*Disclaimer: results may vary.
Many, many women come to the FASTer Way to Fat Loss with symptoms of hypothyroidism, so I called in a friend and expert to chat about all things hypothyroidism. We’re reviewing the basics so you can better understand what it is and next steps if you suspect you are dealing with it.
Cynthia Thurlow is a Nurse Practitioner, a Certified Wellness Coach, and a Certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant. She has walked through hypothyroidism herself, and is able to look at things from both a western medicine standpoint and a holistic health perspective.
What is hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is basically an underactive thyroid. In your brain you have your pituitary gland, which is like the thermostat for your body. Your thyroid is like the furnace, so it either turns things up or turn things down. An underactive thyroid can affect everything from your menstrual cycles to your metabolism, and everything in between.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Some common symptoms include: brain fog, lack of energy, dry skin, itchy skin, slow pulse, slow digestion, lack of hunger, constipation, and irregular menstrual cycles. Because many of these symptoms can go along with a number of different illnesses, they are often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Rarely do practitioners take the time to put them together and look into thyroid issues.
What are the causes of hypothyroidism?
A few common causes are: over exercising, restricting your caloric intake, adrenal fatigue, a poor diet, and stress. Usually multiple things come together making you more susceptible to hypothyroidism.
How do you know if you have hypothyroidism?
Traditional western medicine’s approach is to test your TSH, T4 and T3 levels. However, this does not give you a full picture. In order to really know about your thyroid function, you need to have several other things tested. Many women are told that their problem is not with their thyroid, when ultimately their problem IS with their thyroid!
Does diet play a role in overcoming hypothyroidism?
Yes! Eating a diet that is lacking in carbohydrates can affect your thyroid. In addition, a diet that is mostly processed foods and sugars can also wreak havoc on your thyroid function. The two things Cynthia recommends everyone cut out to improve thyroid function are gluten and soy. Other than that, there are several things that could be in play, but should be considered on an individual basis.
What are the treatment options?
Usually some form of a synthetic medication is recommended. While these medicines may help some, they are synthetic, and they do have some significant limitations. Cynthia most commonly recommends non-desiccated thyroid to her clients, as it is a naturally occurring source of T1, T2, T3 and T4.
What should people do if they think they may have hypothyroidism or are on meds but are not seeing results?
Feel free to contact Cynthia through her FB page or website. She would be happy to make some recommendations in terms of testing and next steps!
What are some big shifts people can make to overcome or prevent hypothyroidism?
Focus on Self-Care
Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
Turn off electronics 90 minutes before bed.
If you’re doing an intense workout regimen, add in some gentle yoga, pilates, or some other type of simple, restorative movement.
Take several rest days per week.
Focus on diet
Cut back on the processed foods.
Make small changes to what you are eating.
Look for things with fewer ingredients.
Drink purified water from a stainless steel or metal bottle.
Focus on your personal care products
Use products that are non-toxic and safe!
Focus on decreasing your stress levels.
Practice gratitude
Practice some deep breathing
Take a walk
Spend time doing things you truly love
To watch the entire interview, click here!
So many health coaches are doing too much, feeling guilty, going to bed late and burning the candle at both ends. They communicate this lifestyle to their clients and people end up overtraining, under eating, and not sleeping enough— all while messing with their thyroid and adrenals. It’s time we changed the narrative in the fitness industry and started teaching women how to burn fat effectively and safely.
This is exactly why we teach whole food nutrition, carb cycling, rest, self-care and more in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. We truly understand the importance of giving the body what it needs so it will be able to burn fat. Are you ready to try it for yourself? Click here to sign up!