A 7-Step Plan to Boost Your Low Thyroid and Metabolism
Once you have confirmed that a sluggish thyroid is contributing to your symptoms, the good news is that there are many, many, many things you can do to help correct thyroid problems.There are so many reasons for low thyroid function, yet I have seen lots of patients with this problem who were just ignored by their doctors. For example, one young female patient of mine had more than 30 percent body fat and was unable to change her body, no matter how hard she worked. She ate perfectly, exercised with a trainer every day -- and her body still wouldn't budge. She also had a slightly depressed mood and other vague symptoms. So I treated her with a low dose of Armour Thyroid, which is a natural thyroid replacement. What happened? Well, she not only lost 20 pounds and improved her body composition, but her mood improved and all her other symptoms went away. How did I know she had low thyroid function? Once I have asked about symptoms, done a physical exam, and considered all the potential causes of thyroid problems, I do the right tests. Most doctors just check something called the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which doesn't give a full picture of the thyroid. In fact, even the interpretation of this test is incorrect most of the time. The newer guidelines of the American College of Endocrinology consider anybody with a TSH level over 3.0 as hypothyroid. Most doctors think that only anything over 5 or 10 is worth treating. Unfortunately, this leaves millions suffering unnecessarily. There are also other tests, including free T3 and free T4 and thyroid antibodies, which are essential. I also look for associated problems such as gluten intolerance, food allergies, and heavy metals, as well as deficiencies of vitamin D, selenium, vitamin A, zinc, and omega-3 fats. There are many things to consider in a careful approach to hypothyroidism. It is one of the most common problems I see, and treating it properly makes one of the biggest differences in my patients' quality of life. Unfortunately, by using the old guidelines and thinking, conventional medicine misses millions who suffer with hypothyroidism. In fact, in one study, researchers tested everybody who walked through the gates of a county fair with conventional thyroid testing. They found that according to even conservative conventional standards, half of all the people who had hypothyroidism were undiagnosed, untreated, and suffering. So what's the solution? How You Can Overcome Hypothyroidism I encourage you to take the following steps to rebalance your thyroid:
- Make a thorough inventory of any of the symptoms that I mentioned in the previous hypothyroidism blog to see if you might suffer from hypothyroidism.
- Get the right thyroid tests including TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO, and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.
- Check for celiac disease with a celiac panel.
- Consider heavy metal toxicity.
- Check your vitamin D level.
- Treat the Underlying Causes -- Identify and treat the underlying causes of hypothyroidism, like food allergies, gluten, heavy metals, nutritional deficiencies, and stress.
- Optimize Your Nutrition -- Support your thyroid with optimal nutrition, including foods that contain iodine, zinc, omega-3 fats, selenium, and more.
- Minimize Stress -- Eliminate adrenal exhaustion and minimize stress by engaging in a comprehensive stress management program.
- Exercise -- Engage in thyroid stimulating exercise, which boosts thyroid function.
- Supplement -- Use supplements to help enhance thyroid function, including all the nutrients needed for proper thyroid metabolism and function. These are supplements like vitamin D, zinc, iodine, omega-3 fats, selenium, and supplements that support your adrenals. One of my go to combinations for supporting the thyroid is Adreset and Thyrosol, which you can find here.
- Heat Therapy -- Use saunas and heat to eliminate stored toxins, which interfere with thyroid function.
- Thyroid Hormones -- Use thyroid hormone replacement therapy to help support your thyroid gland.
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