It is estimated that more than 20 million North Americans suffer from low thyroid problems or hypothyroidism. One in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. Weight loss resistance, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, depression, hair loss, brittle nails have all been linked to low thyroid function.
If you have these symptoms, you can start off by going to your family doctor or endocrinologist and have tests run. Typically they’ll run TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and T4 Tests. If your TSH is high, you’ll be given a thyroid replacement hormone drug. In my experience, thyroid replacement hormones do very little to sustainably relieve symptoms in most cases, let alone fix the condition. This leaves many individuals left trying to figure things out on their and living a less then vital life. As with most chronic disease the training in the mainstream medical system is to diagnose a disease and match it with a corresponding drug. So if your TSH lab is “normal,” you’re told you’re “normal,” even if you still have symptoms.
The standard of care for people struggling with low thyroid symptoms is incomplete and inadequte. In functional medicine, we look at a much narrower range that shows ultimate health and function. This detailed lab interpretation gives answers to millions of people in the “gray area.” People who have symptoms but are considered “normal” in the eyes of the mainstream care.

Western medicine measures that anything about 5.2-5.5 is worrisome. In the holistic medicine world we get alarmed if see anything at 2.0 or above. The goal is to discover when the thyroid is functioning sub-optimally not ‘dead’.

If you need medication discuss this with a Naturopath as there may be more natural and effective solutions to your thyroid condition then the standard medicine you may be prescribed.

There are six patterns of hypothyroidism that won’t show up on conventional lab tests and are not effectively helped by thyroid replacement hormones.
Over the next 6 days I will share each on of these with you, starting with #1 tonight:
1. Hashimoto’s Disease
There is quite a bit of research that shows up to nearly 90% of all thyroid cases are Hashimoto’s or autoimmune thyroiditis. In this case the thyroid isn’t the true culprit, but is the victim of the immune system. TSH can be normal, but until you deal with the underlying autoimmune response you’ll always struggle with low thyroid symptoms. I see this often in cases of people with a lot of inflammation, joint pain, digestive upset and weight gain. They also typically tend to suffer from chronic headaches and migraines.
I would highly recommend the following:
  • Food sensitivity testing
  • Remove Dairy 100%
  • Remove Gluten 100%
  • Remove Soy 100%
  • Increase water intake to 3-5 litres daily with added Greens + O by Genuine Health or Fresh lemon or Chlorophyll
  • Regular exercise 5-6 days per week including Yoga, Walking, Light Strength Training and breathing exercises.
  • Consult with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist or Naturopath to help create a solid meal plan and supplement regime.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on #2 type of hypothyroidism that won’t show up on conventional lab tests and are not effectively helped by thyroid replacement hormones.

Jenn Pike
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Registered Yoga Instructor RYT 500
Medical Exercise Specialist
Master Personal Trainer
Stott Pilates trained Instructor
Owner, Simplicity Yoga & Fitness Therapy Studio
905.476.9200
Purchase Jenn’s Online Detox where you can choose 2, 5 or 7 Days to gentle cleanse your system. With a full meal plan and recipe booklet included!
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&
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The Simplicity Project ~ A Simple, No-Nonsense Approach To Losing Weight & Changing Your Body Forever!
 
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