Guts and Girl Bits – Podcast Episode #46

I am joined once again by Naturopath Lisa Costa-Bir to discuss the topic of thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules are typically identified via an ultrasound and indicate the presence of growth of abnormal cells within the thyroid gland. Nodules vary in their sizes and impact, and while some may wish to manage this, many people may be told they have a nodule yet can observe no negative impact from it. It can be a diagnosis that brings uncertainty and confusion, and so we would like to share information about what thyroid nodules can mean, as well as how to help manage them naturally.

The Podcast

Have a listen here or on the embedded player below:

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Get in touch with Lisa…

Lisa is a leading Naturopath in the Sutherland Shire. Lisa strives to show her clients that good health is not be simply the absence of disease but rather a state where they find mental, physical and spiritual balance in all aspects of their life.

Lisa is also a lecturer and clinical supervisor at Endeavour College of Natural Therapies where she mentors students completing degrees in Nutrition and Naturopathy and has  taught nutrition to dancers at ED5 performing Arts School.

• https://www.lisacostabirnaturopath.com
• 0404 070 142
• lisa@lisacostabirnaturopath.com

Check out previous podcasts that have featured Lisa here:

• PMS and PMDD
• Thyroid Health
• Ayurvedic Medicine
• How to lose weight without changing your diet (much)
• Adrenal fatigue (part 1)
• Adrenal fatigue (part 2)

Featured Webinar

Understanding Underactive Thyroid – Webinar

Have you been diagnosed as having hypothyroidism?

Do you struggle trying to understand the right things to do to help your thyroid out?

Perhaps you’re on thyroid medication but you still don’t feel any better for it.

Maybe you feel like you’ve got some symptoms that suggest your thyroid might be a bit sluggish, but your blood test come back as “normal”.

If that sounds like you then this webinar is for you. It will shed some light on the topic of under active thyroid and provide you with some tips to help yourself.

We will talk about:

• What are some of the common symptoms of under active thyroid
• How to interpret your test results and what to do if your test come back as normal but you still feel like something’s going on
• What it means if you’ve got high antibodies but your hormones are in normal range
• How to get the most out of your thyroid medication
• What are the nutrients that your thyroid needs to work properly
• What is peripheral thyroid hormone conversion and why is it important
• The right type of exercise to do for someone with hypothyroidism
• How your thyroid affects the hormones in your body such as in PCOS and adrenal fatigue
• How your diet can make a big impact on thyroid health
• What a naturopath can do to help thyroid problems

 

This webinar is awesome value at only $25 so to register today to get access .

 

As a bonus you will get my cheat sheet to understanding your thyroid hormone test results, plus 5 recipes to nourish the thyroid.

$27.50

Shop now

The post How to Manage Thyroid Nodules Naturally appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

How to Know if your Thyroid isn’t working properly.

Ever suspected your thyroid might be out of whack? Have a read through this articicle and see if you might be on the right track.

Thyroid problems are quite common, affecting approximately 5.4 in 1000 women in Australia¹.

In this article I discuss the functions of the thyroid, signs that your thyroid isn’t working properly and describe the common tests that are done, with some tips on understanding these tests.

What does the thyroid do?

The thyroid is a gland that sits in your neck, and is responsible for functions such as energy production, metabolism, foetal development, brain growth and body temperature. It receives messages from the brain in order to know whether it needs to make more or less hormones, and then it sends those hormones out to the body to be further converted into their active state, and to carry out actions in your periphery.

If the thyroid becomes sluggish, or underactive, this is referred to as hypothyroidism.

If the thyroid becomes overactive, this is referred to as hyperthyroidism.

In some instances the thyroid can be affected by antibodies, which is when the immune system inadvertently causes damage to the thyroid gland, affecting it’s function.

Possible Signs of a Thyroid Imbalance

Testing for Thyroid Problems

The test that a doctor will typically run when looking for thyroid issues is a hormone called TSH. This hormone is produced by the pituitary and it’s role is to tell the thyroid gland how much hormones to produce – hence it’s named ‘Thyroid Stimulating Hormone’.

There is a problem however, that while it’s commonplace for this hormone to be used by itself to screen for thyroid imbalances, it can actually allow many sub-clinical thyroid issues (and a few more overt cases) to slip through the cracks.

Let’s look at some of the other hormones that may be assessed. This information is covered in detail in a bonus handout in my webinar Understanding Underactive Thyroid, including typical (and ideal) reference ranges. Other hormones and tests that may be helpful for understanding thyroid health are included in this too.

Key Thyroid Hormone Tests

T4 – The Storage Form of Thyroid Hormone

Once TSH signals to your thyroid to ramp up production of its hormones, it produces the four different types of thyroid hormone – T1, T2, T3, and T4. The primary output of your thyroid is T4, which is a storage form of the hormone. It is circulated throughout the bloodstream and stored in tissues so that it’s available when needed.

If FT4 is high – it can indicate an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism

If FT4 is low – it can indicate an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism

Free T3 – The Gas

When each local area of your body determines that it needs more power, it converts storage T4 into Free T3, which is the active form of the hormone. These hormones attach to receptors inside of your cells to power your metabolic processes.

If FT3 is high – indicates that your thyroid is overactive or hyperthyroidism

If FT3 is low – you may not be converting T4 to FT3 very well and you could have hypothyroid symptoms even if your TSH and FT4 are within range.

Thyroid Antibodies – Your Immune System’s Attack on Your Thyroid

The vast majority of thyroid conditions are autoimmune, which means your immune system is attacking your thyroid. The hypothyroid form of autoimmune thyroid is Hashimoto’s, and the hyperthyroid form is Graves’ Disease.

This is an important marker to get included if you have a family history of thyroid disorders, or have symptoms yet your TSH is showing as normal.

It is also a good idea to get this tested during pregnancy and in the postpartum period (that time when you’ve just had a baby).

Thyroid ultrasounds and other imaging may be performed if your thyroid is more strongly suspected as being out of balance.

One of the points to remember is that the reference ranges are quite large so while aiming to be within the ‘normal’ reference range may be suitable for some, many people need to aim for the ‘ideal’ reference ranges. Also keep in mind that if you are pregnant or interpreting results for a child, the reference ranges are different.

If you need assistance in supporting your thyroid naturally, get in contact with your health care practitioner.

Contact Page.

References

1. O’Leary PC, Feddema PH, Valdo PM, et al. Investigations of thyroid hormones and antibodies based on a community health survey: the Busselton thyroid study. Clin Endocrinol 2006; 64: 97–104.
2. So M, MacIsaac RJ, Grossmann M. Hypothyroidism. American Family Physician 2012; 41(8): 556-562.
3. Topliss DJ, Eastman CJ. Diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The Medical Journal of Australia 2004; 180(4): 186-193.

The post Signs your Thyroid Might Be Struggling appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

All of your hormones and hormonal glands have an intricate relationship with each other, giving each other feedback and having an influence on each others levels. A little bit of a one hormone going up can cause another to go down, and so imbalances can have a flow on effect which can cause many symptoms.

A major connection to consider is the link between your thyroid health and your oestrogen and progesterone levels.

We know excessive levels of oestrogen can have an impact on thyroid health, with too much oestrogen making your thyroid balance go out of whack, but how does it actually do this?

Essentially…

Oestrogen can raise thyroid binding globulin, which will lower free thyroid hormone levels.

This can be a problem for women who are on artificial hormones such as the oral contraceptive pill, or for women who have higher than normal levels of oestrogen in their system.

Typically this will show up as heavy periods and longer menstrual cycles. The increased oestrogen results in a relative deficiency of progesterone which is responsible for the thinning of the endomentrial lining. It can also impact on the coagulatory factors in the blood which control excessive bleeding.

Potenially thyroid problems can also contribute towards amenorrhoea, when your period disappears for a while.

Thyroid issues can also cause oestrogen to be bound up and carried away less than it should be, as thyroid problems can indirectly cause a reduced level of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which would typically bind to excess levels of hormones such as oestrogen.

Oestrogen imbalance can be the missing piece of the puzzle for many women (and men) who have issues with T3 balance. It is a cycle that feeds itself until the original cause of the thyroid imbalance or oestrogen excess is addressed.

High Oestrogen -> Increased thyroid binding globulin -> low free thyroid hormone levels.

Low Thyroid Function -> Low SHBG -> High Oestrogen

An interesting action of oestrogen is that it can increase the proliferation of thyroid cells. This isn’t always a bad thing, as it can be helpful to regulate thyroid function and help the repair of the thyroid gland when oestrogen is in normal ranges. However in excess this could result in an increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease or thyroid cancer.

Now we know that oestrogen isn’t the only female hormone. Progesterone is another important hormone for women, and it too has a connection with the thyroid hormones.

The thyroid – progesterone connection goes two ways. Thyroid helps stimulate release of progesterone from the luteal cells. Given this, we can consider that for some women who appear to have progesterone deficiency they may have underlying issues with their T3 hormone as the cause.

And progesterone deficiency can impact on the conversion of T4 to T3 via reduced deiodinase 2 activity. So for women who are post-menopausal, who have had an oophorectomy (ovaries removed surgically) or do not ovulate regularly (e.g in Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea or PCOS) the state of their thyroid is something to consider.

Imbalances in both progesterone and oestrogen can impact your immune system balance which can increase your risk of autoimmune disease, an issue which is common for thyroid problems.

If you suspect that you have an issue with your hormones and would like some holistic support or perhaps you would like to discuss testing options, contact your health care practitioner to discuss your options.

Book an Appointment

Extra reading

Your Thyroid Needs Iron

Heavy Periods

MTHFR and your Thyroid

Thyroid Problems After Having a Baby

Thyroid Health – Part 1

Understanding Underactive Thyroid – Webinar

References

Role of estrogen in thyroid function and growth regulation.  https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/875125

Clinical review: Thyroid dysfunction and effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis: a systematic review. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2007-0199

An evidence for the transcriptional regulation of iodothyronine deiodinase 2 by progesterone in ovarectomized rats. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-013-0307-y

Menorrhagia and hypothyroidism. Evidence supports association between hypothyroidism and menorrhagia. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7235.649

Menstrual disturbances in various thyroid diseases. https://doi.org/10.1507/endocrj.k10e-216

Thyroid disease and female reproduction. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02752.x

The post Thyroid Problems and Oestrogen appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Guts and Girl Bits Podcast #42 with Renae Bartlett

If you’ve just had a baby, chances are you’re feeling tired and worn out. But what is that feeling is not just normal Mum fatigue, but instead a sign that something else is a bit out of balance.

The thyroid is a delicate, butterfly shaped gland that sits on your neck. It is responsible for your metabolism, and when it goes out of whack you can feel tired, cold, depressed and you can experience things like hair loss and dry skin. Sometimes the thyroid can become too overactive, which can make you feel irritable and cranky and cause unwanted weight loss.

During pregnancy and early motherhood your thyroid glands are sensitive to changes in your immune system and nutritional status, and so this is a time where your thyroid is susceptible to having issues.

In this episode I chat with nutritionist Renae Bartlett about her journey with postpartum thyroiditis, what women need to look out for, how to get screened if you suspect an issue, and we discuss some of the ways you can support your thyroid health as a new mother through your diet.

The Podcast

Listen here or via the embedded player below.

Scroll down to read the transcript.

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Renae Bartlett is a Clinical Nutritionist who until 12 months ago, was based in Adelaide South Australia. She is currently residing in Canada for the next two years with her husband, one year old daughter and their dog Diego. Renae assists people by focussing heavily on the fundamental basics of using ‘food first’ for healing, health and wellbeing. Renae was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2016 and Post-Partum Thyroiditis following the birth of their daughter in 2018. This has led Renae down a path focussed on helping women who may have been diagnosed with post-partum thyroiditis, or who are at risk of developing this condition.

https://www.instagram.com/rebornhealthnutrition/

http://www.rebornhealth.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/RebornHealthNutrition/

Podcast Transcript

Alison Mitchell 0:05
Hi everyone, you’re listening to Guts and Girl Bits. I’m Alison Mitchell a practicing Naturopath. I hope to share with you all sorts of information about women’s health and digestive health to educate and empower you to make informed choices about your own health. Please remember that only information is general and does not replace consulting with a practitioner.

You’re listening to Gut’s and Girl Bits. Today I’m joined with Renae Bartlett, who is a clinical nutritionist who until 12 months ago was based in Adelaide, South Australia. She’s currently residing in Canada for the next two years with her husband, one year old daughter and their dog Diego, and she assists people by focusing heavily on the fundamental basics of using food first for healing, health and well being. Renee was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2016, and postpartum thyroiditis, following the birth of her Daughter in 2018. This has led Renae down a path focused on helping women who hope may have been diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis, or who are at risk of developing this condition. So thank you so much for joining me today.

Renae Bartlett 1:14
Thanks, Alison. I’m really glad to be able to speak with you today and your podcast.

Alison Mitchell 1:19
Yay. So let’s start with some basics. So what’s the thyroid gland responsible for in the body.

Renae Bartlett 1:27
So it’s a very important organ that’s part of the body. So it’s part of the endocrine system and its role is centered around producing the hormones that control the metabolism of all of ourselves. So to put that in simple terms, so some of the body functions that it’s involved in is breathing, regulating our heart rate, regulating body weight and body temperature, menstrual cycles, brain function, mood, just to name a few Very, very important organ that’s part of our body.

Alison Mitchell 2:04
Yes, so important so much.

Renae Bartlett 2:06
Yes, a lot.

Alison Mitchell 2:09
All right, and then let’s talk about what is postpartum thyroiditis.

Renae Bartlett 2:15
So postpartum thyroiditis, if we look at the two terms separately, so thyroid-itis means inflammation of the thyroid and postpartum being post pregnancy. So essentially it is a inflammation of the thyroid as a result of having a baby and it causes both hyperthyroidism, so overactive and hypo thyroidism. So an underactive thyroid with hyperthyroid or even happening at first in that instance. So, the main the main difference between postpartum thyroiditis and say other inflammation conditions of the thyroid is that it’s that pregnancy that really triggers it.

Alison Mitchell 3:06
Okay. And how common is it?

Renae Bartlett 3:09
So it’s believed that it’s between five to 10% of all pregnant women will be diagnosed with this condition. But a point tonight is it’s often misdiagnosed. And the reason for this is the symptoms can be very similar to those that are women may experience just by virtue of having a baby. So, for example, you know, the the things such as being fatigued, losing hair, insomnia, weight fluctuations, can easily be attributed to just having a baby when in fact, it may actually be postpartum thyroiditis.

Alison Mitchell 3:49
Yeah. So many of those things people would just get dismissed about like it’s just because you’re a mom, or something along those lines, but it could be so much more.

Renae Bartlett 3:58
Absolutely. And postnatal depression is also something that can be closely linked to postpartum thyroiditis. So it may in fact be the thyroid that’s causing the depression state rather than depression as an as an isolated incident. So, even though it’s five to 10%, it may actually be be more than that.

Alison Mitchell 4:21
For sure, yeah. And how do you go about getting it tested.

Renae Bartlett 4:27
So it’s simply a blood test after having a baby. Important to note that symptoms generally won’t start until about six weeks after having a baby. So it’s probably important to speak to clinician about the independent factors that may require the blood test at certain times. But generally recommendation would be around about that. Two month period postpartum and then monitoring after that.

Alison Mitchell 4:57
So if say a woman has been feeling Okay for the early stages of the postpartum period, and then she starts to feel a bit more downhill is that way you’d be thinking maybe it’s the thyroid connection,

Renae Bartlett 5:09
it could very well way and it’s just simply a blood test that it there’s nothing terribly invasive about really saying whether someone may have a thyroid condition after having a baby. And it can simply confirm whether that is something that needs to be further looked at and treated, or it can, it can then be be lumped into another condition and go down that path. So I would certainly recommend for women who have had a baby to have their thyroid tested, regardless after they’ve had had their baby, but certainly those that are in the risk group of developing the condition.

Alison Mitchell 5:50
And does your thyroid function actually changed during pregnancy as well like is this process starting earlier than postpartum?

Renae Bartlett 5:59
So Things happen a lot with pregnancy and the thyroid, think of it like a stress test for your thyroid when you fall pregnant. And the reason for this is that the first trimester, the baby is 100% dependent on the woman’s thyroid. So if there’s already an underlying issue there or even a known issue of of thyroid dysfunction, the that can have have severe implications for the woman’s first trimester of pregnancy. And unfortunately, in some cases, this is where complications such as miscarriage can occur. Between because the thyroid and the body in general cannot sustain the mother let alone the baby as well. If the pregnancy does manage to continue, the baby will then start in that second trimester to use its own thyroid to function and then from about 18 to 20 weeks. The baby will then start producing time for thyroid hormones. So when you look at that, for for someone that may have dysfunction, you’ve got the first potentially 20 weeks where that that woman needs to produce enough thyroid hormones for herself and for her baby as well.

Alison Mitchell 7:19
Yeah, okay. So it’s under a lot more pressure during that period of time. Yeah. And I guess because you know, your thyroid is dependent on certain nutrients as well. So if there’s going to be a funneling of nutrients into the baby, then that’s going to be leaving the mother a bit more deficient, possibly. And then, like you said, there’s an immune involvement too. So I guess that would have an impact.

Renae Bartlett 7:47
Yeah, absolutely. So, an important thing to differentiate is the the immune system is suppressed during pregnancy to account for the fact that the body is essentially creating something that’s foreign. So some people may actually notice if they have a autoimmune condition that their symptoms tend to be a lot better when they’re pregnant in some cases, because that immune suppression, that rebound effect after pregnancy, typically from about the six weeks and certainly in postpartum thyroiditis is is what really drives this, this thyroid inflammation and it’s that rebound of the immune system kicking back in and then going into overdrive. So there really is that the two parts playing in developing this condition, certainly.

Alison Mitchell 8:39
For sure. Okay, so, we’ve talked about, you know, how some of the symptoms that are very similar to that postpartum period generally for women like insomnia and fatigue and possibly depression, are there any other symptoms that women should look out for that might suggest that they have a thyroid issue, possibly during and post pregnancy.

Renae Bartlett 9:02
Yes. So during can be incredibly difficult when you’re just looking at symptoms. And that is because the symptoms are very similar to those that you would experience as a result of being pregnant. So for example, there can be weight changes, typically, weight gain, there can be lack of sleep, there can be irritability, anxiety, there can be mood changes, there can be skin and nail changes. So dry skin, brittle nails, all of those are quite common symptoms in particularly hypothyroid saints, but also their common symptoms that you get when you’re pregnant. Right. So, diagnosing during pregnancy is most often by blood tests, but that usually is monitoring the thyroid to see how it is coping with pregnant. Certainly after pregnancy, if a woman is in that hyperthyroid state, she’s going to experience things like increased heart rate. That could be tremors, heart palpitations, overheating, heat intolerance, insomnia, irritability, anxiety. And then when the condition swings to hyperthyroid, if that does occur, then it goes the other way. So things like fatigue, hair loss, poor memory, constipation, cold intolerance and depression are some of the main things that you would say. Okay.

Alison Mitchell 10:43
So the blood test that we’d be looking at is that typically your TSH and if that’s out of balance, then your T3, T4 and your thyroid antibodies is fairly similar to your standard thorough tests.

Renae Bartlett 10:56
Yeah, that’s correct. Yeah. Okay.

Alison Mitchell 11:00
Are there any predisposing factors for developing past postpartum thyroiditis?

Renae Bartlett 11:05
Yeah, there is. So there’s certainly a strong link between having thyroid autoimmunity before pregnancy. So typically the the TPO antibodies. Also there’s a history of thyroid dysfunction previously, and that can even be transients or may not even be be permanent. If there’s been a family history of any thyroid disorders, or a previous history of postpartum thyroiditis in another pregnancy, and also other autoimmune disorders, particularly type one diabetes, they’re at high ris k of developing this condition.

Alison Mitchell 11:51
Okay. And so it is something that does tend to recur so like if you’ve had it one pregnancy, you’re likely to get it another time.

Renae Bartlett 12:00
Not necessarily at the moment, it’s estimated that about 20% of recurring. So that is some good news that it doesn’t mean that for every pregnancy a woman is necessarily going to continue to have postpartum thyroiditis. It may be one time timeline in which is good news as for that, that 20% it tends to be women that have very high anti thyroid antibodies, where their TSH levels are not in the normal range when they fell pregnant, so certainly about about five I believe or even above 10 and that that is the most likely risk factor for perhaps having it recur.

Alison Mitchell 12:51
Okay. Now, I know that you’ve had a bit of a journey yourself with this, is it something that you would be able to share Your journey with postpartum thyroiditis?

Renae Bartlett 13:02
Yes, certainly. So, I was aware that I had a pre existing thyroid condition before I fell pregnant. And I did have some some difficulties falling pregnant. And I do believe it was it was probably due to my thyroid condition. So once I was successful in falling pregnant, I made sure that I monitored my thyroid levels throughout pregnancy. And I wasn’t on any thyroid medication either. So it was more to just make sure that my body was handling it appropriately. Thankfully, it was everything went along really, really well. I had a really wonderful pregnancy, wonderful birth. And then after having my baby at about three months postpartum, I felt generally quite well but I thought I really need to go and just make sure that my thyroid is functioning as it should. And knowing that I had a previous history I thought that would be a good idea. As it turned out, I was very hypothyroid. Much to the surprise to myself and my, my doctor, because I wasn’t really presenting with very strong symptoms, which I came to find is relatively common. It’s more of a hypothyroid state. If it does swing to that word becomes quite known that there may be an issue. And so I monitored my bloods every four weeks, and I believe after about two months, I then transitioned into hypothyroid. And I did then certainly start to notice symptoms. For me, I had extreme fatigue. I would say quite Moody, you know, crying without really understanding what I was crying about. I can remember one day I was out walking my dog and it was a beautiful day and I started crying and I’m like, Why on earth? am I crying? This is not know. I don’t really understand what’s going on. So luckily for me, I knew that it wasn’t just as a result of having a baby and I knew that wasn’t me going crazy and thinking, you know what? What’s going on? I knew that it was my thyroid driving this and I think that really helped me in dealing with it appropriately and just letting my body try and regulate itself, rather than trying to figure out what was wrong with me, in an essence, so I thought, quite lucky that I managed to do that. And then I ended up deciding to take thyroxine because I felt as though I was lucky that my symptoms were okay but I didn’t know how bad I could get and given my history of having a thyroid condition, I thought it best to go that action. And my doctor said, You know what, let’s, let’s give it a go. And if it’s at a time we feel it appropriate, we can see if we can when you offer and take it off and see how your body handles. So I really liked that approach that, you know, we can just try and manage it how we can and then and then see how my body adapts to it at some point, so. So yeah, that’s kind of been my, my journey with it so far.

Alison Mitchell 16:30
Well, thank you for sharing that. Yeah. And I love how much you were trusting your own body to go through those processes as well.

Renae Bartlett 16:37
Yes, sometimes you’ve just got to take your hand off the wheel, I think and just let it do its thing.

Alison Mitchell 16:42
Yeah. So did you find that it affects breastfeeding?

Renae Bartlett 16:49
I was very fortunate that it didn’t affect my milk supply. I was able to breastfeed and I still am now. My baby will be one in two weeks. So thankfully, I am have been able to do that. But it certainly can affect milk production and is a common symptom in women that have thyroid issues. So it’s certainly can can impair that. Hmm,

Alison Mitchell 17:14
well, hooray for extended breastfeeding. I’m a big fan of that.

Renae Bartlett 17:17
Yeah. Yeah. I felt a sigh of relief when I knew that. That was something that I didn’t have to worry about. Yeah,

Alison Mitchell 17:25
yeah. But it’s so interesting, the way that it expresses differently and everyone and how this the different interplay. So it’s not just a straightforward thyroid effects product and no, it’s there’s other things involved.

Renae Bartlett 17:39
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And you’re so right. And this is where really getting to know yourself, I could have easily spent my entire postpartum period, not even knowing that I had postpartum thyroiditis. Honestly, I really could have because you could have just easily put the things I experienced down to having a baby It’s just it just really presents so differently to any to everyone really? Yeah, symptoms really do vary.

Alison Mitchell 18:08
Yeah, and I do observe quite a lot of the time that it is uncommon to get this thorough testing done even as a general screening. And sometimes, you know, you can be having done it too early, or you might because the thyroid changes so much as well. Like sometimes you do need to repeat a TSH and go up and down and by itself, it’s not always that great an indicator, so you might need to get that complete picture of the testing with antibodies.

Renae Bartlett 18:37
Yeah, absolutely.

Alison Mitchell 18:40
Alright, so knowing what you know now, like say, theoretically if you were to have another bubby. would you do anything to look after your thyroid, preconception or during pregnancy to try and prevent this from happening or, or how would you advise other women to look after their thyroid to prevent it.

Renae Bartlett 19:01
Yeah, so that’s a really good question. Because I have looked back and gone ‘What What could I have done?’ I was really good at at having having a really great, very varied diet you know, a good amount of vegetables, fruits, quality protein fats, I started taking a really good quality prenatal vitamin, three months before pregnancy, fish oil, all of that. The one thing that I didn’t do that I would be really interested to see how that would go and that is taking a supplement of selenium. And the reason why I say Selenium is there has been some clinical studies done that shows some promise in that Selenium supplementation during pregnancy. Even with women that has positive antibodies does significantly reduce the risk of postpartum thyroiditis so I caution that we saying further studies need to be done and certainly it’s not the be all and end all that you know, you take Selenium and you’ll be fine but it is quite promising to show that that nutrient did show some improvements in a study that was done I believe in 2011 so that’s one thing that I didn’t do and I think that’s something that I would I would probably look at and I doing with my next pregnancy

Alison Mitchell 20:35
Yeah, it’s interesting and you know, there’s a lot of multivitamins out there that are pregnancy targeted that have virtually like, you know, very little Selenium in them. Yeah, taking a better quality multivitamin is advisable and or taking some additional selenium anymore. At the very least, I guess eating more Selenium rich foods. but that’s so hard to do, isn’t it? Because

Renae Bartlett 21:01
Yeah,

Alison Mitchell 21:03
A bit hit and miss in foods.

Renae Bartlett 21:05
It is and it varies so MUCH. And then of course, you know, you want to you don’t want to just be taking taking pills all the time, you know, and trying to remember to do that, especially if you’ve already got got children I’m a big advocate for trying to use food as much as you can rather than relying on supplements but with pregnancy there is that increased demand and you know, if it means that it could, could possibly help you after pregnancy then it’s it’s a it’s something worth looking at, if you if you can.

Alison Mitchell 21:42
For sure. And what sort of dosages he generally looking to work within the range of because I know that many people are a bit hesitant to do higher doses of selenium.

Renae Bartlett 21:55
Yeah, so, the study that I that I spoke about that showed some Promise the supplementation was at 200 micrograms a day. The upper limit for Selenium is often recommended for 150 micrograms per day. I feel quite comfortable that if someone wanted to try, try that under the useful direction of a qualified nutritionist or naturopath, that 200 micrograms would be suitable and ensuring that there isn’t Selenium coming from other sources that might push that too much further over the edge. I think I think that that is a safe, a safe way and actually shining in studies that it might be useful.

Alison Mitchell 22:43
Yeah. And you know, a nutritionist or a naturopath could guide you with that, I guess. Yeah, absolutely. even look at monitoring your levels through your Bloods and making sure that they’re not going in a pattern that’s a bit uncomfortable for you.

Renae Bartlett 22:57
Yeah, yeah, that’s right. Yeah. Cool.

Alison Mitchell 23:01
So are there some other areas that you often look at supporting women with postpartum thyroiditis?

Renae Bartlett 23:08
Yeah, look, stress is a huge, huge, huge factor. And I know that gets thrown around a lot. I know, you know, nearly every condition you can think of, you know, you get told look out for stress, but honestly, it is so big in driving this condition, it’s not funny and it can be so difficult. You’ve just had a baby, and then you’ve got someone telling you to Oh, you know, just don’t stress so much. And you know, look at that, yeah, that’s really great. But if there are things that you can try and do, whatever it is, whether it be five minutes of meditation just before you go to sleep, or maybe it might be just going out for a walk with your baby or maybe just catching up with some girlfriends, for coffee once a week, whatever it is, just try and do that. That whatever it is that kind of makes you feel that you can just let it out, you know, be writing things in a journal or exercising and he can, you know, all of these things really will play a part in, in trying to reduce that that cortisol and that stress that can really be making this condition a lot worse than what it should be.

Yeah, for sure.

Alison Mitchell 24:22
Yeah.

So stress is a really big one.

Renae Bartlett 24:25
Yeah, yeah. It’s huge. Yeah.

Alison Mitchell 24:30
Great. Are there any other areas that you often look at?

Renae Bartlett 24:34
So nutritionally, we’ve spoken about Selenium. There is also, I guess, when we look back at the pregnancy status is having sufficient iodine to support the thyroid function during pregnancy, and then continuing that for breastfeeding as well. That’s really important. And I think it’s often a nutrient that does get overlooked when you look at prenatal support. So that’s something that really is important. So iodine and selenium for that nutritional and then for postpartum when I look at nutrition, I like to try and simplify it and go you know you’re already trying to reduce your stress let’s not stress it out anymore by you know, throwing these hardcore diet things in there. Let’s make it really simple. You know, think of food first try and think of of getting things as fresh as possible. By you know, going and getting vegetables and fruit just starting with that getting some protein sources. Even if you need to buy frozen vegetables and and cook that up on a meal that’s perfectly fine. You know if that’s going to save you a trip to the supermarket, when you’ve got other things going on. Do that you know, if you need to keep eggs in the fridge so that you can just do some scrambled eggs for dinner. Do that, you know, try and simplify your nutritional routine. Don’t overthink it. Don’t. Don’t try to be this fantastic mom who can just do it all just simplify it, you know, as long as you’re able to eat well. With basics, you’ll be fine. You really will.

Alison Mitchell 26:27
Brilliant. Yeah, yeah. It’s so important for mothers to just eat.

Renae Bartlett 26:32
Yeah.

Alison Mitchell 26:33
Yeah. So easy to just like, you know, let that part of your life to stop because you know, you’re worried about the baby and of course, but you gotta eat.

Renae Bartlett 26:44
You do, you do have to eat and you know what, get when people come to visit you don’t get them to bring gifts of you know, more baby clothes and things like that. Tell them to bring food. Say: “Bring food! What I need, you know, that’s the best gift you can give a new Mama.” Yeah. Yeah, certainly in the month after Don’t forget, you know, they’re still trying to to raise a little human being there. So. Mm hmm. For sure.

Alison Mitchell 27:15
Yeah, for sure. And I always think about iron when it comes to thyroid health as well. Is that something that you look at?

Renae Bartlett 27:23
Yeah, absolutely. And particularly after giving birth, because women will often lose blood as a result of childbirth. So making sure that iron levels are adequate is is really important for that for the thyroid to function. Now, so yeah, that’s that is a very important nutrient. Absolutely. Yeah, for sure.

Alison Mitchell 27:46
Okay, and any, any other areas?

Renae Bartlett 27:50
So we, I guess we’ve touched a bit on nutritional and then the emotional or sorry, well, the lifestyle side of trying to reduce stress, but I think that emotional support is Well, because postpartum thyroiditis is really not known by many people, I think it’s really important to be open and honest with those in your family, your support networks, let them know that, you know, you don’t just have the baby blues that you you know, you are going through something and it can be transients at times between your symptoms, and to just get that added support. So that’s probably my my main take home is look at your emotional support. Lifestyle, you know, try and reduce your stress and nutritionally try and keep it simple by eating the best that you can when you can and don’t overcomplicate it. Yeah, for sure.

Alison Mitchell 28:44
Yeah. Okay. So, can you give some women that have having postpartum thyroiditis or worried about it, three actionable actionable steps that they can do?

Renae Bartlett 28:57
Yeah, so, I guess Further on to what I just I just mentioned then, first of all, figure out who your support network is. Talk to someone about your your condition and how you’re feeling and and really get them to help you in whatever that is for you. It may be getting someone to bring you food, it may be someone helping out with the baby might be someone to just catch up with the coffee, whatever that is. Number two, really try and figure out a way that you can reduce stress in your life. As much as that may be a difficult task for you, even if it’s just five minutes to try and have some time where you just sit there and and write in a journal, read a book, meditate, whatever it is go for a walk. It’s really important. And then third of all, really try and figure out with your nutrition, what you can do with minimal stress on yourself. So whether that Is meal planning so planning out your meals for the week and doing one shop if that works for you brilliant do it if that’s going to enable you to eat the best way you can then do it. If it’s cooking a lot of food and freezing it do that. If it’s having frozen vegetables, boiled eggs, nuts in the fridge, things that you are ready to go because maybe you’re not someone that doesn’t batch cook you’re not someone that doesn’t meal plan you just ate as you go has those things ready there for you. So try to simplify it but stick to foods that are going to give you the most nutrient dense so you know any of you vegetables, fruit quality protein sources, so eggs, meat, tofu. Lovely whole grains think of quinoa, think of making some lovely muffins with spelt, buckwheat, all of those kind of things are really going to be helpful for you. In that postpartum phase, make sure you’re ea ting.

Brilliant. All right and last question for you. What is your favorite food for thyroid health?

Okay, so this is difficult because there’s so many great ones but I’m going to have to go with the very simple egg. The reason being is it’s full of so many wonderful nutrients that are going to support your thyroid so it does have iodine, it has a lovely amount have a really lovely fats which is going to do wonders for your your skin, can do wonders for your hair, protein as well that’s going to support your immune system. And it’s such a versatile food, boil it up, have it as a snack. scramble it have it for breakfast, mixing something vegetables, all that kind of thing. So I think I’m going to go with the humble egg.

Alison Mitchell 32:04
I think that’s a great answer. Great. So thank you so much Now Renae, do you have any offerings on at the moment?

Renae Bartlett 32:14
So at the moment, I’m currently working on a couple of things within my business. So at the moment, I’m looking at putting together a series of helpful, simplified food tips. So that’ll be a compilation of videos, how to shop guides, how to cook guides, but simply for your family. I’m hoping to have that finalized within the next six to 12 months. And also some ebooks on how to look after your thyroid after having a baby.

Alison Mitchell 32:50
Beautiful. Yeah. Oh, well, that’d be so good. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. And if people want to know more, how can they get in touch with you?

Renae Bartlett 32:59
So They can get in touch with me My business is Reborn Health. So the most effective way is just send me a message on facebook Rerbon Health Nutrition. And I’m also on Instagram as well, which is also Reborn Health and Nutrition.

Alison Mitchell 33:15
Great. And I’ll put the links for those in the show notes as well.

Renae Bartlett 33:18
Great.

Alison Mitchell 33:19
So thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information today. It’s been an absolute pleasure talking with you.

Renae Bartlett 33:26
It’s been great, thanks so much for having me.

Alison Mitchell 33:29
Yay. So thanks, everyone for listening. Please hop on and leave us a five star review. And if you have anything you want to learn about in the future, don’t hesitate to ask. So thank you, everyone.

Renae Bartlett 33:42
Bye bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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When you think about the nutrients you need for a healthy thyroid, you’ll probably be first thinking about iodine, selenium, and tyrosine. And you wouldn’t be wrong, but one of the essential minerals for thyroid function that often gets overlooked is iron.

Iron is an essential nutrient that helps us to carry the oxygen around in our red blood cells, and one of the most common symptoms experienced with iron deficiency (anemia) is fatigue, which funnily enough, is also a common symptoms of hypothyroidism, alongside heart palpitations, hair loss, and shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating and low mood.

Iron deficiency is found in up to 60% of patients with hypothyroidism, and a correlation has been found between low levels of iron and hypothyroidism in women. (1)

A point to consider is that if you have thyroid problems, the normal reference ranges for what healthy iron levels are will be a bit different. I will go into what I consider to be an ideal iron profile for hypothyroidism below.

Being deficient in iron can affect thyroid function, and poor thyroid function can affect iron levels.

Iron is part of the thyroid team

Iron has a huge role to play in the health of our thyroid hormones, which I will go into more detail about below. A coexisting deficiency of iron alongside other nutrients can have an added effect, stopping those nutrients from working effectively – this is particularly so in the case of iodine (2) (3).

Several studies have found that supplementing with iron alongside iodine produces a greater effect on thyroid health than with iodine alone, in those who are deficient (4).

How Iron affects the thyroid

There’s a few key areas where iron is involved in keeping thyroid levels happy:

If you are iron deficient the thyroid hormone can’t get properly transported into the cells where it can do it’s thing. This will still show as having normal levels of T3 in blood tests, but you’ll be experiencing symptoms of underactive thyoid.

One of the main enzymes you need to synthesise the thyroid hormones, thyroid pyroxidase, is heme-dependant, which means that it requires iron to work effectively. If you are deficient in iron this enzyme can be reduced by 30-50%, which slows the conversion of T4 to T3 (2).

Iron deficiency can also disrupt adrenal health, which is another area that when out of balance can cause thyroid problems (5).

How your Thyroid affects Iron Levels

In women with hypothyroidism, your periods are more likely to be heavier (a condition called menorrhagia) and this can result in an increased blood loss and consequently losing iron as well (5) (6) (7).

Your thyroid hormones affect your gastric acid secretion, and so having hypothyroidism can result in lower absorption of nutrients, in particular iron which requires plenty of acid to be absorbed(8) (9).

People with thyroid problems often have difficulty digesting wheat and this can cause inflammation in the digestive system, impairing nutrient absorption.

It’s not uncommon for people with thyroid problems to be inflamed and/or overweight (especially in hypothyroidism) and this can affect how much iron you can absorb via a hormone called Hepcidin. This hormone increases when you’re inflamed, which can be from a result of things like when you’re stressed, worn out, have an infected, on certain medications and inflammation also increases when you’re overweight.

It’s quite normal for our body to lock iron away and stop absorption when we’re sick, as this is one of our innate mechanisms for starving infections. But when this message gets skewed and iron absorption is affected long term, that

Testing for Iron deficiency

Before undergoing an iron test, you will need to stop any iron supplements at least 5 days before, as the supplements can skew the test. It’s also a good idea to ensure you’re properly hydrated.

When testing iron studies there are a few markers performed. Below I give the normal reference ranges, however please remember that different labs have different values that they work with so always check with your practitioner before starting any changes based on these results, I have included the reference ranges to give you an example of where in them you would want to approximately aim to be.

Ferritin (how much iron you have stored).

            This has a huge reference range and it’s different for men and women. For women the labs will say normal is anywhere between 12-200ug/L, however I say aim for this to be 70-90, and about 100 for men.

            It’s important to take this marker into consideration with the other readings, because situations like inflammation or an infection will cause your ferritin levels to appear much higher, and if associated with a high level of serum iron and saturation it may indicate haemochromotosis (a condition that affects iron excretion) or another genetic imbalance such as MTHFR.

            Very low levels of ferritin can also indicate heavy metal toxicity, a common issue in thyroid problems.

Serum iron (how much iron is floating around your blood stream bound by transferrin).

            Normal reference range is between 5-30.

            This will drop lower in acute infections, and will be low in chronic iron deficiency and blood loss.

            You want to aim to be in the lower 20s, men slightly higher.

TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)

            This goes higher in iron deficiency and

Normal reference ranges 45-72

Saturation % (essentially it’s serum iron divided by total iron binding capacity).

A few notes on improving iron levels

•  Be careful of which type of iron you use, as some can be constipating. Recently, topical iron has become available as an option, which may be worthwhile discussing with your practitioner.
• Take iron supplements with a glass of water on rising before other supplements by 30 minutes. Ok to take at the same time as thyroxin.
• Iron is best absorbed alongside vitamin C.
• Consider your intake of drinks which may reduce iron absorption such as tea (these contain tannins which can bind to the iron).
• Check other reasons for iron deficiency such as iron loss through bleeding (e.g. with heavy periods) or digestive issues.

VIDEO – Nutrients for optimal thyroid health.

Need some thyroid lovin’?

You can connect with me via the contact page to organise an appointment (now also available via Skype for those who can’t make it into the clinic) or give the clinic a call.

References

1. Interacting effects of selected trace and toxic metals on thyroid function. Jain, R B and Choi, Y S. 1, s.l. : International Journal of Environmental health research, 2015, Vol. 19.
2. The impact of iron and selenium deficiencies on iodine and thyroid metabolism: biochemistry and relevance to public health. Zimmermann, M B and Köhrle, J. 10, s.l. : Thyroid: official journal of the American Thyroid Association., 2002, Vol. 12.
3. The influence of iron status on iodine utilization and thyroid function. Zimmermann, Michael B. s.l. : Annual Review of Nutrition, August 2006, Vol. 26, pp. 367-89.
4. The impact of common micronutrient deficiencies on iodine and thyroid metabolism: the evidence from human studies. Hess, Sonja Y. 1, s.l. : Best Practice and Research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism., 2010, Vol. 24.
5. Menorrhagia–a pragmatic approach to the understanding of causes and the need for investigations. Fraser, I S. 11, s.l. : British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1994, Vol. 101.
6. Profound hypothyroidism-induced acute menorrhagia resulting in life-threatening anemia. Moragianni, V A and Somkuti, S G. 2, s.l. : Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2007, Vol. 110.
7. Menorrhagia and hypothyroidism. Weeks, Andrew D. 649, s.l. : BMJ, 2000, Vol. 320.
8. Gastroprotective effects of Nigella Sativa oil on the formation of stress gastritis in hypothyroidal rats. Abdel-Sater, Khaled A. 2, s.l. : International Journal of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology., 10 March 2009, Vol. 1, pp. 143-149.
9. Effects of thyroid hormones on basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion due to histamine, carbachol and pentagastrin in rats. Rafsanjani, F N, et al. 4, s.l. : Saudi Medical Journal, 2003, Vol. 24.

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Health and Wellbeing Podcast #13 with Guest Kellie Holland from Tonik Health

In the second of two sections on a Naturopathic approach to pregnancy, Kellie Holland from Tonik Health and I chat about some more common issues that pregnant women deal with such as fatigue, urinary tract infections, mood swings, constipation, thrush and heartburn. We also answer some questions such as when to stop lying on your back, and how much caffeine you can have. We also discuss some recommendations for labour and birth preparation including positions, books and courses for birth and raspberry leaf.

Podcast Breakdown: 

0:00 Intro and disclaimer
0:41 Welcome
1:16 Listeria
3:55 Fatigue
5:29 “Eating for two”?
7:57 Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
13:36 Mood swings and stress
15:56 Thyroid issues linked to depression and worsening of menopause symptoms
16:20 Constipation
17:50 Heartburn/reflux
19:05 Thrush/candida
20:24 What to do for coughs and colds in pregnancy?
22:05 Can I drink green tea in pregnancy? (Caffeine)
24:25 When do I have to stop lying on my back during pregnancy?
26:18 Suggestions for preparation for birth and labour and recommended resources and the benefit of having a doula
35:16 Herbs in pregnancy – Raspberry leaf

Click here to subscribe on youtube 

Books mentioned:
Active Birth by Janet Balaskas – http://amzn.to/1OmGCGU
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Dr Sarah Buckley – http://amzn.to/1LzEmNw
The Natural Way to Better Pregnancy by Francesca Naish – http://amzn.to/1Q983TL
The Natural Way to Better Birth and Bonding by Francesa Naish – http://amzn.to/1OmGMhz

Connect with Kellie

Kellie is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist based on the Central Coast of NSW where she lives with her husband and daughter. She runs a successful blog on her website at www.tonikhealth.com.au where she also has free healthy and delicious recipes available.

Website: http://www.tonikhealth.com.au/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tonikhealth
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tonik_health#
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonikhealth

See other videos and podcasts I’ve done with Kellie :

Naturopathic Approach to Pregnancy Part 1

Kid’s Immunity

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Health & Wellbeing Podcast #10 with guest Lisa Costa Bir

In this episode Lisa and I discuss how to reduce emotional and mindless eating to help control your weight by to reducing overeating.

Dieting doesn’t work long term so to reach a healthy weight you need to address your habits and maintain realistic healthy eating behaviours – it’s what you can stick to that will have the biggest impact.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743

Lisa is a Naturopath, lecturer and writer as as well as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant. Lisa has an interest in treating thyroid and adrenal health. Her practice is in Caringbah in South Sydney.

You can connect with Lisa via Facebook, Instagram or on her website http://lisacostabirnaturopath.com.au/

Podcast Breakdown

1.04 About Lisa

2.15 Changing behaviour and habits around eatings, vs. low carb/low fat diets. Some tips for good eating behaviours to help us eat mindfully and avoid overeating

6.28 The Mindless Margin

7.30 How to eat less and not notice, e.g. by tweaking plate and cup sizes

10.00 The placement of your glass affects wine consumption

10.30 More things that affect mindless eating: glass shape, type of wine, eating at the table, chewing

12.35 Get the family involved

13.00 Eating out: cafe/restaurant serves

17.28 More tips to avoid overeating

18.20 Keeping yourself accountable

20.50 Some reasons why dieting doesn’t work

25.00 Emotional, boredom, comfort and reward eating

29.00 Food addiction

38.00 Guilty eating and eating when stressed

38.34 Dealing with stress and the importance of having a support team

42.04 Exercise and NEAT (non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis)

44.10 “Ideal” weight and body image, healthy vs. skinny

45.08 What you do on the weekends matters

48.00 Sleep for weight management

49.42 Lack of sleep in new mothers is a factor in weight gain after birth

50.45 Thyroid function and other hormone imbalances affecting weight Read more HERE and HERE

51.55 How to get in contact

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Health & Wellbeing Podcast #2

This is my second podcast and this time it’s all me. Today I’m talking about reasons for fatigue. Energy problems can be caused by a huge range of issues, so I wanted to discuss some of the most common ones. While it’s not a 100% conclusive list, I hope that this gives people a good place to start when they’re trying to work out why they’re so tired.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743

Podcast breakdown:

2:30 Mitochondria – The powerhouse of your cells, where energy is made. The health and quantity of our mitochrondria determine our ability to make energy, and they can they are susceptible to oxidative damage, and can be depleted by certain nutritional deficiencies.

5:22 Inflammation, particularly chronic inflammation can affect energy and cause other imbalance.

7:40 Andropause, also known as male menopause

8:16 Some tips on reducing chronic inflammation

9:14 Stress is a major cause of fatigue, usually presenting in the form of adrenal exhaustion of HPA Axis dysfunction.

11:28 Thyroid problems are another major cause of fatigue, especially hypothyroidism.

13:36 Nutritional deficiencies that can cause fatigue, Iron, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc

16:12 Certain medications can affect energy levels

16:46 Inadequate exercise can cause fatigue, but this isn’t always straightforward

18:27 The wrong diet – not enough food, too much food, or the wrong type of food for you.

20:39 Sleep. Most of us aren’t getting enough, or it can be an issue with the quality of sleep. I discuss some tips on sleep hygiene.

23:00 Sleep apnoea

23:40 Shift work

26:30 Obesity and fatigue

28:57 The importance of gut health; gut problems can cause fatigue as well.

30:00 Toxicity affects the mitochrondria- what is toxicity, where does it come from, how can you identify if you’re toxic?

31:13 What do you do if you’ve been tired for a long time and you don’t know why? Start by working out a timeline. If you can’t do this because the fatigue has been going on for such a long time then testing may be helpful. There are several different types of testing available, but you may not need to do all of them.

33:00 Some tips for reducing inflammation and improving energy through diet

34:30 Depression is a common cause of fatigue.

35:29 My favourite herbs for energy

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Health & Wellbeing Podcast #1

I’m excited to share with you my first podcast! In this recording I discuss with fellow Naturopath Lisa Costa-Bir thyroid health. Lisa has personally experienced both hyperthyroid and hashimotos, and she has a passion for supporting thyroid health and stress so I’m super grateful she helped out for this podcast.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743

Unfortunately there are a few recording hiccups in this podcast where I found that the recording had stopped itself so it sounds a bit funny in some bits, (still getting used to the software), but the message is still there, and these problems should be ironed out for the next ones :).

Podcast breakdown:

1:30 The prevalence of thyroid conditions; sub clinical thyroid problems are frequently going undiagnosed and taking into consideration more factors than just blood test results, the rate of thyroid problems (hypothyroidism in particular) would likely be much higher. TSH alone is not enough.

3:50 TSH can be artificially suppressed.

4:30 Reverse T3

6:15 Causes of elevated thyroid antibodies

7:47 Foods Lisa recommends for people with thyroid disorders

10:45 Wheat and thyroid

12:00 Soy and thyroid

14:14 Nutrients for the thyroid and how thyroid problems can cause reduced absorption of nutrients

16:35 Look the adrenals and stress first

18:38 Oestrogen, progesterone, PMT and thyroid

20:43 Thyroid medications – You need nutrients for it to work properly

22:00 Iodine and the building blocks for thyroid hormones

23:40 Vitamin D

25:30 Thyroid and Iodine in Preconception, Pregnancy and Post-Partum

30:22 Thyroid and Depression

31:26 Thyroid and Cholesterol

34:30 How long does it take to improve thyroid function?

35:35 Sleep for thyroid

37:44 Basal body temperature and salt in the morning

38:20 Our favourite thyroid herbs

The post Thyroid Health appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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If you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid problem, or even if you’re suspecting that you have an issue and want to learn more this talk is for you.

In this talk we will discuss:

• The roles of the thyroid gland
• The different thyroid hormones and what levels are considered ‘normal’
• Some diet and lifestyle ways you can influence your thyroid
• Symptoms of thyroid imbalance
• Ways thyroid imbalance can affect other areas of your health

Details:

Saturday 9th May 2015

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Short Order Long Black Cafe, Windsor. Shop 7, 266 George St, Windsor, NSW 2756 (02) 4587 9222

Tickets are $25 (plus booking fee) and can be purchased via the form below.

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