thyroid - do you have an imbalance?

Shaped like a butterfly the thyroid gland is a small but powerful highly vascular gland located below your larynx and straddles the trachea. An increasingly common problem, thyroid function imbalance can be the root cause of many symptoms.

A healthy thyriod:

Regulates the menstrual cycle, optimum fertility levels
Regulates blood cholesterol levels and your heart beat
Regulates body temperature, important for immunity
Along with the pituitary gland regulates hormone levels and cellular metabolism.

Symptoms of dysfunction include:

Depression, fatigue, poor memory cold intolerance, headaches, slow thinking
Cramps, muscle weakness
Iron deficiency anemia
poor circulation, irregular heartbeat, high cholesterol
shortness of breath, low appetite, sluggish bowels, gastrointestinal discomfort
Poor hearing, swollen tongue, puffy eyes, hoarseness of voice, sore throat
Poor immune response, lowered immunity, recurrent infections. Impaired kidney function.
Low libido, impotence and infertility
Dry skin, mucus membranes, scaly skin, brittle nails, coarse hair, hair loss
Weight gain, unable to shift weight, face swelling

Major causes of Thyroid imbalances:

Low iodine intake, depleted soils and exposure to fluoride in drinking / bathing water. Fluoride binds to iodine further depleting the stores
Excess goitrogenic foods- broccoli, cabbage, turnips, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens (they must be lightly cooked) soybeans, peanuts, pinenuts and millet.
Leaky gut, gut flora imbalances, poor digestion and elimination
Chemical overload, food additives, agricultural pesticides, household cleaners, hair dyes, herbicides pesticides
Chronic excess stress, depression, inadequate rest..Low grade chronic acute infection

Sounds familiar? If you suspect you may have a Thyroid imbalance it is important to get complete and accurate testing. Unfortunately conventional medicine usually only tests the TSH and if your lucky the T4 levels of your thyroid. This doesn't provide an accurate picture of the health of your gland. Thankfully we have access to integrative pathology testing as alternative practitioners which offer a vast array of testing including thyroid function. Speak to your chosen practioner today :)

To good health,