My journey with hypothyroidism started over 20 years ago. 

It was a really challenging journey, trying to heal this little butterfly-shaped gland. 

Years of not getting answers. Years of being gaslit by doctors. Years of unnecessary suffering. 

I ended up becoming certified in functional nutrition and thyroid health so that I could start getting my own answers.

Between my own experiences and research, I’ve learned so much about hypothyroidism and thyroid health.

Here are five of the most important lessons.

You can't heal a body that you hate 

I can't tell you how many times I would talk negatively to and about myself and my body. 

But here’s the thing. It turns out that your attitude really impacts your ability to heal! I soon learned that loving, nourishing and caring for my body with positive affirmations was absolutely a huge part of my healing journey.

Lab reference ranges aren't optimal

The lab reference ranges - what the doctor uses to determine if your levels are “normal” - are based on people that have thyroid issues or had them in the past. Not on people with healthy thyroids.

This can give an inaccurate range and will not be the range that makes people feel good. This is why we need to use optimal thyroid ranges instead of lab ranges! If you want to learn more about this, download my guide to reading your thyroid blood test.

Thyroid medication will NOT lower thyroid antibodies

Lifestyle factors are a huge part of the thyroid journey. 

Thyroid medication can help by supplementing or replacing the T3, T4 or TSH hormones. However, these are not always the culprit when it comes to thyroid issues.

Thyroid antibodies can cause a ton of issues too, including Hashimoto’s disorder. But thyroid medication doesn’t help with this!

Instead, lifestyle changes can help reduce thyroid antibodies. For example, avoiding gluten and dairy is a great place to start. 

TSH is NOT a full thyroid panel

TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is not an indication of your thyroid health. ⁠It’s a brain hormone! It is a great indicator of whether or not your thyroid is receiving the message to produce thyroid hormone. But it is not a thyroid test, it’s a pituitary gland test!

So, in order to really know how your thyroid is doing, you getting a FULL thyroid panel is crucial. A full panel will measure TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and Thyroid Antibodies: TPO and TgAb. 

Managing stress is essential

Thyroid hormone conversion (from inactive T4 to active T3) can be diminished drastically from stress…among many other things! 

Stress really impacts your thyroid. That means it’s time to learn your favorite stress management techniques! Watch this video for a few of mine.

So, those are some of the main lessons I’ve learned on my journey to thyroid health.

If you’re having difficulties with your thyroid, I’d love to see how I can support you. Please reach out to me and let’s have a discovery call.