I’d like to start out by wishing you a happy New Year!  For those who are following a natural thyroid treatment protocol in an attempt to restore their health back to normal, there are numerous factors which will play a role in accomplishing this.  For the first blog post of 2014 I will discuss five factors which are important in restoring one’s health back to normal.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that following the advice given in this post is all you need to do in order to restore your health back to normal, although I can almost guarantee that those people who do follow the recommendations given below will have a much healthier 2014.

With that being said, here are five factors which can help greatly in restoring your health back to normal:

1. Eat at least five servings of vegetables each day. Just about everyone reading this knows that they should eat mostly whole foods while avoiding the refined foods and sugars.  But most people still don’t eat enough vegetables on a daily basis.  In fact, eating more vegetables is probably the most frequent piece of advice I give after reviewing the food diaries of my patients.  You want to eat a minimum of three to five servings of fresh vegetables each day, and ideally it should be at least five to seven servings on a daily basis.  I realize this might not be an easy transition for some people who are only eating one or two servings of veggies per day, but it is an important change to make not only in order to help restore one’s health back to normal, but also to maintain one’s health in the future.

I’ve mentioned in previous articles and posts how I use smoothies to add a few servings of vegetables per day to my diet, and I know many people reading this also have smoothies every day.  In fact, my average smoothie has approximately three servings of vegetables, and I have one or two smoothies each day.  In addition to this I try to have an additional one or two servings of vegetables with lunch and then again for dinner, and so on most days I’ll eat at least five servings of vegetables per day, and many days I will exceed this.  So if you’re not already eating at least five servings of vegetables per day then I would make this a goal for 2014.  I would also attempt to add a variety of different vegetables, as for optimal phytonutrient intake you want to eat a variety of different colored vegetables, as well as fruits.

2. Spend at least 15 to 30 minutes per day on stress management. In the near future I’ll be releasing a separate blog post on stress management, and so I won’t go into great detail here.  But this is yet another area that most people don’t focus enough on.  I do have some patients who tell me that they do things such as yoga or meditation for stress management, which is great.  But it’s important to be consistent, as while doing yoga a couple of times per week will help with managing the stress, you really do want to do something on a daily basis for stress management.  This is true even for those who already feel they do a good job of managing their stress without dedicating any additional time on improving their stress handling skills.  One problem is that many people think they do a good job of managing their stress but don’t do a good job.  Another problem is that some people currently don’t deal with a lot of stress in their life, but if an acute or chronic stressor were to come along they wouldn’t be prepared to handle it since they haven’t been in the routine of improving their stress handling skills.  So make it a goal in 2014 to block out at least 15 minutes per day to manage your stress, and 30 minutes per day would be even better.

3. Don’t underestimate the impact toxins can have on your health. This is yet another factor that most people tend to overlook.  Perhaps the reason for this is because most people know when they’re not eating well, and many people also realize that they aren’t doing a good job of managing their stress.  But from a symptomatic perspective it can be difficult to know whether toxins are adversely affecting your health.  Plus, with all of the toxins we’re exposed to I’m sure some people think there isn’t much they can do to avoid the negative impact these toxins have on their health.   While it is true that you can’t eliminate your exposure to toxins, you can still do a lot of things to reduce your exposure to them.  The home environment is a big source of toxins for many people, and in most cases this can be dramatically improved.  So another goal you should have in 2014 is to do a few things to minimize your exposure to toxins.  And if you haven’t done a liver detoxification then you might want to consider making this a goal as well.  In fact, even if you have done a liver detoxification in the past it still would be a good idea for most people to do another one sometime in 2014.  After all, since we’re continuously being exposed to toxins it makes sense to do regular detoxifications.

4. Focus on reducing the inflammation. Most thyroid conditions have an autoimmune component.  And autoimmunity is associated with inflammation.  In fact, chronic inflammation is associated with many different health conditions, and so one of the primary goals should be to do things to help lower the inflammation in the body.  Diet of course plays a big role in this, as eating a lot of processed foods causes inflammation.  Ideally you want to eat a diet consisting of whole foods and try to cut out common allergens such as gluten and dairy.  Omega-3 fatty acids can also help greatly with the inflammation, as can certain herbs such as turmeric and ginger.

But just eating well and taking supplements frequently isn’t enough to eliminate the inflammation.  For example, if someone has an infection such as H. Pylori, Candida, or another type of pathogen, then this needs to be addressed.  Chronic stress can also lead to inflammation, which is another reason why it’s important to improve your stress handling skills.  Having a leaky gut will cause inflammation, and this is common with autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

5. Try to keep a positive attitude. Although from time to time I talk about the importance of having a positive attitude, the truth is that I don’t bring this up enough.  Obviously one can have a positive attitude and not receive good results if they don’t eat well, do a poor job of managing their stress, etc.  But the reverse holds true as well, as if someone eats well, works on improving their stress handling skills on a daily basis, and does other things to improve their health, yet they constantly have a negative attitude, then this very well can affect their recovery.

I realize it’s not easy to have a positive attitude at times.  This is especially true when someone is dealing with a health condition such as a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid disorder.  I know from self experience that it’s difficult to have a positive attitude when dealing with such a condition, as when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease there were times when I felt down, and perhaps even depressed.  But even though I didn’t know what the future would bring regarding my health I tried to remain confident that natural treatment methods would work.  Would I still have received good results if I had a negative attitude while following a natural treatment protocol?  Maybe, but I still believe that those people who are constantly negative are less likely to receive optimal results.

In summary, restoring one’s health can definitely be a challenge.  But those people who follow the advice given in this blog post will have a much greater chance of accomplishing this.   And while some people reading this post are already doing everything I mentioned, I’m sure many people aren’t incorporating all of these factors.  If this is the case then I don’t expect you to immediately begin eating five or more servings of vegetables per day, to block out 30 minutes to focus on stress management, etc.  If you can make these changes immediately that’s great, but if not then what I would recommend is to focus on something different each month.  For example, if you’re only eating a couple of servings of vegetables per day, make it a goal to increase the number of daily servings to at least five by the end of this month.  Then next month you can focus on blocking out time for stress management, and then the following month focus on minimizing your exposure to toxins, etc.  Whatever approach you take, the key is to go ahead  and take action, and if you do this then there is almost no question that you will experience some positive changes in your health.

We just went on a Disney Cruise, and so I couldn’t resist using the headline above. Although there was plenty of junk food on the Disney Cruise, I did try to eat a good amount of whole foods, and brought some healthy snacks onto the ship. I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t indulge every now and then, and probably more than I should have, and so I’m sure I can benefit from a prolonged liver detoxification!

Of course this time of the year many people will be ready to follow a detoxification program.  Between Thanksgiving and the holiday season, many people eat way too many “bad foods”.  I won’t go into great detail about this, and I actually discussed this in a previous blog post entitled “The Challenge of Eating a Healthy Thyroid Diet During The Holidays“.  Now that the holiday season is just about over I don’t know how much the information in that blog post will benefit you, but perhaps you can save it for next year.

Going on a vacation can be fun, but at the same time it can take its toll on your thyroid health.  First of all, it is more challenging to control the food you eat.  The key is trying to plan ahead, although it still can be challenging. 

For the last blog post of 2013 I figured I’d list 10 things you need to do in order to have a “healthy” vacation.  Following these tips will make it easier to eat a healthy diet, manage your stress, and minimize your exposure to toxins while traveling.

1. Whatever you do, don’t go on a cruise. Is a cruise relaxing?  Very much so.  But you really do need to have a lot of willpower to avoid all of the “free” junk food.  Of course it’s not free, as it’s part of the fee you pay for the cruise, but for those who have never been on a cruise there is food EVERYWHERE!  With that being said we’re already planning our next cruise.  I will say that while there is plenty of junk food available, there is also plenty of whole foods to choose from.

2. If traveling during the holidays, visit a place that nobody else visits during this time. For example, you can visit Idaho or North Dakota (for those reading this who live in these states, I’m not suggesting that they aren’t nice places to live or visit, but they aren’t places which typically draw large crowds during the holiday season).

3. If you have children, consider sending them on vacation while you stay home. Better yet, drop them off at a friend’s or relative’s house and go on vacation without them.  Don’t get me wrong, as I love my children, and this vacation wouldn’t be the same without them.  But driving eight hours with two young children from Charlotte to Orlando and then back to Charlotte can be very stressful at times.  And of course we’ll be driving another eight hours back to Charlotte in a few days.

4. Camp out instead of staying in a hotel. There are way too many toxins in a hotel room.  Just the toxins in the carpet alone is reason enough not to stay at a hotel.  Another option is to call around and find a hotel that has hardwood floors.  Just make sure they’re natural hardwood floors.

5. If you insist on staying at a hotel, bring along an air purifier.  This of course won’t help completely with the toxins, but having an air purification system will help to minimize your exposure to toxins while you’re in the hotel room.

6. Make sure to bring all of your own food and never eat out. To make things easier, when planning your vacation I would try to make sure you’re within driving distance of a health food store.  This way you can purchase your own food throughout the vacation.  It’s also a good idea to stay at a place where they have an oven so you can cook healthy meals every day.

7. Block out at least one hour each day to meditate. Even though you’re on vacation you ideally want to do more than one hour, as two or three would be even better.  I would recommend meditating one hour in the morning, one hour in the afternoon, and one hour right before going to bed.

8. Don’t forget to exercise while on vacation. I would recommend to exercise every other day.  Do at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, and some light weightlifting as well.

9. Go to bed every night by 9pm. Most people who go on vacation stay up past their bedtime.  But since you’re trying to have a healthy vacation you want to go to sleep earlier.  I would try to get at least ten hours of sleep each night.

10. Heck…life is short, so forget all of the advice I just gave! Even though I want to encourage you to have a healthy vacation, you also need to enjoy your vacation.  This doesn’t mean you should eat loads of junk food all of the time while on vacation.  Eat well most of the time and indulge every now and then, try to manage your stress, and do what you can to minimize your exposure to toxins.  And make sure you do a thorough liver detoxification once you’re back home.

Okay, so this post wasn’t quite as humorous as David Letterman’s top ten list, but I tried my best.  Either way, I’d like to thank you for reading my articles and blog posts, and I look forward to sharing more valuable information with you in 2014.

The parathyroid glands are located on the back side of the thyroid glands, and are responsible for producing parathyroid hormone. This hormone plays an important role in the regulation of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. When calcium levels are low, the body responds by increasing the secretion of parathyroid hormone, which in turn increases the calcium levels in the blood. Hyperparathyroidism involves the excess production of parathyroid hormone, which in turn is due to overactivity of one or more of the parathyroid glands. From time to time I’ll have someone ask me “Is there is a natural treatment solution for hyperparathyroidism?”

In order to answer this, it’s important to look at the reasons why someone might develop hyperparathyroidism. There are two types of hyperparathyroidism.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism. This is the most common cause of hypercalcemia (1). The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is confirmed in the presence of hypercalcemia and either normal or elevated parathyroid hormone levels (1). The most common cause of this is due to an adenoma, which is a benign tumor. On rare occasions a malignant tumor is responsible for this condition. Hyperplasia (enlargement) of the parathyroid glands can be another cause of primary hyperparathyroidism.

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. This is usually the result of another condition which lowers the calcium or vitamin D levels. Frequently it is associated with chronic kidney disease. The kidneys help with the conversion of vitamin D to its biologically active form, which is known as calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol). If someone has kidney disease, then both the vitamin D and calcium levels can drop, and because of this the parathyroid glands will try to compensate for the decrease in the levels. In addition, when the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) falls, the phosphorus clearance decreases significantly, leading to hyperphosphatemia, and this is thought to be the principal cause of secondary hyperparathyroidism (2).

How Is Hyperparathyroidism Diagnosed?

Symptoms can be caused by damage to the organs from high calcium levels in the blood, or by loss of calcium from the bones, and can include bone pain, depression, feeling tired or weak, increased urine production, kidney stones, nausea and loss of appetite (3). However, in many cases hyperparathyroidism is diagnosed before any symptoms develop, and one of the main findings is a high serum calcium level on the blood test. This doesn’t mean that everyone who has a high serum calcium level has hyperparathyroidism, but when someone does have elevated calcium levels then it usually is a good idea to do a retest of the serum calcium, and in addition, to test the levels of parathyroid hormone, which are frequently increased as well in hyperparathyroidism.

What Is The Conventional Medical Treatment For Hyperparathyroidism?

Surgery is commonly recommended for those with primary hyperparathyroidism, and is advised in the presence of significant hypercalcemia, impaired renal function, osteoporosis, and in individuals younger than 50 years of age (1). However, if the calcium levels aren’t too high, renal function isn’t impaired, the bone density is normal, and the person isn’t experiencing any symptoms, then the medical doctor might take a more conservative approach. Medical management of mild disease includes using bisphosphonates, hormone replacement therapy, and calcimimetics (4). In some cases they won’t intervene and might just regularly monitor the serum calcium levels and bone density, and of course have you monitor your symptoms.

When surgery is indicated, the success rate is high, although rare complications include recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and hypoparathyroidism (5). At times it can be challenging to find the adenoma, and when this is the case then cervical exploratory surgery might be required (6). While in the past subtotal and total parathyroidectomies were common, these days more and more people with hyperparathyroidism undergo minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP), which increases the chance of the person avoiding permanent hypoparathyroidism (7).

With secondary hyperparathyroidism, if the cause is due to a vitamin D deficiency then having the person supplement with vitamin D usually will be the recommended treatment. If the person has chronic kidney disease then this of course needs to be addressed. Just as is the case with primary hyperparathyroidism, phosphate binders and calcimimetics might be used in some cases. A parathyroidectomy is also a possibility in severe cases of secondary hyperparathyroidism (8).

Can Natural Treatment Methods Help with Hyperparathyroidism?

As for whether natural treatment methods can help with hyperparathyroidism, it depends on the cause. In cases of primary hyperparathyroidism, following a natural treatment protocol probably isn’t going to help much. However, keep in mind that this isn’t my area of expertise, as my practice focuses on thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, and not parathyroid issues. If someone has hyperparathyroidism which is caused by an adenoma, and they want to give natural treatment methods a try, then they might want to look into methods such as the Gerson Therapy, which can help with many different health conditions, and can be especially successful when dealing with adenomas and carcinomas.

If someone has secondary hyperparathyroidism then this stands a greater chance of being helped by following a natural treatment protocol. However, if someone has hyperparathyroidism due to chronic kidney failure then certain precautious need to be taken, such as eating a low protein diet. Whether or not you have primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism, if you’re interested in trying to treat it naturally then in my opinion it’s best to work with a natural healthcare professional.

In summary, hyperparathyroidism involves the excess production of parathyroid hormone, and there are two different types. Primary hyperparathyroidism is frequently caused by an adenoma, although in some cases it can be caused by a malignant tumor or hyperplasia. Secondary hyperparathyroidism can be caused by a vitamin D deficiency, and is frequently caused by chronic kidney disease. There is a greater chance of people with secondary hyperparathyroidism being helped by following a natural treatment protocol, although it still might be worth looking into natural treatment methods for those who have primary hyperparathyroidism. This is especially true for those who are asymptomatic and/or only have slightly elevated serum calcium levels.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “how can I find a natural endocrinologist?”  Some people who ask this question are actually trying to find out how to find a natural healthcare professional who focuses on endocrine conditions.  However, others are hopeful that they can find an endocrinologist who will treat their patients naturally.

The truth is that it is rare to find an actual endocrinologist who focuses on natural treatment methods.  This doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but I wouldn’t count on finding a local endocrinologist who has a great deal of knowledge about eating well, nutritional supplements and herbs, eliminating toxins, etc.  Unless if you get lucky and happen to have a natural-minded endocrinologist in your area, usually the best case scenario is finding an endocrinologist who is open to you working with a DIFFERENT healthcare professional who focuses on endocrine conditions.

I’ve consulted with numerous patients whose endocrinologist wasn’t supportive of natural treatment methods.  I’ve even had a few patients who told me their endocrinologist threatened to dismiss them from care if they continued to follow a natural treatment protocol.  So while it is rare to find an endocrinologist who recommends natural treatment methods, it also is a challenge to find such a doctor who is even open to the idea of one of their patients trying to get to the root cause of the condition.  Of course this comes down to their training in medical school, as they don’t receive any training with regards to nutrition, supplements and herbs, detoxification, etc.

Here’s An Alternative Option To Consider

Although you’re unlikely to find a local endocrinologist who recommends natural treatment methods to their patients, if you prefer to work with a medical doctor then you might be able to find a holistic medical doctor who has a good amount of experience dealing with endocrine conditions.  Most holistic medical doctors work with different types of conditions, but many see a good amount of people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.  An example of this is Dr. David Brownstein.  I’ve mentioned him numerous times on my website, and actually interviewed him in the past in a blog post entitled ” An Interview With Dr. David Brownstein On Iodine and Thyroid Health“.

To my knowledge Dr. Brownstein doesn’t exclusively work with endocrine conditions.  But he sees a good amount of people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, and has even written a book on the topic.  I’m not suggesting that you consult with Dr. Brownstein, although if you live in Michigan then perhaps this is an option.  There of course are other medical doctors in practice who take a more natural approach with their patients, and perhaps even one practices nearby where you live or work.

Holistic Medical Doctor vs. Other Types of Natural HealthCare Professionals

The main advantage of seeing a holistic medical doctor is their ability to prescribe medication.  So for the person who has hyperthyroidism and needs to take antithyroid medication, then the holistic medical doctor will be able to write a prescription for this.  Similarly, someone with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis who needs to take thyroid hormone can also receive a prescription if working with a holistic medical doctor.  While just about all endocrinologists will recommend synthetic thyroid hormone (i.e. levothyroxine) to their patients with hypothyroid conditions, many holistic medical doctors are open to writing a prescription for natural thyroid hormone (i.e. Armour or Nature-Throid).

Other than the ability to write prescriptions there really isn’t any advantage of seeing a holistic medical doctor when compared to a different type of natural healthcare professional (keep in mind that in some states naturopathic doctors can write prescriptions for certain medications as well).  I’m sure many people feel more comfortable seeing a medical doctor due to their extensive training.  Just remember that this extensive training doesn’t involve anything that has to do with actually healing the body.  And most holistic medical doctors will admit to this, as they have received their training outside of medical school.  I commend those medical doctors who have taken the initiative to do more than just manage the symptoms of their patients.

If you do decide to see a holistic medical doctor, just make sure you look at his or her credentials AFTER they graduated from medical school.  In other words, what additional training did they receive once they became a medical doctor?  Did they just attend a couple of nutritional seminars, or did they dedicate hundreds of hours to better improve their knowledge?  Perhaps they have some additional credentials to prove this.  For example, the Institute of Functional Medicine has a certification program that many medical doctors have gone through.  I’m not sure if I would choose a medical doctor based on them having this certification alone, but if they have achieved this certification and in addition to this they have gone through additional training, then perhaps this is someone to consider working with.

In the future I plan on writing another post where I will discuss the different types of natural healthcare professionals.  This will include naturopaths, chiropractors, holistic medical doctors, acupuncturists, and other natural-oriented professionals.  The truth is that many of these natural healthcare professionals can help people with endocrine conditions.

In summary, while it is possible to find an endocrinologist who focuses on natural treatment methods, in most cases it will be very difficult to find one in your area.  But if you have your mind set on working with a medical doctor then you might have success finding a holistic medical doctor who isn’t an endocrinologist, yet has experience dealing with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.  If you’re looking to choose a medical doctor mainly because they can prescribe medication (i.e. synthetic or natural thyroid hormone), remember that some states allow naturopathic doctors to prescribe medication as well.  While there are some excellent holistic medical doctors out there, just keep in mind that many other natural healthcare professionals have a good amount of experience with endocrine conditions.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have enjoyed my articles and blog posts this past year, and there will be more to come in 2014!