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10 ways you can live a better life as a Thyroid Patient

STTM 10 things(This post originally appeared in 2012, but has been updated for July 2015 with more information! It’s just a poignant today as it was then. Enjoy!)

In a post I did May 21st, 2012, I showed you two examples of very poignant emails I get weekly. And the second one revealed how hard it can be when you not only have very little money, plus an uninformed doctor who ends up keeping you sick. 

Yesterday, I received another email from a thyroid patient which simply blew me away, directed to the gal above. But it turns out her words are very appropriate for all of us. Read it carefully and enjoy.

Dear friend,

I am also hypothyroid. I am on Armour Thyroid, but if I couldn’t get it, I would still take the following supplements to try and give my thyroid gland the support and boost that it needs in order to make its own hormones. Please consider starting on one or more of these and see how you feel. I’m listing the most important ones first.

1. Sunlight! We all need sunlight every day. Our bodies make vitamin D3 in the skin following exposure to sunlight. People who are overweight are usually low in vitamin D3. D3 helps the thyroid. D3 from sunlight is the best kind; D3 supplements are not as good. Don’t believe the medical profession when they try to scare you off from getting sunlight, and don’t use harmful chemical sunscreens; just cover up with longer clothing after you have had your desired sun exposure. Vitamin D3 actually has a protective effect against most cancers. Best of all, it’s free.

2. Iodine — it is part of the raw material for thyroid hormone. Buy a cheap bottle of simple iodine tincture and paint a drop on your skin each day with a cotton-tipped swab. It helps in so many ways. Not only does iodine supply the thyroid gland with raw material for hormone, but it is the body’s own natural antibiotic. The neutrophils (specialized white blood cells) each contain a speck of iodine to help fight off microbes. And the eyes and ears work better if iodine is sufficient in the body. The ciliary body of the eye has a rich concentration of iodine. And the little cochlea of the inner ear contains fluids — perilymph and endolymph — which contain iodine as well.

3. Selenium — a co-nutrient with iodine. Iodine should always be taken with selenium. I get my selenium in the form of pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons each day.

4. Magnesium — I make my own magnesium oil and apply it to my skin daily. Janie will tell you how wonderful magnesium oil is — it helps to burn calories by supplying the “flame” for metabolism. And it’s very anti-inflammatory, with no side effects. My recipe is as follows: Stir a cup of magnesium chloride flakes and a cup of pure water together in a bowl for 5 minutes until dissolved, then pour into a clean plastic spray bottle (like what you might use for ironing). The Zechstein Sea magnesium chloride flakes are the purest; they are from a mine underneath the Netherlands, an ancient sea of 250 million years ago. A 1-kilo bag of Zechstein magnesium chloride flakes should last you more than a year. (From Janie: you can also use a good quality magnesium supplement, which I switched to sometime after 2012!)

5. Green leafy vegetables, a dietary source of magnesium — these are helpful in so many ways and are great either raw or cooked. If you cook them, top them with a little salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.

6. Vitamin C — helps the liver to convert T4 to the active T3 hormone. I always have more energy when I remember to take 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily.

7. Coconut oil — really! It supports the thyroid and helps with weight loss. Try to get raw or unprocessed coconut oil, but in a pinch any coconut oil is helpful. Take 1-3 tablespoons per day. Stir it into yogurt and chill it if you don’t like to swallow oil.

8. Avoid refined carbohydrates like the plague, please! They are not food at all. It is impossible to lose weight if one is eating refined cereal, bread, pasta, pizza and sweets. These trigger the body to produce more insulin; the insulin then triggers the cells to store the calories as fat. This is from the book by Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories.

9. Avoid using harmful chemicals to clean your house; use vinegar and baking soda for most cleaning jobs. Bleach, ammonia and other chemicals are extremely harmful to your thyroid gland; chlorine displaces iodine in the body.

10. Simplify your personal care supplies to further reduce your toxic exposures (this saves money too). Throw away the fluoridated toothplaste, and brush with baking soda. Hydrogen peroxide 3% makes a good dental rinse. Baking soda dusted under the arms is an excellent and nontoxic deodorant. If your skin is sensitive, mix equal amounts of baking soda and cornstarch and use that as deodorant. Use a soap with a very simple formula and no chemicals. Try to find a shampoo without SLS or parabens (carcinogens). To save even more money, stop using shampoo and wash your hair with a baking soda solution and rinse with a mild vinegar solution. Many people say their hair is lovely with this treatment; google “no poo” to learn more. If you have dry skin, massage in a drop of coconut oil. Don’t use commercial creams or lotions; don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat.

I wish you all possible success with your health. Even if you haven’t much money, there are things you can do to feel better. Please let Janie know how you are doing in a few months’ time, so she can let us know! Your sisters and brothers in the STTM community will welcome your news.

All the best, and don’t lose hope. Better days are ahead. Lots of hugs,

Yvonne in Cyprus

Yvonne is an 57-year-old American whose background is in medical transcription, writing and editing. She is constantly reading in the medical journals and websites, looking for natural and inexpensive ways to improve health. She and her husband eat a Mediterranean diet (organic when possible) with good fats from olive and coconut oils, nuts and cheeses. She thinks every family should have some type of garden, even if it’s just a few herbs in a flowerpot.

Have any other recommendations for someone who is financially poor with thyroid disease (or not–this can apply to anyone), plus has a doctor who isn’t helping?  Let others know!

P.S. from Janie: I already do many of the above. Do you? I’m big into Vit. C, magnesium and selenium. I also use liquid Vitamin D. I use baking soda for deodorant and non-fluoride toothpaste. I only use organic lotions and soaps.  I outright use one tablespoon vinegar in my morning drink, as well as MCT oil (it’s what’s in coconut oil). Or I use lemon juice in most of my water daily! Great for alkalinizing the body. I don’t avoid refined carbs totally, but I do avoid them in many places. I love the sun. Plus exercise when I’m able. And lately, I’ve learned the hard how important it is to avoid chronic stress, or treat myself more gently when I have to go through it!

A 11th recommendation from Janie: 

I think it’s also important to add that in addition to all the wonderful ways you can live a healthier life as a thyroid patient, also consider adding T3 (Cytomel, cynomel, etc) to your T4 (aka Synthyroid, levothyroxine, eltroxin, etc), or look into natural desiccated thyroid with its five thyroid hormones, which is usually even cheaper. Updating your thyroid treatment is not based on opinion! It’s based on the experiences and wisdom of patients worldwide who found they got much better results! 🙂

Namaste Janie

 

**Join the STTM Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness

** Check out both STTM books here: www.laughinggrapepublishing.com

38 replies

Read these 10 things you can do to live a better life as a thyroid patient!

STTM 10 things

(This post was updated in 2015! Enjoy!)

In my most recent post of May 21st, 2012, I showed you two examples of very poignant emails I get weekly. And the second one revealed how hard it can be when you not only have very little money, but an uninformed doctor who ends up keeping you sick. 

Yesterday, I received another email from a thyroid patient which simply blew me away, directed to the gal above. But it turns out her words are very appropriate for all of us. Read it carefully and enjoy.

Dear friend,

I am also hypothyroid. I am on Armour Thyroid, but if I couldn’t get it, I would still take the following supplements to try and give my thyroid gland the support and boost that it needs in order to make its own hormones. Please consider starting on one or more of these and see how you feel. I’m listing the most important ones first.

1. Sunlight! We all need sunlight every day. Our bodies make vitamin D3 in the skin following exposure to sunlight. People who are overweight are usually low in vitamin D3. D3 helps the thyroid. D3 from sunlight is the best kind; D3 supplements are not as good. Don’t believe the medical profession when they try to scare you off from getting sunlight, and don’t use harmful chemical sunscreens; just cover up with longer clothing after you have had your desired sun exposure. Vitamin D3 actually has a protective effect against most cancers. Best of all, it’s free.

2. Iodine — it is part of the raw material for thyroid hormone. Buy a cheap bottle of simple iodine tincture and paint a drop on your skin each day with a cotton-tipped swab. It helps in so many ways. Not only does iodine supply the thyroid gland with raw material for hormone, but it is the body’s own natural antibiotic. The neutrophils (specialized white blood cells) each contain a speck of iodine to help fight off microbes. And the eyes and ears work better if iodine is sufficient in the body. The ciliary body of the eye has a rich concentration of iodine. And the little cochlea of the inner ear contains fluids — perilymph and endolymph — which contain iodine as well.

3. Selenium — a co-nutrient with iodine. Iodine should always be taken with selenium. I get my selenium in the form of pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons each day.

4. Magnesium — I make my own magnesium oil and apply it to my skin daily. Janie will tell you how wonderful magnesium oil is — it helps to burn calories by supplying the “flame” for metabolism. And it’s very anti-inflammatory, with no side effects. My recipe is as follows: Stir a cup of magnesium chloride flakes and a cup of pure water together in a bowl for 5 minutes until dissolved, then pour into a clean plastic spray bottle (like what you might use for ironing). The Zechstein Sea magnesium chloride flakes are the purest; they are from a mine underneath the Netherlands, an ancient sea of 250 million years ago. A 1-kilo bag of Zechstein magnesium chloride flakes should last you more than a year. (From Janie: you can also use a good quality magnesium supplement, which I switched to after this date!)

5. Green leafy vegetables, a dietary source of magnesium — these are helpful in so many ways and are great either raw or cooked. If you cook them, top them with a little salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.

6. Vitamin C — helps the liver to convert T4 to the active T3 hormone. I always have more energy when I remember to take 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily.

7. Coconut oil — really! It supports the thyroid and helps with weight loss. Try to get raw or unprocessed coconut oil, but in a pinch any coconut oil is helpful. Take 1-3 tablespoons per day. Stir it into yogurt and chill it if you don’t like to swallow oil.

8. Avoid refined carbohydrates like the plague, please! They are not food at all. It is impossible to lose weight if one is eating refined cereal, bread, pasta, pizza and sweets. These trigger the body to produce more insulin; the insulin then triggers the cells to store the calories as fat. This is from the book by Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories.

9. Avoid using harmful chemicals to clean your house; use vinegar and baking soda for most cleaning jobs. Bleach, ammonia and other chemicals are extremely harmful to your thyroid gland; chlorine displaces iodine in the body.

10. Simplify your personal care supplies to further reduce your toxic exposures (this saves money too). Throw away the fluoridated toothplaste, and brush with baking soda. Hydrogen peroxide 3% makes a good dental rinse. Baking soda dusted under the arms is an excellent and nontoxic deodorant. If your skin is sensitive, mix equal amounts of baking soda and cornstarch and use that as deodorant. Use a soap with a very simple formula and no chemicals. Try to find a shampoo without SLS or parabens (carcinogens). To save even more money, stop using shampoo and wash your hair with a baking soda solution and rinse with a mild vinegar solution. Many people say their hair is lovely with this treatment; google “no poo” to learn more. If you have dry skin, massage in a drop of coconut oil. Don’t use commercial creams or lotions; don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat.

I wish you all possible success with your health. Even if you haven’t much money, there are things you can do to feel better. Please let Janie know how you are doing in a few months’ time, so she can let us know! Your sisters and brothers in the STTM community will welcome your news.

All the best, and don’t lose hope. Better days are ahead. Lots of hugs,

Yvonne in Cyprus

Yvonne is an 57-year-old American whose background is in medical transcription, writing and editing. She is constantly reading in the medical journals and websites, looking for natural and inexpensive ways to improve health. She and her husband eat a Mediterranean diet (organic when possible) with good fats from olive and coconut oils, nuts and cheeses. She thinks every family should have some type of garden, even if it’s just a few herbs in a flowerpot.

Have any other recommendations for someone who is poor with thyroid disease, plus has a doctor who isn’t helping?  Let others know!

P.S. from Janie: I already do many of the above. Do you? I’m big into Vit. C, magnesium and selenium. I also use liquid Vitamin D. I use baking soda for deodorant and non-fluoride toothpaste. I only use organic lotions and soaps.  I outright use one tablespoon vinegar in my morning drink, as well as MCT oil (it’s what’s in coconut oil). I don’t avoid refined carbs totally (I’m too much of a chocolate freak), but I do avoid them in many places. And I love the sun.

Additional recommendation from Janie: 

I think it’s also important to add that in addition to all the ways you can live a healthier life, also consider adding T3 to your T4, or look into natural desiccated thyroid with it’s five thyroid hormones. The latter is even cheaper than T4-only. Updating your thyroid treatment is not based on opinion! It’s based on the experiences of patients worldwide who found they got much better results, and which Stop the Thyroid Madness is about–worldwide experiences and wisdom!

Namaste Janie

* Check out 12 issues that can cause issues with conversion of T4 to T3: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2015/01/20/12-ways-make-thyroid-treatment-worse/

* Have you Liked the STTM Facebook page? Get daily tips and inspiration! https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness

69 replies

Thyroid Tidbits that just might tickle your fancy, give you hope, or make you laugh in derision

A GOOD REPORT ON THIS OVER-THE-COUNTER THYROID SUPPORT

A gal recently used the Contact Me form on STTM to ask if I’d ever compiled patient experiences on ThyroGold–a nonprescription, over the counter, desiccated thyroid formulated by Dr. John C. Lowe and made from the thyroids of New Zealand cows who are pasture-fed. I said no–haven’t heard yet from anyone on it long enough.

But just thirty minutes later, here comes an email from a gal who has been on it four months, feels very good with many noted improvements. She is so thankful, and stated STTM gave her the confidence to feel she could work with ThyroGold. And lo and behold, her TSH-worshipping, Synthroid-prescribing doctor is watching her progress, and pleased.

COCONUT OIL AND ALZHEIMERS

Many a thyroid patient have heard of the benefits of coconut oil, especially as a food product which can stimulate your metabolism.

But a Dr. Mary Newport discovered in 2008 that just 4 teaspoons a day of virgin coconut oil just might have the right ingredients–medium-chain triglycerides which produces ketones by the live–to stop the onset or even reverse some of the damage caused by Alzheimer’s.  She witnessed this in her own husband. You should read her story here, and more on the Coconut Ketones website here.  Since my mother, and her father, both got Alzheimers by the time they were eighty, this especially interests me!

In fact, coconut oil just night have the same successful results with Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), drug-resistant epilepsy, brittle type I diabetes, and type II (insulin-resistant) diabetes. WHOA!!

Says Dr. Newport:

Our cells can use ketone bodies as an alternative fuel when glucose is not available. Brain cells, specifically neurons, are very limited, more limited than other cells, in what kinds of fuel they can use to function and to stay alive. Normally, they require glucose (sugar), but they can also use ketone bodies. Humans do not normally have ketone bodies circulating and available to the brain unless they have been starving for a couple of days or longer, or are consuming a ketogenic (very low carbohydrate) diet, such as Atkins. In Alzheimer’s disease, the neurons in certain areas of the brain are unable to take in glucose due to insulin resistance and slowly die off, a process that appears to happen one or more decades before the symptoms become apparent. If these cells had access to ketone bodies, they could potentially stay alive and continue to function.

P.S. Did you see the “one or more decades before symptoms become apparent”? That means we need to be on coconut oil daily NOW,

ARE ENDOCRINOLOGISTS FROM ANOTHER PLANET?

A patient on STTM’s Facebook page recently reported that since her HMO would only allow her to see an Endocrinologist, off she went to the appointment.

And what does her new Endo tell her? Ready? That her TSH was fine, low T3 & T4 meant nothing, and there is NO evidence that Adrenal Fatigue is real (in spite of the fact that when she tries to raise her Armour, her heart goes wacky–a sure sign of low cortisol). She concluded that there is “nothing like being lectured on things when you know more than they do.” She felt forced to keep her mouth shut by his reactions if she did try to teach him something, and just resigned to “agreeing with everything he said and left”.

And her summary of that Endo escapade? “My dose of Armour is right, makes no difference I’m fatigued, had to quit my job, leg swelling so bad I can hardly get around. None of that mattered. ONLY the TSH test.”

And unfortunately, her comment about knowing more than the doctor is very, very common now thanks to STTM and patient groups. All we can hope for are those doctors who are humble and open-minded to what we now KNOW to be true!

TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTERS IN THE STTM BOOK

Chapters 3 and 11

REMEMBER ME MENTIONING THE GAL WHO PUT THE STTM BUMPER STICKER ON HER HUSBAND’S CAR?

Well, he got followed into the Barber Shop this time by a male nurse! So now, he wants something to hand out to these folks who keep approaching him. haha. So she has made copies of the STTM FLYERS and he’ll have them in the car from now on. This is reaching people…one by one!

60 replies

10 THYROID TIDBITS that just may enlighten you!

Thyroid tidbit #1 COCONUT OIL: Thyroid patients continue to report that the daily use of Coconut Oil (extra virgin is good) caused an increase in metabolism and even weight loss in  somewho wanted the latter. How much daily? It varies from 2-4 T. but be careful, as too much can cause diarrhea.

Thyroid tidbit #2 GRASS FED DESICCATED THYROID: Are you worried what the pigs were eating before the thyroids became desiccated?? If so, try Dr. Lowe’s Thyro-Gold, which is actually from cow who are pasture-fed. Then report back to STTM on the Contact Me page and tell us how it works for you as a treatment, or not work. I will compile information and report it here.

Thyroid tidbit #3 ALZHEIMERS DISEASE: Improving your thyroid function just may lessen your chance of getting dementia. But research has also found a Leptin connection: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20091215/more-leptin-may-mean-less-alzheimers

Thyroid tidbit #4: ASHWAGANDHA: If you have sluggish adrenals and are on cortisol, adding the herb Ashwagandha can be an excellent and natural additional support for your adrenals. Even without adrenal fatigue, it’s also good in the face of excess emotional stress, and is an anti-inflammatory.

Thyroid tidbit #5 REVERSE T3–IS YOURS TOO HIGH? The body naturally converts T4 to RT3 as a way to clear out excess T4. But you can also make too much when your ferritin is too low, your adrenals are stressed, B12 is low, in the presence of diabetes, and other chronic issues. High levels of RT3 can cause a pounding heartrate, continued hypo, and just a feeling that you aren’t feeling great yet. To learn more, go here.

Thyroid tidbit #6 BI-POLAR: Have you been diagnosed with bi-polar disease? If so, you might want to do the right tests for hypothyroidism, since there can be a strong connection between the two, and you can either be undiagnosed thanks to the wrong test, or undertreated thanks to Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin or other T4-only medications. Read more here plus more detail in the STTM book.

Thyroid tidbit #7 GREEN POWDER: Don’t like green veggies but want to be healthy? Look into the different varieties of “Green Powder” that you can stir into your favorite juice or water. Read the labels, tho, and avoid those with soy. Note: if you use too much, you are also consuming oxalates. So moderation is key.

Thyroid tidbit #8 YOUR GRANDMA: Thyroid function will naturally go downward in the elderly.That’s why grandma starts wearing that purple sweater in weather you are sweating in.  But putting those over 65 on T4-only thyroxine is not the answer, as a recent study showed.  That’s why YOU AND I are lucky to be on desiccated thyroid with its direct T3, or even those of you who are on T3 only.

Thyroid tidbit #9 EGGS ARE A BIT SCARY RIGHT NOW: Not necessarily for thyroid folks only, but you should be aware that with the recent recall of huge amounts of eggs in the US, there are reports of a four-fold increase in Salmonella Enteritidis infections since May 2010 because of eggs and health officials fear the worst may be yet to come. Why? Because the same eggs have been used in other products. Scroll down this page to see list of recalled eggs. P.S. if you get salmonella and are on cortisol for adrenal fatigue, you should discuss with your doctor about using OTC cortisol cream, since you may not be able to hold down the pills. 1/4 tsp equals 10 mg cortisol.

Thyroid tidbit #10 FLU SHOTS vs. VITAMIN D: Just when you are making progress treating your hypothyroidism and/or adrenal fatigue comes the season for the flu. And if you google the same same title of this tidbit, you’ll see numerous articles about the efficacy of taking Vit. D rather than the flu shots.  How much? General recommendation are 1000 IU’s daily at the minimum. Others point to more. Do your research.

55 replies