Thyroid Quotes

I told Augustus the broad outline of my miracle: diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer when I was thirteen. (I didn’t tell him that the diagnosis came three months after I got my first period. Like: Congratulations! You’re a woman. Now die.)

New York, the nation's thyroid gland.

I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with Guess on it. I said, thyroid problem?

I also think pronunciation of a foreign tongue could be better taught than by demanding from the pupil those internal acrobatic feats that are generally impossible and always useless. This is the sort of instruction one receives: 'Press your tonsils against the underside of your larynx. Then with the convex part of the septum curved upwards so as almost but not quite to touch the uvula try with the tip of your tongue to reach your thyroid. Take a deep breath and compress your glottis. Now without opening your lips say "Garoo".' And when you have done it they are not satisfied.

Why do they always prescribe thyroid medicine to go with the mental illness cocktails they whip up?

Karver laughed. “Fluoride is a highly toxic substance. Even our controlled FDA requires companies to include a warning label on products that contain fluoride, like toothpaste. We put the warning on products containing fluoride to let you know you’re putting poison in or on your body, and you ignore it. Why do you think fluoride is used in pesticides and rodenticides to kill insects and rats? Workers at public water systems have to use hazmat suits when handling fluoride and dumping it into the water supply. A whole list of health problems are associated with fluoride: cancer, arthritis, thyroid disease, diabetes, fertility issues, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, calcification of the pineal gland, bone diseases, lowering of the IQ, and the list goes on and on because it’s very toxic. Countless things can go wrong in a person’s body when small amounts of poison are ingested every day. It doesn’t take a genius to come to that conclusion. “We even gave cities the right to vote whether they wanted their water supply poisoned with fluoride or not, and most cities voted to be poisoned based on one little lie we gave them—fluoride fights cavities.” Karver laughed. “We weren’t surprised, though, humans are stupid. That’s not my opinion, it’s a fact. Just look around you. They want everything spoon fed to them, so why not spoon feed them poison to keep them dumbed down and living like good slaves. You know where we first started using fluoride in drinking water—the concentration camps during WWII. Fluoride kept them weak and pacified. Every city that has fluoride in their water is like a concentration camp. There are many concentration camps in America.

I weigh just a little under two hundred pounds have brown hair blue eyes and a full set of teeth. As far as I know my thyroid gland pumps the right hormones into the twelve pints of blood that circulate in my arteries and veins. At six feet and two inches I have long femurs and tibias with solid connective tissue. Both my kidneys function properly and my heart runs at a steady clip of eighty-seven beats per minute. All in I figure I'm worth about 250 000.

Alcohol and drugs are not the problems; they are what people are using to help themselves cope with the problems. Those problems always have both physical and psychological components- anything from anemia, hypoglycemia, or a sluggish thyroid to attention deficient disorder, brain-wave pattern imbalances, or deep emotional pain.

I tend to think of human beings as huge, rubbery test tubes, too, with chemical reactions seething inside. When I was a boy, I saw a lot of people with goiters. So did Dwayne Hoover, the Pontiac dealer who is the hero of this book. Those unhappy Earthlings had such swollen thyroid glands that they seemed to have zucchini squash growing from their throats. All they had to do in order to have ordinary lives, it turned out, was to consume less than one-millionth of an ounce of iodine every day. My own mother wrecked her brains with chemicals, which were supposed to make her sleep. When I get depressed, I take a little pill, and I cheer up again. And so on. So it is a big temptation to me, when I create a character for a novel, to say that he is what he is because of faulty wiring, or because of microscopic amounts of chemicals which he ate or failed to eat on that particular day.

That we have iodine in our thyroid glands proves that our bodies were fashioned from supernova material.

I found myself drawn to biology, with all its frustrating yet fascinating complexities. When I was twelve, I remember reading about axolotls, which are basically a species of salamander that has evolved to remain permanently in the aquatic larval stage. They manage to keep their gills (rather than trading them in for lungs, like salamanders or frogs) by shutting down metamorphosis and becoming sexually mature in the water. I was completely flabbergasted when I read that by simply giving these creatures the “metamorphosis hormone” (thyroid extract) you could make the axolotl revert back into the extinct, land-dwelling, gill-less adult ancestor that it had evolved from. You could go back in time, resurrecting a prehistoric animal that no longer exists anywhere on Earth. I also knew that for some mysterious reason adult salamanders don’t regenerate amputated legs but the tadpoles do. My curiosity took me one step further, to the question of whether an axolotl—which is, after all, an “adult tadpole”—would retain its ability to regenerate a lost leg just as a modern frog tadpole does. And how many other axolotl-like beings exist on Earth, I wondered, that could be restored to their ancestral forms by simply giving them hormones? Could humans—who are after all apes that have evolved to retain many juvenile qualities—be made to revert to an ancestral form, perhaps something resembling Homo erectus, using the appropriate cocktail of hormones? My mind reeled out a stream of questions and speculations, and I was hooked on biology forever. I found mysteries and possibilities everywhere.

The forward to the landmark 1980 DSM III was appropriately modest and acknowledged that this diagnostic system was imprecise. So imprecise that it never should be used for forensic or insurance purposes. As we will see that modesty was tragically short lived.

Amphetamines are the most American drug. You get so much done. You look terrific, and your middle name is Accomplishment...Your thyroid shuts down your natural production of thyroxine. But you still look terrific. And you are, you're the American Dream. You are the constant-growth economy.

I have never associated myself with such an unexpected part of the body as the thyroid

Thyroid eyes. Michelin lips. Voice like pea soup.

The fact that we haven’t learnt to reassert ourselves or talk about our innermost feelings to people who really matter, also adds to the burden. To support our thyroid, we must learn to speak our mind, tactfully yes, but speak for sure. It’s

Many patients with symptoms of hypothyroidism appear to have normal levels of thyroid hormones. But this is just because most conventional doctors test only for TSH and maybe T4. If you have symptoms of low thyroid, including hair loss, insist on a T3/RT3 test as well. This all means the idea that stress can make your hair fall out is not an old wives’ tale. It can happen when stress causes your body to make more RT3 and less T3 and your mitochondria can’t produce enough energy.

Don't make feeling better an option for yourself—make it your big dream. Don't make self-care an option; make it your daily lifetime commitment. Don't make becoming who you want to be—and loving who you are—goals for the future; start right now.

A woman with thyroid eyes and chins sat behind the desk in the deserted lobby. She offered me a room with bath for two-fifty, two dollars without. I didn’t really want to stay there. The migrant years had flown through the place and left their droppings.

Hormones are central to understanding obesity. Everything about human metabolism, including the body set weight, is hormonally regulated. A critical physiological variable such as body fatness is not left up to the vagaries of daily caloric intake and exercise. Instead, hormones precisely and tightly regulate body fat. We don't consciously control our body weight any more than we control our heart rates, our basal metabolic rates, our body temperatures or our breathing. These are all automatically regulated, and so is our weight. Hormones tell us when we are hungry (ghrelin). Hormones tell us we are full (peptide YY, cholecystokinin). Hormones increase energy expenditure (adrenalin). Hormones shut down energy expenditure (thyroid hormone). Obesity is a hormonal dysregulation of fat accumulation. Calories are nothing more than a proximate cause of obesity.

He memorizes her silhouette: the brow, the nose, the ramp of her upper lip with its Cupid’s bow giving way to the vermilion border of the lower lip, then gliding over her thyroid cartilage, her cricoid, to the tender hollow above her breastbone. He’d like to trace the contour with his finger.

The only other consistently noted glandular change is in the thyroid. The work of several Soviet groups and one American team in the 1970s has clearly shown that radio and microwave frequencies, at power densities well below the American safety guideline of 10,000 microwatts, stimulate the thyroid gland and thus increase the basal metabolic rate. ELF fields at 50 hertz, on the other hand, have depressed thyroid activity in several experiments on rats. It isn't yet known whether this is a direct effect on the thyroid or whether, like the stress response, it's at least partly caused by alterations in brain function.

Breastfeeding suppresses periods because it stimulates your pituitary gland to make a hormone called prolactin, which prevents ovulation. Your prolactin should drop within three months after you stop breastfeeding, but it can sometimes stay high. Prolactin can also be mildly elevated from thyroid disease and stress.

That we have iodine in our thyroid glands proves that our bodies were fashioned from supernova material. The iron in our blood came from the cores of two previous star generations. The Sun gives off a bit of peculiar yellow light from fluorescing sodium vapor, an element inherited from its father, the type O or B blue star.

Methionine is also an essential amino acid needed for growth and development. However, when it comes to longevity in life, research has found that rats eating a methionine-restrictive diet lived 43-percent longer than those that consume a diet high in methionine. Methionine is known for its thyroid-suppressing properties like cysteine

At Stage Four of EBV, viral neurotoxins flood the body’s bloodstream and travel to the brain, where they short out neurotransmitters; plus the virus inflames or goes after the nerves throughout the body, making them sensitive and even allergic to the neurotoxins. As a result, it’s common to experience heavier brain fog, memory loss, confusion, depression, anxiety, migraines, joint pain, nerve pain, heart palpitations, eye floaters, restless legs, ringing in the ears, insomnia, difficulty healing from injuries, and more.

department store, but because your body requires high-quality nutrients

migraine

Healing Foods When you’re looking to boost the immune system and support the reproductive system, the best foods to concentrate on are wild blueberries, sesame tahini, avocados, black beans, asparagus, apples, spinach, black grapes, and cucumbers. They’ll help by variously providing antioxidants, preventing hot flashes, providing critical nutrients to fortify vital organs, reducing inflammation, and keeping hormone levels balanced. Herbs and Supplements to Address General Symptoms Silver hydrosol: kills viruses, bacteria, and other microbes on contact and supports the immune system. Zinc: kills viruses, boosts the immune system, and helps protect the endocrine system. Licorice root: aids the adrenal glands and helps balance the body’s levels of cortisol and cortisone. L-lysine: impairs the ability of virus cells to move and reproduce. Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin and/or adenosylcobalamin): strengthens the central nervous system. Nascent iodine: stabilizes and strengthens the thyroid and the rest of the endocrine system. Ashwagandha: fortifies the adrenal glands and helps balance the production of cortisol.

There is a saying, ‘Complain or do something about it’. Taking inspiration from it, I’ve coined my own: ‘To break out of a vicious cycle, start working with the known factors to control the unknown.

When I flew back to Chicago that fateful day in 1954, I had a freshly signed contract with the McDonald brothers in my briefcase. I was a battle-scarred veteran of the business wars, but I was still eager to go into action. I was 52 years old. I had diabetes and incipient arthritis. I had lost my gall bladder and most of my thyroid gland in earlier campaigns. But I was convinced that the best was ahead of me.

PCOS, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), fibroids, cystic ovaries, depression, thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, unexplained infertility, low libido, acne/rosacea/eczema, weight problems, human papillomavirus (HPV)—a lot of weighty medical terms to describe a lot of serious and challenging conditions. How can one protocol prevent and treat so many different “castaway conditions”?

depression can occur because of biological factors such as genetic predispositions, hormonal changes (including menopause, childbirth or thyroid problems) and differences in biochemistry (an imbalance of naturally occurring substances called neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord). In other cases, depression is caused by psychological factors, severe life stressors, substance abuse and certain medical conditions that affect the way your brain regulates your moods.

Stress promotes the release of free fatty acids from storage and into the bloodstream. Polyunsaturated free fatty acids (from a diet high in PUFAs) damage thyroid function and promote chronic stress. Stressful thinking and emotion powerfully promote biochemical stress and free fatty acid release. It's easy to demonstrate. Start thinking about something worrying and watch what happens. You can feel the adrenaline rising, and guess what that means! It means increasing exposure to free fatty acids.

Many things can impair ovulation and promote excess androgens. They include: Thyroid disease, because hypothyroidism impedes ovulation and worsens insulin resistance. [212] Vitamin D deficiency, because your ovaries need vitamin D. Zinc deficiency, because your ovaries need zinc. Iodine deficiency, because your ovaries need iodine. Elevated prolactin, because it increases DHEA. Too little food or too few carbs, because you need carbs to ovulate. If you’re undereating, then you’ve slipped into HA.

Ionizing radiation takes three principal forms: alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. Alpha particles are relatively large, heavy, and slow moving and cannot penetrate the skin; even a sheet of paper could block their path. But if they do manage to find their way inside the body by other means—if swallowed or inhaled—alpha particles can cause massive chromosomal damage and death. Radon 222, which gathers as a gas in unventilated basements, releases alpha particles into the lungs, where it causes cancer. Polonium 210, a powerful alpha emitter, is one of the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. It was also the poison slipped into the cup of tea that killed former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. Beta particles are smaller and faster moving than alpha particles and can penetrate more deeply into living tissue, causing visible burns on the skin and lasting genetic damage. A piece of paper won’t provide protection from beta particles, but aluminum foil—or separation by sufficient distance—will. Beyond a range of ten feet, beta particles can cause little damage, but they prove dangerous if ingested in any way. Mistaken by the body for essential elements, beta-emitting radioisotopes can become fatally concentrated in specific organs: strontium 90, a member of the same chemical family as calcium, is retained in the bones; ruthenium is absorbed by the intestine; iodine 131 lodges particularly in the thyroid of children, where it can cause cancer. Gamma rays—high-frequency electromagnetic waves traveling at the speed of light—are the most energetic of all. They can traverse large distances, penetrate anything short of thick pieces of concrete or lead, and destroy electronics. Gamma rays pass straight through a human being without slowing down, smashing through cells like a fusillade of microscopic bullets. Severe exposure to all ionizing radiation results in acute radiation syndrome (ARS), in which the fabric of the human body is unpicked, rearranged, and destroyed at the most minute levels. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, hemorrhaging, and hair loss, followed by a collapse of the immune system, exhaustion of bone marrow, disintegration of internal organs, and, finally, death.

A recent 2013 randomized, placebo-controlled study in hypothyroid patients demonstrated that in people who got near-infrared light therapy, thyroid function dramatically improved, and remarkably, that thyroid antibody (TPOAb) levels were massively reduced. Amazingly, 47% of patients were able to stop medication completely! Moreover, the researchers also followed up 9 months after treatment and found that the effects were still evident!116 They even published a 6-year follow-up, which basically said that even at 6 years, some of the benefits still remained, but periodic sessions were recommended to maintain all benefits.117

What Baby Mol has is a well-known affliction. It’s called ‘cretinism’—but the name is not important.” It means nothing to Big Ammachi in any case. “There’s a gland here in the neck. The thyroid. You’ve seen it swell into a goiter in some people?” She has. “That gland produces a vital substance for the body to grow and the brain to develop. Sometimes at birth the gland doesn’t work. Then children develop like Baby Mol. The tongue. The broad face. The hoarse voice. The thickened skin. She’s a smart child, but she’s slow to learn what others her age know.” He’s listed all the things about her daughter that she resisted seeing.

But hey, who the f*&$ is asking us to run ourselves ragged keeping up with demanding relationships — mother-in-law wants to shop/maths homework with daughter/movie with husband/presentation at work/making aachar at mom’s/babysitting friend’s kid, etc. In every language, there is a word for NO, just learn to say it.

So people feel tired, wired, and stressed at the same time. In one group of patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder, more than 50 percent had hypothyroidism. Experts conservatively estimate that one-third of all depressions are directly related to thyroid imbalance. More than 80 percent of people with low-grade hypothyroidism have impaired memory function. Low thyroid is associated with a host of symptoms and problems, such as: Feeling cold when others are hot Weight gain Constipation Fatigue High cholesterol High blood pressure Dry, thinning, or losing hair, especially the eyebrows, where the outer third are often missing

respiratory system encompasses the nose, throat, and lungs. Some of the oils that help the respiratory system include eucalyptus, myrrh, fennel, sandalwood, thyme, cypress, bergamot, and sage. · The digestive system is responsible for breaking down food and includes the stomach, liver, intestines, and gallbladder. Oils used for this include dandelion, marshmallow, meadow sweet, and chamomile. · The circulatory system is responsible for transporting blood and oxygen throughout the body. Oils used for this include lemon, lavender, peppermint, fennel, thyme, juniper, and white birch.  · The endocrine system includes the thyroid glands, the pancreas, and the hormone glands. Essential oils used are sweet marjoram, clary sage, fennel, jasmine, rose, lemon, and juniper. · The immune system is responsible for fighting against diseases including everything from a cold to malaria.   ·  The nervous system transmits nerve impulses throughout the body. These cells are vitally important to the function of the human body. Oils used for the nervous system include clove, basil, ylang ylang, lavender, chamomile, bergamot, and sweet marjoram. · The brain is responsible for the functions of almost every organ system throughout the body. The essential oils used for the brain include lavender, chamomile, basil, lemon, peppermint, and ginger.

Did you know that in 90% of cases, hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease? Did you know that autoimmune thyroid disease is linked to a gluten intolerance? Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease are most likely caused by a gluten intolerance. What happens is that the molecular structure of gliadin (the protein in gluten) resembles the thyroid gland. If you don’t have a healthy intestinal lining, you can create holes; enter leaky gut syndrome. To review, leaky gut happens because food leaks into the bloodstream, and since your blood doesn’t know what the substances are, it puts your immune system into overdrive to kill the foreign substance (this is why I have my clients get a thyroid “antibody” test; it helps determine if there is a food allergy).

However, there is no fixed rule that dictates when and if a symptom will appear. This group includes: •   Excessive shyness •   Diminished emotional responses •   Inability to make commitments •   Chronic fatigue or very low physical energy •   Immune system problems and certain endocrine problems such as thyroid malfunction and environmental sensitivities •   Psychosomatic illnesses, particularly headaches, migraines, neck and back problems •   Chronic pain •   Fibromyalgia •   Asthma •   Skin disorders •   Digestive problems (spastic colon) •   Severe premenstrual syndrome •   Depression and feelings of impending doom •   Feelings of detachment, alienation, and isolation (“living dead” feelings) •   Reduced ability to formulate plans

Reproductive hormones aren’t the only hormones that affect how you look and feel and think. Among the most influential are the hormones produced by your thyroid gland. Too little thyroid, and you feel like a slug. Hypothyroidism makes you feel like you just want to lie on the couch all day with a bag of chips. Everything works slower, including your heart, your bowels, and your brain. When we perform SPECT scans of people with hypothyroidism, we see decreased brain activity. Many other studies confirm that overall low brain function in hypothyroidism leads to depression, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and feelings of being in a mental fog. The thyroid gland drives the production of many neurotransmitters that run the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. A

Over the years, I’ve been told that meat is an important protein; meat is bad for you; the best way to lose weight is to eat a high-protein diet; the best way to lose weight is to eat a vegan diet; juicing is good for you; juice cleanses are pointless; someone with my blood type should eat only lamb, mutton, turkey, and rabbit, and avoid chicken, beef, ham, and pork; bacon is okay; bacon is bad for you; consuming fat helps you lose weight; all fats should be avoided or used minimally; yogurt helps your digestion; yogurt has no impact on your digestion; calcium from dairy is good for you; dairy is bad for you; gluten is no problem for people without celiac disease; everyone should be gluten-free; kale is a superfood; too much kale can actually result in a thyroid condition causing you to gain weight; and using non-natural toothpaste can cause bloating of up to five pounds.

We have witnessed hundreds of clients and patients damage their metabolic and hormonal health through low-carb diets. It is becoming increasingly apparent that there is an epidemic of metabolic and hormonal dysfunction emerging in the hordes of people who have been following low-carb diets. This is particularly impactful for women—and especially physically active women—who commonly suffer side effects from their low-carb diets, including: A stopped or irregular menstrual cycle (amenorrhea)418 419 420 421 422 Decreased fertility423 424 425 Hypoglycemic episodes and blood sugar swings426 Depression, anxiety, and irritability427 428 429 Poor libido430 431 432 Disrupted sleep/insomnia433 434 Dysfunctional relationship with food and fear about eating either fat or carbohydrate435 436 Cycles of restriction and binges437 438 Chronic fatigue 439 440 441 442 Poor thyroid function (and a slow metabolism)443 444 445 446 447 448

I threw hollowed self at your robust, went for IV drips, mercury detoxes, cilantro smoothies. I pressed my lips to you, fed you kale, spooned down coconut oil. I fasted for blood sugar, underboomed the carbs, chased ketosis, urine-stripped and slip-checked. Baked raw cocoa & mint & masticated pig thyroids. You were contemporary, toxic, I can’t remember what you were, you’re in my brain, inflaming it, using up the glutathione. I read about you on the Internet & my doctor agreed. Just take more he urged & more. You slipped into each cell. I went after you with a sinking inside and medical mushrooms for maximum oom, I plumbed you without getting to nevermore. O doom. You were a disease without name, I was a body gone flame, together, we twitched, and the acupuncturist said, it looks difficult, stay calmish. What can be said? I came w/o a warranty. Stripped of me—or me-ish-ness— I was a will in a subpar body. I waxed toward all that waned inside.

And seriously, get over yourself. Just because you didn’t do it doesn’t mean things don’t or won’t get done. They will, give it a try, and in case they really don’t get done, you already have the expertise and super speciality skill of getting things back on track, right? I am guessing you have realised by this time that you get no medal, trip to Switzerland, gourmet dinner at doorstep, acknowledgement certificate or much less appreciation for being there for everybody every single time, so learn to be there for yourself once in a while. Say

Chernobyl’s third reactor was in a precarious situation of its own. Once Unit 3’s Shift Chief Yuri Bagdasarov realised there was no backup water supply to cool the still-operating third reactor, because all water lines from the emergency tanks were connected to its devastated twin, he asked Chief Engineer Nikolai Fomin - who had by now arrived at the plant - for permission to shut it down. Fomin, who struggled to cope during the crisis, forbade it. By 5am, justifiably fearing the worst, Bagdasarov distributed respirators and iodine tablets to his staff to prevent radioactive iodine from building up in the thyroid gland, and then disobeyed his superior’s instructions; he shut down Unit 3 himself.160 Along with the firemen, he prevented the possible destruction of a second reactor. The decision to shut down Units 1 and 2 was not made for a further 16 hours. Fomin, meanwhile, ordered a trusted senior physicist to investigate the state of Unit 4. Like the others before him, his report of the reactor’s destruction was ignored and he, too, later died. Time and time again Bryukhanov and Fomin were told that the reactor was completely destroyed, and time and time again they disregarded everyone who warned them.

The best doctors in the world are healers and not dealers!

Thyroid. Test Thyroid Stimulating Hormone annually. The test is called TSH and could indicate thyroid problems if too high. In such cases, energy levels will be low, and exercise will have less benefit. The standard “too high” level is 4 uiu/ml (or miu/L), but the warning bells should chime at anything above 2.5. For men, a doctor should be seen if this is the case and total testosterone is below 350/dl. For women, T3 and T4 should measured, and a doctor seen if they are low. We cannot give a precise number here, because different labs use different tests for this one. So here “low” should be taken to mean low according to the lab report. The cure for a weak thyroid is levothyroxine, a very inexpensive prescription medicine.

REFERENCE RANGES FOR THYROID HORMONES Thyroid Hormone Normal Range Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.45 to 4.5 mcIU/mL (microinternational units per milliliter) Free triiodothyronine (T3) 200 to 440 pg/dL (picograms per deciliter) Total triiodothyronine (T3) 71 to 180 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) Free thyroxine (T4) 0.82 to 1.77 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) Total thyroxine (T4) 4.5 to 12 mcg/dL (micrograms per deciliter) Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) 0 to 34 IU/mL (international units per milliliter) Most doctors request only TSH and T4 levels, following up with a T3 reading if results fall outside out of the normal ranges. Some doctors place great importance on free T3 levels right away, as it is the most active thyroid hormone. If T3 levels are low compared to T4 and TSH levels, it may signify low thyroid function even if the labs otherwise appear normal.

Gluten is associated with cancers of the mouth and throat, esophagus, small intestines, and lymph nodes. It is also associated with type 1 diabetes as well as thyroid disorders, such as Hashimoto’s, the most commonly diagnosed thyroid dysfunction in America. Many patients achieve normalization of their thyroid function only after adopting a gluten-free diet. Gluten sensitivity is also associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as Sjörgens syndrome and dermatitis herpetiformis. Hair loss, or autoimmune alopecia, is another presentation. It is also associated with depression, migraines, arthritis, fatigue, osteoporosis, and anemia, to name a few.

Part One—The Lipid Panel. Used to evaluate heart health, this panel comprises of four biological markers representing the four types of fat found in the blood—triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Two additional measures of cardiovascular health, homocysteine and c-reactive protein (CRP), may also be measured as part of a more comprehensive profile. These two labs are discussed in Part Six, “Optional Tests” (see page 8). •  Part Two—The Basic Metabolic Panel. The labs used to evaluate metabolism measure blood sugar regulation, electrolyte and fluid balance, and kidney function. Biomarkers included in this panel are glucose, calcium, sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine. •  Part Three—The Hepatic Function Panel. This panel determines how well your liver is functioning by measuring levels of different proteins produced and processed by the liver, like albumin and globulin, as well as liver enzymes. •  Part Four—The Complete Blood Count (CBC) Panel. The lab values measured in the complete blood count (CBC) panel include red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin. Maintaining healthy levels of these biomarkers affect your vitality and energy, immune system, and cardiovascular health. •  Part Five—Hormones. Although they are not always included in a routine blood test, hormones should be periodically tested, especially in aging adults. Hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) play an integral role in reproductive wellness and affect other aspects of health. Maintaining balanced levels can slow down the aging process, for instance. Hormones involved in metabolism, like the thyroid hormones and the stress hormone cortisol, are also discussed in this section. •  Part Six—Optional Tests. This final part of the book highlights four tests—homocysteine, c-reactive protein (CRP), vitamin D, and magnesium—that are not typically measured unless requested, or if a standard blood test shows an abnormality that requires a more in-depth analysis. These tests can provide a more complete picture of heart health, immunity, calcium absorption, blood sugar regulation, and a number of other vital processes.

Test Annually TSH - indicator of thyroid function Test Every Six Months PSA (men) - indicator for prostate cancer CA-125 (women) - indicator for ovarian cancer

The ratio of T3/RT3 is good indicator of how much active thyroid your body is actually using.

Calcitonin: The thyroid also produces the hormone calcitonin, which is in charge of calcium regulation along with parathyroid hormone (PTH).

We already know that low thyroid = low HCL = increased gut pH = less protection from bacteria, viruses, and fungus.

T1, T2, T3, and T4. Each thyroid hormone is made up of the protein tyrosine and iodine.

Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - Less than 1 mg/L Moderate Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - 1 to 2.9 mg/L High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - 3 or higher mg/L Further Testing Suggested to Find out the Cause of Severe Inflammation - 10 or higher mg/L CRP-HS (C-Reactive High Sensitivity) Lower Relative Risk - Less than 1.0 Average Relative Risk - Average Risk TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Normal Range - 0.4 to 4.2 ml/L T4 (Free Thyroid) Normal Range - 0.78 to 2.19 ng/dL T4 (Total Thyroid) Normal Range – 5.53 to 11.00 mcg/dL T3 (Free Thyroid) Normal Range - 2.5 to 5.3 pg/mL SECTION 2

Today, with an increased ingestion of anti-thyroid foods (processed foods, soy, vegetable oils, grains, legumes, and nuts) and the avoidance of pro-thyroid foods (saturated fats, sugars, salt, and animal proteins), I believe that number could be far higher—although lab testing may tell us differently. (See the section titled “Current Thyroid Lab Testing” later in this chapter.)

Most doctors use thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to test for thyroid function. TSH is the hormone secreted from your pituitary gland in response to low thyroid levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). If TSH is elevated above “normal” levels, you may be hypothyroid (sluggish metabolism).

Total T4/Total thyroxine = the amount of T4 bound to a carrier protein and the amount of unbound T4 in the blood. T4 is one-fifth to 1/10 as active as T3. T4 is converted into the more active T3 in the liver and kidneys. Total T3/Total triiodothyronine = the amount of T3 bound to a carrier protein and the amount of unbound T3 in the blood. FREE T3 = the amount of unbound T3 in blood. Low levels could mean an underactive thyroid. FREE T4 = the amount of unbound T4 in blood. Low levels could mean an underactive thyroid. Anti-TPO = anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is an enzyme needed to produce thyroid hormone. High levels of this antibody are an indication of an autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto’s or Graves disease.

Thyroxine (T4): T4 is the primary thyroid hormone. T4 is the primary hormone because it is produced four times more than T3 in the thyroid. Yet, T4 is 1/10th less active than T3. 80 percent of T4 is converted to the more active T3 in the liver, kidneys, pituitary, and spleen.

Triiodothryonine (T3): T3 is the most active thyroid hormone. Yet, very little is produced in the thyroid: 10–20 percent of T3 is produced in the thyroid; the rest is converted from T4 in the liver, kidneys, spleen, and pituitary. T3 is the most active hormone because it is 10 times more active than T4.

That we have iodine in our thyroid glands proves that our bodies were fashioned from supernova material. The iron in our blood came from the cores of two previous star generations.

A major difference between humans and dogs is that while TSH controls about 95% of thyroid hormone regulation in humans, it controls only about 70% in dogs. The remainder of a dog’s thyroid regulation is controlled by growth hormone, also known as somatotropin. Like TSH, growth hormone is also manufactured, stored, and secreted by the pituitary gland. The

I have never associated myself with such an unexpected part of the body as the thyroid, so it feels as though my body is suddenly strange to me, or I am strange to myself.

Take a standard thermometer, shake it down, and place it next to your bed before you go to sleep for the night. Before getting out of bed in the morning, place the thermometer in your armpit for 10 minutes. It should read between 97.8 degrees and 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is lower, you likely have low thyroid function.

In fact, there was so little carbohydrate/glucose in our ancestor’s diet that we evolved four ways of making extra glucose ourselves and only one way of getting rid of the excess we consume.

ST-9 This point is a bilateral point that is found on both sides of the neck and is located about 1.5 inches to the outside of the edge of the Adam’s apple of the throat. The fact that the point lays directly over the carotid artery allows strikes to have an immediate reaction to the flow of blood to the brain and head in general. It has a cryptic name in Chinese, Ren Ying,9 which means “Man’s Prognosis” and provides no clues to its location or use from a martial standpoint. Its proximity to the carotid artery allows this point to be one of the weakest points on the human body and regardless of the size and muscular strength of an opponent it is extremely sensitive. The superior thyroid artery, the anterior jugular vein, the internal jugular vein, the carotid artery, the cutaneous cervical nerve, the cervical branch of the facial nerve, the sympathetic trunk, and the ascending branch of the hypoglossal and vagus nerves are all present. Just the structurally aspects of all these sensitive and vital nerves, arteries and veins should place it high on the list of potential targets. I personally consider it as one of the most important Vital Points because of this alone. Additionally, ST-9 is an intersection point for the Stomach Meridian, Gall Bladder Meridian and the Yin Heel Vessel. Strikes to this point can kill due to the overall structural weakness of the area. Strikes should be aimed toward the center of the spine on a 90-degree angle. A variety of empty hand weapons can be employed in striking this point. Forearms, edge of hand strikes, punches, kicks, and elbow strikes are all effective. The same defensive tactics outlined under the SI-16 should be employed against attacks to this extremely vital point. CV-22 This is one of the two most important acupuncture points to the martial arts that is concerned with the hostile actions of life-or-death combatives. It sets in the horseshoe notch located at the extreme upper part of the chest structure and at the centerline of the front of the neck. Resting under it is the trachea, or commonly known as the “windpipe,” and a hard and vicious strike to this point can cause the surrounding tissue to swell, which can shut off the body’s ability to pull oxygen into the lungs. A hard strike to this point can be deadly. Attacking this point should only be done in the most extreme life-or-death situations. Energetically, the Conception Vessel and the Yin Linking Vessel intersect at this point. The implications of that, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, is included in this book. Additionally, the structure of the suprasternal notch is an excellent “touch point” for situations when sight is reduced and you find yourself at extremely close range with your opponent. This allows for utilization of this point in a self-defense situation that is not as extreme as full force strikes, as only a finger or two are inserted and rolled to the backside of the notch causing pain for the opponent.

New research in autoimmune disease suggests that intestinal permeability always precedes autoimmunity.

New research also supports the fact that autoimmunity is reversible. If one of the three factors is removed, a person will no longer present with autoimmune disease.

Some scientists will go as far as to say that all autoimmune conditions are the same condition but with a different target.

In simple terms, we must eliminate the things that make the immune system believe that we are in danger and that we need to conserve energy and resources.

people with Hashimoto’s and chronic hives often have the gut protozoa Blastocystis hominis and that eradicating the protozoa can resolve hives, IBS, and even Hashimoto’s. Scientists in Bosnia first published this connection in 2015, though I’ve seen it clinically since 2013.

The two antibody tests with elevated results in cases of Hashimoto’s are: •​Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO antibodies) •​Thyroglobulin antibodies (TG antibodies)

new research suggests 10 to 50 percent of people with Hashimoto’s may not test positive for antibodies. In

At a minimum, you should have a complete annual physical exam that includes blood count and metabolic blood chemistry panels, a thyroid panel, and testing to reveal potential deficiencies in nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B, iron, and magnesium. If you are sexually active, you should also be checked for STDs.

The first thing to establish is whether the person has an autoimmune condition. I use TPO and TGB serum antibody tests to rule out Hashimoto’s. If a test comes back negative but symptoms strongly suggest the disorder, I’ll repeat the test since antibody counts can fluctuate. Sometimes I’ll ask the person to eat gluten-containing foods for two weeks prior to the test, in order to heighten the autoimmune response. From there, I delve into the immune system mechanics. I measure TH-1 and TH-2 cytokines to determine if the person is TH-1 or TH-2 dominant. When a person is placed on an immune-modulating protocol, I retest these cytokines to see whether the immune system is coming into better balance. When looking at these test results, it is important to look at the percentages of the cytokines and not the totals. Remember, regardless of whether a person with Hashimoto’s has TH-1 or TH-2 dominance, managing his or her condition requires modulating the immune system with emulsified vitamin D, fish oil, glutathione cream, a gluten-free diet, and dietary support.

However, with Hashimoto’s, there has been some controversy with regards to what the primary genetic surface marker is[2],[3], although HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR5 seem to be associated with this condition. Either way, unlike celiac disease, where gluten is the trigger, there is no specific trigger that has been associated with all cases of Hashimoto’s, as it appears that numerous factors can trigger the autoimmune response in this condition.

While Tregs help keep autoimmunity in check, Th17 cells drive the autoimmune process. Th17 cells are one of the predominant proinflammatory cell types and they produce Interleukin 17 (IL-17), which further drives the inflammatory process. Numerous studies specifically show a correlation between increased Th17 levels and the pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.[5],[6],[7] The good news is that taking steps to increase Tregs can shut down the production of Th17 cells.

Two methods of testing for a leaky gut include the lactulose-mannitol test, and the Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen by Cyrex Labs.

Babies are born covered in a white substance called vernix, which is a protective material that helps to prevent common infections. While this chapter focuses on how we should be exposed to a greater number of microorganisms, in this situation, you want to delay bathing a newborn due to the antimicrobial properties of the vernix.[3] This is why some hospitals enforce “delayed bathing.

Accordingly, here are some things you should consider doing: 1. Spend more time outdoors. This admittedly is something I need to do more of, as, without a doubt, I spend too much time indoors. 2. Use more natural soaps and avoid soaps and hand sanitizers with triclosan. If you frequently use antimicrobial soaps and hand sanitizers, then I would encourage you to switch to more natural products. There are plenty of natural options for soaps and hand sanitizers, including essential oils.

and if you want to learn more about how helminths can potentially benefit your Hashimoto’s condition I would recommend reading the book An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases, by Moises Velasquez-Manoff.

In fact, many healthcare professionals recommend to avoid ALL grains, even after achieving a state of remission.

Cow’s milk consists of both casein and whey protein with approximately 80% of it consisting of casein. Although many people are lactose intolerant, it’s also common to be sensitive to casein. Other dairy products include casein, such as yogurt and cheese. There are different types of casein in dairy cows. The most common forms of beta-casein in dairy cattle breeds are A1 and A2. It is thought that beta-casein variant A1 yields the bioactive peptide beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7). This may play a role in the development of certain human diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease. There also might be a relationship of BCM-7 to sudden infant death syndrome.[14

While someone can have a direct sensitivity to dairy, it also is possible for one or more of the dairy proteins to cross-react with gluten. This is one of the main reasons why many natural healthcare professionals recommend that their patients with autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s avoid dairy permanently.

Eliminating gluten, dairy, corn, and soy will greatly benefit the health of most people with Hashimoto’s. These are four of the most problematic foods, and sometimes just eliminating these alone will greatly improve one’s symptoms and test results, although I would also add refined sugars to this list.

The DHEA will eventually become depressed, while cortisol remains elevated. Over a prolonged time, the person can no longer adapt to the stress, and, as a result, the cortisol levels will also become depressed. This is what’s commonly referred to as adrenal fatigue (when both the DHEA and cortisol levels are depressed).

T4 from the thyroid must be converted to T3 before the body can use it. In the end, however, only about 60 percent of T4 is converted into a usable form of T3. Twenty percent becomes reverse T3 (rT3), which is permanently inactive. Levels of rT3 can become too high in times of major trauma, surgery, or severe chronic illness. Another 20 percent of T4 becomes T3 sulfate and T3 acetic acid, which have the potential to become useful if acted upon by healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. The remaining T4 is converted to T3 in the liver and in muscle, heart, and nerve cells.

Poor thyroid function slows down the amount of time it takes for food to move through the intestines.2

Hypothyroidism in men has been shown to diminish sex drive and cause impotence and a poor sperm count. Although hypothyroidism is rare in men, it must be ruled out when they have testosterone and estrogen imbalances.3

Lastly, since hypothyroidism hinders human growth hormone, building muscle through exercise is difficult if not impossible and muscle loss can occur.5

mentioned earlier, hypothyroidism makes the liver and gallbladder sluggish, so that fat is not easily metabolized and cleared from the body. Cells may be less receptive to taking up LDL, so that too much accumulates.7 When a person with healthy thyroid function becomes hungry and needs energy, the body is able to readily burn fat for fuel. Not so with low thyroid function. When one of my patients with abnormal lipid panels (cholesterol and triglycerides) has hypothyroidism, I address the thyroid disorder first, after which the lipids in circulation often reach normal levels.

Most people think of stomach acid as bad, the sort of thing that causes heartburn. In fact, sufficient stomach acid prevents heartburn by thoroughly digesting your food. (The burning sensation from heartburn is actually from the poorly digested food rotting in your gut and shooting up into your esophagus, not from excess stomach acid). Sufficient stomach acid, or hydrochloric acid (HCl), prevents food poisoning, parasites, and other bad bugs from gaining a foothold in your digestive tract. Lastly, plenty of HCl stimulates the gallbladder and pancreas to complete digestion and preserve the integrity of the whole gastrointestinal tract. The production of HCl depends on the hormone gastrin, which diminishes with hypothyroidism. This can cause such digestive complaints as heartburn, bloating, and gas; hinder the absorption of such vital nutrients as B12, iron, and calcium; and lead to inflammation, lesions, and infections of the intestines. Hypothyroidism and low HCl often go hand in hand.

A test for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) is most important, as Hashimoto’s most commonly occurs when the immune system attacks TPO, an enzyme in the thyroid responsible for of thyroid hormone production.22 23 Sometimes a thyroglobulin antibodies (TGB Ab) test is necessary, since Hashimoto’s can follow a TGB attack.24 TGB is produced in the thyroid and is used by the gland to produce thyroid hormones. A test for thyroid stimulating hormone antibodies (TSH Ab) can identify Grave s’ disease (hyperthyroidism), although TSH Ab can also be elevated in Hashimoto’s. On lab tests, the TSH marker is commonly referred to as thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI). In severe autoimmune thyroid diseases, antibodies to T4 and T3 can develop.

numerous studies link gluten, the protein found in wheat, spelt, barley, rye and similar grains to Hashimoto’s.25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 If the person is already on a gluten-free diet, I will have them consume wheat for two weeks and then repeat the test, providing gluten doesn’t cause other severe symptoms. A positive antibody test confirms an autoimmune thyroid condition and indicates that the immune system, not the thyroid gland, is the target for therapy.

when iodine is added to table salt in some parts of the world, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease again increase.39 Iodine supplementation isn’t causing Hashimoto’s per se, but it does seem to be a triggering factor.40