You guys, I have great news to share today.
I don’t really keep any secrets around these parts, and a couple of months ago, I shared that I had received news that I had a mild/moderate hypothyroid, and, that I planned to buck Western medicine and was going to not get on a synthetic thyroid medication. As of today, I am back to normal and no longer have hypothyroidism.
Crazy, right?
Since I know many of you have hypothyroidism, I thought I should share the steps I took. If nothing else, they may give you some ideas of ways you may be able to reduce your symptoms as well. Reading about other people’s medical stories can be complete yawnsville, so I will not be offended if you just mark this read in your RSS reader and go about your day!
But, for those interested, here is the long story…
When I first got this news, I was relieved, because I had just not been feeling right. I was tired always cold, unmotivated, and generally, just not myself. I thought, “Great, at least I know what’s wrong.” Then, I started talking with people I know that have this problem. When I told them I was not going on the medication, they all sort of balked at me (this was a common theme – you have to go on the medication). Even my brother, who has hypothyroidism, flatly commented in his brotherly sarcastic tone, “Good luck with that.”
I was at an impasse. I could go on this medication and be on it for the rest of my life, or, I could do something now to get things under control naturally, and not go on the medication. I truly thought I could turn the ship around before it started to sink. What was the worst that could happen? I would eventually go on the medication? Well, that was a risk I was willing to take.
It bears noting that I am not a medical doctor, so none of the below should be construed as medical advice. I am just telling you what worked for me as a shared learning experience. I am not sure if what I did is really the result of one change, or the sum of the changes, but it worked for me as a whole, and these are the things I will continue to do.
Just for legacy sake, here are the blood tests. Your thyroid function is measured by the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) marker. There are other factors as well (T3 and T4, among others), but it seems TSH is generally the most looked at marker. While I am now in the normal TSH range, I expect to continue to work it down, and will get another test in a couple of months.
| 1) October 18, 2012 |
| 2) December 10, 2012 |
While I have been feeling great lately, and was confident I had made positive strides, I was still a nervous schoolgirl going in for my blood test. I knew I would continue to resist medication (why take it when I feel fantastic?!), the truth is in the numbers, and I really didn’t know what they would say! A drop of 1.59 points in really only about six weeks of focused effort is incredible to me.
Update, December 2013: My TSH has continued to fall over the past year, clocking in at 2.68 in late December, as I continue to do the items that I outline below. This has me super, super excited; it’s proof in the pudding that diet and lifestyle can positively affect metabolic health.
Bucking Convention
When I met with my doctor to discuss how to treat hypothyroidism, she told me three things:
- Most women over 35 are hypothyroid, though they may not know it (funny as I was very near my 36th birthday at this time)
- It’s a one way street. Once you have it, that’s it. You go on the medication and you don’t go off. (Great, that is appealing.)
- Nothing you can eat will change your thyroid function. (To that, I say bah-loney. You are what you eat. Or rather, “Your thyroid function is a direct result of what you eat.”)
I left the doctor frustrated with the system. I was there for over an hour, she saw me for about five minutes, and we talked about the “givens.” I politely declined the medication, asked for a re-test after Thanksgiving, and went about researching what I was really going to do.
Action Plan
I truly believe that gut health is connected to most illnesses in our society. Ask a more progressive “Wellness Doctor,” and you will likely hear the same thing. While I liked to think I ate a healthy diet, the fact is, our remodel and lack of kitchen left me eating more like a Standard American than is ideal. I may have not been over-indulging, eating meat, or consuming lots of sugar, but, I was eating out twice a day. Not good. So, I set about to rehabilitate my gut to rehabilitate my thyroid. Here are the steps I took:
1. I did the Be Well cleanse to hit the reset button.
Just like you sometimes need to do a hard reset on your computer to solve problems, the same applies to your body. Cleanses are an opportunity to get a “do-over,” and can really have an impact. I have done a few cleanses in my time, but this one was really structured, lasted two weeks, and was completely worth the investment. I felt really awful for the first few days, and then I felt really great after that. So much so that I kept the eating habits I’d developed on the cleanse.
2. This sort of coincided with the cleanse, but I totally gave up coffee.
I was off it for many months last year, but it sort of crept back into my life with stress. This time, it was important, so I have ditched it for good. (I do have decaf on occasion, when I am at “coffee dates.”)
3. I got on a good probiotic.
After the cleanse I wanted to ensure the healthy bacteria in my gut stayed that way. I chose Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra, and think it is a high-quality product. Have one you like? Let me know so I can try it out!
As a side note, in the middle of this grand experiment, I started having pain in a tooth that had previously had a root canal. It made no sense and my dentist couldn’t figure it out, so he just blindly prescribed penicillin to see if that resolved it. You will not be surprised to hear that I didn’t take the penicillin! Antibiotics completely destroy all the bacteria in your gut, which is not exactly what I was going for here. I later realized the tooth was a little loose, was very careful not to chew on that side for a while, and it quickly felt better.
4. I went gluten-free.
If you ask me, this is probably the biggest reason for the dramatic improvement in my TSH levels in such a short period of time. For a way more in-depth look at wheat than you ever could want, read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. It will change the way you look at your morning bagel, lunch sandwich, and evening pizza. The long and short of it is that gliadin, a component of modern wheat, mimics thyroid hormone in the body and leads your immune system to attack its own thyroid tissue. That’s a little counterproductive, huh?
The funny thing is, I read several books on how to “cope” with hypothyroidism, and none of them mentioned gliadin or it’s effect on the body. They all pretty much said “take your medication and avoid broccoli, kale, and spinach.” I learned about this connection from several general health books and sort of put the pieces together for myself. Then, I heard Ben Greenfield say to go gluten free if you have hypothyroidism. Luckily, all of these realizations happened during the Be Well cleanse, which forbids gluten. For what it’s worth, I do not avoid broccoli, kale, or spinach.
5. I cleaned out the medicine cabinet, shower caddy, and cleaning supplies.
Here is a more detailed look at this step, but the bottom line is I got rid of extra toxicity as much as I could. The idea was to eliminate anything that can mimic estrogen in the body (which is a lot of chemicals and they’re in almost everything) and find natural, healthy alternatives for toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and cleaners. Out went the Crest, Zest, and Aussie Mega. In came natural toothpaste, aluminum-free deodorant, natural soap, and chemical-free dryer sheets. These were all easier changes than you might think, and I really like our new stuff. Even 2Chili got on board with this and is using what I put in front of him.
6. I started supplementing (moderately) with iodine via dulse powder.
In addition to supporting a healthy thyroid, iodine is a heavy metal detoxifier, meaning it can draw heavy metals out of your body. From what I’ve read, most people are iodine deficient (which is ironic since we eat so much salt!). To see if I was, I started tracking my iodine consumption, and it was meager at best. So, I just add about 1/4 teaspoon of Bernard Jensen’s Dulse Powder to my smoothie or salad dressing mix for the day, and it’s done. There really is no perceptible taste, and it’s easy to incorporate. I also recently bought some Nascent Iodine to try in lieu of the dulse, but I haven’t started using it yet, so I’ll report back later on that.
This may seem very odd, but, it’s true. Healthy fats (avocados, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, nuts, etc.), help your body perform its daily functions, especially your brain. We live in a fat-phobic world, but when used properly, healthy fats have a deserved place in the healthy diet. I have been eating about 40-45% fat each day for over a month.
The funny thing is I eat fewer calories now because I’m fuller longer, and, though I wasn’t looking to lose weight, I have lost 5 pounds since the middle of November (not quite a month), along 1.5” off my waist. At 27.5”, my waist hasn’t been this small since high school (when I avoided fat like the plague! It was the early ‘90s and we really thought that was best.). I don’t say this lightly, as I have had a 29” waist for about two solid years now. It hasn’t budged, and then, without even trying, it reduced by 1.5”. That is somewhat unbelievable, but, it happened. Dr. Davis would say it’s due to dropping the wheat. I think it is a combination of dropping the wheat and upping the fat.
My morning now starts almost exclusively with a smoothie, and that smoothie always has some fat in it (almond butter, avocado, or coconut oil). Check out this blueberry super smoothie or beet berry smoothie for ideas.
8. I de-stressed.
Our lives are admittedly hectic. We both work a lot (seriously, a lot), and, we are doing a full gut remodel. It can get a person down, and it can get a person seriously in a tizzy over the smallest little thing. I just decided “enough,” and started to let go of the tension. I brought back a daily yoga session – if only just five minutes before bed – to calm the mind and relax the body. You’d be amazed and what some simple stretching and breathing exercises can do for your mental well being.
9. I seriously upped my fruit and veggie intake, usually to 10+ servings per day.
Since we have no kitchen, I have almost been on a raw food diet, but, I don’t intend to keep it that way, it’s more of just how it is right now. My meals have mostly been big’ol salads with all kinds of stuff in them, which is really a wonderful way to go about it. I’m not talking about iceberg and ranch, here. These salads are nutrient dense and have ample calories (usually 600-700 calories per salad).
While I don’t intend to keep the raw aspect, I do intend to keep this increased veggie intake. Don’t think you could do it? Try a green drink a day as a way to get started!
10. Finally, I reduced my exercise to 30-45 minutes per day of aerobic-level intensity (monitored by a heart rate monitor to keep me honest).
This one may seem really counter-intuitive. While good for us, exercise can also be a stressor. I am a serious “all-or-nothing” type A personality, and, in my heyday, felt that one hour of intense exercise per day was a minimum.
That was stupid.
It’s funny how the pieces can all come together for you at the right time, when you look for the info. When I needed it the most, I learned to back off on the exercise, and just enjoy it. Taking the dog for a hike, doing a yoga DVD, a little burst training, or, just doing an easy jog can be just what your body needs to get the stress out and not get stressed in the process. Wax on, wax off, so to speak.
I won’t keep this shortened exercise cycle forever – I have events I want to train for next year – but I am keeping the principles I’ve implemented and will have the majority of the work be lower intensity.
Conclusion
My instinct told me to end this commentary with, “and, that’s it!” I then realized, wow, that was honestly a lot of stuff. I didn’t implement it overnight, and I didn’t insist on perfection right away. But, over the course of about the last six weeks, I have changed a lot of factors that resulted in a very happy lab result. 2Chili has requested I back off a little bit on all this “feel good” stuff because his wife who used to be asleep by 9:00 (8, sometimes!) is consistently up at least until 11:00. It is putting a damper on his “science/history/sports show” TV time.
I wanted to share this with you to give hope, support, and encouragement to any of you who may want to explore other ways of improving your thyroid function. If you read this far, I appreciate it, and, I hope these items can help you as well!
View Comments (129)
Angela,
Do you think any of these changes would positively affect diabetes? Do you have any suggestions for improving blood glucose? (Besides avoid sugars, carbs, starches – thats a given).
Love reading your stuf
Hi TaraElisabeth,
Gosh, I really don’t know – that’s not an area I have researched. I would say a couple books to read are “Clean” by Alejandro Junger and “Wheat Belly” by William Davis. They are not about diabetes specifically, but they both talk about cleaning up your life/diet, and how it can have positive impact on many different illnesses.
Thanks for your nice note!
Angela
Hi TaraElisabeth,
I came across this today and thought of you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktQzM2IA-qU&feature=youtu.be
It talks about reversing Type 2 Diabetes. You didn’t mention if you were working with Type 1 or 2, but thought you might find value in this TEDX video.
Angela
Oh my goodness, how awesome are you! Thanks so very much, I’m really excited to see the improvements in your health.
I’ve recently stopped drinking soda, and my blood glucose has improved alot even in one week. I’m reading Wheat Belly, and I’m interested to see what awesomeness I can get into!
Thanks again & Merry Christmas!
Good for you for stopping the soda!! That is a huge first step. I gave up Diet Coke three years ago and it was a smart move. Funny thing is, once you’re off it, it doesn’t even taste good anymore. Please let me know what awesomeness you get into!
These changes are very similar to what I did to reverse my type 2 diabetes at the instruction of my alternative physicians. My A1c was 10 and in 6 months was down to 6. My triglycerides went from 638 to 118. My good cholesterol was low and bad cholesterol high, my iodine was low as was my vitamin D. My ferretin was high. All were normalized on the plan. I was put on a multi vitamin/mineral complex tailored to my body being anaerobic, given a probiotic, taurine, alpha lipoic acid, co-q10 and vit E complex. My Drs took me off all grains, nuts and seeds to reduce systemic inflammation. Of course I was told no refined sugar or even healthy sugars. No fruit or fruit juices. My diet consisted of meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. I was told to eat 3 meals a day, no more, no less. I had to eat breakfast eithin an hour of rising. This was tough at first because I hated eating right away. I was dx with hypoglycemia at 15 and told to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. Later it was changed to 6 small meals. I thought Id never be able to eat only 3 meals, but it was so quick to curb my hunger that I was shocked! For the first time in my life, at 49, I wasnt hungry! I dropped 24 lbs and went from a tight 16 to a comfortable 12. After 6 months I was able to add back yogurt, a small amount of honey and some stevia, green apples and berries, real, not processed cheeses and still did great. After a year and a half I went through some personal issues and reverted back to old eating habits. It took longer than to gain weight than when going off traditional diets, and my blood work went haywire. I am back on track and know that this is a lifestyle change that I have to adhere to as long as I desire to stay healthy.
Look at the Newcastle University research on reversing diabetes through diet; includes printable information to provide to your doctor as not all doctors are aware of the research, published in 2008. Diabetes U.K. has a website wth link to Newcastle study and diet.
I have heard that turning into. a raw diet has helped people with diabetes…. You shoyld google ” healing from diabetes with a raw diet” . Hope it helps!
wow, that’s really great, Angela. I’m proud of you! Making all those changes and sticking to them is tough.
I’ve been reading a lot of gluten-free cookbooks, and I’ve already bought some tapioca flour, and I have some xantham gum and sorghum flour in my shopping cart at iHerb, ready to go. Also some millet grain.
I have heard about wheat belly, but haven’t read it yet. Might be something to look into for me too.
I don’t know if it would be something that I could do 100% but it’s definitely something that I’d like to try limiting.
Aw, thanks Debbie. I have worked really hard at this and am stoked that it worked.
Definitely read Wheat Belly. It’ll open your eyes. Believe it or not, I haven’t found it that hard, and haven’t really been adding in “gluten free” foods. I made those cookies last week (2Chili ate most of them) but that was really for the Ninja review, and haven’t really been missing “wheat.” That’s probably because I did the cleanse and didn’t add it back.
Anyway, give it a read – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Angela
Angela, this is awesome and thanks for sharing. My mother has hypothyroidism and I’ve been trying to get her to get off coffee, sugar, and eat a more nutricious diet for years. She eats relatively healthy for an american but she falls prey to the “healthy” labels placed on sugary granola bars and yogurt, for example.This will be some good motivation for her now because I know she doesn’t want to take the medication. There’s nothing to lose by trying!
Elliott, thank you so much – it means a lot to me that this may be helpful to someone else. I really just refuse to take the status quo for the answer, and agree that it can’t hurt to try! I really feel so much better, it’s like night and day different.
“Healthy” labels are really frustrating. I know lots of people that also fall prey to them – it’s very easy to do.
Good luck with your mother!
I am so glad that you were able to get everything under control naturally! Now I am debating kicking off the New Year with the Be Well cleanse since you had so much success with it. We should chat more, cause giving up coffee with my two monsters is going to be, um, challenging. Talk soon!!
Lisa, errr…Dirty Shoes…I highly recommend Be Well. It was awful for a few days and then it was fantastic!
To get off the coffee, here’s what you do: https://testkitchentuesday.com/2011/12/05/how-i-gave-up-daily-coffee-with-no-side-effects/. Seriously, it works. Note that Teeccino has barley in it (gluten), but they offer a gluten free version made from dandlion instead of barley. This sounds odd, but it truly is good.
Angela, are you still taking the garden of life brand? I’m looking for some and wondered if that is what you still take in maintenance. Tanks
Hi Debbie,
Do you mean the probiotic? I mix it up every time I order just so I don’t get accustomed to one brand and its formulations. I’ve tried a lot of brands, and the Garden of Life is one I would definitely reorder. I like their products and I trust that they are higher quality than most brands!
Thanks Angela, yes, that is what I meant. (Oh and they have $5 coupon on their web site, PLUS WF has a $5 off coupon too, just to let you know…)
I was leaning toward that company, but while searching for reviews, I found this site
that stated that the hso is dangerous to your health. sigh. It’s always something! One side says this, and the other says that!
I’ve been to WF twice now, looking at their wall of probiotics and I am always confused. My plan is to take them at least for a month, then we’ll see from there. They are so expensive, and I don’t know that I’ll be able to afford them every month…we’ll see.
Oh and yes, thank you, I have heard to mix up the brands to get different formulations. good reminder!
Do you have any other brand recommendations? I was also looking at “ReNew Life Ultimate Flora Critical Care 50 Billion” and there was an amazon review that stated that they never got the full amount of capsules when they ordered them. One person even said they received +1 than the quantity on the bottle, which is scary because that doesn’t sound like good quality control.
Hi Debbie,
That is great info on the coupons! And, you are right, it’s always something.
In my personal opinion, it is okay to cycle on and off probiotics when you need a boost. I found them valuable in helping repair my gut, but, I’m running out of the current bottle I have and probably won’t reorder for a month or so. Another great thing to do to get probiotics is eat fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kimchi.
I haven’t tried the ReNew Life Ultimate…but these are the ones I have tried in addition to the Garden of Life:
Essential Formulas Incorporated – Dr.Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus, 60 capsules
New Chapter Organics Probiotic All-Flora Vegetarian Capsules, 60-Count
NOW Foods Probiotic-10 25 Billion, 50 Vcaps
Of these, I think I prefer the Garden of Life and Dr. Ohhira the most. The Dr. Ohhira’s have the nice benefit of not requiring refrigeration. I can’t remember if the Garden of Life requires refrigeration or not, but I don’t think it does.
Hope that helps, and good luck!
Yes your advice a,ways helps. Thanks.
And yes I am slowly starting to get into fermented foods too. Bought 2 jars of bubbas sauerkraut and am dying to make my own kimchi. Just have to do it!
Thanks again!
I’ve been thinking of trying a gluten-free diet. Do you have any books or websites you recommend for me to research? Thanks!
Hi JoDee,
Yes, for sure! Wheat Belly, by Dr. William Davis is a great resource to get started (as is his Wheat Belly cookbook). A good blog for gluten free recipes is Against All Grain.
If you read Wheat Belly, you’ll be primed with the info you need on why gluten free is a good idea for most people, how to do it right, and resources to be successful.
Good luck!
Angela
How are you keeping your TSH levels down now ? How are you maintaining it? I.just puchased all the items you suggested because .like you I didn’t want to take meds. Never have. Thanks.
Hi BJ,
I am continuing to eat a very healthy diet, including plenty of probiotic foods like kombucha, kimchi, and probiotic supplements, make time for relaxation daily, and removal of as many chemicals as possible. Everything in our house is as natural as possible, from the bar soap in the shower to how I clean the floors. I also make sure to get iodine in my diet. I do eat gluten from time to time, but not that much in comparison to the average person’s diet. My gluten splurges usually involve a treat like a cookie, and only ever so often.
I continue to feel really great and have not gone back to those horrible feelings of exhaustion, cold all the time, etc. I try to stay in tune with my body, and this exercise really improved being able to “tell” when I am doing things right or wrong. Good luck to you and I applaud your not wanting to go on meds!
Thank you so much. I’m on day 3 of the cleanse and feel great. My sister believes these cleanses are all a money scheme. But I feel so much better already. I hate the horse pills twice a day. Hard to swallow and gag every time. Did you take your iodine supplements while on the cleaning Se or after? Did you have any joint.pain prior to the cleanse and change in diet ? Do you stick to fruits and veggies mostly? Thanks for being such an inspiration.
Hi BJ,
Good for you! I really researched cleanses and the Be Well on was the most nutritionally sound that I came across – it really helped set me in the right direction! I also read Frank Lipman’s book, Revive, which helped guide my changes as well.
I started sprinkling the Dulse powder on my salads for iodine during the cleanse, and I keep it up to this day. I either put it in my morning smoothie or on my lunch salad. I sometimes sneak it into my hubby’s diet by blending it up in homemade salad dressing. ? I also have worked in Brazil nuts a few times per week for thyroid support.
I eat pretty heavily plant-based diet, but I do make sure to get in proteins like beans and legumes (lots of lentils), tempeh, as well as healthy fats like avocado, nuts & seeds, and coconut products. Every now and then, I do have gluten, but I went a solid 6 months without any at all. It taught me how dependent I really was on bread!
I didn’t have any joint pain before or after (though I broke my kneecap this past summer and now deal with ample joint pain in my knee, which I treat with high dose turmeric capsules).
I wish you good luck in your endeavor – it is very worth it! Cheers!
Angela
Why is it that coffee should be avoided, the caffeine? If so would that apply to tea also?
I recently have been introduced To essential oils. I made a roller ball mix of lemongrass, myrrh, clove and peppermint. I have been on synthroid for about two years now. It has helped give me energy but I hate taking medicine and expecially knowing ill be on it forever. So I’m gonna start the oils and limit wheat and take vitamins.
The way I look at it, the idea is to remove all stimulants from your body so it doesn’t have to process anything “unnecessary.” I cut out all caffeine initially — for about 6 weeks — and then started having tea again with no issues. I also have the occasional half decaf Americano and bit of dark chocolate – maybe once a week or so (each) – also with no issues. So, it’s not a permanent thing, just a “help move your body in the right direction” type of thing.
Good luck in your journey!
Angela
First of all Happy New Year. Thank you so much for encouraging all of us. Im On Day 6 Of The CLEANSE. I feel pretty good and enjoy the drinks much more than the horse pills. I ordered all the products you used and the Wheat book. Which amazingly has driven me away from gluten,wheat, and soy. I never was a big coffee or soda drinker so that was an easy check on my list. My concern is after I’m all done with the cleanse and probiotic what do I do nsxt? Just keep eating clean? I have recently started birth control pills and when I had my blood tested it revealed my thyroid TSH levels were high. Immediately I was put on Levothyroxin. I took it for four weeks and retested normal but wanted off the meds because between the pill and thyroid med it was causing
severe joint
Pain that was called phantom joint arthritis. We will see what happens as far all of this. Thanks Angela.
I now.noticed your last response to me. Sorry i missed that one. Okay i will start the shaker iodine. Can i put that in with the protein shake on the cleanse you think ? I will try the nuts and such. Thank you.
Hi BJ,
I’m so glad you are feeling good on the cleanse! By the end, I really felt SO MUCH better, and kept up all my new eating habits because I just wanted to based on how I felt.
I kept up using a probiotic (and still today – I mix up the brands among a 4-5 brand rotation so I don’t get too used to one brand). And yep, just keep eating clean. After your initial question, I went and got my blood retested out of curiosity. After one year of eating clean (with the occasional treat), my TSH went down even further – almost a full point! I do splurge from time to time now days, but I eat about 90% good stuff, and 10% treat/food out from a restaurant. This makes it easier to not seem difficult when faced with social situations.
Please keep me posted on how you are doing. I know exactly how you feel and hope it all works out for you!
Angela
Oh, yes, you definitely can. The taste is really imperceptible. Also, a good podcast to listen to is Ben Greenfield Fitness Episode #216. He has a 15 minute section in there about what to do if you’re hypothyroid – I found it helpful anyway!
You only need 2-3 Brazil nuts for a serving – I think Ben talks about that one in the podcast, but I can’t remember. He takes them for his thyroid as well, and I’ve heard him say several times just 2-3 will do it.
Thanks so much. I’m so glad I found your information. You have helped a lot of.people.
Does.sodium affect you at all? Could you suggest some goof probiotics? Are they all in pill form?
How much of the iodine sprinkle stuff do you use per day? Thanks again. I will try to listen to that site you sent. Have a great weekend.
Sodium doesn’t really affect me, but I try to keep it to ~2500 mg a day or less.
The probiotics I use are in pill form, but you could also get probiotics by eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, kimchi, etc. So, that could be an option. These are the brands of pill I like:
Essential Formulas Incorporated – Dr.Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus, 60 capsules
New Chapter Organics Probiotic All-Flora Vegetarian Capsules, 60-Count
NOW Foods Probiotic-10 25 Billion, 50 Vcaps
And, of course, the Garden of Life Ultra I mentioned in the post.
I sort of rotate between them to not build up a resistance to any particular strain.
I use about 1/4 teaspoon of the dulse flakes (iodine). Not much at all!
Hope that all helps!
Angela
Does any of this work, I have a very ill daughter, fortunately we found the right brand of Thyroxine, she also now has mental health problems because of all the years we tried to go natural. She takes an extreme amount of medication, although what you’ve seems interesting to one who can just stop taking thyroxine, and the joint paint that some have glanced over on here is part of the thyroid problem. I love some help pls.
Hi Angela,
I was diagnosed with iron deficiency and an underactive thyroid over 3mths ago and was given Iron tablets and Eutroxsig a Thyroxine tablet by the Dr. I found out I was pregnant and have been doing research on how to reverse underactive thyroid. I also take Nexium tablets for heartburn.
I’m happy to change my lifestyle and eat healthy and exercise more even though I struggle with energy to exercise.
I don’t want to be taking soo much medication while pregnant so any advice you have would be appreciated.
Hi Sandra,
I’m definitely not qualified to counsel you here, but I can say that the steps I outlined in this post really worked for me. One of the key things I did was exercise LESS while I was in the beginning stages of trying to turn things around. A good podcast to listen to is this one, starting at about the 26:00 mark, where he gets into ways to help hypothyroid.
I commend you for working to get off the meds in a natural way!
Hi, Angela!
Do these changes in diet have to be permanent to keep the thyroid functioning at a normal rate?
Hi Justine,
I don’t know if they have to be permanent at such a strict level, but I definitely feel better when I eat super clean. After about 5-6 months, I did start eating some gluten, but not nearly what I used to. I’m human, too, so I have a treat every now and then – like a cookie or coconut ice cream. But, truly, I feel so much better, that I don’t want to chance it!
Hope that helps,
Angela