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Thyroid 101-Part 3

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Hello everyone! So after knowing all about Hashimoto disease, the immune system and autoimmune diseases, today I will try to sum up ways to reboot your body, give your immune system the boost it needs to be able to do its job properly, and hopefully ways of getting your thyroid back to functioning properly and for your body to finally stop attacking your cells.

So let’s start from the liver, as we saw here, liver is what converts your T4 into T3, and so if your liver isn’t working properly, this won’t be done and therefore, you will have a malfunctioning thyroid gland. So let’s look deeper into ways of supporting your liver. The liver’s main job is to detoxify your blood before passing it to the rest of the body. It is constantly dealing with chemicals and harmful substances, to make sure your body is pure and toxin free. In order to support your liver, giving it some kind of break from time to time is a great idea. How to do that? Here are few tips:

 

  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine
  • Try to have a healthy diet as much as you can
  • Make sure you minimize the use of medication, because your liver is responsible of analyzing synthetics and passing them to the blood.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • From time to time stop eating the following items, not because they are all harmful, some are very good for you indeed, but because it is your liver that is responsible of their digestion, so in order to lightens the liver’s workload it is a good idea to stop eating the following foods for a week or 10 days each season: Eggs, tomatoes, grapefruits, gluten-containing products, soy and soy products, peanut and peanut butter, Tuna, shellfish, milk, cheese, cooking cream, margarine, butter, soda and soft drinks, white or brown sugar, chocolate, ketchup, and corn.
  • On the other hand you might want to increase your intake of the following foods: Avocadoes, apples, bananas, apples, berries, grapes, kiwis, nectarines, papaya, peaches, plums, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, arugula, bell pepper, cucumber, eggplants, squash, peas, radishes, yams, mushrooms, lettuce, okra, zucchinis, spinach, legumes including lentils and peas, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cashews, milk substitutes such as rice and almond milk, olive and coconut oils, all fresh and frozen fish (except shellfish and Tuna) wild is better than farmed of course.
  • Reduce stress!!!!! I can not stress enough on that (how ironic is this sentence lol). Indulge in sports that focus on breathing such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong. Try to get enough sleep (8 to 10 hours if you can, or just as close to that as you can). Try to listen to calm, and meditative music in the car, make sure you spread meals throughout your day not to put the body under unnecessary stress and just avoid stressful situations.
  • Start your day with some warm water and lemon juice (Juice half a lemon, add half cup of warm water and drink it first thing in the morning). Lemon is truly magical, it acts like a natural cleanser and helps the liver gets rid of the toxins.

 

Now that we made sure the liver is well supported let’s move to your gut’s health. As explained here, your immune system is strongly linked to your guts, so keeping healthy guts is essential in having a healthy immune system. How do you do that? Follow these steps:

 

  • Increase your intake of fiber and fermented food like yogurt, kim chi, sauerkraut…etc.
  • Consider probiotic supplements
  • Avoid using antibiotics as they kill all kind of good bacteria in your guts
  • Stock up on anti-inflammatory foods such us spinach, kale, walnuts, almonds…etc.
  • Eat less refined sugar
  • and of course lower your stress levels.

 

Now let’s talk specifically on how to improve the health of your thyroid gland.

 

The first thing you should start doing is test your TSH, if it is high, you will need to take your thyroxin medication religiously, to adjust your TSH, as we will need to first stabilize your situation then look into getting better.

 

Then consider getting your Iodine, Magnesium, and Vitamin D levels tested. You would also want to check your liver function too, a very simple blood test can do that, because if you remember, liver is what converts T4 to T3. You might want to also test you RT3 (reverse T3, which is what your liver produce instead of R3 to get rid of unwanted and unneeded T4). Your doctor might not agree to do all these tests, (because again, no doctor in this island wants to spend more than 5 minutes with each patient), but if your insurance will cover the cost then please insist.

 

After getting all the needed tests, now it is time to strengthen the Thyroid gland, and the production of the T4 and T3. Consider adding some supplements into your diet, such as: Selenium. Selenium is a very important ingredient in the conversion of T4 into a T3. However, unfortunately it is not easily found in food, or if found it will be in very little quantities, that will not really help the body. Also some selenium rich foods are also rich in mold, or are not recommended if your thyroid isn’t working well (like Soy products and wheat). So you really have to be careful when it comes to this mineral. To stay in the safe side, take supplements that you can find over the counter. Here are some selenium rich foods however: Eggs, Mushrooms, Oats, Tuna, Sunflower seeds, Salmon, Brown rice …etc.

  • Increase your good fats daily intake, as well as zinc, vitamin A, B, and D.
  • Consider getting checked for other autoimmune diseases like Celiac.
  • Avoid mold in whatever form it is, whether it is in your house or in the coffee you have in your mug.
  • Avoid toxins, by being careful in what utensils you use in the kitchen, avoid plastic, stainless-steel. Use cast iron pots, and wooden tools instead. Drink plenty of water. Let your body sweat as much as you can (the best way to get rid of toxins) so don’t hold back in using Saunas, and hot baths.  Try to not use your phone at least at night, in your bedroom, either switch it off, or put in on airplane mode.  Avoid all the wireless devices as much as you can. And of course avoid SUGAR!
  • Finally, I can’t stress enough about exercising, getting enough sleep and avoiding stress!

 

 

I personally advice to get your TSH tested after you do all the above changes, every 2, 3 months, just to check if you need medication and if the dosage is right. If you follow all the protocols above, I guarantee you that you will boost your thyroid function, and if you won’t get a 100% results you will at least manage to reduce your medication’s dosage, as well as the inflammation in your body.

 

I really hope these three blog posts (this one you are reading now, this and this) will help you get your life back, and that you manage to finally get your body to function the way it should.

 

Many healthy vibes from me to you.

 

Ouiam

 

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Grandmother’s Tales on Fevers and Colds!

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Hello everyone! this is a post I wrote this week for Woman This Month Magazine. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Few days ago, we had an unwanted guest in our house. A guest who will send your body into a fighting mode, and leaves you pretty much powerless. This unwanted guest usually targets the little ones, because… well their bodies aren’t equipped enough for a great fight. Ladies and Gentlemen, yes I am talking about: Fever!! The only thing that can put my little one down, straps him into a chair, and make him lose all kind of desire to move, walk, eat, or even play. Usually my go to in this case is: Vinegar! Oh don’t frown yet, there is more to that lol!

So Whenever fever visits our household, I get my vinegar out, soak some socks in it, and put them on whoever is sick. The whole house will stink, yes! The sofas, the chairs, the floor, but it is totally worth it. In exactly 15 minutes, the fever starts going down and you can totally see the difference in the behavior of the unlucky one who’s got the fever. If you are waiting for me to explain this vinegar phenomenon scientifically, then please don’t waste your time, I have no logical explanation for that, it is simply something my grandmother did, and so did my mother, and here I am doing the same thing, no questions asked! Whether it is apple cider vinegar, or just white vinegar, they all get the job done.

 

I also use potatoes! Yes, that’s right just plain raw potatoes, cut them and put them inside the socks, or on the patient’s back, stomach, arms and legs. Its capacity of sucking the heat is incomparable!

 

Then I move to rose water! A true gift! I soak up a towel in it, and puts it on the forehead, neck, and face, at least this doesn’t smell as bad as the vinegar!

 

All the above is for topical use only, so in order to help the body produce more antibodies, we will have to supply the body with remedies that will be administered orally, move into the bloodstream, and benefit the whole system. My number one go to is: SOUP! I literally fill my pot with onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, fennel, celery, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and anything else I have in my fridge, and make a soup! It’s always absolutely delicious and filled with tons of good stuff that will strengthen your immune system.

 

Lemon and Manuka honey: I always swear by this! It is unbelievably good. No matter what you are complaining from, this remedy is always great!  Manuka honey (just like garlic) is a natural antibiotic, so why go for the synthetic version when you have the real deal?

 

Drinking tons of fluids, and of course I don’t mean coffee and coke, but I mean water, fresh juices, and whatever will keep your body hydrated. My favorite drink is: Orange juice, mixed with grapefruit juice, 1 spoon of manuka honey, pink Himalayan salt, and water. It is the ultimate drink that will replenish the electrolytes in your body, since with fever the body tends to get dehydrated easily. Electrolytes are certain nutrients that regulate your heartbeats, they also carry an electric charge in the body that is essential for life

 

The last thing I always make sure I do, is REST! Now that’s not so easy when we are talking about a 3 years old toddler, but at least we try right? The body is working so hard fighting some little intruders, and that’s more that enough. We shouldn’t add more pressure on it.

 

Since my son was born, three and a half years ago, our household has become medication free, meaning that we never use conventional medicine. We only use nature’s wealth, and make use of all its precious gifts.

 

The human body is miraculous, it is designed to have its own army to defend and attack any foreign bodies trying to make their ways into you aka: the immune system! Funny enough, the only way your immune system will flourish is by having more fights and with dealing with different kind of viruses, bacteria…etc. Every time it gets stronger and familiar with each type of foreign bodies. However, if every time you are getting sick you are using synthetic antibodies, prescribed by a doctor, instead of your own antibodies made by your own body, then the immune system will get weaker and weaker by the day. It is like a piece of electronic that you bought but never use, it will just sit there collect the dust and one day it will stop working.

 

Now don’t get me wrong folks, I am not saying suffer in silence, and kill yourself, all I am saying is use all the resources you have! Use what mother nature has gifted us with, but also use the science and all what the new technology has to offer, when needed.

 

Ouiam xx

Health

Thyroid 101 -Part 2-

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A little late but as promised, this is the second part of Thyroid 101. Today I would like to talk about autoimmune diseases. An autoimmune disease develops when your immune system, which defends your body against diseases, decides your healthy cells are foreign. As a result, your immune system attacks healthy cells. An autoimmune disease can affect one or many different types of body tissue, depending on the type. It can also cause abnormal organ growth and changes in organ function. There are over 80 types of autoimmune diseases, with many many symptoms that can very much go unnoticed. The tricky part is that whenever the organ being attacked by your immune system is completely damaged, the immune system then moves to attacking another healthy organ, and so it is a never ending circle of damaging healthy cells, organs, and tissues. Which also means a never ending series of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, digestive issues, heart disease, sleep disorders, weight gain, problems with memory and concentration…etc

Before we go deeper into autoimmune diseases, let’s first learn a thing or two about the immune system itself:

1-Your immune system protects against diseases, infection, and helps you recover after an injury.  Having a fever and inflammation can be unpleasant, but they are signs that your body is doing its job. Fever releases white blood cells, increases metabolism, and stops certain organisms from multiplying. Inflammation occurs when each damaged cell releases histamines. The histamines cause the cell walls to dilate. This creates the redness, heat, pain, and swelling of inflammation. As a result, your body limits the effects of the irritant.

2- Your immune system and gut health are inextricably linked. Did you know that approximately seventy to eighty percent of your immune tissue is located within your digestive system? The gut is often the first entry point for exposure to pathogens (bad bacteria and virus’ that can cause disease). The digestive system comprises of cells, proteins, tissues and organs which work together in a complex way to defend the body against harmful bacteria, infectious diseases and toxins. A variety of illnesses can occur when these protective functions of the gut are compromised. So your gut immune system needs to be thriving and healthy in order to avoid illness.

3- Stress damages your immune system: Your immune system is ready for anything you can throw at it. But it can only handle so much. Stress has a significant effect on your immune system. During stress, a series of events release cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones from the adrenal gland. Together they help your body cope with stress. Normally, cortisol is helpful because it decreases the inflammation in the body that results from the immune responses caused by stress. But if a person is chronically stressed, stress hormones can affect the way the body functions over time. It can also cause different autoimmune disease, or make them worse if it is a preexisting condition.

 

Now let’s move to Hashimoto’s disease, which is one of the many wildly known autoimmune diseases. Hashimoto’s affects women more than men, suggesting that the progesterone and estrogen hormones may play a role. Furthermore, some women have thyroid problems during the first year after having a baby. Although the problem usually goes away, some of these women may develop Hashimoto’s years later.

It is very difficult to diagnose Hashimoto’s, because it takes years before your Thyroid gland is damaged and your TSH level is high enough to alarm your doctor. You might suffer silently for years, from chronic fatigue, depression, weight gain, paleness or puffiness of the face, joint and muscle pain constipation, inability to get warm, difficulty getting pregnant, joint and muscle pain hair loss or thinning, brittle hair, irregular or heavy menstrual periods, slowed heart rate, and many more ugly symptoms that can turn your life upside down.

While doctors can prescribe the synthetic version of T4, like Levothyroxine, and this will enhance your overall health, however, it will not solve the problem. Your immune system is busy attacking your own Thyroid gland, and so even though the prescribed medications are helping with the symptoms, the source of the problem is still there. Your immune system will keep on attacking your thyroid gland, till it is completely damaged, then it will move to another organ. That’s why Hashimoto’s is strongly linked with Addison’s disease, Graves’ disease, premature ovarian failure, type 1 diabetes, lupus erythematosus (a disorder that causes inflammation in a number of the body’s systems, including the lungs and heart), pernicious anemia (a disorder that prevents the absorption of vitamin B12), rheumatoid arthritis, thrombocytopenic purpura (a disorder that interferes with the blood’s ability to clot), vitiligo (a disorder that produces white patches on the skin due to attacks on skin pigment cells). So even if you are taking your medication religiously, you are still at risk.

If you want to know more about how to survive your Hashimoto, live a normal life, risk free (whether you have Hashimoto’s or another autoimmune disease), stay tuned to my next blog post, where I will talk about natural remedies, and simple changes you can do in your diet and lifestyle that can help you greatly.

 

Ouiam

 

 

 

 

 

Health

Thyroid 101 -Part 1-

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Last week I made an appointment with a doctor to check up my thyroid levels, something I do about twice a year, since I have stopped taking medicine – I have had a hypothyroid for the last 18 years, and have been on Levothyroxine, until a couple years ago, when I got myself into the right lifestyle, made tons of research and learnt more about my condition and how to bio hack my own body, here is a little post I wrote about how I managed to get off medicine, last year. If you know me, you would definitely know that I don’t necessarily hold a soft spot on my heart for doctors….! I would never go see one unless I REALLY have to, for something major. I do however go twice a year to an endocrinologist to ask for some blood work. I know what I am looking for exactly, so I ask him to prescribe specific blood tests, I do the blood work, ask for the results to be emailed to me and that’s it. This time the endocrinologist I usually go to (who is fairly good, listens to me and tries his best to have a more holistic view that fits me and my philosophy), this doctor was on leave so I did a random google search, and came up with a random name. I figured since I only need specific blood tests that I can ask for, it should be fine. So I go to see this doctor, I tell him about my history with my hypothyroid, and I ask him for the following tests:

TSH

T3

T4

RT3

Antibodies

Iodine

And as I am getting ready to say my last required test (Vitamin D), he interrupts me, saying one word, that leaves me astonished! He said: “NO”!!!

Yes, he actually said NO!! he refused to write down those tests I have asked for, and said that a simple TSH blood test would be more than enough. He actually even had the guts to tell me that this was “ancient medicine” and that no one does those tests anymore! I really couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on! What the heck?!! I have lived with my Hypothyroid for the last 18 years! I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis disease- which is actually an autoimmune disease- so how is testing for antibodies ancient medicine when it’s an autoimmune disease that we are talking about?!!! I tried to be as kind as I could (and believe me it wasn’t an easy task; no one wants to deal with an arrogant doctor!!) I thanked him for his opinion, and said that I would be more comfortable if he did write those specific tests for me….He still refused! It’s not as if he were to pay from his own pocket, and even if he was worried about my own pocket, he knew that my insurance will cover the costs, so why not!???? I knew then that our conversation was hopeless, so I thanked him for his time and left his office swearing that I NEEDED to write another post about Thyroid, inflammation and hormones, so women who also suffer from their thyroid malfunction can understand their conditions better, and know exactly what they need to deal with in order to have a normal life. So today I will start a mini-series of posts about the Thyroid gland, how it works, how to fix the root problem and not just the symptoms, and how to have a normal life even with a malfunctioning thyroid.

 

Usually whenever you go to see an endocrinologist, for anything related to your thyroid, they would ask for a TSH blood test.  TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) blood test is used to check for thyroid gland problems. TSH is produced when the hypothalamus releases a substance called thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). TRH then triggers the pituitary gland to release TSH. TSH causes the thyroid gland to make two hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). T3 and T4 help control your body’s metabolism. In other terms, it is the hormone that tells the Thyroid gland that it should work (less or more depending on the body’s needs). Now let’s see how it works:

T3 and T4 are needed for normal growth of the brain, especially during the first 3 years of life. A baby whose thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone (congenital hypothyroidism) may, in severe cases, be mentally retarded. Older children also need thyroid hormones to grow and develop normally. Now that we know these two essential hormones, let’s talk about how they function in our body:

 

The function of the thyroid gland is to take iodine found in many foods, and convert it into thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body, where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy).

Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone “strength” as T4. So while a very small amount of T3 is produced by the Thyroid gland, the rest of the T3 is produced in a different way. The liver finishes up the thyroid gland’s job, by converting T4 to T3. However, in order to convert T4 to T3, the enzyme 5’- Deiodinase is required, and to activate this enzyme some minerals are needed such as: Selenium.

 

So, in order to determine if you have a functioning Thyroid gland or not, the process is much more complex than just having ONE blood test done. And that’s JUST the Thyroid itself, without even talking about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease, and needs many other tests to detect it, other than the famous TSH blood test.

 

In my next post we will talk in details about Hashimoto, and other autoimmune disease related to the Thyroid gland, then on a third post I will be talking about how nutrition CAN reverse many autoimmune diseases if done right.

 

Almost 90% of the women I know are suffering silently from a hypothyroid, which is a disease that sucks life out of you, and turns you into someone you don’t want to be. It is strongly linked to depression, Lupus, infertility, and many other autoimmune diseases. While doctors only want to cover the symptoms by prescribing a synthetic version of T4 (such as Levothyroxine), the inflammation will still be there destroying every ounce of your thyroid gland, then move to destroy other vital organs. And if your liver isn’t doing a good job converting T4 into T3, you will still have a malfunctioning Thyroid gland even if you are taking your prescribed medicine. Therefore, it is crucial to fix the underlying problem rather than treating the symptoms only.

Stay tuned for Thyroid 101 (Part 2)

 

Ouiam