In this 3-part blog series over the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing with you the major steps I guide my clients through to support and heal the thyroid naturally.
It’s estimated that 1 in 3 women have a thyroid disorder such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Grave’s Disease or Hashimoto's. Men are less likely to have thyroid issues, but I’ve seen my fair share of men struggling with them too. Unfortunately, not all women or men have their thyroid properly checked and those who are diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, aren’t always provided the right lab tests or resources to get their thyroid issues under control as quickly as I did, or ever.
Most people who are diagnosed are immediately prescribed thyroid medication, which can provide immediate relief for those who are suffering, but medication is not necessarily a long-term solution and it certainly does not solve the root of the problem. In fact, medication can become less effective over time as the thyroid continues to deteriorate as a result of the root cause not being addressed, and over-medicating can trigger secondary hypothyroidism. Medication doesn’t address why you might have low thyroid hormone in the first place, and if you have an autoimmune disorder it doesn’t stop the body from attacking healthy tissue; that’s simply not the mechanism of thyroid medication.
The good news is, there are natural ways to support your thyroid health, to prevent thyroid issues from happening and even reverse an existing thyroid disorder.
In part 1 of this blog series, I addressed step # 1 - knowing your thyroid numbers.
Knowing your numbers is important for a couple of reasons:
● To understand the type of thyroid imbalance (hypo, hyper, autoimmune) you might have
● To evaluate your risk or how severe your thyroid situation is so you know how much support your thyroid needs
● To get a baseline so you can measure progress with different therapies you might introduce
In part 2 of this blog series, I addressed step # 2 - controlling what you can
The majority of thyroid disorders are a result of your lifestyle choices or factors such as:
● Foods you choose to eat
● Quality and quantity of sleep
● Frequency and intensity of the exercise
● How you deal with stress and emotions
● Toxins you’re exposed to and your body’s capacity to detox them
● Other underlying hormone imbalances, a sluggish liver, poor digestion and an overwhelmed immune system
Which means you have more control over your thyroid health than you might think. It’s impossible to be perfect every minute of every day when it comes to your food, sleep, exercise, stress and environment. But you can become present. Start noticing what is going on in your lifestyle that might be impacting your thyroid health, and how you can make choices to support your body in the ways it needs it most.
The 3rd step to supporting and healing your thyroid is definitely a topic that most health professionals aren’t talking about - which is funny because it involves communication and trust!
There is more to thyroid health than the scientific approaches of modern medicine.
The study of epigenetics, frequency, emotional and vibrational energy has proven to us over time how health can be impacted by our beliefs and experiences.
After my friend got diagnosed with Hashimotos Hypothyroidism, she took immediate action to support her thyroid by changing her diet, getting more sleep, dialing back exercise intensity, meditating ritually to offset stress, creating an even more toxin free environment, adding in additional supplements to promote the healing process and testing for other contributing factors such as viruses, parasites, bacteria and yeast. She had all the “scientific” approaches nailed. But something was still slowing down my healing process, and then I remembered something I tell my clients all the time...
Healthy is a way of being, not just doing.
She was doing all of the “healthy” things, but the question was, “who was she being that led to a decline in her thyroid health?”
That’s when the 3rd and final major step in reclaiming your thyroid health comes in.
Step # 3 - Trust & Communicate
In various Eastern medicine and healing modalities, the thyroid is related to the throat chakra. Chakras are known as energy centers, located in specific places of the body that help to regulate processes such as organ function, the immune system and emotions. The throat chakra, is located exactly as indicated, at the throat. It is related to the thyroid, mouth, throat and ears (which is ironic given my history of ear infections as a child into my 20’s) as well as our ability to express and communicate.
When the throat chakra is out of balance it might show up as:
● Over or under communication
● Inability to express self, stand up for your beliefs or follow your dreams
● Sore throat, asthma and fatigue
● Struggling to find your words
● Thyroid disorders
Almost all of which have been obstacles for most of my clients throughout their life despite the fact that majority of them were an overachiever A-type.
So as part of step 3, I usually engage my clients in some transformational personal self-growth work to rewire negative old belief systems and build their ability to communicate their needs with confidence in effort to rebalance their throat chakra to assist their thyroid in it’s healing process.
Along with this process I also have to teach clients learn to trust their body again.
We often forgot to appreciate all the hard work our bodies and the thyroid do for us on a daily basis. We push the limits and resist taking days of rest due to own internal judgements about what would happen if we did, or what others might think.
So one day at a time, it is important for us to shift our mindset, to learn to trust your body again and build your ability to communicate confidently by:
● Looking in the mirror with appreciation
● Writing down 3 things you are grateful for daily
● Working with healers and coaches to realign beliefs about the body and life
● Learning and using energy balancing modalities (Kundalini, breath work and tapping)
● Taking time to do one thing for yourself each day (meditate, long lunch, massage, etc.)
● Talking openly about your journey and letting those around me know how they could support me
Not everyone around you will understand what you are doing, or can relate, but that was ok. Sometimes we have to leave people where they are (not behind) in order for us to move forward in pursuit of our goals and dreams.
As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, trained in functional lab testing, data-guided health protocols and transformational coaching, I help people reclaim their health in similar ways as I have done, and that I have described in this series, so they can feel like themselves again, or for the very first time. If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources, and guidance so you can prevent or reverse a thyroid issue, schedule an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Call with me here!
Disclaimer: This post is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine.