I was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorders in 2012, and it was devastating. First, I felt betrayed by my body and second, I felt guilty for not treating it better. I knew my lifestyle wasn’t exactly healthy at the time. I was the director of a sustainability company at the time and even though I loved my work, I was working myself too hard. To make up for the stress, I’d walk my dog, eat take-out most of the week, drink too much wine and then watch Netflix with my husband. I rarely slept well and drank many cups of coffee to make up for it.
Thyroid disorders are increasingly common
According to the American Thyroid Association, “more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid disorder during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disorders are unaware of their condition. Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid disorders. One woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.”
The most common thyroid disorders are:
Hypothyroid – This thyroid disorder is when your thyroid is under producing thyroid hormones. Symptoms include weight gain, brain fog, hair loss on the last third of your eyebrow, hair loss on head, fatigue, constipation and feeling cold easily.
Hyperthyroid – This thyroid disorder is when your thyroid is over producing thyroid hormone. Symptoms can include weight loss, anxiety, panic attacks, hair loss, eye pressure and intolerance to heat.
Hathimotos’ – This is a thyroid autoimmune condition. The body appears to be attacking the thyroid causing it to underperform (Hypothyroid).
Graves – This is a thyroid autoimmune condition. The body appears to be attacking the thyroid causing it to disregulate – sometimes overperforming (hyperthyroidism) and sometimes underperforming (hypothyroidism).
In each of these, they’re usually treated with hormone replacement (T3 and T4) for underperformance or thyroid hormone blockers and radioactive iodine for overperformance. This is what happens when allopathic medicine segregates parts of the body and then doesn’t treat the whole. This approach may improve your symptoms but it won’t heal your thyroid disorder.
The big question you need to ask yourself is WHY is this happening in the world? And WHY is this happening specifically to you?
Thyroid disorders have become an epidemic and it didn’t just happen out of the blue. It’s a systemic issue involving your body, your mind and the environment.
Here are the 5 common factors that lead to thyroid disorder
Iron Deficiency
Low iron suppresses the enzyme that converts T4 to T3 (T3 is the usable version of thyroid hormone). Iron also helps to prevent the formation of inactive T3 stores also called reverse T3.
Stress
Effects multiple endocrine systems. As stress goes up your cortisol levels increase and your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) decreases and so T3 (active thyroid hormone) also decreases.
Low Protein Diets
Can lead to low tyrosine levels. Tyrosine, an amino acid, combines with iodine to make thyroid hormones. B6 is also a contributor to thyroid production and B12 is thyroid protective. When you’re eating a low protein diet or don’t have adequate stomach acid to break down proteins into amino acids, there’s a good chance your thyroid will underproduce thyroid hormone causing a thyroid disorder.
Unfiltered Water
Fluoride is an antagonist to iodine. It is also proven to act as a trigger in cell death and to the development of thyroid inflammation. Chlorine is similar to an iodine molecule and so your thyroid will absorb and store it in place of iodine making conversion of T4 to active T3 hormone. Unfiltered drinking, shower, pool and bath water are all sources of exposure to fluoride and chlorine.
Gut Permeability
Triggers that damage the gut lining such as low stomach acid, antibiotics, infections, stress, toxins, food allergies and blood sugar dysregulation can cause systemic inflammation that may lead to thyroid autoimmune conditions including Hashimotos’ and Graves thyroid dis-ease.
Do any of these sound like you?
I want to help you to not become a thyroid disorder statistic
I have written about a number of articles that are related to thyroid health.
Water Contaminants and Autoimmunity In this article and vlog I share how you can reduce your exposure to fluoride, chlorine and lead.
Are Heavy Metals Making You Sick? In this article and vlog I share how you can identify sources of heavy metal contamination and how to detox from these.
How to Love Your Gut in 4 Easy Steps In this article, I share some of my top tips to help heal your gut.
Ready to take the next step? I offer functional medicine lab testing along with clinically proven personalized protocols to help my clients heal the root cause of their symptoms. If you’re ready to rebalance your body, book a free chat with me today to learn how I can support you.
