Hypothyroid Disease

The alarm clock goes off for the 3rd time this morning, you reluctantly drag yourself out of bed, barely awake, knowing that you can’t afford to hit the snooze button yet again. You shower, brush your teeth and get dressed in a half-awake fog wondering how you could still be so tired after getting a decent amount of sleep last night.

“Oh well, I’m probably just going through a phase; this will get better soon,” you assure yourself, as you rush out the door to get the kids to school; grabbing a low-calorie breakfast bar to pair with your coffee on the way out.

Later on around noon, you enjoy a slight break from the busyness of the day and sit down for a light lunch. That article you read a few weeks ago on Facebook had an 8-week meal-plan that you’ve been trying your best to follow. You lost a few pounds the first week and decided to stick with it; though, as you crunch on your small salad and zero-calorie tea you’re pondering when you’re going to break through this new weight-loss plateau you’ve been stuck at for the past 9 days. “If I’m going to eat like a bird I at least want to see some results” you think to yourself, slightly frustrated.

3:00 pm rolls around and you’re deciding what will give you more energy for tonight’s ZUMBA class, another coffee or an energy drink. You opt for the energy drink, but choose the “light” version to continue your battle against calories.

As you sweat your way to a better body in a group class with like-minded people, your mind wanders to your recent blood-test results: “The doctor said the medication is working and that my thyroid levels are normal, how come I still don’t feel right?” You dismiss the thought as quickly as it entered your mind and push through another set; convincing yourself that this is going to help you get down two swimsuit sizes for beach season.

Cellular Inflammation

If you feel like the person described in the story above… If you are always tired, if you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try, if you are experiencing brain fog and other unexplainable symptoms, I want to let you know that you’re not just “getting older,” and it’s not just in your head; you may be suffering from a condition known as cellular inflammation.

In 2004, TIME Magazine released an article titled: The Secret Killer. The featured piece went on to describe how a process known as cellular inflammation is the underlying root cause of every chronic disease that we see today in America. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disease, thyroid disorders, you name it, every one of them involves cellular inflammation its core.

Why You Don’t Feel Well

You have approximately 100 trillion cells in your body; cells are our basic unit of life. Cells group together to form various tissues, tissues group together to form organs and organs combine to form systems of the body. You are only as healthy as your cells are. Meaning that if your cells are sick or inflamed it is impossible for you to remain healthy.

To adequately understand cellular inflammation, lets first look at how a healthy cell functions and how it relates to your health.

When I was in school, probably just like you, I learned that the nucleus was the most important part of the cell. After all, the nucleus is where your DNA is stored -your genetic makeup. Well, an exciting field of science known as Epigenetics has discovered that there is actually a part of the cell that is more important than your nucleus because it influences the health of your entire cell and determines genetic expression (meaning if you are healthy or sick). What I’m talking about is something known as the cell membrane.

If you refer to the picture below, every cell in your body has a protective membrane made up of two layers of fat known as a fatty-lipid-bilayer. This membrane is selectively permeable, meaning that it decides what enters and exits your cell. For beneficial nutrients, water and oxygen to enter the cell, they must do so through the membrane. Likewise, for metabolic waste, carbon dioxide and toxins to exit the cell for proper elimination, they must do so through the cell membrane. In a healthy cell this process occurs millions of times per day without you giving it one thought.

cell-healthy

Additionally, your cells have millions of tiny, hair-like receptors sticking out from the cells membrane. These receptors are vitally important because they allow hormones and vitamins to bind to the cell and communicate with your DNA -literally influencing your physiology.

Again, using the picture above, lets look at Thyroid hormone. It’s estimated that approximately 80% of women in America have a low or hypothyroid problem. The typical treatment for hypothyroidism in modern medicine seems to be to give a person more thyroid hormone in the form of hormone replacement medication.

But what if lack of thyroid hormone isn’t the REAL problem?

You see, for thyroid hormone to be effective in your body -meaning for you to have a good metabolism, lose weight easily, feel happy, have good energy, proper digestion, strong hair and nails, etc -thyroid hormone must be able to communicate with your cells. It does so by binding to the thyroid cell receptors on the membrane.

But what if it cannot bind? What would happen if a person has PLENTY of thyroid hormone circulating in their body but their cells can’t “hear” the signal?

This is precisely what happens with cellular inflammation.

Cellular inflammation means that the once healthy, permeable membrane has become inflamed and damaged. This type of inflammation is different than inflammation of a sore joint or a cut on your hand. It shows up in the form of unexplainable symptoms when enough cells have become damaged.

Lets look at the second picture, below. When the cell membrane has become inflamed, the good things cannot enter the cell, waste products cannot exit the cell and as a result, toxicity builds inside. At first you may not notice any symptoms, however, just like a pond that has toxic garbage dumped into it daily, your cells will reach a point where they can no longer support health.

When the internal environment of your cells becomes toxic, unwanted genes can become triggered. This is when you begin exhibiting symptoms. It may start with lack of energy, mental cloudiness, or inability to lose weight, but this process of cellular inflammation ultimately leads to diseases like diabetes, autoimmune disease and even cancer.

Going back to our thyroid hormone example, when a cell is inflamed the hormone receptors on the membrane become blunted. This means that hormones such as thyroid hormone can no longer bind to the receptor correctly. The result is symptoms of a low thyroid condition. Remember this because it’s important: A person may have PLENTY of thyroid hormone, but if the hormone cannot get its message into the cell that person is going to have symptoms of a low thyroid disorder.

The same goes with type-II diabetes. The problem is not a lack of insulin, in fact, type-II diabetics have plenty of it. The problem is that the cells cannot “hear” the signal of insulin. When we fix the cell membrane and repair the hormone receptors the signal is restored.

copy-of-cell-healthy

How to Regain Your Health.

When it comes to chronic, lifestyle-related diseases like we see in America, merely treating the symptoms with medication like we do with modern medicine is not considered healthcare, its disease management. If you are ever going to fully heal and feel normal again you have to go up-stream and remove sources of toxic interference that drive cellular inflammation.

I coach my clients on the things they need to do now and continue to do to regain their health. Dietary changes are always a must and for that I utilize ancient healing protocols and something called diet variation. But it doesn’t stop there, unfortunately, simply eating healthier often isn’t enough anymore.

Toxins are, in my opinion, the biggest driving factor of cellular inflammation and chronic disease today. Never before in the history of mankind have we been exposed to the constant onslaught of toxicity such as in today’s modern age. Heavy metals such as mercury and lead, biotoxic mold from wet basements, hidden viral infections like undiagnosed Lyme are major causes of why we’re so sick; combine that with our processed, toxic, GMO food supply that is sprayed with the endocrine-disrupting pesticide, Glyphosate (which is RoundUp) and it’s a wonder we’re even as “healthy” as we are today.

The only way to ultimately reverse cellular inflammation and regain your health is to go up-stream and remove these sources of toxic interference. Only then will your body be able to do what it was designed to do …Heal.

There is a saying I love that goes: “The body needs no help healing, just no interference.”

In my practice I coach clients on how to remove sources of toxic interference through a program called True Cellular Detox. This program is a step-by-step guide that addresses the toxic, up-stream sources of interference, teaches you the foods you need to eat –and eliminate– to heal your body, educates you on ancient healing techniques such as intermittent fasting, and involves 1-on-1 face time with myself to customize the program to your specific needs.

Regaining your health doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t always easy… but it’s always worth it. You CAN lose the weight and have the energy and metal clarity you desire. It starts with fixing the cell.

To learn more about True Cellular Detox, click here.

Hormone imbalance

Hormone imbalance is a true epidemic in our country. The average American female and male over 35 years of age suffers from some form of hormonal imbalance. With the poor diet, stressful lifestyles and declining popularity of physical exercise, more and more young men and women are developing hormonal imbalances. The effects of such imbalances increases as we age and become more devastating and harder to treat the longer they go on and the worse they become. Because most of the symptoms come on gradually, it is difficult to figure out initially, until the problems become more pronounced and the hormones become even more imbalanced.

It becomes a vicious cycle that slowly robs you of your energy, your vitality and your life and lifestyle. It also robs your loved ones of their lifestyle. Unless properly diagnosed and evaluated, proper recovery is very difficult to achieve. This is where a properly trained healthcare professional is so important. You will require a doctor who is up to date on hormonal function and can discover “subclinical” hormone imbalances, not just “diseased” glands or organs.

Often times it is the simplest of signs that indicate hormone imbalance, but these signs are blamed on other factors. Some of the initial symptoms include:

  • Fatigue not relieved by rest
  • Tired all the time/no energy
  • Difficulty getting up in the morning
  • Poor sleep
  • Craving for salty or sugary foods
  • It takes more effort to perform every day tasks and duties
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Decreased ability to handle stress
  • Increased time to recover from illness or injury
  • Light headed when standing up quickly
  • Depression
  • Lack of enjoyment or happiness
  • Weight gain/loss
  • Excessive allergies
  • Anxiety
  • Digestive disorders
  • Dry and thin skin
  • Excessive hunger
  • Hair loss
  • Unexplained headaches
  • Immune deficiencies
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Chronic pain
  • Inflammation
  • Blood pressure problems
  • Low body temperature
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Mood swings
  • Poor memory
  • PMS
  • Sleep disorders
  • Tender breasts
  • Weakness
  • Difficulty building muscle
  • Cramping
  • Fluid retention
  • Slow metabolism
  • Irritability
  • Chronic illness
  • And more and more and more

Various clinical conditions are the direct result of hormone imbalance that, in most cases, can be completely preventable. Such conditions include:

  • Chronic viral infections (EBV, Herpes, etc.)
  • Yeast overgrowth
  • Allergies
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Migraines
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Insomnia
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Type II diabetes
  • Osteoporosis
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Irritable bowel disease
  • Celiac disease
  • And more and more and more

Quite simply, hormones affect body function.

Hormone imbalances affect body functions in a detrimental way. The more hormones and systems involved and the longer the time that the imbalances have been present, the more symptoms will devastate your life.

This isn’t how the story ends, however; there is hope! Hormone imbalances can be corrected by taking the correct action steps and supplying the body with what it requires to heal – This first requires the correct testing to determine what the TRUE cause of your problem is.

Be sure to read my next upcoming 3 articles on Female Hormones, Male Hormones and the Correct Testing!

According to the National Women’s Health Information Center there are over 20 million Americans suffering from some type of thyroid disorder. A whopping one in eight women in the United States will be impacted by thyroid disorder in their lives (from the American Medical Women’s Association). Are you one of them?

Thyroid disorders and thyroid disease can have a negative impact on just about every area of your life. From weight issues to depression and anxiety, the thyroid gland is vital to keeping your physical, mental, and emotional life balanced and healthy. And what’s more is it’s estimated that about half of those in the world suffering with thyroid issues are completely unaware this is the root of their problem.

If you suffer from unexplainable symptoms but have been told that your thyroid levels are “normal”, you are not crazy and it’s not just in your head. The following are 3 common causes of low or hypothyroid dysfunction that can occur even if your blood tests look normal.

 

1) A Conversion Issue

Your thyroid produces two important hormones, T4 & T3. Most people are aware of their T4 levels because that is the predominant hormone the thyroid produces; and one of the markers that doctors routinely test for.

But did you know that T4 is not the active form of the hormone that your body needs to run everything correctly?

Think of it this way, T4 is comparable to crude oil; T3 is like gasoline. Crude oil is what is harvested out of the earth, but it must be refined and converted into gasoline for us to run our cars with. If you were to just take crude oil and put it into your car’s gas tank it wouldn’t run. Well, our cells are the same way; they need T3 gasoline to run correctly.

Over 90% of the hormone your thyroid produces is crude T4 hormone. It must be converted into active T3 hormone for your body to be able to use it. This conversion takes place predominantly in the liver, and also the digestive tract to a lesser extent.

Therefore, you may have PLENTY of T4 hormones floating around your system, but if you have a toxic, overburdened liver or dysfunctioning bowel, this conversion process may not be taking place correctly. In essence, you have plenty of “crude oil”, but you’re not converting it into the usable “gasoline” for your cells.

 

2) A Hormone Receptor Problem

Cellular Inflammation has been discovered to be the one commonality among all chronic diseases –from diabetes, to cancer to autoimmune disease. This type of inflammation occurs silently, but causes of host of serious problems in regards to cellular health including: altered genetic expression (bad genes become activated), toxicity build-up, and hormone receptor problems.

We are concerned with the latter of the 3 for the purpose of this article. You see, every cell in your body has thousands of hair-like projections sticking out of the cell called hormone receptors. Different types of receptors bind different types of hormones (I.E. Insulin, T3, Testosterone, etc…). When a hormone binds to a receptor site, it tells the cell to perform a specific action.

When cells become inflamed, it means the membrane that encapsulates and protects the cell becomes inflamed. This is where the hormone receptors are located. When inflammation becomes chronic, the receptors become blunted or dysfunctional and can no longer bind hormones correctly; meaning that even if you have enough T3, your cells cannot use it correctly because the receptors that bind the hormone have been damaged.

Think back to the last example again. If you have plenty of gasoline, but your gas-tank door on your car is locked, it won’t do you any good still. You need to get the gasoline into the car for it to work.

The same goes for T3 hormone. If it cannot bind to the cell receptors, it cannot perform its action within the cell. The inflammation must be corrected for the hormone receptors to work right.

 

3) An Autoimmune  Presence.

Inflammation is a natural occurrence in our bodies. It is the way your body calls in your immune system to address a problem (I.E. foreign invasion).

For example, the last time you cut your hand and it became red and tender, it was your body’s way of “calling in reinforcements” to attack any foreign invaders and disarm the situation.

In a healthy person, this type of inflammation is transitory and short lived. The problem with this last scenario is when inflammation becomes chronic.

In cases of chronic, long-term inflammation the sirens signaling the immune system never get “turned off”. As a result the immune system cells can become desensitized over time; unable to differentiate between foreign and “self” cells of your body.

This is called autoimmune disease. When this occurs your immune system has become confused and begins to create antibodies against your own tissue!

There are many different types of autoimmune disease; each one classified by the tissue’s that are affected in the body. When the immune system attacks the thyroid it is known as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (-itis means inflammation).

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is not a thyroid problem at all, but rather an issue with your immune system; or more specifically your gut!

Research has shown that over 80% of your immune system lies within the gut. It has been suggested now that autoimmunity begins to occur when the digestive tract becomes diseased and perforated through a process called Leaky Gut Syndrome. Without getting into too much detail for the purpose of this article, a leaky gut is most often caused by the standard American diet and lifestyle.

Many researchers now suggest that over 80% of Hypothyroid cases may be caused by autoimmune disease, yet it is almost never tested for!

Why is this you may be asking? Because the treatment is the same for traditional or autoimmune hypothyroid cases: T4 replacement hormone. This will certainly make your blood levels look better, but it will do little to address the real problem or help with your symptoms.

 

Getting To The Cause

To correctly repair hypothyroid disease, the cause MUST be addressed. If you don’t address the cause, all you’re doing is chasing symptoms and making blood work look better on paper.

To determine the cause you must receive the correct testing –which involves much more than just a TSH and T4 blood work panel.

To receive the correct testing and to see how we can best help you, call our office at 724-237-5299!

American’s are finally coming around to the idea that not all calories are the same; nor do they do the same things to your body. The type of food you eat is dramatically more important than how much food you are eating. Hormone’s like Leptin, Testosterone and Growth Hormone play a major role in how well your body burns fat.

On the other hand, Insulin and Estrogen are strong fat-storing hormones. The food you eat and the lifestyle you live plays a MAJOR role in regards to what hormones are most active in your body. Read this awesome article by Dr. Jocker’s for more information!

Raw, fermented foods are some of the biggest nutrient powerhouses on this planet.

I love drinking fermented beverages like Kefir and Kombucha; fermented vegetables are another avenue to get nutrient-dense superfoods into your diet. In ancient cultures, fermentation was a way to make their food last longer; something that we have gotten away from with the advent of the refrigerator. Not only does food last longer when fermented, but it also begins to produce a massive amount of healthy bacteria and enzymes that your body needs to dramatically boost gut health and immune function.

This is a great article on how to make homemade Sauerkraut – which is worlds away from the processed, heated version. Simple to make and extremely cheap; who says eating healthy has to be expensive! I just bought a whole head of organic cabbage for .69 cents! Replace one meal/snack per day with raw fermented sauerkraut and not only will your health improve, but your grocery bills will be lower as well.

Click Here to read the article

Bone brothThis is a phenomenal article by natural health expert, Dr. Dan Pompa on healing your digestive tract by utilizing an ancient bone broth recipe used by virtually every ancient culture. A must for any person diagnosed with a chronic illness, especially autoimmune disorders.

Click Here to read article and get recipe!