Among the many symptoms of thyroid disease, there is one in particular that significantly impacts people’s relationships and overall happiness, yet it’s a symptom people seldom seek help for: low libido (low sex drive). In general, libido concerns are something we keep to ourselves. Talking about sex makes us blush and isn’t really socially acceptable in our society – thus, many people suffer in silence. But let’s face it… without libido, we would not survive as a species. While low libido may not seem like it would be a symptom caused by thyroid issues, it can be. In fact, research has show ..read more

Have you ever chased your thyroid meds with a cup of coffee? (I can’t be the only one who has done that!) Did you know that, for some people, coffee may interfere with the absorption of their thyroid medication? [1] A while back, I went to dinner with a friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen for some time. Despite being under the care of the best doctors around and taking thyroid medications, she was still experiencing several thyroid symptoms (including dry skin, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, hair loss, and cold intolerance). Usually, the first question that comes to mind when a person i ..read more

I often speak about the effect of stress on Hashimoto’s. I, as well as many of my clients, have noted that symptoms will start (or worsen) during a time of stress. I can personally vouch for this, and likely you can, too! It has been 10 years since I wrote my first book on Hashimoto’s, yet at the time of writing, there was no “official research” to connect stress to Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. It’s silly to me sometimes that these days, we need large institutions to conduct trials on something that we feel and observe with our own eyes. That said, in recent years, studies have focused on ..read more

Depression is a topic near and dear to my heart. Many moons ago, I lost a loved one to suicide… and while I’ll never understand the immense pain of a person in the moment before they choose to end their life, I can tell you that the loss leaves families and survivors (like me), in utter devastation and despair. Some even spiral into a deep depression from the trauma. I was one of them. Losing my loved one created the type of hole in my heart that I hope others never have to experience, and was likely a factor in the development or exacerbation of my autoimmune condition. I personally battled ..read more

As far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to help people with their health. I grew up watching my mom work as a medical doctor, and always admired her. In elementary school, I was introduced to the scientific method and thought: “This is it! This is what I’m going to do when I grow up!” I enrolled in a four-year PharmD program (Doctor of Pharmacy) and became a pharmacist with the goal that one day, I would be able to discover new treatments for people who were suffering. After I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I decided to take my health into my own hands. I had been told that the only way t ..read more

Though we may not think of it very often, the health of our breasts and the health of our thyroid are deeply connected. We know there’s an association between thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. Studies have shown that Hashimoto’s patients are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer. (1,2) More recent studies have shown that there’s also an association between breast cancer and those with autoimmune thyroid disease. (3,4) There’s another breast condition that’s been shown to be connected to Hashimoto’s – fibrocystic breasts. (5) While having fibrocystic breasts is not associated wit ..read more

Many people with Hashimoto’s feel significantly better when they remove reactive foods, replenish nutrient depletions with restorative foods and supplements, and support the gut with probiotics. But what if those steps alone don’t work? You’ll have to dig a bit deeper. It took more than the implementation of the strategies above for me to resolve all my symptoms related to Hashimoto’s. In fact, in some cases, my attempts to produce healing led to the development of additional, different symptoms altogether. Searching for the solution that will work for you can sometimes feel like trying to fi ..read more

When I began my health journey with nutrition, I was skeptical. Could giving up gluten, dairy, and sugar really make a difference? If these foods were that problematic, I would have certainly learned about them in pharmacy school, right? Well, much to my surprise, within three days of giving up these three foods, my bloating, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome vanished! “This can’t be,” I remember thinking to myself. Why did I not know about this? If you’ve been following me for a while, you will know that I often speak of going gluten and dairy free — this can be incredibly helpful fo ..read more

Before my Hashimoto’s diagnosis, I had always been very polite, and described myself as a “diplomat.” People knew me as someone who maintained patience and composure in almost any situation. But for me, one of the reasons I suspected something was off with my health, was that I started experiencing mood swings in combination with starting to feel as though I was on an emotional roller coaster… yet felt numb…! This was all completely out of character for me — but when I started addressing the root causes of my Hashimoto’s, I got better. Some of the other symptoms I experienced early on include ..read more

While pursuing thyroid health has been my mission for the past several years, I have always taken pride in my external appearance. Being a full-time mom and running a business has taken over much of the time. I still worry about my looks these days, but I’ve also gained more of an appreciation for how “necessary” certain beauty procedures can be, to keep us looking our best after long nights of very little sleep! I applaud those who prefer to take a more natural approach to beauty and have learned to love the skin they were born into. But, I do know that many people find that they feel more c ..read more