If you have just received a hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s diagnosis, chances are, you are feeling relief for finally having answers but also uncertainty of what to do next and what this means for your health. Or perhaps you have had Hashimoto’s for years and feel like you are still not feeling well and can’t seem to find balance. You are not alone, Thyroid issues are increasingly more common with one in every eight women experiencing a thyroid issue in their lifetime, with Hashimoto’s being the most common cause.
Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism can be a debilitating condition, impacting every aspect of a woman's life, if left untreated and with the wrong approach. The good news, with an integrative approach and the right healthcare team behind you, Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism can be well managed without the rollercoaster ride you may be currently experiencing. You don’t have to suffer, you can absolutely thrive and feel healthy, happy and normal with Hashimotos and Hypothyroidism.
In this post, I am going to outline what an integrative approach to Hashimoto’s looks like for many of my clients and how you can live with and manage your Hashimoto’s with ease.
First things first, Let’s address what Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism is…
Hypothyroidism refers to an under-functioning thyroid, and this can cause a host of issues if left untreated. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimotos thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid condition. You can, however, have hypothyroidism without having Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is diagnosed by the presence of elevated thyroid antibodies in your blood, which is identified by a comprehensive thyroid panel. When you have hashimoto’s, your body’s antibodies attack the thyroid gland and bind to it, preventing the production of sufficient thyroid hormones, resulting in an under-functioning thyroid.
If you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it’s important to know whether you have autoimmune or non-autoimmune hypothyroidism as the treatment approach can differ.
Without the right treatment approach, Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s can cause:
Fatigue & exhaustion
Weight gain
Irregular cycles & polycystic ovaries
Elevated prolactin
Heavy periods
Fertility issues & increased miscarriage risk
Dry skin, thinning hair, brittle nails
High cholesterol
Anxiety & depression
Brain fog & poor memory
Cold sensitivity
Puffy face
Joint pain/stiffness
Constipation
Low body temperature
Low libido
Muscle weakness/cramps
Water retention
Can Hypothyroidism be healed?
Can you heal Hashimotos or Hypothyroidism? I get this question and the answer is yes and no. In many cases, by correcting the cause, you can be healed from hypothyroidism. It depends on the extent of any damage to the thyroid (if autoimmune), the cause of your hypothyroidism, how chronic or how long you have had it for. All of these factors will determine if you can be healed, or if you will always have the condition BUT even if you will always have the condition, you can definitely live symptom free.
Thyroid Medication - Do you really need it?
Many clients with a thyroid condition either come to me already on thyroid medication (eg. thyroxine), prescribed by their GP, or are told they need medication. This can be daunting for many women, especially if you prefer to avoid being medicated.
The conventional treatment for Hashimoto’s is thyroid hormone replacement. The issue with only using thyroid medication to treat Hashimoto’s is the fact that it is only masking the symptoms by replacing a hormone and does not address ‘why’ you have Hashimoto's or Hypothyroidism in the first place or what could be further exacerbating the condition.
For some women, thyroxine is needed, especially if you are experiencing symptoms impacting your quality of life and your thyroid lab results are significantly out of normal range. This is not to say that you will always need thyroid medication or that it will make you feel better though. For some women, thyroid medication is a game changer, whereas for others, it may not make you feel any better at all. If you are simply taking Thyroxine or another thyroid medication and not feeling better, it is likely because your thyroid medication is not addressing the cause of your thyroid condition and you may be having issues with conversion and/or utilization of your active thyroid hormone.
If you are on thyroid medication, there is a possibility that you will be able to come off it. This is where an integrative approach is important because as you begin to address what is causing your thyroid condition, your dosage of thyroxine will most likely need to change or be closely monitored through thyroid lab tests for adjustments. This is also why as a Naturopathic practitioner, I find it important to work with your GP as part of your healthcare team to ensure you are receiving the right treatment and the right dosage.
If your thyroid condition is not readily reversible, you may, however, need to stay on thyroxine. If this is you and you feel disappointed, please don’t. Thyroxine is not foreign, it is a hormone your body naturally produces and although I’m sure majority of us would prefer to be medication free, it will not impact your quality of life if you have the right dosage and the right treatment approach addressing the cause of your hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s.
Lab Tests for Hashimoto’s
- TSH
- T4
- T4
- rT3
- Thyroid Antibodies
Additional tests:
Iodine loading test
Vitamin D
A Naturopathic Treatment Approach to Healing Hashimoto’s
An integrative approach focuses on restoring thyroid function and down regulating the autoimmune response by addressing the cause of each individual's thyroid issue. This is a complex process that commonly requires individualized herbal formulas and nutritional supplementation alongside dietary and lifestyle guidance.
I would love to be able to tell you exactly what to do to heal your thyroid condition in one blog post however, I simply can’t. There are many different possible causes of your thyroid condition and it can be different for everyone. The treatment approach is complex and as the cause can be different, the treatment can be very different from person-to-person. This is why an individualized approach is important as it addresses your specific health needs by analyzing your lab tests, diet, lifestyle, family history & past medical history to identify what is out of balance and the best approach forward for you.
Instead of telling you exactly what to do, I will guide you through the most common areas to focus on to support your thyroid and Hashimoto’s.
Avoid Gluten
If you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the number one thing you can do is to cut out gluten. There is the possibility of having a reversal of Hashimoto’s if gluten is cut out completely early on for many women. This is because celiac disease is implicated in the progression of Hashimoto’s. If you don't have celiac, it can still be beneficial to cut out gluten because the gliadin within gluten closely resembles that of the thyroid gland, causing the body to produce antibodies against it. Cutting out gluten can therefore significantly improve your thyroid antibodies, even if you aren't celiac.
Improve your Stress Resilience
Most clients who come to me after years of struggling with thyroid issues just want to scream if one more practitioner told them they needed to reduce their stress… I get it, we live in a stressful world and no, your symptoms are not all due to stress but stress does have significant impacts on our health - at an emotional, physiological and even cellular level. Studies show chronic stress and/or childhood trauma is associated with triggering Hashimoto’s but even if that is not the trigger, stress is like adding petrol to a fire. It causes inflammation, changes the intestinal microbiome, impacts digestion by diverting blood and energy away from the digestive system, reducing nutrient absorption. It even depresses the immune system and alters our genes to cause less healthy genes to become activated.
Adding in a stress reducing practice daily, even if it’s a 5-10 minute meditation practice, some deep breathing, journalling, a hot bath or a walk in nature, can start to regulate cortisol (your stress hormone), switch you to a parasympathetic nervous system state (rest and digest) and improve your resilience to stress. Consistently, this can make a huge difference for your thyroid and health. Additionally, consuming herbal adaptogens can further provide support and reduce the negative effects of stress. Some beautiful adaptogens include withania, reishi mushroom, rhodiola, holy basil, ginseng & cordyceps mushroom.
Heal your Gut
Most clients who come to me with Hashimotos have some form of gut inflammation or altered intestinal microbiome. Your intestinal microbiome (a community of microorganisms) plays a major role in regulating your immune function (& many others). If your microbiome has been disrupted or you have an overgrowth of pathogenic organisms or parasites/fungi, this can cause inflammation and a dysregulated immune function that can trigger an autoimmune response. Pair this with leaky gut (where the intestinal lining tight junctions become weakened and seperate), you have a recipe of immune misfiring (triggering Hashimotos), nutrient deficiencies and a rollercoaster of symptoms.
Your thyroid also needs a well functioning gut as it requires nutrients that we consume through foods, to produce thyroid hormones (such as selenium iodine & zinc).
Some gut healing strategies include:
Limiting intake of any processed foods, dairy, artificial sweeteners, preservatives & additives
Adding in gut healing nutrients such as Zinc, glutamine, turmeric, vitamin A & D.
Bone broth - Contains collagen to support the gut lining
Consuming organic produce to minimize exposure of pesticides and herbicides that can impact your gut microbiome
Consuming Omega-3 rich foods
Increasing intake of a variety of bright coloured vegetables & high fiber fruits to offer antioxidants, fiber and prebiotics
Consuming fermented foods to re-establish your microbiome diversity
Eradicating any pathogens through an antimicrobial & gut healing protocol (requires stool testing)
Lower Inflammation
With any autoimmune condition, inflammation is soaring high and one of the reasons the immune system can become dysregulated and confused. Turmeric is a great nutrient for this, alongside regulating immune function, removing inflammatory foods, reducing environmental chemical exposure and restoring gut health.
Address Nutrient Deficiencies
Many Women are falling short on getting enough nutrients, whether it’s due to their gut health, the quality of foods, poor food choices, poor soil quality or the miles that many foods travel to reach us before we can consume them. Nutrient deficiencies in vitamin D, zinc, Vitamin A and selenium are all associated with the development of Hashimoto’s and are critical for immune & thyroid function. Selenium is required for thyroid hormone conversion but also acts as an antioxidant, preventing damage to the thyroid gland from free radicals. Many nutrient deficiencies are not readily detected on blood tests either or routinely checked by your GP. Supplementing without understanding the right dosage and forms can also further impact the balance of vitamins and minerals.
Environmental Toxins
There are a number of environmental toxins that can disrupt the endocrine system and immune function, triggering thyroid antibody production. Fluoride, found in drinking water and toothpaste, is among the chemicals that has been connected to Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism as it blocks iodine and thyroid hormone production. We are exposed to an astonishing amount of chemicals and heavy metals daily, and from a very young age, all of which can significantly impact our thyroid function by damaging the thyroid, preventing thyroid hormone production, interfering with conversion, overloading the liver (where conversion & detoxification occurs) and even impacting the ability of thyroid hormones to bind to cellular receptors. The daily and cumulative impact of toxins is often overlooked. If you are also experiencing constipation as a result of a slow thyroid, this further increases your toxic burden as your detoxification and excretion organs are impacted.
What can you do?
Focus on reducing your toxin exposure through the choices you make when purchasing products including:
Food products
Skin care
Hair care
Cleaning products
Perfumes
Drinking water
Home appliances & cookware
Furniture
Improve detoxification pathways: ensure a daily bowel motion, consume antioxidant rich foods & detoxifying foods such as turmeric, green tea, dandelion, bitter foods, berries, high fiber foods and minimize processed foods.
A great resource for up to date information is the Environmental Working Group.
Viral infections
Stealth infections are another possible cause of autoimmunity, including Epstein-Barr virus or Cytomegalovirus. The exact mechanism is not completely understood. Focusing on immune regulation is imperative, alongside addressing underlying imbalances.
Herbs & Supplements for thyroid Health
There are many beautiful herbs and supplements that can help to nourish, heal and restore thyroid function. You can learn more in this blog post here
Final Words
Autoimmune conditions are on the rise, fuelled by increasing amounts of environmental toxin exposure, Nutrition, gut health, pathogens/viruses and chronic stress.
As a Naturopath, I utilize individualized herbal and nutritional formulas alongside dietary and lifestyle changes, to address the cause and restore balance so that you can heal your thyroid or live symptom free. It is important that you allow 3-9 months to notice improvements as it can take time.
If you suspect you have a thyroid issue or would like to chat more about how I can support you through your thyroid healing journey, book a free call here.
I can’t wait to support you.
Allison xo
Would you like to learn more?
Thyroid conditions are becoming more and more common which is why I have written a free eBook for you all in hopes that we can start to change this by being more informed, taking back control over our own health, understanding what thyroid issues are and the underlying triggers. When we are more informed, we are able to take action to heal and restore balance by addressing the root cause.
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