Three Things You Can do NOW to Help Balance Your Thyroid

 By Gia McCloskey-Jurevich, NP

When I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, I was shocked.  I was 30-years old, and otherwise very healthy.  I wanted to know WHY I got this disease.  And more importantly, WHAT should I be doing to help my body heal.   My doctors did not have an acceptable answer, I was simply told that it “just happens”.   

I was prescribed thyroid replacement medication and sent on my way.  I had my thyroid labs checked a couple of times a year and my dose was adjusted accordingly.  Many years later, after I had learned about Functional Medicine, I realized that I may not get the answer to why I developed hypothyroidism but there were so many things I could be doing to support my body and help my thyroid.  I was eventually diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an auto-immune thyroid disease, which makes the lifestyle interventions even more important.  

Through my degree in nursing, training in Functional Medicine AND a whole lot of personal experience I have learned that traditional medicine does not dig deep enough to really understand and address the issues of Hypothyroidism.  I hope that my training and experience can help you find solutions for your situation. 

Here  are three factors within your control that affect thyroid health:

1. Food
2. Chronic Stress
3. Toxins

Thyroid Factor  #1. Food:

Nutrition is the cornerstone of health.  We are all told to “eat healthy” but what does that mean?  There is a lot of conflicting advice about nutrition.  The options are endless, low carb, low fat, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto.  Each camp touts its health benefits.  However, there is not ONE diet that is good for EVERY person. Science and medicine have confirmed some general rules that apply to all of us including avoidance of: sugar, processed foods, fast food, and “bad” oils. 

For people who have hypothyroidism, or Hashimoto’s, there are other factors that can make a big difference.  We have our thyroid patients follow an elimination diet for a minimum of 6 weeks.  In addition to the getting rid of the above foods, we also recommend they remove gluten, dairy, corn, and, in many cases other foods such as soy, lectins, nuts, seeds, eggs, and some spices.

We recommend this because these are common foods people are sensitive to and can contribute to inflammation, gut dysbiosis and permeability, aka “leaky gut” and immune dysfunction.  In addition to removing these potentially harmful foods, we focus on getting all the good stuff in.  This includes a variety of vegetables, healthy proteins, and good fats to give our bodies the nutrients it needs to function properly and heal.

Thyroid Factor #2. Chronic Stress:

Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and fatigue.  Cortisol, our stress hormone, becomes elevated with chronic stress.  Stress may exacerbate an underlying thyroid condition. Under stress, your body releases cortisol. Excess cortisol can interfere with thyroid hormone production, leading to low levels of T4 and T3 and an elevated TSH. And, of course, when you’re not feeling well, your stress goes up and this cycle can make things even worse. 

“Also, when stressed, you’re more vulnerable to autoimmune thyroid conditions (eg, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis). A 2004 study in the journal Thyroid found that stress is one of the environmental factors for thyroid autoimmunity.1”

One of the benefits you will find in working with the team at Omnia Health is that in addition to our medical team we have health coaches that can work with you to design customized stress-reducing programs to help you to break these cycles.

Here are Three Ways to Combat Stress:

1. Develop a consistent exercise routine that includes cardiovascular activity and resistance training. 
2. Find a stress-reduction practice that works for you.  This may include yoga, meditation, mindfulness, or an activity such as gardening, knitting, or hiking that requires presence and focus.
3. Get adequate sleep.  The goal is at least 7-8 hours a night. 

Thyroid Factor #3. Toxins:

Finally, take a look at what toxins you may be exposed to.  Most of us don’t realize how many toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis that can impact our health over time. Toxins can interfere with proper function of our entire endocrine system. The endocrine system consists of the glands and the various hormones they produce.  These include our stress hormones such as cortisol, our sex hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and our thyroid hormones.   

These hormones are in constant communication with each other.  An imbalance in one, can trigger abnormalities in the others.  Unfortunately, toxins are abundantly present in our lives. However, there is a lot we can do to minimize our exposure. 

Here are a few ways you can reduce your exposure to toxins: 

1. Buy organic produce and avoid processed foods. 
2. Check your home and personal care products and avoid those that contain substances such as triclosans, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, formaldehyde, and fluoride.    For more comprehensive information, visit the EWG.org to find the cleanest household and personal care products.
3. Avoid hot drinks or food from paper, plastic, or styrofoam containers since these can all leach toxins. 
4. Drink plenty of water.  The goal is at least half of your body weight in ounces.
5. Consume foods that act as antioxidants including berries, broccoli, spinach, kale, beets, and green tea.

Functional medicine addresses the underlying triggers of disease.  Lifestyle factors including nutrition, stress, sleep, and toxins play a vital role in health.  If you have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s it is important that you see your doctor regularly to make sure your thyroid levels are optimal.  Yet, there Is so much more you can do to optimize your health.  The above recommendations will benefit you whether you have a chronic illness or just want to optimize your health.

We have a team of people to help you through the challenges of Hypothyroidism. You can see our physician, nurse practitioner and/or our health coaches to get the support you need. Whatever struggles you are facing, it’s important to know that you are not alone. 

I have a lot of personal experience on this topic and I would love to assist you in addressing this complex illness. Feel free to schedule a 15-minute complimentary phone call with me at your convenience. Click here to schedule a call. 

References:

1. Mizokami, T., Wu Li, A., El-Kaissi, S., & Wall, J. R. (2004). Stress and Thyroid Autoimmunity. Thyroid, 14(12), 1047–1055. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2004.14.1047
2. Vojdani, A., Pollard, K. M., & Campbell, A. W. (2014). Environmental Triggers and Autoimmunity. Autoimmune Diseases, 2014, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/798029
3. Schnedi W, Lackner S, Enko D, Schenk M, Mangge H, Holasek S. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten-is it due to histamine intolerance?. Inflammation Research. 2017. doi:10.1007/s00011-017-1117-4.
4. Leccioli V, Oliveri M, Romeo M, Berretta M, Rossi P. A New Proposal for the Pathogenic Mechanism of Non-Coeliac/Non-Allergic Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity: Piecing Together the Puzzle of Recent Scientific Evidence. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1203. doi:10.3390/nu9111203.

How Do I Start Making Nutritional Modifications?

By Katie Ozimek

Functional medicine is about getting to the root of the problem – the causes, not the symptom. For that reason, we often take a close look at our patients’ diet and nutritional habits. Many people that visit Denver’s Omnia Health are asked to make some lifestyle modifications that involve nutrition. 

For some people, this feels like we are asking you to stop eating your favorite foods. I know it is hard, not fair and no fun but trust me, we really see results, and more importantly, so will you! Plus, you came to Omnia to feel better, right? 

The question is then begged… “Where do I start?” I always start each patient by asking what a typical day of eating looks like. While I know all days vary, people tend to eat pretty similarly on most days. Once we get a big picture of what you are eating on a daily/weekly basis we are able to see where the changes might start. 

Let’s start with your favorite meal of the day

So let’s say you love breakfast, it is your favorite meal of the day but you tend to eat a lot of cereal, bread, and pastries at breakfast. Starting your day off with lots of carbohydrates and sugar is like a jolt to your system and lasts for a short period of time and then most people end up craving more sugar and then fueling their bodies with sugar rather than whole foods. So as your health coach, I might ask you what else you like at breakfast, I may offer up some ideas of different breakfast options. 

Once you settle on something that fits into the nutritional modifications we talk about you can incorporate this change into your daily routine.  

It is important to note that we don’t always start with breakfast, we might also start with lunch or dinner or even snacks. The beauty of health coaching is that we start where you think you can be the most successful. You are in the driver’s seat and I am coaching you along. Making lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming at first but just like anything else once you practice you just keep getting better.

Science tells us WHY

The next question that a lot of patients ask is why? They come to see me and tell me the practitioners told them no gluten, dairy or sugar but they don’t know why. The very simple reason is that science tells us that these are the big three inflammation drivers in our bodies.  The world tells us these are also the yummiest foods out there! Trust me, I can teach you and help you find lots of yummy gluten, dairy and sugar-free foods, you just have to be willing to make changes in your lifestyle. 

Functional medicine provides answers

Now you might be asking me or yourself why does it matter if I eat foods that cause inflammation. That answer is a little bit more complicated, however again science tells us that your risk of heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, auto-immune disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other chronic issues increase. 

“In the functional medicine world, we strongly believe food is medicine…”

In the functional medicine world, we strongly believe food is medicine so when we ask you to make changes to your diet we are doing it because there is a science to prove that it actually works and clears up symptoms without prescription medication. 

And to make sure we’re looking at the right information to design your plan, we always test, we never guess! Lab tests are critical to making decisions based on fact.  

Let’s work together

Now we are back to the beginning. How do we make these modifications and how can we help support you as you embark on your new eating habits? This is where Omnia Health comes in. 

We will work together to set goals around food, we will work within your boundaries to find solutions specific to you. I will walk with you through the process of change into transformation and ultimately you will be optimizing your health and wellness. 

Call Katie Ozimek to schedule health coaching to work on your specific needs. Call: 720-229-4809

What is Functional Medicine? Learn more here. 

Omnia Health Treats These Issues With a Functional Medicine Approach:

By Katie Ozimek

I have noticed a trend lately that people feel like they have to be perfect and get it all done. But is that really the truth and who is putting this pressure on to be perfect? What is perfection and what does it garner?

These are questions I have been asking myself and our patients for the last few years. Is it ok to just be ok? My answer is YES! Our current climate has changed the shape of our world as we knew it and with the extra added pressures surrounding our health and well being we are also living in a pandemic!

On top of the fact that our world has dramatically changed, we still have responsibilities to tend to our families, jobs, life and self. But we are judging ourselves and this added pressure does not aid in our health at all – it just brings us down.

I spoke about a trend I have noticed over the past few months especially among women that feel they need to do it all and there is no time for themselves. The biggest problem I see in this trend is that these women are not feeling well at all.

“If you don’t make time to take care of yourself how are you going to take care of others?”

Think about this for a minute…. If you don’t make time to take care of yourself how are you going to take care of others? If you are not feeling well all the time, dragging, have a headache or stomach ache, joint pain, or can’t sleep, how are you going to take care of your responsibilities successfully? YOU ARE NOT!

Functional Medicine is About the Whole – YOU!

So this brings me back to the question: is it ok to be ok? Of course it is. Is it ok to do the best you can? Is it ok to make mistakes and learn from them? Is it ok to just take a walk? Again the answers to these questions are YES!

The stress that we put on ourselves to be perfect takes a toll on our bodies not only mentally but physically as well. I have noticed with our patients – that after allowing the patient to just be ok, no meds, no dietary changes, just a mental shift to being ok – there have been profound shifts in their physical state.

When you allow yourself to be OK, you are taking off the pressure to be anything more than you can be in that moment. You are allowing yourself to be the best you can be without pressure to be perfect. It is like taking a monkey off your back… I know that doing this is much easier said than done.

Follow some of the tips below to get you started or contact me for health coaching!  

Tips to be OK:

• I want to exercise every day but I don’t have the energy. Start with a short walk and go one minute further each day if you can. If you can’t that is ok!
• I want to eat healthier. Start with your first meal of the day, make sure to incorporate a healthy fat, protein and complex carb like fruit or veggies. Or start with the meal that makes most sense to you.
• I feel so many pressures to be perfect….Put a note up in your bathroom or wherever you will see it daily that says IT IS OK, TO BE OK!

Need a little help or guidance? Call Katie Ozimek or Lisa Marini to schedule health coaching to work on your specific needs. Call: 720-229-4809

What is Functional Medicine? Learn more here. 

Omnia Health Treats These Issues With a Functional Medicine Approach:

A Message From Doctor Jacqui Pariset – August 2020

By Dr. Jacqui Pariset, Founder, Omnia Health in Denver, Colorado

As we approach the end of a strange summer, we head towards fall with a lot of uncertainty. It is hard, at least for me, to have this uncertainty in my life. Between not knowing what will happen with school – online, hybrid, and what the intersection of COVID and the usual fall/winter illnesses will bring, it is difficult.

What helps me during these times is to take control of what I can control – namely my health! This includes mental health as well – my mindset, attitude and connections.

3 HEALTHY TIPS FOR STRESSFUL TIMES

Start by going back to the three main foundations of health.

1. NUTRITION

•  Are you getting all the good stuff in? Focus on those immune-system building veggies, veggies and more veggies; 4-5+cups a day.

•  High quality proteins – grass-fed, organic and clean.

•  Good fats are the key to keeping our blood sugars stable and starve off sugar cravings. At least 1 serving with every meal. Serving size – about 2 ‘thumbs’ worth (1/2 avocado or 2 tablespoons of olive oil).

•  Enjoy the amazing late summer fruits; remember only 1 cup daily if you have metabolic issues.

•  Drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water a day? Get it flowing!

Remember – it isn’t about perfection, but about having a strong foundation in nutrition to feed your body (and mind) everything you need.

2. SLEEP

This is the most overlooked and unappreciated foundation of health. Sleep is SOOO important. We say it over and over all day long!

•  First get enough sleep – 8hrs should be the baseline.

•  Try to get in bed by 10ish most nights.

•  Having a consistent bedtime (yes even most weekends) is important; especially if you struggle with sleep. Swinging your bedtime on the weekends creates ‘social jet-lag syndrome’ and makes those Monday mornings pretty rough. If you have troubles falling asleep or staying asleep – get your sleep habits nailed down.

•  Devices off at least 1 hour before bedtime, a dark cool room, a consistent bedtime, no food 1-2hrs before bed and an evening meditation can all play a helpful role.

And call us! We are here to help with these issues – they should not be overlooked.

3. EXERCISE

Still the best natural anti-depressant, mood stabilizing, anxiety reducing solution there is!

•  Get moving, every day. A recent study showed people who took 8,000 steps a day had a 50% lower risk of dying compared with those who took only 4,000 steps a day. People who took over 12,000 steps a day had a 65% lower risk of dying! There is NO pill that does that.

•  More steps also equates to lower rates of death from heart disease and cancer. If you have fallen off your exercise routine – just start with walking. Get those steps in – it counts! This pandemic has accentuated the unfortunate truth that as a country, we are not healthy.

Our rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, metabolic issues are horrible – and only getting worse. We need to realize that WE are responsible for our own health and wellness. We control what we eat, how we move and if we make sleep a priority. I know you agree with me – that is why you work with us at Omnia Health.

“So let’s go back to the basics. How are you with everything? What do you need and how can we help?”

If you are struggling with sleep issues consider working with Lisa Marini, our amazing brain coach, on meditations, reducing anxiety and strategies to decrease that nighttime cortisol response.

Are you struggling with nutrition and need an accountability partner? Katie Ozimek is here for you – she is a great resource on how to get back on track, set goals and move forward in a positive way.

I appreciate all of you working with us at Omnia Health. I know you take your health seriously and work hard towards making health a top priority in your life. We are on this journey with you! I appreciate all of the referrals and support we have received from our amazing patients!

If you know of anyone who would benefit from our comprehensive approach to chronic illness – and could use a little help to create wellness in their life, please share our information.

We offer a free 15-minute consultation with our Nurse Practitioner, Gia McCloskey-Jurevich, NP to see if we are a good match for future patients.

One last suggestion! Pick up the phone – don’t text – and call your friend, your sister, your brother – your mom or dad. Call that person you have been meaning to; take a few minutes and connect with those you love.

We are all in this together.

Take care,

Jacqui and the Omnia Team

What is Functional Medicine? Learn more here. 

Omnia Health Treats These Issues With a Functional Medicine Approach: