For nearly 21 years, Elissa Goodman suffered from hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s – an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. Her conditions went undiagnosed for years, despite the many symptoms she experienced – weight gain, hair loss, hormone imbalances, anxiety, depression, infertility and more.
Unfortunately, Elissa’s story is more common than we may think. It is now estimated that one in eight women (1) will develop a thyroid disorder at some point in their lifetime, with 60 percent of people being completely unaware that they even have it. Hashimoto’s is the fastest growing autoimmune condition today, with over 90% of hypothyroid cases being diagnosed as Hashimoto’s (2).
The Difference Between Hypo- and Hyper-thyroidism
While the thyroid is affected by both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, they have opposite effects on the body.
Hyperthyroidism is exactly as it sounds. The thyroid is overactive and makes excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. When the thyroid gland is overactive, the body’s processes speed up.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include (3):
– Fatigue or muscle weakness
– Hand tremors
– Mood swings
– Nervousness or anxiety
– Rapid heartbeat
– Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
– Skin dryness
– Trouble sleeping
– Weight loss
– Increased frequency of bowel movements
– Light periods or skipping periods
On the other hand, hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is under-active, and doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. People who have this condition experience symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include (4):
– Fatigue
– Weakness
– Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
– Coarse, dry hair
– Dry, rough pale skin
– Hair loss
– Cold intolerance (can’t tolerate the cold)
– Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
– Constipation
– Depression
– Irritability
– Memory loss
– Abnormal menstrual cycles
– Decreased libido
When the thyroid becomes part of an autoimmune condition, we call it Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism) and Hashimoto’s disease (hypothyroidism). Autoimmunity in the thyroid gland is usually caused by leaky gut, heavy metal toxicity, infectious disease, adrenal insufficiency, iodine deficiency and/or nutrient deficiency.
Elissa’s Healing Green Tonic for Hashimoto’s
Once discovering the root cause of her health issues, Elissa became serious about healing from hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. She designed this nutrient-dense recipe that is packed with thyroid-supportive superfoods like spirulina, barley juice extract powder and L-glutamine.
Ingredients (serves 1):
– 1 organic lemon, juiced
– 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
– 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
– 2 cups filtered water
– 1 teaspoon Hawaiian spirulina powder
– 1 dropper-full ionized liquid zinc
– 1 teaspoon barley juice extract powder
– 3 grams L-Glutamine powder
– 1 tablespoon cold-milled flaxseed or chia seeds
– optional: probiotic (1 liquid dropper-full OR powder from one 50-billion capsule)
Method:
1. Hand-squeeze the lemon juice into a large glass.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and shake to combine. Drink immediately.
Apparently, before I was diagnosed (just this week) with Hashimoto’s, I tried to build up to a teaspoon each of 3 powder-form supplements (of a reputable company): barley grass, spirulina, and blueberry. Not really sure what happened about 3-4 days into it, but I had a vagus nerve crash (perhaps I had a leaky gut and these supplements overstimulated it?). I was driving my car and as I was stopped at a stop light felt myself beginning to pass out. All I knew was to take a deep breath, followed by another one. I was able to hang on, but haven’t taken those supplements since then (that was nearly 2 months ago). What followed were many days of panic attacks that would come over me even when I was sleeping – accompanied by what felt like heart palpitations and inability to breathe involuntarily, meaning – I had to think about and make breathing happen. Since this began, I had my heart checked (it’s okay), but my hormones were off (and have begun bio-identical hormone replacement therapy), and now I’m learning I have Hashimoto’s. For those who may also be sensitive to the environment and foods, please be aware that these POWEDER supplements are very powerful and can surprise you as to how your body may react to them. If I could spare even one person from experiencing what I experienced, I would be so happy.
Hey Peggy, it could be that you just have a very high viral load and these supplements were causing extreme and quick die-off (have you heard of herxheimer reactions?). I hope you’re doing better now. Sometimes we need to go slow when integrating new things into our diets.
I know it will vary by the person, but did this woman who had Hashi’s for over 20 years take it for weeks? Months? years? before healing took place? It would help to have an idea of what I’m in for, having had Hypo for over 20 years and diagnosed with Hashi’s for 8 years. Thanks for your reply.
Hmm, she doesn’t explicitly state how long she drank it for or how often. I would say once every couple days.