In the first post in this series, we established that hypothyroidism is caused by an autoimmune disease (called Hashimoto's) in the vast majority of cases. Since then, we've explored the role of gluten intolerance, vitamin D deficiency, supplemental iodine, blood sugar imbalances, adrenal stress and a leaky gut in perpetuating the autoimmune attack and disrupting thyroid function. We've discussed why dietary changes are always the first step in treating Hashimoto's, and why replacement thyroid ...
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I often get comments and emails from people asking me which thyroid hormone I think is best. My answer is always the same: "It depends." As much as some practitioners would like to make us believe, there is simply no "one size fits all" approach to thyroid hormone replacement.
Statements like "Synthroid is best" or "I prefer to use synthetic T4 with my patients" or "I only use bio-identical hormones" demonstrate a lack ...
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might be surprised by the title of this post. I've been critical of pharmaceutical approaches in the past, and in general, I recommend avoiding the use of medication whenever possible.
However, I have no problem with pharmaceuticals if:
they work,
they do more good than harm, and;
there are no non-drug alternatives with the same effect.
It turns out that thyroid medication meets these criteria in cases of hypothyroidism with ...
Dr. Kharrazian has written an excellent post over at his blog about the importance of proper diet in the treatment of Hashimoto's. He covers all the bases: the importance of going gluten-free, why gluten-free isn't enough for most people, how to identify and address food sensitivities, how to balance blood sugar, and how to deal with the psychological and emotional resistance that may arise when making significant dietary changes.
The main obstacle most Americans face in implementing ...
Note: This will be my last post until the end of August. My wife and I are going up to the Sierras to hike and soak in the hot springs for a few days before the big acupuncture licensing exam next Tuesday. The day after that we head to southern Mexico to surf and relax on the beach for a couple of weeks.
I won't have time to respond to comments while I'm away, but please ...
We've already talked about how blood sugar imbalances and poor gut health can lead to hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. The harmful effects of adrenal stress complete the triad.
The adrenals are two walnut-shaped glands that sit atop the kidneys. They secrete hormones - such as cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine - that regulate the stress response. But these hormones play other crucial roles, many of which are directly related to thyroid health. In fact, as ...
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