stress – Wilson's Syndrome

Balancing stress, cholesterol and thyroid

Tags: cholesterol, exercise, hypothyroid, stress, thyroid, thyroid meds, TSH, yoga|

High cholesterol is one of the many common co- symptoms that occurs with hypothyroidism. Elevated cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis or “clogged arteries”, putting a person at risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack. Statin drugs are commonly prescribed to reduce cholesterol levels, but they come with risk for other side effects, such as muscle pain, liver damage, or neurological effects. So it makes sense to consider alternative, natural approaches to help maintain normal cholesterol levels.

A recent small study was conducted in India, where hypothyroidism is quite prevalent, to determine if a consistent yoga program could help address

Could Holiday Stress Impact Your Health?

Tags: holiday stress, Low body temperature, low thyroid, stress, T3, thyroid hormone receptor, trauma, TSH, wilson's syndrome|

Life gets complicated around the holidays; we tend to overbook our social schedules to squeeze in as many events as possible. Although it is intended to be fun, sometimes there is an underlying pressure to create the perfect holiday ambiance, which can cause more stress than enjoyment.

Stress can upset your thyroid gland in complicated and profound ways. New research shows that the effects of stress on your thyroid can be long-lasting and hinder your resilience (your ability to recover from trauma).

One study found that women who had experienced

Stress: A one-two punch to the thyroid

Tags: adaptogen herbs, cortisol, endocrine, hypothyroid, iodine, selenium, stress, T3, thyroid|

Last month I wrote about the endocrine system and how adrenal overload can cause fatigue, weight gain, and eventually affect the thyroid. This month, I’d like to focus on how life’s stresses impede the production and utilization of thyroid hormone and what you can do about it.

You already know that long term, chronic stress is one of the most common factors for adrenal dysfunction. When adrenals suffer, it influences other related endocrine organs, such as pituitary and hypothalamus. Collectively, this is called the “HPA” axis, or the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which works on a feedback system. The

Optimize Thyroid – Adrenal Cross-talk

Tags: adrenals, cortisol, fatigue, hypothyroid, stress, thyroid, TSH|

Last week we talked about how chronic stress and cortisol wears out the adrenals, and how tired adrenals affect thyroid function. But there’s actually more to the story. Did you know that not only is thyroid hormone activity regulated in part by stress hormone activity, but the reverse is also true. The two hormonal systems interact throughout your body, in different tissues. Thyroid hormone sets a kind of “baseline” activity level and stress hormones, secreted from your adrenal glands, speed it up or slow it down.

The interaction is complicated and affects body heat, blood flow, heart rate, blood

Is your body a symphony?

Tags: adaptogens, adrenal fatigue, Ashwagandha, eleuthero, hypothyroid, stress, T3, thyroid|

I am often asked if the adrenals are important in relation to the thyroid. My answer is YES- very important! For such a small pair of organs, the adrenal glands have a lot of influence over our entire wellbeing. They are part of the endocrine system, a collection of tiny organs that work in concert to control the production and secretion of the chemical messengers produced in our body. Some of these include hormones and neurotransmitters, which send signals and instructions to different parts of our body. Similar to the conductor of an orchestra, who signals certain players on

Ashwagandha- a plant that can help you handle stress

Tags: adrenal, Ashwagandha, chemotherapy, dementia, immune system, nervous system, stress, thyroid|

Adaptogens can be defined as substances that increase the body’s resistance to stress. Know anyone who is under any stress these days? Ashwagandha, known scientifically as Withania somnifera and as Indian ginseng has been used for over 3,000 years as an adaptogen and was believed to benefit the thyroid, the adrenal glands and the nervous system, especially during times of stress.⁴ It is also used being investigated as an adjunct to chemotherapy, boosting the immune system and protecting healthy cells. Ashwagandha also acts to help to support the nervous system, prevent dementia and cognitive decline^1-3 AND as an

Emotional Stress can cause the metabolism to slow down

Tags: stress, temperature, weightloss, WTS|

Sometimes men want to "encourage" their wives to lose weight and end up doing the one thing that is making it hard for them to lose. They threaten their wives, saying, "If you don't lose weight I'm leaving you." It pains me to write those words, but they are words that patients have actually quoted to me.