Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Did you know that selenium is incredibly important for your thyroid? Selenium serves some important functions in your entire body but it also has some very important benefits specific to your thyroid gland. Today, I am going to talk about why you should consider using Selenium if you have thyroid problems and how exactly it benefits your thyroid gland. #1. ENHANCES T4 to T3 conversion. T4 to T3 conversion is probably the single most important benefit that selenium provides to your body because your body only really cares about getting enough T3. Not enough selenium means not enough T3 and that's a problem. #2. REDUCES thyroid antibodies. Thyroid antibodies (such as thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies) cause DAMAGE to the thyroid gland. We have clinical studies that show that taking selenium can reduce these antibodies. #3. DECREASES thyroid inflammation.

There are certain deficiencies that almost EVERY thyroid patients struggles with. And these nutrient deficiencies negatively impact both the thyroid gland itself AND other areas of your body. Leading to symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and depression. Why are they so common? Because if you have low thyroid function it sets your body up for other nutrient deficiencies due to its physiology. If you have ANY of these nutrient deficiencies then you need to make sure you take care of them ASAP. #1. Vitamin B12. B12 is probably one of the most common (and most important) deficiencies that thyroid patients face. Why? Because B12 is a wimpy nutrient in the sense that so many things disrupt it from getting into your body. Not only that but it's also hard for the body to utilize if it's not in the right form or if you have an MTHFR defect in your body. These two things make it so that even if you are taking B12 it may not be getting into your body or being used by your body. B12 deficiency al

Is it possible to stop taking thyroid medication once you start? The answer is sometimes but not always. There are some conditions which allow you to potentially stop taking your thyroid medication or to even reduce your dose. But if you do this without the right supervision it can be dangerous. Today, I am going to discuss 3 (or 4) different situations which relate to the idea of stopping your medication. Try to figure out which category you fit into. #1. Those who need thyroid medication. If you fit into this group then you will HAVE to use thyroid medication. People who fall into this group include those who don't have a thyroid (because it's been removed), those who have had their thyroid destroyed (with radioactive iodine), and those with a nonfunctioning thyroid gland. People who have end-stage Hashimoto's fit into this category. Even though their thyroid gland is technically in their body it is no longer functioning. #2. Those who don't need thyroid medication. The next group of people ar

We need to talk about one of the MAIN reasons that thyroid patients (or any patients for that matter) fail to get better. This reason has to do with how you use supplements but it also applies to prescription medications and pretty much ANY therapy available. This topic has come to my mind because I have been hearing more and more about how certain people are using therapies but not feeling better. The more I hear these stories the more I realize that most of you aren't aware of how these therapies actually work. And if you miss this important step then you risk putting yourself on the RIGHT therapy but stopping it for the WRONG reasons. So something that could help you becomes something that you stop and may never look at for future treatment again! And, again, we are talking about this as it applies to supplements because these are available over the counter but this also applies to prescription medications and other natural therapies. Here are 4 things you MUST consider before you decide whether or

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Getting accurate thyroid lab tests is incredibly important for thyroid patients. And what you may not realize is that there are a lot of rules which should be followed if you want to get accurate thyroid lab test results. Why would you care? Well, for starters, if you don't get accurate results then your treatment will be off. Why do you think so many thyroid patients continue to suffer from hypothyroid symptoms despite having normal thyroid lab tests? Part of this problem is simply due to the fact that they are getting inaccurate tests which lead them down the wrong path. What's the solution? To ensure that you are following thyroid lab testing best practices so you can ensure that your lab tests are ACCURATE. Before you get your thyroid labs tested you should en

Do you have thyroid nodules? If so, you have probably wondered, at least at some point, how to treat or reduce the size of those nodules. And that's exactly what we are going to be talking about today. Natural treatments for thyroid nodules and just thyroid nodule treatment in general. We will include some natural therapies as well as some medical therapies because they may be necessary for some people. But first, why should you care about thyroid nodules? The main concern is not the nodule itself but what the nodule can turn into. And, of course, I'm talking about thyroid cancer. All thyroid nodules have a small risk of being cancerous or turning into cancer at some point in the future. Because of this, it behooves you as the patient to try and minimize this risk as MUCH as possible. The good news is that MOST thyroid nodules are benign and NOT cancerous (about 95%) but you should still take care to minimize your risk of thyroid cancer. So how do you treat thyroid nodules? Here are 6 steps you woul

Can you use thyroid supplements to help with weight loss? The answer is probably not as straightforward as you might think. We will talk about WHY this isn't the right way to think about losing weight if you have thyroid problems but first let's focus on weight loss and thyroid supplements. There are really two groups of people who are interested in using thyroid supplements for weight loss. Those who are overweight but don't have thyroid problems and those who are overweight and DO have thyroid problems. The reason that both groups of people want to use thyroid supplements for weight loss is because they know that the thyroid controls and regulates your metabolism. If you can naturally boost your metabolism then obviously weight loss will be easier. When it comes to weight loss, though, (for all types of people) you want to focus on T3. T3 is king when it comes to weight loss because T3 is THE active thyroid hormone and it contros all of the functions that we think about when we think about the thy

Today we are going to talk about the thyroid medication known as NP thyroid. What is NP thyroid? NP thyroid is an NDT formulation (meaning it is like other formulations of natural desiccated thyroid) that is becoming more popular nowadays because it is becoming more difficult to get the other brands. Should you use it? How is it different? Does it work? these are the questions we will be going over today. Here are 5 things you should know about NP thyroid before using it: #1. It is an NDT formulation. The first thing that you should know is that NP thyroid is an NDT formulation. This means that it shares some similarities with other formulations of natural desiccated thyroid. These similarities include the fact that all of these medications contain calcitonin, T4, T3, T2, and T1. Even though they all contain these BASIC ingredients they do differ in their inactive ingredients. #2. NP thyroid vs Armour thyroid. You should know that NP thyroid is NOT the same thing as Armour thyroid. Your pharma

Today we are going to be talking about reverse T3 and what causes HIGH levels of this hormone. If you are new to reverse T3 then allow me to explain why you should really start to care about this hormone. Reverse T3 is an ANTI THYROID metabolite that BLOCKS thyroid function. The higher your reverse T3 is the more hypothyroid you will feel (the crappier you will feel). There are certain things which TRIGGER high levels of reverse T3 and these things can be both treated and MANAGED to help you feel better. The problem? You must be AWARE of these issues so that you can avoid them. You can easily test for reverse T3 as well (sometimes referred to as rt3) in the blood and with normal thyroid lab tests. With that in mind, let's talk about 6 common causes of high reverse T3. #1. Dieting and calorie restriction. Calorie restriction and dieting is a HUGE cause of high rt3 levels. As you restrict your calories your metabolism will drop and your rt3 will RISE. In the video I mentioned you can find more i

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Do you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis? If so, then this video is definitely for you! In this video, I am going to walk you through at least 5 different therapies and natural treatments that you can use to treat Hashimoto's which address BOTH the immune component and the thyroid component of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. If you don't know already, Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland which results in a condition called hypothyroidism or sluggish thyroid or low thyroid hormone (all names for the same thing). What people probably don't realize is that because Hashimoto's in an AUTOIMMUNE disease there is both a thyroid component and an autoimmune component that must be addressed during treatment. This is important because this is NOT how mos

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Are you taking the thyroid medication known as Synthroid? By the way, the information we are about to talk about ALSO applies to levothyroxine! If so, then you should be aware that there are a number of reasons why this medication may NOT be working for you in your body. Levothyroxine and Synthroid are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States with levothyroxine making the #1 spot in 2016. This means that there are a TON of people using these medications. The problem with that is that most people using them are not actually getting the benefit of the medication for a number of issues. We are going to talk about 5 REASONS that many people using Synthroid are NOT feeling well (and what you can do about it). #1. Your dose. The first,

Interesting in learning more about how to lose weight and keep it off? If so, check out my hormone balancing guide which goes into detail about how to lose weight by balancing leptin, insulin, and thyroid hormones here: https://www.restartmed.com/hormone-ma... Leptin resistance is a condition that makes weight loss almost impossible. People with leptin resistance have a high serum leptin level which can be tested by looking at your bloodwork. Treating leptin resistance can be very difficult and often includes using both diet, supplements, and even prescription medications in certain cases. These prescription medications are often used off-label because many doctors do not know how they work (or that they help with leptin resistance). But even though they aren't prescribed often by standard doctors doesn't mean they don't work to help you lose weight and keep it off by lowering leptin levels. Here are 5 prescription medications which help lower leptin and treat leptin resistance: #1. GLP-1 agonists

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Is adrenal fatigue a real condition? The answer is most assuredly yes. But that's not what we are going to be focusing on today. Instead, we are going to focus on how to TEST for adrenal fatigue including all of the current problems with modern testing. Adrenal fatigue tends to impact your CORTISOL level. Most people believe that the more stress you are under the higher your cortisol levels will become. Eventually, with enough stress, you may "poop" out your adrenal glands and end up with adrenal fatigue. There's only one problem with this idea: It doesn't seem to work as nicely as it sounds in theory. There are a number of people who can have adrenal fatigue with so-called NORMAL cortisol levels. This has lead many people to order such as tests as urinary corti

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Did you know that naltrexone, also referred to as low dose naltrexone, can help with weight loss? It's actually an effective weight loss medication provided that it is used in the right way. LDN or naltrexone or low dose naltrexone (all names for the same medicine) is typically used to treat alcohol dependence. But it was found that it can also be used to treat autoimmune conditions. Then later it was found that LDN also seems to have some weight loss properties. LDN has very few side effects and it works through a different mechanism compared to other medications which makes it a great add-on for many people. AS ALWAYS, make sure that you use LDN with OTHER weight loss therapies such as diet, exercise, and so on. Using it in this way is obviously the best. We a

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Should you take a thyroid multivitamin? The answer is maybe, but it really depends on your situation. Not everyone who has thyroid disease should take a thyroid multivitamin. Why? Because there are better options. It's almost always better to take supplements that directly support your thyroid and these are not the same thing as a thyroid multivitamin. Having said that, there are people who would benefit from using a thyroid multivitamin. These people include: - Those who haven't used a multivitamin (of any kind) in a long time (more than 1-2 years). - Those who have multiple known or suspected nutrient deficiencies (a multivitamin will help replace all of these lost levels). - People who are confused about thyroid supplements! (It's better to do SOMETHING than

Are you looking to naturally treat your thyroid? If so, then you will want to check out these natural thyroid remedies that I recommend for all thyroid patients. The best part about these natural remedies is that they can be used IN ADDITION to thyroid medication that you are taking or they can be used by themselves to help avoid the use of medication (if that is your preference). These thyroid natural remedies have been tested by me and I've used them successfully in MANY patients. Here are 5 natural treatments and regimens that you should consider if you have a thyroid problem (either Hashimoto's thyroiditis or hypothyroidism): #1. Diet (what you eat!) This is one of the biggest things that you can do right away to improve your thyroid. But what should you be eating? I've included a list of thyroid approved diets which you can follow. All of these have several things in common and should help to naturally improve your thyroid: AIP diet, whole 30, elimination diet, gluten-free/dairy-free diet, and

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Are you struggling to work with your thyroid doctor? Do you know what treatments you SHOULD be receiving but you are having trouble getting your doctor to agree? If so, then this is the video for you. I will be talking about the 5 tips that you can use to help you work with your thyroid doctor and not against you on your thyroid. These strategies will be particularly useful for people who are using a primary care physician or an endocrinologist as these doctors tend to be about 17 years behind the current scientific research. 5 ways to get your thyroid doctor to work WITH you: #1. Speak their language! The first and most important step is to SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE! This doesn't mean speaking their native tongue but using MEDICAL research to get your point across.

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Understanding if you have a high TSH is SO important because it will help you understand how well your thyroid is functioning. TSH is produced by your pituitary gland in your brain and it tells your thyroid gland to produce more hormone. A high TSH is associated with LOW thyroid hormone (which can be confusing but it's because of feedback loops in the brain). The higher your TSH gets the more hypothyroid you will become and the more symptoms you will experience. There is a difference between a NORMAL TSH and an OPTIMAL TSH. Your doctor will try to say that a high TSH is defined as anything greater than 4.5 or 5.5. But the optimal TSH level is anything less than 2.0 to 2.5 (depending on which study you look at). My recommendation is to keep your TSH less than

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ The supplement I mentioned in this video can be found here (it helps levo/Synthroid work better): https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3... If you have had your thyroid removed with a thyroidectomy then there are 5 VERY important things that YOU should know! Once your thyroid is removed your body is changed forever and if you don't understand what that means for you then you may end up feeling poorly or symptomatic for a long time. This information ALSO applies to those people who have had their thyroid damaged from radioactive iodine ablation (by the way) and also those people who have had only HALF of their thyroid removed through something called a hemithyroidectomy. Here are 5 things to know if your thyroid has been removed: #1. You are now HYPOTHYROID. It do

If you are SUFFERING from the symptoms of hypothyroidism then you should be aware that there are SEVERAL lab tests that your doctor may not be ordering. In addition, even if they DO get ordered, they may not be looking at them correctly! This video will help you understand the common thyroid lab patterns that MOST doctors miss (unless you have a really good one). Once you figure out the lab pattern that you have you can help identify which treatments would be ideal for your condition. Pull out your lab tests and figure out where YOU fit below. 5 Thyroid lab patterns that Doctors miss: #1. EARLY hypothyroidism. TSH: high (greater than 2.5)* T4: low to normal T3: low to normal rT3: normal Ab: normal #2. Conversion issues. TSH: normal T4: normal or high T3: low* rT3: high* Ab: normal or high #3. Obesity. TSH: low or normal T4: normal T3: low* rT3: high* Ab: normal #4. Low T3 syndrome (euthyroid sick syndrome). TSH: normal T4: normal T3: low* rT3: high* Ab: normal #5. EARLY Hashimoto's.