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There are four prominent endocrine and metabolic disorders that not only contribute to obesity, but also make weight loss difficult. These conditions – “bad metabolism,” hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, and “adrenal fatigue” – are frequently misdiagnosed by doctors, or incorrectly self-diagnosed by patients. As a result, healthy people may think that they have them, while truly affected – may miss them. Both groups suffer needlessly. Let’s review some of the long-held misconceptions about this paradox.
The first misconception is about “bad metabolism,” and it is the most common, approaching a near 100% popularity. Medically and nutritionally speaking, it is a complete opposite. What you may think is “bad” is, actually, “good,” and here is why.
Bad Metabolism
The truly “bad” metabolic disorders concern water balance and fluid volume; the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate); acid-base regulation; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as hypoglycemia, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis; and lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and hypolipidemia [1].
These conditions affect people of all ages, genders, and body weights. Some of them are outright deadly, while others – such as diabetes or dyslipidemia – are chronic. Within the same group of conditions, some are associated with obesity, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, result in profound and life-threatening weight loss.
Consequently, any time you mention “bad metabolism” in relationship to your weight, your doctor will know exactly what you mean, but may still chuckle at your misinterpretation. And if you continue insisting that you may have it, he or she may also tell you that when it comes to body weight, a true “bad metabolism” is a sign of impending death, and that a precipitous weight loss, not gain, is one of its primary symptoms.
The emaciated gentleman on the left is Steve Jobs of Apple fame, shortly before his premature and unfortunate death. Take a hard look at this heartbreaking picture. That is what an actual “bad metabolism” – meaning the body’s inability to properly metabolize nutrients essential for life – really looks like.
Not so long ago, the dominant thinking and attitudes toward metabolism was a complete opposite. When my mother met my dad, a tall and handsome man with manners to match, she was short and moderately overweight, with big hips and large breasts, an ideal body shape for the 1950s. Single men would look at her thinking: “Gosh, this lady is so attractive! I want her to become my wife and the mother of my children.”
Today’s young men, conditioned by the Victoria Secrets’ standards, are more likely to pass over someone like my mother in favor of a waifish girl like Calista Flockhart (32A-23-30), who just three generations ago would have had a hard time finding a marriage partner because of prejudices typical for that era:
- Her appearance would reflect probable malnutrition or chronic illness throughout early development. In that rough era of near-zero upward mobility, malnourished children came predominantly from impoverished households, and no man or woman wanted to marry into a poor family.
- Before the near universal availability of on-demand C-section, her narrow hips would be considered life-threatening during natural childbirth.
- Her small breasts would be assumed inadequate for motherhood because she might have difficulties breastfeeding her numerous offspring. This isn’t, really, entirely correct, but that’s, unfortunately, how it was and still is in undeveloped societies.
- Back then, her small body would be deemed too weak to chop wood, milk cows, carry buckets of water, and cook, clean, and wash from dawn to dusk for the entire family.
- Personality-wise, a person of her shape would be considered a “cold fish” because underweight women have lower levels of estrogen and are believed to be not as libidinous as normal weight or, even better, overweight women. I don’t know if that is true, but that’s how it was.
All of that primitive, misogynistic, and mostly unconscious thinking – to find a partner who will last you and your children through thick and thin – was, essentially, a basic “animal” instinct in action, honed over hundreds of thousands of years of pragmatic and merciless natural selection.
Naturally, that’s exactly what my father did without giving it a second thought – he married a woman with a good metabolism. He knew instinctively what my mom’s doctor told her after every check-up: “Polina, you have a fantastic metabolism!” For her generation it was an asset, not a curse. (The photographs of my parents on the right are from 1958, four years after my birth. They are, respectively, 43 and 37 years old).
True to form, my mother had an accidental pregnancy at the age of 45, while the usual rate of conception after age 40 is less than 5%. And that is after surviving the horrors of starvation and backbreaking labor during the four years of World War II as well as the devastation of postwar Russia.
Calista Flockhart, on the other hand, finally married actor Harrison Ford at the age of 46. In all probability, natural selection wasn’t on the mind of Mr. Ford, who at the time of their marriage in 2010 was already 68 years old. The couple is raising her adopted son Liam, who was born in 2001. Any way you look at it, the laws of evolution remain as tough today as they have ever been, even to someone as beautiful, talented, and famous as Ms. Flockhart.
So, if you too are endowed with a good metabolism just like my mother was, the problem isn’t with you, your genes, or your body, but with the times we are living – the sum of abundant food, minimal physical exertion, and all conceivable creature comforts is behind obesity epidemics on one hand, while the incorrect believe into “bad metabolism” causes many people to drop their weight loss diets too soon, or discourages them from considering one in the first place.
THE TAKEAWAY: Since it’s too late to get another set of genes, or become a lumberjack, or give up comforts, concentrate on the two factors that are still under your total control – what you eat and how your “burn” it! In fact, your “good metabolism” will work in your favor – the better it is, the faster you are going to lose weight.
Hypothyroidism and underactive thyroid
The situation with thyroid-related disorders is a lot more complicated than with bad metabolism. A true “underactive thyroid” – a vernacular for subclinical hypothyroidism – affects up to 10% of women and 6% of men, many of them over 65 years of age. The rate of clinical hypothyroidism is under 1.2% of women and 0.4% of men [2] predominantly among older adults, 33.3% of adult Americans are overweight and 35.9% are clinically obese, or 69.2% .
As you can see, the number of overweight people is significantly greater than the number of people affected by subclinical or clinical hypothyroidism [3], even though many people who are affected by adiposity – a shorthand for “overweight or obese” – believe they may have this condition because of weight loss resistance or weight gain on a moderate diet.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who are misdiagnosed and untreated because both conditions are challenging to manage even to specialists. According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the early stages of this condition are associated with the following symptoms:
“…cold intolerance, constipation, forgetfulness, and personality changes. Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention and decreased metabolism. Paresthesias [tingling – KM] of the hands and feet are common, often due to carpal-tarsal tunnel syndrome…[4]”
Please also note one significant detail in the above quote: “Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention…” This explains why some people who are affected by this condition can’t lose weight even on a very low calorie diet – most of that extra weight comes at the expense of water, not body fat.
Women with hypothyroidism may also be affected by menorrhagia – an abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation, or amenorrhea – an abnormal absence of menstruation. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, get evaluated by a board certified endocrinologist.
Because clinical hypothyroidism isn’t as common as some other disease, non-specialists may not be able to properly diagnose and treat you, especially during the earlier stages while the symptoms are still subtle, and the tests aren’t as definitive. If your diagnosis or treatment outcomes are not satisfactory, you may also consider working with alternative providers.
Things get even more complicated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid. In addition to the transient symptoms of hypothyroidism during early stages, it is distinguished by painless enlargement of the thyroid gland, and, in some cases, a feeling of fullness in the throat. It may or may not be associated with adiposity.
The prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis ranges from 0.1 to 0.15% of the population (1 to 1.5 cases per 1,000 people), and it affects women 10 to 20 times more often than men. It is most common between the ages of 45 to 65, and it often runs in families (i.e. it has a genetic component).
The same immune mechanisms which cause Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may also cause Graves’ disease (thyroid enlargement, goiter), Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease (an autoimmune inflammation in the small intestine), vitiligo (skin depigmentation), premature graying of hair (same mechanism as in vitiligo), pernicious anemia, and connective tissue disorders.
If you suspect that you may have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, GET TESTED. The level of thyroid hormones T4 and TSH may remain normal during early stages, making its diagnosis difficult in non-specialized clinical settings. Seek out a specialist trained in diagnosing and treating this relatively rare condition. 1 case in 1,000 is, indeed, rare for an internist who treats on average 2,000-3,000 patients a year, and may not encounter a single patient with Hashimoto’s in years.
I do not recommend commencing any type of weight loss diet until you are properly diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism. A reduced calorie diet may deny your body from getting essential nutrients, and may exacerbate the progression of the disease. Besides, it isn’t likely to be effective anyway because of fluid retention.
As clinical hypothyroidism progresses, the symptoms become more severe and obvious, including precipitous weight loss. You can learn more about other manifestations of clinical hypothyroidism in countless online resources.
THE TAKEAWAY: Do not rely on outdated misconceptions about clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to either condition, seek out the best treatment money can buy. Continuous weight gain in healthy people isn’t always a symptom of hypothyroidism. As epidemiological statistic – however flawed it may be – demonstrates, the majority of people with adiposity are not affected by hypothyroidism. If you are in this fortunate majority, you earlier failures to lose weight weren’t related to bad health, but to bad diets.
Adrenal fatigue
What you may think is “adrenal fatigue” endocrinologists call primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. Both conditions are ascertained by a blood test, and treated, when necessary, with appropriate medication.
Primary adrenal insufficiency – also known as Addison’s disease – is a hard to miss condition because it is accompanied by severe skin pigmentation. Its prevalence – a medical term for the number of affected people – is less than 1 person in 14,000 (<0.007%) in population [5]. Just like truly “bad metabolism,” it causes weight loss, not gain:
“The slowly progressive loss of cortisol and aldosterone secretion usually produces a chronic, steadily worsening fatigue, a loss of appetite, and some weight loss. Blood pressure is low and falls further when a person is standing, producing lightheadedness. Nausea, sometimes with vomiting, and diarrhea are common. The muscles are weak and often go into spasm. [6]”
If you have any of the above symptoms, get tested immediately. This debilitating condition can be well controlled with medication.
The prevalence of secondary adrenal insufficiency is less than 1 person in 3,600, or 0.027% of the population. The symptoms of this condition are similar to Addison’s disease, but without pigmentation. Again, a blood test is required to screen it out and receive an appropriate and effective treatment.
A popular opinion exists that this condition may be substantially underdiagnosed. It may very well be correct, so let’s assume that there are 100 times more people affected by secondary adrenal insufficiency than what epidemiologists are telling us. Alas, it still comes to only 2.7%, a drop in the bucket next to 69.2% of the population with adiposity.
THE TAKEAWAY: Just as with “bad metabolism” and hypothyroidism, don’t rely on outdated misconceptions about “adrenal fatigue” and its relations to weight loss or gain. Seek out expert help to screen out primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, and, if necessary, obtain adequate treatment.
References
[1] Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[2] Vanderpump, Mark P.J., “The epidemiology of thyroid disease.” (2011) : 39-51. [link]
[3] This calculation is based on the following numbers: percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010); percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010). Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Health, United States, 2011, by Kathleen Sebelius, et. al., 2011, [link to PDF]
[4] Hypothyroidism; Symptoms and Signs; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[5] Division of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Department of Medicine, Endocrine and Diabetes University of Wurzburg, “Adrenal Insufficiency,” Lancet, 361 (2003): 1881-93; [link to PDF]
[6] Margulies, Paul, MD; National Adrenal Diseases Foundation; Addison’s Disease – The Facts You Need To Know; “What are the symptoms of Addison’s Disease?” Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
Previous posts from the “Why Diets Fail?” series:
1. The Real Reason Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
2. How Long Will It Take Me to Lose the Weight?
3. Why One Calorie For Her Is Half a Calorie For Him
For your health and safety, please read these important Weight Loss Common Sense Warnings and Disclaimers before commencing a reduced calorie diet.
You give valid points. But if I had read your post before starting replacements, it would have just been one more bad blow to an already unstable person. This isn’t a Heidi post, I understand, but there must be others out there who might also benefit from thyroid hormones even though they fall in normal lab ranges. SO if my voice speaks to them, then GOOD! I don’t want anyone to go through those awful hypo symptoms.
Also, you suggest for those testing under range to just go and get started on L-thyroxine. I would suggest that they start on Natural Dessicated Thyroid instead, if possible.
Heidi, I don’t suggest starting with L-thyroxine. Here is what I wrote:
“If you still believe that it isn’t a lie in your case, just do a blood test. If it ends up positive, switch over to a traditional diet, take the supplements that may help to reverse this functional condition, or, as a last resort, get a prescription from your doctor for L-thyroxine, and be done with it.”
What supplements? The usual: liquid cod liver oil, iodine (from kelp), sublingual B-12, vitamin C, high quality B-complex. Along with traditional diet, that’s the most economical and fastest acting option.
If natural dessicated thyroid works for you — great. I don’t have any expertise with these supplements, and stick to what I know.
Yes, I noted you started with a traditional diet (which is where most of us probably go wrong- skip that step and go for the drugs). I was suggesting that instead of getting prescriptions for levothyroxine, try the natural dessicated thyroid. Anyway, if you haven’t researched it, I wish you would, but I understand why you suggest what you have researched.
Heidi, I am not a researcher, but a medical writer. That said, I am planning at some future date to establish a research center in partnership with open-minded and forward-looking medical doctors, clinical nutritionists, and registered dietitians in order to create holistic protocols for reversing lifestyle-related disorders such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, infertility, insomnia, and many others. It will come!
How can you be a writer without being a researcher? That sounds like your simply writing fiction then.
Renita, it’s difficult.
Dr. Monastyrsky,
It’s disappointing to me that an expert such as yourself doesn’t know a bit more about metabolic disorders. We absolutely need someone of your expertise to study these in more detail.
Maybe instead of telling overweight people that they don’t have metabolic disorders and just need to exercise more and eat less, you could explain why two people of the same age, gender, gene pool and activity level have vastly different metabolic rates. Because of course, this is true all over the world. If weight loss were as easy as you describe, a lot more people would be able to manage it.
In Dr. Simeons’ book Pounds and Inches, he is very respectful and understanding when describing the agony his patients have experienced over decades.
LJ, I didn’t say anything like that. Here is a direct quote from my article:
The truly “bad” metabolic disorders concern water balance and fluid volume; the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate); acid-base regulation; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as hypoglycemia, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis; and lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and hypolipidemia [1].
These conditions affect people of all ages, genders, and body weights. Some of them are outright deadly, while others – such as diabetes or dyslipidemia – are chronic. Within the same group of conditions, some are associated with obesity, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, result in profound and life-threatening weight loss.
Dr. Monastrysky,
Thank you for your reply. I was referring to the content of your last few articles on the subject of weight loss, when I said you were telling people to eat less and exercise more to lose weight.
This latest article seems to be embracing the strict definitions of metabolic dysfunction and using those narrow parameters to dismiss people whose conditions may be on a spectrum outside conventional medical testing. This article seems to be telling overweight people that unless they’re really sick (and have doctors’ test to prove it), they don’t have any legitimate reason to be overweight.
You know so very much, and it’s all tantalizingly close to useful information, but so far the only advice I’ve seen is to eat less and exercise more. And sadly, it seems there is a tone of contempt in several of these articles.
Dr. Simeons’ book Pounds and Inches is the only treatise I’ve ever read that had a tone of respect for the patients and a full appreciation for their circumstances.
LJ,
Unfortunately, eat less (a shorthand for reduced-calorie diet) and exercise more (a shorthand for physical activity) is the only known way to lose weight, unless you are willing to consider bariatric surgery, stimulant drugs, or a range of other medicines that interfere with CNS and digestion
My book is about the techniques of accomplishing this elusive goal — how to eat less without failures and side-effects, and particularly for people past middle age (i.e. 35+), who may already have a range of digestive and endocrine disorders that make it hard.
This work is based on about 15 years of study and research into the physiology of endocrine functions and digestion. I don’t have any training or expertise in psychology of weight loss.
Konstantin- I hope you imagine most of your target readership will be people with the undiagnosed & mis-diagnosed range of digestive & endocrine disorders. They’re the ones that need help, as you can see by the responses you got to your latest article here. Illustrates how frustrated and misunderstood we are.
>> Konstantin- I hope you imagine most of your target readership will be people with
>> the undiagnosed & mis-diagnosed range of digestive & endocrine disorders.
>> They’re the ones that need help, as you can see by the responses you got
>> to your latest article here Illustrates how frustrated and misunderstood we are.
LJ,
I am well aware of what affects my readers and why. Over the years, I had to deal myself with late stage type 2 diabetes, obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic respiratory disorders, gastritis, severe enteritis, 20 years of IBS-C, insomnia, clinical depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
The last one [PTSD] was related to 9/11 — we live few miles across the towers, so I’d seen most of it “upfront and personal.” My mother got diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer on the same day, and my dad passed away two weeks later. Another year-and-half of caring for my mother and a loss of business [because I could no longer work] really did me in. It took me three years to pop out of it.
I am not seeking sympathy here, but am just making a point in response to your well-meant comment. And that point is — I am not a stranger to physical, emotional, and mental anguish related to wrong diet, poor health, lost wealth, and bad luck. Because of all of this, I understand well not only my field of expertise (digestive, metabolic, endocrine, and mental disorders), but also their impact on my readers, current and future.
Konstantin,
I’m sorry to hear you have suffered through many difficult things. I’m sure your life experience will make you compassionate to others like ourselves. And hopefully conveyed well.
LJ,
Thank you. My life is just like everybody else — c-o-m-p-l-i-c-a-t-e-d… But my work isn’t based around my life experiences. They provided a strong impetus to dig in deeper, but what I do or write have little to do with my health. The problems that I had experienced definitely enriched my understanding of certain conditions, but that’s not a substitute for rock-solid medical education, 15 years of ensuing study, research, and writing.
And as far as compassion goes, I have plenty of it, but it isn’t a substitute for professionalism and for telling the hard truth — effective weight loss is hard work regardless of your thyroid or adrenal glands. And even harder when said gland are under duress.
LJ,
Konstantin: “Unfortunately, eat less (a shorthand for reduced-calorie diet) and exercise more (a shorthand for physical activity) is the only known way to lose weight, unless you are willing to consider bariatric surgery, stimulant drugs, or a range of other medicines that interfere with CNS and digestion”
Gary Taubes, science-writer author of “Why We Get Fat” would not agree with the above statement. Or just google: youtube “LCHF is the” and hear another known way in an amusing nutshell, Try it; I bet you’ll like it.
Kat1,
Feel free to post the summary of Mr. Taubes’ “another known way.” Anything that is worthwhile and effective deserves recognition. Please also note that my book isn’t about “my way” of losing weight, but about “Why Diets Fail?” I am a complete agnostic in this respect. And considering the fact that there close to 10,000 weight loss books on Amazon, and that 33.3% of adult Americans are overweight and 35.9% are obese, and that these two numbers keep up growing, I must be onto something…
Konstantin,
By googling the youtube video: “LCHF is the” this is the best short, funny version of what a LCHF (low-carb,highfat lifestyle) which Gary advocates is all about. (This amusing vudeo was translated from Swedish to English, so that may explain the one rude word… Sorry about that…) Also, I could not possibly explain and do justice to Gary’s book “Why We Get Fat”; however, it is all about what actually makes us accumulate fat on our bodies and how to go from having your body be a carb burner to a stored fat burner and the transition period while this is happening…
Konstantin,
Your open-minded willingness to have us share information relating to what has worked for us in improving our health is deeply appreciated.
A wow statement for me made by Gary in his book which I had never heard before: “We don’t get fat because we overeat; we overeat because we’re getting fat.”
Kat1,
Thank you! In the era of the Internet sharing is the best approach to all of life’s issues.
I agree 100% with Mr. Taub. Here is what he meant by this:
— Obesity and distended stomach go hand in hand, hence the tendency to overeat because the hunger doesn’t go away until the stomach is filled to capacity;
— Obesity and hyperinsulinemia go hand in hand, hence the tendency to overeat because of low blood sugar;
— Obesity and hypoglycemia go hand in hand, hence the tendency to overeat carbs because of sugar cravings;
— Obesity and low-quality nutrition go hand in hand, hence the tendency to overeat because the body craves for missing nutrients;
— Obesity and emotional issues go hand in hand, and since foods have a calming down effect, there is a tendency to overeat;
— Obesity and fatigue go hand in hand, and since foods provide a temporary boost in energy, there is a tendency to overeat to address this particular problem.
All of these aspects (and lots more) are the part and parcel of my program, and I’ll be addressing them in future posts, particularly when dealing with transitional (preparatory) debt.
Mahalo for the opportunity, Konstantin, here we go:
youtube: Gary Taubes, Why We Get Fat: An alternative Hypothesis of Obesity”
Kat1- that’s such a fun video! Thanks for sharing- I’ve sent it on to my HCG friends who are all WAPF folks, some are also GAPS people like myself. Awesome- cheers 🙂
LJ,
Be sure you and yours also watch youtube: “Enjoy eating your saturated fats, they are good for you. Donald Miller, M.D.” (cardiac surgeon) Also “Fathead” Netflix Instant… both outstanding docs… Thanks also for letting me know my advice was helpful because I am motivated to help others now that I continue to be in excellent health, normal weight, with no need for meds, fantastic energy and 76 yrs. old… I do practice what I preach… best wishes! Please tell me what you think about these too…
Some people like my self need to know portion size because we can eat a lot of food and not feel full. I eat like the LCHF WAPF but I need to know how much is to much because I was not losing weight. The good thing was I could go a long time without eating if I had to, while the people I was with where getting the shakes and moody. The video was hilarious.
Sara,
People were “getting the shakes and moody” because of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) — one of the most immediate side effects of all weight loss diets. I will address this particular aspects in future posts that will address the proper transition to low calorie diet. It is next to impossible to commence a long term weight loss without an adequate preparation and transition. “Famous” diets don’t do it because they are sold on the premise of an near-instant weight loss, the subject of my first post.
Sarah, if you don’t want to read Gary’s book in which he explains your situation in detail, then google him on youtube or go to his free website. I assume you were referrng to “LCHF is the” video. It’s great how the Swedes managed to cut to the chase in an enjoyable, humorous manner albeit short time span. Fun! Fun! Fun! We all need a good laugh while searching for answers re difficult circumstances…
Kat1,
I’ve seen Fathead, it’s very good. Will try to catch Donald Miller sometime soon. thanks for the recommendations! So great to hear of your robust health, awesome!
Thank you for the post Konstantin Monastyrsky. If you met me I would not use any of those as to why I am overweight… though I *have* heard those excuses from people who probably haven’t been to a doctor in ages and just guess that that is their problem. But of course there are exceptions.
When I was told I had PCOS (4 yrs ago), my doctor said, “just lose weight so you don’t get diabetes.” Not very helpful. I had no idea about PCOS other than it hurt horribly when a cyst collapses. Last year I found this blog and learned that what I was eating was all wrong. And from this blog, lead to other blogs and research and I’ve become more educated on what I should be eating (and not eating!) to help me. Being very low income and having to go to a food pantry to get food makes it hard to eat real food all the time. But I try my best.
Don’t mind the negative comments. This blog is famous for them. I look forward to your coming articles and will be checking out your previous ones here as well.
Jessica, you are very welcome, and thank you for your kind words about my work. I don’t mind “negative” comments. They, and the people’s stories behind them, are tremendously educational. Considering the amount of “screw ups” with prior diets and medical sector, I expect a lot of frustration and distrust. Also, my posts are clearly polarizing and controversial, I don’t shy away from hard subjects, and I appreciate all kind of feedback — kind, less kind, angry. It just comes with the territory.
Jessica, if we are negative, it is because we have been hurt in some way. I lost 5 years of my life to what the symptoms show are some type of thyroid problem. My children suffered along with me- the guilt is so thick. And then I read a post saying that because my labs were normal, I didn’t really need thyroid replacement………hmmm……….when that is what has given me back my life…..yes, I have words to say about that!!!! But I’ve also done enough reading to realize that there may very well be a different primary problem for why my thyroid is functioning poorly. And thank you Konstantin Monastyrsky for understanding how raw these topics can be. I truly hope you can help us get to the root of the problem.
It doesn’t really help when people call these things “excuses.”
Even if the problem for the person is poor choices in eating, many people don’t know that and do not understand why they can’t lose weight when following conventional wisdom for doing so. So then they look for reasons why the weight won’t come off, and these seem to be reasonable explanations, not excuses.
Calling it “excuses” indicates the person isn’t interested, rather than they are misinformed.
I did not write or send the above. Are there two “Kat”s? Please correct this situation because I do not want to be blamed/credited for something I had nothing to do with.
1st Kat
Kat, what comment(s) are you referring to? Provide some text, so I can search for it.
The two above that I commented next denying it was mine:
Kat April 5, 2013 at 12:03 pm
It doesn’t really help when people call these things “excuses.”
Even if the problem for the person is poor choices in eating, many people don’t know that and do not understand why they can’t lose weight when following conventional wisdom for doing so. So then they look for reasons why the weight won’t come off, and these seem to be reasonable explanations, not excuses.
Calling it “excuses” indicates the person isn’t interested, rather than they are misinformed
Kat April 5, 2013 at 11:59 am
The truth is that many things can screw up with the thyroid tests on which doctors rely (and most of them won’t look beyond the tests to symptoms if the tests show normal).
Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide — all of which are very available in our current culture — replace iodine and have a stronger bond. This will MAKE the thyroid tests appear normal, but the body isn’t able to properly utilize the resulting hormone. I have yet to see a doctor address this. “Your tests are normal. (You are just lazy.)” is generally the response.
Kat,
I am guessing it is another person with the same screen names as yours. I can’t delete her comments or rename her handle. You already indicated that this isn’t you. Sorry.
See if adding the number l differentiates…
Two people of the same name. I have an avatar with a squirrel. Yours shows with an anonymous person.
Aloha, dear Kat,
Mahalo for your kind explanation. Also, I believe it will work fine now, as you see, I added a “1” to my “Kat.”
I hope you are right. I do not want to be on thyroid replacement. And you may be right, actually. There could very well be a different, primary problem that is causing thyroid issues, or perhaps keeping my body from utilizing what should be a normal amount of the thyroid hormones. And doctors are quick to prescribe thyroid replacement rather than figure out why the thyroid is struggling. I know getting more thyroid hormones has helped my health tremendously so far, and I feel like I have my life back. I will continue to read your articles to see if there might be another approach to all of this.
Thank you, Heidi. I am so glad that we have found a common ground, and I look forward to do my best to provide you with information that may further help in your recovery. Thank you for sharing your story!
Your article really bothers me. I do have hypothyroidism. The symptoms you listed- I can check off almost every single one, plus many others. But you know what? My blood tests came back normal except for one number which was just under normal so that for 5+ years I’ve dealt with obesity, depression, cavities, and horrible apathy (a very bad thing to have with little children). And I thought that is how it was. Finally I begged a doctor to let me try some thyroid replacement (I take natural dessicated thyroid by the way, which is superior to T4 only……which I also tried). Less than a week in, I felt a huge difference. I have now been on my prescription for about 5 months, and guess what? All those horrible symptoms are going away. I am still overweight, but I dropped 10 pounds without trying…..because I finally had a metabolism again (my body temps are now in the 97 Fahrenheit range instead of the 96s).
For all those readers out here who really are struggling with weight, it may or may not be thyroid related. Hypothyroidism is NOT just a weight issue- and it is true, the weight would be one of the least of your worries, trust me. But if you have some of the symptoms listed for thyroid disease, you need to get it checked. The best resource I have found (and I’ve gone through many) is the Stop the Thyroid Madness website- so helpful!
There is a myriad of other conditions that may cause “obesity, depression, cavities, and horrible apathy,” and they have little or nothing to do with the thyroid gland function. By convincing your doctor to prescribe you l-thyroxine, you are overstimulating your body the same way people do with energy drinks, so you feel better. Unfortunately, the conditions that caused your problems in the first place are still there, unaddressed. So, just like with energy drinks, taking a synthetic drug is a temporary solution. Hopefully, my posts will help you to identify and reverse those conditions.
I completely disagree with you. I am not taking L-thyroxine, by the way, I am on natural dessicated thyroid. I had the myxedema, dry, scaly skin, hoarse voice, hair loss, puffy face, low basal temp, apathy, depression, fatigue, weight gain…….I could go on. And my T3 and TSH were NORMAL. My T4 was very slightly under range, but it was consistent for at least 5 years, so the dr considered this to be my normal range. I do still have some symptoms (although not nearly as severe), but many have improved or gone away since being on thyroid replacement. I will continue to read your articles, and perhaps you can convince that my hypothyroidism is a secondary condition and will resolve itself if I get to the root of the problem. But I am so thankful that I can function again after many years of feeling only half alive.
Heidi, I write my initial comments based on the information you provided. Still, all of the above symptoms aren’t exclusive to hypothyroidism, which is a diagnosis based on a very specific blood test. If your blood test is negative — you don’t have it, period. It isn’t a point of debate, but it is what it is. It isn’t my opinion, but a medical canon. If you don’t like it, don’t like it, but it will still remain what it is. Just like I don’t like getting a speeding ticket, the laws will not be rewritten to accommodate my dislike.
Have you had some serious health issue? Without a doubt. Have you been able to reverse them somewhat with natural means — absolutely. So keep doing what you have been doing and I am thrilled about your recovery. That said, I can’t write a post around “Heidi.” It is intended for a lot of people, and I am sure along the way there will be some exceptions that I will not be able to cover, anticipate, or explain. That DOESN’T mean that I don’t have a right to explain my point of view to the best of my abilities, and that is what I am doing here.
When those blood tests became the norm, the GOOD doctors were saying that from now on many people with hypothyroidism would go undiagnosed, because those blood tests are NOT accurate and would miss a lot of patients. Which is exactly what is happening.
The truth is that many things can screw up with the thyroid tests on which doctors rely (and most of them won’t look beyond the tests to symptoms if the tests show normal).
Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide – all of which are very available in our current culture – replace iodine and have a stronger bond. This will MAKE the thyroid tests appear normal, but the body isn’t able to properly utilize the resulting hormone. I have yet to see a doctor address this. “Your tests are normal. (You are just lazy.)” is generally the response.
Please note that I did not send the above and have no idea why it is being attributed to me
This post has a ridiculous amount of misinformation and sensationalism in it. I’m very disappointed that Sarah is allowing her platform to be used spout this mainstream medical nonsense that has kept thousands of women under-medicated and/or undiagnosed with life altering diseases.
I was a slim and very active woman my entire life until I had my second child at 30. I grew up eating a close to traditional diet and continued that into adulthood. Within days after having my 2nd child my hair began falling out, I was exhausted, I experienced “post partum” depression (or maybe just had no T3 thyroid hormone which mimics depression) and I GAINED WEIGHT while eating the same traditional diet I ate before. I was also nursing this entire time – which takes extra calories. With my older child I’d had trouble keeping weight ON while nursing. Taking a walk in the morning was enough to land me in bed for the rest of the day. I ended up gaining 60 lbs beyond my *pregnancy* weight. All while going to doctor after doctor who though I was vainly trying to lose weight to look good. In reality I just wanted to feel like I could make it through a normal day! Eventually, I gave up going to the doctor and just focused on trying not to be a terrible mother despite needing 12 hours of sleep and not being able to keep up with my kids for more than an hour at a time.
According to the author, I and other women like me must have just been making excuses since it could not have been our metabolisms, hormones, thyroids or adrenals. We are just all vainly seeking the “waif thin” look. Oh, maybe I was “accidentally” eating too many calories as suggested by other medical “professionals.”
Because of uninformed “doctors” like the author of this article – who ignore what women are telling them about their physical symptoms and focus only on lab tests and what they believe the rarity of these diseases are – my celiac disease, Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue went untreated for six years despite my near *textbook* symptoms until my husband and sister staged an intervention and dragged me to a doctor who tested more than just the standard labs. I had to drive two hours to find one.
Hypothyroidism is much more common than the medical establishment chooses to admit and there are MAJOR issues with the supposed test ranges. L-thyroxine is a joke of a drug, but is still IN THE TOP TEN prescribed in the US for the “rare” cases of hypothyroidism out there. That doesn’t include all the people taking natural thyroid.
Please people do your research – these diseases are considered rare only because the medical community refuses to properly diagnose them. Check out the research coming from functional and holistic doctors (and some MD’s who actually practice medicine rather than relying on 30 year old medical school information) and you’ll find that these ignored patients are receiving treatment and recovering after years of being told there was “nothing” wrong with them that some more sleep, a better diet and some exercise would fix.
Or heck, go back and read some articles that actually address these issues on this very site!
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/6-little-known-signs-of-adrenal-fatigue/
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/shallow-breathing-common-in-thyroidadrenal-dysfunction/
Laurie,
For starters, please review my work on other subjects as it pertains to medical doctor, Big Pharma, Big Food, and Big Media. If anyone is as much hated by these establishments, me it is… So your analysis of my motivation is way off base.
Secondly, there is absolutely no excuse for ignoring and berating well-established academic facts about these conditions.
Thirdly, you contradict yourself — on one hand women don’t get enough attention, on another — L-thyroxine is one of the most prescribed drugs in the US. So what is what?
Fourthly, medical community is crazily eager to diagnose and overdiagnose these conditions because it leads to more tests, more visits, more copays, and more prescriptions.
In regard to the related posts: These post say: if you do those stupid things, you may eventually develop adrenal dysfunction. I say: If you are between 20 and 40, and you are overweight, and your blood tests can’t confirm primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency — YOU DON’T HAVE IT. Please don’t misconstrue my post. Seriously…
Some adrenal tests are saliva-based and tested at least four different times of the day, so cortisol levels can be monitored throughout the day. Saliva tests are a MUCH more accurate way to test the adrenals. Someone can have a normal blood test and their adrenal problems can be missed because a blood test just gives a “snap shot” of what the adrenals are doing, while the saliva tests show what is happening at different times of the day.
So what I’m saying is…a negative blood test can’t confirm you don’t have adrenal insufficiency because blood tests aren’t as effective as saliva testing.
I recently had that saliva based test you mention, Beth!
When I read this article I did get pretty upset, essentially like he said readers would. I am NOT OVERWEIGHT. I want to lose some pounds around my middle, maybe 10-15 at the most. I have never been OVERWEIGHT, but have been at the high end of my BMI range before. Right now I am in the middle of it, but still have the weight around the middle. I wouldn’t mind if I had a big chest and big hips… like “the old days” he talks about… I am just a bit annoyed right now and will try to write coherently, but I may not be able to.
My tests showed quite a few things… Chronically high cortisol levels — that spike when I sleep at night when they should be going down. As a result, I don’t get good sleep, no matter how hard I try. I am unable to sleep during the day, due to my work schedule and also due to me not having the ability to take a nap no matter how hard I try (on weekends!)
The Saliva test also showed very poor immune function. the SiGA saliva test on my immune system — the normal range is 25-60 and mine was 6! The reason for this is because of CHRONICALLY HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS.
I also had some deeper thyroid tests done. My TSH and T3 and T4 were always fine whenever I went to the doctors complaining about fatigue and exhaustion. (They just wanted to put me on anti-depressants!) Finally this ND took tests to measure free T3, reverse T3, etc and found my reverse T3 was way too high compared to my Free T3. It just took a real doctor to do the right tests. Even though my hair is not falling out or any of those other symptoms of an underactive thyroid…
I HAVE NO ENERGY! So what is making me put one foot in front of the other each day? Responsibilities. Because I HAVE to get these things done. I have too much responsibility on my shoulders and I can’t just stop although sometimes I want to have a nervous breakdown and I dream about going into a cave and hiding for a week (sounds like the perfect vacation for me).
So, I don’t care what Krackinston (sp?) says is my issue for having excess weight around my middle (vs. the healthy bigger breasts and hips! not once did he mention whether his mother had a fat stomach or an hourglass figure)… because I am only a size B cup! But I DO have adrenal fatigue. And my thyroid IS underactive. And probably the cause of all this is TOO MUCH STRESS!
I have been treating it now thanks to my ND, for 12 days and I have already lost 2 pounds. I am using the Immrama.org meditation CD Insight, to listen to before bed, and am taking some cortisol manager pills before bed. along with offering support for my thyroid, and other things to support my adrenal fatigue. Even on the NES and energy testing systems my adrenals have ALWAYS came up very low. I don’t know how those tests work…. but something is REALLY off in my endocrine system,
I also am trying to learn to say no to people, and not let things bug me. I am only 38 years old. I should have an abundance of energy. I am reducing and simplifying my life and I am confident that I will have my energy back, and with it, my weight around the middle will be gone. Which will just prove Krakinstin’s theory he wrote about wrong.
So, here I am, at 5’8″ and 153 lbs. I will pretty soon be a nice 140-145 lbs, and it will be awesome. I eat a TON of healthy fats, including my own rendered grassfed beef tallow, coconut oil, raw whole milk from grassfed Jersey cows, tons of beef and pastured eggs, fermented veggies, kefir, etc etc. And I will be the perfect weight for my body because my endocrine system will be working CORRECTLY!! WOOHOO!
I also don’t put toxins into my body if I can help it. Homemade shampoo, natural soap, natural laundry soap, body butter, etc etc. No toxins are coming in from any of my beauty products. Homemade lip balm… only thing not natural is mascara. I think I am doing ok…. except for my ADRENAL FATIGUE And UNDERACTIVE THYROID !!!
Of course you love thyroxine! Maybe you should also tell these lovely people the real reason thyroxine is considered the best on the market right now, even though with patients it gets a big fat F for failure. Stating the proper drug history of both thyroxine and porcine (Armour) would be a good start. Since your a pharmacist and all, you should very well know this history.
Chapters 1 and 2 of “Stop the Thyroid Madness explains all of this in a nutshell.
Thyroxine was originally given to two patients in 1920 and 1926 intravenously. The changes in the two patients at the time were incredible changes. Weight was shed, adema went down, basal metabolic rates went back to normal, pulses raised, as did basal temperatures. Wrinkling and drying of the skin and hair had even changed with both patients as well as moods picked up.
Both patients had posative results on injected thyroxine. It never became a positive treatment because intravenous injections are not practical. In pill form it was found that thyroxine was known to have instability in the presence of air and light (pill form). Thyroxine was not used because of this and the fact that desiccated thyroid was doing it’s job well at the time, too.
Desiccated thyroid was widely used at this time and was doing well because it contained not just T4 (storage hormone) but also live T3, T2, T1 and Calcitonin. All of these are what a normal live thyroid will produce to keep a person healthy. Every organ in the body has receptors that work with thyroid hormones. We all know that if there is not enough of one or more of those hormones the body starts to fall apart.
Many like to claim that dessicated thyroid is unnatural, and unstable/unreliable, but the truth of the matter is that there are strict USP standards that must be fullowed by makers of prescription dessicated thyroid, ie: unstable and unreliable are not in the dictionary of a USP standardized product, which means that these claims are an outright lie.
The reason that these lies were spread was a clue given in the 1970 4th edition of Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. What had apparently occured was that a large batch of material came into the hands of a number or distributors in the US and Europe. Although it was of proper iodine content, it later proved not to be thyroid at all. This of course gave dessicated thyroid a bad name because several publications about the unreliability of thyroid appeared before the hoax was even uncovered.
Keep in mind that this came out in 1970. Years after it had actually happened. Back in 1955 was when Knoll Pharmaceuticals developed the (unfortunately) well known Synthroid tablets. Dr. David Derry (graduate in ’62) was one who openly noted, that by 1963 thyroxine was in full swing with treatments. How the pill form was OK’d to use even though it was originally the “unstable” medication in pill form, I have yet to figure out.
With all this said, it’s been proven time and time again with patients, that thyroxine has at some point during their disease failed them and the only things I can ever agree with about it’s usefulness is that a bottle of it makes an awesome doorstop or prop for my DSL modem and that’s it.
Leanne, my love is reserved for my wife, our cats, my work, and some of my toys. Thyroxine? Sorry, not on this list.
As a woman with Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism this to makes me a bit angry. I also had to fight to get tested. And when I went in with a VERY swollen thyroid gland, unexplained weight gain, brittle hair with hair loss, depression, and voice voice changes I was told that it was postpartum depression even though my son was 6 months old. I didn’t take that and TOLD him to test me and sure enough I was very Hypo. It took another 8 years before they u’s my thyroid and found a few nodules and that it is very irregular. To this day I still can’t stand anything against my neck cause I feel like I am being choked.
I have been fighting with hypothyroid since I was diagnosed 9 years ago! I work hard and take a bunch of supplements to help but I still fight tooth and nail for every pound. It is VERY hard but I am slowly succeeding. I think this is one of the worst articles I have read here and I HIGHLY value Sarah and her information. But this is just going to keep many women from believing that there is something wrong and continuing in the hell she is in with her own body. If you suspect a problem GET IT CHECKED!!! DEMAND IT EVEN!!! I don’t like the medical community either and I do everything I can holistically, herbaly or homeopathicly that I can but KNOW what you are fighting!
Shawnicy, what does make you angry? My article says exact same thing as your comment: “Don’t presume that you have hypothyroidism or adrenal insufficiency – GET TESTED!” We are in total, complete accord. Don’t live your life off hearsay and self-diagnosis. GET IT CHECKED!
No your article doesn’t say to get checked and how to get tested. It also doesn’t say that what is “normal” may not be normal for you. Right now my thyroid is being “controlled” by meds but has slowly been creeping back up despite diet and exercise. My “dr” thinks it is fine because it is in the “normal” range and yet I am still fighting the symptoms. Forget the fact that it has raised a half point in 3 months. Also it doesn’t point out that so many people are told it is normal but in fact their doctors aren’t even going of current info on what normal is. And that is when they only test TSH which ranges WIDELY for even the same subject with 2 different samples taken at the same time! It took YEARS for me to even get to see an endo for treatment and even then I STILL had to fight with them for good care (and I am still fighting!). I am glad I didn’t read this before my dx 8 years ago. I just urge women with the symptoms to demand testing and stop thinking it is all in their heads!
Shawnicy, I guess we are reading two different articles. Shall we let other readers judge what is says?
When these symptoms started creeping up on my in my 40’s the first doctor would only do a TSH, patronizingly told me I was in “normal” range and offered me and antidepressant. The second one did Free t3 and t4, put me on Synthroid and within 2 weeks I felt much better, but not great. I finally found a doctor who would put me on Armour, and checked my other hormone levels and I feel fantastic. After reading these comments I think I understand what you were trying to say, but in my opinion it minimizes the thyroid problem which I beleive is greatly underdiagnosed and ill treated with most physicians. I have a sister in another state who won’t even consider the other thryoid tests because she doesn’t beleive in them. Very frustrating. It is hard to be taken seriously in many cases.
Janice,
I realize how sensitive this issue is for people affected by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, so I updated my post to address this condition. I hope this is will bring back the calm. I also explained there why non-specialists are having such a hard time to properly diagnose this condition.
Very interesting. I am an under-active 24-year old mother of two toddlers. I have never lost much weight post-partum, though according to my BMI I’m not considered overweight, and at this point I would like to lose twenty pounds or so. Not because I want to see a certain number on the scale, but because I think I would feel better if I lost a little weight. I come from a very unhealthy family, with a history of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, among other things. I want to learn how lose weight now before I’m older and it becomes even more difficult. I’m looking forward to your future posts!
Thank you, Clementine. Between Sarah’s site and my future post, several decades from now your children will say: “We came from a very healthy family!”
Great post! I am slowly figuring all this out. I slowly put on weight and by time I had my third child I was at my heaviest, about 40 pounds overweight. No fad diet could ever really help me as I just put the weight right back on. I’ve been on the traditional diet for 60 days and I have taken off 15 pounds and keeping it off. I just started adding exercise and I will start focusing on portion control. However my main issue is fatigue. I am about to turn 30 and I am just tired, all the time. In fact, today I decided I would take a nap because I was so tired, yawning, eyes felt heavy, very sluggish but I couldn’t nap. I just laid there, my mind racing. I do sleep at night, at least 7 hours, usually 8. So I don’t understand why I am so tired all the time! I hate the feeling of sluggishness. 🙁
Kara, it takes a lot of energy to have three kids, and to take care of them. The only non-medical recommendation that I can make from reading your post: learn to meditate. If your mind is raising at night just like it does during the day, your quality of sleep is probably subpar. This factor may contributes to weight gain and cause your fatigued state. You really need to turn off that stream of subconscious thoughts from compromising your sleep and energy, and mediation is the best method for accomplishing it. The rest I will handle in future posts.
Kara,
Try some magnesium or diatomaceous earth or both. You are probably mineral deficient.
Is meditation a sanctioned FDA approved medical response to fatigue? Is being a 30 year old woman with kids a medically proven diagnosis for fatigue? I’m quite sure, last I checked, that neither of these were true. Last I checked, pharmacists weren’t even allowed to make medical diagnosis.
Kara, it’s been a common thing among thyroid patients to become hypo thyroid during and after pregnancy. In fact, quite often, it’s usually a major change in the body that spurs the antibodies for Hashimoto’s and Grave’s. This is a time in your life when finding a good doctor who will care about you and your well being properly is vital. If you have thyroid disease, it will only get worse the longer it’s untreated and the complications will pile up, considerably. Please do what’s right for yourself and find the answers to figure out what your real problem is, because as much as someone will tell you it’s just your kids running you down, at 30 years of age, you should still be able to keep up with them.
Kara, my friends and I have benefited immensely from the addition of not only dietary coconut oil but experienced it as being also valuable for proper brain funtioning, skin improvement, oral health, etc.: if anyone is interested, please refer to http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org (Bruce Fife, N,D. seems to be the world health expert). Also, it is suggested that you google “coconut oil Altzheimer’s.” . I believe you too will be amazed how much more energenic you will feel in a very short time, especially if attempting to follow a low-calorie diet. Dr, Fife will advise re proper dose (very slowly buildup), specific qualities of best oil, etc. Hang in there, help is on the way…
Although you do make some good points here I struggle with a few. I believe that metabolic rate has very much to do with people becoming overweight, and even worse, obese. For example, the popular conception, not based on solid research but, rather tradition, that 8 glasses per day of water is necessary for good health is misleading, to say the least.
There are untold numbers of people faithfully gulping down volumes of water their bodies are not telling them they need and thus, slowing their metabolisms. The end result is weight gain.
Also, your comment about not getting “another set of genes”, totally overlooks what we now know about epigentetics and how that really does affect our progeny. Diet has a very significant effect on which of our genes, regardless of which ones we inherit, actually are expressed.
Jim,
I was the first medical writer in the United States to address the issues of 8 glasses. That was 8 years ago, see Fiber Menace, Chapter 3: Water Damage.
I addressed the connections between energy metabolism and obesity in my prior post. Please read it.
As far as the epigenetics goes, my post isn’t addressed to prospective parents, but to grown up adults with weight issues. If you know how to change genes with diet in my age group, please teach me.
Konstantin,
I have read your book and I loved it, but you seem to have changed a lot of your recommendations since writing it.
You seem to think grains are beneficial now which you claimed to be damaging in your book Fiber Menace.
Lucas,
Thank you reading Fiber Menace. I am not sure I follow you on changing my recommendations. Please point me to my writings where I recommend grains?
My position is fairly simple: If you are healthy and normal weight, what you eat is none of my business. If you aren’t, the only “grain” that I recommend is white rice with free-range butter because it is near pure starch (96%), it isn’t sweet, it is the least allergenic of all grains, it is quick and easy to cook, it doesn’t incite appetite as grains that contain plant proteins, and it doesn’t interfere with gastric digestion. I wrote on this subject extensively in Fiber Menace, and haven’t changed my thinking since.
Konstantin,
Thank you for clearing up my confusion. I thought since you were writing for a site that promotes HEAVY use of grains, you were also promoting their use.
I agree, no matter how much you soak and or sprout your whole grains, they are in no way part of a healthy diet. Traditional people may have done this, but it was because they would of starved otherwise, not for any nutritional benefit.
Lucas,
This site is about healthy nutrition for healthy people who would like to remain that way for the rest of their lives, so that they can enjoy a variety of foods, and take advantages of their benefits. There are absolutely no reasons why people shouldn’t consume non-GMO organic grains, especially while still healthy and normal weight. They are wholesome, nutritious, and delicious when home-cooked.
I am not talking here about factory-made supermarket junk (cereals, pastas, breads, cookies) with additives. That is, in fact, what has ruined the reputation of otherwise perfectly healthy grains, not the grains themselves.
My work that you are referring to was addressed to people with digestive disorders related to certain food allergies. Please don’t confuse these two absolutely different “target” audiences.
Sprouting is done to release certain vitamins prior to cooking. This preparation technique has nothing to do with starvation.
Wow, I am really pondering my response to this – you think all overweight people are just making excuses and you’ve never met one that hasn’t blamed themselves for being weak? You haven’t talked to a woman lately who constantly berates herself for being a failure and not living up to society standards and eating perfectly and exercising all the time.
Coleen, yes, I have talked to a lot of women, and not just lately, but for the last fifteen years through my books, seminars, emails, and in person. That what it takes to develop this kind of expertise. Thanks to these conversation, I am providing actionable information about weight loss failures and side effects.
Please stay on subject. This and other posts isn’t about me, but about helping women who struggle with weight. If you don’t need this help, there is no point in berating me for providing essential information.
While some of your points are valid, it seems you are very under-studied about hypothyroidism, and possibly the endocrine system in general. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Dr. Brownstein, a very respected MD and ND who has published a book and many presentations on how the rate of hypothyroidism in today’s society is actually much HIGHER than what is caught in standard medical society, and not much lower, as you suggest. This is due to many factors, but I don’t see how you can logically think that the rate of hypothyroidism is in fact lower in today’s society. I don’t know if you’ve ever studied the proper way to test for an under-active thyroid which is a common misconception in today’s medical society, (proper thyroid testing should be for the hormones produced by the thyroid only, which are FREE T3 and FREE T4, etc.) instead of just testing the standard TSH, which is actually a hormone our pituitary gland sends out, and not actually put out by our thyroid. I respect you for your areas of expertise, but this is obviously not one of them. For more information on the current rates of hypothyroidism, and how to be tested properly, AND treated properly (most synthetic forms of thyroid which are distributed in the medical world today, such as synthroid, etc. are not natural and only work to change standard TSH blood tests, but not Free T3, Free T4 blood tests, or symptoms) I would refer readers to Dr. Brownstein’s book and blog: https://www.drbrownstein.com/Overcoming-Thyroid-Disorders-p/overcomingt.htm
Thank you for your comment, Lynn. I agree, the author of this piece seems to be totally off base with many of his claims. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and my problem is primarily with my T4 to T3 conversion. Synthetic T4 made me sicker. Armour thyroid helps. Further, autoimmune issues in general have been on the rise, most likely due to the toxic stew we live in and the crap in the food supply.
Sarah, I’m disappointed.
Laurie,
This post wasn’t about you, but about people who don’t have what you have, and still think that they have it. Sorry for disappointing you, that wasn’t my intent.
Sarah, I am disappointed, too.
I agree, Lynn. The reliance on TSH only testing has left many people with serious thyroid issues undiagnosed or mis-diagnosed, often for many years and resulting in many secondary health conditions developing. Accurate testing is crucial in confirming or ruling out any thyroid condition and to suggest that TSH only is sufficient is both misleading and potentially harmful.
Good points Lynn. There are also the studies of Dr. Broda Barnes which totally contradict the above article. Low metabolism is extremely common – it is a stress response to our modern lifestyle and diet.The only people I have heard saying that adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, and low metabolism are rare are modern medicine doctors. I normally love all of the HHE articles, but this one is under researched and under par. What a disappointment. I’d advise readers to go to Matt Stone’s site,180 degree health, if they want to really learn something about metabolism.
If this post isn’t about people with thyroid disease,then why do you even talk about it? It doesn’t really make sense. You are the one posting facts from who knows where and claiming that they are true. You are the one saying that thyroid disease is rare. It’s not rare, it’s pretty common these days. If you don’t want to be questioned by thyroid patients about the facts you state are true, then why have you posted openly for people to question? Those of us here that are thyroid patients are telling you we believe you are wrong, and you answer with “this post wasn’t about you, so move along”. This post most definitely about thyroid patients and, personally I find it offensive and dangerous for people who should be getting proper treatment, but aren’t recieving.
Leanne, if you doubt the facts presented in my post (the references are at the end), please post better facts. This page is open to anyone who has anything to say on this subject. Please, say it!
I was slowly dying because of my undiagnosed Cushings disease. I kept going back to my doctor and my hypothyroid [which i had suffered for 30 years] blood results came back as ‘normal’ ‘!!!!! She asked me to pick up a heavy box of books and said ‘thats why you feel so awful, you are carrying that weight around all the time’ My body was being pumped full of cortsol from a tumour on my pituitary gland and my bones were breaking and I had NO muscle strength. AND my weight was piling on too no matter what I tried to do. There must be so many sufferers out there who go undiagnosed. I was ‘lucky’ – I saw an endo privately and as soon as he realised what was wrong with me – sent me to St Barts in London and they saved my life !
Linda, thank you for sharing this valuable information for our readers from UK.
I completely agree Lynn. Especially for someone, like myself, who has Hashimoto’s, the fluctuations between hypo, normal low, and at times hyper make the TSH completely unreliable. For years as my list of symptoms began to grow, along with my weight, I was repeatedly told my tests were “within normal range” and there was nothing wrong with me. The last time I got this response I left my Dr’s office in tears, my legs had developed adema so badly they were like playdough, you could dent them and they just stayed that way, I had plantar fasciatus, I hadn’t slept through the night in almost 18 months, I had “brain fog” so badly I was afraid I was going to lose my job, my hair was like straw, my skin was like leather, my scalp was constantly breaking out in eczema patches, I had tingly in my hands, constipation, and last but not least I had started with 1500 calories and reduced my intake by 100 calories a week for 7 weeks, and at no point during that time – the last week with a daily intake of 800 poiunds, did I lose an ounce of weight. My MD told me that he should probably run a lab panel to make sure there was nothing wrong with my kidneys due to the swelling, but he had no reason to believe there was anything wrong with my thyroid, and perhaps I should enroll in the clinics medical weight loss program and start taking a combination of phentermine and topiramate to stimulate weight loss.
I left his office and went “shopping” for a new Dr. I ended up in the office of an HMD who ran my Free T3 and Free T4 levels (which aren’t even acknowledged in this article). My Free T4 was at .5 and my Free T3 was just below 1, my actual usable hormones were completely bottomed out but my TSH never got above 4, which is still within “normal range” for many labs, even though the recommendation from the American Association of Endocrinologists is a range of .3-3.0 with anyone who is symptomatic with a TSH over 2.5 be further evaluated. My HMD’s best guess is that my hypo status started shortly after the birth of my daughter, with the numbness in my hands, skin problems, etc – I was 21 at that time, it took me until 39 to get a diagnosis. This article sells short every patient who truly suffers with a thyroid disorder (the numbers of which I believe are much higher than this article indicates).
Konstantin Monastyrsky, I really enjoy what you wrote in the second part of this article called “Fantastic metabolism, wrong times to live it”. Very awesome!
Also…thank you so much for updating the article and adding some more thyroid-related information. That’s very helpful for people who visit this blog and are sincerely wondering if they have thyroid problems or not. It will help them to have some of the information you updated this with.
Thyroid problems can be very difficult for people to get diagnosed with and receive the help they need. Thyroid problems can be quite serious and can even result in death if not treated. And of course, life can be difficult for people who continue to have thyroid problems.
Both doctors and endocrinologists can treat thyroid issues. A regular doctor may suffice with some of the treatments, but endocrinologists can be helpful for more in depth help, as well as help with thyroid cancer (try to find an endocrinologist, who is also proficient in oncology for this), Graves disease and some other thyroid-related problems.
Before the 1960s, I think, the standard for diagnosing thyroid problems was done by observing clinical presentations. Doctors would have their patients keep a log of their basal temperatures (upon waking up in the morning), check for myedema (edema) and some other things.
When blood testing came about, the numbers of people who had thyroid problems was drastically reduced. Blood testing was not (and still does not) find some thyroid problems in people. And many doctors will only do a TSH test (which actually tests the pituitary gland) and maybe the free t4 (which tests the thyroxine that is available to be converted to free t3). Meds like Synthroid and L-thyroxine can help people who have low levels of free t4.
It can be very difficult to get a free t3 test. Free t3 tests how much thyroid is available for use by the body. If that number is low, a synthetic t3 med like Cytomel can be prescribed.
Sometimes, people used dessicated thyroid that has both t3 and t4 in it and it helps. Some people better taking only synthetic t3, t4 or a combination.
Besides it being difficult to get a free t3 blood test, it can be difficult to get labs to check for Hashimotos. Finding a good doctor who will do these tests is very important.
And if anyone feels like they have a thyroid problem, get help from a doctor. If that doctor won’t help you, find another one who will.
There are some very good resources for thyroid information. You may not have the time to research this, but perhaps it will help someone who sees this comment and can be benefited by this.
Dr Broda Barnes is considered a pioneer in the study of thyroid-related issues.
http://www.brodabarnes.org/
Dr Mark Starr wrote a very interesting book about thyroid-related stuff called “Hypothyroidism: Type 2”. It is a fascinating read and has pages and pages about thyroid symptoms. It’s very thorough.
Another good site is run by an advocate for people with thyroid problems. On this website, there is a list of doctors all over the world that many people have had good results with. She’s written several books about thyroid illness.
http://thyroid-info.com/topdrs/
Thank you again for updating your article.
Beth,
Thank you for reading, and you are very welcome. Also, thank you for sharing your experiences with testing, and the links to resources for people who may be affected by thyroid-related conditions!
I’m going to have to agree with Colleen on this one. If the article is about helping women women who struggle with weight, as you say, then saying upfront how you haven’t yet met one who wasn’t making excuses seems to be contradictory to the cause. It’s a very “I know you better than you know you” tone, and it’s kind of off-putting. I’m not (currently) even a woman who needs to lose weight, and I was still turned off by the article’s tone.
My viewpoint on this is based on the fact that I am a person with confirmed low thyroid, and before I got help, I was eating about 800-900 calories a day and going to the gym twice a day for an hour and a half each time just to keep from gaining weight. Losing weight was out of the picture. If someone had told me then that I was making excuses (and yes, people did tell me that) I’d have wanted to smack them. However, what if I had just believed them instead, like I’m sure some people are doing after reading this article?
And “getting help” doesn’t have to mean getting medicated. I’ve improved my thyroid levels through diet modification and supplementation alone. I wasn’t looking for an easy fix. And I’m sure a lot of the people who suspect they have a thyroid issue aren’t either.
Katie, perhaps we should ask Colleen to continue this series. She is a woman. She has thyroid problems. Perfect!
Lol! Love that…you crack me up.
Interesting! I thought for sure I had hypothyroidism – I gained weight, was tired all the time, etc. Turned out my thyroid levels were actually high! I did have adrenal fatigue, mineral deficiencies, severe anemia & lots of other problems, though. I’m losing weight slowly, more slowly than I’d like, but losing it nonetheless 🙂
Leilani,
Thanks God, you hadn’t. I don’t believe you had adrenal fatigue either unless it was confirmed by a blood test. All other issues — mineral deficiencies and anemia are legit causes of adiposity, and I’ll be talking about them a lot in future posts.
Blood test are not an accurate way to determine adrenal fatigue.
Nicole,
Please recommend a more accurate test that you may know.
A saliva test is way more accurate. Not to mention that there are plenty of doctors who have NO CLUE on how to interpret the blood tests for adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism.
I had those blood tests, with my doctor telling me they were ‘perfectly normal’. But when I went to my native Germany to visit my brothers and saw my brother’s doctor (who studied to be a regular MD, a naturopathic doctor AND a homeopathic doctor, not that unusual for Germany) and showed him my blood tests, he was alarmed by the low number for aldosterone and cortisol, saying that especially the aldosterone was so low it was dangerous, promptly diagnosed me with Addison’s disease and put me on hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. Which finally brought my blood pressure from values as low as 74 over 45 (which is life threatening) to more normal levels (even though still low at times).
Turns out that I have calcium deposits on my adrenal glands, thanks to ignorant doctors not recognizing that I had Celiac disease all my life, causing systemic inflammation from the age of three until I figured it out myself at the age of 52…… too late to prevent permanent damage to my adrenal glands, thyroid, intestines and causing asthma (now COPD).
If you would read Dr. Mercola (who is a holistic physician) you would find out that he disagrees with you on quite a few points.
Most doctor only rely on blood tests for hypothyroidism, which are notoriously inaccurate and miss a great number of people who are actually hypothyroid. The same goes for the adrenal fatigue tests.
Salivary testing