Tag Archive for Thyroid Summit

Tough Mudder, Here We Come; Do You Have Low Thyroid?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOh Yea, my sweet husband has “won” us a position in the Richmond Tough Mudder, in 7 days.  We just “won” this a few days ago, so training and preparing for this is going to be…… minimal?

Here’s a link to the course,   I’m a little scared of the Arctic Enema, and the ElectroShocks,  they sound dangerous and unpleasant.

If anyone has ANY advice as to what to do, what to wear, or how to conquer an obstacle, I’ll listen:)  I’m all ears!

Has anyone been listening to the Thyroid Summit this week with Dr. Brownstein and Susie Cohen?  It’s FREE, it goes through June 9, and it’s loaded with Doctors and Scientists giving us the latest Thyroid info.  Considering how many Americans have low thyroid function or a full disorder, this is invaluable information.  And most likely much more information than you’d ever hear in a 10 minute appointment with your regular doctor.

For instance, the standard test any of us would be given to determine the health of our thyroid is called the TSH, that’s Thyroid Stimulating Hormone.  Here’s the problems with just looking at TSH:  1) our pituitary makes TSH, not the thyroid.  2) our Thyroid actually makes a host of other hormones, the primary ones are called T4 and a little T3; and these often aren’t tested. Or if they are tested, the “Free/Unbound/Useable T3 isn’t tested.

T3 is THE ONLY HORMONE THAT ACTUALLY GETS USED IN OUR CELLS.  Our T4 is SUPPOSED to be converted to T3 in our liver, kidneys, and heart.  It takes many different nutrients and enzymes to make this conversion, it also takes perfectly functioning organs.  What if you’re missing those nutrients or enzymes, or you have fatty liver or poorly functioning kidneys?  That conversion could be compromised.

Thyroid hormone ( T 4 and T3) are made from the minerals Iodine and Selenium, and the amino acid Tyrosine.  What if you don’t eat enough of the foods that contain those nutrients, or you don’t have great gut function and you don’t ABSORB those nutrients?  ( do you really think you get enough Iodine? That’s a tough one!)

Do you see where I’m going with this?  Our thyroid function is far more than taking a pill, whether it’s a synthetic, like Synthroid, or a desiccated natural thyroid like Armor.   That said, I take a supplement by Biotics called GTA FORTE II.  It’s desiccated thyroid with no T4 or T3, and it’s worked wonders for me.

Statistically, it’s pretty “normal” for a woman my age to have hypothyroid.  I’ve had my TSH, T3, T4 and RT3 tested, plus an antibody test,  and it’s confirmed: low thyroid function.  I started supplements last year, and saw a big difference in my energy levels.  That said, I also pay very close attention to my nutrients and digestion.  It matters that I give my body what it needs to MAKE and ABSORB the hormones.

Here’s another important issue to keep in mind:  thyroid function will ALWAYS come in second to ADRENAL function.  In Nutritional Therapy school, they constantly repeated ” the adrenals pull on the thyroid”.  It’s true.  When we’re under a lot of stress, both mental and physical, our adrenal glands are making extra adrenal hormones.  Hormones get made from nutrients;  limited nutrient resources are always going to go to the Adrenal glands first.  After all, our body can EASILY slow down the thyroid if it needs to, to show more support to the adrenals.  Adrenal hormones are our Fight and Flight hormones, and our body prioritizes them over just about everything else.  You can ask for a Saliva test to see what your Cortisol levels are, but you’re probably going to need to see an Integrative or Alternative doctor to get one.

What’s one sure-fire way to slow down your Thyroid?  Go on a Diet and Reduce Your Calories.  Your body will slow down your metabolism Every Single Time you do this.

Looking for a doctor who’s tuned into how important good thyroid function is to overall health, and willing to do all the right tests?  Try here and here.

I thought this was interesting:  one of the doctors on the Thyroid Summit said when she started doing Cortisol Testing in 1999, 17% of her patients had abnormal cortisol levels; in 2014, almost 99% of her patients have abnormal cortisol levels! Wow! That’s pretty shocking!  I’ve talked about the dangers of excess cortisol before, it’s scary. That’s probably the result of us rarely ever unplugging anymore, right?

What’s my end advice?  Eat Real Whole Foods, and take action steps to manage your Stress.  Iodine, selenium, tyrosine, and all the other nutrients we need to make and rebuild our body don’t come from crappy, processed foods, which often are COMPLETELY devoid of any nutrients ( how many vitamins or minerals do you think are in a box of Fat Free Cereal or Crackers?); or have “nutrients” added, as in vitamins and minerals made in China?  It matters what we put in our mouth.

Decide today that you’re going to take control of your health, your energy, and your food.  Make a plan, write it down, shop, chop, pack.  Stick to your plan.  If this isn’t your norm, work on making it your norm!  You can do this, other people have. If you want to learn more about your thyroid, listen to the summit while you drive/workout/clean/cook/ etc; or read this post from Dr. Mercola, it’s really good!