How To Test Your Thyroid

Apr 272011

By Beverly Meyer, Clinical and Holistic Nutritionist

The thyroid gland is located in the neck, under the Adam’s Apple. It produces several thyroid hormones which are master regulators of the metabolism of the body.

Common symptoms of inadequate thyroid function are: feeling cold when others aren’t; dry skin; thinning or missing of the outer third of the eyebrows; constipation; slow pulse; high cholesterol; hair loss; weight gain; weak fingernails; and more.

Most doctors test only your TSH levels and assume your thyroid is fine. But if you have any of the above symptoms, or are already on thyroid medication, please INSIST that the following be monitored regularly; TSH, Free T3, FreeT4, Reverse T3, T3 uptake and Total T4. If you have not done so, you should run thyroid antibodies as well to rule out Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a common auto-immune disorder.

In Clinical Nutrition, we have specific lab ranges that we prefer, so we do not use generic lab ranges that come with tests. For example, we like TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) to be between 1 and 2, as opposed to .5 to 5.

The main numbers that most doctors never run are Free T3 and Free T4. While these may sound like some of the others listed, they are quite different and much more valuable. If you run your own bloodwork at HealthCheck Labs, the VIP Plus II panel includes these at no extra charge. Check them out at www.healthcheckusa.com.

Taking your arising body temperature is also helpful. Prepare a shake-down type of thermometer, not a digital, and place it beside your bed. On awakening, slip it into your armpit and leave it for 10 minutes without moving or talking. Your base temperature should be around 98 degrees.

If you do go on thyroid hormone, here are a few things to remember;

1). IF YOU DON’T FIX YOUR ADRENALS, YOUR BODY WILL NOT RESPOND FOR LONG TO THYROID HORMONE. You may feel great for a few months and then your symptoms WILL return. This is the body’s wisdom, taking your foot off the accelerator pedal (the thyroid) because the engine (the adrenals) is worn out.

2). If you do get on hormone, insist on bio-identical, natural thyroid such as Armour. Synthroid is synthetic T4 and does not have the other thyroid hormones in it. Or, you can add Cytomel (T3) hormone separately, and track them separately with the above numbers.

3). If your thyroid is sluggish, there is a reason. The most common ones are : tired adrenals; dental toxins such as mercury fillings and infections under your root canals; lack of dietary iodine such as in sea vegetables; low progesterone; and lack of sleep.

Your thyroid is a fat-burning machine, and if it (and the adrenals) are working right, you will lose weight and your cholesterol will come down. Organic coconut oil is an excellent food for the thyroid and is thermogenic. That means that it is a fat that burns fat! We carry an excellent coconut oil, as well as books such as “Eat Fat To Lose Fat”.

If you want to test your adrenals, the best way is with saliva testing. You can do this with us, or with an educated physician.

Diet & Health Center has been assisting clients with their health since 1989.
We are located in the Center For Life at 12915 Jones Maltsberger Rd. #600 in San Antonio, Texas, 78247. We are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5:30.
Call us at (210) 826-0034 anytime or visit us at www.dietandhealthcenter.info.

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