Smart Fats are simply one of the BEST and tastiest solutions
for stalled weight loss because they go far beyond the call
of duty. Alone or with synergistic help from additional
vitamins, minerals and herbs, these savvy fats can kick up
thyroid function and/or stimulate calorie-burning brown fat (a
special tissue that disperses surplus calories for heat instead of
fat storage). And, that's just for starters!
They also reduce the body's ability to store fat for energy by
controlling the enzymes that release fat from the cells into the
bloodstream. Many are so satisfying that they enable long-term
appetite satisfaction so you are not tempted to overindulge.
The Thyroid Connection
But, first things first. You cannot fix a broken metabolism until
you address thyroid dysfunction. After all, your thyroid is the
body's key metabolic driver. With a sluggish thyroid, your body
may produce too much insulin and trigger low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia), along with intense cravings for carbs.
The thyroid secretes two major hormones, T3 and T4, which
regulate the burning of calories for energy. Thyroid hormones
control body weight, body temperature, muscle strength, heart
rate and menstrual regularity. In fact, the thyroid connection to
sex hormone imbalance is not surprising to women in their 30s,
40s, 50s and 60s.
Estrogen-induced thyroid dysfunction mimics
underperformance of the thyroid gland. My friend, the late Dr.
John Lee, observed that many perimenopausal women exhibit
symptoms of hypothyroidism with normal thyroid levels. He
theorized that estrogen excess and progesterone deficiency
might be the cause. Raising progesterone levels through the
use of natural progesterone cream often normalizes thyroid
activity without any other treatment.
Furthermore, a diet devoid of Smart Fats but heavy in
commercial polyunsaturated vegetable oils also sabotages
the production of thyroid hormones. Without enough thyroid
hormone, estrogen rises and acts as a fat trap especially as we
grow older and progesterone levels take a nosedive.
The actual number of hypothyroid patients is highly
underestimated. According to the American Thyroid
Association, nearly 30 million Americans have been diagnosed
with a thyroid disorder—a number that could easily be much
more. I highly suspect, after working with so many individuals
for the past three decades, that more than 60 percent of the
population have some degree of thyroid dysfunction but are not
being diagnosed properly.
Besides stubborn fat that won't budge, other low thyroid
symptoms include depression, hair loss, poor eyebrow
growth—especially the outer third of the brow, aching wrists,
fluid retention, constipation, a coarse voice, diminished sex
drive, infertility, premature graying of the hair and lack of muscle
strength.
This tiny powerhouse-regulating metabolism controls the
health of just about every organ in the body, including the heart.
That's why it is so alarming that Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a
type of autoimmune hypothyroidism, is growing by leaps and
bounds as is Grave's disease, another kind of autoimmune
condition characterized by hyperthyroidism.
Normalizing thyroid activity is a fundamental "must" if you want to restore metabolism and help your body rebuild itself. Smart Fat supplementation will go a long way in re-establishing equilibrium. But, when it comes to a comprehensive thyroid treatment plan, it is only one of many key factors.
To speed up fat burning and heal the immune system overload that often accompanies thyroid dysfunction, you will
have to take into account insidious thyroid thieves like hidden
dental or sinus infections, gluten, goitrogens, lack of protein,
adrenal burnout, dwindling probiotics, fluoride, bromine and
chlorine overload plus several vitamin, mineral and amino acid
deficiencies, which are necessary to make thyroid hormones
work; and then there's underlying virus, especially Epstein Barr.
No wonder thyroid disease is rampant! There are so
very many seemingly diverse factors, which are likely to be
contributing causes of dysfunction.
Sneaky Thyroid Saboteurs
Let's take a more in-depth overview at how each of these sneaky
saboteurs do their damage. Fasten your seatbelts because this
promises to be a VERY bumpy ride.
Hidden Dental Or Sinus Infections
Your mouth is the repository of a tremendous amount of
bacteria that can impact different areas of your health. That's
why individuals with a heart condition are recommended to
take an antibiotic before a routine dental cleaning. Dentists who
practice holistic dentistry and biological dentistry believe that
each tooth is connected to an organ. If that tooth has a root
canal, is decayed (even under a crown that X-rays don't pick
up), is an implant, or even has been pulled, leaving behind a
cavitation (hole in the jawbone), you can experience a whole
host of health challenges in the associated meridian line of that
tooth.
Many unresolved health problems might be associated
with the anaerobic bacteria seeping into your system from root
canals, implants and cavitations remaining from pulled teeth.
ALL of this has to pass through your thyroid! This can depress
or accelerate metabolism. Sinus infections can do the same if
unresolved.
As the late Dr. Hal Huggins, biological dentist and
mercury pioneer told me himself, "How many people know the
consequences of housing the 40 anaerobic bacteria in implants,
the 60 in root canals, or the eight in cavitations?"
Goitrogens
Goitrogens are possible thyroid-suppressing substances found
in raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli.
Add to this the heavy metal burden of precipitating mercury
and/or copper from high amalgam fillings and you have one
lethal mixture that your thyroid is up against.
Gluten
Many grains contain gliadin, which is the protein found in
gluten and most concentrated in wheat, rye, and barley. Grains
are fairly new to the diet—the trail-blazing orthomolecular
medicine physician, Dr. Richard Kunin, says it best: "Grains
are really Jonny-come-latelies on the nutritional scene. Meats,
fruits, beans, nuts and vegetables have had a considerably
longer historical alliance with the human gut. Almost as if to
make up for lost time, grain has deluged man's diet and this
excess increasingly appears to have something to do with
common major and minor ailments."
Cardiologist and author of "Wheat Belly," Dr. William
Davis, couldn't agree more. Moreover, to add insult to injury,
he suggests that today's "Frankengrain" is nothing like what
went into your grandmother's bread. Modern wheat contains
10 times more gluten than that of 50 years ago. Today's gluten
is high in gliadin, a protein that is foreign to our bodies. It highly
resembles a crucial enzyme known as transglutaminase, which
is concentrated in the thyroid. As the immune system attacks the
gliadin, antibodies also attack the thyroid. The immune system
can then go into overdrive, damaging the thyroid, sometimes
for up to six months. And that's all thanks to gluten.
But, that's not all the bad news to report, folks.
Gliadin is a shameless appetite trigger. People can consume
nearly 400 extra calories per day when manufacturers add it to
certain food products. Food sensitivities trigger a kind of toxic
shock to your system, which leads to addictions and binging.
Partially digested components of common food allergens
function like morphine-containing opioid drugs. They heighten
appetite and decrease metabolism.
Gluten-containing foods like bread, crackers, chips and
cookies are so highly addictive because of gliadin. Similar to the
casein in milk, gliadin has a drug-like effect on your brain.
The gluten in grain probably affects just about everyone in
this day and age. The trouble is that nearly 100 percent of gluten
intolerant individuals are unaware of this because gluten's
negative reactions typically occur a good 12 to 24 hours after
consumption.
If you decide to give up gluten, you may also want to give
up all sugar and yeast, too.
These three substances, in addition to dairy, account
for about 80 percent of all food sensitivities. They damage
metabolism through an inflammatory response that can pack
on 10 pounds or more of water weight and they can make you
fat from heightened cravings to reactive foods or hormonal
disruption of your metabolism.
Lack of Protein
Protein is a wonderful normalizer for overall thyroid function. It
acts as an escort to transport the thyroid hormone to all bodily
tissues.
Adrenal Burnout
Healthy thyroid function is intimately related to the adrenal
glands. They both work synergistically to keep you functioning.
When you are under stress, your adrenals secrete cortisol,
which can block the thyroid's T4 to T3 conversion. When active
T3 is suppressed, more cortisol comes to the rescue to rev up
metabolism, creating a vicious cycle. The adrenals can make
more cortisol from the hormone progesterone, which ultimately
decreases available progesterone for other tasks. Diminishing
progesterone levels trigger the thyroid to pinch-hit to make
enough adrenal hormones. Long term, this process creates
burnout for both the adrenals and the tired thyroid.
Dwindling Probiotics
Gut flora is also dependent upon your thyroid. At least 20
percent of thyroid function relies on a healthy amount of quality
beneficial bacteria. One strain in particular has been found to
protect against the toxicity of gliadin, which is so problematic
for thyroid patients. That strain is B. lactis BI-04 and comes
from the Bifidobacterium family.
Fluoride, Bromine and Chlorine Overload
These chemicals compete with iodine for uptake in the thyroid,
negatively impacting metabolism. They are contained in
water, toothpastes, hot tubs, non-organic foods, soft drinks,
teas, commercial breads, some medications and brominated
vegetable oils.
