Module 4 – Thyroid Health
This section compliments your thyroid guide. It’s a very important part of your health, that you need to be aware of.
One of the key functions of the thyroid is to drive your metabolism. If your metabolism is slow, fat burning becomes difficult, your digestion slows down, which also slows how your body absorbs and assimilates nutrients, and then your adrenals and hormones take a hit.
If you have an optimal metabolism and thyroid function, you would be burning fat for 24 hours a day, 7 days per week plus have more energy. You would also have good bowel movements daily, good mental health, good resilience against infections and beautiful hair, skin and nails.
Primary symptoms associated with slow Thyroid;
weigh issues
constipation
sensitive to temperatures - always feeling cold and or uncomfortable in extreme heat
cold hands, feet and nose
low body temperature
low heart rate
extreme fatigue and low energy
hair loss including eyebrows and eyelashes
dry skin and coarse hair
hair loss including eyebrows and eyelashes
Symptoms or issues associated with low thyroid function THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW;
mental health issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, mania, psychosis, and bipolar
nutrient deficiencies
estrogen dominance and its associated issues
low testosterone, progesterone and DHEA
chronic high stress hormones - adrenaline, cortisol, serotonin, prolactin and parathyroid hormone
insulin resistancee and diabetes
IBD including Celiac, Diverticulosis and Ulcerative colitis
cardiovascular disease including stroke, enlarged heart, arterial plaque and high blood pressure
Skin issues including acne, eczema, boils, impetigo, cellulitis and carbuncles, winter itch (is a generalized itching over the extremities, especially in the lower parts of the arms and legs), fish skin, also known as scaly skin
chronic infections/illness includin sinus, throat and ear infections, respiratory illness, emphysema and rheumatic fever
Skin issues including acne, eczema, boils, impetigo, cellulitis and carbuncles, winter itch (is a generalized itching over the extremities, especially in the lower parts of the arms and legs), fish skin, also known as scaly skin
Autoimmune diseases including Lupus and MS (multiple sclerosis)
Menstrual issues including endometriosis, fibroids, fertility issues and miscarriage
Causes of low or slow thyroid function;
Stress and trauma
Leaky gut
Adrenal malfunction
Crappy diet especially those rich in PUFAs, processed foods and fast food (yes that includes restaurant foods)
Obesity
Poor liver health (this is a BIG one!)
Alcohol consumption
Poor sleep
Lack of exercise and low muscle mass
Detoxification and methylation issues
Toxic overload and heavy metals
DNA or genetic predisposition to hypothyroid
Radiation
Pregnancy
Pituitary gland disorder (where the gland struggles to produce enough Thyroid hormone ).
Iodine, Zinc and Selenium deficiencies can also contribute to slow or sluggish Thyroid.
With low thyroid there are a few weird causes of it that people don’t realize as well. It can be unknown, but it could be that you’re on medications that suppress your thyroid, and the classic one is Lithium for Bipolar or mental disorders. There are also other drugs like antibiotics that can suppress the thyroid. Benzos, anti depressants, sleep pills, all sorts of things that people take that dramatically suppress the thyroid.
Think of your thyroid as your sister, that you need to always take care of.
Symptom picture checklist for slow or under-active thyroid function
generalized weight gain that is difficult to account for
gut issues including bloating and chronic constipation
fluid retention
fatigue
brain fog
apathy and depression
too tired and cranky to care or tolerate ‘idiots’ (impatient towards others)
cold or overly sensitive to cold breeze, drinks and foods
swollen and bloated
slow bowels with excessive bloating and gas and fullness
poor circulation and fluid retention in legs and hands
dry, weak and poor quality hair – hair loss in clumps
loss of the outer third of the eyebrow
low libido
shortness of breath
heavy painful periods
heavy painful periods
lumpy breast tissue associated with Iodine deficiency
dry skin
elevated rash around the inner forearms and collar bone
weak, brittle or poor quality finger and toe nails
sluggish bowels and constipation
burping, farting and gurgling guts
over all feeling of being unwell
Thyroid hormone for fat loss, metabolism and all metabolic functions.
It is essential to support the thyroid hormone pathways to ensure that it works as a potent thermogenic compound (fat burning compound). There are many factors that will alter the thyroid hormone conversion pathways. So here is your strategy to improve your thyroid function.
Support healthy thyroid hormone profile
Maximise Thyroxine (T4) production and release
Enhance the conversion of T4 to the more active form Triiodothyronine (T3)
and then support conversion of T3 through to the potent thermogenic mitochondrial activating T2
Boost the thermogenic form of thyroid hormone, Diiodothyronine (T2)
Reduce reverse T3 (rT3) (a potential suppressor of thyroid function)
But how do you do all this?
You actively try to improve insulin resistance with good nutrition, meal timing, time restricted eating, and exercise – as you have been doing. Manage or reduce stress as much as possible (self care and me time!), improve body composition by exercising regularly and lots of walking. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep, avoid toxins as much as possible (use clean beauty and skincare products), eat organic whole foods where you can, support your liver daily with Dandelion and Milk thistle teas, support your gut with polyphenols, fiber, modbiotics and fermented foods. And add in…
Thyroid raw material nutrient base –
Tyrosine - Provides the back bone structure for T4, T3 and T2
Iodine - Required for the production of thyroid hormones (T4, T3 and T2)
Manesium - People with low thyroid or hypothyroidism need more magnesium then others to support energy production and adrenal health
Zinc - Required for the the conversion of T4 to T3
Selenium - Required for the conversion of T4 to T3
Note; thyroid hormone is made of iodine and tyrosine
Tyrosine is found in high protein foods. Iodine is best from Kelp or other sea vegetables. I also like to paint Lugols solution on my inner arms every morning. Check out my Facebook and Instagram pages for pictres. Magnesium can be found in green vegetables, grass fed beef and other animal meats, but most people need a magnesium supplement. Zinc and Selenium are got from organic raw pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts (be aware to not exceed 4 Brazil nuts a day as a selenium overdose can play against you), and dark chocolate.
Also did you know that before the 1950’s Fluoride was used as an anti Thyroid medication?! It would slow down the function of the Thyroid in those with fast thyroid, there are plenty of studies to back this up. This link brings you to many studies and articles on the effect of fluoride on thyroid health if you would like to learn more about it.
Even if you feel like you don’t have thyroid issues – you should actively be doing the above and adding the above foods into your diet daily. Avoid fluoride as much as possible by using fluoride free toothpaste and mouthwashes, and filter your water.
Your thyroid is your master metabolic regulator. When the thyroid slows down so does EVERYTHING else!
Pro thyroid supplements and molecules.
Pro thyroid supplements and molecules are literally what they sound like. They are supplements and molecules that support thryoid function and health. The below are some of my favorite supplements and molecules to use to improve thyroid function. Use as many as possible daily but not all. I have placed a star beside the ones I use.
Lugols Iodine
Thorne Research Selenium
Platt Wellness Bio identical progesterone
Regular dose uncoated aspirin
Now Foods Glycine
Planetary Herbals Stone Free
Organika L-theanine
Thorne Research magnesium citramate
T3 or triiodothyronine which is the active thyroid hormone, usually called "Cytomel". If you can get your hand on this, then you don't need much else.
Caffeine ideally from an organic source (I personally use mushroom coffee for its extra medicinal properties)
Organic 80-100% dark chocolate for its caffeine, steric acid, mineral and polyphenols
Protein especially red meat which contains thyroid hormone and lots of collagen and powdered bone broth for the amino acids (tyrosine is an amino acid)
Minerals and electrolytes are needed in high demand for energy production and are the main fuel source for your adrenal glands
Message me for timing and doseage.
The thyroid needs a lot of good nutrients to work optimally, especially protein and minerals.
TESTING YOUR THROID AT HOME.
You have probably heard me talk a bout this a lot…because I do. But there are 4 very useful tests that you can do at home to test thyroid function. More in the podcast episode below in the resources, but they are;
1
Taking your temperature.
2
Taking your heart/pulse rate.
3
The iodine patch test.
4
The achilles tendon reflex test.
These at home tests can sometimes (a lot of the time) be more helpful in understanding your thyroid health then speacking to a doctor. According to Dr Broda Barnes, author of “Hypothyroidism; The unsuspected illness” 1976, and I quote – “Although the basal temperature test is not 100% specific for thyroid function, the simple procedure is remarkably successful in uncovering hypothyroidism. Its results most often fit well with patients sysmptoms“.
A failure to recognize hypothroidism early, as soon as it begins to manifest itself, can lead to years of needless suffering.
The Parathyroid.
Have you heard of the parathyroid? Most people haven’t. The parathyroid are 4 small glands on the thyroid – one on the back and in each corner of the thyroid.
Parathyroid glands have nothing to do with the thyroid gland and actually the two glands function separately.
Each of the parathyroid glands play a part in controlling the level of CALCIUM in your body and particularly in your blood. The make a hormone called parathyroid hormone or PTH. It is the parathyroid hormone that controls calcium metabolism and that includes calcium leaching from the bones and build up in the arteries and tissue etc. This of kidney stones and plaque in the arteries.
Calcium is one of the bodys essential salts and is crucial for metabolism, the central nervous system, muscle and nerve function.
Learning about the parathyroid is obviously very important, yet many people are unaware of its existance.
They can become enlarged and over active. Elevated PTH is not good. This is referred to as hyperparathyroidism or parathyroid disease. Bone loss is accelerated by parathyroid disease or elevated PTH. The commonest causes of elevated PTH are low levels of vitamin D3, low calcium in the diet, and high stress.
The way to diagnose parathyroid disease is with blood serum testing but we can also see markers on Hair Test Mineral Analysis. On a blood test we are looking for raised PTH, raised serum calcium and low albumin. We can also look at urine calcium and serum alkaline phosphatase (both will be elevated). But there are also some symptoms we can look at;