Blood Sugar

Blood Sugar regulation

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms

Jan 272017
 

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms – caused by excessive amounts of thyroid hormone

Video on Graves and Hashimotos

55 min

 

Watch the 9 part series The Thyroid Secret from DR. IZABELLA WENTZ, PHARM D, a pharmacist who went through thyroid problems then sought out others with experience in the field.

Each episode is between 1 & 2 hours long & interviews around 130 of those treating thyroid disease, many who themselves have had thyroid issues. Plus interviews many patients.

Registration is free. read the description on the page to see what is covered in each episode.

I can’t post them here as they are not available for public access.

Dr. Izabella Wentz, PharmD
If you are looking for more information on putting Hashimoto’s into remission, please consider purchasing a copy of Dr. Izabella Wentzpatient guide, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause to help you figure out your underlying triggers.
The book Hashimoto’s Protocol hits bookstores on March 28th. In it, you’ll find protocols specific for Hashimoto’s that will help you feel better quickly and learn how to recover your health once and for all.
Dr. Izabella Wentz also has a website with additional resources, including a blog and a list of recommended supplements.
Lastly, you can connect with Dr. Izabella Wentz through the community on Facebook.

Adaptogens

Jan 272017
 

What Are Adaptogens?

Phytotherapy refers to the use of plants for their healing abilities. Adaptogens are a unique class of healing plants: They help balance, restore and protect the body. As naturopath Edward Wallace explains, an adaptogen doesn’t have a specific action: It helps you respond to any influence or stressor, normalizing your physiological functions.

Adaptogenic herbs can recharge your adrenal glands, helping you to respond to stress. Adaptogens include ashwaganda, astragalus, ginseng, licorice root, holy basil, some mushrooms and rhodiola.

Top 7 Adaptogen Herbs

1. Ginseng

Benefit-rich ginseng is the most well-known adaptogen, and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is considered the most potent. According to Wallace, research has validated Asian ginseng’s use for improving mental performance and your ability to withstand stress. This red ginseng also has antioxidant effects, antidepressant effects, and can help naturally lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

There are a number of adaptogens referred to as ginsengs that aren’t technically ginsengs, but keep in mind that they have similar composition or effects.

2. Holy basil

Also called tulsi, holy basil is known in India as the “elixir of anti-aging.” Preliminary studies suggest that holy basil benefits include helping you fight fatigue and stress; boost your immune system; and regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and hormone levels.

3. Ashwaganda

Ashwaganda is often referred to as Indian ginseng. Often used in Ayurvedic medicine, ashwaganda regulates the immune system and eases anxiety. Ashwaganda has been used in Eastern medicine for over 2,500 years and has immuno-modulating effects that boost your immune system and aid the body in lowering cortisol levels.

4. Astragalus root

Used in Chinese medicine, astragalus boosts immunity and buffers the effects of stress. It increases the amount of anti-stress compounds our bodies use to repair and prevent stress-related damage. It may also reduce the ability of stress hormones like cortisol to bind to receptors.

5. Licorice root

Licorice root can increase energy and endurance, boost the immune system, and protect the thymus from being damaged by cortisol, but its use requires professional supervision because of how it may affect blood pressure.

6. Rhodiola

Rhodiola (rhodiola rosea), or golden root, is a potent adaptogen that has been the focus of much research. Rhodiola provides a buffer to stress-related mental and physical fatigue. According to Whiticomb, Rhodiola was used by Russian cosmonauts, athletes and military personnel, and years of study have begun to uncover the very mechanisms by which it acts as an adaptogen.

Rhodiola rosea contains a phytochemical known as salisdroside. This component helps relieve anxiety and combat aging. Rhodiola suppresses the production of cortisol and increases levels of stress-resistant proteins.

Studies have found that it restores normal patterns of eating and sleeping after stress; lowers mental and physical fatigue; and protects against oxidative stress, heat stress, radiation and exposure to toxic chemicals. Rhodiola also protects the heart and liver, increases use of oxygen, improves memory, and may even extend longevity. Also, new research proves it’s effective as a weight loss agent. (4, 5, 6, 7)

7. Cordycep mushrooms

Cordyceps, reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms are funguses with antioxidant properties. That means nutrition-rich mushrooms have all the benefits of antioxidant foods. They may not be adaptogens in the classic sense, but each has adaptogenic, anti-tumor and immune-enhancing properties.

Eating well, getting proper rest, staying active, writing down what you’re grateful for and maintaining social connection all help protect you from chronic stress, which can kill your quality of life. Adding adaptogens to your routine can make you even more resilient to the damaging effects of high cortisol levels.

 

  1. High cortisol levels and chronic stress can affect every physiological and psychological system.
  2. Adaptogens balance and restore the body.
  3. You can increase your capacity to deal with stress and improve your mental and physical performance with the use of adaptogens.

Symptoms

Jan 272017
 

There are two sets of symptoms related to thyroid problems:

Hypothyroidism

Hyperthyroidism

 

Loss of pigment in skin (white patches – often where there has been damage – scratch / cut / inflammation), may also be an indicator of auto immune response.

Healthy Eating Guide

Jan 242017
 

Healthy Eating Guide:

1/ Sugar, processed foods, cookies, candy, soda – remove wherever possible.

2/ Never get too hungry.
*Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and if you’re a coffee drinker, have your morning cup with or after your meal, but not before or instead of it.
*Eat a modest sized meal every 3-4 hours.
*Eat a good quality protein and fat at every meal.
*Have an afternoon snack of some nuts, a protein shake or smoothie, a green drink, a hard-boiled egg, some hummus with vegetables.

3/ Good carbs are allowed. Whole grains and starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, winter squash, even modest amounts of white potatoes baked or roasted as long as they are not covered in sour cream!)
*Generally, try to skip carbs at breakfast; or keep it to ½ a portion (1 piece of whole grain toast) and don’t ever start your day with sweetened carbs (cereals, granola, muffins, pancakes with maple syrup, even if they’re paleo pancakes).
A Good breakfast includes a high quality protein. Good choices: eggs, a protein shake, or oatmeal.
If you opt for oatmeal or another grain, add some nuts and good quality fat such as coconut oil or almond butter for more sustainable energy.
*At lunch have 1 portion of a whole grain or a starchy energy vegetable and at dinner have 1-2 portions. Examples include half a cup of cooked quinoa, red or pink or black rice, brown rice, and millet, a sweet potato, a portion of winter squash or baked or roasted white potatoes.
*Eating a healthy carbohydrate about 5 hours before bed has been shown to normalize cortisol, improve sleep, and help reduce excess weight. But don’t eat anything within 3 hours of bed, because that can do the opposite.

Oats types and recipes
dish.allrecipes.com/whats-the-difference-between-types-of-oats/
J.Oliver recipes for oat porridge

4/ Get enough sleep 7-8 hours.
*Get to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each day.
*Turn off all electronics ideally an hour before you try to go to sleep, because the blue light disrupts melatonin production, the counterbalance to cortisol which also helps us detox our brains and hormones while we sleep.
*Skip the alcohol in the evening – even a glass of good red wine has been shown to cause sleep disruptions, especially in women.

5/ Indulge now and then. Consider 2-3 squares of chocolate in the afternoon fair game!

6/ Worry less about being fat. And love your body more.

7/ Eat “Hari-hachi-bu” way, it is the Japanese concept of eating until one is only 80% full – eating enough to feel comfortably satisfied but stopping before you feel “full” – and way before you feel “stuffed.”

8/ Exercise 15-20 min a day (any form of movement, walking, dancing, yoga).

9/ Healing inflamation – Antioxidant rich foods include berries (fresh or frozen) and leafy green vegetables; supplements include resveratrol, NAC, and quercetin, as well as vitamin C.

10/ Nourishing adrenals (Sleep, relaxation, exercise, take adaptogens).

11/ Graze to prevent spikes in blood sugar (Grazing on healthy foods will keep blood sugar steady).

Eat slowly, when seated and relaxed.
Studies show that digestion cannot occur unless the body is relaxed. This means no eating on the run.
Its simple logic from our past history really, when active, under stress or in “Flight mode” the body does not want energy used for digesting food, it needs to be available for instant release to muscles should you need to take flight / run. So eating on the run never allows the digestion process to happen properly so the food effectively passes straight through without the nutrients being extracted.

Eating slowly allows the “Full” reflex time to react. Eating too fast for many people means that they are well past full by the time the Full reflex has kicked in.