According to the American Thyroid Association, “more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition:
It’s hard to believe but I see this in my practice every week. I have come to feel like the thyroid is the canary in the coal mine, and that coal mine is our current lifestyle and toxic environment.
It was Thyroid Awareness Month in January. I know that it is now February, but it feels important to bring awareness to these statistics anytime.
Almost every client I’ve worked with has either been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, has a family history of it or suspects that they have one.
It is wise to be aware of the signs that start to surface indicating something is up with the thyroid …
Graves’ or Hyperthyroid- common symptoms can include: weight loss, loose stools, sweating, hot flushes, anxiety, irritability, constant fatigue, elevated heart rate, reduced libido, bulging eyes, hand tremors, change in menstruation and increased appetite.
Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroid– common symptoms can include: cold hands and feet, intolerance to cold, constipation, hair loss, weight gain, depression, brain fog, hormonal imbalances, dry skin and fatigue.
Unfortunately, not all women or men who are diagnosed with thyroid disorders are provided the right lab tests or resources to get their thyroid issues under control.
Most people who are diagnosed are immediately prescribed a thyroid medication. This can provide immediate relief for those who are suffering, but medication is not necessarily a long-term solution and it certainly does not solve the root of the problem. In fact, medication can become less effective over time, while the root cause goes unaddressed and the thyroid continues to deteriorate.
Medication doesn’t address why you might have low thyroid hormone in the first place, and with an autoimmune disorder it doesn’t stop the body from attacking healthy tissue; that’s simply not the mechanism of thyroid medication.
The good news is, there are natural ways to support your thyroid health! You can prevent and reverse thyroid disorders.
I want to help you elevate your thyroid knowledge so you can avoid becoming a thyroid statistic, or so you can heal your thyroid and get back to feeling like yourself once and for all!
Although the statistics for being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder are high, it’s not a death sentence.
Often it’s not just one thing that triggers a thyroid issue. It’s a combination of factors over a period of time that disrupt the natural balance of your body and ultimately your thyroid.
At first the list of contributing factors might seem daunting, make you feel guilty about the choices you have made, or leave you wondering where to even start; BUT the silver lining is that with a little education, the right lab tests and resources, you can step-by-step take back control of your thyroid health.
I’m going to break down the 3 main steps you can take to support and heal the thyroid naturally.
Step #1 – Know Your Numbers- Get the correct Labs
To really evaluate your thyroid health you need to know all of your thyroid numbers, NOT just TSH.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is produced by the pituitary gland to “stimulate” the thyroid. This marker tells you if the pituitary is working hard to kick the thyroid into gear, but leaves questions about what is going on with the rest of the thyroid function.
Thyroid hormone T4 is produced by the thyroid and then converted into T3 primarily in the liver and gut, and then in various other tissues. Total T4 and T3 represent bound hormones (not available for use), verses Free T4 and T3 which represent the unbound or active forms available for use.
Reverse T3 prevents Free T3 from attaching to your cells (inhibiting its effects).
Thyroid antibodies- Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO Ab) and Thyroglobulin (Tg Ab) indicate if the body is attacking its own thyroid tissue, known as an autoimmune response.
Can you see why it’s important to know all of these numbers to fully understand the big picture?
And don’t be fooled by conventional thyroid test reference ranges that were established based on people with existing thyroid disorders. Back in 2002 the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry even acknowledged that thyroid reference ranges were probably “skewed by the inclusions of persons with occult thyroid dysfunction,” – yet little has been done to update them.
Conventional ranges are very wide, and optimal ranges are narrow. In the functional medicine world, optimal thyroid reference ranges look something like this:
- TSH: 1-2
- Total T4: 6-12
- Free T4: 1.4-1.8
- Total T3: 120-180
- Free T3: 3.4-4.4
- Reverse T3: <15
- TPO Ab: < 10
- Tg Ab: < 20
Ask your doctor to run a full thyroid panel to include all of these markers. If they won’t, find someone like me who will.
Step #2- Heal the Root Causes
The majority of thyroid disorders can be improved by healing the root causes. Here are some common common strategies to improve overall thyroid health:
- Remove gluten from your diet
- Heal your gut and improve digestion
- Improve the quality and quantity of sleep
- Support stress and emotions
- Avoid exposure to toxins (heavy metals etc.)
- Improve your body’s capacity to detox
- Fully address underlying hormonal imbalances
You have more control over your thyroid health than you might think.
It’s impossible to find perfection in food, sleep, stress and environment. However, you can start noticing aspects of your lifestyle that might be impacting your thyroid health and start making changes.
The 3rd step to supporting and healing your thyroid is definitely a topic that most health professionals aren’t talking about – which is funny because it involves communication and trust!
The study of epigenetics, and emotional and vibrational energy, has proven over time how health can be impacted by our beliefs and experiences.
Step #3 – Build Trust & Communication
In various Eastern medicine and healing modalities the thyroid is related to the throat chakra. Chakras are known as energy centers, located in specific places of the body that help to regulate processes such as organ function, the immune system and emotions.
The throat chakra is located exactly as indicated, at the throat. It is related to the thyroid, mouth, throat and ears, as well as our ability to express and communicate.
When the throat chakra is out of balance it might show up as:
- Over or under communication
- Inhibitions of self expression
- Sore throat, asthma and fatigue
- Struggling to find words
- Thyroid imbalances
Almost all of these have been obstacles at some point in my life.
For this final step, I highly recommend engaging in some transformational personal self-growth work. Rewire negative old belief systems and your ability to communicate your needs with confidence. This can rebalance your throat chakra to assist your thyroid in it’s healing process.
Along with this process, you need to remember to trust your body again. Your body didn’t fail you!
Take one day at a time and shift the mindset by,
- Looking in the mirror with appreciation
- Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for daily
- Working with healers and coaches to realign beliefs
- Taking time to do one thing for your self each day (meditate, long lunch, massage, etc.)
- Talking openly about your journey and letting those around you know how they could support you
You can reclaim your health with these steps described in this blog, so that you can feel like yourself again, or for the very first time.
If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests, resources and guidance to prevent or reverse a thyroid issue, I would be honored to support you!
Click here to Schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session with me today!
If you have a friend or family member in your life who wants to solve health problems once and for all, please share this info with them. It might be the thing to help them get back on their feet again!!
