How To Learn If You Have Hashimotos Low Thyroid
Many patients are not diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimotoâs until after several years and going through several doctors. It is a demoralizing journey richly illustrated in my book The Truth About Low Thyroid: Stories of Hope and Healing for Those Suffering With Hashimotos Low Thyroid Disease, through real-life stories from patients in my practice. Managing Hashimotoâs goes far beyond using thyroid medication as you must work to stop the immune system from attacking the thyroid. For more information on identifying and managing Hashimotoâs low thyroid, contact my office.
The Gray Area Of Hypothyroidism
If I got paid for the number of times Ive seen someone with a higher TSH, but still within the normal range, who had multiple symptoms of hypothyroidismId be RICH!
TSH, or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, is usually the first blood test checked to assess for thyroid dysfunction. The current normal range for TSH is 0.45-4.12 mIU/L. However, some physicians use an upper limit of 5.0 mIU/L.
Although a TSH of 4 is considered within range based on the current medical standard, it doesnt mean its optimal or that you cant have hypothyroid symptoms.
The range is based on a large sample size from a population of people who were considered free of thyroid disease . People with risk factors and family history of thyroid dysfunction, self-reported thyroid disease or goiter, and thyroid autoimmunity were excluded from this study. The study concluded that 95% of the US thyroid-disease-free population had a TSH range between 0.45 and 4.12 mIU/L. And this is where the TSH range comes from.
However, the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry has recommended that the upper limit for TSH be 2.5. And, in fact, about 2026% of the population would be hypothyroid if the upper limit of the normal range is lowered to 2.53.0 mIU/L. .
So, if the normal range is based on a population that is considered free of thyroid disease, but shifting the range would make more people hypothyroid, how should we really be assessing for hypothyroidism? Were playing a chicken and egg game here.
Intermittent Fasting And Pcos
The logical outcome to prevent PCOS, stop its development, and partly cure the disease is to lower insulin. We already know intermittent fasting is a pretty good way to reduce the secretion of insulin.
Let’s get into the details:
A relatively frequent condition affecting the normal function of the ovaries is polycystic ovary syndrome . PCOS causes not only enlarged ovaries and irregular periods but can also produce excessive amounts of the âmaleâ hormone androgen. For women experiencing PCOS, energy balance is a more important factor for successful ovulation.
âAdditionally, PCOS causes insulin resistance, meaning that the body overproduces insulin which in turn leads to many of the common PCOS symptoms. This cycle of increased insulin resistance and its symptoms can be made worse by carbohydrates, which cause a spike in insulin levels, hence these should be avoided where possible. For this reason, intermittent fasting has become an ever more popular method for managing PCOS symptoms.
Although research is ongoing, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting can be helpful for women with PCOS.
As mentioned above, intermittent fasting can help manage PCOS symptoms because eating stimulates insulin production. When women fast they are also helping their body regulate their insulin levels.
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Time To Take Up Intermittent Fasting
You can absolutely take up intermittent fasting. The sooner, the better for your health. You can see it’s not only perfectly safe even when you’re prone to hypothyroidism, but it can actually support the health of your thyroid.
Especially when you combine fasting with ensuring you get adequate amounts of selenium, iodine, and vitamins A and D, you’re taking some of the most beneficial steps possible for your health.
Yes, even if you’re currently experiencing hypoglycemia and less than optimal Fat Storing Hormone sensitivity. You can see how fasting improves your health by regulating your blood sugar and Fat Storing Hormone.
It’s a win all the way around.
Don’t delay – you deserve to experience the many benefits of fasting.
Up Next:-
Ready To Take The Next Step
Changing your diet is one of the most effective ways to manage PCOS. Live programs, like the ones below, can help you achieve the best outcomes possible. If youre ready to take the next step, you can:
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Working With Your Bodys Circadian Rhythm
What is super interesting to me is that our bodies have a daily hormonal rhythm, the circadian rhythm. And that also influences our bodies sensitivity to insulin.
We tend to be less sensitive to insulin in the evenings, when we are eating our biggest meals. Basically we could eat the EXACT same meal for breakfast and dinner and we would need less insulin at breakfast time. Why? Because our bodies are more sensitive to insulin in the morning.
So, with this in mind, what if we ate dinner by 6 or 7 oclock? That way, we are eating when our bodies are still somewhat sensitive to insulin and we can start to extend the length of time that we are fasting for.
Seems to make sense to me!
Now, I would love to hear from you! Do you have any experience with intermittent fasting? Have you seen any benefits or do you feel that it may even have made your symptoms worse?
Leave me a comment below and let me know!
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Treating Pcos With Fasting And Keto
As soon as someone with PCOS reduces consumption of processed carbs, the condition often improves. Fasting can also accelerate the improvement.
Either approach can lower insulin to varying degrees. So both are beneficial, and you can certainly use them in combination as well.
Here are a few specific recommendations about how to use fasting, or a ketogenic diet, to treat PCOS.
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/6if You Have Hormonal Imbalance Issues
People suffering from hormonal issues should try intermittent fasting only under expert supervision.
Intermittent fasting increases one’s cortisol levels . This can have a short term negative effect on the hormonal issues. Thus it’s best for people suffering from PCOS and thyroid to follow intermittent fasting maximum for five days a week.
The Connection Among Your Gallbladder Thyroid And Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting, when done correctly helps your body convert T4 to T3, just as selenium does. Because T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, having more of it will improve your thyroid function if youre hypothyroid.
Interestingly, the T4 to T3 function improves during fasting because intermittent fasting also improves the gallbladder function. Your gallbladder is a key organ for the conversion of T4 to T3.
See how it all fits together?
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Why Is Insulin Resistance Important
Not only does extra glucose in your body become fatty buildups, but it also raises your overall blood sugar levels. And this higher concentration of sugar inside the body and bloodstream can lead to pre-diabetes and diabetes, if not reduced.
Insulin resistance is critical here because your pancreas keeps producing the hormone, you will also have excessive amounts of insulin in the body, which impacts many normal functions, including fertility.
What Is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting in simple terms means time-restricted eating and fasting.
Intermittent fasting meaning is very simple you restrict your eating window in a day between certain hours only.
There are other ways of fasting also like you dont eat for the whole day or something called water fast where a person just consumes water and no food.
But intermittent fasting is different from above as in this method we are focused on eating daily but in a time-restricted manner. The most popular way people do it is by keeping a window of 16 hours in a day where they dont eat and the rest of the 8 hours left is the time where they will eat.
So for example, if you stop eating at 7 pm in the night and dont eat till the next morning around 11 AM, this makes it 16 hours of a window where you have fasted. And then from 11 am to 7 pm is your time to eat.
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Blood Sampling And Analysis
The participants fasting blood samples were collected before and after the intervention. Blood samples were taken from antecubital vein and collected into the BD Vacutainers Tubes . Then, samples were centrifuged for 10 min at 3600 rpm at 4 °C. The obtained serum and plasma were aliquoted and stored at 80 °C before analysis. Insulin 0 min, 60 min, 120 min were measured by radioimmunological assay, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay, total testosterone was measured by electrochemiluminescent immunoassay, insulin-like growth factor 1 and sex hormone-binding globulin were measured by immunochemiluminescent on Beckman Coulter Unicel Dxl 800. Total cholesterol was measured by cholesterol oxidase method, triglycerides was measured by deionization & enzyme method, and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol was measured by selective solubilization method, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were measured by NADH method, uric acid , glucose 0 min, 60 min, 120 min and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured separately by uricase-PAP method, hexokinase method and rate nephelometry method on ci 16200 Abbott Architect analyzer. Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance was calculated according to the formula FINS ×FG /22.5. Free androgen index was calculated according to the formula TT ×100/SHBG .
Fasting And The Facts
The word fast scares me and maybe for good reason so I put it to Anna Löfgren, a nutritional therapist specialising in female hormone health, to get a fair analysis of the pros and cons of intermittent fasting, in relation to PCOS.
Anna notes that early studies of intermittent fasting have benefits linking to:
- improved insulin sensitivity
- those who suffer from insulin-resistant PCOS
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My Turning Point Was In February 2018 When I Realized I Was Avoiding Mirrors And Photos
For someone as outgoing and extroverted as I am typically, that was just not me. I was absolutely miserable and had also developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an irregular heartbeat, and was borderline pre-diabetic. My PCOS symptoms were also out of control. I was 24, considered morbidly obese, and was taking two different types of blood pressure meds as well as another Rx for my PCOS. I feltdare I say it?pathetic.
what type of example was I setting for my daughter? How would I ever forgive myself if she adapted my eating habits and ended up like me?
I thought, I knew I would neverbe able to live with myself if that happened. The way I felt about myself, combined with the fear of my daughter picking up my habits, was enough to light a fire underneath me that would lead to me losing 100 pounds in *one year* naturally.
Hypothyroidism And Intermittent Fasting
- Benefits and risks of intermittent fasting
- Is it safe for your thyroid?
Humans have fasted for a variety of purposes throughout history. Fasting has been used for therapeutic, religious, and political purposes, as well as during times of food scarcity. Health benefits from fasting were recognized and documented as early as ancient Greek civilization. Indeed, fasting is very much a part of the history of our species as hunter-gathers did not have a steady flow of available food. Recently, intermittent fasting has become popular because it may have many health benefits.
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I Am Back To Watching What I Eat Closely Sticking To Around 1400 Calories A Day And Drinking 100 Ounces Of Water Daily
The moment I finally took ownership of my health situation and got rid of the excuses, my mind was finally where it needed to be to really do this. I was finally in control of my own body and my own life.
My life has changed drastically as a result of my weight losstotally for the better. I feel healthy. I can finally play with my daughter without having to stop after 30 seconds because I’m out of breath. I have fun shopping for clothes again, rather than sitting in the changing room sweaty and crying like I did when I was 240 pounds.
And what really keeps me motivated: My daughter has watched me accomplish something that most people don’t, and that is something I hope she will carry with her forever.
Is It Safe For Your Thyroid
Each of us is unique with individual sensitivities. Intermittent fasting can be safe for some people with thyroid disease, whereas others may experience adverse effects. Because the thyroid is the metabolic powerhouse of the body, fasting impacts the thyroid directly.
A recent study evaluated the effects of alternate-day fasting in healthy people. Compared to the control group, those who alternated 36 hours of zero-calorie intake with 12 hours of unlimited eating showed lowered levels of triiodothyronine . Other studies also suggest that eating a low-calorie diet may cause a .
Another study compares the weight-loss efficacy of alternate-day fasting versus daily calorie restriction in adults with subclinical hypothyroidism. After six months, results showed a similar bodyweight decrease by both alternate-day fasting and calorie restriction. Insulin resistance decreased more with Alternate-day fasting than calorie restriction. TSH and fT4 remained unchanged.
Intermittent fasting may increase the metabolism of your thyroid medications. It also changes the way your body uses energy. If you have Hashimoto’s disease, well-timed intermittent fasting may improve inflammation and reduce the severity of this autoimmune condition.
If you are considering using IF for weight loss and other health benefits, talk with a doctor to learn if intermittent fasting is the right choice for you.
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Summary And Final Thoughts
PCOS is a really common condition that causes a lot of health problems, and a lot of frustration for women.
Once you understand the cause , its pretty obvious that intermittent fasting and low carb diets can help a lot! Both of those approaches will lower insulin, which is the key to improving the disease.
It probably took years to develop PCOS, so dont think you have to cure it overnight. Take a gradual, sustainable approach to improving your lifestyle, and youll be more likely to succeed in the long run.
If youd like some additional guidance about how to take an easy, smooth approach to fasting , thats one of the things I walk you through step-by-step in my Easy Fasting Guide. So go ahead and take a look at that as well, if you havent already.
Hope it helps.
The Gray Area Of Pcos
In 2003, a gray area for diabetes was created, called prediabetes. For a long time, there was no prediabetes. You either had diabetes or you didnt. The category of prediabetes is very important for individuals with PCOS, because insulin resistance is a root cause of PCOS.
Pre-diabetes and diabetes are assessed using a lab measure called hemoglobin A1c . Hemoglobin A1c measures how much glucose is attached to red blood cells over a 2-3 month period.
The ranges used for HgbA1c are:
Normal Below 5.7%
Prediabetes 5.7% 6.4%
Diabetes 6.5% or above
Up until 5.7%, A1c is considered normal. However, symptoms of insulin resistance can show up before a diagnosis of prediabetes.
Labs are a great objective tool to check for insulin resistance. However, its also important to look for physical and physiological signs that might show insulin resistance if your A1c is below 5.7%.
This is what I like to call the gray area. In this area, theres no objective, quantitative measure classifying someone with pre-diabetes, but theres plenty of signs to look out for. Signs that women with PCOS experience before they hit a 5.7% A1c.
These signs include:
- Acanthosis Nigricans
- Inability to lose weight, despite eating well and exercising
- Dark coarse facial hair in women
- Cant maintain a weight
- Pee more frequently
- Have sugar cravings that dont go away with eating carbs
- Low blood sugar in between meals
- High inflammation .
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Intermittent Fasting And Hypothyroidism
Fasting impacts the thyroid directly due to its effects on hormone production. Some studies have shown that fasting reduces the production of T3 hormones. Since intermittent fasting changes the way your body uses up energy, you may experience improved metabolic activity if you are a person with hypothyroidism. In addition, some women have also experienced improvement in the functioning of their medication for hypothyroidism as well as lowered rates of inflammation.
Who Shouldnt Try Intermittent Fasting
Im going to be honest here. I dont necessarily think that intermittent fasting is for everyone and there are some women who should be careful of fasting and consult their doctor before they start fasting.
- Pregnant women Fasting when pregnant is not a good idea and should be avoided.
- Women taking prescription medication If you are taking any prescription medication, you should consult your doctor before trying any form of fasting. Insulin sensitising drugs, like Metformin, can cause you to have bouts of low sugar levels when fasting.
- Anyone with a history of an eating disorder
- Women who are already underweight
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