Have you heard that your thyroid is “normal” despite the fact that you have every low thyroid symptom in the Fatiguebook? Don’t worry, you’re not crazy! Blood work does not tell all!

When I look at thyroid blood tests, they let me know if something is really wrong with your thyroid. If I interpret them as “normal”, even by my high standards, this means that your thyroid is able to make thyroid hormone. That is awesome! But it is not the whole picture. What those tests do NOT tell me, is whether or not your body is actually able to use those hormones. This is most often, where I see the disconnect. You really do have hypothyroidism, from a functional perspective. And it really can be fixed!

Here are a few things to look for that may help you determine if the thyroid hormones in your body aren’t working effectively:

  1. Your temperature runs below the normal 98.6 degrees.
  2. You are tired consistently throughout the day.
  3. You don’t get good, restful sleep, despite being exhausted.
  4. You feel cold, even when you really shouldn’t.
  5. Everything in your body seems to run on low speed – your digestion, your energy, your immune system, your mental clarity, everything.

While there are numerous naturopathic ways to heal this type of hypothyroidism, here are a few things you could consider trying on your own.

  1. Add seaweed to your diet to get the iodine your thyroid uses to function. While this may not sound appetizing, one thing I’ve done is get seaweed flakes. I then add them to soups, salads or dressings. They are salty and add a little flavor without the overpowering taste that some seaweeds can have.
  2. Eat 1 Brazil Nut each day for a couple of weeks. This will provide you body with the selenium needed for your thyroid hormones to work properly.
  3. Snack on Pumpkin Seeds to get the Zinc that your thyroid needs.
  4. Try to avoid gluten for a few weeks. There is a longer story here, but trust me on this one.