Many people are concerned about high cholesterol levels, and as a result, millions of people are taking cholesterol lowering medication (statins).  However, what I’m about to discuss here will hopefully help you understand why most people who are taking statins don’t need to do so, and how taking them to lower your cholesterol can actually lead to numerous health issues, and ultimately worsen your thyroid condition.

First of all, while having high cholesterol is feared by many people, the truth is that we need cholesterol to survive.  In addition, cholesterol serves as a precursor to the steroid hormones, and so by taking cholesterol-lowering medication, you can very well be creating a hormone imbalance, which could make it more difficult to restore your health back to normal through a natural thyroid treatment protocol.

But what about people who truly have high cholesterol levels?  While there is no question that some people do have abnormally high cholesterol levels and perhaps can benefit from taking statins, there are many people taking statins who have cholesterol levels which are perfectly fine.  Before I discuss some of the risks of taking cholesterol-lowering medication, let me explain why so many people are taking statins unnecessarily.

It’s All About The Drug Companies

To no surprise, it’s the drug companies that are primarily responsible for the massive amount of people taking cholesterol-lowering medication.  After all, we’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry that does a wonderful job of marketing their products, thus convincing many people they need to take these drugs.  They have done a magnificent job of scaring the public into thinking that high cholesterol leads to an increase in mortality from heart disease and strokes, which it doesn’t.  And if you want some research to support this, simply read the book called “The Great Cholesterol Con”, by Dr. Malcom Kendrick.  He provides plenty of research that refutes the drug companies claims about cholesterol-lowering medication.  And there are numerous other sources besides this book that confirm this.

Yes, you did hear me correctly, as research shows that high cholesterol levels DO NOT lead to increased mortality due to heart disease and stroke.  It’s also true that eating foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol will usually not lead to high cholesterol levels.  Don’t get me wrong, as having extremely high levels of cholesterol isn’t healthy, and some of these people should be taking statins.  However, some doctors will recommend statins to every single one of their patients with a cholesterol level higher than 200 mg/dl, and some will even prescribe statins to those with levels greater than 180 mg/dl.

So does this mean that someone with a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dl, for example, shouldn’t be concerned about their health? Let’s put it this way: there are more important health factors that I would look at before cholesterol, such as one’s heart rate, blood pressure, RBC and WBCs, etc.  In other words, if someone has a high cholesterol level, and otherwise they seem to be in an excellent state of health, then I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned, and therefore wouldn’t recommend that they take drugs to lower there cholesterol levels.

The main problem is that many people with high cholesterol levels have other health issues that should be a cause of concern.  But again, don’t believe me regarding the “cholesterol myth”, as there is plenty of research out there to support this.  On the other hand, even though you’ll see plenty of content on the internet stating that increased cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl) will increase the risk of heart disease, keep in mind that there is no research that conclusively proves this.  Keep in mind I’m not refuting that people with increased cholesterol levels have a greater risk of coronary heart disease, but what I am arguing against is that high cholesterol levels is THE CAUSE of heart disease and strokes, which is what many people believe.

In other words, people with high cholesterol usually have other risk factors that will lead to an increase in heart disease and stroke.  But just having a high cholesterol level alone will not necessarily lead to an increase in heart disease or stroke, and no research has proved otherwise so far. 

Low Cholesterol Can Be Harmful To Your Thyroid Health

As I mentioned earlier, cholesterol is an important precursor to both the male and female steroid hormones.  Cholesterol is the precursor to pregnenolone, which is converted to progesterone.  And if you’ve been reading my articles and blog posts for awhile then you probably know how important progesterone is.  A progesterone deficiency can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance, which can create a whole host of health problems, including thyroid conditions.

Progesterone in turn is important for the formation of cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, and estrogen, and so having a very low cholesterol level can not only lead to low progesterone levels, but in turn can also cause a decrease in these other essential hormones.  Now to be honest, most people don’t have cholesterol levels low enough to cause these problems.  On the other hand, some people do, and some of these people have this problem due to them taking cholesterol lowering medication.

In addition to being responsible for the formation of the steroid hormones, cholesterol has many other important functions, as it’s required to create Vitamin D, important for cognitive function, as well as for cell membrane integrity.  So the drug companies, as well as many medical doctors, try to make out cholesterol as being unhealthy at certain levels, but the truth is that many people’s cholesterol levels are fine but are told otherwise.

Do High Cholesterol Levels Lead To An Increased Life Span?

Believe it or not, numerous research studies show that people with the highest cholesterol levels live the longest.  Once again, this doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be concerned with an extremely high cholesterol level.  But the main point of this article is just to make you aware of the importance of cholesterol not only to your thyroid health, but to your overall health.  And rather than just listen to everything that your medical doctor and the drug companies tell you, it’s important to keep an open mind.

In summary, having high cholesterol will not increase the chances of you dying from heart disease or a stroke.  And while I can’t tell you or anyone else to stop taking statins, just keep in mind that just as is the case with most prescription drugs, there are potential consequences that go along with the benefits. Ultimately it’s up to you to continue to educate yourself about this so you can make an informed decision on your own regarding the use of cholesterol-lowering medication.

Millions of people consume soy products, and many of these people do so because they think soy is healthy for them.  However, soy is one of the most common allergens, and it is also is a known goitrogen, which means it inhibits thyroid function.  As a result, when a patient of mine begins a natural treatment protocol, I recommend they lay off all soy products for at least the first 21 to 30 days.  And of course many will need to stay away from soy permanently if they want to remain symptom free and achieve optimal health.

Why is soy thought of as healthy by many people?  Well, part of it has to do with good marketing by the soy industry.  After all, many people are allergic to dairy products, and due to this, soy is often labeled as being a good alternative to many of these dairy-based products.  For example, there are a lot of people who drink soy milk instead of cow’s milk.  Now truth to be told, I personally try to avoid both cow’s milk and soy milk.  But many people consume a lot of soy products on a daily basis, including soy milk, soy protein bars, protein drinks, and many other soy-based foods.  Part of the problem is that many people aren’t aware that they are allergic to soy, and many people with thyroid conditions don’t realize that soy is a goitrogen and therefore can make their thyroid condition worse.

How To Identify Soy In The Products You Buy

While some foods which contain soy are obvious, such as soy milk, many other foods contain soy as an ingredient without being so obvious.  Soy is commonly found in processed foods, and such foods frequently don’t include the word “soy” in the names of these ingredients (although sometimes they do).  Here  are just a few of the more common names that soy goes by:

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Soy lecithin
Isolated soy protein
Tofu

This is just a small sample, and if you eat a lot of processed foods, you’re sure to see these if you were to read the ingredients.  This is yet another reason why it’s important to minimize the amount of refined and processed foods that you eat.  While someone who is not highly allergic to soy can most likely get away with eating some soy-based products in moderation, too much soy can definitely create some health problems.  So if you currently eat soy products on a frequent basis, you very well might want to make some changes.

Some infants are given soy-based formulas, which also can have negative consequences on their health.  Sometimes this is done because it’s discovered that the infant has an allergy to dairy, while other times the parents mistakenly think that a soy-based formula is a healthy alternative.  While breastfeeding is  the best option in my opinion, I understand that not every woman is able to breastfeed, and so they have no choice but to give formula to their baby.  In these cases, it’s best not to give a soy-based formula to avoid potential  health issues with your baby. 

But how about organic soy?  Certainly this must be better than genetically modified soy?  Yes, organic soy is definitely a better option, but it still doesn’t mean it’s a healthy option.  Let’s use breakfast cereals as an analogy.  Eating an organic cold cereal that has natural ingredients is definitely a healthier option than a cereal with a lot of sugar, along with artificial ingredients and preservatives.  But those who think having organic cereal for breakfast (with or without soy milk!) is a healthy option are once again mistaken.  Even though it’s organic, it still is refined, probably has a decent amount of sugar in it, and the best option would be to eliminate all cold cereals from your diet.  And if you find this extremely difficult to do, keep in mind this is coming from someone who grew up eating “Froot Loops” and “Apple Jacks” for breakfast every single day for a couple of decades!  In any case, the same concept applies with organic soy, as while it’s better than genetically modified soy, it still is best to be avoided.

Should People With Hyperthyroidism Take Soy?

Since soy inhibits thyroid function, some people might wonder whether it might be a good idea for someone with hyperthyroidism to consume soy-based foods.  While taking soy in this case might not be as detrimental as it would be for someone who is hypothyroid, I still wouldn’t recommend that someone with hyperthyroidism intentionally take soy to inhibit their thyroid function.  Then again, I guess it’s a better option than taking anti-thyroid drugs or receiving radioactive iodine therapy!  But seriously, being someone who dealt with an autoimmune hyperthyroid condition, I can tell you that consuming goitrogens to inhibit thyroid gland function isn’t necessary, as this can usually be accomplished through a natural treatment protocol, and without having to consume thyroid-inhibiting foods.

If you really want to learn more about how soy can affect your health, you might want to read the book called “The Whole Soy Story”, written by Kaayla T. Daniel.  This book will pretty much tell you everything you want to know about the affects of soy not only with regards to your thyroid gland, but how it can impact your overall health.  You also might want to check out the website http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm, as this also contains some excellent information on how soy might affect thyroid health and possibly cause hypothyroidism.

Many people with thyroid conditions work in jobs that make it extremely difficult to restore their health back to normal when following a natural thyroid treatment protocol.  In fact, some people’s jobs can actually lead to the development of such a condition.  I realize that most people aren’t just going to quit their job based on what I write here, and I’m not suggesting that you should find another job, even if it is affecting your health.  In some situations there are things you can try to do to improve your health while keeping your current job, but in some cases, changing positions really is the only way you will be able to restore your health back to normal.

Let’s look at three different examples as to how one’s job can be hazardous to their thyroid health:

Hazardous Scenario #1: Rotating Shifts.  A person who is on rotating shifts will usually find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover from their thyroid condition.  The reason for this is because if you rotate shifts on a weekly basis, or even every few weeks, this will put a lot of stress on your adrenal glands.  To understand why, one must look at the circadian rhythm one has with regards to their cortisol levels.  For someone who sleeps at night, upon waking up their cortisol levels should be the highest, and then lowest upon going to sleep.  In fact, having a healthy cortisol level in the morning will help give you the energy you need to get through your day, while the lowering of the cortisol levels at night will help you to fall asleep.

But for someone who works the first shift for a few days or weeks, and then has to work the third shift, this will eventually create havoc with their adrenal glands.  Sure, since the body does a great job of adapting, the person on a rotating shift might not notice any changes in their health for the first few months, or even a few years after initially beginning such a rotation.  But sooner or later it will weaken their adrenal glands.  And as I’ve stated numerous times in different blog posts and articles, stressed out adrenals can lead to the development of a thyroid condition.  And until this adrenal problem is addressed, there is little chance of curing the thyroid disorder through a natural treatment protocol.

With this scenario, trying to stay on a single shift is critical to your long-term health.  So even if you aren’t on a rotating shift, if you know someone who is currently on one, you might want to have them read this article.  Because even if they currently aren’t experiencing any health issues, there is a good chance they will develop some health problems in the future as a result of working such a shift.  And so having them read this may very well help them prevent a future thyroid condition from developing.

Hazardous Scenario #2: Frequent Exposure To Toxins.  Some work environments require the employees to be exposed to certain toxins.  Sometimes these toxins are known to everyone, while other times the workers are completely unaware of the toxins they’re being exposed to.  For example, many workplaces use harmful pesticides, which most employees aren’t aware of, yet they can have some harsh consequences.  There are many other chemicals companies use that their employees are unaware of.  Usually the employees aren’t made aware simply because most business owners don’t think about these chemicals as being toxic to their employee’s health, although many of these chemicals aren’t even tested, while others have been shown to cause health problems, but for some reason are still being used.

Obviously it can be difficult, if not impossible to change the work environment with regards to any toxic chemicals you’re routinely exposed to.  Assuming your main job duties don’t require directly working with these toxins, you might be able to speak with your manager or supervisor to see if there is any way to modify the work environment to eliminate some of the toxins.  Of course this can be difficult if you aren’t sure which toxins you are being exposed to at the workplace, and most employees would understandingly feel weird asking the supervisor whether the company uses pesticides, or any other potentially harmful chemicals.

As a result, sometimes the only realistic option is to look for a new job.  This without question is an extreme measure that many people will choose not to take, but if your work environment is aggravating your thyroid condition, and/or has contributed to its development in the first place, then getting a new job, and sometimes switching careers may be the best choice in order for you to fully recover.  It’s at least something you need to seriously think about if you’re concerned about your long term health. 

Hazardous Scenario #3: Dealing With A Lot Of Stress On A Frequent Basis.  Like the first scenario I discussed, dealing with chronic stress on a regular basis will affect the adrenal glands, which as mentioned above, can lead to the development of a thyroid condition.  It’s really amazing how much stress can affect our health, and many people have jobs that are very stressful.  Sometimes there isn’t much that can be done to change a stressful job environment, with the exception of finding another position, which I realize isn’t practical for most people, especially in this tough economy.  Part of the problem is that many people have jobs they don’t enjoy doing, which makes it even more stressful.  Others have to deal with a harsh boss, irate customers, and other factors which can make their work environment very stressful.

Even if you can’t completely eliminate the stressful environment, most people can do a much better job of handling the stress when they work.  Simply eating well, getting quality sleep at night, and exercising regularly will help you to better manage the stress when you work.  Taking certain nutritional supplements can also help as well.  But a lot of this is emotional in nature, meaning that many people simply need to develop better stress handling skills.  In other words, while you of course want to take your work seriously, it’s important to remember that getting stressed out isn’t going to help you accomplish more while on the job, and most of the time it will have an opposite effect.

I know I’m making it sound easier than it actually is to manage stress.  But most of the time, proper stress management skills at work simply comes down to continue working as hard as you can to get the job done, but realizing that there is only so much you can do, and not getting stressed out over those things you can’t do.  Once again, I realize that every position is unique, and that some jobs are more stressful than others.  But when you think about it, stressing out isn’t going to benefit you in any way.  For example, when one has to deal with a “mean” boss, getting stressed out isn’t going to help.  On the other hand, trying to have a good attitude regardless and giving it “your all” can definitely help.  The same concept applies when dealing with irate customers or clients, as a lot of it comes down to trying to keep as positive an attitude as you can, and realizing that as long as you work hard and continue doing a good job, then there’s really not much more you can do.

In summary, there are numerous factors in one’s job that can stress out their body, and eventually lead to the development of a thyroid condition.  And while one can’t completely control all three of these scenarios I’ve presented, there definitely are some things you can do to improve your overall health, and at the same time prevent the development of other conditions.  So if your job is affecting your health, then hopefully the information I’ve given here will help to reduce the negative impact it has, and help you better cope with stress, toxins, and other factors.

While I really do enjoy writing the content on this website and informing people with thyroid conditions about the benefits of natural treatment methods, it does frustrate me that there are many people who are too skeptical to ever follow a natural treatment protocol.  I don’t feel as bad when someone takes their time to research both conventional medical treatments, as well as natural treatment methods, and after carefully weighing the pros and cons of each chooses to go the medical route.  But for those people who visit this site and read only a single article or blog post and decide that this sounds too good to be true, it really is tough for me to deal with.

The reason for this is because in my opinion, millions of people with thyroid conditions have been brainwashed into thinking that medical treatments (thyroid hormone, anti-thyroid drugs, RAI, etc.) should be the first option, and natural treatment methods should be the last resort, when to me and many others the complete opposite is what makes sense.  I can understand the way others think, as because medical doctors go through many years of school and training, many people assume they know what’s best for their patients.  But it’s not this simple, as I’ll be revealing shortly.

But before I give examples of why many medical doctors really aren’t doing what’s best for their patients, let me first briefly mention that I’m not against people using drugs or surgery for their thyroid disorder, or any other condition for that matter.  Those who have followed me for awhile know that I actually considered taking anti-thyroid drugs when I was first diagnosed with Graves’ Disease.  Without question, drugs and surgery have their place, and they obviously help a lot of people and save many lives.  But at the same time, they also harm a lot of people, and ruin many lives as well. 

Why Don’t People Choose Natural Treatment Methods First?

While it’s easy to blame endocrinologists and medical doctors for this “brainwashing” that goes on, the primary reason why people have a “drug first” mentality is due to the drug companies themselves, which represent a billion dollar industry.  In this case money is indeed power, as they have the money to do a ton of advertising.  So when the average person watches television for a few hours each day, they are probably viewing a few dozen commercials on some of the “latest and greatest” drugs out there.  In fact, when people visit their primary care physician, they frequently are the ones who ask their physician for a certain drug they saw on TV.

It doesn’t matter that each drug commercial lists a number of different symptoms that can result from taking a specific drug, as there no doubt is another drug that will help with these symptoms.  This might sound humorous, but I’ve seen many patients who were taking a dozen or more prescription medications, and some of these medications were given to help cover up the side effects caused by the other prescription drugs they were taking. 

It’s not only difficult for the patient, but difficult for any holistic doctor who sees such a patient, as while they might want the patient to stop taking these drugs, many can’t legally tell these patients to stop taking them.  And even if they can, it is usually unwise to advise  someone who is taking a bunch of different prescription drugs to stop taking all of them abruptly.

How Drug Companies Influence Medical Doctors

In addition to the impact that drug companies have directly on the consumer, they of course have a very powerful relationship with the medical community.  After all, it is the medical doctors that will be the ones who need to distribute these drugs.  Now to be completely honest, I don’t know what type of monetary incentives some medical doctors may get for prescribing these drugs, and as a result I’m not going to get into this.  What I want to do is to discuss how many medical doctors decide to recommend the drugs  they really don’t know much about. 

The truth is, most medical doctors can’t keep up with all of the new drugs that come out on the market, and so the way that most of them learn about them is through the drug companies (isn’t that convenient?).  So for example, if a drug company created a new type of statin (cholesterol-lowering medication), and wanted this drug to be recommended by the medical community, a drug representative will begin contacting certain medical doctors and “educate” each one of them about this drug.  Now I can’t tell you exactly what these drug representatives tell the medical doctors when they meet with them, but I think it’s safe to guess that they focus on all of the “benefits” of the drugs, and don’t focus too much time on the potential side effects.

My point here isn’t to talk about how drug companies manipulate medical doctors into selling drugs, but the overall point I want to make is that this is a money game.  Remember that we’re talking about billions of dollars each year, and to no surprise the goal of the drug companies is to convince the medical doctors that many of their patients can benefit from taking these drugs. 

For example, as of writing this article, statins are the top selling drugs, even though in many cases people shouldn’t be taking them to lower cholesterol.  This is content to be discussed in a different article, but cholesterol is a precursor for our steroid hormones and is extremely important, yet it is made out to be the “bad guy” by the drug companies, and as a result many people who have healthy cholesterol levels are told to take these drugs.

As another example, I recently made a post about oral contraceptives, and all of the risks they represent.  But the drug companies don’t care about the risks, because hormonal contraception is a multi-billion dollar industry, as millions of women  are currently on the pill.  And sure, I’ll admit that it does a good job of preventing pregnancies, which is what many women take this for.  But it’s given out by medical doctors like it’s no big deal, and many times it’s given not as a contraceptive, but to “regulate” the menstrual cycle, when what it really is doing is suppressing the endocrine system.

Another problem is that there are conclusions made about drugs without valid research.  For example, in the book “The Great Cholesterol Con”, written by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, he mentions that even though there was never a study completed showing that female sex hormones protected against heart disease in humans, in the 1990s, millions of women were being prescribed hormone replacement therapy to reduce the risk of heart disease.  Eventually studies showed that HRT actually increased the rate of heart disease, which most doctors are aware of now, but this is just another example as to how you can’t trust everything you are being told about prescription drugs, even if it is your medical doctor who is the one informing you about this.

I can go on and on with many other examples, but I’ll assume you are getting the point by now.  Once again, prescription drugs have the ability to save lives, but in many cases they are prescribed to people who not only won’t benefit from them, but can lead to short term and/or long term side effects that can have severe consequences on a person’s health. 

As for how this relates to thyroid conditions, well, just about everyone who is diagnosed with a thyroid condition is also automatically given some type of drug.  For hypothyroidism it is synthetic thyroid hormone, and for hyperthyroidism it is either anti-thyroid drugs or radioactive iodine therapy.  With either condition, the endocrinologist or general medical practitioner almost never tries to figure out what the actual cause of the disorder is, but just recommends a drug for the person to take for the rest of their life. 

And it’s the same thing with just about every other condition.  For someone who has high cholesterol, they just recommend a statin, rather than trying to figure out why the cholesterol is high.  A woman is having severe PMS symptoms, so rather than figure out why this is the case, they just give her birth control pills to suppress her endocrine system, etc.

In summary, most consumers need to open their eyes and realize that while medication is sometimes necessary to take, many times there are other options that can either manage your symptoms without causing side effects, and in some cases can even cure your condition.  Simply taking the advice of your medical doctor without doing some research of your own is in my opinion foolish.  Of course those who are reading this information are more open minded than the average person, but unfortunately most people have successfully been brainwashed by the drug companies, which is why these companies continue to thrive, and will continue doing so for many years to come.

According to the site www.breastcancer.org, one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer, which is an astounding number when you think about it.   And even though the rates of deaths from breast cancer do seem to be decreasing, according to the same website, about 41,170 were expected to last year, which is still a high number.

What’s especially sad is that many of these cases of breast cancer can be prevented.  So while the incidence of breast cancer might be decreasing due to numerous factors, the truth is that most women can be doing more to greatly improve their chances of not getting this disease.  What I’m going to do here is list five different things women can do that will almost eliminate the chance of them getting breast cancer, or men for that matter, since some men do develop breast cancer as well.  In any case, following all of these five tips will tremendously improve the chances that you will avoid developing this horrible disease:

Breast Cancer Avoidance Tip #1: Make sure your vitamin D levels are adequate. I’ve spoken in great detail about getting adequate Vitamin D on previous blog posts, and so I’m not going to go into great detail about the benefits of Vitamin D here.  Besides reading my past blog posts, you can find a ton of information on Vitamin D by visiting the website www.vitamindcouncil.org.  This website, along with others, provides numerous resources that show the correlation between decreased Vitamin D levels and increased breast cancer rates, and here is one such study that was taken from this website:

“In the 1990s, a group of scientists from the University of California at San Diego provided the first look at how many women may be dying needlessly from breast cancer due to low vitamin D blood levels. The researchers measured the amount of sunlight available to the women at the latitude where they lived and combined that with the frequency of cloudy weather, as sunny climates are associated with higher vitamin D levels. They found that women in the sunniest regions of the United States were about half as likely to die from breast cancer as were women who lived in less sunny regions. When the same researchers looked at the USSR before the country dissolved, they found that women who lived in the sunniest regions were three times less likely to develop breast cancer than were the women who lived in regions without as much sun.”

Once again, this is only one example of the many studies out there that shows howVitamin D deficiency can potentially lead to the development of breast cancer.  The good news is that getting your Vitamin D levels up to sufficient levels isn’t too difficult, as this can be achieved through getting adequate sun exposure, although if you’re extremely deficient then you will probably need to take Vitamin D3 supplements.  I recommend that everyone who is unsure as to whether they have sufficient Vitamin D levels receive a blood test to check their levels.

Breast Cancer Avoidance Tip #2: Make sure you have sufficient iodine levels. Just as is the case with Vitamin D, I have also written posts and articles on the benefits of iodine.  Just as is the case with the thyroid gland, the breast tissue also need iodine to function properly.  According to the book “Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It”, Dr. David Brownstein states that “studies have shown that iodine deficiency can alter the structure and function of the breast tissue.  This can include dysplasia and atypia that is the forerunner for breast cancer.”

If you haven’t read Dr. David Brownstein’s book, it’s definitely a “must read”.  It shows why most people are iodine deficient, and he dedicates an entire chapter on iodine and breast health (Chapter 4: Iodine, Breast Cancer, and Fibrocystic Disease).  You can determine if you are iodine deficient by taking an iodine loading test, which is a urine test that measures how much iodine you are excreting over a 24 hour period.  Iodine deficiencies are also relatively easy to correct, although if you have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis then you need to address the autoimmune component before you can take iodine.

Breast Cancer Avoidance Tip #3: Get out of estrogen dominance. If you haven’t read my blog post on estrogen dominance, I highly recommend you do so.  Many women are in a state of estrogen dominance, which doesn’t always mean an excess of estrogen, as it refers to an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen and progesterone.  Frequently it’s the levels of progesterone that’s low.  However, an increase in estrogen without question can increase the incidence of breast cancer.  In fact, this is a big reason why most doctors no longer recommend unopposed estrogen to women, as research shows that this increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

As I mentioned in my past post, the best method of determining whether or not you are estrogen dominant is through a hormone panel.  This not only will show the ratios of estrogen and progesterone, but will also show the levels of other important hormones in the body.  This is important because they all work together, and so an imbalance in one hormone can affect the levels of the other hormones in the body.  In other words, if one sees that there is an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone and just corrects this without addressing other hormone deficiencies or excesses, then there is a chance the estrogen dominance condition will return.

Breast Cancer Avoidance Tip #4: Minimize your exposure to xenoestrogens. I recently made a post on xenohormones, which also can increase the incidence of breast cancer, as well as other conditions.  Synthetic estrogens are widespread, as they are put in numerous products, including many household products we purchase on an everyday basis.  In addition, millions of people drink bottled water, and there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding whether the synthetic estrogens leach from the plastic into the water we drink.  Many of the meats and dairy products we consume also are from livestock that were given estrogens in order to increase their size.  Most non-organic fruits and vegetables also contain pesticides, which once again contain xenoestrogens.

While we can’t completely eliminate our exposure to xenoestrogens, most of us can dramatically decrease our exposure to them.  Doing so admittedly isn’t easy, and when it comes to the food we consume it can be more expensive to purchase meat, dairy, vegetables, and other foods that don’t contain synthetic estrogen.  But if it helps to prevent not only breast cancer, but other conditions as well, then don’t you think it is worth the extra cost?

Breast Cancer Avoidance Tip #5: Think twice about getting regular mammograms. This last one is somewhat controversial, as there is no doubt that mammograms involve a good amount of radiation, although the technology has improved over the years.  While getting mammograms can help to detect cancer, many healthcare professionals and researchers are wondering if the risk actually outweighs the benefits.  In other words, even if mammograms can help detect early stages of breast cancer, if the radiation can contribute to the development of this disease in some women, then this obviously neutralizes the benefits.

So am I suggesting that women should avoid receiving mammograms altogether?  Let’s put it this way: I’m definitely not an advocate of women receiving mammograms every year or two, which many doctors will recommend.  I personal prefer thermography, which seems to be just as accurate as mammograms, without the accompanying radiation.  And if thermography does detect something suspicious, then perhaps at this point it would be a good idea to receive a mammogram to confirm this.  But to receive regular mammograms in my opinion is unnecessary.

So following these five tips can help to prevent the development of breast cancer.  While following only a few of these will help you reduce the risk of developing this disease, you’ll want to follow all five of these tips in order to dramatically decrease your chances of being diagnosed with breast cancer.  Of course this doesn’t mean that there aren’t other factors that can cause breast cancer, but these are some of the main factors that can reduce the likelihood of you ever being diagnosed with this disease.

When trying to restore one’s health through a natural thyroid treatment protocol, xenohormones are one of the main factors that can affect a person’s recovery.  While many people with thyroid conditions are aware that they need to eat better, exercise more, and modify other lifestyle factors, most people don’t pay enough attention to xenohormones.  In this post I’m going to talk about what xenohormones are, how they affect our health, and what you can do to minimize your exposure to them.

As for what xenohormones are, they are substances that contain synthetic hormones, primarily estrogen, and therefore have a hormone-like effect on the body.  Many of today’s products and foods contain synthetic hormones, which without question have a profound effect on our endocrine systems, as well as our overall health.  The following represents a small sample of some of the products and foods that contain xenohormones:

Pesticides
Herbicides
Fungicides
Detergents
Nail polish and nail polish remover
Meat from livestock feed hormones to increase their size
Many non-organic dairy products
Many cosmetics
Paint remover
Some types of soaps
Glues
Most plastics (so be careful about drinking too much bottled water)
Many perfumes and air fresheners

Xenohormones and Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders

While xenohormones can affect the health of anyone with a thyroid condition (as well as those people who don’t have a thyroid disorder), people with an autoimmune thyroid disorder are arguably affected even more.  So those people with Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis need to take extra precautions in order to minimize their exposure to xenohormones, as they can have a negative effect on the immune system.  In fact, here is a quote from the book entitled “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause”, which was written by John R. Lee:

“More recent research is showing that exposure to xenohormones suppresses the immune-system, and in particular hampers T-lymphocyte function, and lowers the proportions and numbers of natural killer (NK) cells.  These are two of your immune system’s most important defenses.  The latest studies are showing even more widespread damage to the immune system.”

In fact, some studies have shown that xenohormones can contribute to the development of an autoimmune thyroid condition.  So even if you don’t currently have an autoimmune thyroid condition, constantly exposing yourself to synthetic hormones can potentially lead to you developing such a condition in the future.  In the past I’ve mentioned the book “The Autoimmune Epidemic”, which is not the easiest book to read, but does give a good amount of research with regards to how different toxins, including xenohormones, can lead to a development of an autoimmune condition.

Other Side Effects Of Xenohormones

In addition to weakening one’s immune system, there are many other side effects that xenohormones can have.  Keep in mind that most of the times the effects aren’t immediate, as it takes years for these symptoms and conditions to develop.  But some of the different symptoms include fatigue, headaches, depression, lack of concentration, increased mood swings and irritability, and there are many other symptoms one can experience.

If this sounds similar to some of the side effects of a hormonal imbalance, this is because xenohormones essentially disrupt the endocrine system, and therefore create a hormone imbalance.  The reason for this is because they closely resemble our natural hormones, which allows them to bind to the same receptors.  So for example, synthetic estrogens will bind to the estrogen receptors.  But they don’t have the same functions as natural estrogen, which is why they will cause many of the side effects listed in this post.

But it causes more than just side effects.  As mentioned previously, it can actually lead to the development of an autoimmune condition.  Research studies show that long-term exposure to xenohormones can also increase the incidence of certain types of cancers.  So hopefully you’re beginning to realize how dangerous these toxins are, and will begin trying to do everything you can to minimize your exposure to them.

And if you are of childbearing age and are thinking of having children, keep in mind that studies also show that xenohormones can affect future generations.  So when a patient of mine informs me that she is trying to get pregnant, one of the things I’ll recommend is for her to begin a purification program to help clean out some of the toxins, including many of these xenohormones.

Minimizing Exposure To Xenohormones

I’ve spoken in the past about minimizing exposure to environmental toxins, and xenohormones do fall under this category.  So as I’ve mentioned in the past, it is impossible to avoid all of the environmental toxins out there.  However, many of the xenohormones we’re exposed to are a result of the foods and products we have in our own homes.  One of the problems is that as of writing this information, companies don’t have to reveal whether or not they include synthetic hormones in their foods and products.  As a result, your best bet is to try to purchase as many organic foods and products as possible, and if you buy non-organic products, use brands that don’t have xenohormones.  

There are numerous books that discuss the problems involved with xenohormones.  But if you don’t want to read an entire book, simply taking 30 minutes to read the “Xenohormones chapter” in the book I mentioned above (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause) will really help you understand the consequences of these toxins.  So here is an assignment for you: visit your local bookstore or library, either buy or borrow this book, and take 30 minutes to read this single chapter.  To be honest, the entire book is worth reading, and you’ll most likely want to read the other chapters after seeing how informative this single chapter is. But even if you just were to read this single chapter alone it would greatly benefit you.

Whenever I recommend a natural thyroid treatment protocol to a patient and they don’t receive optimal results, there can be numerous reasons for this, but the main reason is usually due to the patient not completely following my recommendations. Sometimes it’s because they don’t take the nutritional supplements and/or herbs I recommend, while other times due to financial reasons they can’t afford to receive the necessary testing to determine what is wrong with them.

However, the number one reason why people don’t receive optimal results when I put them on a natural thyroid treatment protocol is because they don’t follow the basics. In other words, they neglect the factors of health that I have discussed many times previously. While some people don’t take the supplements and herbs I recommend due to money issues, many people do take them, because it is an easy process. Even though it might be a little challenging in the beginning to remember which supplements to take at what time, as well as the dosage, this can easily be solved by writing it down.

On the other hand, changing one’s lifestyle is not as easy as taking supplements. As you might guess, the biggest challenge is modifying one’s diet. Because of this I don’t try pressuring anyone to make dramatic changes immediately. Being someone who grew up eating junk food and drinking punch and sodas on a daily basis, I understand how difficult it is to make such a transition. As a result, some people do need to slowly make changes. But sooner or later there will come a point where they will need to be eating well, and go at least 21 days without eating any junk food.

Just Remember That Cheaters Never Win

Some people try to cheat, and figure that eating some junk food once in awhile isn’t a big deal. Once restoring your health to normal this might be true, as I do eat some junk food occasionally (pizza, cookies, etc.). But during the first month of following the natural treatment protocol, I did not cheat at all. And those who want to receive optimal results also need to stick to a strict diet.

Just to clarify, I don’t expect anyone to eat a perfect diet for the rest of their life.  However, when a patient of mine begins a natural treatment protocol I do expect them to avoid any foods that may prevent them from healing. It’s obviously not an easy process, which is why some people need to take this slowly. But this once again proves that just taking nutritional supplements and herbs isn’t enough to fully restore one’s health back to normal.

In addition to eating well during the initial stages of a natural treatment protocol, one of course also needs to follow the other factors of health as well. So for example, someone who has a lot of stress in their life and does a poor job of managing it can eat a perfect diet, take all of the recommended nutritional supplements and herbs, and still not respond well. The same concept applies with obtaining sufficient sleep each night, although I realize that for some people it might take time before they can obtain quality sleep on a regular basis.

In summary, whenever someone with a thyroid condition follows a natural thyroid treatment protocol and just doesn’t seem to be responding well to the treatments, I always go back to the basics and make sure they are following the factors of health. If you are thinking about beginning a natural treatment protocol, this is important to understand, as if you’re not at the point where you’re disciplined enough to follow these recommendations, then you might be better off waiting until you are ready. And then once you are ready to take responsibility for your health you can begin the road to recovery.

When I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, without question the most uncomfortable symptoms I had were the increased heart rate and the palpitations. Even though I knew right away that I was going to follow a natural treatment protocol, I still was considering taking a beta blocker (Propranolol) to control these symptoms, along with the anti-thyroid drug Methimazole. I decided to hold off and give the natural treatment methods a few weeks to kick in, making the decision that if my symptoms persisted that I would go ahead and take the prescription drugs.

Fortunately the natural treatment methods worked quickly with regards to controlling the symptoms, and the primary herb that helped with the increased heart rate and palpitations was Bugleweed. While it took a few months until all of my symptoms were completely gone, I can honestly say that Bugleweed was the main herb that prevented me from having to take the prescription drugs. Of course this wasn’t the only thing I took during this protocol, as I took multiple nutritional supplements and herbs, as well as modified my diet, and changed other lifestyle factors as well.

However, if there is a “magic” potion for hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, then Bugleweed is it. Once again, this doesn’t mean that simply taking Bugleweed will cure your condition, as while taking it alone might help to manage the symptoms, if you want to restore your health back to normal then you will need to do more than taking a single herb.

As for what dosage I took, I began by taking 5ml of the liquid herb, two times daily. I was on the herb for a few months, and when I weaned myself off I eventually took 5ml one time each day, and then 2.5 ml before stopping completely. I’m of course not suggesting that anyone reading this with a hyperthyroid condition take Bugleweed, as you really should consult with a natural endocrine doctor first. This is especially true if you have Graves’ Disease, but even if you have a “typical” case of hyperthyroidism you still should speak with an expert.

While taking the correct liquid herbs can really help with your thyroid condition, one thing to keep in mind is that most of them taste nasty. As a result, if you take liquid herbs then you will want to either “down it” quickly like a shot, or mix it with some juice, or another drink in order. I chose the latter option, as I would add the Bugleweed to my protein drink, which did a great job of masking the taste.

Obviously I was thrilled with the results I received while following a natural treatment protocol, but besides being concerned initially as to whether or not such a protocol would be effective, another fear I had is the fear that my symptoms would return once I stopped taking supplements and herbs, especially Bugleweed. So as I weaned myself off of this herb I was worried that the increased heart rate and palpitations would return, but fortunately they didn’t.

So if you have hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and are thinking about following a natural treatment protocol, then chances are Bugleweed will be one of the herbs you will be told to take, along with numerous others. Just like any other supplement or herb, the quality is extremely important. I say this because even though I strongly recommend not to treat your thyroid condition on your own, I know some people will look to buy some Bugleweed anyway. And many will purchase a low quality liquid herb, and then not understand why it doesn’t work.

Finally, this herb is only for people with a hyperthyroid disorder, and is contraindicated for a hypothyroid condition, including Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. If you have a hypothyroid condition and take Bugleweed, not only won’t it help you, but it might worsen your condition. And if you have a hyperthyroid condition and are taking other supplements and/or medications, you’ll once again need to be cautious about taking this. Quality liquid herbs can be very powerful, but they can be somewhat dangerous at times as well, which is why speaking with a holistic doctor who focuses on endocrine disorders is a wise thing to do.

Millions of women take oral contraceptives, known as “the Pill” by most women.  For those who don’t take “the Pill”, chances are they know someone close to them who does.  So whether you currently take oral contraceptives, have taken them in the past, and/or have a family member or a friend who takes them, this information will hopefully make you realize the potential risks involved and do what is necessary to minimize these risks.

Before I talk about some of the risks of taking the Pill, there obviously are some benefits, with the main one being an effective contraceptive.  When I first met my wife she was taking the Pill, and it definitely did a good job of preventing her from getting pregnant.  However, there still is the possibility of getting pregnant, as while most doctors will say it is 99% effective at preventing a woman from becoming pregnant, some research shows it’s more like 94%, which still is pretty good, but would mean that there would be six pregnancies for every one hundred women.  Plus, women who do become pregnant while on the Pill frequently don’t realize this right away, and this can have harmful effects on the developing fetus.

In addition to taking the Pill for contraceptive purposes, women take it for other reasons, such as to regulate their cycles, help with pain, to clear acne, etc.  First of all, let me say that the Pill does not regulate a woman’s cycle, as this is a hormone that suppresses the endocrine system, and does have long term consequences.  And these risks are worse for a woman who has taken the Pill at an earlier age, which is why if you know someone who is in their teenage years who is taking the Pill, you probably will want to share this information with them. 

As for helping with pain, clearing acne, and other symptoms, in most cases these symptoms can be helped by changing one’s diet, exercising, and overall modifying the lifestyle factors that frequently cause these problems to begin with.  And I’m not suggesting that changing one’s diet will completely eliminate all of these common symptoms, but it all comes down to the risks vs. benefits.  And while there are some temporary benefits while taking the Pill, there definitely are some risks.

Here Are The Risks Of Taking Oral Contraceptives

A good book for any woman to read who is taking the Pill, or thinking about taking it, is called “The Pill, Are You Sure It’s For You”, which was written by Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope.  It’s an easy to read book, and has a lot of valuable information that not only tells you about many of the risks that come along with taking the Pill, but they provide other safer contraceptive options (and no, not just the rhythm method), as well as better ways to manage the symptoms you experience.

As for some of the risks of taking the Pill, here is just a small sample of the problems it can cause, which is being quoted from the book I mentioned above: “All forms of hormonal contraception have been shown to cause weight gain and increase your tendency to deposit cellulite.  They do this through suppressing thyroid function, inducing testosterone deficiency and insulin resistance.  The latter increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome.  It may be remembering that synthetic estrogens are fed to beef cattle to make them gain weight.”

So as you can see, taking the Pill can definitely affect thyroid health, and so if you have a thyroid condition and are currently taking the Pill, while I can’t tell you to stop taking it, I will say that it isn’t helping your condition at all, and might be making it worse.  In fact, when I consult with a patient who is looking to follow a natural treatment protocol and is taking oral contraceptives, it makes it much more challenging to help them.  Obviously I realize that many women are taking it because it is a convenient way to reduce the likelihood of becoming pregnant without having to use condoms, but since it does suppress the endocrine system and therefore cause a hormonal imbalance, it can be very difficult to restore the health of someone with a thyroid condition who is taking the Pill.

This is especially true if someone is taking more aggressive forms of contraceptives, either in the form of injections, and/or to suppress their menstrual periods.  While it is challenging to help someone who wants to remain on the Pill but is taking it on a monthly basis and still has her regular cycles, it is still possible to accomplish this by putting her on a certain protocol.  This isn’t the case with someone who is taking injections and/or contraceptives that stop her from menstruating, as these aggressive forms of contraceptives will make it almost impossible to use natural treatment methods to restore someone’s health back to normal.

Some Additional Risks Of Taking Oral Contraceptives

In addition to having a negative impact on your thyroid gland, there are many other risks of taking the Pill.  As mentioned before, taking oral contraceptives can lead to weight gain, decrease the sex drive, lead to depression, fatigue, headaches, and many other symptoms.  And because you’re taking synthetic hormones, not only can this lead to a hormonal imbalance, but it will put a great deal of stress on the liver, since it will need to work extra hard to break down these hormones.  In fact, many women who take the Pill could benefit from a purification program to help eliminate these synthetic hormones from the body.

In addition to some of the more “milder” symptoms I listed above, the book I referred to also informs us that there are more serious conditions that can result, as it discussed a 25 year old study that consisted of over 45,000 women and found that “deaths from cardiovascular diseases like thrombosis, strokes and heart attacks were significantly increased in women on the Pill, and even the lowest dose Pills have been found to cause a doubling of the risk for strokes and heart attacks.”

So hopefully you realize that taking the Pill can have some serious consequences, both in the short term, and the long term.  As is the case with any medication, I’m not suggesting that anyone immediately stop taking the Pill, as this is not a decision that I could make.  My goal here was just to make you aware of some of the risks involved with regards to your thyroid condition, and your overall health as well.

Each month I receive a decent number of emails from people who want to see a natural endocrine doctor for their thyroid condition, but can’t afford to pay for these services. I realize that some people truly can’t afford to receive natural care, especially since most health insurance companies won’t cover these types of services.

The truth is, in most cases natural healthcare is less expensive than receiving conventional medical treatment. Of course there are exceptions to this, as I know some holistic doctors charge in excess of $5,000 for their service, and require that their fees be paid upfront. Some of these doctors will recommend a minimum commitment of six months or longer, and require the patient to pay for entire fee, although some will be “generous” enough to offer a payment plan.

This isn’t necessarily meant to criticize any holistic doctor that does this, as any doctor has the right to charge whatever fees they want. And to some degree I can understand them requiring patients to make a commitment to care, as this a way to screen out those people who are not serious about their health, as there is nothing more frustrating than having a patient start a program and then drop out. Even so, I’m not a big fan of doctors charging what I consider excessively high fees, and at the same time requiring patients to pay the full amount upfront. While every doctor needs to make a profit, at the same time they shouldn’t make it difficult for most people to afford their services.

On the other hand, there are many holistic doctors who do charge reasonable fees, but are still too high to afford for some people. As of writing this article I’m personally not accepting new patients, but I still occasionally receive emails from people who tell me they can’t afford to see a natural doctor, and will simply wait until I accept new patients again. The problem with this is 1) I’m not sure when I’ll begin accepting new patients again, and 2) while I think my fees are reasonable, there still are people who wouldn’t be able to afford the fees that I charge.

So What Other Options Do You Have?

For those who have a thyroid condition and truly don’t have the money to pay even reasonable fees for natural healthcare, there aren’t too many options, other than try to find a holistic doctor who might accept financial hardships, or one who will put you on a payment plan. However, while this might reduce the fees you will pay to speak with a holistic doctor, one needs to keep in mind that there are expenses involved that can cost hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars over the course of a treatment plan.

After all, besides the fees for the consultation, one will likely require additional tests to determine what is causing the thyroid condition. In addition, nutritional supplements most likely will be recommended. With regards to any additional tests that are recommended, most of these are conducted by other companies, and not the actual doctor who is recommending them. As a result, a discount is not feasible (although some insurance companies will provide coverage for these tests, such as certain blood tests, saliva testing, etc.).

With regards to the nutritional supplements recommended, what many people don’t realize is that some of the companies require that all healthcare professionals sell their supplements for the same retail price. An example is the company Standard Process, which is one of the companies I use for nutritional supplements. Doctors who purchase supplements from this company don’t have a choice as to what prices they charge, although there are of course some doctors who will charge different prices anyway and risk getting banned from being a distributor. Sometimes these supplements can be found on ebay or other online websites for a reduced price (although once again they shouldn’t be sold at a reduced price anywhere), but many times they cannot be purchased anywhere else.

Not Choosing To Receive Additional Tests Or Nutritional Supplements

Someone with a thyroid condition can obviously choose not to have additional tests performed and can buy their own supplements, but this falls under the realm of self-treating one’s condition. One can possibly still receive some benefits if they don’t receive any additional testing and randomly take certain nutritional supplements. On the other hand, it’s difficult to know exactly what supplements and herbs someone needs without doing the appropriate testing. Plus, frequently the supplements purchased in retail stores or on the internet are of low quality. So while you might save some money buying supplements on your own, if they don’t absorb well and are of low quality, then of course they won’t be benefiting you at all and you’ll just be throwing your money away.

Let’s look at an example of this. If a person with a thyroid disorder has a condition called estrogen dominance, which can be causing or contributing to their condition, but refuses to have a hormone panel done to confirm this, then a holistic doctor will have difficulty recommending the appropriate natural protocol for them to follow, which most likely means that this person will not receive optimal results. This is just one example, but there can be many other areas of the body that can be compromised and therefore contributing or directly causing your thyroid condition. And in many cases, the only way to determine the cause is by doing some additional testing. I’m not talking about thousands of dollars worth of testing, but definitely at least a few hundred dollars in most cases.

How To Self Treat Your Thyroid Condition With Minimal Risks

So what can someone do who absolutely can’t afford natural thyroid treatments? For those who don’t have any money to spend on consulting with a doctor, let alone the other expenses involved, they might need to resort to doing as much on their own as they could, without trying to self-treat their condition with thyroid boosters, immune system support formulas, etc. While someone with a thyroid condition might not receive optimal benefits taking this approach, they can still frequently improve their symptoms and overall health by doing the following (you’ll notice that most of what I’m about to list has been covered in other articles and blog posts on my website):

1. Begin Eating Better.  Eat as many whole foods as you can. Try to eat as many organic foods as possible, especially any meats you consume, as well as the vegetables you eat. Some non-organic fruits also should be avoided, as fruits such as strawberries and apples can be high in pesticides.

2. Drink Pure Water. Try to avoid drinking tap water, as you ideally want to drink water that has been purified through reverse osmosis or distillation. It’s also a good idea to add a chlorine filter to your showerhead, as this will minimize the amount of chlorine your body absorbs, as this can help with some common health problems, including chronic fatigue.

3. Exercise Regularly. I realize that some people with thyroid conditions don’t have enough energy to exercise on a regular basis. If this describes you then you will need to make some changes in the other lifestyle factors that are contributing to this, and eventually get on a “walking program” where you begin with some light walking for five to ten minutes each day, and then build up gradually until you can walk for about 30 minutes daily.

4. Obtain Sufficient Sleep. Getting a decent amount of sleep each night is important to help rejuvenate your body. Some people do try to obtain quality sleep but have difficulty falling to sleep, and/or staying asleep at night. Once again, this might mean paying attention to the other lifestyle factors. For example, someone with blood sugar problems can also have sleep problems, and so changing their diet alone will frequently help with this (see My Personal Thyroid Diet article in the “Articles” section of this website).

5. Manage Your Stress Effectively. These days most people are dealing with chronic stress, which our bodies are not designed to handle. While you won’t be able to completely eliminate the stress from your life, you most likely can do a better job of managing your stress, which can help greatly with your thyroid condition, as well as other health problems you may have.

6. Minimize Exposure To Environmental toxins. Tens of thousands of different chemicals have been manufactured since World War II, and thousands of more each year are manufactured. As a result, it’s impossible to completely avoid environmental toxins. However, one can definitely minimize their exposure to them, especially by purchasing more natural household products. While such products might be more expensive than brand name products, you can purchase some low cost natural products at places such as Trader Joes.

7. Try To Have A Good Attitude. Your attitude is important when it comes to your health, and while keeping a positive attitude might be difficult when dealing with a thyroid condition, doing so can make a big difference.

8. Continue To Educate Yourself. I of course recommend to continue reading the articles and blog posts on my website, as well as other blogs and books on natural health to continue to learn how to live a “healthy lifestyle”.

Can You Do Your Own Testing?

You can definitely do some of your own testing, especially when it comes to blood tests. Check out the website www.directlabs.com, as you can obtain a Vitamin D test, complete blood count (cbc), thyroid tests, and many other blood tests inexpensively. As for saliva testing to determine the state of your adrenals and steroid hormones, there might be labs out you can use on your own that can save you some money, but the thing to keep in mind is that not all labs are the same, as many use different reference ranges that are incorrect.

The reason I use Diagnos-Techs is because they do a great job, have valid reference ranges, and overall they are a reputable company that has been doing this for awhile. Plus their fees are also very reasonable, although I’m sure there are some holistic doctors who double or triple these fees in order to make a good profit, but at the same time make it even more difficult for people to afford. In any case, just be careful about choosing your own lab for adrenal testing or a hormone panel, as you always want to choose a company with a good reputation and one that uses valid reference ranges.

Are There Nutritional Supplements You Can Take On Your Own?

Even though it is highly recommended that you consult with a natural healthcare professional, I realize there are some people who won’t take this advice and will try to purchase their own supplements. Please understand that I can’t tell you exactly which supplements/herbs to buy, as different people will require different supplements, as well as different dosages when taking the same supplement (i.e. Vitamin D, iodine, etc.). Also remember that while taking nutritional supplements is an important component of any natural treatment protocol, taking supplements alone isn’t the answer to curing your thyroid condition. What I recommend is that before you take any supplements on your own you at the very least obtain the following three tests

• Vitamin D Test (you can get a test kit at www.vitamindcouncil.org)

• 24-Hour Urine Loading Test (if you absolutely can’t afford this you can do an Iodine Patch test, which isn’t completely valid but it’s better than doing nothing)

• Adrenal Stress Index Test or a Hormone Panel. Which one of these tests you do depends upon which symptoms you have. The truth is that most people have adrenal problems, and so if you deal with chronic stress, and eat a lot of refined foods and sugars, then you probably should have this test done. On the other hand, someone with estrogen dominance needs to get this addressed as well before they can get better. If you’re having symptoms of estrogen dominance (read my blog post on this) then you probably will want to get a hormone panel done first, and perhaps down the road you can obtain an adrenal stress index test.

The good news is that addressing a deficiency in Vitamin D and iodine is inexpensive, as you can purchase a quality Vitamin D and iodine supplement for a low price. Other common nutritional deficiencies (selenium, magnesium, etc.) also are inexpensive to address, and eating a diet consisting mostly of whole foods can minimize the amount of supplements you need to take on a daily basis.

Be Careful About Taking Herbs

While taking whole food supplements has minimal risks (although isn’t completely risk free), it is a little bit more risky to take herbs on your own. Even though millions of people take nutritional supplements and herbs without any noticeable side effects, there are three main risks of taking these on your own:

Risk #1: You might have a bad reaction to a certain supplement or herb. While this is rare, it is definitely possible, and so you do need to be careful. This is especially true if you have more than just a thyroid condition, as if you have other problems then you need to remember that while serious problems while taking supplements and herbs are rare, they do happen.

Risk #2: Mixing supplements and herbs with prescription drugs can cause problems. This definitely can be risky, as if you are currently taking any type of prescription drug, mixing these with nutritional supplements and/or herbal remedies can cause some serious side effects.

Risk #3: Mixing supplements and herbs together, even without involving drugs, can also cause side effects. For example, many years ago when I wasn’t as knowledgeable about supplements and herbs as I am now, I did a detoxification, and at the same time took other supplements that I just had a basic knowledge of. One night after I started this protocol I woke up in the middle of the night to urinate, but was unable to do so, even though I had a very strong urge. I wasn’t taking anything else other than these supplements and herbs, and so I figured it had to be these that caused the problem. Just to play it safe I went to a medical doctor, received a urinalysis and my very first prostate check, and both were negative.

I stopped taking the supplements for a few days, and my urinating problem went away. However, I wasn’t 100% certain it was the supplements that caused the problem, and so I did a very foolish thing and began taking the supplements and herbs again, and sure enough, I woke up again one night unable to urinate (actually I was able to urinate both times but it took about ten minutes to “squeeze” out the urine in both cases, and it was a very scary and uncomfortable situation).

My past experience doesn’t mean that you will suffer similar or worse consequences by randomly taking nutritional supplements and/or herbs. But it does demonstrate that there are risks to taking supplements and herbs, and I will add that the ones I purchased were from a very reputable company, and not just some supplements that I randomly purchased at a retail store. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t each specific supplment and herb that was the problem, but the combination of them that produced the problematic side effects. In any case, just be careful about doing anything on your own, as while having difficulties urinating wasn’t fun, many people have suffered far worse side effects from taking and combining nutritional supplements and herbs on their own.

So if you have a thyroid condition and have problems affording natural healthcare, then I hope you have found this information to be somewhat useful. I realize what I’ve written here is not by any means a complete solution, but if you make most or all of the changes I’ve suggested, receive some minimal testing, and then take some of the necessary nutritional supplements (making sure they are of high quality), you can receive some benefits without consulting with a natural endocrine doctor.

With that being said, even though health insurance in most cases won’t cover the consultation fees and cost of the nutritional supplements (some companies will cover the lab testing), let’s not forget that this is your health we’re talking about.  If you absolutely can’t afford natural health care, then this is understandable.  On the other hand, if you can afford this care but it will mean making sacrifices in other areas (eating out less, not buying that lcd tv or other electronic gadget you really want, etc.), then for the sake of your current and future health it most likely will be worth the investment.  In fact, I can say with confidence that it probably will be one of the best investments you will ever make.