With the new year just about here, and knowing that many people are going to go on a temporary alcohol binge, I’ve decided to dedicate the last post of 2010 to drinking in a healthy manner.  You might wonder how this pertains to thyroid health.  Well, for those who are looking to restore their thyroid health through a natural treatment protocol, a good part of this involves eating healthy foods, taking quality supplements and herbs, etc.  But one can’t ignore the beverages one drinks as well.

Obviously, most people will do fine when drinking water alone.  But I’d be fooling myself if I assumed that everyone only drank water.  So I figured what I’d do here is briefly talk not only about the benefits of water, but some of the other beverages which people commonly drink, and how they can affect your thyroid health.  I’ll probably expand on this at a later time, perhaps writing an article that goes into more detail with each type of beverage.  But for now let’s just discuss some of the basics of drinking healthy.

As for water, you already know that this is what you should be drinking most of the time.  For obvious reasons, you want to avoid drinking water from the tap.  Ideally you want to drink purified water, although there is also some controversy here.  For example, drinking purified water in a bottle can possibly increase your exposure to xenoestrogens due to the plastic of the bottle.  Sure, some plastics are supposedly safer than others, but I still don’t think the long-term risks of using even the supposedly “safe” plastic bottles are fully known.  You can buy your own water distiller for a few hundred dollars, but some sources say that you should use reverse osmosis water.  Others suggest that you should avoid reverse osmosis water and drink distilled water!  A whole house water filter can be a good option, but many people aren’t willing to spend a few thousand dollars on one. 

Using a Brita water filter is definitely a much cheaper option, and while it won’t completely eliminate all of the toxins, it is definitely better than just drinking water from the tap.  I would recommend either a whole house filter if you can afford one, and if not, I would opt for a reverse osmosis filter over a water distiller.  And drinking purified bottled water or water from a Brita filter is definitely better than tap water.  With regards to spring water, this may or may not be a good option, as it does depend on the source you purchase.  As you probably know, you can’t fully trust the sources of many bottled waters, which is yet another reason why it’s best to filter your own water.

Now that we’ve gotten water out of the way, let’s briefly talk about some of the other beverages you might like to drink.  Coffee of course is very popular, and I know some healthcare professionals might tell you that drinking one or two cups of coffee each day is fine, but the caffeine in coffee puts a lot of strain on your adrenal glands, which is frequently a problematic area for thyroid sufferers.  Add to this the cream and sugar people commonly add to their coffee, which also isn’t good for adrenal health, and you can see why you want to avoid drinking coffee as much as possible.  The same concept applies with soda, but in addition to the caffeine, you are also dealing with a lot of sugar.  And even if you drink diet sodas, the artificial sweeteners are toxins which should be avoided.  So while coffee and/or soda might give you a much needed boost to start the day, if you’re looking to restore your thyroid health back to normal then it’s best to avoid them.  If you restore your health through a natural treatment protocol and then continue to eat well most of the time, as well as obtain sufficient sleep, then you won’t need caffeine to get you through the day.

But how about natural fruit juice and vegetable juice?  Well, I will admit that drinking fruit and vegetable juice is better than drinking coffee and sodas.  With that being said, you do want to minimize the amount of these juices you drink, especially fruit juice.  These are high in sugar, and will thereby put stress on the adrenal glands if you drink these frequently.  You definitely want to avoid drinking fruit juice early in the morning.  Drinking vegetable juice is a healthier choice, and I have some good friends who are avid “juicers”.  Ideally it is best to eat the vegetables whole and not in liquid form, but again, having some vegetable juice (ideally self-made) in moderation is fine.

Let’s briefly talk about cow’s milk.  Even though milk is supposed to “do your body good”, it causes a lot of problems in people.  First of all, many people are lactose intolerant.  Second, many people are also allergic to the protein casein.  If you must drink cow’s milk, make sure it’s organic, but I would try to either minimize the amount of milk you drink, and ideally eliminate it from your diet completely.  You might also want to consider drinking goat’s milk instead. 

Can you drink tea?  Well, it depends what kind of tea.  If you live down south like I do and love drinking sweet tea, then this isn’t a good idea.  I know people who every day will go to McDonalds or another fast food restaurant and purchase a 32 ounce sweet tea, which over a period of time wreaks havoc on your adrenal glands.  If you want to drink tea, choose Green Tea, as it actually has some health benefits.

Finally, let’s finish the last post of this year by talking about alcohol consumption.  In just a few days, millions of people will celebrate the New year by consuming alcohol.  Besides consuming wine in moderation every now and then, you want to avoid all other types of alcohol, as it once again affects your blood sugar levels, and therefore will cause problems with your adrenal glands.

Of course having one or two alcoholic beverages once in awhile, as well as drinking Pepsi, Diet Coke, sweet tea, or any other beverage on occasion won’t do much harm in most people.  The problem is that most people who drink these beverages do so on a frequent basis.  And the sad part is that many young children are loading up their bodies with the sugars from sodas and fruit juices, which puts a big strain on their developing adrenal glands.  This obviously isn’t a fault of the children, but the parents themselves.  To be fair, many parents don’t realize the impact these sugars can have on the health of their children, especially with regards to fruit juice, as many assume that this is a healthy option.

In summary, you do need to be careful as to what beverages you and your family drink.  While consuming the non-H20 beverages I listed above every now and then is fine, drinking them on a frequent basis will almost definitely affect your thyroid health.  I realize I left out some other common beverages, which is why in the future you’ll see an article that goes more in detail about these beverages, and discusses milk alternatives such as soy, rice, and almond milk. 

Have a great New Year!

The title of this post is somewhat misleading, as it doesn’t have a lot to do with having a chocolate obsession.  What I’d like to talk about in this post is a common deficiency many people have, which can actually lead to a strong craving of chocolate, and can cause a lot of different health issues.  This is a magnesium deficiency, and this mineral has many important functions in the body, some of which are critical to thyroid health.

With regards to thyroid health, a magnesium deficiency can affect the production of thyroid hormone, thus leading to hypothyroidism.  It can also play a role in hyperthyroidism, as well as autoimmune thyroid conditions.  When I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, I took magnesium to help with the absorption of the iodine I was taking.  I actually still take magnesium supplements daily.  Besides being important for thyroid health, magnesium also plays an important role in the reactions involving numerous enzymes, and has many other functions.

A magnesium deficiency can actually lead to a progesterone deficiency.  I’ve spoken in the past about estrogen dominance, and how in most cases this condition involves a deficiency in progesterone.  I’m not suggesting that a magnesium deficiency is the primary cause of estrogen dominance, but I just want to make you aware of how important this mineral is to your overall health, which is why I decided to dedicate a separate post to this topic.

How Can You Tell If You’re Magnesium Deficient?

One way to tell if you’re magnesium deficient is by the symptoms you experience.  Some of the common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, anxiety, constipation, and muscle spasms.  The problem is that other mineral and nutritional deficiencies can cause some of the same symptoms.  As a result, the more accurate method of determining whether you have a magnesium deficiency is through testing.  You can receive a blood test to diagnose such a deficiency.  Another option is to have a hair mineral analysis performed, which not only can identify if you have a magnesium deficiency, but can also help to identify other mineral deficiencies as well, such as calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, and numerous other minerals.

I don’t see any reason why your medical doctor wouldn’t cooperate with your wishes to obtain a magnesium blood test.  But if there are any problems with your doctor ordering this test, you can visit a website such as www.DirectLabs.com and order it yourself, and then visit your nearest Lab Corp to have the blood drawn.  As for a hair analysis, there are some labs that might let you order a test kit on your own, but you need to be extremely careful, as not all labs have a good reputation.  I recommend Analytical Research Labs, as they have been doing this for many years and will do a good job.

How To Address A Magnesium Deficiency

While you might be able to obtain a sufficient amount of magnesium by eating a good diet consisting of green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, kelp, and some other foods, it’s a good idea to take magnesium supplements, at least until you correct such a deficiency.  Once you have raised the magnesium levels you then could rely on diet if you want to.  But while you have a magnesium deficiency I strongly recommend to take about 400 mg of magnesium daily.  I would split the dosage up, taking 200 mg in the morning, and another 200 mg in the late afternoon or evening.

As usual, the quality of the supplement is important.  I use the Magnesium Lactate supplement from Standard Process.  Of course there are other companies which provide quality supplements as well, but anyone who has read my posts and articles for awhile has heard me bring up this company in the past, as Standard Process provides high quality products. 

Since chocolate contains magnesium, can one simply eat chocolate daily to fulfill the daily requirements?  Being someone who loves chocolate, I wish this were the case.  And while having some occasional dark chocolate is fine for most people, chocolate is high in caffeine, and therefore taking too much chocolate can actually cause problems with the adrenal glands.  So unfortunately, you can’t just consume chocolate to correct a magnesium deficiency, or to maintain adequate magnesium levels once you have corrected such a deficiency.

In summary, if you have a strong craving for chocolate, then it’s quite possible that you have a magnesium deficiency.  But even if you don’t have a “chocolate obsession”, there still is a good chance you might have such a deficiency.  As a result, it’s a good idea to get tested to see if you have such a deficiency, and then if you find out you are deficient in magnesium, make sure you take high quality supplements and eat magnesium-rich foods in order to correct this deficiency.

With all of the information I provide on this website, the truth is that you know your body better than anyone else.  As a result, when I give nutritional advice and other information, some of this you probably know, simply because your body has “spoken” to you. 

For example, I talk a great deal about the effect that eating refined foods and sugars have on your blood sugar levels, and how eating refined foods frequently can cause an imbalance in the hormones insulin and cortisol, thus leading to adrenal problems, thyroid conditions, etc.  But most people know the effects of frequently eating these types of foods, and often times their body will let them know how bad such foods are for them.  Unfortunately, many people fail to listen to the messages their body provides, which is a huge mistake. 

Here are some examples of how your body “talks” to you when something is going wrong:

1. Eating certain foods.  This is an obvious example, as many people experience reactions when consuming different types of foods.  Different people of course will have different symptoms.  For example, someone might eat a food which causes severe headaches, while another person might eat the same exact food and experience stomach issues, diarrhea, or have a different reaction.  These are foods one should obviously avoid, although many people still continue to eat foods they react to, and therefore are most likely allergic to.

I realize that sometimes it isn’t so obvious as to what foods a person might be allergic to.  Some people have a mild reaction to foods they eat, and sometimes they have no obvious symptoms.  This is where a food allergy test like an Elisa Panel can come in handy, although sometimes just keeping track of what you eat with a daily food diary can help.  Keep track of all of the foods you eat for a week or two, and then also pay close attention to any symptoms you experience as well.

2. Taking certain drugs.  As you know, many drugs have side effects, and once again, you should listen to your body with regards to the side effects from any prescription or non-prescription drugs you take.  Of course sometimes you might need to deal with some minor symptoms if the medication is necessary for you to take.  On the other hand, sometimes there are other drugs you can substitute for, or in some cases there are alternative remedies which perform equally well, but have no side effects.  Obviously I’m not suggesting that anyone stop taking their medication and/or replace these with herbal remedies.  This is something you should talk over with your medical doctor, and ultimately you will need to make the decision on your own.  But it is something to consider if you are having moderate to severe symptoms with any medication you’re currently taking.

The same concept applies with any nutritional supplements and/or herbs you take.  While such reactions are rare, they do occur on occasion.  And so if you do notice any symptoms when taking a specific nutritional supplement or herb, make a note of this, and you might want to consult with a holistic doctor to see if there is an alternative supplement or herb you can take in its place.

3. Not getting enough sleep.  When you deprive your body of the sleep it needs, it will definitely let you know.  This is especially true if you do this on a frequent basis, as this can weaken your adrenal glands, and make it difficult for you to wake up in the morning.  Of course many people try to “fix” this problem by drinking coffee, or a different caffeinated beverage. 

As mentioned earlier, many people don’t listen to their body, but instead try to cover up the “messages” it is giving.  This of course doesn’t just apply to lack of sleep, but any of the other examples I have given here.  For example, if someone eats a food which leads to moderate or severe symptoms, sometimes they will take a prescription or non-prescription drug which will help with the symptoms, not realizing the negative reaction is still taking its toll on the body.  And the same thing happens when someone is fatigued in the morning and drinks coffee, as this is not doing anything to correct the cause of the problem.  Getting enough sleep and eating well will correct this problem, although sometimes adrenal support is required if the adrenals are severely compromised.

4. Dealing with chronic stress.  Unlike eating a certain food, taking a specific drug, or neglecting your sleep for a single night, one frequently won’t experience immediate symptoms when dealing with chronic stress.  The symptoms for this are usually gradual, but one still usually knows when stress is dragging them down, and can take the necessary steps to correct this.  The problem is that many people don’t think stress will lead to any physical problems, even though study after study shows that stress can cause certain conditions to develop, and therefore shouldn’t be taken lightly.     

5. The effect of environmental toxins.  Many times our bodies will let us know when we’re allergic to a certain chemical or toxin.  When this happens, it’s important to do everything you can to try avoiding the toxin, or at the very least minimize your exposure to it. 

One of the problems is because we expose our bodies to so many things, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what is causing the symptoms.  For example, if someone has certain food allergies, but also takes medication, and exposes themselves to certain environmental toxins on a regular basis, it can be challenging to determine what is causing their symptoms. In this case they might have to do some detective work to determine what is exactly causing their symptoms. 

In summary, most people need to do a better job of listening to their body.  While this alone won’t restore your thyroid health back to normal, it can help a great deal.  On the other hand, covering up these “message” can lead to numerous health problems.

Hundreds of thousands of women receive hysterectomies each year.  At least half of these are unnecessary, and some studies show that up to 90% of all hysterectomies performed each year are done so unnecessarily.  90% is of course an astronomical number, but even if “only” 50% of hysterectomies performed each year are unnecessary, we’re still talking about 300,000 women each and every year who have this procedure without due cause.

But why would medical doctors recommend so many of these surgeries to these women if many of them weren’t necessary?  There are numerous reasons, but there are two primary reasons why this procedure is performed on so many women.  First of all, there’s the financial incentive involved, which of course is the case not only with hysterectomies, but with other surgeries as well.  Even with the cuts these providers receive through the insurance companies, they still make good money by performing these surgeries.  Plus, many medical doctors don’t see the harm in performing such a surgery, as they don’t consider the long term consequences.

A second reason why most medical doctors recommend these surgeries is because they don’t know what else to do.  For example, if a woman has uterine fibroids, many consider a hysterectomy as the only option.  Most medical doctors aren’t trained to use alternative methods.  Once again, this is the case with many other conditions as well, including thyroid conditions.  This is the same reason why most endocrinologists recommend RAI for people with hyperthyroidism, as well as thyroid hormone for people with hypothyroid disorders.  They simply don’t know what else to do.

What Is The Cause Of Most Hysterectomies?

There are multiple reasons medical doctors use to justify why a hysterectomy is recommended.  Uterine fibroids and increased uterine lining are two of the more common reasons.  Some women with endometriosis will also end up receiving this surgery.  A uterine prolapse is another reason why this procedure will be recommended.  And while sometimes a hysterectomy is needed, such as in certain types of cancer, sometimes with severe uterine fibroids, or other extreme conditions, many times these conditions can be cured naturally.  But as you know, most medical doctors don’t know how to treat such conditions naturally, and therefore never try to correct the actual cause of the problem. 

Estrogen dominance is a hormonal imbalance that causes many problems.  It can cause or contribute to the development of a thyroid condition (I wrote a previous blog post about this), and it also can lead to many of the problems which will cause a doctor to recommend a hysterectomy.  In order to determine whether someone has estrogen dominance, a female hormone panel should be obtained, which will show the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, as well as the levels of some of the other hormomes which could also be a factor.

How To Prevent A Woman From Getting A Hysterectomy

For those women who want to avoid having a hysterectomy, the primary goal is to first find out what is causing the problem, and then if possible, get to the underlying cause of the problem.  For example, if the problem is uterine fibroids, one needs to keep in mind that estrogen dominance is a common cause of them.  So if a women has estrogen dominance which is causing the development of one these fibroids, and if the uterine fibroid isn’t too large and thereby causing complications, then the obvious solution is to correct the estrogen dominance.  If you have been reading my articles and blog posts for awhile, then you probably know that correcting such a hormone imbalance can be accomplished through a purification program, eating well, and changing other lifestyle factors. 

Sometimes taking natural progesterone is also necessary to correct estrogen dominance, but most of the time this condition can be corrected without taking any hormones.  The good news is that since many people with thyroid conditions have estrogen dominance, by correcting the hormonal imbalance this not only will reduce the likelihood of you having a hysterectomy recommended by your medical doctor, but it can also help restore your thyroid health as well.

What If You’ve Already Had A Hysterectomy?

If you already have had a hysterectomy, you still need to correct the underlying hormone imbalance.  And if your ovaries were also removed, then you most likely will need to take some natural progesterone regularly.  So just because you had a hysterectomy doesn’t mean the underlying cause can’t be addressed, although lifetime support with hormones and/or certain nutritional supplements is usually necessary.

Speaking of removing the ovaries, many doctors will justify removing the ovaries because they will tell their patients that this will eliminate any chance of them getting ovarian cancer, which is of course true.  However, they will also tell them there is no use for their ovaries after the uterus has been removed, which isn’t true.  In addition, while removing the ovaries will eliminate any chance of the women developing ovarian cancer, research shows an increased incidence of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. 

By the way, some medical doctors will recommend unopposed estrogen to all of their female patients who have a hysterectomy.  This is usually a huge mistake, especially for those who have received this surgery due to the effects caused by estrogen dominance.  Since this deficiency involves either a decrease in progesterone or an increase in estrogen, giving estrogen will drive the women further into estrogen dominance, further exacerbating the symptoms.  Giving progesterone along with the estrogen may be a better option, but many women don’t need estrogen at all.  Once again, rather than make any assumptions, a female hormone panel needs to be obtained.

In summary, hundreds of thousands of women receive a hysterectomy each year unnecessarily, when following a simple natural protocol would have corrected this problem.  While sometimes this surgery is needed, if your doctor recommends it to you, it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a competent holistic doctor as a second opinion.  This can help you determine whether or not this procedure can be avoided.  If you have already received a hysterectomy and are still having severe symptoms, keep in mind that the underlying cause probably hasn’t been addressed, and until it is, these symptoms are likely to persist.

It continues to amaze me that many endocrinologists are quick to recommend radioactive iodine to their patients, essentially destroying the thyroid gland.  The reason I decided to write about this is because after doing a little bit of cleaning in my office I came across some of the pamphlets I received during my visit to the endocrinologist when I was first diagnosed with Graves’ Disease.
  
To no surprise the pamphlets I received were all medically oriented, as the different options it gives to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease include 1) Anti-thyroid medication, 2) Beta blockers, 3) Radioactive iodine, and 4) Surgery.  The good news is that it does admit surgery is not preferred due to the risk of damaging the parathyroid glands and/or to the larynx, and is usually a last resort when anti-thyroid drugs and RAI has failed.  For anyone considering having thyroid surgery, the risks of damaging other structures of the body are higher than you might think.

However, it still irritates me as to how lightly most endocrinologists think of radioactive iodine therapy.  Here is the description of this harsh treatment method, according to this pamphlet: “Radioactive iodine will cure the thyroid problem, but usually leads to permanent destruction of the thyroid.  You will very likely need to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of your life to have normal hormone levels.”  It also mentions the following with regards to receiving RAI when having thyroid eye disease: “Radioactive iodine treatment may make the symptoms of Graves’ ophthalmopathy worse but it’s often treatable with a steroid medication (prednisone).”

Radioactive Iodine IS NOT A Cure For Hyperthyroidism & Graves’ Disease

It just amuses me how these doctors consider radioactive iodine as being a “cure” to hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease, even though it will “usually lead to permanent destruction of the thyroid”.  Sure, this will stop the thyroid gland from producing synthetic or natural thyroid hormone, but this doesn’t mean it’s a cure.  This is especially true with Graves’ Disease, as RAI does absolutely nothing to address the autoimmune component.  But even with primary hyperthyroidism, the cause usually isn’t directly related to the malfunctioning thyroid gland, as other affected areas of the body are usually responsible for the development of a thyroid condition.

In addition, I mentioned how it states that “Radioactive iodine treatment may make the symptoms of Graves’ ophthalmopathy worse, but it’s often treatable with a steroid medication”, and gives prednisone as an example.  So in addition to making the person hypothyroid for the rest of their life, it can also worsen other symptoms, such an existing case of thyroid eye disease, and their solution is for the person to treat these symptoms with steroid medication.  One of these days I’ll dedicate a separate post to the dangers and side effects of these steroid prescription drugs, as they have many different side effects that can wreak havoc on your body. 

One of the big problems with taking steroid medication is that it further causes problems with the adrenals, which in many cases is the actual cause of the condition in the first place!  Of course most endocrinologists don’t know that weak adrenal glands are frequently the cause of many thyroid conditions, which is why they will recommend steroid medication to their patients.  It just makes me sick to my stomach that people are told to receive RAI to destroy their thyroid gland when many times it isn’t necessary.

I Repeat, RAI Should Be A Last Resort!

Now just to be clear, some people do need radioactive iodine therapy.  But this, along with thyroid surgery, should be the very last resort, after everything else has been tried.  The problem is that the only other medical treatment option is anti-thyroid drugs, which offer only a temporary solution.  So it’s almost inevitable that those who are told to take prescription drugs and don’t go into a permanent state of remission will eventually have radioactive iodine recommended. 

So how do you know if you really need radioactive iodine therapy?  Part if it comes down to common sense, as while I personally can’t tell anyone not to receive RAI, what I can say is that when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, I didn’t even consider receiving radioactive iodine therapy until I tried natural treatment methods. 

How Should You Handle Severe Symptoms?

But how about if your symptoms are severe?  As I’ve mentioned in other posts and articles, sometimes it is necessary to use prescription drugs to temporarily manage the symptoms.  So in the case where someone has severe symptoms which need to be managed quickly, they can always take the drugs, and at the same time begin a natural treatment protocol.  To play it safe I would give the natural treatment methods at least 30 days to kick in, and then I would wean off the medication while continuing the natural treatment protocol.

Once again, I’m not telling anyone to take this approach, as I always advise people to consult with a healthcare expert.  The primary reason for this is because everyone is different, and should therefore be treated on an individual basis.  So hopefully this post has given you some insight as to why you need to keep an open mind, and why you can’t always take the word of your endocrinologist or medical doctor.  While most doctors are truly interested in helping their patients, and most do a wonderful job of treating emergency situations, when it comes to treating chronic conditions, in my biased opinion it’s always a good idea to seek the advice of a competent holistic doctor so you can try to get to the underlying cause of the disorder.

First of all, I’d like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving, and would like to thank you for supporting this website.  I greatly enjoy providing this information on thyroid and endocrine health to you, and hope to continue doing so for many years to come.  I hope you have benefited from the information provided on both the blog posts and articles.

One of the great challenges is continuously trying to come up with interesting topics which appeal to a wide variety of people.  While it is not feasible for every post and article to benefit everyone, I do try my best to write content which will appeal to a high percentage of the visitors of this website.  I of course want to continue providing you with interesting content, and as a result I am going to ask you for a small favor.

If there are any topics I haven’t yet covered on my blog posts or articles which you would like me to discuss, please send me an email to let me know.  Ideally I would like it to be somewhat related to thyroid disorders, or at the very least be related to the endocrine system.  I can’t promise I’ll write about every topic that is emailed to me, but if I get multiple requests on the same topic I will strongly consider writing about it.

You can email me at info@NaturalEndocrineSolutions.com

Thanks for your feedback, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Dr. Eric

Not too long ago I created a post which spoke about how we are constantly being exposed to xenohormones, as they are in the foods we eat, the products we buy, etc.  The purpose of that post was to educate you so you will try your best to minimize your exposure to these potentially toxic chemicals.  The reason why they can be toxic is because many of them are endocrine disruptors, and frequent exposure over a long period of time can lead to numerous health issues, including thyroid conditions.

In any case, while I went in depth about how you can try to avoid being exposed to many of these toxins by making healthier choices regarding the foods you consume and the products you buy, I really didn’t focus on what you can do to “clean out” your system of any xenohormones that have already accumulated in your body.  After all, everyone has been exposed to xenohormones, and although some people have had much more exposure than others, most people can benefit from cleaning out their system.

You might have guessed that doing this involves beginning a detoxification program.  While eating organic food and buying natural household products will help minimize future exposure to xenohormones, doing this alone won’t clean out your system.  In order to accomplish this you really do need to detoxify your body, and you need to do this in a smart way. 

I frequently talk about how people shouldn’t self-treat their thyroid condition, and the same concept applies with detoxifying their bodies.  Just going to your local health food store and purchasing some liver detoxification supplements usually isn’t going to do a sufficient job.  And a big reason for this is because most detoxification supplements out there are crap, and many don’t actually do what they claim they do.  Plus, any successful detoxification program is going to take at least a few weeks to complete, which is a big reason why most people won’t start one.  Taking detoxification supplements is easy, but changing your diet and being strict about it for two or three weeks is something that most people aren’t willing to do, no matter how much it will benefit their health.

You Should Detoxify Your Body On A Regular Basis

Let’s face it, most people don’t eat a 100% organic diet (including myself), and most don’t buy 100% natural household products.  As a result, it’s a good idea to detoxify your body on a regular basis.  I actually spoke about this in another blog post which focused on detoxification, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again.  The thing is, most people won’t even go on a single detoxification program during their entire life, so I realize I’m speaking to the minority when I talk about doing one or two detoxifications each year.

So the obvious first step is to set a goal for yourself to detoxify for the very first time.  It’s probably not a bad idea to set a date a few months in advance.  This way you have a set date and can mentally prepare for your detoxification.  Because while some people do experience symptoms during detoxifying that makes them quit (headaches, nausea, etc.), you’ll stand a much better chance of completing a detoxification program if you are mentally prepared. 

But even once you go through an initial detoxification program, it is a good idea to do this at least once each year, and for some, every six months would be better.  If you’re accustomed to eating junk food on a daily basis, then it definitely is tough to make such a change, even if it’s only for a few weeks.  On the other hand, and as I also mentioned in the past blog post on detoxifying your body, the goal shouldn’t be to detoxify once or twice each year so you can “get away” with eating junk food the rest of the time, as the goal should be to eat healthy most of the time, perhaps cheat a little bit every now then, and go through a detoxification program once or twice each year to help maintain your health.

Will You Still Need To Detoxify If You Eat Healthy Most Of The Time?

If you eat healthy most of time, and buy natural household products, why would you need to detoxify your body once or twice each year?  Well,  even if you do eat healthy most of the time and try to buy all natural household products, chances are you will still be exposed to xenohormones, as well as other toxins.  There really is no way to completely avoid exposure to xenohormones, which is why it’s a good idea to go through one or two detoxification programs each year regardless of your eating habits and whether or not you solely buy natural household products. 

While you might not look forward to detoxifying, I promise that once you have completed such a program you will be in a much better state of health.  This of course assumes you don’t do it on your own and instead consult with a holistic doctor who has experience putting patients on such programs, which will help minimize any symptoms you experience and will make sure you receive optimal results.  In summary, going through your first detoxification program can be a challenge, but due to the health benefits it can bring you it is definitely well worth it.  So make it a goal to detoxify your body sometime within the next few months, and set a date on your calendar to mark when you plan on starting this.

One of my favorite books was written by Dr. John R. Lee, and is entitled “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause”.  This book gives a lot of great information that can help benefit your overall health.  Even though it is targeted towards menopausal women, anyone can benefit from reading this book, and it is especially helpful for people with thyroid conditions. One of the reasons for this is because it goes in great detail about “hormone health”, and a high percentage of people with thyroid conditions have hormone imbalances.

In this book, Dr. Lee focuses a great deal on the benefits of natural progesterone.  While he doesn’t refer to this as being a “miracle” hormone, by reading the book it can easily give the reader the impression that progesterone is a miracle cure for many conditions.  Once again, he doesn’t specifically say this, although he talks about how natural progesterone can cure many different conditions, and discusses many of these conditions in this book. 

So does this mean you should run to your nearest health food store or pharmacy, or go online and purchase natural progesterone?  Well, Dr. Lee was correct when stating that natural progesterone can help with many different conditions.  But if you read the entire book word for word, you’ll also notice that he mentions many of these conditions can be cured through eating well, taking quality nutritional supplements, doing a better job of managing stress, etc.  So while he recommended natural progesterone to a high percentage of his patients, many of which no doubt received great results, he also understood that other factors were equally important in one’s recovery.

The Benefits Of Taking Natural Progesterone
 
Even though I personally try not to give my patients natural progesterone if at all possible, one of the reasons why taking natural progesterone can help with so many conditions is because it can help with the symptoms of Estrogen Dominance.  Estrogen Dominance is a condition which involves an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen and progesterone.  And in most cases, this condition is due to a deficiency in progesterone.  So it makes sense that giving someone progesterone can help to manage the symptoms of Estrogen Dominance.

Recently I wrote a separate blog post on Estrogen Dominance, and how this condition can actually cause or contribute to the development of a thyroid condition.  For those with a thyroid condition who have Estrogen Dominance, it is necessary to correct this hormonal imbalance if there is any chance of using natural thyroid treatment methods to restore their health back to normal.  In addition, for those who have problems losing weight, often times this is also due to Estrogen Dominance.  So I’m not denying that giving someone natural progesterone can help correct this condition and quite possibly restore one’s health back to normal, although I’m about to explain why it’s rare for me to recommend natural progesterone to my patients.

The Risks Of Taking Natural Progesterone

There are two primary reasons why I don’t recommend natural progesterone to most of my patients:

Reason #1: Although many people can benefit from taking natural progesterone, most people can have their health restored back to normal without taking it.  With most thyroid conditions, eating well, taking quality nutritional supplements and herbs, exercising, doing a good job of managing stress, and addressing other lifestyle factors is enough to cure one’s condition.  However, to correct Estrogen Dominance one usually does need to go on a purification program, as just eating well and taking supplements usually isn’t sufficient to correct this hormone imbalance. 

Don’t get me wrong, as there are some people who do need to take natural progesterone.  However, when I do recommend natural progesterone to my patients it usually is for them to take on a temporary basis, and not for the rest of their life, as some healthcare professionals would recommend.  And the same concept applies with nutritional supplements and herbs.  When I recommend for my patients to take certain nutritional supplements and/or herbs, the goal is not for them to take them forever, as ideally I would like them to eat well and get most of their vitamins and minerals from the foods they consume.  Of course since most people don’t eat a perfect diet, most can benefit from taking some “basic” supplements daily. 

Just remember that even though we’re talking about “natural” progesterone, we’re still referring to a hormone, and not a nutritional supplement.  As a result there are greater risks of taking progesterone when compared to taking supplements, which I’m about to discuss next.
 
Reason # 2: There are risks when taking natural progesterone.  Once again, it’s important to realize that natural progesterone is not the same as a nutritional supplement.  So although Dr. Lee and many other healthcare professionals talk about how safe natural progesterone is, there is a much greater chance of experiencing side effects when taking any hormone.  One of the big problems with telling people to take natural progesterone is that it is easy to overdose, which will then create additional health issues.  Even Dr. Lee talks about this in his book, as while he talks about specific dosages he recommends, he also discusses how there is a problem with patients overdosing.

So this is another reason why I don’t recommend natural progesterone to many of my patients, as Dr. Lee did.  I’m not questioning the ability of natural progesterone to help with many different health conditions, but I just find that 1) it is not necessary to take in most cases, and 2) too many patients experience problems overdosing when taking it.  With that being said, taking natural progesterone definitely is a better option than most conventional medical treatment methods which many doctors recommend to their patients for different conditions, and so I do commend Dr. Lee for helping so many people who otherwise might have not had their health restored back to normal. 

In summary, natural progesterone sometimes is necessary for people with thyroid conditions to take.  It can also help with other types of conditions as well.  However, many people can have their health restored back to normal without taking natural progesterone.  And because so many people overdose when taking natural progesterone, or any other hormone for that matter, I only recommend it to my patients when absolutely necessary.

The Glycemic Index assigns a value to each food with regards to how much it raises blood sugar levels.  Although it was originally intended for use by people with diabetes, many healthcare professionals use the Glycemic Index to determine which foods their patients should consume, and which ones they should avoid.  If you’re familiar with this index then to some extent this makes sense, as even some whole foods (such as numerous fruits) will raise a person’s blood sugar levels, causing a release of the hormone insulin, followed by cortisol when the blood sugar levels shoot down.  So eating a lot of foods with a high Glycemic Index can lead to weakened adrenal glands.  And for those who have been reading my articles and blog posts for awhile, weak adrenal glands can cause the development of a thyroid condition.

As for the what levels are considered to be too high, foods with a Glycemic Index greater than 70 are considered to be really high.  So eating foods with a Glycemic Index greater than 70 will spike up one’s blood sugar levels.  Some examples of these foods include baked potatoes, doughnuts, and pretzels.  A medium Glycemic Index is considered to be between 56 and 69, and includes foods such as cheese pizza, muffins, and ice cream.  Foods with a low Glycemic Index (55 or less) include most vegetables, apples, peanuts, whole wheat pasta, and All-Bran cereal.  For a complete list of different foods and their respective Glycemic Index you can visit http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm. 

Just keep in mind that these values aren’t definitive, as different charts may have different ranges.  But most sources do agree with the ranges, which means that most will consider a baked potato and doughnut as having a high Glycemic Index, whereas all will show that most vegetables have a low Glycemic Index, etc.  However, some foods which are considered to be borderline low according to one source might be medium in another source, and vice versa.  So  while those foods which have extremely low or high values should be considered to be valid, I’d be cautious with those foods which have a borderline low value or a medium value, as the values might not be completely accurate.

The Glycemic Index Doesn’t Consider The Food’s Nutrient Value

One problem with the Glycemic Index is that it doesn’t consider the food’s nutrient value.  So for example, a baked potato has a Glycemic Index of about 85.  On the other hand, according to one source a Snickers Bar has a Glycemic Index of about 40.  And while I think many people would enjoy eating a Snickers Bar over a baked potato (I admit I would be one of those), we all know a baked potato is a healthier option, at least with regards to the nutrients provided.  After all, a potato has many different nutrients, while a Snickers bar has basically no nutritional value at all. 

So by this example you now know that you shouldn’t just consume foods that have a low Glycemic Index, and perhaps you don’t need to completely avoid all of those that have a high Glycemic Index.  After all, besides the potato example, there are  other healthy foods which have a high Glycemic Index but also have some good nutritional value.  For example, watermelon also has a high Glycemic Index, but is also arguably more healthier than a Snickers Bar .  Similarly, there are other foods with a low Glycemic Index that are unhealthy for us.

So what does all of this tell us?  Well, part of this comes down to using common sense and what I’ve taught you in the past.  First of all, you want to try to eat as many whole foods as possible, and minimize the consumption of refined foods.  This will automatically eliminate foods with a low Glycemic Index such as a Snickers bar and other junk food.  And for those who make these health changes, I’m not suggesting that you can never eat a Snickers Bar, cheesecake or any other junk food again, but you definitely don’t want to each such foods on a regular basis if you want to maintain your health.

Is It Okay To Consume Whole Foods With A High Glycemic Index?

As for whether it’s okay to eat whole foods which have a high Glycemic Index, I do think it’s a good idea to minimize your consumption of these foods.  So yes, you can definitely have a baked potato or a slice of watermelon every now and then.  But it’s probably not a good idea to eat these foods on a regular basis.  And if you do eat these foods on an occasional basis, you probably will want to be careful about the time of day when you eat them.  For example, having watermelon an hour or two before going to bed might not be a good idea, since it will spike up the blood sugar levels considerably, which can interfere with your sleep.

So while it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Glycemic Index values of certain foods, especially the ones you eat on a regular basis, you shouldn’t use this solely as the source of what you should and shouldn’t eat.  Just remember there are numerous foods with a low Glycemic Index which are unhealthy for you, and you can eat some foods with a medium or high Glycemic Index on a moderate basis.  And also remember that different sources might have different Glycemic Index values, which is when you need to use your common sense regarding your food choices.

With regards to thyroid health, eating a lot of foods on a frequent basis which have a high Glycemic Index can compromise the adrenal glands, which in turn can and usually does affect the thyroid gland.  So while you shouldn’t rely on the Glycemic Index with regards to what you should and shouldn’t eat, just keep in mind that even some whole foods will spike up your blood sugar levels, and thus can stress out your adrenals if eaten regularly.  I realize that when you factor in whole foods with a high Glycemic Index, goitrogens, and other foods which might have a negative impact on thyroid health that it may seem like there isn’t much left to eat, but there actually is plenty of whole, healthy foods you can eat.  And once again, it’s not as if you can never eat these foods, as having them every now and then is fine.  The same thing applies to refined foods, as while you don’t want to make these foods a part of your regular diet, eating them in moderation is usually not going to cause any major health issues for the majority of people.

When I talk about using natural thyroid treatment methods to restore the health of a person who has a thyroid condition, I’m usually referring to a protocol which involves numerous changes in the person’s lifestyle.  This of course includes changes in their eating habits, taking quality nutritional supplements and herbs, exercising regularly, sleeping well, doing a better job of managing stress, etc.  But obviously there are other “types” of natural treatment methods, and since millions of people utilize chiropractic care and acupuncture, I thought I should shed some light as to how effective these treatment methods can be in helping someone with a thyroid condition.

Many of you know that I have a doctor of chiropractic degree, but this doesn’t mean I’m going to recommend that everyone with a thyroid condition immediately begin scheduling appointments with a local chiropractor.  I no longer have a “traditional” chiropractic practice, as when I first graduated from chiropractic school in March of 1999, I did what most chiropractors do, which was to focus on musculoskelatal disorders.  However, when talking about whether or not chiropractic care can help people with thyroid conditions, I think it is important to understand that chiropractic isn’t just about helping people with neck and back pain, even though this is without question why many people do see a chiropractor.

Even though most people perceive chiropractors as doctors who “twist” and “crack” the bones of the spine to help people with neck and back pain, they do a lot more than this.  In fact, even though “hands-on” chiropractic treatments (called spinal adjustments) are safe, many chiropractors now use computerized instruments to “adjust” the spine, which many people prefer. 

Whatever treatment method is used, chiropractic spinal adjustments not only help to “align the spine”, but by doing so they also balance out the nervous system as well.  Obviously some chiropractors do nothing more than manipulate the spine, and to be frank, some chiropractors run their practices like a mill, just trying to see as many patients as possible and not really concerning themselves much with the health of their patients.  This actually describes some doctors in every profession, and not just chiropractic, as some doctors are simply more concerned about the QUANTITY of patients they see, and as a result sacrifice the QUALITY of care.

In any case, I’m getting off the subject of how chiropractic care, as well as acupuncture, might be able to help people with thyroid conditions.  Since chiropractic care deals with balancing the nervous system, and since the nervous system controls every cell, tissue, and organ in the body, it is possible that an imbalance in your nervous system can potentially lead to a thyroid problem, although this admittedly is not the primary reason why people develop thyroid conditions. 

But how can a misalignment of the spine potentially cause a thyroid condition?  Well, if the nerves that supply the thyroid gland are being compromised, then this can without question affect thyroid health.  And so if this scenario were to happen, then following a natural thyroid treatment protocol that I typically recommend would not help someone with this problem.

How Can A Chiropractor Tell If The Nerves Supplying The Thyroid Gland Is Being Compromised?

That’s the problem, as there really is no surefire way to know this.  Sure, some chiropractors will claim that they can use x-rays, a surface EMG, or another device to determine whether or not you have a “subluxation” (misalignment in your spine causing nerve interference) which can be affecting the nerves that supply the thyroid gland.  But there really isn’t a way to 100% confirm that a misalignment in the spine is causing your thyroid disorder.  And since most people respond to natural thyroid treatment methods without seeing a chiropractor, I think it’s safe to say that most thyroid conditions aren’t actually caused by spinal subluxations.

So does this mean that a person with a thyroid condition would be wasting their time and money by seeing a doctor of chiropractic?  I’m not suggesting that seeking chiropractic care to help with one’s thyroid condition is a complete waste, as many people do have problems with their spine leading to nervous system imbalances (I’m not going to discuss why this is the case as this is beyond the scope of this article), and so it definitely won’t hurt to see a chiropractor. 

Plus, just as I think that people with nutritional deficiencies should eat better and take certain supplements to address them, I also think that anyone with a nervous system imbalance should get this addressed.  But of course being that I have a chiropractic background I’m naturally biased, and think that most people can benefit from chiropractic care, not necessarily to improve their thyroid health, but to help benefit their overall health.

In summary, I think it’s safe to conclude that most thyroid conditions are not caused by misalignments of the spine which in turn lead to nervous system imbalances.  On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that many people don’t have subluxations they’re not aware of, which is why I do think it’s a good idea for everyone to at least get checked out by a chiropractor. 

Plus, while most of the patients I deal with already have thyroid conditions, I’m all for preventing different types of conditions from developing, and most chiropractors admittedly do a fantastic job when it comes to wellness and prevention.  Even though these wellness programs aren’t specifically aimed at preventing thyroid conditions, seeing a chiropractor for wellness has numerous health benefits.

Can Acupuncture Cure A Thyroid Condition?

Okay, I made my pitch for chiropractic, but how about acupuncture?  Well, without going into as much detail, it really is a similar story.  Acupuncture has a lot of health benefits, but just as most people can’t have their thyroid condition cured by chiropractic care alone, the same concept applies with acupuncture treatments. But just like chiropractic care, acupuncture has many benefits, and perhaps from a symptom management perspective it can help some people with thyroid conditions. 

I should probably mention that some chiropractors and acupuncturists also provide nutritional counseling as well, but even the combination of chiropractic care and/or acupuncture, along with nutritional supplementation, usually won’t restore the health of someone with a thyroid condition.  And the reason for this has to due with the cause of most thyroid conditions.  I’ve said many times that while eating well and taking quality nutritional supplements are important with any natural thyroid treatment protocol, making these changes alone usually won’t be enough to restore one’s health back to normal.  And while someone who receives chiropractic care and/or acupuncture, along with eating well and taking quality nutritional supplements, will receive some great benefits and most likely see some positive changes, this most likely won’t be enough to cure their thyroid condition.

The reason I know this is from personal experience, as many years back I used to see a lot of people with fibromyalgia.  And while this condition isn’t exactly the same as a thyroid disorder, there are numerous similarities.  Plus, many people with fibromyalgia have thyroid conditions that aren’t picked up on the blood tests. 

Anyway, at the time I had a naturopathic physician working for me, and so most of my fibromylagia patients would receive spinal adjustments from myself, and nutritional counseling from the naturopath.  And in many cases these people felt better, but I noticed that they still didn’t receive optimal results. 

Once again, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and autoimmune thyroid disorders are different, but just like fibromyalgia, it takes numerous factors to restore one’s health back to normal.  I wish I had the knowledge then that I currently have, as I would have been able to help more people.  But the point I want to make is that fibromyalgia, thyroid disorders, and many other conditions take time to develop due to a combination of different factors, and therefore, just receiving passive treatments from a chiropractor and/or acupuncturist usually won’t cure these conditions.  And the same concept applies with taking nutritional supplements.

This is why I recommend that anyone with a thyroid condition see a natural endocrine doctor, as in most cases, the condition is just too complex for someone to self-treat.  Obviously there is plenty of marketing with regards to thyroid support boosters and other types of supplements which claim they can cure your condition, but unfortunately it’s just not this easy.  So for certain conditions and/or overall health benefits I think it’ great to see a chiropractor or acupuncturist, but for a thyroid condition, you should definitely see someone who focuses their practice on endocrine disorders.