What is Hypothyroidism

“No matter what I do I cannot lose weight!” Eating healthy and exercised and still did not lose a pound. What is wrong? This is the question many people with Hypothyroidism ask.

However, most do not even know they have thyroid issues yet. 

So what is hypothyroidism and can it be healed? Hypothyroidism can be the root of one of two things, both with the same end result. It is either a thyroid that is underproducing or producing properly but the body is not receiving it. In either case, the answer is YES! The thyroid can be healed naturally.

I know because I have done it. 

What does thyroid do to a person?

In short, our thyroid’s main function in our body is 2 release and control thyroid hormones that control our metabolism. Then your metabolism process has the food and transforms it into energy. This energy is used to keep your entire body system working correctly. 

People who are having a hard time losing weight almost always can trace back see metabolism issues to a thyroid or autoimmune disorder.

Sadly most people never connect the inability to lose weight with an autoimmune disorder and struggle for years without an answer or resolution. 

What are the symptoms of thyroid problems in females? 

The primary symptoms of hypothyroidism are often vague and can mimic or seem like other conditions making it hard to pinpoint. 

The symptoms include:

• Changes in menstrual cycles 
• constipation 
• depression 
• dry hair or hair loss 
• dry skin 
• elevated cholesterol 
• fatigue 
• sensitivity to the cold 
• hoarse voice 
• joint pain, stiffness, and swelling 
• memory problems 
• muscle aches and stiffness 
• muscle weakness 
• Swelling of the face 
• slow heart rate 
• swelling of the thyroid gland (goiter) 
• unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight 
• carpal tunnel syndrome 

What are the most common causes of hypothyroidism? 

Most often the causes of hypothyroidism have to do with the thyroid gland itself. Most commonly thyroid hypothyroidism occurs when another problem in a few years with thyroids ability to produce hormones. 

An example can be the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus produces hormones that trigger the release of thyroid hormone a problem with one gland can make the thyroid underactive. Sometimes underactive thyroid can be a result of problems with the hypothalamus. 

Looking at our body we have to take a holistic approach. Everything is connected to something else.

Asking questions like what caused the thyroid issue can often lead to many other questions. 

Things such as certain medications, too little iodine in the diet, pregnancy and the hormone fluctuations that come with it can all be causes of hyperthyroidism. 

How do you feel when you have hypothyroidism? 

Hypothyroidism often makes someone feel tired, depressed, sluggish. it can cause things such as anxiety, sleep problems, restlessness, and irritability. 

Again, in females after pregnancy such as myself, it can be very hard to pinpoint the symptoms coming from the thyroid and not just from having a baby and being sleep deprived. 

Can hypothyroidism be cured? 

Can hypothyroidism be cured? Yes!

Despite what most Medical practitioners will tell you hypothyroidism is completely curable. It may take time, but our autoimmune disorders can be treated and healed. It may take many years, and it may not be possible in all cases. But I can say in MANY MANY cases I followed in my research as well as my own personal journey of healing my thyroid….. YES it absolutely is possible!

I can speak from my own Journey spending the last seven years researching and healing my own thyroid can be done. 

I love this podcast by dr. Hyman and Dr. Lee are both medical practitioners that healed their autoimmune disease through functional medicine. Despite both being told by specialists that it could not be done. 

How do I check my thyroid at home? 

One of the easiest ways to check your thyroid at home is by looking for signs on your hands. 

Hypothyroidism can cause dermatologic findings such as; 

nail infections, vertical white ridges on the nails, nails splitting, brittle nails, slow nail growth, and the nails lifting up. 

There are also at-home kits you can use to test your thyroid readings. 

The EverlyWell at-home test is one that requires only a few drops of blood as a sample.

After getting an online test you can see your thyroid hormone also referred to as TSH,  T3, and T4 and TPO antibodies. 

Using good old Google you can even compare your findings to the normal range online. You can also look in your area for functional medicine doctors. 

These are doctors that take a holistic approach to the body and healing. 

Can you lose weight with hypothyroidism? 

The short answer to this question is – yes.

You can lose weight with hypothyroidism. However, not everyone does. The inability to lose weight after having my youngest son was my primary reason for starting this healing Journey. 

No matter what I did to lose weight nothing worked. I didn’t even lose 1 lb changing my diet and exercise. 

The answer is yes you can lose weight with hypothyroidism that doesn’t mean that everyone will. Everyone’s body is different we have to remember these broad answers don’t always mean they apply to us too. 

The key to losing weight when you have hypothyroidism is your willingness to change your diet. Avoiding inflammatory foods for weight loss when you have an underactive thyroid is chi what is contributing to the weight gain in the first place. 

Foods such as gluten dairy and sugar are highly inflammatory foods. For someone with an underactive thyroid (or thyroid issues), these types of foods are going to be highly irritating, working against your body. 

Not for your body.

Food is the first place to start and not only a journey to healing your thyroid but also to losing weight with hypothyroidism.

What are the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism? 

The symptoms to look for are:

• Changes in menstrual cycles 
• constipation 
• depression 
• dry hair or hair loss 
• dry skin 
• elevated cholesterol 
• fatigue 
• sensitivity to the cold 
• a hoarse voice 
• joint pain, stiffness, and swelling 
• memory problems 
• muscle aches and stiffness 
• muscle weakness 
• Swelling of the face 
• slow heart rate 
• swelling of the thyroid gland (goiter) 
• unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight 
• carpal tunnel syndrome 
• ridges in the fingernails
• fingernails dry, brittle, peeling, or lifting from the nail bed

How can I boost my thyroid naturally? 

Eliminating inflammatory foods is key to boosting your thyroid naturally. Again Foods causing inflammation are working against your thyroid. Food can be poison or it can be medicine.

 The top 10 ways to boost your thyroid naturally are:

• iodine
• selenium 
• zinc 
• Essential fatty acids
•  liver detoxification
•  low glycemic foods
•  exercise 
• lowering stressors
•  cold therapy

Iodine

Eating foods rich in iodine is a trace element and component of thyroid hormones that will boost your thyroid. Eating foods such as Seafood, sea vegetables, and iodized sea salt is very helpful in thyroid repair. 

Selenium

Selenium is a trace element that is needed for the conversion of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones. Eating foods rich in selenium daily will support these conversions and the optimal levels.

Sources such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, mushrooms, avocado, fish, and cereal grains.

Zinc

Zinc is another trace element that is required for the conversion of T3 to T4 thyroid hormone. Good sources include quality organic grass-fed Meat. 

Especially red meat, fish oil, and wild-caught seafood, some nuts, seeds, and lentils.

Essential fats

Eating properly proportioned essential fats with every meal which includes extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, raw unsalted nuts and seeds, avocados and oily fish will improve thyroid hormone levels. 

Our cell’s receptors become more available to receive thyroid hormones from eating essential fats.  

Liver detoxification

Eating foods that will boost liver function and detoxification of the liver are key. Our liver is involved in the conversion of thyroid hormones and in boosting our metabolism. Which is going to lower the underactive thyroid. 

These foods are easy to include in our diet.

Foods such as; garlic, onions, beetroot, eggs, leeks, apples, turmeric, and cinnamon. 

Lower glycemic foods

Consuming foods low on the glycemic index helps to normalize our metabolisms, which lowers with hypothyroidism and is the cause of weight gain. 

Low glycemic foods include green leafy vegetables, berries, and whole grains (NOTE: gluten is NOT a healthy grain. It is very important to do research on what are healthy grains such as buckwheat, millet, etc) 

Exercise

I love how Dr. Hyman says, “you can never outwork a poor diet.” 

Though there are many changes in the foods we eat that are required and healing are autoimmune systems exercise is still a key component.

 Exercising daily especially in the mornings will boost our thyroid hormone levels. This helps to stimulate our thyroid gland for thyroid hormone production which will boost our metabolism and endorphins.

Stress

Lowering stress levels are vital as stress increases cortisol levels. Cortisol can turn to a decrease in the production of key thyroid-stimulating hormones inhibiting the conversion of T4 to T3 thyroid hormones.

Stress relief such as yoga, meditation, and even acupuncture can be very helpful in lowering stress.

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy such as a cold shower in the middle and lower back will stimulate adrenal glands which support healthy thyroid function.

A cold spray to the thyroid after a warm bath will also stimulate thyroid production. 

Therapy also has many other health benefits if you were interested in learning more I recommend finding Wim Hoff, also known as The Iceman, on YouTube he also has a fantastic book. 

Does stress cause hypothyroidism? 

This is an impossible question to answer. Again we have to look at the body as a whole to say that just one thing that caused this domino effect is highly unlikely. 

However, stress causes cortisol. Cortisol is the main hormone produced by stress. 

High ongoing levels of cortisol are known to suppress the pituitary function and keep the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)  from being released. so I’m going stress could definitely lead to hypothyroidism. 

Was it the main cause of hypothyroidism? Possibly. In some, it could have been the root cause. This would be a case-by-case answer. In some yes. In others no. 

People who have undergone tremendous stress that never developed hypothyroidism. People such as Victor Franco who lived in a torture camp in Nazi Germany undergoing unfathomable amounts of stress who did not develop the autoimmune disease as a result. 

Conclusion

What is hypothyroidism and can it be healed naturally? Hypothyroidism is an autoimmune dysfunction or disorder that is caused by the thyroid hormone under-producing the hormones our body needs or properly producing the amount of hormone needed but the body isn’t able to receive it. 

Either way YES the thyroid can heal naturally. 

Following the steps listed above to first identify if you have a thyroid issue is a key to healing hypothyroidism. 

Then following the top 10 ways to boost thyroid function. Eliminating the foods that cause inflammation and remembering the functional medicine approach. 

Odds are high that if there is a thyroid disfunction that there is more going on under the surface too. We must be willing to do our research and make the necessary changes that will in time lead to healing our autoimmune system and our thyroid. 

I know because I have done it! Natural healing does not happen overnight – but it does happen. 

Check out this podcast interview by Dr. Mark Hyman on the subject.