If you have been struggling with your thyroid, you’re not alone. There are several disease labels associated with a thyroid disorder and typically named based off differing symptoms, but the reality is the majority of thyroid disorders are a result of complications with these 6 areas, and if you can fix them, your chances of coming off thyroid medications increases dramatically.
1. Eliminate the commercial breads, and really, bread period.
The reason for this is that they often contain synthetic bromines which compete for the same receptors that are used in the thyroid gland to capture iodine. This inhibits thyroid hormone production and results in a low thyroid state. Also, when you absorb bromine it displaces iodine, and this can lead to iodine deficiencies in the thyroid gland that can lead to hypothyroidism. Bromines can also be found in pesticides, soft drinks, plastics, medications, and fire retardants.
If you’re consuming fresh, homemade bread with no artificial ingredients, it’s still a problem either due to phytic acids inside the grains being used to produce them, and/or the fact that flours are dehydrating and often exacerbate the underlying issues causing the thyroid condition (like mold).
2. Take the synthetic fluoride out of your water and your body.
Fluoride was universally placed in water supplies and dental cleaning products, reportedly to help prevent tooth decay. However, what few people understand is that fluoride was also prescribed as a drug to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland. Up through the 1950’s, doctors in Europe and South America prescribed fluoride to lower function in patients with over active thyroids (hyperthyroidism). They selected fluoride as a thyroid suppressant based on studies linking thyroid to goitre, and as expected, fluoride therapy did reduce thyroid activity in treated patients. According to clinical research the amount required was very low – just 2 to 5 mg per day for several months, which is well within the range individuals are expected to receive in fluoridated communities on a regular basis (1.6 to 6.6 mg/day).
If you’ve invested in a fluoride removing filter for your water, great. Now get to work on removing the fluoride present in your tissues from all the polluted water you drank and fluoridated dental products and procedures you were exposed to throughout your life.
3. Defend against non-native EMFs in your environment, and remove radiation from your body.
Since the radioactive fall out of Fukushima, millions of people have been “sucking up” radioactive iodine into their iodine deficient thyroid glands for years, causing destruction of this precious gland. In addition to that, and more concerning across the board, is non-native electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) which are being blasted into our environment through power lines, cell phone towers, satellite TV, cell phones, TV’s, computers, airplanes, vehicles, and more.
If that wasn’t enough, conventional diagnostics like CT scans, x-rays, and mammograms have resulted in the accumulation of even more radiation in the body, bringing it to unacceptable levels. Low levels of non-native EMF’s and radiation can slow thyroid function, and a study in the Journal of Experimental Biology shows that EMF exposure impacts both the structure and function of the thyroid. As an example, animals exposed to cell phone radiation produce lower levels of thyroid hormone, a precursor to hypothyroidism.
If you’ve invested in EMF protection for your phone or laptop, great. Now consider you need to do the same for things like your circuit box, major appliances, and any fluorescent or LED lighting.
4. Mitigate heavy metal exposure and remove them from your body.
There are many heavy metals we have been exposed to over our lifetimes, and many have never been properly excreted. Common exposure points for mercury accumulation includes seafood, dental amalgams (metal fillings), environmental pollution, and medical injections, with the flu shot being the most common offender. There has been a strong association between high levels of toxic metals and thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s and Graves Disease, due to evidence that mercury accumulates in the thyroid gland, so if you have ever had metal fillings consider them a cause of your thyroid dysfunction, and that removing the fillings alone is not enough.
If you’ve invested in methylene blue, consider that it is fully synthetic and serious consequences have come to those taking it and it doesn’t have any long term safety guarantees. If you’re using zeolite, consider that it is often filled with heavy metals from the environment and is a crystalline aluminosilicate mineral composed of silicon, aluminum, oxygen. When exposed to hydrochloric acid in your stomach, the aluminum can be leached out and head into your digestive tract to be absorbed later into your blood. This results in an increase in aluminum in your body, not the reduction of it.
5. Decrease your stress.
Due to the intimacy of the relationship between the adrenals and thyroid, when the adrenals become depleted due to inability to manage stress, the thyroid is ultimately affected. Those of us who are always under chronic stress can expect increased adrenaline and cortisol levels, and elevated cortisol levels have a negative impact on thyroid function. Stress doesn’t need to be removed completely, but chronic underlying stress that is moderate to extreme will fuel thyroid dysfunction, especially when the other factors have not been properly addressed.
The offenders are typically a job, relationship (domestic and/or work), a lack of connection to nature, and no real sense of purpose. The good news is when you get healthier, those issues often start to resolve themselves one way or another.
6. Restore your iodine, holistically.
The thyroid glad contains the highest concentration of iodine, so if it is displaced or deficient in this nutrient, the thyroid will inevitably suffer. However, dosing up on iodine alone is rarely the answer, as one has to consider the synergy of iodine rich foods that also nourish the thyroid for a more complete effect, that will be required for chronic thyroid issues. It’s akin to the difference felt by the body from drinking dead water, like reverse osmosis, compared to natural, fresh, and pure spring water with its abundance of minerals. The difference in hydration is astounding, and this is very similar to isolated iodine supplements and holistic whole food based ones.
If you want to replace iodine more efficiently, eat dried seaweed, or find a good organic and lab-verified supplement.
Now you can see why most people don’t remove thyroid issues, or get off medications. That doesn’t mean you can’t, you just need some motivation and a plan through food, supplements, and lifestyle. If you want to follow the leader and someone who has removed a chronic thyroid condition, you’re welcome to book a free program consult and speak directly with me on how I can potentially help you and your specific situation.
