Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid

Thyroid conditions generally fall into two categories: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The most common thyroid problem is hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, which leads to a slow metabolism, hormonal imbalances, a weak immune system, muscle pain, weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, heart problems, and much more.

Contents

The Thyroid and The Whole Endocrine System

Hormones are liquid chemical messengers that regulate many activities of the body.

The endocrine system secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream. The primary glands of this system include:

  • Hypothalamus
  • Pineal gland
  • Pituitary gland
  • Thyroid gland
  • Parathyroid glands
  • Adrenal glands
  • Pancreas
  • Ovaries
  • Testes

These organs are not the only organs that secrete endocrine hormones; the digestive system, the kidneys, the liver and bone also excrete endocrine hormones. In addition, hormones are secreted by the exocrine system. Cells throughout the body use hormones to communicate.

The thyroid, like every other gland, relies on other hormones to properly regulate its hormone production. When one gland or an organ is not working, the whole endocrine system becomes stressed.

The follicular cells of the thyroid gland produce T3 and T4, and the pituitary gland produces TSH to regulate the thyroid hormone production.

Hypothyroidism typically (but not always) shows higher levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and low levels of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. So the pituitary gland is pumping out TSH, telling the thyroid to work harder, but the thyroid is still unable to produce enough T3 and T4. While this is the typical model of hypothyroidism, a slow thyroid can present with low T3 or low T4 (rather than both), or perfectly normal TSH levels, or with normal (or seemingly normal) levels of all three.

…the body is all connected in so many fascinating ways.

Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid. The gland can’t maintain such a pace and will eventually revert to hypothyroidism.

Autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which cause inflammation of the thyroid gland, can have an effect similar to hyperthyroidism–over-activity. This is often followed by burnout, leading to underactivity.

How To Tell If Your Thyroid Is Slow

There are various testing methods for poor thyroid function, but the testing is problematic. Most physicians use outdated reference ranges when testing thyroid function. Also, studies have demonstrated that standard thyroid tests do not correlate well with tissue thyroid levels, which causes inaccurate diagnoses.

Most physicians and endocrinologists believe TSH is the best indicator of the thyroid function of an individual. However, someone can suffer from a significantly slow thyroid despite having a normal TSH, free T3, and free T4.

Some will test for T3. People can also have low T3 and show normal T4 and normal TSH. Many practitioners do not realize that this indicates a selenium or zinc deficiency, rather than a problem with the thyroid.

There are other problems with standard testing as well, and many thyroid specialists will tell you that more than 80% of patients with low thyroid function do not show thyroid problems with standard testing.

Naturopaths and many of the more progressive physicians and endocrinologists are using a combination of lab tests and looking at symptoms, while many holistic practitioners recognize the testing is flawed, therefore, they look at the symptoms and the function of the body as a whole.

Some of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism include a dry, flaky scalp and pain, tightness, or a feeling of joints being “out of place” (in need of a chiropractic adjustment) in the trapezoid muscles including and especially in the back of the neck and shoulders, hip pain, bursitis, elbows, and wrists (carpal tunnel). When any of these symptoms is going on, the thyroid is struggling.

The thyroid becomes swollen and inflamed, as any part of the body should be when it’s hurting, and puts constant pressure on the vertebras in the neck and shoulder area. This causes issues including misalignment that can be temporarily relieved by chiropractic, but the thyroid has to be healed in order for the pain to stop reoccurring. Carpal tunnel also a common symptom. This syndrome is often primarily caused or solely caused by thyroid problems. And last but not least, flat feet are also a sign of hypothyroidism. I know, weird, right? But the body is all connected in so many fascinating ways.

Here’s a comprehensive list of symptoms indicative of hypothyroidism:

List Of Hypothyroidism Symptoms

  • Allergic rhinitis
  • Asthma
  • Angina pectoris
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Bursitis
  • Conditions related to the cardiovascular system
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Carotenodermia (slight orange tinge to the skin, usually on the palms of the hands and soles of feet)
  • Cold extremities, intolerance to the cold
  • Coarse, dry, or thinning hair
  • Constipation
  • Decreased libido
  • Dry, rough, and/or itchy skin
  • Edema
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Fallen arches
  • Fatigue
  • Fibrocystic breast changes
  • Fibromyalgia symptoms
  • Headaches
  • Hoarseness
  • Infertility
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Hyperhomocysteinemia
  • Hypertension
  • Itchy and/or flaky scalp
  • Memory loss
  • Mood swings, irritability
  • Muscle aches
  • Menstrual irregularities (amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, menorrhagia)
  • Neck pain, stiffness, aches (especially in the back of the neck)
  • Knee pain (due to fallen arches)
  • Pallor (an unhealthy pale appearance)
  • Pain in the trapezoid and/or neck area
  • Psoriasis
  • Poor mental concentration
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Postpartum depression
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Reactive hypoglycemia
  • Recurrent infections
  • Sluggishness, tiredness
  • Shoulder pain
  • Tinnitus
  • Urticaria
  • Vasomotor rhinitis
  • Vertigo
  • Weakness
  • Weight gain

While weight gain, an inability to lose weight, and increased appetite can be signs of hypothyroidism, in severe cases one can actually lose their appetite and consequently lose weight. This is just a step before myxedema, when one loses brain function as a result of severe, longstanding low level of thyroid functionality.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism

There are many pathways available for the regulation of the production and conversion of thyroid hormones. Consequently, there are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong. A healthy thyroid relies on many factors, including but not limited to, a healthy endocrine system, hormone levels being stable, healthy and balanced gut flora, a healthy liver, properly functioning adrenals, healthy kidneys, and clean, healthy blood.

Must Read: How To Heal Your Gut

Candida

Candida overgrowth leads to a host of problems and eventually causes autoimmune disease. It also inhibits the body’s ability to properly digest and assimilate nutrition. An overabundance of Candida toxifies the blood in many different ways, which inhibits all gland activity.

Must Read: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

Best Supplement for Candida if you could only pick one: SF722

Fungal Supplement Stack – Knock Out Yeast, Candida, Mold, Fungus

Every single person I’ve ever known to get over hypothyroidism (and almost every other chronic disease) fixed the gut first. That means killing fungi and balacing the gut’s ecosystem. Thre first step is to kill the fungi, mold, yeast, Candida.

The first three should be plenty for most people, but for impatient people with really prominent fungal issues and bigger budgets could use all of these:

Autoimmune disease

Many medications contribute to hypothyroidism…

Hashimoto’s disease is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid. Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system produces antibodies that attack your own tissues. This is typically due to a leaky gut as a result of an overabundance of Candida due to poor diet and/or antibiotic use.

Conventional Hypothyroidism Treatments

People with overactive thyroids are often treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications intended to normalize thyroid function. Often these treatments result in permanent hypothyroidism (permanent by conventional medical standards).

Thyroid Surgery

Removing a portion of your thyroid gland will diminish or halt hormone production. A person who wants to balance their hormones after thyroid removal surgery (or partial removal) needs to either take hormones for life or grow back their thyroid.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation used to treat cancers of the head and neck can do serious long-term damage to the thyroid gland.

Medications

Many medications contribute to hypothyroidism, including but not limited to medications for mental health, sleep medications, painkillers, and allergy medications.

Other Drugs (nicotine, caffeine, marijuana)

Any stimulant will wear out the thyroid and the adrenals. Many people consume a lot of caffeine over a period of time, eventually leading to adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism.

Marijuana disrupts the entire endocrine system, affecting all glandular hormone production. THC, in particular, lowers the immune system’s ability to fight infection, and can, with heavy use, lower thyroid hormonal output. Also, smoking anything causes the blood to become thick and toxic with free radicals and carcinogens that clog glands and hinder hormone production.

Iodine Deficiency

The thyroid gland converts iodine into thyroid hormones. Iodine is a trace mineral found primarily in seafood, seaweed, plants grown in iodine-rich soil, unrefined sea salt, and iodized table salt. Many people do not get enough iodine, and contrary to popular belief, this includes many people in developed countries.

Iodine from iodized salt is poorly absorbed and is not a healthy choice for raising iodine levels in the diet. Refined table salt contributes to a host of health problems. Iodine is absolutely necessary for thyroid function, but too much iodine (especially iodine outside of food) can impair thyroid function as well.

Genetically Modified Foods

Eating genetically modified foods can trigger autoimmune conditions like Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. GMOs destroy the gut lining and lead to a host of problems.

Vaccines

Vaccines can wreck havoc on the endocrine system and cause autoimmune issues that can end up attacking the thyroid. Formaldehyde and heavy metal toxins such as mercury and aluminum are huge contributors to the hypothyroidism epidemic. Many studies have concluded that the ingredients in vaccines harm thyroid function.

Mercury Amalgam Fillings

A mouth full of mercury is usually synonymous with a problematic thyroid. Mercury wrecks havoc on the endocrine system, the nervous system, the brain, and well, the whole body. Amalgam fillings absolutely must be removed to restore normal, healthy thyroid function.

Fluoride

Even small amounts of fluoride lessen the pituitary gland’s ability to function, which in turn slows thyroid production. Larger amounts of fluoride, which most people do consume from tap water, disrupt the whole endocrine system and wreck havoc on hormone production. Fluoride consumption over time essentially slows the whole body down, including the brain.

Environmental Toxins

The thyroid is quite vulnerable to environmental toxins including, but not limited to, pesticides, herbicides, BPAs, jet fuel, perchlorates, thiocyanates, PCBs, lead, chlorine, fluorine, bromine, and many other chemicals we come in contact with that have been proven to cause hypothyroidism. We are bombarded with these chemicals due to the way we construct buildings, the way we produce products, the way we travel, and the way we grow food. Our only defense is high quality nutrition and avoiding toxin exposure through diet, chemical exposure in our environment, and the products we use for personal care.

Less Often…

Less often, hypothyroidism may result from congenital disease, a pituitary disorder, and pregnancy (due to lack of nutrition while pregnant).

Thyroid, Adrenals, and the Body’s Hormones

Weakened adrenal glands lead to the development of thyroid disorders. Adrenal fatigue is often, perhaps usually, the root cause of hypothyroidism.

Vitamin B12 is found in every cell of the body.

What causes adrenal fatigue? Pretty much the same things that cause low thyroid output. When the adrenals are constantly being worked (due to stress, stimulants, and lack of sleep), an overabundance of cortisol produced by the adrenals will cause a host of problems and completely unbalance the hormone levels of the body. For instance, cortisol can also inhibit proper T3 utilization. When the adrenal glands are performing poorly for a long enough period of time, the body ends up in a state of catabolism; the body begins to break down. Eventually the adrenals will “crash” and cortisol levels well below optimum levels. This is adrenal fatigue.

Truly healing the thyroid typically requires healing the adrenals and/or the entire endocrine system.

Foods That Inhibit the Thyroid

If you have hypothyroidism, you may have read that certain vegetables need to be avoided or at least cooked, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, spinach, turnips, soy, peanuts, linseed, pine nuts, millet, cassava, mustard greens, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. This is a narrow-minded approach to a complicated problem. By all means, avoid soy like the plague (unless it is organic, and properly fermented). If you have a thyroid disorder and are not properly addressing it with nutritional healing, or you continue to smoke and/or drink coffee, kale smoothies are likely to make an underperforming thyroid much worse. On the other hand, a varied diet consisting primarily of fresh raw organic vegetables can cure almost anything (given enough time), including an adverse reaction to the foods themselves.

So what foods actually cause the problem with the thyroid in the first place? Refined, processed, homogenized, pasteurized, genetically modified, fortified, artificially flavored (or colored or preserved) “foods.” The key to fixing the body, not just covering up ailments or shifting symptoms, but truly fixing the body, is produce. The key to deteriorating your health is refined, processed foods.

In addition, you must avoid gluten. I know, suddenly everyone is allergic to gluten, but there are reasons for this sudden rise in gluten sensitivity. The gut has to be in proper working order to properly digest gluten; otherwise it’s toxic to us. People are eating more and more sugar, which consequently feeds Candida and other bad guys that tear up the gut. You cannot heal hypothyroidism, or any other disease for that matter, without healing the gut. It will not work. You could fix the thyroid and wreck the kidneys. You could have a toxic liver and a healthy heart (to a degree, for a while). But you cannot have an intestinal tract that is seriously damaged and have any major organ or gland work properly. Things may go unnoticed, but nothing is working right, and more importantly, nothing will heal unless the gut is at least in decent working order. Most people’s guts today are not in decent working order.

When gluten molecules escape the gut:

Immune cross-reactivity happens when the immune system mistakes one protein for another. The gluten protein is similar to protein structures in the nervous system and the thyroid tissue. When the body creates antibodies for gluten, it may also produce antibodies to the body’s own nervous tissue or thyroid.9 This cross-reactive effect leads to damage to the brain, thyroid, and other neurological tissue when the individual consumes anything with even the slightest bit of gluten.” – Gluten & Neurological Disorders, David Jockers

Foods That Heal the Thyroid

Fresh, raw, organic produce heals. Produce heals everything. Other than that, foods high in iodine and foods that are high in selenium are known to aid in thyroid function.

The thyroid gland requires iodine to function. Iodine taken by itself or ingested through fortified salt can be problematic. Good food sources include the usual: meat, seafood, yogurt, milk, and eggs, but there are vegan sources as well:

Vegan Food Sources of Iodine

  • Blackstrap molasses
  • Seaweed
  • Himalayan sea salt
  • Navy beans
  • Cranberries

Selenium is required for the body to convert T4 into T3. Without enough selenium in the diet, the thyroid suffers. Seafood and meat are high in selenium, but there are also some vegan choices:

Vegan Food Sources of Selenium

  • Brazil nuts
  • Shiitake/white button mushrooms
  • Lima/pinto beans
  • Chia seeds
  • Brown rice
  • Seeds (sunflower, sesame, and flax)
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Spinach

Supplements For Hypothyroidism

A number of vitamins and minerals are critical to thyroid health, and many herbs can help boost thyroid function as well. Due to the fact that thyroid conditions are associated with inflammation, anti-inflammatory herbs can aid in thyroid healing as well.

B Vitamins

Vitamin B12 is found in every cell of the body. It is required for cellular metabolism and energy production, so obviously, without B12, the thyroid can’t function optimally. B12 deficiencies are very common with hypothyroidism. A lack of B12 can cause and worsen hypothyroidism. Even though most people actually consume enough vitamin B12 in their diets, a deficiency occurs in many due to an inability to absorb the nutrient in the blood. This goes back to gut health. The body cannot absorb and assimilate nutrients properly with a poorly functioning digestive system.

In addition, if the liver is not up to par, this radically inhibits the body’s ability to utilize B12. Unless a knowledgeable naturopath recommends it for a limited amount of time, do not take vitamin B12 alone. We recommend a B vitamin complex with extra B12.

Vitamin D

Over a billion people worldwide do not get enough vitamin D. A recent study showed that vitamin D levels were significantly lower in people suffering from hypothyroidism than the general population. While vitamin D deficiencies and hypothyroidism do tend to take place together, a lack of vitamin D and pretty much every other disease coincide as well. It’s unlikely anyone’s hypothyroidism is primarily caused by a lack of vitamin D, but it’s a certainty that the body will not fully heal without enough vitamin D.

Vitamin A

We all know vitamin A is required for good vision. We also need vitamin A for the immune system, hormone synthesis, and the production of T3. Without enough vitamin A, thyroid hormone levels drop quickly.

Bromelain

Bromelain is the enzyme that makes pineapple the superfood that it is. Bromelain helps reduce inflammation.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that has many benefits, including the ability to significantly improve liver function, and it can help stabilize cortisol levels. This helps stimulate T3 and T4 hormone synthesis.

Licorice Root

Licorice root can benefit the thyroid and adrenal glands for people who have low cortisol (adrenal fatigue).

Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom is a good source of selenium, and it has a ton of other benefits including boosting the immune system.

Schisandra chinensis

This is another adaptogenic herb that helps the thyroid and has many other health benefits.

Ginseng

There are many varieties of ginseng, all with their different strengths, but Siberian ginseng root, Brazilian ginseng root, Korean or Asian ginseng, American ginseng, and Chinese ginseng all benefit the endocrine system, and therefore the thyroid.

Selenium

Selenium is the major cofactor for the key thyroid enzyme 5’deiodinase. This enzyme converts T4 into T3 and can help normalize the thyroid hormone balance.

Zinc

A zinc deficiency has been shown to inhibit T3 production. Zinc also contributes to immune modulation, which may reduce thyroid antibody levels. Additionally, like selenium, zinc also contributes to 5’deiodinase activity.

Iodine

A lack of iodine inhibits the body’s natural detoxification, leads to cancer cell growth, and causes hypothyroidism. The thyroid absorbs iodine and, in doing so, replaces other toxins it has accumulated.

It’s also important to avoid excessive iodine intake for anyone with Hashimoto’s or hyperthyroidism. As stated above, we highly recommend that any iodine consumed come from whole food sources.

Traditional Asian Herbs

  • Coleus forskohlii(Indian coleus)
  • Melissa officinalis(lemon balm)
  • Ningpoensis (Chinese figwort)
  • Prunella vulgaris(common selfheal)
  • Radix scrophulariae (xuan shen)

Conventional Hypothyroidism Treatment

A Levothyroxine prescription is the most common treatment for hypothyroidism. It consists synthesized T4 and does not have T3. This can be problematic. Many people cannot properly convert T4 to T3 (which could indicate a zinc and/or selenium deficiency, but it may be a genetic issue). There are synthetic T3 drugs like Cytomel as well.

If your mouth is full of mercury, the thyroid will never fully recover…

Desiccated thyroid from cows or pigs is another option. Armour Thyroid, the most popular prescription for desiccated thyroid, contains both thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) extracted from the thyroid gland of pigs. Desiccated porcine (pig) thyroid contains approximately 20% T3 and 80% T4 (1/4 ratio), as well as iodinated compounds diiodotyrosine and monoiodotyrosine. A human has about a 1/14 ratio of T3 to T4.

Some doctors don’t like prescribing desiccated thyroid because the dosage of hormones is not always consistent, whereas synthesized hormones are more exact in dosage. The concern over consistency in understandable, but studies have shown that many do not respond well (likely for various reasons) to the synthesized hormones, but do respond well to desiccated thyroid. It makes sense from a holistic standpoint, considering all of the nutrients you’re getting when you consume the desiccated thyroid that are absent from the synthesized hormones. These nutrients are obviously of significant importance considering that people tend to do very well on desiccated thyroid that has had the hormones removed, which is the only way to legally buy desiccated thyroid in the U.S. without a prescription.

Natural Remedy For Hypothyroidism

My Protocol – Clean Up The Gut, Fix The Endocrine System, Everything Else Will Follow

Here are three articles I put together on diet. This is indicative of how my family eats every single day.

We start off with cranberry lemonade and a huge salad every morning. For lunch, we sometimes do a smoothie or we snack on some nuts and/or fruit or we just finish our massive 11-cup salads. For dinner, we always cook from scratch, which takes preperation and time, but it gets easier. Rice and beans, quinoa, lentils, millet, oatmeal, and amaranth are common staples for our cooked meals. We add lots of raw vegetables and herbs to our dinners as well, for instance, the rice and beans go great with chopped tomatoes and avocado, diced onions and garlic, and shredded turmeric and ginger. Eat raw herbs and cooked herbs together for maximum health benefits.

This is truly a lifestyle, not a diet, and it’s one we live every day. You may not need to go to this extreme to rid your body of disease, but I find that most who are dealing with chronic illness need to take it this far, at least for at least for a few months.

The salads are the most important part of this protocol. More than supplements, more than anything save getting enough water, the salads are imperative. Eat lots of it. Make sure they are diverse with at least 15 different vegetables and herbs. If you could see what packing your gut with salad does to your ecosystem under a microscope, you’d understand why I’m so passionate about them. There is nothing more beneficially life-changing than developing a salad habit when the salads are big and diverse and homemade. They do more than any supplement or any other food to clean the intestinal walls of filth and develop a beneficial gut ecosystem.

The cranberry lemonade helps keep the kidneys and liver working optimally. These organs typically get sluggish quickly when lots of Candida are killed. If salads are #1, this cranberry lemonade is #2, and supplements are a distant #3.

For those with very serious gut issues, legumes and grains will be a no-no for the first few weeks at least, but when enough salad has been consumed, the gut should be able to reap many benefits from cooked foods like the dinner meals aforementioned.

Sweet fruit should be severely limited, and for the very ill, avoided until the gut is working better. Grapefruit, cranberry, avocado, lime, and lemon do not fall under this category.

Juicing with fruits is not much better than refined sugar, so don’t make the common mistake of thinking a fresh-juice fast is going to get you well.

Now that diet is covered, here’s the supplement part:

SF722 – 5 capsules three times a day, once on an empty stomach, the other two times with or without food.

Abzorb – take two capsules with harder to digest meals, and also take two on an empty stomach twice a day, like early morning and late night.

For anyone on a tight budget I recommend putting the money to food, and if affordable, add Abzorb and SF722. That’s enough with the right diet to eliminate fungal overgrowth in almost everyone. There are some who work or live in environments that constitute more environmental stressors on the body, and therefore need a lot more help. There are also many living in areas of the country where the healthy food selection at the local grocery store is sparse. I recommend more supplements and growing your own food in such a case. And I recommend growing your own food for a hundred other reasons as well.

If you’re someone who needs more supplementation or, like me, you just tend to prefer overkill, here’s a step-by-step protocol that includes all of the previously recommended supplements, and a bit more to address Candida die off and healthy defecation.

Each day has two supplement routines that are repeated. Each supplement routine has an objective.

Clean and Populate with Good Guys:

On an empty stomach

Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys:

Usually with food

Nutrtional:

Also, take absorb with any food that is difficult to digest.

Protocol

6am – Clean and Populate With Good Guys

Start with Abzorb and a big glass of cranberry lemonade and the

9am – Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys

Salad time! The MycoPhyto Complex company recommends to take on an empty stomach, but I like it with salads and smoothies too. I recommend taking 1 or 2 of the Thyro Complex at this time as well, depending on how well the thyroid is working.

12pm – Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys

Homemade Smoothie Time! If you’re extremely ill you may need to wait on the smoothies and just double up on the salads for the first week, but I’ve found that many people who were suffering from a plethora of ailments and having trouble recovering responded very well to pineapple smoothies. Pineapple smoothies (made with fresh pineapple), like the ones I have recipes for in the above link, pack a massive amount of enzymes and can help break down a lot of junk in the gut, while delivering large amounts of nutrition. But, smoothies have plenty of sugar, so it’s a good time to repeat the supplements from 9am.

Use pineapple, coconut water, water, cranberry juice, or if you can withstand some sugar try granny smith apple juice, but don’t use sweet fruit juices for smoothies.

3pm -Week 1 – Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys
3pm -Week 2 – Populate With Good Guys
6pm – Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys

Dinner time! Everything from scratch, nothing pre-made in any way, all whole food ingredients. Also, take 1 or 2 Thyro-complex.

9pm – Populate With Good Guys

Finish of the night with probiotic support and leave them alone for the night to do their thing.

Three More Supplements to Consider – Die-0ff, Heavy metal Detox, & Bowel Movements

If Candida die-off is a concern be sure to drink plenty of cranberry lemonade and I also recommend adding Total Nutrition Formula and the Intestinal Detox. Here’s a recipe to make your own Total Nutrition. This way you’ll get bentonite clay, charcoal, chlorella, spirulina, and more, which are all great for mitigating the die-off effects of a Candida detox, and they also chelate heavy metals.

You can take the Total Nutrition Formula with the smoothie or sprinkle it on the salad (or choke it down with water), and take the Intestinal Detox anytime throughout the day as directed.

If you’re not defecating easily and at least twice daily, I also highly recommend the Intestinal Cleanse. It kills parasites and moves the bowels better than anything else on the market that I know of, by far. I recommend taking it with the antimicrobials.

There are many natural treatments for hypothyroidism. Here is what works fast for fixing one’s thyroid in my experience. And the benefit of this protocol is that it works with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, while it repairs the whole endocrine system, and the entire body. And remember, if you suffer from hypothyroidism, you are dealing with a lot more than just a thyroid problem.

Heavy Metal Toxins

If your mouth is full of mercury, the thyroid will never fully recover until the mercury is removed (though desiccated thyroid and other supplementation will still improve thyroid function, it will need to be taken indefinitely). Vaccinations also weaken the thyroid (mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum, GMOs, and more), so if you’re pro vaccine, and sticking to the schedule, the thyroid will continue to suffer. Click here if you need to detoxify from heavy metals. Also, for tooth and gum health, check out this article.

Detox the Blood

Thick and/or toxic blood makes it very hard for glands to do their job. Use Shillington’s Blood Detox Formula and this cranberry lemonade protocol to quickly detoxify the blood and the whole body, and improve circulation. Improved blood flow will quickly improve thyroid health.

Thyroid Nutrition

You probably won’t need this, but it will speed up healing for most

Desiccated thyroid supplements that are sold without a prescription are void of the thyroid hormones. In order to sell the products without prescription, the manufactures must remove the hormones.

On one hand, it’s not cool that the government restricted the sale of unmolested thyroid gland and called it a drug, which many believe (as do we) was done for the sole purpose of benefitting the synthetic hormone manufacturers. On the other hand, ideally, you want your thyroid to produce its own hormones, and desiccated thyroid supplements lacking in hormones do help kick start the thyroid.

Even better than just taking desiccated thyroid to heal the thyroid, some supplements contain other desiccated glands as well. This is the holistic approach that helps heal the entire endocrine system. As mentioned, iodine supplementation can be problematic when it’s not in whole food. Thyro Complex from Progressive Labs. It has raw thyroid, raw adrenal, raw pituitary, and raw spleen, along with kelp for iodine. This is one of the most potent thyroid supplements I know of. While there are plenty of herbal supplements that help with the thyroid, it’s pretty easy to end up with too much iodine when combining thyroid supplements as most of the other supplements to boost the thyroid have iodine. Thyroid I one from Wise Woman Herbals does not have iodine in it, and this works very well. Combine these two supplements with a vitamin B complex with extra B12, and you’ve got a truly holistic and powerful supplemental approach.

And finally, the most important aspect of healing is the diet. A healthy diet consists of 80% or more raw, fresh, organic produce (more vegetables than fruit). Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet.

Get Grounded

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) cause our bodies a lot of problems. Anyone who is having trouble sleeping or for other reasons is feeling sluggish and drained throughout the day, will benefit from spending some time outdoors with skin against the earth. Check out Earthing – Ground Your Body for Optimal Health.

Fitness and Rest For Hypothyroidism

Some say to take it easy with hypothyroidism, as long as you don’t push yourself too hard for too long, exercise can help jump-start your thyroid. I like yoga and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for anyone who’s trying to normalize their energy levels. Yoga offers a host of benefits including improving the body’s flow of energy, but can also be done at a slow pace. HITT training is almost the opposite of yoga. This training method involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low-intensity recovery. A common HIIT workout is done by sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60. Be careful with this, for obvious reasons. It’s good to push ourselves, but for some with severe thyroid problems, this could be dangerous. Once the thyroid is responding to better nutrition and detoxification, HIIT can radically accelerate the thyroid and adrenals’ improvement.

Conclusion

If the gut is healed and the diet is healthy, in most cases, the thyroid will eventually heal. Unfortunately, it can take a very long time, often many months. With desiccated thyroid, the process is much faster, and relief from hypothyroid symptoms are immediate. But again, you must fix the gut! Be sure to check out Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections. Since you’ve read this far, if things are overwhelming and you would like to communicate with me for clarification, feel free to go to Green Lifestyle Market to chat with me anytime.

Recommended Thyroid Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


Natural Remedies for Adrenal Fatigue

We are all aware of adrenaline, the fight or flight hormone that kicks in whenever we find ourselves facing a threat. But did you know adrenalin is only one of the many hormones produced by the adrenal glands?

About the Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands (also known as the suprarenal glands) sit atop the kidneys. These pyramid-shaped glands have two parts: the outer adrenal cortex and the inner medulla.

The adrenal cortex creates 3 types of hormones:

  • Mineralocorticoids: hormones triggered by the kidneys. These hormones regulate the balance of salt to water within the body and help to maintain blood pressure.
  • Glucocorticoids: hormones triggered by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. These hormones increase blood glucose levels, regulate the conversion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy, help to regulate blood pressure, and regulate immune response and inflammatory reactions.
  • Gonadocorticoids: sex hormones. Small amounts of sex hormones are released by the adrenal cortex. After middle age, the adrenals become the primary source of sex hormones.
Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

We would die quickly without the hormones produced by the adrenal cortex.

The adrenal medulla creates two hormones:

  • Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline): Epinephrine is the fight or flight hormone. It increases your heart rate, raises your blood sugar, and rushes blood to the muscles and the brain.
  • Norepinephrine(also known as noradrenaline): Norepinephrine works with epinephrine.

All in all, the adrenals produce nearly 50 hormones.

Major Illnesses Associated with Adrenal Glands

  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a genetic disorder that disrupts hormone levels from the adrenals.
  • Addison’s disease: a rare disorder that disrupts production of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone.
  • Cushing’s syndrome: an uncommon disorder where the adrenals overproduce cortisol.
  • Adrenal cancer: an aggressive rare cancer that causes excess production of hormones.
Related: Best Supplements To Kill Lyme and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Lyme Disease

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is caused by lack of or poor quality sleep, relentless stress, EMF exposure, heavy metal toxicity, thyroid problems, caffeine, nicotine or other stimulant use, or a chronic or acute infection, especially respiratory infections (influenza, bronchitis, or pneumonia). With most adrenal problems there are many of the aforementioned causes at play, but Candida almost always plays a huge part.

Adrenal fatigue is experienced in two ways: either the sufferer struggles with fatigue throughout the day, using stimulants such as caffeine to make it to an early bedtime, or the sufferer’s day is exactly the same except he gets a second wind around 9-10 at night and buzzes until the wee hours when he can finally go to sleep. Adrenal fatigue can become so severe, it can become difficult to be out of bed for more than a few hours at a time. In addition to loss of energy, adrenal fatigue is also associated with the following:

  • Hypothyroidism
  • Lowered libido
  • Immunity reduction
  • Low blood pressure

The following herbs are used to treat adrenal fatigue:

  • Licorice: Sometimes used alone, sometimes in conjunction with Panax ginseng and Bupleurum falcatum–especially used for people who have damaged adrenal output by long-term steroid use. Warning: licorice can raise blood pressure.
  • Rhodiola: Adaptogen–helps the body adapt to stress.
  • Shisandra: Also an adaptogen–helps the body adapt to stress.
  • Holy Basil: Also an adaptogenic–helps the body adapt to stress.
  • Ashwagandha root: Increases in T3 and T4, supports thyroid and adrenals, balances hormones.
  • Astragalus: Improves immune system, adrenal function, and reduces stress.
  • Ginseng Root: Revitalizes the adrenals and balances hormones.

*Check out the “Recommended Supplements” below for some formulas with these ingredients.

The following vitamins and supplements are helpful in treating adrenal fatigue:

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Natural Protocol for Adrenal Fatigue

Candida is the number one cause of poor health in our country and an overabundance of Candida will eventually cause adrenal fatigue (along with many other problems). If you’re experiencing adrenal fatigue, cut out stimulants completely. No more coffee. Read this article to learn how to clean the intestines. Most people with endocrine problems have an excess of Candida.

Fungal Supplement Stack – Knock Out Yeast, Candida, Mold, Fungus

The first three should be plenty for most people, but for really prominent fungal issues or for impatient people with a bigger budget I’d recommend all of these:

I recommend taking the SF722, Berberine, MycoCeutics, and Microdefense with meals, and the Abzorb and Syntol separately, on an empty stomach (like in the morning and before bed). The Abzorb and the Syntol are a bit redundant, but I find good results using both if the budget can afford it. If money is really tight, just get the SF722 and put your money into your diet.

It is also time to un-stress. Get outside and get grounded. Learn how to breathe! And take up yoga or meditation. In fact, doing yoga barefoot outside can facilitate all of those at once!

To speed up the process with a supplement regimen or for those with very serious adrenal problems, we recommend Shillington’s Male Energy and Shillington’s Female Energy for adrenals. Unfortunately, we don’t have the recipe for the female formula, but here’s the male formula below. Also, these are amazing formulas for libido, energy, weight loss, balancing hormones, and more.

Also check out Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included for more on diet. I recommend the cranberry lemonade recipe in that article to help detox. Also, keeping the kidneys healthy is imparative for good adrneal health.

Shillington’s Male Energy Formula Recipe:

  • 2 parts American White Ginseng
  • 2 parts Korean Ginseng
  • 2 parts Chinese Ginseng
  • 3 parts Yohimbe Bark
  • 3 parts Damiana Turneria Aphrodisiaca
  • 3 parts Siberian Ginseng
  • 2 parts Sarsaparilla Root
  • 1 part Saw Palmetto Berry
  • 1 part Oat Seed (Green Immature)
  • 1 part Kola Nut
  • 1 part Ginger Root

For information on Shillington’s female formulas, check out Natural Remedies for PMS Moodswings, Bloating, Cramps, etc.

Parts are by volume. Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 Blend of Alcohol and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.

Recommended Supplements:
Sources:


How to Kill Fungal Infections

Do you suffer from chronic sinus infections? Respiratory infections? Gum disease? Ear infections? Digestive problems? Chances are you are suffering from an overgrowth of Candida, the most prevalent fungal infection.

There are four types of infections we suffer from: bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal (though an argument could be made that fungal infections are parasitic). Too often we assume that our bronchial infection is bacterial. We take ineffective antibiotics that kill off more of the beneficial bacteria in our gut and allow Candida to thrive.

We feed yeast with an unhealthy diet filled with sugar and simple carbohydrates. When we start to clean up our diet, we starve Candida which releases toxins into our system. These toxins make us feel terrible. We eat sugar or high carb foods and we feel better because we have fed the Candida. Candida multiplies and we crave more sugar. And thus the cycle begins.

It’s easy to know you have a yeast problem when you have vaginal yeast infections, athlete’s foot, fingernail or toenail infections, or patches of yeast on the skin. If you suffer from these infections, it is highly likely that you have a systemic problem with yeast as well.

Updated: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

How to Kill Candida and Other Fungal Infections

First and foremost, the very best supplement I know of to kill any fungal infection is Formula SF722 by Thorne. It really is an amazing yeast killer. Below we have a list of supplement recommendations, but if you can only afford one, trust me, get the SF722. In fact, if you can only afford two, and you are unwilling or able to keep your diet right, get two bottles of SF722. You can also take a lot of them at once if need be. For particularly bad infections of a fungal infection, try taking up to 30 a day for a few days, and them reducing to a maintenance dose. You can also use topically. It hurts (only when there is an infection to kill), but it doesn’t damage the skin. They are the best for Candida or any other fungal infections, and Green Lifestyle Market accepts full refunds, no questions asked if you try and you don’t feel it’s working for you. Full disclosure, Green Lifestyle Market is our sister company.

The first step in eliminating an overgrowth of any fungus is to stop feeding it. Sugar is your worst enemy. This means eliminating all forms of sugar including simple carbohydrates (and alcohol) that the body turns into sugar.

Yeast in foods may also feed a fungal infection. When you are battling an overgrowth of systemic yeast or fighting a localized infection, avoid any foods with yeast–this means leavened breads.

Stop eating any trigger foods that you suspect may be a source of an allergic response. You are going to war. Candida and other fungi are the enemy. If your immune system if engaged in battling other issues, it won’t be 100% available to fight the fungi you are trying to eliminate. Don’t challenge it with any foods that you have ever had an allergic response to in the past. You need all of your resources at their best.

Fungal Supplement Stack – Knock Out Yeast, Candida, Mold, Fungus

The first three should be plenty for most people, but for really prominent fungal issues or for impatient people with a bigger budget I’d recommend all of these:

Diet

Although your diet must eliminate some of the foods that you will normally eat on a healthy diet, the basis of a healthy diet remains the same. Your diet should consist of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce, more vegetables than fruit. Choose a wide variety of nutrient dense foods. If you eat meat, make sure you choose organic meat. You do not want to eat meat from diseased animals fed hormones and antibiotics. Avoid processed foods, and do not eat any foods with artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives, MSG, or trans fats. Avoid all GMOs. This is easy to do if all of your food choices are organic.

This is a prebiotic diet. Raw produce is high in fiber, which is essential for gut health. Fiber not only moves toxins through the bowels, it provides the perfect environment for healthy bacteria to thrive. Many conventional sites that talk about a diet for Candida warn against eating fermented foods. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and keifer provide the healthy bacteria needed in the gut–the bacteria that will ultimately crowd out Candida. Foods that kill fungi include onions, leeks, green apples, ginger, pomegranates, and citrus fruits. Along with diet, there is an arsenal of natural herbs and supplements at your disposal to fight Candida and other fungi.

Related:

Herbs and Supplements to Fight Candida and other Fungi

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera lowers pH levels creating an inhospitable environment for Candida. It also helps detoxify the liver. The liver filters the byproducts of Candida and deals with toxins from the die off process as the Candida is destroyed. Aloe Vera juice can be consumed on a daily basis (no more than 1/4 a cup) or capsules can be taken.

Garlic

Raw garlic is a powerful anti-fungal that does not destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut. It does, however, kill bad bacteria while killing 24 out of 26 strains of Candida. It can also be rubbed on fungal skin infections. It can be eaten raw or taken in softgel capsules. Garlic cloves can be inserted into the vagina to treat vaginal yeast infections. (see link below).

Warning: Garlic can thin the blood. Do not use garlic if you plan to undergo surgery or if otherwise contraindicated due to another health condition or medications.

Clove Oil

Clove oil is a powerful anti-fungal that also boosts the immune system. Use 15-30 drops in water, 3 times daily.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a strong anti-fungal with many beneficial properties. Take one tablespoon 1-2 times a day. You can eat it plain, add it to smoothies and cook with it.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Some recommend using internally (take 15-30 drops in a cup of water 3 times daily) but many professionals say to only use topically. Update: Lemongrass works even better than tea tree for topical fungal treatment.

Oil of Oregano

Oil of oregano is a strong anti-fungal and antimicrobial. You can take 5 or more drops under the tongue or dilute in water 2-3 times a day. It can also be taken by capsule or oregano leaves can be steeped for a medicinal tea.

Colloidal Silver

Take 1 teaspoon up to 3 times a day, but do not take it long term. There are many claims that colloidal silver is amazing. We haven’t had any luck with it when treating topical bacteria or fungi and there is a lot of controversy about its use and effectiveness, though there are also many claims that it is very effective.

Olive Leaf

Olive leaf disrupts the reproductive cycle of fungi. It also stabilizes and lowers blood sugars to help starve Candida. It is also an amazing antioxidant that stimulates the immune system. It can be taken in capsule form, as a tonic, or as a tea. See below for teas and tonics.

Undecenoic Acid

Undecenoic acid is a very effective broad-spectrum antiviral that is taken in capsule form. This is the SF722 mentioned above. You can puncture the gelcap and squeeze out the liquid to treat skin infections and vaginal infections. Or you can use the liquid added to 98 ounces of filtered water for a douche. Be forewarned, when it comes into contact with yeast, it burns. But it works amazingly well.

Grapefruit Seed Extract 

Grapefruit seed extract is effective against 100 strains of fungi as well as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It works well with undecenoic acid and does not harm beneficial bacteria. Add 10 drops to water, 3 times a day.

Diatomaceous Earth

No, we are not talking about eating dirt. Almost, but not quite. Diatomaceous earth is silica (silicon dioxide), a very hard substance from the shells of diatoms, tiny single-celled plants. This provides a needed nutrient and there are amazing claims of restored health and vitality associated with it. Take one teaspoon morning and night. It can be added to any liquid, but tends to settle. It suspends well in smoothies. Diatomaceous earth will help to quickly remove Candida from the intestinal walls and out of the body.

Probiotics

Probiotics will help you rebalance your gut with beneficial bacteria that will crowd out Candida and they will help kill Candida as well. Probiotics foods as well as supplements are recommended.

Please note the warnings for pregnant and lactating women for the following remedies

Black Walnut

Warning: Do not use if pregnant or lactating.

Black walnut has been shown to be more effective against Candida than any antiviral drug. It can be taken in capsule form or as an extract.

Pau D’Arco

Warning: Do not use if pregnant or lactating.

Pau d’arco is highly effective against Candida; it both inhibits and destroys Candida. It also stimulates the immune system as well. Use as a tea, as capsules, or as a tincture.

Barberry, Goldenseal, and Coptis Chinensis

Warning: Do not use if pregnant. And limit use to 7 days for adults–3 days for children.

Barberry, goldenseal, and Coptis Chinensis are all recommended for Candida. Berberine is the alkaloid each contains, which is highly effective in fighting Candida. It also boosts and stimulates the immune system.

Wormwood

Warning: Do not use if pregnant.

Wormwood is an age old remedy for parasites and an aggressive treatment for Candida. Candida is particularly difficult to treat when it takes root in the intestines. Wormwood is considered one of the best remedies when the infection has reached this stage.

Topical Applications

Any of the essential oils used to treat fungal infections can be used topically. Essential oils are very strong and generally are not used full strength. Although many oils can be used as a carrier, it makes sense to use coconut oil since it is also antifungal. Add a few drops to a tablespoon of oil and spread on the affected area (including nails and nail beds if needed).

Although you will find many sites advising the use of corn starch for athlete’s foot or other signs of fungus, DO NOT DO THIS! Corn starch will feed the fungus and make it worse.

Teas and Tinctures

The following herbs can be used as a tea–for external as well as internal use or made into tinctures. (Remember to follow the warnings for pregnant and nursing women. Of this list, only olive leaf and thyme are to be used by pregnant or nursing women. Check for other warnings listed in the text above.)

To make a tea, use 1-2 teaspoons of herb per cup of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes. Drink 2-3 cups per day. You may also use the tea to wash affected skin, to soak hands and feet (to treat affected nails), or you can add the tea to bath water.

To make a tincture, use a glass bottle or jar. Place one cup of herb in the jar and cover with 2 cups of vodka. Place in a dark space for 3-4 weeks. Shake often. Drain and save liquid, discard leaves.

Candida Die Off or Herxheimer Reaction

When Candida or other yeast cells are killed, they give off toxins. Candida gives off 79 different toxins. These toxins can overwhelm the body, causing allergic reactions and inflammation. These toxins can actually damage the body as well.

Die off symptoms can include nausea, headache, fatigue, fever, an increase in muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, digestive disturbances, sweating, elevated heart rate, itching, hives, rashes, and skin breakouts, as well as “brain fog”. Some also experience sinus, vaginal, and prostate infections.

The first defense against an excessive toxic response is to follow your diet. The fiber included in an 80% raw diet will help quickly move the fungus out of your system. Twice daily doses of diatomaceous earth will also help remove the dying fungus from your body.

It is imperative that you drink a lot of clean water. We recommend cranberry lemonade– as much as a gallon a day, sipped throughout the day. It will give you vitamin C, support the kidneys, and help flush out toxins. (See the link below for the recipe. )

You must move your lymph. Your lymphatic system does not have a pump to help it circulate. Your movement is essential. The best way to assist your lymphatic system is bouncing. Rebounders are great. If you don’t have one, just bounce! Bounce on the balls of your feet! Hop, dance, jump rope, do jumping jacks. If this is too much for you, walk or do yoga. Just move. If you regularly exercise, keep it up. It’s a good time to sweat. It’s a good time to breathe heavily. Intense exercise is good when you are detoxifying from Candida. On the other hand, if your die off symptoms are severe, you need to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard. Use your best judgement.

This is the time to support your immune system. Molybdenum and milk thistle will help your liver expel toxins. If you are having a bad reaction, this support is essential. Candida releases a neurotoxin, acetaldehyde, during die off that is particularly destructive to the body. It attacks red blood cells and kills brain cells. Molybdenum converts acetaldehyde into acetic acid which the body can expel or turn into digestive enzymes.

Your body needs vitamin C (1000 mg 2X a day), vitamin B complex, and a good multivitamin.

Saunas, dry brushing, and hot and cold hydrotherapy will also aid you in releasing toxins.

Cat’s claw and echinacea are herbs that support the immune system. Do not use echinacea long term (no more than 3 weeks at a time with a 1 week break). Both of these herbs can be used as a tea or made into a tincture (see above), or used in capsule form.

If you follow these suggestions but are still experiencing severe symptoms of die off, cut back on your antifungal treatments–but do not stop! These symptoms are a sign that you have a significant overgrowth. Remember the cycle? Are you craving sugar? Pizza? Beer? French bread? As your symptoms abate, continue what you were doing. It was working!

When Do You Stop Taking Antifungal Treatment?

After 7 days with no symptoms of die off and no symptoms of fungal infection, begin adding more fruit to your diet. If you have no problems after another 7 days while eating fruit, you can stop taking your antifungal supplements.

Continue eating fermented foods and taking probiotics. If you wish to discontinue taking vitamin C, titrate down. Do not stop suddenly.

Many people suffering from Candida find that it takes 4-8 weeks or more to successfully eradicate it. Often, when you think it is gone, symptoms reappear. If they do, just repeat the protocol and keep adding probiotic foods to your diet. You will win, and the health benefits will be a welcome reward. If you’re dealing with Candida overgrowth, also check out Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections.

Recommended Supplements:

(Take these all together, except FloraMend, take that separately)

Further Reading:
Sources:


Natural Remedies for PMS, Mood Swings, Bloating, Cramps, Etc.

PMS is a touchy subject. In recent years, it continues to be an issue used to undermine women’s rights and equality. Due to this fact, it seems that it is no longer politically correct to honestly discuss PMS, for fear an open discussion will fuel the fire for those who claim women are less capable of handling certain jobs and or responsibilities. There is no doubt that women are just as smart, just as capable, just as able to do every job a man can do unless brute strength is the primary measure, and many women hold their own on this level as well. The argument remains centered on the issue of emotional control. Do you want your plane piloted by a woman suffering from PMS? Do you want the finger poised on the trigger or, God forbid, on the red button to be the finger of a woman with raging PMS? Let’s face it, no you don’t, and neither do I!

That doesn’t mean a woman should be denied the highest office in this land due to her gender. After all, how many wars have been spawned by testosterone poisoning? But tit for tat is beside the point. The real issue at hand is that PMS is not an inherent curse of womanhood. It is a symptom of hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalance and nothing more–an imbalance that can and should be corrected through a healthy diet, supplements, and a healthy lifestyle.

What Causes PMS?

PMS or pre-menstrual syndrome refers to particular physical and emotional symptoms women may experience during their monthly cycle, after ovulation and up to the onset of menstruation or a day or two into menstruation. The majority of women with PMS experience symptoms for a few days prior to the onset of menses; however, some women experience symptoms for the full two weeks from ovulation through the first few days of menstruation. PMS symptoms can be mildly uncomfortable or so severely disruptive they are considered disabling.

Physical symptoms of PMS vary from woman to woman and range from mild to severe. Some women have several physical symptoms, some only a few or none.

Physical symptoms of PMS include:

  • Fatigue
  • Bloating with possible weight gain
  • Headache
  • Backache
  • Changes in appetite with or without food cravings
  • Digestion issues (upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation)
  • Breast tenderness
  • Skin outbreaks (pimples)
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Insomnia

Emotional and behavioral symptoms of PMS include:

  • Irritability or anger
  • Moods swings
  • Anxiety
  • Depressed mood (with PMDD suicidal ideation may be included)
  • Crying spells
  • Poor concentration and/or memory

When emotions spiral out of control due to PMS, the consequences can be severe. Loss of emotional control can affect parenting, relationships with spouses or significant others, job performance, and more.

How to Manage and Eliminate PMS

First stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Stop believing PMS is natural or normal. It’s not. It is not something you are forced to endure because you are a woman. It is a symptom of unbalanced hormones and low levels of key neurotransmitters. Yes, there is a genetic component. That still doesn’t mean you have to live with this debilitating condition every month for years of your life. It does mean you have to make changes–significant changes–if you want to take control and end the roller coaster ride.

All health begins with the foods you eat. And for the body, the gut is the center of the universe. Our gut is filled with bacteria–300 to 1000 varieties. If we are healthy, the vast majority of bacteria in our gut is beneficial to our health. Friendly bacteria line and coat our intestines, crowding out unhealthy bacteria that try to take root and multiply. These friendly bacteria make up 80% of our immune system. Some of these bacteria aid us in synthesizing vitamins. They produce vitamin K, and create 90-95% of our serotonin. The friendly bacteria also keep fungi and parasites in check.

Health begins with a healthy gut and the only way to promote a healthy gut is through a nutrient dense diet. A full 80% of your diet should consist of fresh, raw, organic produce (more vegetables than fruits). Eat a large variety of healthy foods. Eat foods rich in B vitamins. Be sure your diet includes healthy omega 3 fats and fatty acids. (See links below).

An unbalanced, unhealthy gut leads to an overabundance of candida. This causes, or at least intensifies, all of the symptoms of PMS. Read How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem. THis is the first step to almost very single health issue. A few days before PMS is scheduled to begin, some SF722, FloraMend, and some B vitamins should be taken daily, until the period is over.

Avoid all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Eliminate MSG, GMOs, and trans fats. Do not eat soy unless it is fermented. Unfermented soy disrupts hormones. Do not drink soy milk or eat soy based margarines. Soy sauce is an example of fermented soy and can be eaten. Do not eat conventional sugar. First of all, it is probably GMO since our sugar usually comes from sugar beets and most of the crop is GMO. Sugar feeds unhealthy bacteria, Candida, and parasites. It does not promote health in any way. It is void of nutrition. If you choose to eat dairy, do not drink any milk or consume any milk products unless they are organic. Most of today’s conventional dairy includes growth hormones.

Detox, detox, detox. Do a thorough detox cleanse and repeat at least twice each year. Parasites and fungus in the gut interfere with nutrient absorption, with neurotransmitter production, and create a host of other problems. Make sure your detox addresses parasites and Candida in addition to other toxins. (See link below).

Drink plenty of good clean water throughout the day. Cranberry lemonade water is especially good if you are experiencing back pain or cramps. (See link below).

Add an excellent nutritional formula to your daily diet. You can purchase a good one, or make your own. (See the link below).

Supplements that Help with PMS

B vitamins need to become your best friend. Eat foods rich in B vitamins and supplement with a good, high quality B complex vitamin. Do not take B6 or any other B vitamin by itself. B vitamins work together and need one another to properly perform functions throughout the body. Taking just one for any length of time has been shown to actually cause you to be deficient in others. B vitamins are essential to cellular functions throughout the body including metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Our cells would not receive any nutrition—any energy—without B vitamins. In addition, they are essential to the nervous system and to neurotransmitters. They balance mood, reduce anxiety, soothe irritability. Yes, you should always take B vitamins at the first sign of PMS. Better yet, take them daily.

Take a vitamin D supplement unless you get plenty of sun. Look at a map and mentally draw a line from Atlanta to Los Angeles. If you live north of that line, you will need to supplement with vitamin D in winter months. If you live on the line or south of it, you still need to supplement if you don’t spend at least 15-20 minutes in the sun each day. Vitamin D helps the body with calcium and phosphorus and is therefore generally thought of as the vitamin for bones and teeth, but it also is essential to the immune system and brain function.

Calcium and magnesium have both been shown to reduce physical symptoms. And take omega 3 supplements, if you have not added an omega 3 source to your daily diet.

Supplementation should be taken as a daily nutritional boost, not as a “pharmaceutical” for PMS symptoms. If you are suffering from PMS, your body is deficient in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Food comes first along with nutritional powder. Feed your body what it needs on a daily basis to restore your health and hormonal balance. If you feed your body well, in time you will not need to supplement your diet if your food is fresh, nutrient dense, organic, and is grown in good soil.

If you need immediate relief for PMS symptoms, reach for extra B vitamins first and then consider the following herbal remedies:

Herbs Known to Relieve Symptoms of PMS

  • Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
  • Burdock
  • Chaste tree or chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus)
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
  • Dong quai (Angelica sinensis), also known as Chinese Angelica
  • Evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis)
  • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
  • Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
  • Maca (Lepidium meyenii)
  • St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)
  • Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa)
  • Rasberry leaf (Rubus idaeus)

We recommend two herbal tinctures formulated by Doc Shillington: Female Balance and Female Formula. Both contain Dong Quai, Wild Yam and Chaste Tree Berry to balance hormones.

Shillington’s Female Balance Formulas

Shillington offers three formulas that help balance female hormones.

Female Balance Formula

This formula is the 3 balancing herbs to balances the hormones. It’s good for alleviating cramps and anxiety. Ingredients include Chaste tree berry, wild yam root, and dong quai root in a base of grain alcohol and distilled water.

Female Formula

This formula is predominantly the 3 balancing herbs from the Female Formula along with a few others making it an overall female tonic for balancing hormones, relaxing,, as well as a cramping and anxiety handler. Ingredients include wild yam root, chaste tree berry, Dong Quai root, blue and black cohosh, valerian root, passion flower, uva ursi, hops flowers, cornsilk, juniper berry and dandelion root in a base of grain alcohol and distilled water.

Female Energy Formula

With Damiana leaf, wild yam root, licorice root, siberian ginseng roots, sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berry, oat seed, kola nut and ginger root in a base of grain alcohol and distilled water, this formula works well at balancing the hormones and improves energy as well as sex drive.

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Whether you choose to go to the gym, walk, run, practice yoga, dance in your living room, or bounce on a rebounder, you need to move. Your heart needs it. Your muscles need it. Your lymphatic system demands it. It can’t circulate unless you move!

Chiropractic Care

Studies have shown that chiropractic care can provide a significant decrease in symptoms.

In Conclusion

If you want to end the monthly misery of PMS, treat the cause, not just the symptoms. The root cause is based in nutrition. Either you are not feeding your body everything it needs, or your body is unable to assimilate the nutrients you provide. Once you detox your body and focus on nutrient dense foods, your body will heal itself and find its natural balance. The two most significant supplements to help with PMS mood swings are B vitamins and Shillington’s Female Female Formula. For cramps, add Boswellia.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


How to Cure Migraines For Good

A surprising 10% of the worldwide population suffers from migraine headaches. Although we know people have been suffering from migraines since the beginning of recorded history, we still aren’t sure what causes them.

The original belief that migraines are caused by a vascular condition (caused by arteries and veins) was challenged by a later theory of a neuroinflammatory process (inflammation of nervous tissue), and is now thought to be a neurogenic disorder (caused by or controlled by the nervous system).

Not all migraines are the same and not all migraines respond to the same medications, which might lead one to think that all these causes may be valid.

Generally, (but not always) migraine headaches affect one side of the head. Generally (but not always) they are associated with throbbing pain. If left untreated, they last for hours up to days.

There are four recognized stages for a migraine episode, though not all sufferers go through all four stages. These stages are as follows:

  • Prodrom — A day or two before the onset of a headache, symptoms include food cravings (often women crave chocolate), depression or irritability, stiff muscles–particularly the neck, uncontrollable yawning, hyperactivity, etc.
  • Aura — (experienced by 20% of migraine sufferers) an hour or two before the onset of a headache, sensory disturbances occur. The most common are visual with flashes of light, jagged lights in peripheral vision, blind spots, even loss of vision. Numbness and tingling in arms and legs, including weakness and speech problems. The aura lasts 20-60 minutes.
  • Attack — Usual duration is 4-72 hours. Symptoms during an attack often include nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, sensitivity to sound, light, smells, lightheadedness (possible fainting) and pain on one or both sides of the head.
  • Postdrome — This phase lasts up to a few days. Fatigue and cognitive disturbances that interfere with work and interactions with others. It is described as “brain fog.”

Natural Treatment for Migraines

There is s strong belief in the natural health community of one disease, one cause. In other words, the body, if cleansed of toxins and given proper nutrition, will heal itself. All disease begins at a cellular level. There is also a consensus that health starts in the gut. Four things are known about migraines: they involve vessels, inflammation (nerves and vessels), low levels of serotonin, and may be caused by heavy metal toxicity.

Boost serotonin

One of the symptoms common to migraine sufferers is a drop in serotonin or low levels of serotonin before a migraine. The beneficial bacteria in the gut produces 80% of the body’s serotonin, therefore it stands to reason that gut health and high serotonin levels may reduce or eliminate migraines. In order to achieve this, one must cleanse the gut of bad bacteria and Candida and repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria. The diet must be rich in both prebiotic and probiotic foods. (See link below regarding how to kill Candida.) A healthy, healing diet is organic and consists of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce–more vegetables than fruits. Eat a large variety of real foods. Include omega 3 fats each day. Do not eat known trigger foods. Avoid dairy and gluten (in order to heal your gut and due to the fact that they are probably trigger foods or allergens). Do not eat any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Do not eat MSG, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, or GMOs. This is fairly easy to do if you stick to real foods, not processed foods, and eat organic.

Related: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

Reduce inflammation

Inflammation is another causal factor. To reduce or eliminate inflammation, eliminate all foods that cause an allergic response. Include omega 3 oil in your diet on a daily basis (fish oil, flaxseed oil, krill oil, etc. ) Or consider Johanna Budwig’s recipe for inflammation. (See below.)

Vitamins and minerals to supplement

B-vitamins are essential for vascular health and for nerves and nervous tissue. Always take a B-complex vitamin rather than just taking one B vitamin for any length of time. Omega 3 oils help the body assimilate B vitamins. Vitamin C and vitamin D also aid in vascular health long with calcium, magnesium, and selenium.

Heavy metal toxicity

Heavy metal chelation may go a long way towards ending your battle with migraines. For many people, removal of mercury fillings has ended their susceptibility to migraines. (To learn more about mercury, see the link below).

Stress

Stress is a factor for migraines, as it is for all disease. It is important to learn how to release stress, as chronic stress does affect our biochemistry. Examine your lifestyle and decide if there are changes you want to make. If you want to make a serious impact on your stress level, learn to breathe (seriously–see link below), exercise, and meditate.

Dr. Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula Recipe (or click to purchase)

  • 2 – parts Valerian Root
  • 2 – parts Lobelia Seed Pods
  • 2 – parts Passion Flower
  • 1 – part Hops Flowers
  • 1 – part Black Cohosh
  • 1 – part Blue Cohosh
  • 1 – part Skullcap
  • 1 – part Wild Yam

Dr. Shillington’s Brain Tonic Recipe (or click to purchase)

  • 15 – parts Gingko Leaf
  • 1 – part Gotu Kola Herb
  • 1 – part Calamus Root
  • 1 – part Rosemary Flowers
  • 1 – part Cayenne Pepper
  • Optional:- 1 part Kola Nut

Parts are by volume. Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 Blend of Alcohol (100 proof vodka) and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.

Shillington’s Formulas aren’t going to stop most migraines in their tracks, but they will rebuild and heal the body.

The Real Reason You Have Migraines

The most likely causes of a migraine are gut imbalance and drug use. Smoking anything can eventually lead to migraines. Lots of different pharmaceuticals cause migraines. Toxins cause migraines. A toxic gut ecology leads to chronic issues including migraines. And most people who use pharmaceuticals and/or smoke have a toxic gut-ecology.

Fixing the gut means eliminating the excess Candid and other fungi.

Fungal Supplement Stack – Knock Out Yeast, Candida, Mold, Fungus

The first three should be plenty for most people, but for impatient people with really prominent fungal issues and bigger budgets could use all of these:

Conclusion

Whether migraines are rare or frequent, the pain can be overwhelming. No one should ever have to suffer through a migraine. To fully address the actions you can take to eliminate migraines from your life, follow all of the steps above. Here’s a recap:

  • Detox
  • Eat a healthy, healing diet with lots of raw produce
  • Boost serotonin – reduce candida and balance gut flora
  • Reduce inflammation – daily dose of omega 3’s
  • Supplement – vitamins C,D, and B-complex; calcium, magnesium and selenium
  • Heavy metal chelation – and get mercury fillings removed
  • Keep ginger on hand (and essential oils if they help)
  • Reduce stress – learn to breathe, exercise, meditate
  • Rebuild the nervous system and optimize the brain with shillington’s formulas

If you need help with a migraine right now, check out Natural Remedies For Migraines That Work Fast.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


Natural Remedies for Colds, Flus, and Other Common Viruses

When you’re about to get a cold there are warning signs. Food tastes different, sense of smell is strong and certain odors bother you that did not before, and  your breath becomes stale. Most people ignore these signs. At the very first sign, that first cough with a tickle in the throat, or whatever it is that alerts you to an impending viral attack, you can help your body’s defenses.

Gargle

Gargle now. Use organic, raw, apple cider vinegar and gargle every fifteen minutes for the next two hours. After that, gargle whenever you think of it.

Every time you gargle at the onset of a viral infection, you are cutting the viral load at the point those little suckers are trying to mass produce. You are actively killing them off their armies each time you gargle. Even if the cold or flu takes hold, you will have a milder case if it if you gargle a lot in the beginning.

Get Warm

Heat can help your body fight infection. That’s why we run fevers, which you can simulate yourself. A hot bath, a sauna, a steaming shower can knock out a nasty infection quickly. And you can also add some essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint to help clear out lungs and sinuses.

Fluids

No, I am not talking about sodas or juice, with one or two exceptions. Make cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia, hot or cold. Or cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia with or without added cayenne. Drink lots of it made with pure water

You do not want to drink sodas or juice right now. (Hopefully you never drink another soda in your life, but we can talk about that later.) Viruses, bacteria, and fungi all thrive on sugar. Don’t feed them.

Also, know that conventional sugar (like what you find in sodas) actually repress your immune system.

Garlic

Eat garlic, lots of raw garlic. Chop it up, slice it, press it, or dice it. To benefit more from garlic, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes after cutting and before eating. Eat at least 2 cloves daily; 6 would be better; 10 would be better still. You get the idea.

Echinacea

Echinacea will make your tongue feel fuzzy. If it doesn’t, it’s not echinacea or it’s very weak and not of any use. Few things work as well as high quality echinacea to strengthen the immune system quickly and effortlessly. Take it often, but only take it for three weeks and then stop for a week (less it loses its effectiveness).

Zinc

Zinc may work for you. It is thought to hinder the cold virus’s ability to multiply. But be careful with zinc. Too much can be toxic.

Vitamins

Vitamin D supports your immune system while C, A, and E help the body fight viruses. Lots of vitamin C can be helpful, but if you do take a lot, titrate down. Don’t suddenly stop taking it. Your virus might bounce back.

Doc Shillington’s Total Tonic Recipe (or click here to purchase)

Here’s a recipe that you can do at home. Always have it on hand to knock out infections, and it’s also great for heavy metal chelation and almost everything else that ails you.

  • 1 handful of garlic cloves
  • 1 handful of chopped onions
  • 1 handful of chopped ginger
  • 1 handful of chopped horseradish
  • 1/2 handful of chopped habanero peppers
  • Raw apple cider vinegar

Throw in a blender and cover with an inch or two of organic raw apple cider vinegar. All ingredients should be organic, but don’t let that stop you from making this great formula (as long as the garlic is not from China). You can use the mash right away or wait two weeks and allow it to turn into a tincture.

The Better Big Bang Recipe

I worked at a health food restaurant (sort of) that had a menu item called “The Big Bang.” It’s lemon juice, apple juice, and ginger juice mixed together and heated. I believe I improved upon their recipe:

  • 2 parts lemon juice
  • 2 parts apple cider vinegar
  • 1 part ginger juice (or per your taste)
  • 1 part turmeric juice (or per your taste)

You can heat it up or drink it cool. Drinking it hot is very nice, and perfect for a soothing a sore throat, opening the sinuses, and clearing out mucus. On the other hand, if you don’t heat it up you get more health benefits from the tonic.

Update

Now I sip on Mother Earth Organic Root Cider whenever I feel anything in my throat or sinuses that could indicate a cold coming on. It’s the best thing we’ve put on the market to date, and that’s saying a lot! If you find yourself getting sick regularly, or dealing with chronic sinus issues, you’ll love this. It tastes horrible, but you’ll stuff love it. Try it. Take a dose every day, and if you feel any potential infection coming on, sip on it throughout the day. As always with GLM, if you don’t love the results, get your money back.

Conclusion

The bottom line is, if you eat right, and have been eating right for some time, cold and flus shouldn’t even affect you. If you think this isn’t true, you’re not eating right. No single herb or natural remedy compares to a diet with a low toxic load and daily salads with 14 different vegetables, turmeric, garlic, etc. See the first source below for my own salad recipe. If your immune system is susceptible to infection, or you just like to the idea of having a crazy powerful immune system, be sure to check out Bullet Proof Your Immune System.

Recommended Products:
Further Reading:
Sources:


Natural Cure for Sinus Infections

There’s nothing quite like a sinus infection. You get to experience non-stop pressure and pain. Your face hurts. Your head hurts. Possibly, your teeth hurt as well. Left untreated, the infection can involve the bones of the face and in rare cases, can actually spread to the brain.

Our sinuses are open spaces or pockets above and beside the nose that are lined with mucous membranes. Each time we breathe in through the nose, mucous acts as the first defense against pathogens and foreign substances we inhale. Small particles are trapped by mucous, which is continuously swept towards the throat by cilia, tiny hair like structures. Mucous is swallowed and stomach acid neutralizes most of the pathogens that reach it.

Sinuses become infected when they cannot drain properly. When sinus tissues swell, mucous becomes trapped and the sinus fills, causing pressure and pain and creating a perfect environment for an infection to breed.

Sinus infections can be viral, bacterial, fungal or a combination; they can be acute or chronic.

How To Avoid Sinus Infections

If you suffer from recurrent sinus infections or chronic sinus infections, Candida is likely to be a part of the problem. At the very least, you immune system needs help. A truly healthy diet will help heal the infection and rebuild your immune system.

Diet

Eat real food, not processed food. Your diet should consist of 80% raw, fresh, organic produce, more vegetables than fruit. Be sure to include healthy fats. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are an important addition to your diet, and they reduce inflammation. (Reduction of inflammation, and swelling that accompanies it, allows the sinuses to drain. Avoid all artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives as well as MSG, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs. And here’s what may be the hardest part: stop eating sugar. Sugar feeds Candida as well as viruses and bacteria. In addition, each time you eat sugar, it takes your immune system a good three days to recover.

Avoid all allergens. Many people who aren’t aware that they are allergic to dairy, find that eliminating it from their diet stops a cycle of chronic sinus, respiratory, and ear infections. (To learn more about a healthy diet, see the links below. )

Detox

To heal your immune system, you need to cleanse your body. A good cleanse will help kill off Candida, parasites, and pathogens. You need to rebuild the balance of your gut so the healthy bacteria keeps Candida and bad bacteria and the toxins they exude in check. If your sinuses are the only thing your immune system has to deal with, it will do a much better job of healing any current or future infection. (To learn more about how to detox, see the link below.)

How To Treat Sinus Infections

Sinus Irrigation

Flushing the sinuses with saline solution can aid in reduction of swelling and remove excess mucous along with debris and pathogens. A neti pot (click to purchase here) can aid you in sinus irrigation. To make a saline solution, use 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 16 ounces (2 cups) of warm water.

Be sure that you use the following:

  • Distilled water or boiled water.
  • Real salt. Make sure it is fine and has no additives (no iodine or flavorings).
  • Baking soda.

Doc Shillington’s Herbal Snuff Recipe (or click to purchase)

If you are suffering from an acute sinus infection or a chronic sinus condition, Doc Shillington’s Herbal Snuff can get those healing herbs right into the spot where they will do the most good.

This recipe is by parts, whether teaspoons or tablespoons or more…

  • 7 parts Goldenseal Root Powder
  • 7 parts Bayberry Bark Powder
  • 1 part Cayenne Pepper Powder (Habanero Cayenne is best)
  • 1 part Garlic Powder

Grind as finely as possible and mix well.

To use, snort a very small amount, about half the size of a match head. Use several times per day until all symptoms have disappeared. Be forewarned – this will burn, but it works.

Update!

Now I sip on Mother Earth Organic Root Cider whenever I feel anything in my throat or sinuses that could indicate a cold coming on. It’s the best thing we’ve put on the market to date, and that’s saying a lot! If you find yourself getting sick regularly, or dealing with chronic sinus issues, you’ll love this. It tastes horrible, but you’ll stuff love it. Try it. Take a dose every day, and if you feel any potential infection coming on, sip on it throughout the day. As always with GLM, if you don’t love the results, get your money back.

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading:

Sources: