Hashimoto's Thyroiditis involves the body’s immune system breaking down the tissue of the thyroid gland. The possible symptoms are numerous and may include:
Hair loss
Cold hands and feet
Frequent colds and flu
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Fatigue
Depression
Weight gain
I believe our modern environment has created the perfect storm for Hashimoto’s. Many, many women have a leaky gut due to growing up on processed foods and now Genetically Modified Foods. Most women would report they are chronically stressed, which thins the protective layer of the gut. And we are all exposed to a slew of chemicals from chlorine in water (a thyroid disrupter), to xeno-estrogens in plastics (makes for an increased need for thyroid hormone), to heavy metals in our make-up (linked to irregular thyroid function).
Many of our clients and women in our online community tell me they had gotten a Hashimoto’s diagnosis but have not had any improvement in symptoms as yet.
Some of them are on thyroid medication and have experimented a bit with dietary changes, but didn’t stick to it.
Thyroid medication can, in some cases, relieve symptoms because more thyroid hormone is made available to the body’s cells and systems. However, it does not address the inflammatory nature of a disease based on immune dysregulation, with a background of leaky gut. These things will never be addressed by thyroid medication!
Others have gone full tilt with major, long-term diet changes and supplements but are still not fully improved. While this will make an impact for most women and may be enough to send some women into remission, there are causes that a blanket approach to diet and supplements are not addressing.
Here are some things to consider if you aren't improving:
Do you have heavy metal toxicity from frequent trips to the sushi bar?
How about parasite shared with you by your sweet toddler?
Or is your stressful job causing a flare-up of once dormant Epstein Barr infection?
Unfortunately unraveling your own root causes of Hashimoto’s can be a long and winding road. So why bother? Here are three good reasons:
If you have one autoimmune disease, you are likely to add another autoimmune disease to your list every 10 years (reference: The Autoimmune Fix by Dr. Tom O'Bryan)
If you continue to live with a leaky gut your micronutrient levels are likely to decrease, leaving you even more fatigued
Those unaddressed symptoms are limiting you every day, preventing you from reaching goals, affecting your relationships and generally keeping you from a full experience of what life has to offer.
Getting to the root of a chronic illness, any chronic illness, takes tenacity and an investment of your time and money. Depending on your circumstances, you may have more time or money, but, frankly, it’s going to take a combination of both.
Luckily learning in the internet age is mostly free. Lately, I am trying to listen to about an hour of audio material a day and to read a health book at least once a month (I want to increase that and speed read one per week!) There are lots of ways to learn:
Podcasts
Audiobooks
Library books
Kindle books
Online summits
Group programs
Directly from a practitioner
By observing your own body, journaling, and experimenting.
I really want to stress the importance of persistence. As Dr. Izabella Wentz states in her book, Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, you need to “DIG-AT-IT.” Here’s what her acronym stands for:
Depletions, Digestion
Iodine, Inflammation, Infection, Immune Imbalance
Gut, Gluten
Adrenals, Alkaline Phosphatase
Triggers
Intolerances
Toxins
Each of these categories entails quite a bit! I really recommend my friend Izabella’s New York Times bestselling book, Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back.
You can also hear Dr. Wentz speak if you purchase the online Healing Hashimoto's Summit. She’s a wealth of information, as is Dr. Datis Kharrazian, a functional neurology physician who is an amazing researcher and medical innovator. A new friend, Dr. Natasha Fallahi, DC, is co-host of the summit spoke about a more nurturing, intuitive approach to healing. (As much as I want you educated, please don't beat yourself and take an overly aggressive approach to your healing!)
TIME TO SUPPORT YOUR THYROID
Check out my free guide on simple hacks for thyroid support!
You want help for your thyroid symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining the exact techniques I use to help keep my Hashimoto’s in remission.
Let me help you start addressing your symptoms now!
Questions? Please post below.
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.