Overcoming Mood Swings and Weight Chaos
Although I prefer to be anonymous, I wanted to share my story of my experiences with yo-yo diets and health frustrations in the past. My twenties felt like a blur of hormone swings from unknown weight gain, and my thirties were cloudy from brain fog caused by fad diets that just put the weight right back on. My goodness! With the extremes of eating a 500-calorie diet and food restrictions, how did my brain survive?
It took a universal intervention to initiate my journey to health. Lucky for me, I was hired at a company that totally catered to people with chronic setbacks and offered a holistic approach to life! My discovery started with Quantum Nutrition Labs and Dr. Marshall, the original co-founder of QNL. Wow! What a revelation of health information and a gift at the same time! Finally getting the quality nutrition my body craved and receiving some expert advice, I was able to recover and get my life back on track.
My quest was not an easy one and it took a lot of work, similar to ‘peeling an onion’ by peeling layers to detox each one to rebuild the “healthiest” me. What I finally discovered was how important my hormonal household was and how it impacted my entire body. I had no idea what role my thyroid gland played, not to mention how it affected my constant weight struggles. Whether you experience an overactive or underactive thyroid, this little organ plays a big role in your endocrine system and I found I should never underestimate its importance.
Did you know that over 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid issue? A full 60 percent of those with some type of thyroid issue do not even know they have it. The numbers are staggering, and women are 5 – 8 times more likely to develop some form of thyroid issue!1 This is what prompted me to write my story to share it with you. I thought my story might be one that people could identify with. To be honest, I wish someone had pointed out to me what to look for and how to nourish myself in the past so I could have avoided so many pitfalls. But first, a little background to how this little butterfly shaped organ in your throat functions.
How does your thyroid work?
The main function of your thyroid is to control your metabolism. You are probably familiar with the famous word ‘metabolism’ (which for many is really “an obsession”), and its process of transforming food into energy for your bodily functions.
Your thyroid creates these fabulous hormones, T4 and T3, to govern your metabolism. These hormones tell your body how to use energy. Amazingly, they manage your body’s temperature and even your heart rate. When your body functions normally, your thyroid is continuously making its hormones, releasing them as needed and then regenerating fresh hormones as needed. This is a key player in how your metabolism keeps your body’s systems in check.
Now, another very sophisticated player, the pituitary gland, is located in the center of your head, just below the brain. The pituitary gland controls the amount of seven key hormones that are released into your bloodstream including TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). Amazingly, it can even sense if your body has too little or too much of any of these hormones and uses its own TSH to balance your thyroid hormones. With a thyroid that is overactive, your body produces too much of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine. With a thyroid that is under active, the opposite occurs, where your thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormones to meet your body’s needs. I can tell you from personal experience, when these hormones are off balance, they will affect you in many ways!
What you experience can vary from person to person, but you can listen to your own body and know when it is time to take action. First, look at your lifestyle and what doesn’t feel right. Needless to say, once you find out what the culprit is, it starts making sense why you’re always seem to be gaining weight or why you don’t feel like exercising, why you mysteriously feel cold in a room while others feel warm and why you just can’t get out of bed in the morning. Next, here’s a few steps you can take to change your lifestyle and create a healthier body, mind, and spirit.
What can you do?
If you are like me and you want to find answers so you can feel better, look for a nutrition-oriented health practitioner who can test your thyroid. You may find refreshing answers that show how specific forms of nutrition can elegantly support you on your health journey.
Don’t forget the basics first. Minerals such as zinc, iron, selenium, and iodine are required for optimal thyroid function. Zinc and iodine support thyroid hormone production, while iron is needed to convert T4 into T3. Selenium helps protect the thyroid from oxidative stress. Additionally, vitamins such as the B complex, vitamin E, and vitamin A are necessary for optimal thyroid function.
Deficiencies in any of these nutrients can negatively impact the health of your thyroid and increase risk of thyroid setbacks. However, a word of caution; look for the highest quality supplements you can find. It’s critically important to find supplements that are organic, wholesome and free of ‘junk fillers’ such as magnesium stearate or other unidentifiable substances you can’t pronounce. Of course, I may be biased, since I work for the best supplement company I know. But don’t take my word for it, I invite you to do your own research.
Do you have health goals you want to attain? Let our staff point you in the right direction. You don’t have to feel lethargic, frustrated or hopeless! Reach out and get a free consultation from one of our friendly team members. They will sincerely listen and treat you like a whole person striving for total health and wellness. Tell them I sent you!
