By: Cat Ebeling RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-seller: The Diabetes Fix

Your thyroid gland is a small butterfly shaped gland that sits in your neck. It is responsible for important bodily functions such as breathing rate, heart rate, digestion, energy, weight gain or loss, and even your moods.

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your body’s metabolism. These hormones are primarily, thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyroinine (T3). The correct balance of these hormones keeps your body’s functions running smoothly. The thyroid also produces cells called c-cells make calcitonin, which assists in calcium and bone metabolism.

When the body needs more or less of these hormones, the pituitary gland in the brain sends a hormone called “thyroid stimulating hormone” (TSH) that signals the thyroid to change the production level. High levels of TSH mean that the thyroid hormones are too low, and low levels of TSH mean that thyroid levels are too high.
Various conditions can affect the thyroid gland, and thyroid disease can develop when the thyroid makes too much or too little T3 and T4. Women – due to the complex balance between thyroid hormones and female sex hormones–tend to have thyroid problems more often than men or children; however, men, especially older men, can get thyroid problems as well.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common thyroid disorders. This is “low” thyroid. This occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough T4 and T3. This can also occur when the thyroid cannot convert T4 into the more active thyroid hormone T3 for use in the body.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Fluid retention
• Muscle and joint pain
• Constipation
• Irregular periods
• Hair loss
• Feeling chilly all the time
• Depression
• Slowed heart rate
• Fertility problems

Hypothyroid treatment usually involves supplementing with thyroid hormones—either just a synthetic T4 medication, like Synthroid, or a natural combination drug that includes T3 and T4, such as Armour thyroid, or Nature-Thyroid.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the thyroid gland, and it becomes chronically inflamed. This happens most commonly in middle-aged women, but can affect men and children as well. Over time, this chronic inflammation develops into hypothyroidism, causing:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to cold
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Muscle aches
• Constipation

Those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may not show any symptoms early on, but may have the thyroid (TPO) antibodies detected in blood tests. TPO is an enzyme that plays a role in the production of thyroid hormones.

Left untreated, Hashimoto’s can gradually become worse and destroy thyroid function. Treatment for Hashimoto’s is like treatment for hypothyroidism and individual’s take either a synthetic or natural form of thyroid hormones. A blood test for thyroid function needs to be done every 6-8 weeks to determine correct dosages for medication.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. While this does occur more often in women, it can also occur in men—especially over the age of 60. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are just the opposite of hypothyroidism. These include:

• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Muscle weakness
• Feeling hot all the time
• Insomnia
• Rapid, irregular heartbeat
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Mood swings
• Bulging eyes

Hyperthyroidism treatment involves taking an anti-thyroid or beta-blockers (medication which slows the heart rate), radioiodine therapy, or surgery to remove the thyroid. If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can cause serious heart, muscle, bone, fertility, and other health problems, because the body goes into overdrive with hyperthyroid conditions.

Graves’ Disease

The most common disease related to hyperthyroidism is a condition called Graves’ disease. This autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack the thyroid, causing the gland to produce too much thyroid hormone.

Graves’ can create complications in many parts of the body, from the eyes and skin to the heart and bones.

One of the most serious complications of Graves’ disease is something called a “thyroid storm”. A thyroid storm is a life-threatening condition that can happen when Graves’ disease is not treated. It often develops in patients with long-standing hyperthyroidism. It can flare up when there are other stressors in the body, such as heart attacks or even infections. It can also occur following radioactive therapy for hyperthyroidism or from irregular use of anti-thyroid medications. Symptoms include a pounding heart, shaking, sweating, agitation, and confusion. Immediate emergency treatment is critical—a thyroid storm can cause cardiac arrest and death.

Causes of Thyroid Malfunction

1. Gluten – Gluten has been found to be linked to many cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hypothyroidism. There are several studies show a strong link between autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), including Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease, and gluten intolerance. This connection is well-established in the medical community and researchers strongly recommend that all people with AITD be screened for gluten intolerance.

How does this work? It’s a case of the body mistakenly identifying components of gluten in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains, for the thyroid gland. Gliadin, which is one of the protein components that make up gluten, resembles thyroid tissue. Repeated ingestion of wheat creates inflammation in the gut (whether you react to it or not). Chronic gut inflammation can cause tiny holes in the gut, where tiny particles of food can leak outside of the gut. When gluten is eaten, the gliadin from the gluten escapes the gut barrier and gets into the bloodstream, and the immune system attacks it. These same antibodies become activated to attack the thyroid tissue.

The immune response to gluten can last for 6 months each time you eat it. So, if you have any type of thyroid problems, it is critical for you to eliminate ALL gluten from your diet. Being mostly gluten—free will not help your gut or your thyroid function.

Standard lab tests for gluten are not very accurate. They only test for antibodies to gluten in the bloodstream. Antibodies for gluten in the blood are only found when the gut has been damaged to the point where the gluten is escaping the gut, which is a relatively advanced stage of this sneaky disease. Blood tests will miss the milder or early cases.

Additionally, when you are tested for celiac disease, you are tested for only ONE specific gliadin, alpha gliadin and tissue transglutaminase, tTG-2.

Consider this:

• People can react negatively to other components in gluten that are not included in the standard celiac/gluten intolerance test. And this includes your thyroid function.
• Even if you test negative for celiac disease you can have serious negative reactions to other wheat proteins or transglutaminases—which all can cause inflammation and problems with the thyroid gland.
• For every positive gluten test, there are many more that go undiagnosed—many with NO gastrointestinal symptoms at all.

If you have any symptoms of the above hyper- or hypo-thyroid conditions, it is best to avoid gluten totally. Partially avoiding it will not help your condition.

2. Hormone Imbalance

We often think of our sex hormones as functioning totally separately from the thyroid hormone. However, thyroid hormones are affected by estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol levels.

Women’s sex hormones — especially progesterone —can have a strong influence on the conversion and effectiveness of thyroid hormones. When sex hormones are out of balance, it will generally lead to hypothyroid symptoms, including weight gain, fatigue, and hair loss—even when your lab work tests in the normal ranges.

For women, the healthy hormonal balance between estrogen, testosterone and progesterone can become unbalanced after childbirth, from using oral contraceptives, or during perimenopause.

During perimenopause (the 10 or so years prior to menopause), women’s hormones begin to shift in as progesterone levels can drop quickly to about 75% of the previous levels. Estrogen decreases more gradually and can remain high, throwing off the delicate balance that exists. This causes a condition called “estrogen dominance”. The result is higher estrogen levels in relation to progesterone. Many of the typical perimenopause and menopause symptoms are often because of estrogen dominance.

When estrogen levels are high and progesterone levels too low, the liver increases production of a protein called thyroid binding globulin or TBG. TBG binds up the free thyroid hormones in your blood. TBG basically holds thyroid hormones hostage, and they don’t get to your cells where they need to. Instead, you get symptoms of low thyroid. The frustrating thing is that your thyroid lab work can look perfectly normal unless testing is done to look at the levels of TBG.

People who are hypothyroid also tend to overproduce estrogen and their body cannot detoxify as well, causing higher than normal levels of estrogen to accumulate in their body. So, this creates an ever-worsening problem. Regardless of the mechanism, you end up with long-term exposure to high levels of estrogen. Long term exposure to high levels of estrogen without enough progesterone to balance it out, can create serious health problems including diabetes, uterine fibroids, ovarian and breast cancer. In addition, prolonged exposure to an overabundance of estrogen (in relation to progesterone) is shown to significantly increase the production of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis antibodies, leading to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Progesterone also helps to facilitate the action of the thyroid hormones, while estrogen is antagonistic to thyroid hormone. So, women with low progesterone and high estrogen have a more difficult time getting the thyroid hormone to do its job.

Solution: Depending on hormone levels and a woman’s age, natural over-the-counter progesterone cream can be applied to the skin to help bring estrogen and progesterone levels back into balance. In turn this can help thyroid function return to normal.

3. Cortisol, Stress and Thyroid Hormones

By now we should all know that high levels of stress can cause increased cortisol. High cortisol can have wide-ranging effects including thinning of the bones, muscle wasting, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, high blood sugar, compromised immune function, memory loss and more.

Stress and cortisol also slow down immune function. High cortisol can inhibit secretion of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) from the pituitary gland, leading to suppression of thyroxine, which is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. Increased cortisol can shift the thyroid into an inactive state, elevating reverse T3, instead of the proper conversion of T4 into T3.

Chronic stress also has a big effect on progesterone levels. When your body is stressed, it works to produce higher levels of the hormone cortisol which helps to handle stress in your body. Progesterone is a master hormone and a precursor to cortisol. So, when cortisol levels increase, progesterone levels decrease, and this also causes problems with hypothyroid and puts you more at risk for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Receptors for all progesterone, thyroid and cortisol are in nearly every cell of the body, so the relationship between them and the adrenal gland, thyroid, and pancreas is critical for energy production and balanced physiology.

Solution: Vitamin C helps cortisol, as does meditation and exercise to relieve stress. Women may benefit from a natural progesterone cream as well.

4. Birth Control Pills and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy at any point in a woman’s life, can create thyroid problems by creating an overabundance of estrogen in the body. This also slows production of the body’s natural progesterone, creating chaos in the endocrine system.

This creates a similar situation to the above, with low progesterone, high estrogen, and lowered levels of thyroid. High levels of estrogen also contribute to a rise in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Generally, this happens far more often with oral contraception, as opposed to dermal patches or sublingual treatments.

For women on long term birth control, estrogen in birth control pills increases the amount of thyroid binding proteins available to bind to thyroid hormone. What does this mean? If you have a lot of thyroid hormones bound to TBG, you’ll have less free T4 in your body that’s able to do its job.

And be aware, that if you are on birth control and you need medication for hypothyroidism, you might need a higher dose of thyroid medication to get to your normal thyroid levels. TBG starts to increase around two weeks after starting oral contraceptives.

Anyone who is taking thyroid medication, whether it’s synthetic T4 or T3, should be monitored for six to eight weeks after the oral contraceptives are started, to check thyroid hormones. If symptoms of hypothyroidism appear in a woman taking HRT or birth control pills, the best treatment, if possible, is to stop the treatment or birth control pill and see if symptoms disappear.

Women who have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and start on birth control pill, will most likely need more thyroid hormone as estrogen contained in the pill works against it. Women who are on any type of birth control pill may need to have a full thyroid panel done to check thyroid function frequently.

5. Nutritional Deficiencies

Believe it or not, nutritional deficiencies, even slight ones, can have a drastic effect on thyroid hormones. Inadequate intake of iodine impairs thyroid function and results in a spectrum of disorders. Other common deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, selenium, vitamin A, and possibly zinc may interact with iodine nutrition and thyroid function.

Iodine is the main component in T3 and T4 hormones. But our bodies cannot produce iodine on their own, so it is essential to get enough iodine through the diet. In the United States and other countries, iodized salt was introduced many years ago, helping to eliminate problems with too little iodine in the diet. Other common deficiencies of micronutrients that affect thyroid function include iron, selenium, vitamin A, and zinc which all interact with iodine uptake and thyroid function.

Goitrogens are naturally occurring chemicals found in many plant-based foods. Goitrogens interfere with thyroid hormones and can cause thyroid malfunction. Consuming large amounts of these substances on a regular basis can affect thyroid health. The key goitrogen-rich foods include cruciferous vegetables, some types of fruit, nuts, and soy.

There are three types of goitrogens: goitrins, thiocyanates, and flavonoids. Some of the more common foods that contain goitrogens include:

• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, collard greens, radishes, kohlrabi, turnups and arugula.
• Cassava (this is an ingredient very common in gluten free/no grain products)
• Pine nuts, peanuts
• Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk

Foods that contain goitrogens disrupt thyroid hormones by slowing down the body’s ability to iodine. Goitrogens can block the process by which iodine is incorporated into the key thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

Goitrogens can also inhibit the release of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland and block the conversion of T4 into active thyroid hormone T3. In very large quantities, goitrogens can cause a goiter on the thyroid gland and act like anti-thyroid drugs, slowing down an underactive thyroid causing hypothyroidism.

Soy foods generally do not affect the thyroid function in people who have normal thyroid function and healthy iodine levels, but soy does interfere with absorption of thyroid hormone replacement medication. It is recommended that patients on medication for hypothyroidism take their thyroid medication on an empty stomach an hour so before eating.

Eating a diet low in nutrient dense foods or following a restrictive diet may lead to other nutritional deficiencies that affect thyroid function. The following supplements may help to support thyroid health:

Iodine provides the building blocks of thyroid hormones, and is essential to healthy thyroid function. Beware of too much iodine, however, especially if you Hashimoto’s, because this can stimulate the autoimmune antibodies.

Selenium is a critical element of thyroid hormone production. Selenium helps the thyroid convert T4 into T3. Selenium also helps to reduce thyroid antibodies that attack the thyroid.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to Hashimoto’s disease and helps to manage and balance hormones.

Zinc is necessary for DNA synthesis and immune function. This vital mineral is also needed for the conversion of T4 into active T3, as well as the production of TSH. Zinc is also required for the T3 receptor to adopt its biologically active status.

Iron is important to prevent iron-deficiency anemia, and helps to move iodine to the thyroid gland to create more thyroid hormone. Iron deficiency is associated with thyroid dysfunction.

Vitamin B12 is common in people with hypothyroid and Hashimoto’s disease. Taking a B12 or B complex supplement can help prevent and treat deficiency, as well as maintain optimal B12 levels. Be sure to take a supplement that contains methylcobalamin, the most absorbable type of B12. It is thought that B12 absorption may be affected by the presence of gluten sensitivity.

Magnesium is an often-overlooked critical mineral. Magnesium is responsible for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium supports the immune system, helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, regulates the heartbeat, strengthens bones, keeps blood glucose levels steady and plays a role in the production of energy. Magnesium is necessary for iodine utilization by the thyroid gland.

Dietary changes can have a positive effect on thyroid conditions. Some of the most important ones include:

• Adopt a gluten free diet—If you have ANY type of thyroid issues, whether it may be hyper- or hypothyroid; Hashimoto’s or Graves, it’s important to avoid ALL gluten in the diet. Gluten has been found as a contributing factor in a large percentage of thyroid conditions. Avoiding gluten 100% is the only way to avoid the inflammation that gluten can cause.
• Anti-inflammatory diet—Following an anti-inflammatory diet can be highly beneficial for anyone with Hashimoto’s disease and improving gut health. Avoid omega 6 vegetable oils, all forms of sugar, and other foods that trigger an immune response such as nightshades, dairy, grains, and even legumes, especially soy products.
• Organic foods—Eating organic foods will help you avoid environmental triggers that can harm the thyroid gland and contribute to thyroid problems.
• Reduce your intake of goitrogens—While cruciferous vegetables can be highly nutritious, reduce your intake of them and be sure to lightly cook them before eating. Avoid eating soy products as these foods are often from genetically modified soy, sprayed with pesticides—in addition to causing problems with thyroid hormones.
• Beware of ketogenic diets—Very low carb diets can negatively affect thyroid function. While this is not always the case for everyone, be aware that this type of diet may affect your thyroid function.

Proper Testing is Vital

There are many things that can negatively affect thyroid function. If you have any of the above thyroid symptoms: fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, depression, loss of appetite; or insomnia, racing heart, weight loss, nervous energy, and anxiety, be sure to get a full thyroid panel from your doctor. Just checking your TSH status will not always expose thyroid problems.

If you are on birth control pills, hormone therapy or are a woman experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms, it is wise to get your thyroid function tested completely. Often the same symptoms of menopause can be thyroid issues.

Getting a full thyroid panel from your doctor is the first step to feeling like yourself again. But many people overlook one key mineral their thyroid depends on every single day… and low levels may leave you feeling tired, sluggish, cold, foggy, and frustrated.

Your fingernails look like THIS when you’re deficient in selenium

Do your fingernails look like THIS?

A top U.S. Certified Nutritionist warns:

Here’s an easy way to tell if you’re deficient in selenium:

If you’re not sure whether or not your thyroid is low…

Check your index finger

1. If it looks like THIS… your thyroid is desperately starving for selenium.
2. I call this the 30-second test for selenium deficiency…

Because when most women experience:

⚖️ Sudden weight gain

🪮 Hair shedding

😩 Brain fog

Their “mystery symptoms” won’t go away and thyroid lab tests often show “everything’s fine”…

Even when they’re NOT.

In many cases, the answer (and the fix) is quite simple.

>>> Just use this 30-second fingernail test to see if you’re low in selenium

References
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/thyroid-gland-function#anatomy
https://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30060266/
https://www.thyroid.org/hashimotos-thyroiditis/
https://shop.forefronthealth.com/pages/hashimotos?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=search&utm_content=hashimotos-landing-page&utm_term=Gen2&wickedsource=google&wickedid=CjwKCAiAvK2bBhB8EiwAZUbP1L1P_NFzicxOAUDHW7DhoKIQpLX1pDf2Nf1O91oWK4kTgUgJGFL2fxoC3gwQAvD_BwE&wickedid=619501432204&wcid=9900722625&wv=4&&&gclid=CjwKCAiAvK2bBhB8EiwAZUbP1L1P_NFzicxOAUDHW7DhoKIQpLX1pDf2Nf1O91oWK4kTgUgJGFL2fxoC3gwQAvD_BwE
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/thyroid-gland-function#common-conditions
https://www.fibrokur.com/hypothyroidism-thyroid-menopause-connection/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-birth-control-cause-thyroid-problems/
https://blog.davincilabs.com/blog/warning-signs-of-high-cortisol-and-low-thyroid

The post Five Things that can Destroy Your Thyroid appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

While small amounts of stress can actually be motivating, ever-present stress in our lives can wear us down. And when we feel powerless to change the situation, stress can easily become anxiety.

Recession, job loss, financial difficulties, the media headlines, economic ups and downs, rising prices, pandemics, schedules and routines disrupted, kids/school, home, your work environment—I could go on and on. Our world has certainly become a more stressful place to be lately. Even if you are not necessarily a person who gets stressed easily, the changing events in our lives can become stressful and anxiety-producing. Even if you don’t think you are affected by any of these outside events.

Other things that can actually exacerbate stress include hormone imbalances such as those in women in peri-menopause or menopause, and even the blue light from computers and telephones. Sure, it’s a great stress reliever to tune into Instagram or Tiktok before bed, but all that blue light is just adding more stress, affects your sleep and can multiply anxiety issues.

A combination of overexposure to blue light and lack of sleep increase stress and anxiety. Blue light suppresses melatonin—the sleep hormone. And blue light can also suppress the production of cortisol, the hormone associated with the “fight or flight” response to stressful situations. Suppressing cortisol makes us less capable to cope with daily stressors and increases anxiety build up.

While some stress in our lives is actually healthy for ambition, drive, and improved performance, chronic and uncontrolled stress will cause our bodies to suffer the consequences in many different ways, including weight gain, reduced immunity, irritability, and more serious health problems. We may not even realize that any of these negative issues actually come from stress.

A few of the many symptoms of stress you can be experiencing—even if you don’t think you are stressed:

• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Forgetfulness
• Weight gain especially around midsection
• Hormonal issues
• Digestive upset
• Sore jaw, clenching your teeth
• Lower or upper back pain
• Constipation
• Inability to focus
• Strange or scary dreams
• Jealousy or insecurity
• Acne
• Skin rashes
• Loss of confidence
• Minor accidents
• Frequent colds or infections
• Increased anger and frustration
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Sadness or loneliness
• Fidgeting
• Constant fatigue
• Problems communicating
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Feelings of impending doom

When stress feels uncontrollable, we get anxious. And that brings on that drowning feeling of overwhelm—especially when you feel helpless to change the situation.

All of these feelings, stress, anxiety and overwhelm can actually be boiled down to a fear-based reaction. When you are experiencing anything that feels scary and stressful and out of your control, you feel fear. When this happens adrenaline and cortisol flood your system, shutting down your ability to think rationally, feel organized and calm, and in control.

Anxiety and stress can become so commonplace, that many people tune it out and it becomes background noise. The problem is, stress and anxiety can build up until you have a serious problem that may manifest itself in panic attacks, loss of sleep, problems with relationships and serious physical health issues.

People often ignore some of the physical manifestations of stress which can harm the immune system, the digestive system, the nervous system and even the cardiovascular system.

Counteracting the manifestations of stress and lowering anxiety—before you overwhelmed

The goal here isn’t to be fearless–it’s to not let it rule your life. What to do when stress and anxiety seem unavoidable? Take control and take action. Action beats anxiety—and stress—and overwhelm.

Actions you can take to avoid stress:

• Avoid the news, especially at night
• Avoid social media—yes really!
• Take care of yourself—make healthy changes to diet, drink less, exercise more

Get your gut and your diet on track. The bacteria in our gut are responsible for creating something like 90% of the serotonin in our bodies. Serotonin is that all-important brain chemical made in the gut and sent to the brain. Serotonin is responsible for making us feel calm and happy. We all need more of that. Symptoms of low serotonin include anxiety, depression and low energy.

Alcohol can make anxiety worse. People often drink alcohol to lower anxiety but in the long run this adds to stress and anxiety by ruining sleep, interfering with relationships and your job/career.

Other things that add to anxiety include sugar, poor sleep, no exercise, estrogen dominance, too much caffeine and medications. And a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, C vitamins and magnesium will also cause anxiety.

A few things I’d suggest trying to help lower that anxiety:

• Recognize your anxiety. Don’t try to push it in the background, because it won’t go away, instead it will simmer and overflow at some point. Acknowledge it. Look for that root cause.

• Do a detox diet. Cut back or eliminate dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine and alcohol for a week. See how you feel.

• Eat more veggies especially leafy green ones. Get healthy protein in the form of grass fed meats, wild caught fish, and pastured eggs. If you’re vegan, you may need to consider eating meat. Many vegans have anxiety issues due to lack of certain nutrients.

• Avoid processed vegetable oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. Eat healthy fats including butter, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Your brain needs healthy fats to work well.

• Certain supplements fight anxiety like B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D3, omega 3’s and magnesium. Magnesium is especially helpful but be sure to take the right form of magnesium.

• Other supplements that work for anxiety include GABA, a calming brain chemical, ashwaganda, which is an herbal supplement, valerian root and turmeric.

So even if the world seems like it’s falling apart, realize it is ok to sometimes feel a little stress, anxiety or even a sense of overwhelm on occasion. Just remember, don’t let it take over your life. It’s ok. We all get stressed sometimes. Acknowledge it, take care of yourself and take action!

References:
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/anxiety/how-to-tell-if-you-have-anxiety-10-signs-and-symptoms/?network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=b&ad_type=text&adposition=&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=_b&utm_content=77548444015&network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=b&utm_campaign=6459244691&ad_type=text&adposition=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8rT8BRCbARIsALWiOvRZ_Lw9cMjFBikxTgf3ddIkgZQad63MkIEG90W3MenneCjwEeRuQs8aAj_0EALw_wcB
https://happywithbaby.com/blog/i-didnt-realize-i-had-anxiety
https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/voices-of-experience/hidden-signs-of-stress-and-anxiety/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-natural-anxiety-remedies/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-it-means-overwhelmed/

The post The Sneaky Stress & Anxiety Symptoms Negatively Affecting Your Life… appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Back in the days when my kids were very young, one of them would occasionally come down with a cold or the flu. With three kids, it seemed like at least one of them would be sick fairly often. And when two or more kids were sick, there wasn’t a lot of sleeping for me.

I personally do not get sick very often—although after a few nights of being up with sick kids and missing out on valuable sleep–BOOM! I’d be sick too.

Now that my kiddos are all grown up, I travel frequently–and traveling to faraway places means a long flight, usually cramped up in a seat, trying to sleep while flying through several time zones. The sleep deprivation that results from a day’s worth (or more) of traveling and time zone changes almost always causes me to end up getting sick.

I’m convinced there has to be a big connection between sleep and immune function.

Turns out there is. People who generally sleep six hours or less have altered immune responses, in several different parts of the immune system. Sleep deprivation especially impacts the body’s white blood cells, which are part of the innate immune system, the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens.

In one study of identical twins, conducted at University of Washington’s Sleep Center, it was found that the twin who got the least amount of sleep was more likely to get sick. Lead scientist in the study, Dr. Nathaniel Watson said, “What we show is that the immune system functions best when the body gets enough sleep. Seven or more hours of sleep is recommended for optimal health.”

Sleep deprivation can also actually increase inflammatory markers and over-activate immune cells. The study showed for the first time that chronic sleep deprivation (less than six hours a night) shuts down the immune response effectiveness of circulating white blood cells.

Sleep is so essential to immune system function that sleep deprived people don’t even develop a very strong antibody response to a vaccine.

How does sleep affect your immune system?

The Innate Immune System, the Body’s First Line of Defense

Our immune system–while complex--has two basic functions. One is the innate immune system, which is our body’s first line of defense against any invading pathogens. Its purpose is to disable or kill any invader before it has a chance to enter our cells and reproduce.

Research shows that sleep deprivation has a strong negative effect on the innate immune system, which acts immediately to prevent the spread and movement of foreign pathogens.

One study of looked at exposure to the common cold virus among two groups–one that had more than 7 hours of sleep and the other with less than 6 hours of sleep. The group that got less than 6 hours of sleep were four times more likely to be infected than the group that got more than 7 hours of nightly rest.

The white blood cells and immune proteins that work as barriers to kill off infecting pathogens in the innate immune system are weakened by sleep deprivation.

T Cell Function

Numerous studies have looked at the benefits of a good night’s sleep, and researchers from Germany have found that sound sleep improves a vital part of the immune system in cells known as T cells. T cells are an essential part of the body’s immune system, critical to the immune response.

T cells are a type of immune cell that fight against pathogens that make their way into a cell, such as virus-infected cells including Covid19, all types of influenza, HIV, herpes, and cancer cells.

When T cells recognize a pathogen or an infected target cell, such as a cell infected with a virus, they activate proteins that attach to their target and, in the case of a virally infected cell, kill it.

The researchers compared T cells from healthy volunteers who either slept or stayed awake all night. The T cells in the well-rested participants showed higher levels of activation than in the T cells of those who had not slept.

For people who get poor sleep, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline also tend to rise, and these stress hormones also tend to dampen the ability of T cells to fight off pathogens effectively, as well as raising inflammation levels.

These findings show that sleep has the potential to enhance the efficiency of T cell responses, which is especially important considering that sleep disorders are also tied to mental health conditions such as depression, chronic stress, and aging.

Cytokines and Inflammation

During sleep, your immune system also releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines also play a role when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress.

Cytokines are actually a set of proteins that serve as chemical messengers. These proteins, tell immune cells what to do and also tell the body to produce more of them to help deliver a knockout blow, if necessary, to the infection.

Sleep deprivation has been shown to decrease the production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.

Sleep also helps reduce stress hormones while raising helpful sleep hormones such as melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone made naturally by your body and produced in the pineal gland in the brain.

Melatonin is considered the sleep hormone as its rising levels at night help you fall asleep and sleep more soundly. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant, which may provide a variety of other health benefits, including strengthening the immune system.

Cytokines can be pro-inflammatory, increasing an inflammatory response from the immune system. Other inflammatory cytokines also increase with shorter sleep periods, and one in particular, IL-17 can remain elevated up to two days after recovery sleep.

In severe cases of the flu or Covid19, cytokine production can grow out of control. Immune cells release cytokines that tell the body to produce more immune cells, and in turn these new cells release even more pro-inflammatory cytokines.

These excessive amounts of cytokines can lead to something called a cytokine storm, which creates an overwhelming inflammatory immune response that can damage lungs and kidneys and bring about death. Cytokine storms are one of the reason that many people die from Covid19.

Sleep can help to modulate–or slow down–the effects of an over-reaction of cytokines while protecting and balancing the immune system. Sleep also helps to lower inflammation, including CRP levels (an inflammatory marker), while strengthening the overall immune response.

Adults should have a minimum of seven hours of sleep on a regular basis for improved health, lower stress levels and lower inflammation. A good night’s sleep also goes a long ways towards protecting your health and effectively fighting off dangerous pathogens such as Covid19, flu and even colds.

Unfortunately, more one third of American adults are getting less than seven hours of sleep, according to a study in 2016 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Less than five hours of sleep a night on a regular basis is actually associated with higher ‘all-cause’ mortality, increased risk of depression, stress, infections, weight gain, and blood sugar issues.

Key to remember:

• Try to go to sleep at around the same time every night and get up at the same time.
• Avoid too much alcohol or heavy meals right before bed.
• Avoid hard workouts right before bedtime.
• Get plenty of exercise during the day.
• Get out in the sunshine daily.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, within 6 hours of bedtime.
• Try to ease stress and if necessary, try a pre-bedtime meditation.
• Avoid looking at your phone or computer right before bedtime.

If necessary, take a healthy natural supplement containing natural melatonin to help you get sleepy and sleep more soundly, as well as giving a try to this delicious HOT golden latte. Drink right before bed, if you struggle with “winding down” and relaxing at the end of the day, or falling asleep at night.

Not only will it help you relax and fall asleep, but it’ll help you STAY asleep, providing for a more restful night, and let you wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and full of energy

> Drink this HOT Golden Latte 1hr before bed to sleep better, fight inflammation, & wake up feeling refreshed

Take 1 sip an hour before bed to boost your Growth Hormone and flatten your belly while you sleep:

Recent studies are now showing how a simple tweak to your bedtime ritual can have dramatic effects in shrinking fat tissue while reversing the signs of premature biological aging every time you fall asleep.

This pre-bedtime daily ritual also helps you sleep deeper while increasing specific hormones that FORCE your body to release stored abdominal fat while you sleep… AND it works equally well for BOTH men and women, as you’ll see below…

>> Take 1 sip an hour before bed to boost fat-burning hormones while you sleep (boosts GH while also helping you to sleep deeper)

References
https://todayspractitioner.com/sleep/sleep-cytokines-and-inflammation/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102583/
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-sleep-bolsters-your-immune-system#The-importance-of-T-cells
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324432#Sleep-could-enhance-T-cell-responses
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190212094839.htm
https://rupress.org/jem/article/216/3/517/120367/G-s-coupled-receptor-signaling-and-sleep-regulate
https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2020/04/sleep-immunity-covid

The post Sleep Deprivation: How it Affects Your Immune System to Fight Off Viruses appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-seller: The Diabetes Fix

Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, behavioral problems, ADD/ADHD—the list goes on and on. Mental health issues are increasing by the day.

Pharmaceutical companies make massive amounts of money treating mental health, mood and behavioral disorders. In fact, Americans spend about $188 billion dollars a year on mental health treatments and medications. Of that, $71 billion is on depressive disorders alone. It is estimated that almost 20%, or 1 out of every 5 people in the United States have some form of mental health issue, according to the National Institute on Mental Health (2017).

Medical treatments for depression, autism, attention deficit disorder, insomnia, eating disorders, learning disabilities, drug addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, bipolar, dementia are making pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars!

And then there are things like chronic stress, brain fog, anger management, anxiety, mood swings, sleep issues, irritability, and memory loss. Mental health problems are an ‘invisible epidemic’ that affect 1.1 billion people worldwide.

Physicians have long held onto the belief that the brain and the body do not affect each other. The common belief was that what we put into our bodies did not change anything in our brain. But that is wrong.

We now know, that mood, memory, attention and behavior problems and most other brain diseases have their root cause in the body, especially the gut. Perhaps the conventional medical approach to dealing with brain disorders is totally backwards.

Doctors used to speak of the ‘blood/brain’ barrier in terms of medications, toxins, foods etc. The idea was that most of what we ate or drank did not cross that barrier to the brain. Now we know that that is totally not true.

That holds very true for many of the foods we eat. Toxins in the form of preservatives, hormones, pesticides and other chemicals affect us physically and mentally, and often the result is dementia, ADHD, depression, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, memory loss, autism, behavior problems and more.

According to Dr. Hyman in his “UltraMind Solution” book—

“There is such an onslaught of stress and environmental chemicals in our world, and it’s no wonder that our bodies and our brains are challenged and not functioning properly. We are exposed to toxins we were never designed to deal with—and nearly all of them cause brain injury…In fact, a recent government survey found an average of 148 chemicals in our bodies. And those were only the ones they tested.”

We are finding it very clear that the brain is very much linked to the body and the gut, and that what happens in the brain affects the body and what happens in the body most definitely affects the brain.

If our health is off somewhere in our body, then the health of the brain is often off too.

While just treating the brain with pharmaceuticals may lead to drug dependence, a dulled reality, and not treat the REAL problem, treating the body’s systemic natural chemistry and gut microbiome can fix brain chemistry imbalances and lead to genuine healing in the entire physical body.

An imbalance in any of system–nutrition, hormones, immune function, digestion, gut bacteria, detoxification, or metabolism can help to explain many of the symptoms that we think of as mental health issues. Most of these imbalances start in the body and show up eventually in the brain as mood, mental health or behavioral problems.

Messed up physical systems in the body actually can clue us into explanations for the depression, anxiety, dementia, autism, and attention deficit disorder that we see today.

Conventional treatments treat only the symptoms—often with powerful drugs that cause adverse side effects and never get to the root of the problem.

The simple truth is that your body and your brain, and all of your physical systems must interact together in one smooth dynamic system. If you improve your physical body’s health, you improve the health of your brain as well.

To illustrate, think about this– does a sugary snack make you feel anxious, jittery, and sleepy, then irritable later? Do you feel groggy and mentally slow after a big meal? Ever exercise hard and then feel calm, relaxed and happy afterwards?

How well do you focus on anything when you are sick?

We know that PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) is the result of fluctuating hormones, but did you know that alcoholics can actually become ‘crazy’ with something called Wernicke’s encephalopathy that comes from vitamin B1 deficiency and simply treating with this vitamin will cure this condition? Did you know that antibiotics for strep infections can cure some children who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder? And did you know that many schizophrenics often have a gluten sensitivity?

Heal the body, heal the brain.

Changing your diet, nutrients, sleep patterns, exercise, detoxing, balancing your hormones, correcting the bacterial balance in the gut, and removing foods that cause food allergies can all radically transform your mood, behavior and brain function.

These few steps can have a huge difference in your brain function and your physical health:

1. Eat, healthy, clean foods. Avoid any foods that you are sensitive or allergic to.
2. Add in necessary supplements for brain and physical health.
3. Make a habit of exercise, relaxation, meditation, and quality sleep in your daily life.
4. Avoid toxins in your food and environment.

If you can follow these steps for at least 6 weeks, you will see major changes your life, your outlook, and your sense of well being—literally in weeks or days!

Some of the changes you experience may happen almost immediately. If you are gluten sensitive and you stop eating gluten, your gut health and your brain can change within just a week or so. You may notice other major mental health improvements by removing dairy products, corn, and food additives.

More than 90% of the body’s serotonin lies in the gut, as well as about 50% of the body’s dopamine, so feeding the gut bacteria healthy foods, only serves to help your body make ‘happy’ brain chemicals.

Once you begin following these steps you will realize just how good you can feel—and you’ll never want to go back to feeling bad again.

Feed Your Brain the Right Foods

Your fork, you could say, can actually become one of the most powerful tools to use to change your health, your brain and your life.

There is nothing that has a bigger impact on your health. Absolutely nothing.

Here’s how to use that powerful tool:

• Eat REAL Food–Eat whole, real, fresh, organic, local and unprocessed food. If it has more than three ingredients (especially ones you do not immediately recognize), a package, or a barcode, AVOID IT.

• Get Healthy Fats for Your Head—The brain needs omega 3 fat DHA and EPA, which comes from algae, cold-water fatty fish and grass fed meats, along with saturated fats to stay its healthiest.

• Protein Power--Eat high quality, naturally sourced protein for breakfast every day, such as omega 3 eggs, salmon or grass fed meat, plain organic yogurt, or nut butters.

• Boost Your Brain Protectors–Eat piles of fruit and vegetables deeply colored with powerful phytonutrients. The deep red, yellow, orange, green, and blue in foods are a sign of powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, energy boosting, and brain-powering nutrients.

• Eat the RIGHT Kind of Carbs–Eat foods full of fiber, including raw vegetables, raw fruit, nuts, and seeds. This helps to clean out the gut, remove toxins, and grow healthy gut bacteria. A healthy gut has MUCH to do with the brain, and a healthy gut means a healthy brain!

• Remove the Poisons–Eliminate sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, coffee, alcohol, trans fats, food additives and preservatives, all of which poison your brain and disrupt your biochemistry.

If you can just follow these few steps—yes they may be big steps, but you can start instantly eliminating the brain-damaging foods and chemicals from you diet.

There is one other KEY change that is essential–That step is to eliminate the two most common causes of food allergens and hidden reactions in our diet. These come from gluten and pasteurized processed dairy.

Your brain reacts to allergens as well as your body—with increased inflammation. And when this occurs, you can get brain fog, anxiety/depression, autism, ADHD, dementia, and more. Gluten has even been proven to cause some cases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

You don’t need to break out in hives or have an anaphylaxis reaction to these foods to be allergic. People often have hidden allergies to these foods and not even realize it—especially because these foods are often eaten on a daily basis, so the problem becomes chronic. Actually, that should be the FIRST thing you think of—“I am irritable today, or I feel depressed today,”…Think about WHAT you ate yesterday or the day before.

You can eat a piece of cheesecake on Monday and feel depressed on Tuesday. You eat a bag of cookies one day and the next day you are irritable. Many times, inflammatory reactions occur up to 24 to 48 hours later, but there definitely IS a connection to food sensitivities and changes in mood.

Many people just have ongoing, low-grade, delayed food sensitivities or allergies all the time. What you eat on a regular basis, may be causing a delayed allergic reaction you might not ever know it because those foods are the foods you just can’t do without.

You can get tested for food reactions from a doctor, but this method is not food proof. The best and easiest way is to remove the most common foods that cause reactions. Usually the top two are wheat and dairy.

Then pay close attention to your body and mind when you do this—the first few days may be tough, because you may actually have to break an addiction to these foods, but then you may suddenly feel great!

Remove the poisons in your diet as well including the artificial sweeteners, foods with preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats or vegetable oils, and junk food.

Try this for a minimum of two-six weeks. Then challenge those foods and see how you feel, 1 hour, 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 and 48 hours later. You may be SHOCKED!

Supplements for your brain and physical health

Even those who eat the healthiest diet will probably need some additional supplements. These are ESSENTIAL for brain health and physical health as well.

1. Multivitamin–A high-quality, high-potency, multivitamin.
2. B vitamins that include methylfolate and methylcobalamin. These are forms of B vitamins necessary for brain health, nerve function, energy, and fat metabolism. A deficiency will cause anxiety, depression, loss of energy.
3. Vitamin C 500-1000 mg, take 1000 mg a day. Vitamin C reduces inflammation in the body and brain as well as protecting the immune system.
4. Omega 3 fatty acids with high levels of EPA and DHA.
5. Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium Theonate to promote calm and overall better health.
6. An all-purpose digestive enzyme.

And be sure to incorporate these lifestyle changes into your life—exercise, relaxation and good sleep. Exercise naturally eases stress, releases ‘feel-good’ hormones, balances your gut bacteria, increases blood flow and helps balance blood sugar. Good sleep helps to ‘rewire’ the brain, eases stress and reboots the brain.

You should have the privilege to live a life that is alert, awake, engaged, present, focused, joyful and balanced. Making these changes in your diet and lifestyle, while healing your body will most definitely help heal your brain as well. You cannot have a truly healthy body without a healthy brain too.

Your body, your brain, your gut, and your health. All are one. Nourish your body and your mind will be nourished as well.

We have been told for many years to eat your five a day to keep a healthy body, but this one fruit is revolutionary in brain health…

🧠 UCLA Neuroscientists Reveal the #1 Fruit for Memory (NOT Blueberries)

If your memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be… this may be why.

A major study from UCLA & Harvard found that reversing memory decline starts with better blood flow to your brain — and it turns out one surprising fruit may help.

👉 Discover the #1 fruit for brain health

References
Report on brain aging at the National Institute on Aging:
Elias, M., 2005. “Want a Sharp Mind for Your Golden Years? Start Now,” USA Today, Aug 17, 2005. [accessed April 20, 2007] http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-08-17-save-your-brain_x.htm.

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