What does the thyroid do?
I call it your metabolic clock. The thyroid governs metabolism of all sorts. If it is running slow (hypo), it decreases fat burning, but also slows digestion and energy levels. It can decrease anabolic growth like musculature and healthy hair growth. If it’s ticking fast, then it shows as a hyperthyroid, or if it feels slow then you would call it hypothyroid. It is like the spark plug to get things going in your body.
It affects everything! So many more people are suffering from Thyroid issues than ever before.
Common Thyroid symptoms
- Unexplained weight gain
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Heavy periods
- Missing periods
- Unexplained infertility
- Heart palpitations
- Low progesterone
- Hair loss
- Thinning eyebrows
- Low mood – feeling blah or depressive
- Low basal body temp
- High cholesterol
- Puffiness in the face
- Cold hands and feet
The current reference ranges for Thyroid testing are not indicative of your thyroid health. Thyroid testing is often misunderstood. I often hear my clients say, “My doctor tested my thyroid and said it was normal”.
TSH is just one marker of thyroid health. It doesn’t indicate how much hormone is active or useful or even what you might have in storage. It also doesn’t indicate if you have an autoimmune condition. Raised antibodies can precede a diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease by up to 5 years. This means your TSH may not show signs of being out of range! This is shocking. Especially because there’s so much we can do to mitigate autoimmunity and reduce the impact and worsening of Thyroid conditions.
Imagine, if you had found out at 20 years old that you were at risk of a thyroid condition? You would then consider your options to support your health and mitigate the development of it. Right?
What’s impacting healthy thyroid function?
The main impacts I find affecting Thyroid function these days are high levels of EMF’s (Electromagnetic frequencies). I recently found out my desktop computer, Bluetooth mouse and keyboard had the highest levels of EMF’s in my home!
Other impacts commonly found are Mercury, Aluminium, Glyphosate and Epstein Barr Virus (also known as Glandular Fever).
Here in the clinic, we have ways to get to the root cause of your thyroid health. Our goal is never to have you take supplements forever just to keep your thyroid healthy.
Once we remove the block to healing, your thyroid has the best chance of normalising itself without the need for medications. At this stage, the research suggests the main food to avoid is gluten. Whilst some practitioners suggest an AutoImmune Paleo (AIP) style diet, I see smaller changes that don’t move the dial as well as getting to the root cause.
Tests to request
Preferential reference ranges for healthy thyroid function look more like:
- TSH: 0.5 – 2.5
- Free T4 – Thyroxine: 16 – 18 pmol/l
- Free T3 (Triiodothyronine): 4 – 6 pmol/l
- Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies – Enzyme found in the thyroid which help make thyroid hormones. Antibodies attack this enzyme to block thyroid production.
- Anti-Thyroglobulin Antibodies – a protein involved in thyroid hormone production. High levels can indicate Hashimoto’s (Hypothyroidism) or Graves’ disease.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it is time to get your thyroid checked. It’s best to sort it out before it gets worse.
If you would like more information about how we can help, click below to book a strategy call.
With love, Nikki xxx