Thyroid diseases
Hashimoto’s, Grave’s, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Thyroiditis. Thyroid disease is one of the most common diseases in the world, affecting 1 in 5 people. I think of the thyroid as the “canary in the coal mine”. It cries out that there is some toxic exposure going on in our body long before any other organs and systems are affected. There are three main reasons people end up with a thyroid disease, susceptibility, toxic exposure, and a trigger. You can read more about general information on thyroid disease here
1. Susceptibility: Women unfortunately have a higher rate of autoimmunity and thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism has a woman:male ratio around 8:1. If you have multiple family members or one or more immediate family members with thyroid diseases, you have a higher chance of also acquiring one.
2. Toxic Load/Exposure: Again with the canary in the coal mine analogy, our thyroid is especially sensitive to toxins in our environment. Some common triggers include iodine perchlorate, fluoride (water and toothpaste), and mercury (dental amalgams and seafood).
3. Trigger: hormonal shifts, acute illness, pregnancy, stressful events, extreme exposure to toxins.
So again with the three reasons: you were born with the genes, the thyroid is exposed to some kind of toxin, and an event happens in life that causes or perpetuates the thyroid imbalance. But there is good news. The thyroid is really there to help regulate and protect the rest of our body from damage. So by supporting the thyroid, ridding our body of the culprit toxin, and engaging in healthy activities, we can prevent subsequent disease and even reverse the damage that has already been done. Our thyroid is one of the most responsive organs, sometimes taking as little as 3 days to correct itself (which is why people tend to feel better immediately after correcting thyroid hormones)
Other things to consider
Hormones: Correct the hormonal imbalance (T3 and T4). This is often done with medication; synthetic thyroid hormones (i.e. levothyroxine) or dessicated thyroid hormone (i.e. Armour). Some people do better on the synthetic version, some do better on the dessicated thyroid.
Iodine: You want adequate, but not excessive iodine. Too much causes thyroid disease, and too little causes thyroid disease. Use iodine salt for home cooking and eat your home cooking regularly (daily).
Gluten free: Realistically you should be “processed foods” free. Gluten is primarily a culprit in autoimmunity due to it’s excessive use in processed and packaged foods. The protein can leak from our gut and cause our immune system to start attacking it. After prolonged exposure, our immune system starts attacking things that look like that protein, often our own tissues. It is wise to go gluten free, but we need to be careful to not replace “gluten free processed foods” with the processed foods we would normally eat (breads, pastas, baked goods, etc.). Processed foods in general are inflammatory, mainly do to the other additives that are processed along with it and the fact that they are very dense foods (although not nutrient dense). The best advice is to avoid all flours. Gluten avoidance is not specific for thyroid disease per se, but can benefit anyone who suffers from an autoimmune condition.
Mercury Amalgams: If you have a mouth full of metal- you may want to consider SAFELY removing your mercury ridden teeth. Consult with an integrative dentist who is well versed in mercury amalgam removal. Concurrently doing a metal chelation therapy would also be beneficial. It is important to work closely with your naturopath and dentist in order to safely remove the mercury amalgams, as the removal process can also release toxic levels of mercury.
Fluoride: This is often added to our water supplies. Bottled water is unregulated and often is just tap water from somewhere put into plastic- which means you’re paying for a double dose of toxins. Nice marketing, eh? The best way to get around this is to buy a decent water filter.
Remove your shoes! Taking your shoes off at the door drastically reduces your toxic load within your house.
Chlorophyll: Adding a good chlorophyll source will help reduce your toxic load from you diet. The greener your poo, the better. I use chlorella in my detox/depuration plan. Spinach is another great source of chlorophyll.
Fiber: Eating enough vegetables would suffice, but if you need extra help, you can add a fiber supplement to your diet. My favorite fiber supplement is flax seed (freshly ground), high fiber hemp seeds (freshly ground), and psyllium husks.
Exercise: Daily movement that promotes sweating will help our skin eliminate better. Aim for a higher frequency (daily for 20min) as opposed to longer duration (2x/wk for 70min).
Other considerations: vitamin D deficiency, further hormone disruption, neurotransmitter disruption, depression, anxiety, nutritional imbalances/deficiencies
Hashimoto’s, Grave’s, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Thyroiditis. Thyroid disease is one of the most common diseases in the world, affecting 1 in 5 people. I think of the thyroid as the “canary in the coal mine”. It cries out that there is some toxic exposure going on in our body long before any other organs and systems are affected. There are three main reasons people end up with a thyroid disease, susceptibility, toxic exposure, and a trigger. You can read more about general information on thyroid disease here
1. Susceptibility: Women unfortunately have a higher rate of autoimmunity and thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism has a woman:male ratio around 8:1. If you have multiple family members or one or more immediate family members with thyroid diseases, you have a higher chance of also acquiring one.
2. Toxic Load/Exposure: Again with the canary in the coal mine analogy, our thyroid is especially sensitive to toxins in our environment. Some common triggers include iodine perchlorate, fluoride (water and toothpaste), and mercury (dental amalgams and seafood).
3. Trigger: hormonal shifts, acute illness, pregnancy, stressful events, extreme exposure to toxins.
So again with the three reasons: you were born with the genes, the thyroid is exposed to some kind of toxin, and an event happens in life that causes or perpetuates the thyroid imbalance. But there is good news. The thyroid is really there to help regulate and protect the rest of our body from damage. So by supporting the thyroid, ridding our body of the culprit toxin, and engaging in healthy activities, we can prevent subsequent disease and even reverse the damage that has already been done. Our thyroid is one of the most responsive organs, sometimes taking as little as 3 days to correct itself (which is why people tend to feel better immediately after correcting thyroid hormones)
Other things to consider
Hormones: Correct the hormonal imbalance (T3 and T4). This is often done with medication; synthetic thyroid hormones (i.e. levothyroxine) or dessicated thyroid hormone (i.e. Armour). Some people do better on the synthetic version, some do better on the dessicated thyroid.
Iodine: You want adequate, but not excessive iodine. Too much causes thyroid disease, and too little causes thyroid disease. Use iodine salt for home cooking and eat your home cooking regularly (daily).
Gluten free: Realistically you should be “processed foods” free. Gluten is primarily a culprit in autoimmunity due to it’s excessive use in processed and packaged foods. The protein can leak from our gut and cause our immune system to start attacking it. After prolonged exposure, our immune system starts attacking things that look like that protein, often our own tissues. It is wise to go gluten free, but we need to be careful to not replace “gluten free processed foods” with the processed foods we would normally eat (breads, pastas, baked goods, etc.). Processed foods in general are inflammatory, mainly do to the other additives that are processed along with it and the fact that they are very dense foods (although not nutrient dense). The best advice is to avoid all flours. Gluten avoidance is not specific for thyroid disease per se, but can benefit anyone who suffers from an autoimmune condition.
Mercury Amalgams: If you have a mouth full of metal- you may want to consider SAFELY removing your mercury ridden teeth. Consult with an integrative dentist who is well versed in mercury amalgam removal. Concurrently doing a metal chelation therapy would also be beneficial. It is important to work closely with your naturopath and dentist in order to safely remove the mercury amalgams, as the removal process can also release toxic levels of mercury.
Fluoride: This is often added to our water supplies. Bottled water is unregulated and often is just tap water from somewhere put into plastic- which means you’re paying for a double dose of toxins. Nice marketing, eh? The best way to get around this is to buy a decent water filter.
Remove your shoes! Taking your shoes off at the door drastically reduces your toxic load within your house.
Chlorophyll: Adding a good chlorophyll source will help reduce your toxic load from you diet. The greener your poo, the better. I use chlorella in my detox/depuration plan. Spinach is another great source of chlorophyll.
Fiber: Eating enough vegetables would suffice, but if you need extra help, you can add a fiber supplement to your diet. My favorite fiber supplement is flax seed (freshly ground), high fiber hemp seeds (freshly ground), and psyllium husks.
Exercise: Daily movement that promotes sweating will help our skin eliminate better. Aim for a higher frequency (daily for 20min) as opposed to longer duration (2x/wk for 70min).
Other considerations: vitamin D deficiency, further hormone disruption, neurotransmitter disruption, depression, anxiety, nutritional imbalances/deficiencies