Save My Thyroid: Healing Tips for Hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's

Whether you are dealing with Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, there is an autoimmune component that must be addressed to reverse these conditions. When we consider that approximately 70-80% of immune system cells are located in the gut, it becomes clear that a healthy gut is necessary for healing most autoimmune conditions. Today, I’m discussing how to heal the gut and why it’s essentia...

“Thyroid disorders are very prevalent, especially in women.” - Dr. Lorraine Maita What you eat and drink, how much you sleep, how much you exercise, the stress you're under, and the toxins you're exposed to all affect your thyroid and hormones. We often underestimate the impact of our lifestyle on our health, but especially for women, the level of toxin exposure through personal care pro...

A goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland commonly caused by issues such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, insulin resistance, problems with estrogen metabolism, and iodine deficiency. While it is possible to shrink a goiter, there are a number of factors to consider. Even though my goal is to save as many thyroid glands as possible, there is a time and place for thyroid surgery. Today, I’...

An essential aspect of the thyroid healing journey is identifying and addressing the root cause of your hyperthyroidism. But while doing that, it’s also necessary to safely manage the associated symptoms, as additional complications can arise when they’re left untreated. From cardiovascular stress to decreased bone density and more, the consequences of unmanaged hyperthyroidism can have a signific...

According to a recent study, about 33% of women over 18 and more than 10% of men over 40 in Europe and the United States dye their hair. Because hair dye is so commonly used, many of my patients have questioned its impact on their health. Even with the increasing availability of plant-based hair dyes and the wide range of dyes - whether permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary - there are some know...

“It's amazing when we get back to the basics, how well our body takes over and knows what to do to heal.” - Heather Gray When it comes to Lyme disease, many people are laser-focused on treatment instead of optimizing the whole person. But if you don't address the foundations, heal the gut, reduce your toxic load, do things to manage stress, and improve your adrenal health, these therapie...

While yeast is a normal part of your gut flora, issues can arise when its population gets too high. I commonly see Candida overgrowth in my patients with Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s, with the most well-known species of yeast in the gut being Candida albicans. Research shows that Candida can contribute to an increase in intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut, which is one part of the...

“Focus on what you need to add into the diet rather than what you need to take out.” - Louise Digby Many people focus on diet and exercise when they want to lose weight. However, especially when it comes to stubborn weight, focusing on our health and addressing underlying imbalances gets way better results than eating less and exercising more. Instead of the typical diet approach of cutting out “b...

There are many factors to consider when choosing a natural healthcare practitioner. From their specialization to their credentials and years in practice, there’s a lot to navigate as a patient or client. A practitioner’s experience can significantly affect your health outcome, but the quality of that experience matters. Today, I’m sharing the key factors to consider when evaluating practitioners,...

“There is no survival advantage to screening with mammograms.” - Dr. Jenn Simmons For over 50 years, healthcare providers have told women how important it is to have a mammogram every year after a certain age. With mammograms positioned as the primary screening tool for breast cancer, these annual visits are dutifully maintained for years in the hope that they will act as an early warning system....

Thytrophin PMG is a supplement from Standard Process® that contains bovine thyroid PMG™ extract and a proprietary Protomorphogen™ blend. It’s been around for many years, and it's not uncommon for me to encounter patients who have been supplementing with it. In theory, Thytrophin PMG is supposed to act as a decoy for the immune system to attack the supplement instead of the thyroid gland. Toda...

Thyroid care is complicated, yet we’re often offered a one-size-fits-all approach by conventional medicine. Thyroid medication is one of the most prescribed medications in the US, so many people could benefit from thyroid care done right. Unfortunately, most providers don’t understand how to diagnose thyroid conditions well, how antibodies affect thyroid symptoms, or how to dose the medication pro...

Adequate stomach acid levels are vital for overall health. Stomach acid—released from the parietal cells of the stomach lining—has several essential functions, including protein digestion, nutrient absorption, and helping to keep bacteria in check. Low stomach acid, a condition known as hypochlorhydria, is widespread in those with thyroid conditions. Today, I’m sharing the common causes of low sto...

“Most people with endometriosis have several symptoms, not just painful periods.” - Dr. Jessica Drummond Endometriosis is a structural immune disorder that affects around one in ten women. With this condition, tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows anywhere in the body outside the uterus. Each case of endometriosis can present differently, and the condition is often misdiagnosed or undia...

Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) is a prescription medication that helps to modulate the immune system and can help to treat different types of autoimmune conditions. While I don’t recommend it for all my patients, there are situations where it might be a consideration since Graves’ disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and thyroid eye disease are autoimmune thyroid conditions. Today, I’m sharing the si...

“There’s usually something lifestyle-related that we could improve. We don't always need a prescription or a supplement.” - Dr. Bindiya Gandhi Leptin, also known as the satiety hormone, is produced by our fat cells and is one of the main signals that tell our body whether we need to eat more or less. Balanced leptin levels help us maintain a healthy weight because of its impact on metabolism....

Can you take supplements to shrink a thyroid goiter? Will hyperthyroidism progress to hypothyroidism if left untreated or vice versa? Do thyroid nodules cause anxiety and nervousness? Is it safe to take electrolytes when you have a thyroid condition? Today, I’m back with another Q&A episode, answering multiple questions submitted by the Save My Thyroid community. While I can’t get to everyone’...

“It makes people feel so good psychologically to know that this tool exists.” - Debbie Steinbock The elemental diet is a nutrition plan that delivers essential nutrients in their simplest form through shakes. Its goal is to give the gut a rest period to reduce inflammation and start to repair. While most people don't need to follow an elemental diet to achieve optimal health, it can be quite...

Vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide, and most people can benefit from supplementation. That said, there’s some division among practitioners regarding what vitamin D levels patients should aim for. Today, I’m diving into the research to explore what studies show about the safety of vitamin D supplementation at different dosages and periods and whether you should be concerned about deve...

“There’s no line separating good foods and bad foods. All foods lie on a spectrum.” - Dr. Sarah Ballantyne Food is more than energy. From vitamins and minerals to fatty acids and more, nutrients are critical in all the chemical reactions that keep us alive. To keep up with this demand, we must continuously replenish our body’s nutrient stores from our foods. Unfortunately, the nutrient density of...

The main purpose of the AIP diet is to remove common allergens and foods that could negatively affect gut health. As it is a restrictive diet, eventually, the goal is to reintroduce foods. For most people, I recommend following the AIP diet for at least 30 days, but I’m often asked when the right time to start reintroducing foods is. Today, I’m sharing the primary considerations for deciding when...

“We want to make sure to have proper thyroid function to help maintain balanced histamine levels.” - Dr. Meg Mill Anxiety, insomnia, gut issues, and allergies. At first glance, symptoms like these might not seem to have anything in common, but when you look at them through the histamine lens, you can start to connect the dots. By addressing the root cause of histamine tolerance, we often find that...

Compared to other anti-thyroid medications such as methimazole, propylthiouracil (PTU) is not commonly prescribed by endocrinologists. It’s generally only prescribed in specific cases where the methimazole is contraindicated or not well tolerated. It's not uncommon for PTU to cause elevated liver enzymes, and in rare cases, that can lead to liver damage. Thankfully, this is not something I’ve...

“Losing weight can be fun. When I lost 40 pounds, it was the most exciting moment of my life because I was loving what I was eating every day and seeing my waist shrink.” - Nagina Abdullah Many people associate diets and healthy food with restriction, deprivation, and boredom. Luckily, that doesn’t have to be the case. What we eat should be about more than just nutrition. Food can bring excitement...

Oral health has been shown to play a significant role in overall health and thyroid health. Thyroid conditions have also been shown to impact oral health, and in my experience working with people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, I’ve seen an increase in dental cavities, especially among patients with hyperthyroidism. Today, I’m sharing what research shows about how thyroid condition...