Do you feel sluggish??? Feeling down?? Have a bit too much weight around your middle? Think you may have a slow or sluggish thyroid?
The way that your thyroid works can influence how you feel.

The standard test for measuring thyroid function is called TSH- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. General opinion amongst the conventional medical community seems to be that if TSH is within normal limits, then a person’s thyroid is OK. TSH is made in a gland called the pituitary gland which is located between your eyes. Therefore TSH isn’t actually a thyroid hormone, it is a pituitary gland hormone.
In clinical practise, a complete profile of the thyroid should be considered- this includes – Iodine levels, reverse t3, Free T3 and Free T4- There are so many parameters of thyroid function.
For most people, if they have a slow thyroid function they are told that the only option is thyroxine, a medication which supports the thyroid. For some people this is necessary. But what would happen if we treated the cause of your thyroid  imbalance?

Potential Causes of A Slow Thyroid

Here are 3 possible causes that  can disrupt the way that your thyroid is working (This is NOT a diagnosis- and you need to be assessed by and talk to your Fully Qualifed Health Care Professional):

1. Your stress hormone, called Cortisol, can have a very significant impact on your thyroid. If you are stressed about small things- being stuck in traffic, what you’re going to feed the kid’s for dinner as well as deadlines for work, then you might have high cortisol levels. The hormone cortisol can have an impact on your thyroid and can, for some people, put it out of balance.

2. Estrogen- estrogen is an important hormone. In the right amounts in plays a protective role in the body- but like everything, too much or too little can throw you body out of wack. High estrogen levels can block the conversion of the inactive thyroid hormone to the active hormone. If you have enlarged stomach area, enlarged breasts, migraines/ headaches before each period and fluid retention, then you may have higher than normal estrogen levels. This could be having an affect on your thyroid.

3. Iodine, Selenium and Zinc- these nutrients are critical for the thyroid to work properly. Our soils are very depleted in these nutrients, so it can be as easy as boosting these in your diet. These nutrients, if needed in a therapeutic dose, need to be administered by a fully qualified health care professional. Foods that  contain iodine, selenium and zinc include kelp, brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds (pepita’s) retrospectively.

So if you suspect you have a slow thyroid problem, then ask to get ALL parameters of your thyroid measured and consider looking for the cause of your sluggish thyroid. However- you do need a doctor who will work with you and your Fully Qualified Naturopath so that you have optimal health care from all angles. It’s better to be proactive, rather than reactive about your healthcare.

Want to use this article on your website? You can as long as you add the following box and link the web details.

The Period Pain Guru & Melbourne based Naturopath Andrea Hepner has been helping women who experience period pain and related symptoms for many years. She is also a specialist in hormonal imbalance and fertility issues. To contact Andrea Hepner for treatment call 1300 21 44 25 or go to www.PeriodPain.com.au

An article to get Modern Women thinking.

We have babies and rear children. We nurture our young, breastfeed them, make their lunches, cook their dinners, wipe their grubby hands. We cuddle, hug, encourage and laugh with our kids. We parent, scold, educate and teach our children that they can be ANYTHING in the world.

We drop kids to school, we shop for groceries, clothes for the family, manage the household budget and still attend Tupperware parties! From mothers, cleaners, teachers, nurses to now ANY career we want.

In 2010 you will find us in space, in labs, in hospitals, and in boardrooms. (How come we still don’t earn the same incomes as our male counterparts ).

We walk around building sites with pencils behind our ears, construction hats on, sturdy boots and overalls. We wear work suits, shorts, jackets and vests. Some wear ties, but not many are choosing Y briefs, yet…

We can dance, sing, act and break sporting records – we can run parent and teachers meetings, organize fund raisers and even run countries!

BUT ARE WE HAPPY?

Why did we stop wearing dresses? Why are wrinkles suddenly not cool? Why did we burn our bras again?

The gender pendulum has swung too far. Not just aesthetically but biologically.

Woman are developing higher levels of male hormones, feeling aggressive, stressed and de-feminized.

We have made many demands – we have essentially what we want, and yet most of us are confused, uptight and are experiencing physically  hormone changes that are incongruent with our natural chemistry. Basically we, the female component of the human species, don’t know how to make ourselves happy.

What are the men folk doing? Well they are becoming too scared to say anything. They are not turning to self help and personal development courses. They are not trying to get another 10 certificates or degrees to find true happiness. Instead they are going to pubs, clubs and sheds. They are protecting themselves from an endemic of aggressive, hairy woman.

Sam Beau Patrick is dedicated to assisting individuals, groups and companies to be the healthiest and happiest they can be. She specializes in hormone management (stress, sleep and female hormones in particular) and tries to achieve your health and happiness goals through natural and safe methods. For more information about Sam and her services visit www.byebyebridget.com