My thyroid health journey
Do you have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, but your labs keep coming back normal? You might have subclinical hypothyroidism. Here’s how I found out about this tricky diagnosis.
My disordered eating started at a really young age and I believe this is where it all started with my gut health and hormones.
Like many of you, I have a history of diet pills, jumping on fad diets and overdoing it on exercise just to see some quick results (that didn’t always come). If I did see results 9 times out of 10 times, they didn’t stick and I found myself, once again, unhappy with my body and searching for that next fix.
Pair that with trauma and stress and I had myself the perfect recipe for disaster.
For years I had no idea of the long term, internal damage I was doing to my body with this way of life. I only cared about what I could see on the outside; my size, my fat, and my muscles. I had no idea that even if on the outside my body looked “good” or even “healthy”, the inside was telling a different story
How it started
My first clue was when I was 9 months postpartum and feeling absolutely awful. Tired, poor digestion, bloating, food sensitivities, dry skin, scaly and itchy scalp and extreme brain fog plus zero sex drive. Nothing I did made me feeling better.
I finally went to see a doctor. We got some blood work done and saw that I had subclinical hypothyroidism.
Definition: Subclinical Hypothyroidism
Subclinical hypothyroidism is an early, mild form of hypothyroidism, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones.
When you aren't the usual suspect
It can be tough to get a diagnosis or treatment when you are “subclinical” because you don’t tick all the boxes. For example, not all doctors recognize those levels as hypothyroidism. Add to that I did not fit the typical description of hypothyroidism or a person who was “sick”. I looked healthy, I had energy, I worked out, I ate well. The outside eye I should be fine but I wasn’t.
Luckily, my doctor believed me, diagnosed me with subclinical hypothyroidism, got me on medication and it helped…. But I there was still something off. I still had itchiness, dry scalp and no sex drive.
I kept digging. After more blood work, I found out I had about 100 different food sensitivities (not allergies, there’s a difference) and extremely high candida levels. Since then I have also found out that most people have high Candida levels due to our high sugar intake.
This obviously threw me for a loop again and stumped my doctor because I didn’t fit the typical description of this either.
Next I got connected to a hormone coach and she encouraged me to do another round of blood work to check for Hashimoto’s based on symptoms I was having. And guess what? I have Hashimoto’s. Once again I did not present as a typical Hashimoto’s patient. (I was underweight instead of overweight)
Definition: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that affects your thyroid. The immune system gets confused and mistakenly attacks the thyroid, making it impossible for it to do it’s job. It’s just one way that you can experience suboptimal thyroid performance.
Why do I share this with you?
Because I want you to know how important it is to keep digging and asking for more, especially when your symptoms are not being addressed. It is so easy for a doctor to dismiss you when you don’t fit within the “normal”, but the truth is that every body is different and health is complex. This is why I’m always harping on about getting extensive lab work done. It’s the only way to get a full picture (and even then, it might not be totally clear).
Healing your health is a journey. It’s a process. It can take months or even years to find and resolve all the symptoms you are experiencing. Find someone you trust to help you through the process – you don’t have to do it alone.
3 Things You can Do to Help Your Thyroid at Home:
1. Take Epsom Salt Baths
Epsom Salt baths are very relaxing and detoxing for the body. They have many benefits but one of the main ones is they help you get more magnesium in. Magnesium is vitally important to our well being. The skin is our biggest organ so taking an Epsom salt bath allows you to absorb magnesium through your skin. Check out this post: All about magnesium to learn more about why magnesium is so important and can help you feel better.
2.Create a good sleep routine
Sleep is so important for overall hormone and thyroid function. When we sleep the body restores and heals. One way to start improving your sleep is by ditching the electronics before you go to bed. I like to do what’s called a “digital detox”. An hour before bed all electronics are turned off so your body can wind down and get ready for sleep. Here is where you can create a lovely bedtime routine.
- Take a bath (see above!)
- Do your skincare routine.
- Brush and floss teeth.
- Wind down with a book.
- Do a meditation session.
Your body does best on consistency so the more consistent you are with your bedtime and rise time the better for your health overall.
3. Start paying attention to inflammatory foods
For many, gluten, dairy, soy, and processed sugars can be (even slightly) inflammatory. Not everyone is the same but it is important to understand what foods cause inflammation for you and start eliminating those so your body can heal. I like starting with one or 2 foods and cut them out for a minimum of 2 months to see how you feel. You can always bring it back in for a day and see if there are any adverse effects to it. If not, you may be just fine with it. But remember, as with everything. All things should be in moderation and balance.
You are not alone
While I always advocate for people to do as much home healing as they can, for most people medical treatment is neccessary.
But finding the right treatment can be really tricky. Sometimes medications can leave you feeling worse than before.
If you are struggling with a hormone imbalance, or suspect you might be, I highly recommend you find support.
Start by downloading my free Thyroid E- Guide here.
Then set up a call with me so we can set up a plan to help you heal.
Welcome to the UnDiet Yourself Revolution
Inside the UnDiet Yourself community, I teach you to take a holistic approach to your health. You’ll learn the foundations of health and nutrition for a sustainable healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime. Some of the areas I specialize in are hormones, gut health, macros, mindset, movement and habit building.
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Because I want you to know how important it is to keep digging and asking for more, especially when your symptoms are not being addressed. It is so easy for a doctor to dismiss you when you don’t fit within the “normal”, but the truth is that every body is different and health is complex. This is why I’m always harping on about getting extensive lab work done. It’s the only way to get a full picture (and even then, it might not be totally clear).
Healing your health is a journey. It’s a process. It can take months or even years to find and resolve all the symptoms you are experiencing. Find someone you trust to help you through the process – you don’t have to do it alone.