Royal jelly is a substance produced by bees, and studies show that it has numerous health benefits.  With regards to thyroid health, there is evidence that royal jelly can benefit people with Graves’ Disease.  But unlike other supplements commonly taken by people with Graves’ Disease such as bugleweed, motherwort, and lemon balm, royal jelly seems to affect the autoimmune component of the condition.  In addition, royal jelly can also benefit many people with other types of health conditions as well, which I’ll discuss in this post.

Royal jelly is mainly secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honeybees between the sixth and twelfth days of their life and is an essential food for the development of the queen honeybee (1) (2).  Royal jelly is a complex substance containing a unique combination of proteins (12-15%), sugars (10-12%), lipids (3-7%), amino acids, vitamins, and minerals (2).  What I’d like to do below is discuss some of the benefits of royal jelly.

Graves’ Disease and other autoimmune conditions.  A small study looked at the effects of royal jelly on the autoimmune component of Graves’ Disease (3).  Graves’ Disease is considered to be a Th2 dominant condition in most cases, and this study showed that royal jelly shifted the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio to the side of the Th1 pathways, and caused a significant decrease in the TSH receptor antibodies associated with Graves’ Disease.  The authors concluded that royal jelly may be effective as an immunomodulatory agent in Graves’ Disease.

In addition to Graves’ Disease, people with other autoimmune conditions might also benefit from taking royal jelly.  One study in mice showed that royal jelly may be beneficial in the prevention of the early onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), along with the control of the active progression of this condition (4).  Like Graves’ Disease, SLE is usually considered to be a Th2 dominant condition (5).  Pro-inflammatory cytokines are present in autoimmune conditions, and another study showed that royal jelly inhibits the production of proinflammatory cytokines (6).  In other words, royal jelly can help to reduce inflammation.

Dry eyes.  A study looked at the effects of honey bee products on tear secretion capacity in dry eyes (7).  The study showed that royal jelly restored the tear secretion capacity to the largest extent when compared to raw honey and propolis.

Premenstrual Syndrome.  One study consisting of 110 medical sciences students with PMS looked at the effects of royal jelly (8).  Each participant took one 1,000 mg royal jelly capsule per day for two months.  The results of the study showed that taking the royal jelly supplement for two months was effective in reducing PMS.

Glycemic control.  A study involving 50 female volunteers with type 2 diabetes looked at the effects of royal jelly on glycemic control and oxidative stress (9).  The participants took a 1,000 mg royal jelly supplement for 8 weeks.  The results showed that the mean fasting blood glucose decreased remarkably, and supplementing with royal jelly also resulted in significant reduction in the average hemoglobin A1C levels and increased the mean total antioxidant capacity.  The authors concluded that royal jelly supplementation may be beneficial in controlling diabetes outcomes.

Periodontal disease.  Since royal jelly has been shown to prevent osteoporosis in rats and also has anti-inflammatory effects, some authors hypothesized that royal jelly can help with the prevention or treatment of periodontal diseases (10).  They conducted a study in mice and concluded that royal jelly can provide benefits for the treatment and prevention of periodontal diseases.

Male Infertility.  A few studies have shown that royal jelly might be beneficial in some cases of male infertility.  One study evaluated the protective effect of royal jelly on sperm parameters and testosterone levels in mice, and concluded that royal jelly may help to improve oxidative stress and male infertility (11).  Another study showed that royal jelly may be useful for diabetic patients who suffer from sexual impotence by producing anti-diabetic activity and exhibiting fertility enhancing properties (12).

Royal Jelly vs. Bee propolis

Propolis is a resinous substance produced by honeybees as defense against intruders (13).  I’m sure some people reading this are wondering if bee propolis offers similar benefits.  Propolis doesn’t offer the same exact benefits as royal jelly, although there is evidence that it has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, anti-allergic, laxative, and immunomodulatory properties (14).  There is also evidence that propolis has anticancer activity (15) (16).  Propolis can also provide protection against the damaging effects of radiation (17) (18).

In summary, royal jelly is a substance produced by bees that has many different health benefits.  There is evidence that royal jelly may help to modulate the immune system in people with Graves’ Disease, along with other autoimmune conditions.  Royal jelly might also be beneficial in people with dry eyes, blood sugar imbalances, premenstrual syndrome, periodontal disease, and male infertility.  Bee propolis is also produced by honeybees, and like royal jelly it also has numerous health benefits.

For many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, it’s a challenge to choose good quality nutritional supplements and herbs. Some people choose a supplement or herb based on price alone, and while the most expensive supplements aren’t always of the highest quality, the cheapest supplements are frequently of the lowest quality. The problem is that most people don’t know what to look for, and so the goal of this post is to give some tips to help make choosing a good quality supplement a little bit easier.

So what I’m going to do is to list some of the things you can do to improve your chances of choosing good quality nutritional supplements and herbs:

1. Choose a company that uses high quality ingredients. Obviously this can be challenging for someone who doesn’t know what high quality ingredients to look for. And so I’ll give a few examples. Magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed, yet because it is cheap it is commonly used by many supplement manufacturers. The same concept applies to cyanocobalamin, which is a lower quality form of vitamin B12. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that these nutrients won’t get absorbed at all, but better quality forms of magnesium include magnesium orotate, magnesium malate, and magnesium citrate. Methylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin are higher quality forms of vitamin B12. Synthetic folic acid is also of low quality, as you ideally want the supplement to include natural folate. These are just a few examples, but if you look at the multivitamin from your favorite supplement company and it includes magnesium oxide, cyanocobalamin, and/or folic acid, then this is usually a good indication that this company doesn’t use high quality ingredients.

Although many people purchase supplements from well known retail stores, this doesn’t guarantee that these supplements will be of high quality. In fact, an article in the New York Times showed that laboratory tests run on some herbal supplements at Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and GNC showed that four out of the five products tested contained none of the herbs listed on their labels! This is why you need to be very careful when choosing a supplement or herb, as if you don’t receive good results when taking a certain supplement then you might attribute this to the nutrients and/or herbs which are included in the supplement as not being effective, when the problem might have been that the product you took didn’t have the actual nutrients and/or herbs that were listed on the label.

2. Choose supplements and herbs that work. This might seem like common sense, but many people just randomly purchase supplements without doing any research. The obvious question you might have is “what type of research is necessary to find out whether or not the supplements I purchase are effective?” Well, there are a few things you can do. As I’ll discuss later in this post, choosing a company that has their supplements tested by a third party can help to confirm that all of the ingredients listed on the label of their supplements are actually included. Besides doing this, before taking any supplement or herb you can take a few minutes to perform an internet search using your favorite search engine (i.e. Google, Bing, etc.) Try to find some reviews from people who have taken the supplement before. Although I’m not a big fan of purchasing supplements on Amazon (I’ll explain why later in this post), this can be a great place to do some research and see what others are saying about the supplement you purchased. However, you need to be cautious, as reviews can be artificially manufactured. And so you might need to make sure the reviews were from someone who actually purchased the product (a verified purchase), and in most cases the more positive reviews a product has the better, although this isn’t always the case.

If you can’t find any information or reviews on a specific supplement or herb then search for a few different supplements or herbs from the same manufacturer. If there are a lot of positive reviews for other supplements from the same company then this is a good sign that the company has good quality supplements. I realize that doing this type of “research” takes some time, but when spending your hard earned money on trying to improve your health it definitely is worth it. If you are working with a healthcare professional you can trust and know they have had success helping others, then you might not have to do all of this work, as you might simply take the supplements and herbs that they recommend, especially if you know they have been effective in helping others with a similar condition.

3. The supplements should have minimal fillers. Fillers are commonly added by supplement manufacturers, and while many of them are harmless, others are more controversial. Obviously you want to avoid supplements which have artificial ingredients. In most cases I’m not too concerned about a supplement having a couple of fillers, but it depends on what these are.

4. Are the supplements third party tested? In 2007 the FDA published something called “Current Good Manufacturing Practices” (cGMPs) for nutritional supplements and herbs. While it’s great to have these guidelines, there are also a few third party companies which test the quality of supplements. NSF International is one of these third party organizations, as they test thousands of supplements and herbs to not only make sure the supplements contain the ingredients listed on the label, but they also conduct a toxicology and contaminant review.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the pharmaceutical regulatory agency of the Government of Australia, and it’s supposed to be one of the toughest regulatory agencies around the world. While many supplement companies are NSF certified, fewer companies are TGA certified. Once again, this doesn’t mean that supplement companies who aren’t certified by third party agencies don’t sell good quality supplements, and I admit that there are some supplement companies I use that aren’t certified by a third party. But if you are choosing a supplement company on your own and are concerned about the supplements not including ingredients that are on the label and/or having a high level of toxins, then it might be best to choose a supplement company that has been tested by a third party.

5. Be cautious about purchasing nutritional supplements and herbs on Amazon and Ebay. Although I recommended using Amazon to look at the reviews of supplements you are interested in purchasing, I’d be cautious about purchasing supplements on Amazon, as well as on Ebay. I’m not suggesting that you can’t find good quality supplements on Amazon and Ebay. But there can be a few potential problems with purchasing supplements on Amazon and Ebay, as well as through some other online websites. First of all, you don’t know how the seller is storing the supplements, which can be important. If you’re purchasing from a seller on Amazon or Ebay who sells supplements for a living then perhaps there is a greater chance that they take better care of their supplements (although there still isn’t a guarantee of this). On the other hand, if you purchase from someone who is randomly selling a supplement you’re looking for then there is a greater chance of the supplement not being stored properly (i.e. being exposed to sunlight and/or heat). Another concern is that there have been many cases of counterfeit supplements being sold on Amazon and Ebay. For example, you might spend money on what you perceive as being a high quality supplement, but are unaware that the seller has substituted a lower quality product in its place. I’m not saying that this happens frequently, but it does occur more often than you think. Natural News wrote a good article about this that I would recommend reading:

6. Work with a natural healthcare professional with a strong background in nutrition. Although I’d like to think that every natural healthcare professional recommends good quality supplements and herbs, this of course isn’t always the case. When I was focusing on chiropractic I didn’t have a good deal of knowledge with regards to high quality nutritional supplements and herbs. It wasn’t until I was personally diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and restored my health that I began increasing my knowledge, and just as is the case with any healthcare professional who deals with nutrition and functional medicine, over the years my knowledge has increased even further. Working with a healthcare professional whose patients get excellent results is a pretty good indication that the supplements they recommend are of high quality. But it still doesn’t hurt to ask the doctor what supplements they use, and why they choose to use them. Also, if you work with a healthcare professional then hopefully they recommend supplements from different companies. Don’t get me wrong, as just like most natural healthcare professionals I have my favorite supplement companies, but I also realize that different supplement companies have different strengths and weaknesses, and as a result I recommend supplements from a few different companies.

In summary, choosing good quality nutritional supplements and herbs can be a challenge. One of the most important things you can do is to choose a supplement company that uses high quality ingredients. While a few fillers usually is okay (although it depends on the fillers used), you want to be cautious about companies that include a lot of fillers in their supplements, and of course avoid supplements which include any artificial ingredients. You also want to be cautious about purchasing supplements and herbs from online retailers such as Amazon and Ebay. More and more supplement companies are hiring third party companies to test their supplements. If you still don’t feel comfortable choosing supplements on your own after reading this information then you might want to consider working with a natural healthcare professional with a strong background in nutrition.

There is controversy over whether the cells of the thyroid gland can regenerate.  Some claim that any damage to the thyroid gland is permanent, although others like myself do think it is possible for the thyroid gland to heal if the trigger has been removed.  But it does seem to depend on the patient, as while some people who are taking thyroid hormone medication are eventually able to wean off of it once the autoimmune component has been suppressed, others will need to remain on thyroid hormone even after restoring their immune system health.

There is no question that different areas of the body will heal at a different rate.  For example, the liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity after a partial hepatectomy (1).  On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, many don’t consider the thyroid gland as being a regenerative organ.  For example, whereas the liver usually returns to close its original weight after a partial hepatectomy, after a partial thyroidectomy the thyroid gland exhibits hypertrophy and hyperplasia (2), but it doesn’t return to its original weight as the liver does.  However, hyperplasia is an increase in cell production, and so this suggests that regeneration of this gland is possible, although admittedly it’s not a quick process when compared to other parts of the body.  And it also seems to depend on how much damage takes place to the thyroid gland, as I’m not suggesting that someone who has received a partial thyroidectomy can expect complete regeneration to occur.

Even if the thyroid gland can heal on its own, if there are methods that can speed up the healing process, or cause tissue regeneration to occur when it normally wouldn’t happen on its own, then it makes sense to consider such a treatment.  Many people are familiar with the benefits of cold laser therapy with regards to helping people with musculoskeletal conditions, pain, and wound healing.  However, most people aren’t aware that cold laser therapy can potentially benefit thyroid health by helping with the regeneration of thyroid tissue.  Before specifically talking about this, it probably would be a good idea to briefly talk about how cold laser therapy works.

How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work?

Lasers were actually discovered in the 1960s, and not too long after this it was found that laser therapy can help with wound healing, pain reduction, decreased inflammation, etc.  Studies were first conducted on mice, where it was demonstrated that lasers can help to speed up wound healing.  Eventually studies were conducted on humans and it was also found that laser stimulation helped with wound healing (3) (4).  Low level light therapy involves exposing cells or tissues to low levels of red and near infrared (NIR) light (5).  It is also known as “cold laser” therapy because the power densities used are lower than those needed to produce heating of tissue (5).

Although low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been proven to help with numerous conditions, there are controversies surrounding it.  First of all, the exact biological mechanism still isn’t completely known.  In addition, a large number of parameters such as the wavelength, fluence, power density, pulse structure, and timing of the applied light must be chosen for each treatment (5). A less than optimal choice of parameters can result in reduced effectiveness of the treatment, or even a negative therapeutic outcome (5).  This is important to understand, as some studies have demonstrated that LLLT wasn’t effective for certain conditions, but the reason might have been due to an inappropriate light source and dosage.

How Can Cold Laser Therapy Help People With Thyroid Conditions?

There are a few small studies which show that using cold laser therapy can help to improve vascularization and perhaps help to regenerate the thyroid cells in some people with hypothyroidism.  One of these studies involved 43 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis who were on levothyroxine, and the results suggested that LLLT can improve thyroid parenchyma vascularization (6).  The same study showed a significant difference in the average levothyroxine dose required between those who received the treatment, and those who received a placebo treatment (6).  They not only had an improvement in thyroid function, but the group treated by LLLT also had lower TPO antibodies, although there wasn’t a change in the thyroglobulin antibodies.  Another study involving fifteen patients who had hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune thyroiditis showed that LLLT promotes the improvement of thyroid function, as patients experienced a decreased need for levothyroxine, a reduction in the TPO antibodies, and an increase in parenchymal echogenicity (7).

Of course more studies need to be conducted to show further proof of the benefits of LLLT on thyroid health, but these results seem very promising.  One important thing to keep in mind is that even if LLLT can help to regenerate the tissue of the thyroid gland, it still won’t do anything to remove the underlying cause.  For example, if someone has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis due to an infection, which in turn caused a leaky gut, these factors need to be addressed.  And while the studies demonstrated a decrease in TPO antibodies, they didn’t help at all with elevated thyroglobulin antibodies, which also demonstrates that the cause of the condition needs to be detected and removed.

If you have Graves’ Disease then you might wonder if  LLLT can be beneficial.  Although it’s common for people with Graves’ Disease to have elevated TPO antibodies, the primary autoantibody associated with this condition is the TSH receptor antibody…specifically thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins.  There is no evidence I’m aware of which shows that LLLT can lower these antibodies.  And the TSH receptor antibodies aren’t causing damage to the thyroid gland, as they are stimulating or binding to the TSH receptors, which in turn causes the excess production of thyroid hormone.  However, if someone with Graves’ Disease also has thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies then they might benefit from receiving LLLT.

Other Chronic Conditions Which Can Benefit From Cold Laser Therapy

In addition to benefiting people with thyroid conditions, cold laser therapy can potentially help with other conditions as well.

Rheumatoid arthritis.  One study I came across showed that LLLT is able to help people with both early and late stages of rheumatoid arthritis by modulating the inflammatory response (8).

Trigeminal neuralgia.  This can be a very painful condition, and studies show that laser therapy was associated with significant reduction in the intensity and frequency of pain, and therefore LLLT can be considered for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia without any side effects (9).

Discoid lupus erythematosus.  This condition is restricted to the skin, mostly the face.  And a small study involving 16 patients with this condition showed that laser therapy helped to improve the itching, erythema, scaling, scarring, and pain (10).

Hair loss.  A few studies have shown that LLLT can help with hair loss.  One study involved LLLT in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss, and the authors concluded that LLLT may be an effective option to treat pattern hair loss in both men and women (11).  Another small study showed that LLLT may be a promising treatment option for patients to help with hair growth, although the technology appears to work better for some people than for others (12).

Acne Vulgaris.  This is a common skin condition, and in one study involving 28 patients, two different wavelenghts of LLLT (630 and 890 nm) were used (13).  Ten weeks after treatment the acne lesions were significantly decreased in those who were treated with 630 nm, but the decrease was not significant in those treated with 890 nm (13).

Bone repair.  A number of rat studies show that LLLT can help with bone fractures by augmenting bone tissue formation (14) (15) (16).  But of course it would be nice to see some human studies demonstrating this as well.

In summary, cold laser therapy can help with wound healing, pain reduction, decrease inflammation, and can therefore potentially benefit people with different conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, acne, bone fractures, and other conditions.  There is also the possibility that cold laser therapy can help to regenerate thyroid tissue, which of course can benefit many people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  However, larger studies need to be conducted, and it’s important to keep in mind that even if cold laser therapy can help to regenerate thyroid tissue, it won’t do anything to address the underlying cause of the condition.

There are thousands of people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions who would like to follow a natural treatment protocol, yet don’t have a lot of money to spend. And let’s face it, when it comes to eating healthy foods, taking good quality supplements, ordering tests, and consulting with a natural healthcare professional, it can become quite expensive. Without question this is an investment in your health, but even though this is true, some people simply can’t afford this investment. Others can afford this type of treatment, but they have to make other financial sacrifices. So I decided to put together a post which discusses how to follow a natural treatment protocol on a budget.

1. Only take those supplements which are truly necessary. Although I take nutritional supplements and herbs on a wellness basis, and also recommend them to my patients who are taking a natural treatment approach, it’s easy to find yourself in a situation where you are taking too many supplements. There is so much information available, and so it’s common to read an article or watch a video or webinar which discusses a specific supplement, and then based on this information you can easily convince yourself that it would be a good idea to take that supplement. This happens to myself every now and then as well, as whenever I attend a nutritional conference it seems like I end up adding a few supplements to my daily regime. But if you’re not careful you can find yourself taking dozens of different supplements, many of which are unnecessary.

I’m sure most people reading this understand that while taking nutritional supplements and herbs can be beneficial, this doesn’t mean that you should take dozens of different supplements. Of course the challenge is finding out which supplements are absolutely necessary to take. And to be honest, this will vary from person to person, although there are a few supplements that most people can benefit from taking. Some examples include a probiotic and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Many people don’t get enough magnesium from their diet and therefore can benefit from taking a magnesium supplement. If someone has a confirmed nutrient deficiency such as vitamin D or vitamin B12 then they will usually need to supplement with these nutrients. Of course the quality of the supplement is important, as if you are taking magnesium you usually will want to avoid magnesium oxide due to the low quality, and if you take vitamin B12, in most cases taking methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, or hydroxycobalamin will be the best option.

But how about other nutritional supplements and herbs? There are many others that can be beneficial to take, including L-glutamine, turmeric, zinc, selenium, digestive enzymes, CoQ10, garlic, rhodiola, etc. These are just a few of the common supplements and herbs people commonly take, and there are times when taking one or more of these can be beneficial. However, I’ll consult with at least a few new patients each month who seem to be taking all of these I listed, plus many other supplements and herbs. The supplements someone needs to take will depend on what imbalances they have. For example, if someone has weak adrenals then they might benefit from taking herbs such as licorice and rhodiola, vitamin C and pantothenic acid, etc. If they have a leaky gut then in addition to a probiotic they probably can benefit from taking L-glutamine and vitamin A. If they have other imbalances then other supplements might be necessary to take.

2. Utilize the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists. Ideally you want to eat as many organic foods as you can. However, this of course can become very expensive, and not everyone can afford to eat a 100% organic diet. If you eat meat, eggs, and dairy products then I would try to eat organic whenever you can. But with regards to eating fruits and vegetables, if you are unable to afford to buy these organic then I would recommend to utilize the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists from the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org). The dirty dozen list includes the top twelve fruits and vegetables with the greatest amount of pesticides, while the clean fifteen list includes the top fifteen fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticides. And so if you are unable to afford to purchase organic fruits and vegetables, make sure to avoid those foods that are on the dirty dozen list, and stick to those foods that are on the clean fifteen list.

3. Focus on healing the gut. With most chronic health conditions, especially autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease, having a healthy gut will play a key role in restoring the health of the person. And while it sometimes can be challenging to know where to start, simply going on an elimination diet while at the same time doing things to heal the gut can help a great deal. For example, consider cutting out the common allergens for one month such as gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy. If you want to take this one step further you can also avoid grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. I realize this can be very challenging, and I’m not suggesting that everyone has to do this in order to restore their health. But many people have benefited greatly from following such a diet, while at the same time eating foods such as bone broth and/or sauerkraut to heal the gut, along with supplements such as a probiotic, L-glutamine, and zinc.

Taking this approach won’t always work, as there are times when it’s challenging to identify the source of gut inflammation, or the factor which is responsible for increasing the intestinal permeability. But following an elimination diet and doing some things to heal the gut usually won’t hurt, and many times can make a big difference. Although there can be other imbalances people have (i.e. adrenals, sex hormones, toxic overload, etc.), it is essential to have a healthy gut in order to achieve an optimal state of health.

4. Don’t underestimate the importance of getting sufficient sleep and managing your stress. Getting quality sleep is important, and while some people have problems falling and/or staying asleep, others intentionally neglect their sleep. Most people should aim to get at least 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night. And while too much sleep isn’t a good thing for many people, some people with chronic health conditions can benefit from getting more than eight hours of sleep per night until their health improves.

As for managing one’s stress levels, this is something that is very cost effective, yet many people don’t do a good job of managing their stress. There are three main reasons why most people don’t block out time for stress. The first reason is because they don’t think that managing stress is important, even though there are many research studies which show a correlation between chronic stress and different health conditions. A second reason is because some people think they do a good job of managing the stress, even when this isn’t the case. Sometimes it can be challenging to know if stress is having a negative impact on your health, and so regardless of whether someone thinks they are doing a good job of managing their stress levels I recommend for people to block out time to manage stress.

A final reason why many people don’t block out time for stress management is because they can’t find the time to do so. Either they work very long hours, or perhaps they are a stay-at-home mom (or stay-at-home-dad) and have a few young children to tend to throughout the day and at night. The problem is that those people who can’t find the time to focus on stress management usually need this the most. The truth is that most people can block out at least 10 to 15 minutes per day to manage stress, but many don’t do so not because they don’t have the time, but because this isn’t a priority. For more information on this I would refer to the blog post I created entitled “Blocking Out Time To Manage Your Stress Is Essential“:

5. Price around before ordering tests. When it comes to ordering tests, it is a good idea to contact different labs. This is especially true if you pay out of pocket for blood tests, as there can be a big difference between the pricing of different labs. There are numerous online companies such as www.directlabs.com and www.privatemdlabs.com that offer blood tests at a discounted price. And what’s even better is that you don’t need a doctor’s order for these companies. The downside is that ordering blood tests online isn’t available in all states. If you are able to get an order from a doctor but pay out of pocket, then it might be a good idea to call some of the local labs, including any small hospitals, as you very well might find a lab that is willing to give you a nice discount on your blood tests.

As for other types of tests, such as a saliva test for the adrenals, you can of course shop around for these as well. However, keep in mind that different saliva panels include different tests, which will be a factor in the price. For example, you might choose an adrenal saliva test based on price alone, but then realize that it only tests for the cortisol levels, whereas another lab offers a more comprehensive adrenal panel which also includes tests for DHEA, 17-OH progesterone, and secretory IgA.

6. Eat as many whole foods as possible. You no doubt have heard of the phrase “food is medicine”, and while eating a healthy diet alone many times won’t be enough to restore one’s health, eating a diet consisting of whole foods while minimizing the refined foods and sugars will benefit your health. Earlier I mentioned how certain foods such as bone broth and sauerkraut can help to heal the gut. Similarly, certain foods such as broccoli, kale, and garlic can increase glutathione levels, which can help with the elimination toxins. Overall you want to eat foods that are nutrient dense, and try to eat a good variety of vegetables in order to get most of the phytonutrients which are essential for optimal health.

7. Do other things to improve your health. There are many other things you can do to improve your health which won’t cost a lot of money. For example, besides eating whole foods to help eliminate toxins, you of course want to try doing everything else you can do to minimize your exposure to toxins. This not only includes chemicals (i.e. pesticides, toxic metals, etc.), but electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Earthing can also be beneficial and is free, and I’ll discuss this in a future article. Take advantage of any free webinars on thyroid health, as many times these can provide some valuable information. If you have more time than money you also might benefit from visiting some thyroid health forums and/or facebook groups. And of course try to do your best to stay positive, as while it isn’t always easy to have a positive attitude when dealing with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition, doing so can make a big difference.

In summary, if you are looking to follow a natural treatment protocol but are on a budget, there are still many things you can do to improve your health. Make sure you don’t take more supplements than you need, utilize the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists, and focus on healing the gut. You also want to make sure to get sufficient sleep and block out time to manage your stress. Make sure you eat plenty of whole foods, and if you order tests and pay out of pocket for them consider contacting different labs in order to get the best price. You also want to minimize your exposure to toxins, consider doing earthing, and try your best to keep a positive attitude.

In the last blog post I spoke about how following an elimination diet can benefit a lot of people by determining which foods someone might be sensitive to.  After someone has gone on an elimination diet for three or four weeks the next step is to reintroduce foods.  While some people will want to continue following the elimination diet after three or four weeks, eventually just about everyone will want to reintroduce certain foods into their diet.

How should you go about reintroducing foods?  Well, you always want to reintroduce one new food at a time.  The obvious reason for this is because if you were to reintroduce more than one food on the same day and then experienced a negative reaction, you wouldn’t know which food was responsible.  It also is a good idea to eat the food you reintroduce a couple of times on the same day, and then wait an additional two days before reintroducing the next food.  The reason for this is because it is possible to have a delayed reaction to a food.  If all goes well when reintroducing a certain food then you can continue eating that food on a regular basis and can reintroduce the next food.

So for example, let’s say you followed the elimination diet for 28 days.  On day #29 you decide to reintroduce eggs, and have an egg for breakfast and another egg with lunch.  If by the end of day #31 you experience no negative symptoms, then on day #32 you can reintroduce a new food.  On the other hand, if you did experience a negative reaction to the eggs then you would wait until the symptoms subside before reintroducing the next food.

Which Foods Should You Reintroduce First?

It’s usually not necessary to reintroduce foods in a certain order, although some sources will recommend to first reintroduce the foods least likely to give a severe reaction, and to save foods such as gluten, dairy, and corn for last, if you choose to reintroduce these.  Many times I will recommend reintroducing eggs first if the person enjoys eating eggs, as they are very nutrient dense.  Of course you can choose to reintroduce a different food first if you prefer.  For obvious reasons you want to only reintroduce whole foods for now.  The reason is because if you reintroduce any type of processed food then you most likely will be reintroducing more than one ingredient.  For example, if you reintroduce pizza as one of the first few foods, and you had a negative reaction, you wouldn’t know if the negative reaction was due to the wheat (or other type of grains if it was gluten free), cheese, sauce, or other ingredients in the pizza.

This brings up another important point, as you don’t necessarily want to reintroduce ALL of the foods you originally eliminated.  So for example, certain foods are not eliminated because they are allergenic, but instead because they have compounds which can cause issues with the permeability of the gut.  Examples include nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, and the nightshade vegetables.  While sometimes eating these foods can produce symptoms (i.e. the nightshades commonly cause joint pain), the lack of symptoms doesn’t mean that it’s fine to continue eating these.

This doesn’t mean that everyone will need to completely avoid nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, and the nightshade vegetables.  If someone chooses to follow a strict autoimmune paleo diet then they will avoid these foods, along with dairy and eggs.  On the other hand, there are some people who are able to eat small amounts of these foods without a problem.  If someone has obvious gastrointestinal issues or has tested positive for a leaky gut then I do think these foods should be avoided until the gut has been healed.

When Can Dairy Be Reintroduced?

Dairy is one of the main foods that a lot of people commonly want to reintroduce first.  Although there are health benefits of dairy, I’m very cautious about people reintroducing it while trying to restore their health, mainly because many people are sensitive to the proteins of dairy, specifically casein.  And remember that is possible for someone to reintroduce a food they are reacting to and not experience any negative symptoms.  With that being said, some people do fine with raw dairy, and a good quality whey protein is an excellent source of glutathione.  And so if someone insists on adding dairy I would recommend starting with raw dairy (i.e. raw milk), and then perhaps they can add a good quality whey protein.  However, if someone is fine not reintroducing dairy I will usually encourage them to go as long as they can without consuming it, letting them know that they will eventually be able to reintroduce dairy products again, if they choose to do so.

What Are Some Symptoms You Might Experience When Reintroducing Foods?

If all goes well then you shouldn’t experience any negative reaction when reintroducing a specific food.  On the other hand, if you do have a negative reaction then you want to look out for symptoms such as bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, headaches, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, insomnia, skin problems, sinus congestion, etc.  One question you might have is “if I experience a specific symptom how do I know for certain it’s related to the food I reintroduced?”  For example, if someone reintroduces a new food and experiences severe gas and bloating, then there is a good chance it’s related to the food.  On the other hand, if they were to experience a headache or a increase in fatigue then it might be related to the food, but there is a also a chance that these symptoms weren’t related.

If you’re not certain if a symptom is related to the food being reintroduced then I would recommend to stop eating the food for a few weeks and then reintroduce it again in the future.  So for example, if you reintroduce eggs and experience a headache on the same day, it is possible that you coincidentally had a headache that was unrelated to the food.  On the other hand, if you avoid eggs for a couple of weeks and then reintroduce them again, and experience headaches again, then chances are it’s the eggs which are responsible for the headaches.

Should Gluten Be Reintroduced At All?            

Gluten is a common allergen, and many healthcare professionals will recommend for their patients to permanently avoid gluten.  Others will recommend for them to first heal their gut and restore their health, and then later will give the patient the option to reintroduce gluten.  I’ve also taken this approach with my patients, but the problem is that if they are sensitive to gluten but aren’t aware of this, one can argue that it might be best to find out sooner than later.  In other words, sometimes it might be best to have the person reintroduce gluten after following an elimination diet, and then if they have a negative reaction this will confirm that they should continue avoiding gluten while trying to restore their health, and perhaps even after their gut has been healed.

However, a possible flaw with this approach is that a leaky gut can cause food sensitivities.  In other words, a person might develop a food sensitivity due to a leaky gut, and just because someone is sensitive to a certain food initially doesn’t mean that they will be sensitive to the same food after the gut is healed.  And so a person might develop a gluten sensitivity after developing a leaky gut, but it is possible for the gluten sensitivity to no longer be present after the gut has been healed.  I’ve spoken to the doctors at Cyrex Labs, as they offer comprehensive testing for gluten, and they recommend that if someone tests positive for gluten on one of their Arrays for them to avoid gluten permanently…even if after healing a leaky gut.  Another theory is that if you eat even a small amount of gluten you can have gut inflammation for up to six months, and so based on this you would want to be cautious about reintroducing gluten at all.  Plus, since you can’t always go by symptoms there is a chance that someone who has a gluten sensitivity will reintroduce it and feel fine, and because of the lack of symptoms will continue to consume it, thus causing inflammation.  So while many people choose to eventually reintroduce gluten, there are risks of doing this.

It can get confusing, and without question there are some people who are sensitive to gluten and will need to avoid it permanently, yet many of these people don’t know they have a gluten sensitivity issue.  And so it definitely is a dilemma, as we’re pretty much faced with two different scenarios.  Scenario #1 is to reintroduce gluten after eliminating it, and if you have a negative reaction just realize you might experience an increase in gut inflammation for a few months.  Scenario #2 is to reintroduce gluten after healing your gut, but then if you are sensitive you might undo some of the positive benefits you received from the gut healing program.

Food sensitivity testing is an option to consider, although there are a few drawbacks to this.  One drawback is that it can be very expensive to do this type of testing.  Another drawback is that false negatives are common, and so you can have a gluten sensitivity but it might not be picked up by the test.  A final drawback is that you need to be consuming gluten in order for this type of test to be accurate.  And so if you are on a gluten free diet and do a food sensitivity test for gluten then you are essentially wasting your money.

The Final Verdict on Gluten

I didn’t mean to spend so much time on gluten, but I realize that there is a lot of controversy around this common allergen.  My current approach is to have people initially avoid gluten, and ideally I will have them continue to avoid it while following the natural treatment protocol.  On the other hand, if someone insists on reintroducing gluten soon after the elimination diet then I will let them know that there is a chance that they can be sensitive to gluten, yet they might not experience any symptoms upon reintroducing it.  I will also let them know that if they do fine upon reintroducing gluten from a symptomatic perspective, and choose to continue to eat it, I would still recommend minimizing their consumption of gluten, and of course to try to eat mostly whole foods, which won’t contain any gluten.

In summary, after your elimination diet you want to reintroduce one food at a time.  If after three days you don’t experience a negative reaction you can continue eating this food, and can then reintroduce the next food.  If you react to a specific food then the symptoms can vary, as some people will experience digestive symptoms, while others might experience symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, brain fog, muscle and joint pain, skin problems, etc.  And sometimes the person won’t experience any symptoms.  Although food sensitivity testing is an option, this also isn’t completely reliable, and can be very expensive.  As for reintroducing gluten and dairy, I usually encourage my patients to continue avoiding gluten and dairy while trying to restore their health, although some of my patients choose to reintroduce one or both of these.