7 Strategies to Heal Your Hashimoto’s

Hashimoto’s Disease is the autoimmune form of hypothyroidism. If you have hypothyroidism, it is really important that you have your antibodies checked as you need to work on reducing them to heal your thyroid.

In my Women’s Health Clinic, women often see me to help with their thyroid, and they are unsure if their antibodies have been tested. Unless your GP has told you that you have no antibodies, please don’t assume they are ok. I regularly see women who have positive antibodies and they were unaware or their GP never mentioned it. If your thyroid hormones are currently “normal” but you have positive antibodies; you have time up your sleeve to reduce your antibodies BEFORE they damage your thyroid (and you end up with hypothyroidism).

The truth is, there isn’t a lot GP’s will do about antibodies; they often take the approach of monitoring them. The problem is that antibodies don’t magically decrease. It is also important to understand that if you are on thyroid medication, your medication does not reduce your antibodies.

Research has shown there are diet strategies and nutrients you can use to reduce your antibodies.. and I do this all the time with the women I work with… and myself (my Hashimoto’s is in remission). Here are 7 strategies to heal your Hashimoto’s’!

1. De-stress:

Hashimoto’s is an auto-immune disease; and research shows that stress damages your immune system. Chronic stress is even worse.

2. Heal your gut:

Leaky gut (also called intestinal hyperpermeability) is when the lining of your intestines is leaky or "permeable". A healthy intestine lining is a barrier between your gut and your blood steam. When it becomes leaky, unwanted substances and toxins enter your blood stream. In Hashimoto's these substances can trigger the autoimmunity; therefore healing your gut lining is an essential part of recovering-from and reversing Hashimoto's. Leaky gut is caused by stress, eating inflammatory foods, toxin overload, genetics and your overall gut health.

3. Nutrient deficiencies: 

There are various nutrient deficiencies that contribute to thyroid dysfunction and Hashimoto's. The big ones are vitamin D, zinc, selenium and iodine. You certainly don't want to rush out and start taking these nutrients. Its important to assess your levels with a blood/urine test; taking these nutrients when you don't need to can be negative for the body.

4. Eliminate trigger foods:

Some foods are considered "thyroid triggers", the biggest one being gluten. The truth is 80% of people with a thyroid disorder feel better for going gluten-free. It does take some vigilance as it is often hidden in foods such as salad dressings, packaged foods and even in some deli meats as binders. If this feels overwhelming, start by reading labels of your food and switching over to a gluten-free alternative, then when you are ready start with a strict 3-month period being gluten free and see how you feel.

5. Address inflammation:

Inflammation has a profoundly negative affect on your body as a whole, ongoing inflammation can be the cause of your thyroid disorder. My favourite ways to reduce inflammation are managing stress, eating a low inflammatory diet (the Meditteranean diet is a great option) and supplement wise; curcumin (the active ingredient in the spice tumeric).

6. Reduce environmental toxins:

Environmental toxins are everywhere; in your hair care, beauty products, makeup, using plastic water bottles/containers, reheating your food in plastics, non-stick cookware, canned foods (look for ones that say no BPA) and cleaning products. Don't feel overwhelmed and feel as though you need to throw everything out; next time something runs out, swap it out for a low-tox option! Some places to start are swapping lunchware for stainless steel or glass options and ditch the antiperspirant for a natural deoderant paste (I promise they work). As well as contributing to your thyroid, these substances also disrupt your female hormones and can contribute to problematic periods and make the transition through perimenopause more challenging.

7. Supplement to reduce antibodies:

Your GP may have told you not to worry about your antibodies, but the thing is, if your thyroid levels are currently normal.. if your antibodies remain unaddressed.. overtime they will continue to damage your thyroid gland and you will most likely end up with a thyroid hormone imbalance as well! Taking all of these steps will reduce your antibodies and there are some targeted nutrients and herbs to lower them as well. You can find out more about this via the Happy Thyroid Project.

8. Check for pathogens:

There are a number of stealth pathogens that can be the trigger of your autoimmune disease. They can be specific species that live within your gut, that if remained untreated will prevent your thyroid recovery. There are other pathogens such as Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) that can trigger autoimmunity.

Bringing it home

There is a gap between the modern medical approach to thyroid dysfunction and achieving optimal health. Just because your GP doesn't know how essential it is to test for thyroid antibodies, nutritional deficiencies and all the other elements that science has shown to contribute to thyroid dysfunction; doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do!

If you would like to know more about how to heal your thyroid, naturally; book a free introductory call to see how I can help!