Have You Seen The Thyroid Secret?

There’s something so majestic about flying…Maybe it’s the fact that you’re 30,000 feet up high with the clouds brimming past you, the sun is shining through them (sometimes), and you’re gliding through the air seamlessly…it’s like this gentle tranquility, beckoning you to dream big.

I spent the past year traveling…a lot! I had ample amounts of time to see those pretty clouds from my tiny plane window which gave me time to dream. I met new faces and discovered new places. It was a year I will never forget.

As I write, I can’t help but smile to myself as I reflect on the conversations I had…because my travels weren’t just to dream and see many of these great states (though it was quite fun!).

I traveled with a mission that literally makes me jump out of bed in the morning.

But the mission to raise awareness for thyroid disease isn’t just a passing fad for me. It’s something so personal, so deeply ingrained in my heart that I literally can’t keep quiet about what I’ve learned over the past seven years since my autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s) diagnosis and recovery. 🙂

Every dream starts as an idea…an inkling in your mind and you think, “Now that would be a dream come true.”

This past year, a huge dream did come true. Putting together The Thyroid Secret documentary series is one of my biggest dreams coming to fruition because I know it will reach so many people with the truth about thyroid disease.

Millions of people simply have no idea that they can recover their health from this debilitating condition, and I hope with every part of my being that this film impacts lives in ways I can’t even begin to fathom!

So why did I travel so much? Great question. I spent time with over 100 thyroid experts who help people overcome thyroid disease and over 50 thyroid patients who have made great strides in their health journeys to bring you a series unlike anything on the market today.

I asked tough, burning questions that all of us want to know, and the experts shared information you will not find anywhere else. Each doctor, medical practitioner, and speaker met—and exceeded—my expectations, and I wanted to spend a few moments today sharing what we discussed and why these interviews are going to cause quite a splash in the conventional world of medicine.

Episode 1

My team and I decided that starting with Episode 1, we were going to dive straight into the heart of the issues with thyroid disease. I wanted to record The Thyroid Secret to show people that healing is possible. I want them to know that healing takes place on a day-to-day basis, that there are hundreds of people out there that want to help them and that they can get their health back.

Unfortunately, conventional medicine keeps misdiagnosing people and the ones who get on medicine often don’t feel any better.

So many people start experiencing these “random” symptoms, and they don’t realize it internally connects to your thyroid. The first episode of the series builds the foundation for the rest of the series because it helps you identify if you, or someone you love, are at risk.

A lot of times, people begin having mood surges due to their blood sugar levels spiking and then crashing. This is usually a big clue that something is amiss with your thyroid.

I’ll never forget Magdalena Wszelaki, HHC and Founder of Hormones Balance saying, “It wasn’t my character to be mean to people, so I knew there was something wrong.”

Thyroid patient and author, Stacey Robbins, shared with me what she felt like when she first started getting sick, “I started getting this crashing fatigue, where no matter how much I slept, I could not function. I was sick all the time with sinus infections; I was just this mess of a person, who was also gaining tons and tons of weight, like epic proportions.”

After setting the stage of what thyroid disease looks like, we dive straight into the conventional treatments and the misdiagnosis machine in Episode Two.

Episode 2

It’s heartbreaking, but many people are misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, and even bipolar and schizophrenia when it’s really just the thyroid acting up. Usually, simple lifestyle changes can reverse this, but instead, they’re misdiagnosed and put on anti-psychotic medications!

Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D., NY Times Best-Selling Author of The Paleo Approach, shared startling research with me, saying:

“We know now some really disturbing facts. For example, upwards of 80% of people diagnosed with bipolar disease may not actually be bipolar. They may have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and when you treat them with thyroid hormone, the symptoms of bipolar disease can go away.”
–Dr. Sarah Ballantyne

And Trudy Scott, Certified Nutritionist and Author of The Antianxiety Food Solution, echoed those sentiments saying:

“It’s common knowledge that thyroid problems can cause depression. It’s less well-recognized that thyroid problems can actually contribute to anxiety.”

These wonderful people—I like to call them my Root Cause Rebels—these are people that are looking for the root causes of what’s led to their (or their patients’) health conditions. They’re not just trying to bandage up their health conditions with medications.

In fact, helping people overcome these mental health disorders fuels Dr. Hyla Cass’s passion.

During our interview, she shared, “That is why I want to do psychiatry, is to truly help people, to really make a difference, not just to write prescriptions to send them home and keep them at a status quo but to really enhance the quality of their lives. That’s what turns me on.”

We need to go against the grain to get our health back and to start moving towards wellness. Time and again, I meet patients who are stuck and have no idea there’s a way to get better. This episode is full of tools to help you on your health journey.

“I have Hashimoto’s, and I was diagnosed with it a year and a half ago. Trying to get my doctor to diagnose me with it was really hard because she looked at my TSH and said that ‘you’re normal.’ My hair is falling out, my skin is dry, I’m cold all the time, problems with constipation, memory fog, and to be told you’re normal was just… I didn’t feel normal.”
-Kimberly Laktas, Thyroid Patient

Episode 3

Being a pharmacist, Episode 3 was really important to me. Synthroid has been the number one prescribed medication in two out of the last three years, but it’s not necessarily the best medication for thyroid disease. It’s important that people understand that because it often feels like when a doctor prescribes something, it’s the law…but it’s not!

Conventional medical doctors really don’t pay attention to the underlying root cause of Hashimoto’s, which is an immune system imbalance. They just give people more and more thyroid hormone, which doesn’t stop the progression of the autoimmune condition and, in many cases, it doesn’t even address the symptoms.

When I interviewed Chris Kresser, MS, LAc, (Founder of Kresser Institute for Functional & Evolutionary Medicine, Creator of ChrisKresser.com and Revolution Health Radio, NY Times Best Selling Author of The Paleo Cure), he shared:

“Most patients with hypothyroidism, and particularly people with Hashimoto’s, do much better with a natural desiccated thyroid that contains both T4 and much smaller amounts of T3, the more active form, because then their body doesn’t have to be solely responsible for doing that conversion.”

And Carter Black, RPh, Pharmacist and one of my advisors said, “That’s the trouble with Synthroid. Synthroid itself is a great drug, it’s a bio-identical form of T4, but as pharmacists, we understand that it’s T4. That’s an inactive drug until your body activates it.”

My interview with Dr. Elena Koles, MD, Ph.D., Integrative Physician really hit the nail on the head when she said, “When we try to fix such a problem with a pharmaceutical drug, for some people it’s okay. In most cases it’s just a symptom, a help, it’s not the cure. Actually, sometimes it’s not even a help.”

In this episode, we dissected what isn’t working and then revealed an innovative therapy that’s virtually side effect free and like the world’s best-kept secret!

I want people to know the reality of these medications and discover there are ways to get better through functional medicine, natural therapies, and addressing the triggers that can cause the disease…not just masking symptoms with a prescription.

Not all medication is bad—and sometimes it’s essential—but proper education of how to use it is critical. We share the top medical interventions that can really help you on your journey (we dive into thyroid hormones as well as innovative treatments like LDN, LLLT and many others), which sets us up for the next episode: toxins!

Episode 4

It’s no small secret that we live in a toxic world, but it might surprise you to hear that we come in contact with roughly 80,000 chemicals daily. That’s a pretty hefty number no matter how pretty you try to paint it!

Dr. Daniel Pompa, D PSc, International Health Expert, Speaker, and Author, shared with me, “Thyroid is the canary in the coal mine. It’s very sensitive to toxins, the thyroid itself.”

And it’s true. The thyroid soaks up toxins and then doesn’t let them go easily, which is why methylation is so critical.

I couldn’t agree with Michelle Corey more when she said:

“We are living in an increasingly toxic world, and our bodies were not designed to handle all of this stress—stress from a fast paced lifestyle, toxins that we ingest in food substitutes, foods that are supposed to be food but they’re really just junk.”
-Michelle Corey, CNWC, FMP, Functional Medical Practitioner and Advocate

Our bodies are practically in survival mode trying to dodge the chemical exposure we encounter. During this episode, we really get to the heart of why it’s so important to know what’s in your products. It’s never too early to start spring cleaning your personal care products and fill your home with natural choices.

“Any time you’re coming across anything that says fragrance, that says parfum, that says something along the lines of phthalate, P-H-T-H-A-L-A-T-E, then you have to know that you are increasing your estrogen content in your system.”
-Tom Malterre, MS, CN, CFMP, and Author of The Elimination Diet and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner

I got to see the experts come so alive as they shared the sickening truth that our environment is on toxic overload. But we don’t leave you feeling hopeless! Instead, we share some easy strategies to implement in your home to reduce your toxic exposure.

My friend, Wendy Myers, FDN-P, CHHC, Founder of Liveto110.com, said it best:

“100% people can get better.”
-Wendy Myers

Isn’t that a relief?! Wendy encourages you to do some testing, and find out what you need to address and then learn how to detox your body the right way so you can clear your pathways and get on the road to recovery. Often, this looks like making some lifestyle shifts in your diet… Que Episode 5 🙂

Episode 5

People will say that the gluten free diet or the paleo diet is really extreme, but I think it’s really extreme to feel horrible every single day. During Episode 5, we really focus on how healing often begins with food.

Debbie Steinbock, HHC, Holistic Health & Nutrition Counselor for Mindful Nutrition shared with me, “We can surmise that if they have an autoimmune disease, there’s something going on with their digestion.”

So where do you begin? During my own journey, I found that bone broth can be a tremendously healing food for people with thyroid disease. Often fatigue lifts, people experience more energy, and their brain fog goes away.

I also think the autoimmune paleo diet is really helpful for thyroid patients.

Mickey Trescott, NTP, and Best Selling Author of and Co-Author of The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook says, “I’ve had success stories of people feeling better almost immediately in a matter of days after adopting the autoimmune protocol, especially people with a lot of digestive issues or gut issues.”

But food is just one part of the healing road. We also need to take a look at stress and some best practices to manage (or even eliminate) it in our lives.

JJ Virgin, Suzy Cohen, Chris Kresser, and Dr. Peter Osborne (host of the upcoming Autoimmune Summit) are also interviewed and share their insights!

Episode 6

Stress often plays a large role in the 21st-century lifestyle. We know that everyday stress is a contributor, and we also know that traumatic stress (i.e., adverse childhood events) has links to autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, and all these other kinds of conditions.

So what do you do about the rampant stress penetrating you on every side?

I love what Dr. Datis Kharrazian shared with me because it’s so relevant and true:

“If you’re not getting sleep, and you hate what you do, and you’re having problems in your relationship, it doesn’t matter how many supplements you take and how many foods you avoid, you’re going to have some serious triggers for autoimmunity.”
-Dr. Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS, FACN, CNS, Clinician, Researcher for Autoimmune Disorders

Our ability to handle stress, to get the rest we need, and to prevent sickness all relates back to our adrenals. In episode 6, we share some practical ways to handle stress, to decompress, and find healthy ways to relieve stress because if we just hold it all in, our bodies will begin to implode. It might be slow for some, or it might be a crash for others.

Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo MS, DC, CCN, DACBN, Founder of the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology, says, “We’re running around with “tigers” chasing us 24/7 because our modern day stressors, they’re not the physical stresses, but they’re the mental and emotional stresses, ‘How are we going to pay the bills? Where are we going to get the food? How am I going to have enough time?’ “

Thyroid patient, Vivek Mandan, found tremendous improvement when he started physically allowing himself to relax.

Dr. Michael Breus is a big proponent of giving your body time to rest and recuperate. He says:

“If you had to do one thing besides eat, it’s sleep. Sleep affects every organ system, every disease state. There is no known animal that has a nervous system that doesn’t have a period of inactivity and recovery. Everybody needs it.”
-Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D., Diplomat – American Board of Sleep Medicine, Fellow – American Academy of Sleep Medicine, The Sleep Doctor™

If that’s not an excuse to get to bed early, I don’t know what is! 🙂

I also interview Adrenal Queen, Dr. Aviva Romm, author of the Thyroid Adrenal Revolution.

Episode 7

This is such a tender episode as we discuss infertility and miscarriage. As a newlywed, it was such a hard thing for me to hear that infertility and miscarriages were common occurrences. I felt defeated.

Maybe you’ve gone to the doctor, and they say nothing is wrong. Please don’t let somebody tell you that there’s nothing wrong when you feel it deep within your body that there is something wrong. Our bodies send us messages, and you’re doing the right thing by listening to it.

“It’s never not a tragedy, but the bigger tragedy is when a woman has gone through all this suffering and then she still doesn’t have that child, and she’s 45, 55, 65. We’ve even heard from women in their 70s that said, ‘No one ever said that my thyroid could have had an effect on my ability to conceive.’ ”
-Mary Shomon, NY Times Best Selling Author and Hormonal Health Advocate

(BTW, Mary has a new book: Your Healthy Pregnancy with Thyroid Disease.)

There is hope. You can do something about it. Listen to your body. Do your research and find a doctor or medical practitioner who will test you and work with you.

Moms impacted…I also have some news for those of you who are utterly EXHAUSTED! You may be suffering from thyroid disease…but there is a way to recover your energy.

Dr. Jolene Brighten, ND, CEO of Oakland Naturopathic Medicine and Author of Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth remembers, “It got bad that I wouldn’t even want to get out of bed the morning. I would lay in bed just feeling like a weight on my chest and feeling a sense of dread of like if I step out, it’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt. I kept being met with the same diagnosis which is, ‘You’re a mom, of course, you’re tired, of course, this is what’s going on. This is totally normal.’ ”

Have you and your spouse ever looked around in bewilderment, wondering why you’re so tired, in a constant brain fog and just don’t feel good? Katie the Wellness Mama can definitely relate!

She shared in her interview, “I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I didn’t understand it; he didn’t understand it either. There was an element of, why don’t you want to do this stuff? Why can’t you do this? Why are you so tired all the time?”

Not only can this episode help you, but it can shine a light so that your family better understands what you’re going through.

Kids Impacted…Expert Dr. Elena Koles, MD, Ph.D. reveals that women who have Hashimoto’s have an increased risk of having children with autism and developmental disabilities….

Dr. Erica Peirson, ND, Naturopathic Physician, shared that, “Every child with Down Syndrome experiences Hypothyroidism, all of them. Not just increased risk, not just some of them, and it starts, if not in utero, but certainly from day 1 of life.”

Dr. Peirson went on to say during our interview, “You can almost narrow it down to every single symptom of Down Syndrome, right down to the enlarged protruding tongue, delayed growth, delayed cognition or cognitive deficiency, dry skin, their bloated abdomen, their constipation, their low muscle tone, their shorter fingers, are all the symptoms of hypothyroidism.”

This episode is full of powerful, life-changing information for you and your family. A lot of these issues have solutions, and it’s time that we unite and discover the truth.

Episode 8

I didn’t realize that I had gut problems for a really long time until I personally went gluten free and dairy free. At that point, I was surprised that I wasn’t bloated anymore and that I didn’t have stomach aches on a daily basis.

The gut health and thyroid connection are huge. We have to nurture our environment in there. When I started taking a spore-based probiotic, I noticed I was happier and had more energy within a couple of days. I was really excited to interview two of my mentors…

Donna Gates, M Ed, ABAAHP, Creator of Body Ecology and International Best Selling Author of The Body Ecology Diet, shared with me “The gut plays a very important role in having a healthy thyroid. First of all, twenty percent of thyroid hormone is actually made in the gut.”

I remember when I hit a healing wall during my journey and then discovered I had four infections in my gut. I was so surprised and a little bit embarrassed! But this is actually quite normal for people with autoimmune thyroid conditions.

Dr. Daniel Kalish, DC, Founder of The Kalish Institute and Kalish Wellness confirms that saying, “See, you wouldn’t think there’d be even a remote connection, but when people have parasitic infections or any kind of infection in the digestive tract, it’s going to generate an inflammatory response.”

All of the triggers we discuss throughout the series have natural alternatives and complementary therapies you can start trying today to recover your health and feel better. I hope you’ll watch every episode and discover the truths we reveal.

Episode 9

When I think back seven years ago, I felt awful. Life seemed bleak.

But today, I feel alive. I feel light. I feel empowered. I feel like I can take on the world.

People told me that I would never be able to overcome Hashimoto’s…that there was nothing that I could change, but then I did it. I recovered my health.

The final episode of The Thyroid Secret is all about success!

We celebrate the journeys, the success stories, and I think you’ll finish it feeling empowered and ready to take on the world too!

I love how Dr. Alan Christianson put it:

“It’s a situation where people have to realize that it’s important to be their own advocates and to really realize that they often need to go outside of their common conventional relationships and become educated and become aware of what their needs can be and just think more outside the box.”
-Dr. Alan Christianson, NMD, Author, Naturopathic Medical Doctor

And Dr.  Eric Osansky’s, (DC, MS, IFMCP, CCN, CNS, Clinical Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Practitioner) determination fueled his desire to get well: “I never knew anybody personally who had Graves’ disease, who did what I was planning on doing. It was scary. It was, like I said, a little bit puzzling. The why me. Again, it turned out to be a good thing in the end.”

Healing is possible. You can start living your best life today.

What started as a dream, is turning into a great big celebration of hope, healing, and truth revealed.

Now you can own your own copy of The Thyroid Secret! You’ll receive lifetime access to the entire 9 part video series, as well as easy-to-read digital transcriptions, and MP3 audio versions of each recording.

Take the first step in transforming your health and get your copy of The Thyroid Secret today!