November 26, 2024 • 34 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Dr. Heather Finley (00:03):
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Welcome back to the next episode of the Love Your
Gut podcast.
So excited to be with you todayand talk to you a little bit
about hypothyroidism andHashimoto's and how that impacts
your gut health.
I'll explain why your labs mightbe normal, but you could still
be dealing with subclinicalhypothyroidism symptoms like
(01:16):
fatigue, dry skin, constipation,bloating, hair loss, and how
certain minerals like potassium,selenium, et cetera, are really
essential for thyroid health.
So let's back up about 10, 15years.
And I want to share a little bitabout my own journey with
hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's.
(01:36):
I have been living withtechnically both conditions
since then.
I had lots of hypothyroidismsymptoms in my early 20s after
my dad passed away.
I remember going to the doctorand telling her my hair is
falling out, I'm sick.
So tired.
I can't focus.
(01:57):
I feel like I'm going crazy.
And she told me, you're justdepressed.
There's nothing wrong with you.
And I left there feeling sodefeated because I knew, sure, I
was sad, obviously that my dadhad passed away, but I knew
there was something else goingon because I felt so far away
from myself.
(02:17):
I ended up going to anotherdoctor and telling them the same
thing.
I don't feel well, can youplease run some labs?
I think I have hypothyroidism.
And thankfully, they did.
And the labs came back and I hadnot only hypothyroidism, but I
had very severe, I wouldconsider Hashimoto's.
(02:39):
So Hashimoto's is the autoimmuneportion of thyroid issues.
It's where your body isdeveloping antibodies against
your thyroid.
That's not a good thing.
You don't want your bodyattacking your thyroid.
And in that moment, although Iwas upset that I had an
autoimmune condition, I feltextremely validated that I knew
(03:01):
there was something wrong withmy body.
And I was so glad that I hadadvocated for myself because I
can't even imagine what wouldhave continued to happen had I
just accepted the originaldoctors.
diagnosis of you're justdepressed.
I also remember leaving thatdoctor's office.
The second one feeling reallyencouraged okay, I'm going to
(03:23):
get on this thyroid medication.
I'm going to feel better andeverything's going to be fine.
And that just was not the case.
Over time, I started to realizethat medication alone was not
going to make me feel better.
The biggest breakthrough camewhen I started really focusing
on my overall health, especiallymy gut health.
And my minerals, which ispartially why I'm so passionate
(03:46):
about what we do at guttogether, because it's not just
about your GI symptoms.
It's not just about yourhypothyroid symptoms.
It's not just about yourfatigue.
It's about how every system inthe body is working together and
how everything is affectingeverything.
So it wasn't just the medicationthat made a difference.
Although over time getting onthe right medication at the
(04:08):
right dose, And I think that'swhat really helped.
It was the little shifts that Imade to my diet, to my
lifestyle, addressing myunderlying gut issues and
absorption issues that trulyhelped me feel better.
So I want to talk about a couplescenarios.
And the first is why yourthyroid labs hypothyroid.
(04:33):
This was obviously Not the casefor me, but we have a lot of
clients that fit into thisbucket.
And so what I mean by this ismaybe your hair is falling out.
Maybe you do feel exhausted.
Maybe you are constipated,bloated, et cetera.
And yet your TSH, your thyroidstimulating hormone is normal.
(04:55):
So when we talk abouthypothyroidism, many people
think that your thyroid hormonelevels are off.
You have these symptoms.
Cold sensitivity is another onethat I can think of but there's
often this class of subclinicalhypothyroidism.
It's when thyroid function isstarting to decline, but the
blood work is still showingnormal levels of TSH and
(05:17):
possibly even T4.
But your body might not beconverting enough of the
inactive hormone, T4, to theactive form, T3.
And the key here is thattraditional thyroid tests often
only measure TSH and total T4.
They don't always include theother way more comprehensive
markers like free T3 or thyroidantibodies to determine
(05:40):
autoimmune thyroiditis which isreally critical for
understanding thyroid functionfully.
So you might be in this bucketwhere you've just had TSH run.
I know we had a client recentlywho enrolled in our program, gut
tested.
She suspected that she hadthyroid issues for years and her
(06:01):
doctor only ran TSH.
And when we ran a full thyroidpanel on her, she actually had
Hashimoto's.
And she was so grateful that shefinally had that data because
she thought, okay, I am notcrazy.
Same thing as me, there issomething wrong.
And she also had some prettysignificant mineral issues,
which I'll get into in a littlebit.
So if your free T three is low,ideally we want free T three,
(06:25):
around three or above three orif your antibodies are elevated,
you can still experience all ofthe symptoms of hypothyroidism
and you could totally be missed.
So this is point number one.
Why comprehensive thyroidtesting is so important and if
you don't have comprehensivetesting that you really should
get it.
(06:46):
Because you could be missing areally big piece of the puzzle.
Free T3 and antibodies arereally helpful because free T3
is the active form of thyroidhormone and this affects how
your cells use energy.
So even if TSH and T4 are withinnormal ranges, a low free T3 can
result in symptoms.
(07:07):
Like I mentioned, beforefatigue, weight gain, brain fog,
feeling cold all of the timehair loss, etc.
This was the case for me.
My free T3 was way too low andthat's why thyroid medication
alone was not helping me.
My free T3 was likely low fromlots of stress, probably over
(07:32):
training and under eating at thetime, all the restrictive
elimination diets that I wasdoing for my gut health were not
helping and actually makingthings worse.
And then in addition, thyroidantibodies are really important
for indicating if it's.
autoimmune or not.
So if you have high levels ofantibodies, it can indicate your
immune system is attacking yourthyroid.
(07:54):
This can result in fluctuatinghormone levels.
So even if your thyroid functionappears normal, you still want
to run antibodies because youcould have normal TSH, like our
client that I mentioned, andactually have antibodies.
So some symptoms that mightpoint you to going to get
testing would be fatigue, Dryskin, cold intolerance,
(08:19):
constipation, weight gain, brainfog, puffy face, that was
another big one for me,depression, joint pains.
And as we'll discuss, mineralsplay a huge role in your thyroid
health and how you actuallyfeel.
So I want to talk about whyminerals impact the thyroid and
(08:39):
why you might not be respondingto your medication Or why
perhaps minerals might be whatfinally does it for you.
We understand thyroid labs canmiss the mark sometimes.
But your thyroid relies heavilyon this very delicate balance of
minerals to convert T4 to T3.
This happens as a result of yourliver health as well as your gut
(09:03):
health.
It also, minerals in yourthyroid rely on the regulation
of hormone production.
It keeps your metabolism runningsmoothly, and so if you're
deficient in minerals, yourthyroid can really struggle to
produce enough active hormone.
Even if your labs look fine,which is why FreeT3 is such a
(09:25):
huge marker to look at that yourdoctor's probably not running.
So particularly I'm talkingabout potassium, selenium,
iodine, and copper.
They're really crucial forsupporting healthy thyroid
function.
They protect the thyroid frominflammation.
They aid in hormone conversion.
I'll go in more detail abouteach of these, but it's really
(09:46):
clear that addressing mineralimbalances can be a huge missing
piece, even if you're thought,even if your labs are normal.
So let's first talk aboutpotassium.
Potassium deficiency is one ofthe major issues that we see.
This mineral, Is a game changerand did you know that 98 percent
(10:07):
of Americans don't meet their,meet their potassium needs.
Potassium is a mineral that's socritical for all body functions,
yet most people are not gettingenough in their diet.
And this widespread deficiencyis a huge reason why so many
people struggle with bloodsugar, energy, and thyroid
issues.
If you did one thing today andyou just focused on getting more
(10:31):
potassium in your diet, Ipromise you, you would feel
better.
Potassium is essential formaintaining fluid balance, nerve
signaling, muscle function, andhelps convert It helps your body
convert thyroid hormone.
So if your potassium levels arelow, which you're not going to
see on blood work, you're goingto see this on hair mineral
testing, it becomes really hardfor your body to turn T4 into
(10:56):
T3.
T4 is pretty useless if it can'tbe converted to T3 because
that's the active thyroidhormone.
So this means that yourmetabolism can slow down.
your thyroid function will becompromised, even if your labs
are normal.
And one of the key things thatdepletes Potassium is stress.
(11:17):
So this is a heavily depletedmineral, and as we know, stress
is a constant for so many of us,whether it's work, family life,
physical stress, things likepregnancy, illness, past trauma,
etc.
When you're stressed, your bodypumps out more stress hormone,
cortisol, which increases yourneed for potassium.
(11:40):
So this means that if you'reconstantly under stress, you
could be burning through yourpotassium stores faster than you
can replace them, which yourpotassium is crucial for
maintaining the balance ofstress in your body.
It helps regulate the HPA or thehappy hormone.
hypothalamic pituitary adrenalaxis, which controls how your
body handles stress.
(12:01):
So any disruption in the HPAaccess can lead to chronic
stress, which over time is goingto damage thyroid function.
So when you're, when yourpotassium levels are low, your
stress response can be poorlymanaged, which can also increase
your body's need for otherminerals like magnesium, sodium,
(12:21):
et cetera.
So potassium.
Really functions two ways twomain ways when it comes to the
thyroid.
First, it helps thyroid hormoneconversion, like I mentioned.
It helps your, your body convertT4 to T3, which is necessary for
metabolism and energy.
And without that, you, you canbe producing plenty of T3, but
(12:44):
your body can't use that.
Additionally, potassium's effecton the HPA axis is gonna
determine how your body handlesstress.
So those are two very criticalthings.
Thinking of, how can your bodyget enough active thyroid
hormone, hormone, and we knowthat stress This is going to
(13:05):
impact thyroid function.
So if we're not getting enoughpotassium, this can make you
more vulnerable to stress.
It can also worsen your thyroidsymptoms and keep energy levels
low or put you at risk forthyroid issues.
So how do you get morepotassium?
Potassium is going to be foundin foods like bananas, avocados,
(13:25):
sweet potatoes, leafy greens,tomatoes, coconut water.
If you're struggling to getenough from food, there
obviously can be ways throughsupplements that might be
helpful.
My favorite is through mineralmocktails.
But food is a great place tostart.
If you just think of, okay, whatis one potassium rich food I can
(13:46):
add to every meal that I'meating today?
you will make a huge difference.
So this is one of thecornerstones of your thyroid
support, but it's really moreeffective when you pair it with
other minerals as kind of partof this mineral symphony.
The next mineral that I want totalk about is selenium.
So what does selenium do for thethyroid?
This is E, a trace mineral thatis helpful at protecting the
(14:11):
thyroid gland from stress and itdoes support the conversion from
T4 to T3.
It is an enzyme or it's acofactor for specific enzymes in
the thyroid that help with thatconversion.
It also is an antioxidant, andcan help protect your thyroid
from damage, which we don'twant, obviously, and can allow
(14:34):
your thyroid to function moreeffectively.
Selenium is particularlybeneficial if you do have
Hashimoto's, so you have theautoimmune form.
And research has shown thatselenium can help reduce thyroid
antibodies, specifically antiTPO antibodies, which are
commonly elevated.
And by lowering theseantibodies, selenium is going to
(14:56):
decrease that inflammatoryresponse.
So one of the reasons thatselenium is so effective is that
it helps regulate immunefunction.
And it's going to help supportthe body's ability to balance
your immune system it can reducethose antibodies by, in some
studies, up to 30%, which ispretty crazy.
One of my favorite ways tosupport selenium is I usually
(15:19):
eat two to three Brazil nuts perday.
Super easy.
Great way to get your dailyintake of selenium.
The last HTMA test that I did, Iactually had a really amazing
levels of selenium and Iattribute that to my two to
three Brazil nut today.
You can also get selenium fromdifferent fish, eggs, mushrooms
(15:40):
all things that I eat as well.
Mostly the eggs and mushrooms,occasional fish.
Not my most favorite food in theworld, but I try to eat it.
So if you're dealing withthyroid issues, brazil nuts or
selenium containing foods canhelp, especially if you have
Hashimoto's but really if youhave thyroid issues in general.
Another mineral that is reallyessential for thyroid health Is
(16:04):
copper copper is very essentialbecause it is going to help with
various things, but it reallycan't be taken alone or at face
value.
If you're looking at an HTMAtest, which is something that we
do with a lot of our clients,copper levels might appear to be
(16:24):
normal or high.
But sometimes this can actuallybe really misleading.
The key is that copper canactually be buried in the body,
which means that it's not beingused effectively.
And it's really critical to lookat how copper is behaving in the
body and why it might be boundup and not biologically active.
(16:46):
Often this is due to issues withother minerals.
Like zinc or excessive stresscopper imbalances can occur when
there's not enough zinc to helpregulate its activity.
It can also happen due to issueswith vitamin A, iron, etc.
The, that iron, vitamin A, Zinc,they're all kind of part of the
(17:07):
same picture.
So copper and zinc have thisdelicate balance and too much
copper, too little zinc canreally wreak havoc on your
hormones, including thyroid aswell as fertility.
And so you want to make surethat if you're supplementing
copper, you're also payingattention to zinc.
This is particularly relevantfor anyone who's dealing with
(17:29):
PCOS, endometriosis, thyroidissues.
The other thing to note is thatcopper and zinc compete for
absorption.
So when we consume too much ofone or the other, it can create
a situation where one goes superhigh and one goes super low.
This can result in irregularperiods, low libido, infertility
(17:52):
et cetera.
You can get copper into yourbody from environmental
exposure.
For example, copper IUDs are areally common source of copper.
And they release copper into thebody to prevent pregnancy copper
pipes in your water supply oralcontraceptives can actually
increase copper levels as well.
It can raise copper bindingproteins.
(18:15):
The unfortunate part is thatmost multivitamins do not
contain a proper balance ofcopper and zinc, which can be
really problematic.
Especially for women who arealready dealing with hormone
imbalances or any fertilityconcerns.
So pay attention to the zinc tocopper ratio.
Make sure that if you're takinga multivitamin, it has zinc and
copper in it.
(18:35):
But copper really helps withthat T4 to T3 conversion as
well.
It's also crucial for ironmetabolism, like I mentioned.
And if you're addressing anycopper imbalances in the body,
you want to support zinc.
As I mentioned foods rich inzinc and copper are things like
shellfish, legumes, nuts, seeds.
(18:58):
And you want to make sure thatyou're not exposing yourself to
excess amounts of copperenvironmentally.
Another somewhat controversialmineral for Hashimoto's
specifically, but thyroid issuesin general, is iodine.
So iodine is very criticalbecause it helps produce thyroid
(19:18):
hormones.
So the thyroid uses iodine toproduce T3 and T4.
And like I've mentioned before,these are You need T3, the
active form, but you need T4 sothat you can convert to T3 as
well.
But iodine supplementation isparticularly controversial,
(19:40):
especially if somebody hasHashimoto's.
In someone with Hashimoto's,which is the autoimmune
condition, there's a complicatedrelationship.
Iodine, like I mentioned, isessential.
But excessive amounts of iodinecan actually trigger an immune
response or make it worse.
So we don't want to have iodineintake that's too high.
(20:04):
This can exacerbate anautoimmune flare.
So this can be very nuanced.
There's a lot of practitionersthat are pretty split on this.
And I think the reason thatpeople are so split is because
it really comes down to theindividual.
We obviously don't want toworsen autoimmune conditions.
We want to monitor carefullywhat's going on.
(20:26):
The recommended intake foradults for iodine is 150
micrograms which is usuallyenough to support thyroid health
without triggering an autoimmuneflare.
However, sometimes people arereally deficient.
You may need to supplement, buta lot of foods are really high
in iodine and that's really myfavorite way to get iodine into
(20:46):
someone.
Sea vegetables, kelp, nori, anykind of seaweed is going to be a
great source of iodine.
Adding just small amounts ofthis can make a huge difference.
difference.
Even if you're just doing this acouple times a week.
We love using kelp with ourclients.
It is going to provide iodine aswell as a lot of other
(21:07):
beneficial minerals, forinstance, magnesium, calcium,
iron.
So we don't necessarilysupplement too often with
iodine.
More isn't necessarily alwaysbetter.
I actually have a story aboutthis.
When A long time ago, when I wasexperimenting with minerals and
knew way less than I knew now, Iread about iodine, and I
(21:30):
thought, okay, maybe that's whatI need, and I took Liquid
iodine, and I didn't actuallyeven take that much, but for two
days, I had a raging, ragingheadache, and I couldn't figure
out why, and then I realized, ohmy goodness, I think it could
have been that.
About two weeks later, I did itagain.
Raging, raging headache.
(21:52):
That was my experience with it.
Obviously, too much for my body.
Not something that I wouldrecommend.
But it's best to talk with yourhealthcare provider.
Sometimes it can be appropriate.
If you're working withHashimoto's or you have
Hashimoto's supplementation canbe necessary, but there's other
ways to get it, like I mentionedthrough the diet.
(22:12):
So iodine deficiency Typically,in the past, was a huge cause of
goiters, which is theenlargement of thyro, the
thyroid gland, which is why alot of things are, or
specifically salt, is enrichedwith iodine or fortified with
iodine but it's really less, farless common today than in other
parts of the world.
(22:33):
So the bottom line is, if youhave Hashimoto's, you don't need
to avoid iodine.
But you should just be cautious.
A moderate, balanced approach isbest.
Ideally from food sources likekelp or iodine rich vegetables.
And always talk with yourhealthcare provider about what
would be best for you.
(22:54):
The last kind of mineral picturethat I want to talk about is
B12, cobalt, and iron.
These are all really essentialnutrients for thyroid health as
well.
B12 specifically is especiallyhelpful in relation to energy
production and cellularmetabolism.
It helps support your nervoussystem, so your stress
resilience, it helps form redblood cells.
(23:17):
DNA synthesis.
And when B12 is deficient,energy levels will drop.
You might experience symptomslike fatigue, brain fog,
sluggish metabolism, all whichoverlap with thyroid
dysfunction.
But the interesting piece isthat B12 does not act alone in
supporting the thyroid.
So cobalt, which is a tracemineral, is really essential as
(23:38):
a component of B12.
And without cobalt, the bodycan't use.
Vitamin B12, which means that adeficiency can indirectly cause
B12 deficiency.
Cobalt is something that we cansee on an htma test, and then
you can draw B12 through theblood.
But the thyroid relies on B12 tofunction.
Low B12 can slow the process.
(23:59):
things down.
So we want to make sure not onlyB12 is good, but also cobalt is
good.
And then cobalt, like Imentioned, is the mineral
component of B12 and is going tohelp with the production.
Cobalt is going to be found inanimal products like meat,
poultry, fish, dairy, eggs.
So this is why B12 deficiency isoften seen in people with plant
(24:20):
based diets that don'tadequately supplement since food
sources, sources are.
Typically best with B12 andcobalt.
And then lastly, iron.
Iron is another mineral that isreally closely linked with
thyroid health.
Low iron can disrupt theproduction of thyroid hormones.
And then conversely, Thyroidissues can lead to low iron
(24:43):
levels in the body as well.
With thyroid hormone synthesis,because there are enzymes
involved in converting T4 to T3,these require iron to function
properly.
Low iron can make thisconversion less efficient.
leading to low T3, which is theactive form, even if T4 levels
(25:04):
are normal.
So this means that irondeficiency can really mask the
real issue with thyroidfunction, as some thyroid labs
might appear normal when in factthe conversion is really
impaired.
On the flip side,hypothyroidism, so when
someone's TSH is actuallyelevated, this can contribute to
lower iron stores.
(25:25):
When thyroid function is low,blood flow will slow down.
This impacts the transport ofnutrients, like iron, to the
tissues and people with thyroidproblems may experience
increased blood loss throughmenstrual periods, which will
further deplete iron levels.
When we're looking at iron, it'snot as simple as just iron
supplementation.
Iron has to be properly balancedwith other minerals, like copper
(25:47):
and zinc, and these nutrientsplay a role in absorption and
utilization.
Iron has to be properly balancedwith other minerals, like copper
and zinc, and these nutrientsplay a role in absorption and
utilization.
Copper is going to help mobilizestored iron, which is where htma
can be really helpful.
And we want to make sure thatwe're getting iron from iron
rich foods.
Our iron needs actually on adaily basis are not that high.
(26:09):
Iron recycling is reallyimportant.
You can get iron from red meat,liver, chicken, fish.
Lentils, spinach, quinoa, tofu,etc.
And vitamin C can really helpenhance that absorption.
All this to say, minerals are ahuge piece of your thyroid
health.
Because if you're just takingmedication for your thyroid,
(26:31):
that's not really addressing thewhole picture.
What if you can't convert thatmedication?
You can't convert T4 to T3.
I know it's pretty controversialin the endocrinology space about
taking medications that haveboth T4 and T3 and your doctor
may have a hard line on thisissue, but if you can't convert
(26:54):
T4 to T3, you're going to stillhave all of the same symptoms,
which is where minerals andaddressing your gut and liver
health It's going to be huge foryou.
It's all about the balance ofnutrients that work together.
A B12 deficiency is not onlygoing to affect brain and energy
function, but it's going toaffect your thyroid.
(27:16):
Similarly, iron levels, this canimpair the conversion of thyroid
hormone.
Low potassium, this is going toimpair the conversion from T4 to
T3.
Especially if you haveautoimmune disease, we have to
pay attention to things likeselenium, zinc, etc.
Really, your next step on yourthyroid journey is Great, you're
(27:37):
on medication now.
Let's look deeper at what elseyour body needs so that it can
function optimally.
So I want to share a story withyou about a client who made huge
improvements in her thyroidhealth in literally three
months.
Think about how much time itprobably took you to finally get
(27:59):
diagnosed, to get on medication,to perhaps get on the right dose
of medication, but really smallshifts.
It wasn't like this womancompletely overhauled her entire
lifestyle.
In fact, she just made reallydistinct but simple changes to
her health.
And her intake that allowed herto have huge results.
(28:21):
So she came to us.
She was struggling with all theclassic thyroid symptoms,
fatigue, brain fog, coldextremities, sluggish digestion.
She'd been on thyroid medicationfor a while, I think several
years, but still just wasn'tfeeling right.
She was constantly tired.
And her energy levels were justnowhere near where they needed
to be.
(28:41):
So we started with the HTMA testand found that she had quite a
few mineral deficiencies thatwere likely contributing,
including magnesium, zinc,selenium, potassium, and iron.
Through just making some simpleshifts and focusing on restoring
balance to her minerals, she wasable to actually decrease her
(29:06):
thyroid medication.
It was so simple.
In three months, she noticedsuch a huge change.
Her energy levels picked up.
Her brain fog lifted.
Her digestion was a lot moreregular.
And we were able to reduce thatmedication dose or her doctor
was able to, which is soencouraging, just showing you
that it does not take hugedrastic potentially really time
(29:30):
consuming shifts to actuallymake a huge difference.
When you have a really simpleand effective plan, you can
really support yourself.
And also on the flip side, Whenyour thyroid is functioning
optimally, everything becomeseasier, you have more energy,
you're not fighting brain fog,your life just feels better and
(29:51):
it doesn't have to take hours inthe kitchen, doesn't have to
take this total life overhaul.
You can do it and you can do itsustainably and long term.
So I want to just give to closeup a quick guide to look at if
you're looking at your thyroidlabs.
Some key markers that can helpyou determine which minerals you
(30:12):
might need for extra support.
First take a look at your TSH.
This is your thyroid stimulatinghormone.
If it's high, this means thatyour thyroid is underactive, so
hypothyroidism.
You might need more selenium,iron, or magnesium or potassium.
If it's low, you want to look atyour selenium and copper.
(30:34):
Thank you Next, look at your T4.
If you have low T4, this oftensuggests hypothyroidism.
If it is low, it's important tofocus on supporting selenium for
thyroid conversion, also zincand magnesium for the enzyme
processes involved in thyroidhormone conversion.
Next, look at your T three andyour free T three.
(30:56):
So free T three is the activethyroid hormone.
If it's low, this means thatyour body is not converting
thyroid hormone efficiently.
So potassium and selenium aregonna be huge here.
Also, make sure you're gettingenough zinc if your free T three
is high.
This could indicate too muchthyroid hormone so you might
(31:16):
have to look at a medicationchange.
It's gonna be a lot more rare ifyou're actually have too much
T3.
And then next up would be yourreverse T3.
So this is a key marker ofthyroid dysfunction.
It often happens in the contextof stress.
illness or chronic inflammation.
So if you have high reverse T3,this is going to block the
(31:39):
action of active T3.
So magnesium, selenium, zinc,these are going to be really
important.
You also want to look at youriron levels.
And lastly, your antibodies.
If you have high antibodies,indicating Hashimoto's, This is
where you're really going towant to push selenium.
So eat your two to three Brazilnuts a day, copper, zinc, make
(32:02):
sure that your copper and zincare balanced and really identify
the source of the fire.
So what's causing the autoimmuneflare?
Is there something going on inyour gut?
Is there something going on withyour stress?
Are you chronically stressed?
Something going on with yourliver, et cetera.
So you want to really take alook at where the issue is.
(32:23):
And then you can really make aplan to heal from there.
So thanks so much for tuninginto this episode on minerals
for hypothyroidism, as well asjust where to go next.
If you've been diagnosed, wework with so many women that
have been diagnosed withhypothyroidism or Hashimoto's,
or they don't know they havethyroid issues until.
(32:45):
We're able to draw labs.
If you're feeling inspired tosupport your minerals, make sure
you download the free mineralguide.
The link is in the show notes.
Lots of practical tips.
I even have a section on mineralmocktails for thyroid issues.
So make sure you check out thatsection.
There's recipes.
Links, et cetera.
And then don't forget, mark yourcalendar.
(33:07):
HTM a black Friday sale is rightaround the corner.
If you're feeling inspired okay,minerals are my next step.
9 AM black Friday, November29th, those spots will become
available.
But thanks so much for tuningin.
Go ahead and send me a messageon Instagram.
I would love to hear what youtook away from this episode,
(33:28):
what you found interesting anytopic or episode suggestions
that you might have and rememberto always love your gut.
So it loves you back.
I'm giving you a thumbs upbecause you just finished
another episode of the love yourgut podcast.
I am so excited because blackFriday is just around the
corner.
And honestly, Thanksgiving andblack Friday are some of my
(33:49):
favorite days of the year.
The buzz on Instagram has beenwild with questions about our
black Friday specials.
And guess what?
The answer is a resounding yes.
So make sure that you're part ofour email list to be the very
first in the know about ourfantastic.
Black Friday deals on HTMA orhair mineral testing.
(34:09):
You do not want to miss out onthese gems.
I promise the link to join ouremail list is in the show notes
below.
And as always remember that whenyou love your gut, it'll love
you back.
And that's what we're all about.
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Welcome back to the next episode of the Love Your
Gut podcast.
So excited to be with you todayand talk to you a little bit
about hypothyroidism andHashimoto's and how that impacts
your gut health.
I'll explain why your labs mightbe normal, but you could still
be dealing with subclinicalhypothyroidism symptoms like
(01:16):
fatigue, dry skin, constipation,bloating, hair loss, and how
certain minerals like potassium,selenium, et cetera, are really
essential for thyroid health.
So let's back up about 10, 15years.
And I want to share a little bitabout my own journey with
hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's.
(01:36):
I have been living withtechnically both conditions
since then.
I had lots of hypothyroidismsymptoms in my early 20s after
my dad passed away.
I remember going to the doctorand telling her my hair is
falling out, I'm sick.
So tired.
I can't focus.
(01:57):
I feel like I'm going crazy.
And she told me, you're justdepressed.
There's nothing wrong with you.
And I left there feeling sodefeated because I knew, sure, I
was sad, obviously that my dadhad passed away, but I knew
there was something else goingon because I felt so far away
from myself.
(02:17):
I ended up going to anotherdoctor and telling them the same
thing.
I don't feel well, can youplease run some labs?
I think I have hypothyroidism.
And thankfully, they did.
And the labs came back and I hadnot only hypothyroidism, but I
had very severe, I wouldconsider Hashimoto's.
(02:39):
So Hashimoto's is the autoimmuneportion of thyroid issues.
It's where your body isdeveloping antibodies against
your thyroid.
That's not a good thing.
You don't want your bodyattacking your thyroid.
And in that moment, although Iwas upset that I had an
autoimmune condition, I feltextremely validated that I knew
(03:01):
there was something wrong withmy body.
And I was so glad that I hadadvocated for myself because I
can't even imagine what wouldhave continued to happen had I
just accepted the originaldoctors.
diagnosis of you're justdepressed.
I also remember leaving thatdoctor's office.
The second one feeling reallyencouraged okay, I'm going to
(03:23):
get on this thyroid medication.
I'm going to feel better andeverything's going to be fine.
And that just was not the case.
Over time, I started to realizethat medication alone was not
going to make me feel better.
The biggest breakthrough camewhen I started really focusing
on my overall health, especiallymy gut health.
And my minerals, which ispartially why I'm so passionate
(03:46):
about what we do at guttogether, because it's not just
about your GI symptoms.
It's not just about yourhypothyroid symptoms.
It's not just about yourfatigue.
It's about how every system inthe body is working together and
how everything is affectingeverything.
So it wasn't just the medicationthat made a difference.
Although over time getting onthe right medication at the
(04:08):
right dose, And I think that'swhat really helped.
It was the little shifts that Imade to my diet, to my
lifestyle, addressing myunderlying gut issues and
absorption issues that trulyhelped me feel better.
So I want to talk about a couplescenarios.
And the first is why yourthyroid labs hypothyroid.
(04:33):
This was obviously Not the casefor me, but we have a lot of
clients that fit into thisbucket.
And so what I mean by this ismaybe your hair is falling out.
Maybe you do feel exhausted.
Maybe you are constipated,bloated, et cetera.
And yet your TSH, your thyroidstimulating hormone is normal.
(04:55):
So when we talk abouthypothyroidism, many people
think that your thyroid hormonelevels are off.
You have these symptoms.
Cold sensitivity is another onethat I can think of but there's
often this class of subclinicalhypothyroidism.
It's when thyroid function isstarting to decline, but the
blood work is still showingnormal levels of TSH and
(05:17):
possibly even T4.
But your body might not beconverting enough of the
inactive hormone, T4, to theactive form, T3.
And the key here is thattraditional thyroid tests often
only measure TSH and total T4.
They don't always include theother way more comprehensive
markers like free T3 or thyroidantibodies to determine
(05:40):
autoimmune thyroiditis which isreally critical for
understanding thyroid functionfully.
So you might be in this bucketwhere you've just had TSH run.
I know we had a client recentlywho enrolled in our program, gut
tested.
She suspected that she hadthyroid issues for years and her
(06:01):
doctor only ran TSH.
And when we ran a full thyroidpanel on her, she actually had
Hashimoto's.
And she was so grateful that shefinally had that data because
she thought, okay, I am notcrazy.
Same thing as me, there issomething wrong.
And she also had some prettysignificant mineral issues,
which I'll get into in a littlebit.
So if your free T three is low,ideally we want free T three,
(06:25):
around three or above three orif your antibodies are elevated,
you can still experience all ofthe symptoms of hypothyroidism
and you could totally be missed.
So this is point number one.
Why comprehensive thyroidtesting is so important and if
you don't have comprehensivetesting that you really should
get it.
(06:46):
Because you could be missing areally big piece of the puzzle.
Free T3 and antibodies arereally helpful because free T3
is the active form of thyroidhormone and this affects how
your cells use energy.
So even if TSH and T4 are withinnormal ranges, a low free T3 can
result in symptoms.
(07:07):
Like I mentioned, beforefatigue, weight gain, brain fog,
feeling cold all of the timehair loss, etc.
This was the case for me.
My free T3 was way too low andthat's why thyroid medication
alone was not helping me.
My free T3 was likely low fromlots of stress, probably over
(07:32):
training and under eating at thetime, all the restrictive
elimination diets that I wasdoing for my gut health were not
helping and actually makingthings worse.
And then in addition, thyroidantibodies are really important
for indicating if it's.
autoimmune or not.
So if you have high levels ofantibodies, it can indicate your
immune system is attacking yourthyroid.
(07:54):
This can result in fluctuatinghormone levels.
So even if your thyroid functionappears normal, you still want
to run antibodies because youcould have normal TSH, like our
client that I mentioned, andactually have antibodies.
So some symptoms that mightpoint you to going to get
testing would be fatigue, Dryskin, cold intolerance,
(08:19):
constipation, weight gain, brainfog, puffy face, that was
another big one for me,depression, joint pains.
And as we'll discuss, mineralsplay a huge role in your thyroid
health and how you actuallyfeel.
So I want to talk about whyminerals impact the thyroid and
(08:39):
why you might not be respondingto your medication Or why
perhaps minerals might be whatfinally does it for you.
We understand thyroid labs canmiss the mark sometimes.
But your thyroid relies heavilyon this very delicate balance of
minerals to convert T4 to T3.
This happens as a result of yourliver health as well as your gut
(09:03):
health.
It also, minerals in yourthyroid rely on the regulation
of hormone production.
It keeps your metabolism runningsmoothly, and so if you're
deficient in minerals, yourthyroid can really struggle to
produce enough active hormone.
Even if your labs look fine,which is why FreeT3 is such a
(09:25):
huge marker to look at that yourdoctor's probably not running.
So particularly I'm talkingabout potassium, selenium,
iodine, and copper.
They're really crucial forsupporting healthy thyroid
function.
They protect the thyroid frominflammation.
They aid in hormone conversion.
I'll go in more detail abouteach of these, but it's really
(09:46):
clear that addressing mineralimbalances can be a huge missing
piece, even if you're thought,even if your labs are normal.
So let's first talk aboutpotassium.
Potassium deficiency is one ofthe major issues that we see.
This mineral, Is a game changerand did you know that 98 percent
(10:07):
of Americans don't meet their,meet their potassium needs.
Potassium is a mineral that's socritical for all body functions,
yet most people are not gettingenough in their diet.
And this widespread deficiencyis a huge reason why so many
people struggle with bloodsugar, energy, and thyroid
issues.
If you did one thing today andyou just focused on getting more
(10:31):
potassium in your diet, Ipromise you, you would feel
better.
Potassium is essential formaintaining fluid balance, nerve
signaling, muscle function, andhelps convert It helps your body
convert thyroid hormone.
So if your potassium levels arelow, which you're not going to
see on blood work, you're goingto see this on hair mineral
testing, it becomes really hardfor your body to turn T4 into
(10:56):
T3.
T4 is pretty useless if it can'tbe converted to T3 because
that's the active thyroidhormone.
So this means that yourmetabolism can slow down.
your thyroid function will becompromised, even if your labs
are normal.
And one of the key things thatdepletes Potassium is stress.
(11:17):
So this is a heavily depletedmineral, and as we know, stress
is a constant for so many of us,whether it's work, family life,
physical stress, things likepregnancy, illness, past trauma,
etc.
When you're stressed, your bodypumps out more stress hormone,
cortisol, which increases yourneed for potassium.
(11:40):
So this means that if you'reconstantly under stress, you
could be burning through yourpotassium stores faster than you
can replace them, which yourpotassium is crucial for
maintaining the balance ofstress in your body.
It helps regulate the HPA or thehappy hormone.
hypothalamic pituitary adrenalaxis, which controls how your
body handles stress.
(12:01):
So any disruption in the HPAaccess can lead to chronic
stress, which over time is goingto damage thyroid function.
So when you're, when yourpotassium levels are low, your
stress response can be poorlymanaged, which can also increase
your body's need for otherminerals like magnesium, sodium,
(12:21):
et cetera.
So potassium.
Really functions two ways twomain ways when it comes to the
thyroid.
First, it helps thyroid hormoneconversion, like I mentioned.
It helps your, your body convertT4 to T3, which is necessary for
metabolism and energy.
And without that, you, you canbe producing plenty of T3, but
(12:44):
your body can't use that.
Additionally, potassium's effecton the HPA axis is gonna
determine how your body handlesstress.
So those are two very criticalthings.
Thinking of, how can your bodyget enough active thyroid
hormone, hormone, and we knowthat stress This is going to
(13:05):
impact thyroid function.
So if we're not getting enoughpotassium, this can make you
more vulnerable to stress.
It can also worsen your thyroidsymptoms and keep energy levels
low or put you at risk forthyroid issues.
So how do you get morepotassium?
Potassium is going to be foundin foods like bananas, avocados,
(13:25):
sweet potatoes, leafy greens,tomatoes, coconut water.
If you're struggling to getenough from food, there
obviously can be ways throughsupplements that might be
helpful.
My favorite is through mineralmocktails.
But food is a great place tostart.
If you just think of, okay, whatis one potassium rich food I can
(13:46):
add to every meal that I'meating today?
you will make a huge difference.
So this is one of thecornerstones of your thyroid
support, but it's really moreeffective when you pair it with
other minerals as kind of partof this mineral symphony.
The next mineral that I want totalk about is selenium.
So what does selenium do for thethyroid?
This is E, a trace mineral thatis helpful at protecting the
(14:11):
thyroid gland from stress and itdoes support the conversion from
T4 to T3.
It is an enzyme or it's acofactor for specific enzymes in
the thyroid that help with thatconversion.
It also is an antioxidant, andcan help protect your thyroid
from damage, which we don'twant, obviously, and can allow
(14:34):
your thyroid to function moreeffectively.
Selenium is particularlybeneficial if you do have
Hashimoto's, so you have theautoimmune form.
And research has shown thatselenium can help reduce thyroid
antibodies, specifically antiTPO antibodies, which are
commonly elevated.
And by lowering theseantibodies, selenium is going to
(14:56):
decrease that inflammatoryresponse.
So one of the reasons thatselenium is so effective is that
it helps regulate immunefunction.
And it's going to help supportthe body's ability to balance
your immune system it can reducethose antibodies by, in some
studies, up to 30%, which ispretty crazy.
One of my favorite ways tosupport selenium is I usually
(15:19):
eat two to three Brazil nuts perday.
Super easy.
Great way to get your dailyintake of selenium.
The last HTMA test that I did, Iactually had a really amazing
levels of selenium and Iattribute that to my two to
three Brazil nut today.
You can also get selenium fromdifferent fish, eggs, mushrooms
(15:40):
all things that I eat as well.
Mostly the eggs and mushrooms,occasional fish.
Not my most favorite food in theworld, but I try to eat it.
So if you're dealing withthyroid issues, brazil nuts or
selenium containing foods canhelp, especially if you have
Hashimoto's but really if youhave thyroid issues in general.
Another mineral that is reallyessential for thyroid health Is
(16:04):
copper copper is very essentialbecause it is going to help with
various things, but it reallycan't be taken alone or at face
value.
If you're looking at an HTMAtest, which is something that we
do with a lot of our clients,copper levels might appear to be
(16:24):
normal or high.
But sometimes this can actuallybe really misleading.
The key is that copper canactually be buried in the body,
which means that it's not beingused effectively.
And it's really critical to lookat how copper is behaving in the
body and why it might be boundup and not biologically active.
(16:46):
Often this is due to issues withother minerals.
Like zinc or excessive stresscopper imbalances can occur when
there's not enough zinc to helpregulate its activity.
It can also happen due to issueswith vitamin A, iron, etc.
The, that iron, vitamin A, Zinc,they're all kind of part of the
(17:07):
same picture.
So copper and zinc have thisdelicate balance and too much
copper, too little zinc canreally wreak havoc on your
hormones, including thyroid aswell as fertility.
And so you want to make surethat if you're supplementing
copper, you're also payingattention to zinc.
This is particularly relevantfor anyone who's dealing with
(17:29):
PCOS, endometriosis, thyroidissues.
The other thing to note is thatcopper and zinc compete for
absorption.
So when we consume too much ofone or the other, it can create
a situation where one goes superhigh and one goes super low.
This can result in irregularperiods, low libido, infertility
(17:52):
et cetera.
You can get copper into yourbody from environmental
exposure.
For example, copper IUDs are areally common source of copper.
And they release copper into thebody to prevent pregnancy copper
pipes in your water supply oralcontraceptives can actually
increase copper levels as well.
It can raise copper bindingproteins.
(18:15):
The unfortunate part is thatmost multivitamins do not
contain a proper balance ofcopper and zinc, which can be
really problematic.
Especially for women who arealready dealing with hormone
imbalances or any fertilityconcerns.
So pay attention to the zinc tocopper ratio.
Make sure that if you're takinga multivitamin, it has zinc and
copper in it.
(18:35):
But copper really helps withthat T4 to T3 conversion as
well.
It's also crucial for ironmetabolism, like I mentioned.
And if you're addressing anycopper imbalances in the body,
you want to support zinc.
As I mentioned foods rich inzinc and copper are things like
shellfish, legumes, nuts, seeds.
(18:58):
And you want to make sure thatyou're not exposing yourself to
excess amounts of copperenvironmentally.
Another somewhat controversialmineral for Hashimoto's
specifically, but thyroid issuesin general, is iodine.
So iodine is very criticalbecause it helps produce thyroid
(19:18):
hormones.
So the thyroid uses iodine toproduce T3 and T4.
And like I've mentioned before,these are You need T3, the
active form, but you need T4 sothat you can convert to T3 as
well.
But iodine supplementation isparticularly controversial,
(19:40):
especially if somebody hasHashimoto's.
In someone with Hashimoto's,which is the autoimmune
condition, there's a complicatedrelationship.
Iodine, like I mentioned, isessential.
But excessive amounts of iodinecan actually trigger an immune
response or make it worse.
So we don't want to have iodineintake that's too high.
(20:04):
This can exacerbate anautoimmune flare.
So this can be very nuanced.
There's a lot of practitionersthat are pretty split on this.
And I think the reason thatpeople are so split is because
it really comes down to theindividual.
We obviously don't want toworsen autoimmune conditions.
We want to monitor carefullywhat's going on.
(20:26):
The recommended intake foradults for iodine is 150
micrograms which is usuallyenough to support thyroid health
without triggering an autoimmuneflare.
However, sometimes people arereally deficient.
You may need to supplement, buta lot of foods are really high
in iodine and that's really myfavorite way to get iodine into
(20:46):
someone.
Sea vegetables, kelp, nori, anykind of seaweed is going to be a
great source of iodine.
Adding just small amounts ofthis can make a huge difference.
difference.
Even if you're just doing this acouple times a week.
We love using kelp with ourclients.
It is going to provide iodine aswell as a lot of other
(21:07):
beneficial minerals, forinstance, magnesium, calcium,
iron.
So we don't necessarilysupplement too often with
iodine.
More isn't necessarily alwaysbetter.
I actually have a story aboutthis.
When A long time ago, when I wasexperimenting with minerals and
knew way less than I knew now, Iread about iodine, and I
(21:30):
thought, okay, maybe that's whatI need, and I took Liquid
iodine, and I didn't actuallyeven take that much, but for two
days, I had a raging, ragingheadache, and I couldn't figure
out why, and then I realized, ohmy goodness, I think it could
have been that.
About two weeks later, I did itagain.
Raging, raging headache.
(21:52):
That was my experience with it.
Obviously, too much for my body.
Not something that I wouldrecommend.
But it's best to talk with yourhealthcare provider.
Sometimes it can be appropriate.
If you're working withHashimoto's or you have
Hashimoto's supplementation canbe necessary, but there's other
ways to get it, like I mentionedthrough the diet.
(22:12):
So iodine deficiency Typically,in the past, was a huge cause of
goiters, which is theenlargement of thyro, the
thyroid gland, which is why alot of things are, or
specifically salt, is enrichedwith iodine or fortified with
iodine but it's really less, farless common today than in other
parts of the world.
(22:33):
So the bottom line is, if youhave Hashimoto's, you don't need
to avoid iodine.
But you should just be cautious.
A moderate, balanced approach isbest.
Ideally from food sources likekelp or iodine rich vegetables.
And always talk with yourhealthcare provider about what
would be best for you.
(22:54):
The last kind of mineral picturethat I want to talk about is
B12, cobalt, and iron.
These are all really essentialnutrients for thyroid health as
well.
B12 specifically is especiallyhelpful in relation to energy
production and cellularmetabolism.
It helps support your nervoussystem, so your stress
resilience, it helps form redblood cells.
(23:17):
DNA synthesis.
And when B12 is deficient,energy levels will drop.
You might experience symptomslike fatigue, brain fog,
sluggish metabolism, all whichoverlap with thyroid
dysfunction.
But the interesting piece isthat B12 does not act alone in
supporting the thyroid.
So cobalt, which is a tracemineral, is really essential as
(23:38):
a component of B12.
And without cobalt, the bodycan't use.
Vitamin B12, which means that adeficiency can indirectly cause
B12 deficiency.
Cobalt is something that we cansee on an htma test, and then
you can draw B12 through theblood.
But the thyroid relies on B12 tofunction.
Low B12 can slow the process.
(23:59):
things down.
So we want to make sure not onlyB12 is good, but also cobalt is
good.
And then cobalt, like Imentioned, is the mineral
component of B12 and is going tohelp with the production.
Cobalt is going to be found inanimal products like meat,
poultry, fish, dairy, eggs.
So this is why B12 deficiency isoften seen in people with plant
(24:20):
based diets that don'tadequately supplement since food
sources, sources are.
Typically best with B12 andcobalt.
And then lastly, iron.
Iron is another mineral that isreally closely linked with
thyroid health.
Low iron can disrupt theproduction of thyroid hormones.
And then conversely, Thyroidissues can lead to low iron
(24:43):
levels in the body as well.
With thyroid hormone synthesis,because there are enzymes
involved in converting T4 to T3,these require iron to function
properly.
Low iron can make thisconversion less efficient.
leading to low T3, which is theactive form, even if T4 levels
(25:04):
are normal.
So this means that irondeficiency can really mask the
real issue with thyroidfunction, as some thyroid labs
might appear normal when in factthe conversion is really
impaired.
On the flip side,hypothyroidism, so when
someone's TSH is actuallyelevated, this can contribute to
lower iron stores.
(25:25):
When thyroid function is low,blood flow will slow down.
This impacts the transport ofnutrients, like iron, to the
tissues and people with thyroidproblems may experience
increased blood loss throughmenstrual periods, which will
further deplete iron levels.
When we're looking at iron, it'snot as simple as just iron
supplementation.
Iron has to be properly balancedwith other minerals, like copper
(25:47):
and zinc, and these nutrientsplay a role in absorption and
utilization.
Iron has to be properly balancedwith other minerals, like copper
and zinc, and these nutrientsplay a role in absorption and
utilization.
Copper is going to help mobilizestored iron, which is where htma
can be really helpful.
And we want to make sure thatwe're getting iron from iron
rich foods.
Our iron needs actually on adaily basis are not that high.
(26:09):
Iron recycling is reallyimportant.
You can get iron from red meat,liver, chicken, fish.
Lentils, spinach, quinoa, tofu,etc.
And vitamin C can really helpenhance that absorption.
All this to say, minerals are ahuge piece of your thyroid
health.
Because if you're just takingmedication for your thyroid,
(26:31):
that's not really addressing thewhole picture.
What if you can't convert thatmedication?
You can't convert T4 to T3.
I know it's pretty controversialin the endocrinology space about
taking medications that haveboth T4 and T3 and your doctor
may have a hard line on thisissue, but if you can't convert
(26:54):
T4 to T3, you're going to stillhave all of the same symptoms,
which is where minerals andaddressing your gut and liver
health It's going to be huge foryou.
It's all about the balance ofnutrients that work together.
A B12 deficiency is not onlygoing to affect brain and energy
function, but it's going toaffect your thyroid.
(27:16):
Similarly, iron levels, this canimpair the conversion of thyroid
hormone.
Low potassium, this is going toimpair the conversion from T4 to
T3.
Especially if you haveautoimmune disease, we have to
pay attention to things likeselenium, zinc, etc.
Really, your next step on yourthyroid journey is Great, you're
(27:37):
on medication now.
Let's look deeper at what elseyour body needs so that it can
function optimally.
So I want to share a story withyou about a client who made huge
improvements in her thyroidhealth in literally three
months.
Think about how much time itprobably took you to finally get
(27:59):
diagnosed, to get on medication,to perhaps get on the right dose
of medication, but really smallshifts.
It wasn't like this womancompletely overhauled her entire
lifestyle.
In fact, she just made reallydistinct but simple changes to
her health.
And her intake that allowed herto have huge results.
(28:21):
So she came to us.
She was struggling with all theclassic thyroid symptoms,
fatigue, brain fog, coldextremities, sluggish digestion.
She'd been on thyroid medicationfor a while, I think several
years, but still just wasn'tfeeling right.
She was constantly tired.
And her energy levels were justnowhere near where they needed
to be.
(28:41):
So we started with the HTMA testand found that she had quite a
few mineral deficiencies thatwere likely contributing,
including magnesium, zinc,selenium, potassium, and iron.
Through just making some simpleshifts and focusing on restoring
balance to her minerals, she wasable to actually decrease her
(29:06):
thyroid medication.
It was so simple.
In three months, she noticedsuch a huge change.
Her energy levels picked up.
Her brain fog lifted.
Her digestion was a lot moreregular.
And we were able to reduce thatmedication dose or her doctor
was able to, which is soencouraging, just showing you
that it does not take hugedrastic potentially really time
(29:30):
consuming shifts to actuallymake a huge difference.
When you have a really simpleand effective plan, you can
really support yourself.
And also on the flip side, Whenyour thyroid is functioning
optimally, everything becomeseasier, you have more energy,
you're not fighting brain fog,your life just feels better and
(29:51):
it doesn't have to take hours inthe kitchen, doesn't have to
take this total life overhaul.
You can do it and you can do itsustainably and long term.
So I want to just give to closeup a quick guide to look at if
you're looking at your thyroidlabs.
Some key markers that can helpyou determine which minerals you
(30:12):
might need for extra support.
First take a look at your TSH.
This is your thyroid stimulatinghormone.
If it's high, this means thatyour thyroid is underactive, so
hypothyroidism.
You might need more selenium,iron, or magnesium or potassium.
If it's low, you want to look atyour selenium and copper.
(30:34):
Thank you Next, look at your T4.
If you have low T4, this oftensuggests hypothyroidism.
If it is low, it's important tofocus on supporting selenium for
thyroid conversion, also zincand magnesium for the enzyme
processes involved in thyroidhormone conversion.
Next, look at your T three andyour free T three.
(30:56):
So free T three is the activethyroid hormone.
If it's low, this means thatyour body is not converting
thyroid hormone efficiently.
So potassium and selenium aregonna be huge here.
Also, make sure you're gettingenough zinc if your free T three
is high.
This could indicate too muchthyroid hormone so you might
(31:16):
have to look at a medicationchange.
It's gonna be a lot more rare ifyou're actually have too much
T3.
And then next up would be yourreverse T3.
So this is a key marker ofthyroid dysfunction.
It often happens in the contextof stress.
illness or chronic inflammation.
So if you have high reverse T3,this is going to block the
(31:39):
action of active T3.
So magnesium, selenium, zinc,these are going to be really
important.
You also want to look at youriron levels.
And lastly, your antibodies.
If you have high antibodies,indicating Hashimoto's, This is
where you're really going towant to push selenium.
So eat your two to three Brazilnuts a day, copper, zinc, make
(32:02):
sure that your copper and zincare balanced and really identify
the source of the fire.
So what's causing the autoimmuneflare?
Is there something going on inyour gut?
Is there something going on withyour stress?
Are you chronically stressed?
Something going on with yourliver, et cetera.
So you want to really take alook at where the issue is.
(32:23):
And then you can really make aplan to heal from there.
So thanks so much for tuninginto this episode on minerals
for hypothyroidism, as well asjust where to go next.
If you've been diagnosed, wework with so many women that
have been diagnosed withhypothyroidism or Hashimoto's,
or they don't know they havethyroid issues until.
(32:45):
We're able to draw labs.
If you're feeling inspired tosupport your minerals, make sure
you download the free mineralguide.
The link is in the show notes.
Lots of practical tips.
I even have a section on mineralmocktails for thyroid issues.
So make sure you check out thatsection.
There's recipes.
Links, et cetera.
And then don't forget, mark yourcalendar.
(33:07):
HTM a black Friday sale is rightaround the corner.
If you're feeling inspired okay,minerals are my next step.
9 AM black Friday, November29th, those spots will become
available.
But thanks so much for tuningin.
Go ahead and send me a messageon Instagram.
I would love to hear what youtook away from this episode,
(33:28):
what you found interesting anytopic or episode suggestions
that you might have and rememberto always love your gut.
So it loves you back.
I'm giving you a thumbs upbecause you just finished
another episode of the love yourgut podcast.
I am so excited because blackFriday is just around the
corner.
And honestly, Thanksgiving andblack Friday are some of my
(33:49):
favorite days of the year.
The buzz on Instagram has beenwild with questions about our
black Friday specials.
And guess what?
The answer is a resounding yes.
So make sure that you're part ofour email list to be the very
first in the know about ourfantastic.
Black Friday deals on HTMA orhair mineral testing.
(34:09):
You do not want to miss out onthese gems.
I promise the link to join ouremail list is in the show notes
below.
And as always remember that whenyou love your gut, it'll love
you back.
And that's what we're all about.
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