Why Is There So Much Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a condition that I’m seeing a LOT of now-a-days. Not only in practice, but in real life conversations with friends, family members and colleagues as well. What’s going on here?

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits below your Adam’s apple on your throat. Its primary responsibility is to regulate your metabolism, therefore it plays a critical role in weight management, temperature regulation, digestion and energy production. Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid condition that occurs when the thyroid is UNDERproducing, indicated by low levels of thyroid hormone.

The amount of clients I see with hypothyroidism increases day-by-day. I would estimate that 1 in every 2 women that come to me for coaching have a thyroid disorder (80% more HYPO rather than HYPER thyroid). The reason, I suspect, is the exponential increase in toxicity in our modern world.

You have to understand, glands such as the thyroid and adrenals are EXTREMELY sensitive to chemicals, emotions and environmental changes. On a daily basis, we are now being exposed to massive amounts of chemicals—chlorine and fluoride in tap water; pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and GMOs in our food supply; parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and triclosan in our personal care products; EMFs from routers, cell phones and smart TVs; heavy metals; and mold (to name a few). Our livers can’t keep up. Our kidneys, lymphatic system and lungs can’t either. So these toxins are either stored (in our fat cells) or spill over into circulation, triggering the immune system and creating massive amounts of inflammation.

Did You Know: 90-95% of people with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto's? Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition where your body literally starts attacking itself (the thyroid, specifically). Why does this happen? Because the flurry of inflammation caused by ALL of these chemicals makes the immune system go haywire. It tries to step up and “protect” you, but gets overwhelmed, confused and sloppy (especially with massive amounts of DAILY exposures). As a result, healthy tissues get mislabeled as the “enemy” and the body starts attacking its own SELF.

This is really bad. And unfortunately, once you’ve flipped the switch to autoimmunity “on”, you cannot flip it back “off”. Autoimmunity is serious and feeling good/preserving your healthy tissues (in this case, the thyroid) requires daily attention to diet, lifestyle and stress management.

My journey with hypothyroidism started in 2011 (6 months after I stopped getting my period). It wasn't until 2013 (and many doctors/meds/protocols later) that my period came back. Slowly...but surely.

I went through many years of strict gluten, dairy, corn, soy and alcohol -free living. Detoxed on a regular basis. Supported my adrenal glands. Slowed my workouts down. Started speaking up for my needs.

And now, more than 10 years later, I'm off thyroid medication. I eat mostly gluten, dairy and soy -free, but not 100% of the time. I have a glass of wine here and there. And I'm able to live life in a way that I wasn't before.

This is available for YOU too. If you're struggling with hypothyroidism (and feeling exhausted, achey, puffy and constipated with brain fog, hair loss and cold hands/feet), I feel you...and want to help. Book a FREE Discovery Call and we can talk through some options.