Your thyroid has been having a relationship with your adrenal gland. It’s never been straight forward with your body and it never will be. That butterfly shaped gland in the front of you neck does more than control your metabolism. Your thyroid puts out hormones in your body that knock on every cell and tells it what to do basically but for some reason when you have hypothyroidism those cells refuse to answer the door.
Your adrenal gland is only the size of a walnut and are locked on top of each of your kidney’s. She is in charge of producing vital hormones that help regulate your body’s functions which include two major important things in your life your sex hormones and your cortisol levels.
Your Cortisol is more than just a steroid hormone that is made in the cortex of the adrenal gland. It has a greater task than just being tagged as your fight or flight response system. Almost every cell in our body contains receptors for cortisol. When your stress levels are high cortisol is released into your blood stream. Your body isn’t designed for you to be in a constant state of emergency. Your adrenal gland doesn’t know the difference between a true emergency or just being stressed out. So in return she will continue to produce extra cortisol into your blood stream. After a while of pumping out the constant need for cortisol she will become weakened and start decreasing her ability to produce cortisol and instead produce extra adrenaline. This is what makes us feel shaky, lightheaded and anxious. This can start leading our body towards adrenal fatigue syndrome. Cortisol is also released by two other major players in your body your hypothalamus in the brain and your pituitary gland.
Your hypothalamus job is to keep your body in a constant stable condition. It’s like a supervisor that collects and combines information and puts changes in place to correct any imbalances. The hypothalamus also tells your pituitary gland how much hormones to release and store. Next what happens is your pituitary gland will produces the chemical messengers, also known as hormones, that stimulate the adrenal gland to secrete who is in charge of producing vital hormones that help regulate your body’s functions which include two major important things in your life your sex hormones and your cortisol levels.
The million Dollar Question
Back to the million dollar question what does all this have to do with my thyroid. So, when the adrenal glands are weakened from one or more of the causes I discussed above, what happens is that it puts the body in a state of catabolism. What this means is that the body begins to break down, which as you can imagine isn’t a good thing. As you probably know, the thyroid gland puts out hormones in your body that knock on every cell and tells it what to do basically. So when the body is in a state of catabolism, the thyroid gland will slow down in order to slow down the catabolic process.
The light Bulb Moment
Is this all starting to make sense now? What we need to realize is in most cases, the malfunctioning thyroid gland isn’t the actual cause of the problem. Other areas of the body are usually responsible for the thyroid condition. Many hypothyroid symptoms are very similar to adrenal fatigue that they are often confuse or misdiagnosed.
On top of all this confusion, the tests performed for thyroid and adrenal problems are often difficult to interpret correctly.
Why doesn’t your medical doctor check to see if its adrenal fatigue instead of just labeling you with a thyroid condition? The main reason is because your medical doctors aren’t trained in medical school to evaluate the entire endocrine system. They are trained to treat your symptoms with medication and surgery. Webster’s online dictionary give this definition: a person who is skilled in the science of medicine : a person who is trained and licensed to treat sick and injured people. You should see a endocrinologist if you’ve been diagnosed with any thyroid disorder.
Endocrinologists have the training to diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and problems by helping to restore the normal balance of hormones in the body.
Why should you take a thyroid replacement pill when you really need actually have adrenal fatigue ? This is where a endocrinologist can help. Hypothyroidism can also be by nutrient deficiencies and not your adrenal gland. This is why you should also look into seeing a Holistic medicine practitioner. They believe that the whole person is made up of interdependent parts and if one part is not working properly, all the other parts will be affected. In this way, if people have imbalances (physical, emotional, or spiritual) in their lives, it can negatively affect their overall health.
All is not lost!
I wanted you to understand or get a idea of how everything has a part to play in your body. Being diagnosed with hypothyroidism isn’t just here take this pill and it will fix your issues. Hypothyroidism has a root cause. Once you start addressing the root of your problems then your body can start healing itself. Your body is an awesome design but there is a complex balance between everything. It’s a domino affect. If you have something in your body that is overworked it will cause a major shift in your body. Don’t worry the good news is it can be healed.
Food is not just calories it is information. It talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. Your most powerful tool to change your health is your fork. You can’t go long periods without food. Your body always needs energy. If your blood sugar starts to drop this creates a stress reaction and now your adrenal glands will do what it needs to do to maintain your body’s function by releasing more cortisol or adrenaline. Eating often will help put your body back in its normal cycle. You should eat foods that nourish your body and not hinder it.
The following table outlines the key differences in the signs and symptoms between adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism.
| Characteristics | Adrenal Fatigue | Hypothyroidism |
| Body Measurements | ||
| Weight | Early: gain weight; severe – cannot gain weight | Generalized weight gain |
| Body Temp | 97.8 or lower | Low 90s to 98.6 |
| Temp regulation | fluctuating and exaggerated | Steady |
| Mental Function | ||
| Mental Function | Brain Fog | Slow thinking |
| Depression | Sometimes | Frequent |
| Physical Looks | ||
| Eyebrows | Full | sparse outer 1/3 |
| Hair | Thin, sparse on extremities | Coarse and sparse |
| Hair loss | Sometimes | Common |
| Nails | Thin, brittle | Normal to thick |
| Peri-orbital Tissue | Sunken | Puffy |
| Skin | Thin | Normal |
| Skin tone | Dry | Oily or moist |
| Internal feeling | ||
| Ligaments Flexibility | Good | Poor |
| Fluid retention | No | Yes |
| Pain | Headache, muscular, migraines | Joints, muscles |
| Reactivity | Heightened and hyper-reactive | Hypo-reactive |
| Medical condition | ||
| History of Infections | Common | Occasional |
| Chronic Fatigue | Yes | Yes |
| Orthostatic Hypotension | Frequent | No |
| Blood Sugar | Tendency toward hypoglycemia | Normal to hyperglycemia |
| Heart Palpitation | Frequent | No |
| GI function | Irritable or hyperactive | Constipation and hypoactive |
| Mal absorption | Yes | No |
| Sensitive to Medications | Frequent | Normal |
| Personality Traits | ||
| Personality Type | Type A | Type A or B |
| Obsessive Compulsive | Frequent | Mixed |
| Habits | ||
| Sleep Pattern | Wake up 2-4 am | Sleepy |
| Temperature Tolerance | Intolerance to Cold | Intolerance to Heat |
| Food Craving | Craving for sweet and salty | Craving for Fats |
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Health and Happiness,
Food is thy medicine, right? Actually, it can work one of two ways. Food can be thy medicine or food can be thy death. This book is a guide that will inform you from the perspective of a women. You will also be able to determine what areas in your life that may need a little bit of work and the skills needed to improve those issues along with some fabulous recipes to help get you started on how to eat KETO AIP. I will also help you understand how to fix your gut, strengthen your immunity and fight inflammation with an autoimmune approach. The Keto AIP removes all the common inflammatory food triggers that stimulate a possible autoimmune reaction in the body. We’re going to start resetting those adrenals, boosting that energy and doing a little booty kicking to those hormones that have decided to act like a wild college student and pull an all-nighter the day before final exams.
A Women’s Holistic Holy Grail Handbook for Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s: How I healed my Hypothyroidism and Autoimmune Disorder with Personalized Nutrition
Disclaimer
The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested. The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements. Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek. I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.
http://www.yourhormones.info/Hormones/Cortisol.aspx
http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-adrenal-glands
http://www.yourhormones.info/glands/hypothalamus.aspx
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/what-does-pituitary-gland-do.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-connection-between-the-pituitary-gland-and-adrenal-gland.htm#
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doctor
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=265
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