Why such a tiny gland can have such a profound impact? Why thyroid hormone optimization can have a widespread influence in the body ? If low thyroid hormones are the reason for not feeling your best, why hasn’t replacement medication helped you make that 180 degree improvement? Why did those initial improvements go away?
Meet the thyroid gland! She’s a small but mighty little gland that has a big job in the body. The thyroid sits at the base of your neck and is shaped like a little butterfly. The thyroid is busy at work wearing many hats, but among her most important jobs are:
You can sort of think of your thyroid gland as the pacesetter of the body. The thyroid produces thyroid hormones which are like gasoline in the tank. When hormone levels are low, the speed of the body is slower.
The two main hormones the thyroid produces are T4 and T3. T4 accounts for about 80% of production and although it is more abundant, it is less active inside the body. The other hormone, T3, accounts for about 20% of what is produced. Although it is less abundant, it has a lot more activity inside the body and is like rocket fuel to rev up your metabolism. (Keep in mind: more thyroid hormones isn’t always better. It is a delicate balance of getting to the sweet spot!)
Creating this balance inside your body is dependent on the clear communication pathways from the brain to the body. In fact, the brain runs the show when it comes to the thyroid hormone levels in the body. The brain is constantly scanning the body for levels of hormones, but also threats in which increasing the amount of thyroid hormones would be unsafe. For example, if food was scarce, there were a threat to safety, and your energy expenditure (calorie burn) was really high, it would not be wise for the body to ALSO increase the basal metabolic rate. The brain is on your side!
This brain and body connection is called the HPA-OT axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-ovary-thyroid). This nervous system super highway is sort of like a table with each leg of the table being representative of each area of the body (brain, thyroid, adrenal, ovaries). When one leg is off, then entire table is wobbly!
So what makes the table wobbly? I’m so glad you asked!
The first step to identifying where your thyroid dysfunction may be stemming is to check for whether or not your thyroid is being impacted by an autoimmune disease. Upwards of 90% of hypothyroidism is rooted in an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s can be identified on lab tests by assessing:
The elevations of one or both of these values would suggest that you have Hashimoto’s and your thyroid is the victim of an immune system attack. You’ll want to chat with your care team about if this is true for your unique situation!
Next, once you identify or rule out the presence of antibodies, you can dive into where your thyroid hormones may be getting negatively influenced. I call this the Thyroid Hormone Journey. The status of your thyroid hormones is dependent on a multi-step process that begins in the brain with signaling and ends with the hormones getting into your cells to do what they’re designed to do.
If you suspect that you have thyroid hormone dysregulation but are unsure, you can start here:
Lab testing is also a really, really helpful way to hone in on whether you are dealing with low thyroid hormone production, autoimmune issues, and/or poor cellular utilization and absorption of thyroid hormones. Because, truthfully, thyroid hormone dysregulation is more than just a production problem!
Start here:
If you’re looking to REALLY deep-dive into your nutritional status, here are labs I often recruit:
Did you notice how I said that thyroid hormone production isn’t always the issue you could be dealing with if you have thyroid hormone dysregulation? For this reason, I coined and teach my clients/students about The Thyroid Hormone Journey. This is the multistep process of thyroid hormones from brain to body that allows you to feel and function at your best!
Each step in this Thyroid Hormone Journey is influenced by a few main factors that, while important for everyone, is especially important for those of us living with any degree of thyroid dysregulation. (Psst, you can get a FREE five-part virtual masterclass on The Thyroid Hormone Journey here).
Blood sugar, inflammation, stress, nutrient status, and gut health. (There are other factors, sure, but as a Registered Dietitian and thyroid specialist, my lens is foundational and personalized nutrition support to target root causes!).
This is the reason I created The BRAIN Method which is my proven framework for nutritionally and foundationally supporting the brain and body and, of course, the thyroid. Because often, thyroid issues are a signal of a deeper problem! Every person is unique in what is contributing to their thyroid hormone dysregulation the most, which is why following a “Hashimoto’s Disease Diet” you found on Google probably didn’t solve your problem.
The BRAIN Method:
B- blood sugar balance
R- regulating inflammation
A- adrenal resiliency
I- intestinal (gut) health
N- nutrient repletion & balancing
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