Thyroid Problems are pandemic in Western Society
The thyroid is the master gland that regulates metabolism by regulating the other glands of the endocrine system. There are two possible issues with the thyroid. Hyperthyroid refers to an overactive condition. Hypothyroid refers to an underactive condition. The thyroid manufactures a hormone called thyroxin. As the name suggests, it can make too much or too little thyroxin, as the case may be.
Hypothyroid is the more common case. The most prevalent form of hypothyroidism is Thyroiditis, an auto immune disease affecting the thyroid gland (refer to the blog on Autoimmune disorders on this site). Hypothyroidism can also be caused by a thyroid gland that is inflamed or exhausted. Thyroid problems can be due to iodine and selenium deficiency, allopathic medications, dysfunction of the pituitary or other glands, over-exposure to microwave/nuclear/xray radiation, ingestion of flourides/chlorides, and dietary deficiencies. There are various herbs, salts, ocean plant life, and natural remedies for correcting this condition.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism:
- Weight gain, especially if of an unusual nature.
- Dry and rough skin.
- Dry, coarse hair and hair loss.
- Anxiety, irritability and depression.
- Aches and pains unassociated with direct causes.
- Constant fatigue.
- Lowered body temperature, especially upon awakening.
- There could also be memory loss, cramps and constipation.
Some or all of these symptoms can be present.
Thyroid problems usually do not appear in isolation from other health disorderss. A blood test for levels of thyroid hormones TSH and T4 may not be helpful because a “normal” thyroid level for one person may not be normal for another. Thyroid problems can appear in someone who has the same levels as another who has no problem.
The best way to maintain your thyroid for optimum health is by taking a holistic approach to nutrition.
- Eliminate white flour (“wheat flour” is really white flour unless it is integral), refined sugars, processed foods, and stimulants like alcohol, some tea and coffee.
- Food with additives and preservatives should be avoided.
- Increase your intake of nutrient-dense foods such as dark leafy/green vegetables and greens from he ocean. Plants contain three classes of micronutrients that are critical for optimal health: vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are not “optional,” they are essential in immune system defenses. Strive for a plant-based diet that is rich in colorful vegetables and fruits. If at all possible, try not to buy ANY food product that has a label on it. Labels on fruits and veggies often indicate GMO, although it is not stated as such. Or it can contain a pesticide warning code.
- Eat sea vegetables twice per week. Sea vegetables are a good natural source of iodine to support the thyroid. Incorporate some sea veggies into your diet. Note that Pacific ocean sea vegetables are contaminated with radiation from Fukushima over an extensive area
- Include some butter or other healthy fats. The endocrine system loves butter. Even if you’re cutting out other forms of dairy, like milk and cheese, consider keeping grass-fed butter in your diet. Never eat oleo as it is a plastic.
- Cook your kale. If you have thyroid issues, then raw cruciferous vegetables may not be the best choice. You might want to skip the kale smoothies and salads, and eat your greens lightly cooked instead. The reason is that the cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens that may disrupt the thyroid if consumed raw in large quantities. Other cruciferous veggies include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.
- Eat your meals more slowly. When you rush while eating, the food does not benefit from all of the available digestive enzymes in the mouth. Meals should always be relaxed. This is good health advice no matter what: sit down, slow down, savor, breathe and chew your food. Since the thyroid is the master of your metabolism, you want to eat slowly enough so it can become aware that food is entering the body.
- Avoid radiation exposure. We already know about the connection between cell phones and brain tumors. But this little radiation machine that you hold up to your ear is near to your thyroid gland as well. A good alternative is to get a headset to use while speaking on the phone or use the speaker. 5G technology is going to be deadly as it begins to appear in full-scale implementation.
- There is a lot of radiation around in the world today. The Fukushima TEPCO reactor detonation has resulted in the contamination of almost the entire Pacific Ocean on the coasts of North America all the way to Alaska. There is more radioactive water entering the ocean now than ever, with no end in sight. This radioactive water circulates with the prevailing ocean currents and has long since reached the coasts of the American continent in massive doses. Sea animals and plants are now destroyed so far as food value. 5G cell towers and satellites are being installed everywhere. They are high-powered microwave radiators. Your microwave oven is a source of radiation that molecularly mutates everything you put into it. Put it in the trash.
- Speak up and say what is on your mind. Once again, if you look to the anatomy, you find the thyroid gland located in the throat, the center of your communication with others. People with hypothyroid tend to “swallow down” what they really want to say. It can be very healing for them to learn to speak their truth. People with hyperthyroid talk too much, and can benefit by listening more.
- Practice some form of daily exercise. This can be resistance or aerobics work at the gym, or yoga, chi gung, tai chi, dance, zumba or similar practices.
- Support the adrenal glands. Thyroid and adrenal glands work together.
- Oysters – Oysters are rich in zinc, and having a balanced trace mineral ratio between copper and zinc can help with healthy neurotransmitter function and adapting to stress. Oysters – superfood of the sea – are a great way to achieve this balance to help ease your stress levels.
- Organic turkey – A post-Thanksgiving meal heavy on the turkey will put you into a “food coma.” The reason is the calming amino acid tryptophan in the turkey. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is calming and helps with anxiety.
- Grass-fed organ meats – Organ meats like liver are some of the best sources of nutrients needed to beat fatigue, like zinc and vitamin D. They also contain copious amounts of choline and other B vitamins needed for methylation.
- Eat more green superfoods – Plant foods like Swiss chard and spinach are rich in magnesium, which helps to regulate and optimize communication in the brain-adrenal axis.
- Asparagus – This sulfur-rich vegetable also contains the beneficial B vitamin, folate. Low levels of folate are linked to neurotransmitter impairment, which can lead to brain-hormonal problems.
- Eat healthy fats every day – Avocados contain beneficial B vitamins and monounsaturated fats that boost neurotransmitter production and brain health. This fatty super fruit also contains potassium, which naturally helps to lower blood pressure.
- Full-fat kefir – Bacterial imbalances in your gut can contribute to a host of problems. Kefir is rich in beneficial bacteria for your microbiome and also has fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K2, which are important for brain health.
- Coconut oil – Coconut oil is super versatile – you can cook with it, put it in smoothies, or just eat it off a spoon. It offers good fats like medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that improve cholesterol ratios.
- Sip on herbal tea.
- Increase magnesium intake.
- Bring down inflammation – Curcumin, a compound in the turmeric root, has potent antioxidizing properties, as well as a neuro-protective quality.
- Improve sleep habits – Break the bad habit of staying up too late. Allocate 7-8 hours of quality sleep time.
- Learn stress management techniques – Stress can have devastating effects on health. Even if you do everything else right health-wise, if you don’t manage your stress, none of it will mean much.
- Spend more time outdoors – Get vitamin D levels into a healthy range – Spending more time outside in the sun also helps boost levels of vitamin D, because your body manufactures this important vitamin/hormone when it senses sun on your skin. Vitamin D, is responsible for regulating over 200 genetic pathways.
Thyroid Functions
The thyroid is a crucial endocrine gland, involved in energy regulation, the production of proteins and sensitivity to hormones, among a wide variety of important functions. Medical statistics show that about 59 million Americans suffer from thyroid problems. Since most people don’t even understand they have a problem, my estimate is that the numbers are much higher, especially among women.
Women outnumber men 3:1 in terms of thyroid disorders. As stated above, thyroid problems, such as hypothyroidism, can cause a number of health issues related to metabolism, mood and energy levels. Undiagnosed thyroid conditions can increase the risks of heart disease, depression, anxiety, infertility and many other problems.
Both an overactive and an underactive thyroid can cause muscle and joint issues like weakness, cramping and stiffness. Hair loss is also a symptom. An underactive thyroid can make it difficult to lose weight even when you follow a strict diet and rigorously exercise. An overactive thyroid can make you drop weight without even trying. Thyroid conditions can also lead to tarsal tunnel or carpal tunnel syndrome, causing tingling and burning or other discomfort in hands and feet.
During autoimmune thyroid conditions, the thyroid starts to become inflamed, too many thyroid hormones are excreted into the system, and you develop hyperthyroidism that slowly burns out into hypothyroidism. Of all thyroid conditions, hypothyroidism (low thyroid) is the most common.
It’s an important question: Why do we have so much hypothyroidism? The thyroid regulates the pace of our metabolism — the pace of life. And in today’s day and age, our pace of life seems to be speeding up exponentially. Many women are at extra risk when they juggle family and career, and, in so doing, are moving through life at a much faster rate than ever before. And that’s when we see women in their 20s, 30s and 40s burn out their thyroid, developing hypothyroidism at younger ages than in the past.
If we have too many things to do and we can’t do everything on time, we speed up the thyroid so we can catch up. As a result, the gland gets exhausted and stops functioning well. Therefore, one of the best ways to help the thyroid is to slow down, to take a break. This is important, but not always easy. But keeping up with adequate sleep, regular exercise, good hydration and proper nutrition can make a big difference.
Thyroid Connection with other organs
Often, when the adrenals are weak, the thyroid jumps in and tries to balance your physiology. Conversely, when the thyroid is weak, the adrenals ramp up, and you get an exhaustion of all these glands.
Because of this relationship, if you can support the adrenals when the thyroid starts getting weak (which is a bit harder to do), the thyroid will rest. Or if the adrenals are exhausted, you have to support the thyroid so the thyroid doesn’t work as hard. Then the thyroid can catch up on some of the work, and the adrenals can rest. There is ongoing interaction among the adrenals and the thyroid. These are important relationships that we have to address.
The thyroid delivers T4 thyroxin to the liver, which, in turn delivers T3 thyroxin to the gall bladder. T4 and T3 refer to the number of iodine molecules in the thyroxin structure. Liver and gall bladder issues are directly associated with the symptoms of thyroiditis. Nothing works in isolation in the body.
If you seek treatment from an allopath, you will likely be advised to have this organ surgically removed. Basically, allopaths know about prescribing drugs and removing organs surgically, so this is not a surprising recommendation. Don’t do it. You will not be rectifying anything and you will be taking pig thyroxin or synthetic thyroxin in pill form everyday for the rest of your life. Nothing will have been done to determine the root cause of the original problem, therefore you will continue to suffer from this same problem which will just manifest in some other symptomatic way.
Detoxification Is Key
Our increasing exposure to toxins and heavy metals may be one of the greatest contributors to thyroid problems (and overall health problems in general). Because the thyroid is such a fast metabolizer, it’s easily affected by pesticides, pollutants and heavy metals. The thyroid utilizes iodine in the production of thyroxin. If the more chemically active elements of the halogen family are present (fluorine, bromine, chlorine), they can displace the iodine by virtue of being more negatively charged, that going straight into the thyroid and producing a mock hormone that does not serve the function of thyroxin. So engaging in regular methods for detoxifying the body of toxins, pesticides and heavy metals (including mercury, lead, cadmium, barium, strontium and arsenic) is critical for protecting the thyroid. The fact that the skies are being sprayed on a daily basis by geoengineering programs is exacerbating toxicity for everyone.
The Truth About Iodine
Iodine is important for underactive thyroid conditions, especially in relation to toxins. It’s an inherent mineral needed to make thyroid hormones. But if you have too much iodine, it can also become an issue.
Currently, iodine is very popular in treating hypothyroidism, but it can easily be over-used and produce new problems. Initially, doses of 12.5 mg. can be used, then, reduced to 2-3 mg. per day as the condition improves.
Generally speaking, iodine exchanges with bromine and other toxins in the thyroid, allowing them to be excreted from the body over time. This is especially important if you live near agricultural areas that are heavily treated with bromide-containing pesticides, such as vineyards or apple orchards. Never expose yourself to flourides in any form. Iodine also exchanges with fluorine and chlorine. Water supplies are frequently contaminated with these chemicals intentionally, as well as toothpastes, dental treatments and table salt.
If you have Hashimoto’s or hyperthyroidism, however, it’s important to avoid iodine. Too much iodine causes over-activity in the thyroid. In that case, the thyroid ceases working, a situation that is already a risk with Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid issues.
Some people take iodine and feel much better right away, and that’s a sign they might be deficient. But it’s important to avoid high doses of iodine for a prolonged period.
Minerals
Minerals in general are very important for the function of the thyroid, particularly magnesium, calcium and selenium. Selenium helps to reduce inflammation of the thyroid, especially during a viral infection. So, sufficient amounts of selenium, zinc and other trace minerals are key.
Soy
Regarding the issue of soy, fermented forms of soy are better than raw soy.
Conclusion:
Thyroid conditions are highly prevalent in modern Westernized societies due to diet and lifestyle issues. The entire endocrine system of members of these societies is compromised by atrociously poor diets, hectic and stressful lifestyles, and general toxicity. If you have read my other posts, you will already have noticed a common thread. It is THE common thread that is creating the massive loss and lack of wellness among the populations. This is not a case of more new diseases stemming from different outside germs. In fact, it has more to do with the lack of important germs that are missing in your gut flora. It has nothing to do with germs outside of your body, just like outside germs have nothing to do with any diseases. Wellness is not complicated, as allopathy would wish you to believe. It is totally simple, easily correctable and requires no costly interventions of any kind.
ShamanIAm