really consider myself a sensitive person.  I don’t really get my feelings hurt easily and don’t take things personally. So, clearly, that didn’t apply to me, right? I was completely wrong. 

     

    What is a highly sensitive person?

    It turns out that being a Highly Sensitive Person doesn’t mean that you cry about everything or get your feelings hurts over nothing.  It is all about your nervous system and how certain stimuli (internal and external) affect you…. Now, this I can relate to.  

     

    If you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP for short) then it is super easy for you to get overstimulated, overwhelmed, and burnt out. The reason is that your nervous system is highly sensitive and things that feel normal to others can easily push you over the edge. This can affect all of your senses and make you particularly sensitive to loud noises, chemical smells, and even things you eat and drink. It may also make you more reactive to  things you see and hear about (like the news, perhaps?!) 

     

    So, I bring this up for a couple of reasons…

     

    1) If you are an HSP then chances are the craziness of this year is especially tough for you to handle. You often feel other people’s feelings and are sensitive to “vibes,” and boy are the vibes tense these days!  Anxieties that you never felt before may be creeping up or intensified, or you may find that you are feeling more “blue” than normal.  

     

    2) If you are a highly sensitive person then there’s a good chance you are also a hormonally sensitive person.  Your stress response (and therefore, cortisol levels) are more sensitive than most and can be tripped more easily. You are likely more prone to hormonal imbalances which can make the above-mentioned feelings even trickier to deal with. 

     

    But there is good news…

    Once you become aware of your sensitivity you can take steps to manage it. And…it can also act as your secret superpower. Some beneficial traits of a highly sensitive person are that you notice things that others don’t and can easily tune into social and emotional cues.  You are intuitive and can feel the subtle “hits” when you know something is right or wrong. The secret is to make your sensitivity work for you instead of debilitating you.  Here are some ways you can do that:

     

    Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

    Highly sensitive people need their sleep! When you don’t get enough of it, it can put your nervous system on even higher alert than usual. Better sleep can benefit every person, but it is crucial for HSP’s.  Make it a priority. 

     

    Create a Transition Ritual

    Interestingly, change can be tough for highly sensitive people. This can be a big change, such as a move or other major life event, or it can be a little change such as transitioning from working all day to being at home with the family.  Transition rituals for big and small changes can be extremely helpful. 

    Try this:  After you leave work, or finish working from home for the day, take a moment or two and just close your eyes and breathe. Acknowledge the activity you are finishing and then consciously transition into the new activity, trying to leave the previous activity behind.  I know this is way tougher than it sounds and you might not be able to make the switch so quickly. Do this exercise anyway.  Practice makes progress and it enables you to be truly present when you move to a new activity. 

     

    Pay More Attention to Your Sensitivities. 

    Does caffeine make you super jittery?  Do loud noises send you through the roof?  Does being in a crowd overwhelm you to no end? All of these things impact your nervous system and you may have varying degrees of sensitivity to different things. Start to pay attention to the things that seem to affect you the most.  When you have to do them/eat them/be around them you can expect to feel a little “off” or you can take steps to prepare yourself for them.  

    Let’s say you know you have to go to a large gathering of people (maybe not in 2020, but perhaps down the road) then you might take a little extra “me time” beforehand to be able to go in with a settled nervous system instead of diving in headfirst after an already crazy day.  Or, if you have to go into something already a bit frazzled, know that you are going to feel that way and that you will get through it.  Then afterward do what you need to do to settle down again. Acknowledging your sensitivities can help you better understand them and navigate times when they get triggered. 

     

    This post is just a small snapshot of information about being a highly sensitive person. If you want to learn more about the traits and symptoms of being a highly sensitive person, I highly recommend reading the book The Highly Sensitive Person.  Also, consider taking this highly sensitive person self-test for even greater insight.  

     

  • Life, Nutrition, Wellness

    Are Hormones the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight?

    • Comments Off on Are Hormones the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight?
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    Have you been eating well and exercising like you normally do, only to find that your weight keeps creeping up? Or maybe you’ve been cutting calories and doubling up on the workouts, and the weight just won’t budge.  Well, before you start googling “I can’t lose weight no matter what I do?!” There are a couple of things you need to know. 

    First, the whole calories in/calories out theory is old science and regardless of your calorie intake, it is still possible to gain or lose weight.

    Second, Hormones play a huge role in weight management, and if you don’t get a handle on your hormones, all of that exercise may be for naught  (or possibly even making the problem worse) Below I will explain some of the most common hormone imbalances that make the weight tough to shake.

     

    High Cortisol – Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenals and many women are producing too much simply because they are chronically stressed. High cortisol is often a reason that many women can’t lose weight. Cortisol itself can cause weight to settle in the midsection, and it also raises blood sugar which can contribute to insulin resistance down the line.  High cortisol is most often the result of dysregulation in the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal axis).  To learn more about cortisol and HPA axis dysfunction, check out this post. 

    Insulin resistance – Insulin is the hormone responsible for shuttling sugar out of the blood and into the cells so they can use it for energy. When blood sugar is chronically high due to things like a poor diet or stress, it can cause cells to become resistant to insulin.  Insulin is like the girl scout knocking on the door of the cell asking if it wants to buy some cookies.  The cell is like, “no thanks, I already bought too many cookies and don’t have room for any more!” So what happens to the cookies?  They get stored as fat. 

    Leptin resistance – Leptin is the hormone that regulates our fullness cues. When you’ve had enough to eat, leptin signals to the brain that you are full and to stop eating. Leptin is produced in the fat cells so if you are overweight and have more fat cells, more leptin is produced. In a fashion similar to insulin resistance, the excess production of leptin overloads the leptin receptors in the brain, and the brain says, “no more.”  When that happens, it’s no longer able to receive the message that you are full, so you keep eating, and your weight keeps climbing. 

    Estrogen dominance – Estrogen dominance is when there is too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. A common complaint associated with estrogen dominance is weight gain, or weight loss resistance, especially around the belly, hips, and thighs. High levels of estrogen may also interfere with the activity of thyroid hormones which can slow metabolism and make it so you can’t lose weight no matter what you try. 

    To learn more about estrogen dominance, check out this post

    Low thyroid –  Your thyroid is the regulator of your metabolism and if things are amiss with the thyroid then it can easily impact your weight.  This is often the first thing people check when they can’t lose weight only to find that their test results come back normal. However, the problem isn’t always that your thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones. It may be because the body isn’t properly converting inactive thyroid hormone to active thyroid hormone that can actually get used. Check out this post to learn more about thyroid function and its impact on your health.

     

     

    If you think hormones are the reason you can’t lose weight, try these things…

     

    Skip the drinks – Alcohol can seriously sabotage your weight loss efforts for a number of reasons, and it is also especially hard on your hormones. Alcohol raises cortisol, messes with your blood sugar and insulin levels, and taxes the liver which helps detox excess hormones like estrogen out of the body. A glass of wine now and then is okay but if you are someone who drinks nearly every day, consider taking at least a two-week timeout every now and then.

    Exercise – When it comes to exercise, there is no need to kill yourself at the gym.  A consistent walking regimen, yoga, or dancing are all great options if the gym just isn’t your thing. Exercise helps with insulin sensitivity (meaning the cells welcome insulin instead of repelling it), and it’s also a great way to reduce stress. Regular exercise can also help you shed excess fat that contributes to things like estrogen dominance and leptin resistance. 

    Avoid processed or packaged foods – Many processed and packaged foods contain additives that disrupt hormone communication. They are also often heavy in sugar and salt, causing weight gain and water retention. Always eat food as close to its natural state as possible. If you do buy packaged foods, look for items with very few ingredients and all of which you can pronounce!

    Eat better meat – A lot of conventionally produced meats contain remnants of antibiotics and hormones given to animals to keep them from getting sick and make them grow larger to produce more meat.  These things will cause imbalances in your gut and can impact the production and utilization of your own hormones. This is often one of the major contributors to estrogen dominance. 

    It’s true that organic, grass-fed or pasture raised meats cost more money, but this is one area where it is 100% worth it. 

    Get a handle on stress – A little bit of stress management can go a long way.  Many of these imbalances can be linked to chronic stress and HPA axis dysfunction. Conscious relaxation exercises such as deep breathing and meditation help counteract the stress response giving your body the space it needs to heal. 

    If you find that you can’t lose weight even while counting calories and exercising often, imbalanced hormones are likely the cause.  To see if you might have a hormone imbalance and get even more tips on how to balance them naturally, take the free quiz below. 

    
						
    
				
    
					
    
		
    
					
    
		
    
				
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
				
    
			
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    Life, Wellness
        
	  
    
					
    How to test for underactive thyroid
    
		        
      
    

	
	
	
  
    Last week I shared a little bit on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of low thyroid function and this week we will explore which lab tests you need to determine if you have an underactive thyroid. Most people don’t know that multiple markers must be considered to truly analyze thyroid function, but typically doctors only measure one or two of them.
    

     
    


    


    In this article:
    

     
    


    


      

    • Meet the HPT Axis
      • 

    • What thyroid blood tests do you really need?
      • 

    • A note about “normal” lab tests
      • 

    • A Self-test for underactive thyroid
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    Meet the Hypothalamus Pituitary Thyroid (HPT)  axis
    

     
    


    


    In previous posts I introduced you to the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) axis. Well there’s another ring of communication that happens between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid glands. This one is cleverly named the HPT axis. In a nutshell, when the hypothalamus detects low levels of thyroid hormones it will send a message to the pituitary via the hormone thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This signals the pituitary to produce another hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which then tells the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones as needed. 
    

     
    


    


    Typically when doctors test for thyroid function, they only measure TSH. When thyroid hormones in the blood are low, the body will signal to make more and TSH will be elevated. When thyroid hormones in the blood are high then the body is not directed to make more and TSH levels are lower. 
    

     
    


    


    Measuring TSH is a good start but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. If you remember back to my first post, there are two different thyroid hormones T3 and T4. The thyroid produces about 80% T4 and 20% T3, but T3 is the most active form. Measuring TSH alone won’t tell you the concentrations of T4 and T3 or how well your body is converting T4 to T3.
    

     
    


    




    


    What thyroid blood tests do you really need?
    

     
    


    


I’d like to note that some of the blood tests below are primarily used by practitioners of functional medicine to assess the overall performance of the thyroid gland and the usability of thyroid hormones. They may not be necessary to diagnose true thyroid disease. If you are a relatively healthy person but suspect that some of your symptoms may be caused by an underactive thyroid then consider the following tests:
    

    



    


TSH
    

    



    


Thyroid-stimulating hormone as mentioned above is a measurement that may indicate the demand being placed on the thyroid to produce more hormones.  If the measurement is high then it shows you that there is not enough thyroid hormone circulating and the thyroid is being asked to make more. If the TSH measurement is low, then it can indicate that too much thyroid hormone is circulating and there is little demand on the thyroid to produce more hormones. 
    

    



    


Free T4
    

    



    


Free T4 measures how much T4 is unbound and able to be used by bodily tissue (and potentially converted to T3). The measure of Free T4 alongside TSH can be a better indicator of thyroid function.  If free T4 is high then it can potentially indicate an overactive thyroid and if it is low in can potentially indicate an underactive thyroid. 
    

    



    


Free T3 
    

    



    


Recall that T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and is often converted from T4 in other areas of the body. Free T3 essentially measures the availability of your active thyroid hormone. If  Free T3 is low then it may indicate that you are not converting T4 into T3 effectively. If it is high then it can potentially indicate hyperthyroidism. 
    

    



    


Reverse T3
    

    



    


T4 can also be converted to Reverse T3 which is another inactive thyroid hormone. When RT3 is high then it may indicate that most of the T4 is being converted to RT3 instead of T3 so the active form of thyroid hormone is not sufficient. This is often the case when you have low thyroid symptoms but TSH and T4 results are normal. 
    

    



    


Thyroid antibodies
    

    



    


The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid and inhibits its function.  It is estimated that 14 million people (most of which are women) have Hashimotos in the U.S. alone.  Yet, many doctors don’t even test for Hashimoto’s without a specific request from their patient. 
    

    



    


Because Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease it involves the production of abnormal antibodies that can be detected in the blood. Early detection of antibodies can prevent severe damage to the thyroid that requires lifelong medication. Here’s what to test for:
    

    



    


Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) – These antibodies attack the enzyme Thyroid peroxidase that plays an important role in producing thyroid hormones. 
    

    



    


Thryoglobulin antibodies (Tgab) – These antibodies attack Thyroglobulin which is a protein produced in the thyroid and is the main precursor to thyroid hormones.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    A note about “normal” levels
    

    



    


When labs determine their ranges, they are essentially testing a very large sampling of people and then taking averages of the results to come up with high, normal, or low ranges. Even when your results fall within “normal” ranges, you must pay attention to where you fall on the normal spectrum. If your results are closer to the higher or lower end of normal (depending on the test) your thyroid may not be functioning optimally and symptoms still occur. Many times people are written off and told to “just wait and see” if they fall anywhere within the normal range. Again this is a reason to seek out a functional medicine practitioner who will take these things into consideration.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    Try this self-test for underactive thyroid
    

    



    


If you think you might be hypothyroid then there is a simple test you can do at home to confirm your suspicions. To be clear, this is not to diagnose or fully analyze the function of your thyroid, but it measures one of the first symptoms of hypothyroid: low body temperature.
    

    



    


First thing in the morning before you even get out of bed, take a mercury thermometer and place it in your armpit for 10 minutes. Keep a daily log of your temperature for several days. If you are still menstruating, you will have natural temperature fluctuations during your cycle.   Pay close attention to your temperature after the second and third days of your period. A reading below 97.8 degrees may indicate hypothyroid. 
    

    



    


Another possible indicator of hypothyroid is a mid-afternoon temperature that is significantly lower than 98.6 degrees. 
    

    



    


Work with your doctor or seek out a practitioner who can request and accurately interpret all of your thyroid labs. You know your body best, and if you are being told that everything is normal but you aren’t convinced, keep looking for answers. You don’t have to settle for a life full of symptoms and discomfort. 
    

    





    



    

    



    



    

    



    


Sources:
    

    



    


https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hashimotos-thyroiditis/hashimotos-thyroiditis-facts-tips
    

    



    


https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/thyroid-disorders/hypothyroidism
    

    



    


https://www.thyroid.org/wp-content/uploads/patients/brochures/FunctionTests_brochure.pdf
    

    



    https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/january-2019/vol-12-issue-1-p-11-12/ 
    

    


https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163729
    

    



  

    

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