Your Thyroid Health

A Brief Overview of the Thyroid

Your Master Gland

At the front of your neck is your thyroid, shield-like shaped gland that secretes two hormones, T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine). These hormones influence the metabolic processes throughout your entire body; instructing your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, your digestion to absorb food and your cells to convert that food into energy. For something so small, your thyroid plays a large role in your overall vitality!  However, due to numerous factors, your thyroid can easily be thrown out of balance, leading to many aspects of your health also being affected. Knowledge is power, so let’s find out more!  

When the Thyroid Goes Amiss…

There are several different conditions that can arise when the thyroid becomes dysfunctional:

Hypothyroidism

This is the most common thyroid condition, and refers to an under-active or sluggish thyroid.  

As this slows down your metabolism, hypothyroidism results in symptoms such as;

fatigue

hair loss

weight gain

depression

intolerance to the cold

dry skin and constipation.

Hyperthyroidism

On the flipside, the thyroid can also become overactive, speeding up the metabolism. This displays symptoms like:

rapid heart rate

excessive sweating

weight loss

fatigue and agitation.

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Autoimmunity refers to the body’s immune system attacking itself. In the thyroid, this manifests as either Hashimoto’s (creating an underactive thyroid), or Graves’ disease (creating an overactive thyroid).

Goitre

A goitre is the enlargement or swelling of the thyroid gland. It can occur with both an under- and overactive thyroid, as well as an iodine deficiency.

Driving the Thyroid to Dysfunction

There are many factors that contribute to an unbalanced thyroid gland, however two of the biggest drivers are stress and an iodine deficiency.

Stress: Physical or emotional stress can reduce the level of hormones your thyroid makes, and can also flare an existing autoimmune thyroid condition.

Iodine deficiency: Iodine is a component of thyroid hormone, making it vital for healthy thyroid function. Unfortunately, the average Australian diet is extremely low iodine-rich foods, which can lead to an underactive thyroid or goitre formation.

Contrary to popular belief, Iodine supplementation without being sure of your iodine levels may actually be detrimental for those with the autoimmune thyroid condition Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. - I have seen some terrible outcomes with those choosing to self-prescribe iodine in high doses.

Nourish Your Thyroid Naturally

There are key nutrients and herbs that can address the drivers of thyroid issues, helping your thyroid to function optimally.

Iodine: If you are deficient, supplementation of this mineral will help to support the production of thyroid hormones, and reduce your risk of hypothyroidism and goitre growth. *Be mindful to check your iodine levels before supplementing - urine is best.

Magnesium: This mineral helps to reduce the activation of the stress system, saving the thyroid from strain. Magnesium also assists cells utilise iodine.

Withania: When the thyroid is underactive, this herb can work to boost the synthesis of thyroid hormones, whilst also helping the body to cope when stressed.

Thyroid Loving Tips

 Three potent things you can do to support the optimal function of your thyroid gland are:

Iodine consumption in foods: iodine rich foods include oysters, fish, seaweed, dairy and beans. If not currently consuming these foods regularly, make a plan to increase your iodine intake with food!

Sleep hygiene: Quality sleep is essential for good thyroid function; ensure you are getting 7-9 hours per night. Additionally, turning off all electronic screens and bright lights at least 1 hour before retiring will assist in good quality sleep.

Stress management: Take some time out each day to reduce your stress levels. This might be going for a walk, chatting with a friend, attending a yoga class or completing a guided meditation.

If you are experiencing any symptoms that can be associated with thyroid issues, speak to your natural medicine Practitioner. They will be able to provide you with further guidance on assessing and managing your presentation.

Remember - "Self-care isn’t selfish, both you and your thyroid deserve it!"

Christine Carley is a bachelor qualified naturopath, with a focus on women’s health and wellness. She passionately supports her clients with, fertility and IVF optimisation, menopause and hormonal health as well as gut health. She spent most of her early clinical practice working with people with chronic and complex autoimmune condition, whilst working in a clinic with cardiologist, psychologists, podiatrist and allied health professionals. She loves assisting those stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleep. She is a passionate health ambassador who takes a holistic, person centred approach to the wellness model of health.

Book an appointment or free online discovery call here: bookings here: LOVE THY HEALTH or call 0409027221

*National and International Telehealth available  

Autoimmune Conditions

Auto-immune conditions are becoming so much more prevalent in Australia and around the world. At the time of writing this there are 81 different autoimmune diseases as well as those being labeled as idiopathic. In Australia the statistics are approximately 1 in 20 and this has become one of the most significant health issues in the world.

Auto-immune diseases are a broad range group of conditions that may involve almost every human organ system, including diseases of the nervous, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems, as well as skin and other connective tissues, eyes, blood and blood vessels.

Some autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or thyroid disease, Multiple Sclerosis or Type 1 Diabetes affect mainly one organ, however they may also significantly effect other parts of the body.

Others are systematic. For instance; rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematous or scleroderma.

Commonly known autoimmune diseases:

• Rheumatoid arthritis.

• Hashimoto’s / thyroid disease.

• Grave’s disease.

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). ...

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis.

• Multiple sclerosis (MS).

• Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

• Guillain-Barre syndrome.

• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

• Psoriasis.

• Sjogren’s syndrome.

• Coeliac disease.

• Psoriasis.

What is the cause of Autoimmune Disease?

All of these diseases share an underlying problem. – The body’s immune system becomes confused or is miss-directed and may attack the organs it is intended to protect. Historically, autoimmune diseases were categorised as Th1 organ-specific dominant or Th2 systemic dominant conditions. Currently it is believed, Th17 cytokines drive the inflammatory response and are linked to the severity of autoimmunity. It is thought that this results in a loss of immune tolerance and increased inflammation in the body.

There are several key areas of immune dysfunction that are common to most autoimmune diseases, which can lead to tissue damage and infection. The core treatment strategy for managing autoimmunity should be to address the immune response which is leading to that inflammation.

Some of the causes and contributing factors include:

Hormonal Imbalances

Vitamin D

Hidden infections in the body that effect the immune system

A build up of toxins

Bacterial overgrowth in the gut and fungi in the microbiome

Stress can exacerbate all of this and symptoms.

Environment is a key factor for your health

Environmental factors refer to the food we eat, what we are exposed to and what our body was previously exposed to that we may not know even about such as viruses or pathogens.

Many studies also indicate autoimmune conditions to be triggered by a physical or emotional trauma, such as; a death of a loved one, a car accident, a neck injury, as well as long term chronic stress. - Try a search in Google Scholar if you would like to see some research on this.

There is still so much we do not fully understand about autoimmunity and there is no absolute research as autoimmune conditions can be so multifaceted.

Initially my job is to be a bit of a detective and deeply question and try to establish, some of the exacerbating factors. This is why I spend so much time asking many of questions of every individual person I work with. The pertinent question I ask people in consult is, “When did this start and did anything significant happen in your life prior to this?” It is so important to have the full picture to really understand each individual. Those who are willing and able to deep dive with this journey do really start to see change.

My aim is to support the bodies’, as well as the minds’ response to any chronic ongoing pain and inflammation. Whilst also taking into account a wholistic approach. Seeing ‘the person’ in front of me and not giving all of the attention merely to ‘dis-ease’. - We are ALL unique beings after all.

We look at environment, food, mindset, stress and genetic predisposition.

The really good news is we have a lot of control over our own environment, regardless of our genes and the body its own innate ability to heal.

What you can do from home for now…

Follow an anti-inflammatory diet plan including the following…

Eat/Drink:

Eat a whole food organic diet every day. - Including, oily fish, nuts, seeds, a rainbow of vegetables everyday.

Eat food that looks like food and doesn’t come in a packet.

Eat small regular meals to support your blood sugar and energy

Drink at least 2 litres of quality filtered or spring water daily - including herbal teas. - I have found remineralising water filters to be highly beneficial and help with pain and fatigue reduction while reducing the toxic burden on your body. this is a very small price when you see the benefits as I do.

Do gentle Yoga & a simple meditation daily.

Avoid:

Gluten - Wheat, rye, oats, spelt, kamut and barley. Any processed and baked good.

Avoid dairy.

Any artificial sweeteners sugars or colourings.

Avoid Omega-6 Oils - sunflower, grape seed, cottonseed oil, soybean, canola, , rice bran, safflower and corn oils.

Avoid the deadly nightshade family. - tomato, capsicum, chilli, potato – as these are seen to contribute particularly to joint to pain and rheumatoid arthritis .

This is not forever…

Remember this is not forever…it may mean your body needs to take a break from the avoid list for a while to re set itself.

Longer term I recommend considering a cleanse using herbal medicines with gut support and restoration with probiotics.

Having experienced chronic fibromyalgia for many years and rheumatoid arthritis, there is such value in making simple doable changes longer term. They can really change ‘the game’ with our health.

My own healing journey took time, effort and persistence . I had been unwell for so many years. The key was a readiness as well as a willingness to start making change. In my experience this is the the biggest challenge facing my clients today. The change can be hard to make in a chronic condition, especially when we don’t see results straight away.

I also highly recommend practices to support healing. Meditation, yoga and mind-set work that resonates with you. As well as addressing any trauma that may have preceded the onset of your condition. - When we do this work, I generally see what we call ‘shifts’.

This is when the healing really can begin.

So much Health & Wellness to You!

Christine Carley - Naturopath / Herbalist / Nutrition

Transpersonal Facilitator

Facilitator - The Work of Byron Katie

Quantum Healing Techniques - Kinesiology & Breath Work

Christine Carley is a bachelor qualified naturopath, with a focus on women’s health and wellness. She passionately supports her clients with, fertility and IVF optimisation, menopause and hormonal health as well as gut health. She spent most of her early clinical practice working with people with chronic and complex autoimmune condition, whilst working in a clinic with cardiologist, psychologists, podiatrist and allied health professionals. She loves assisting those stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleep. She is a passionate health ambassador who takes a holistic, person centred approach to the wellness model of health.

Book an appointment or free online discovery call here: LOVE THY HEALTH or call 0409027221

*National and International Telehealth available