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

Today is all about caloric restriction and why this type of dieting doesn't lead to long-lasting weight loss. Calorie restriction causes certain changes in the body which lead to an energy deficit and a reduction in body mass. People generally only think of calorie restriction in this way and they believe that by reducing their calories they will be able to lose weight and keep it off. The problem and the reason it doesn't work is that you need to be looking beyond these two changes and you need to see how these changes affect other systems in the body. The reduction in body weight and energy deficit from calorie restriction result in a change known as metabolic adaptation. This adaptation is the response your body uses to increase appetite and slow down your metabolism. As your metabolism slows, you gain back the weight you lost and you increase the amount of food that you consume. But the problem is that this damage to your metabolism persists for years, even after you stop your diet. This r

Today is all about Synthroid. If you take this medication then you'll want to learn more about these 10 tips and tricks that you can use to help feel better. Synthroid is one of the most common thyroid medications used to treat hypothyroidism but it's not without problems. These tips are designed to help you find your optimal dose, help you understand if you are absorbing Synthroid, help you figure out if you need a new medication and more. 10 Tips to know when taking Synthroid: #1. Peripheral T4 to T3 conversion First off, you need to understand that Synthroid contains the inactive thyroid hormone T4. This means that in order for thyroid hormone to be utilized in your body it must first be activated through peripheral thyroid conversion. Several factors including genetics, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies and so on can impact this process. There are situations in which you may be taking enough Synthroid but your body is not able to activate it. #2. Absorption of Synthroid In order for your body t

This video is all about selenium deficiency, how it presents, what to do about it and how to know if you are overdosing on selenium supplements. First off: Why is selenium important? Selenium plays an important role in regulating several key enzymes in your body. These enzymes control the production of thyroid hormones, glutathione, and even your metabolism. If you don't have enough selenium in your body then these enzymes may not function properly which may cause certain and specific symptoms. The warning signs of selenium deficiency include: 1. Hair loss - Selenium (along with other nutrients) helps your hair grow. A lack of selenium may trigger hair loss or alopecia. Just realize that other nutrients, including iron, are also important for hair growth so not all causes of hair loss are necessarily caused by selenium deficiency. 2. Thyroid dysfunction - Selenium forms the backbone of a group of enzymes known as the deiodinases. These enzymes help to metabolize and either activate or inactive t

This video is all about thyroid cancer symptoms and early warning signs you may have cancer. This is a topic worth discussing because many people who believe they have thyroid cancer probably don't. The good news is that even though thyroid cancer is fairly common, it has a great survival rate with a 5-year survival rate of around 98%. So, even if you do have thyroid cancer, it's one of the better types of cancers to have. An interesting fact about thyroid cancer is that it typically does NOT cause any symptoms. In fact, most people who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer present to their doctor with a normal exam and without any symptoms. In some cases, however, if your cancer is sufficiently large then it may cause problems to nearby structures in your neck. Your neck is a tight place which means that if anything grows in that area it may push on or bump into other structures which may result in symptoms. With that in mind, if your cancer is large enough it may present with the following symptom

Today is episode #24 and it's all about bad genes and how they impact your thyroid function. There are certain genetic changes, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNP's for short, which can slightly impact certain enzymes in your body. These genes are very important when it comes to your thyroid because they can impact a set of enzymes known as the deiodinases. These deiodinases are responsible for activating or inactivating thyroid hormone at the cellular level. And they can be impacted by factors such as your genes, medical conditions, medications, and so on. There are 3 major deiodinase enzymes: - D1 - You can consider this an activating enzyme and it is responsible for 30% of T3 in the body. - D2 - You can consider this an activating enzyme and it is responsible for 70% of T3 in the body. - D3 - You can consider this an inactivating enzyme which takes T4 and turns it into reverse T3 or rT3. Certain SNP's impact the function of these enzymes which create conditions in which you may no

Today is lesson #23 and we are talking about how to boost your thyroid function and what you can do today. Why would you want to boost your thyroid function, to begin with? For starters, your thyroid helps regulate your metabolism, controls your mood and helps regulate other hormones in your body. Those with thyroid issues often suffer from depression, anxiety, weight gain, and so on. The struggle, when it comes to your thyroid, is that it can be difficult to get proper treatment, especially when using thyroid medication. But don't worry! You can use some tips to help improve your thyroid. #1. Take your thyroid medication at night - Taking your thyroid medication at night may improve how well your body can absorb your medication and has been shown to increase free T3 levels in some people. This simple change may improve your thyroid! #2. Take thyroid enhancing supplements - Supplements like Zinc and Selenium are required for thyroid function and conversion and many people are deficient. By taking

Today is episode #22 and it's all about adding T3 to your T4 medication. Most patients take a thyroid medication which contains T4 only thyroid hormone such as Levothyroxine or Synthroid. The problem with these medications is that they contain the inactive thyroid hormone T4 and they are not necessarily active unless your body can activate them. You can add T3 to your current medication to fight this problem because it is the active thyroid hormone. Studies have shown that adding T3 medication to existing T4 doses result in increased weight loss, better patient satisfaction and a better quality of life. How do you know if you need it? Most people who have low T3 tend to experience these signs: - Low body temperature - Persistent hypothyroid symptoms - Difficulty losing weight - Other hormone problems - Normal TSH but low free thyroid hormones All of these may be signs that you can benefit from using T3 medication. T3 can be safely added to your T4 dose. When adding T3 to T4 you want to try and k

Today is episode #21 and it's all about Hcg the hormone and Hcg for weight loss. We will be discussing whether or not it's safe to use Hcg for weight loss and how I generally recommend people use it for best results. First off, what is hcg? Hcg, also known as human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone which is predominately secreted during pregnancy to help protect the fetus and help promote pregnancy. Hcg has been used, in conjunction with a calorie restricted diet, to help with weight loss. The problem is that, using it this way, many people experience negative side effects such as thyroid problems, hair loss and so on. So, is hcg actually dangerous? The answer is probably not. If it were dangerous then your body wouldn't naturally produce it during pregnancy in high amounts. Hcg as a hormone can actually help your body in several ways (when not combined with a calorie restricted diet) including: - Help regulate your appetite - Help regulate sex hormones - Help increase testosterone - Help

Today is episode #20 and it's all about supplementing with Selenium and how it may boost your thyroid. Selenium is a nutrient which is involved in several key proteins in your body. As it relates to your thyroid, selenium helps your body produce thyroid hormone and protect it from cell damage. Many people with hypothyroidism may have sub-optimal selenium levels which may impact how they feel and contribute to hypothyroid symptoms. Deficiency is common due to nutrient depletion and also from behaviors which can increase metabolism which cause your body to burn through your stores more quickly. Symptoms of deficiency include: - Thyroid dysfunction - Hair loss - Weakened immune system - Muscle pain - Fatigue - Slow metabolism - Other nutrient deficiencies As humans we need at least 50-70mcg of selenium each day but if you have thyroid disease you may benefit from using 50mcg to 200mcg per day in supplement form. Look for supplements which contain selenomethionine and do not exceed doses of 400mcg per

Today is episode #19 and it's all about TRH and TSH and how these two hormones impact thyroid function. You're probably already familiar with TSH which stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. TRH stands for thyrotropic releasing hormone and it is secreted by the hypothalamus. The job of TRH is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce TSH which then acts on your thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone. Problems with TRH may result in decreased TSH production which may cause falsely low levels of TSH and thyroid hormone in the body. The problem here is that with dysregulated TRH you still have the symptoms of hypothyroidism even though your TSH and free thyroid hormone levels look "normal". This means many people with TRH related issues may be misdiagnosed as "normal" even though they really do have thyroid problems. So what causes TRH dysfunction? I've listed 5 of the major causes below and you will find that they are quite common: #1. High stress or high cortisol. - Highly stressful situat

Today is lesson #18 and it's all about L-tyrosine supplementation! Does L-tyrosine help improve your thyroid function? Can taking it improve your adrenal function? Should you actually take it? We are going to explore all of these questions. L-tyrosine is a synthetic version of a protein known as tyrosine which can be taken as a supplement. Tyrosine is a protein in your body, created from phenylalanine, which your body uses to create several important hormones including melanin, epinephrine, and thyroxine (T4). Low levels of tyrosine can be seen in people who exhaust tyrosine stores in the body from stress and also from poor diet or a protein depleted diet. Low levels may then result in diminished thyroid and adrenal hormone and thus certain symptoms. But does taking tyrosine actually improve your symptoms? The answer is maybe. Tyrosine supplementation can be used to improve thyroid hormone (provided you have normal iodine levels) and works in many people with hypothyroidism. L-tyrosine levels

Today is lesson #17 and it's all about the best way to take thyroid medication. Should you take your thyroid medication in the morning? Should you take it in the evening? Should you split your dose? Should you take it on an empty stomach? All of these questions and more will be answered. First off... why does it matter when or how you take your thyroid medication? The first thing you should know is that in order for thyroid hormone to be activated it MUST be absorbed by your body. If it isn't absorbed then you won't feel better. When you take it or how you take it may alter how much is absorbed which may impact how you feel. What time of day that you take your medication matters: Newer studies have shown that taking your thyroid medication in the evening may actually help increase free thyroid hormone levels. This is felt to be because the GI tract is more active during the morning which means that you may not absorb as much of it at that time. In addition, many people drink coffee and caffeine i

Today is episode #16 and it's all about salivary cortisol testing! Should you get this test? Should you save your money? Is it actually useful? Let's talk about these questions. The main reason that most people get salivary cortisol testing is that they believe they have a condition known as adrenal fatigue but all other tests have come up as negative (usually serum cortisol). Does that mean that getting the salivary cortisol test is worth the money? I don't think so and here are 5 reasons why: #1. The results of your test don't necessarily change your treatment. Whether you have high or low cortisol the treatment is almost always the same. Focus on sleeping more, reducing your stress, eating a healthy diet and taking adrenal supplements. #2. Treatment is often cheaper than testing. The salivary cortisol test can run anywhere from $150 to $300 and insurance typically doesn't cover it. You can usually get supplements for a fraction of that price and eating a healthy diet, getting more sleep and ex

Today is all about your thyroid and hair loss. Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism often result in hair loss in many patients which can be a big struggle. Finding the cause of hair loss in your situation is incredibly important and can help you regrow your hair. I've created 4 main categories that lead to hair loss in thyroid patients that need to be evaluated in each case of hair loss: #1. Your thyroid medication dose. If your medication is too high or too high it may result in hair loss. Most people suffer from an insufficient dose or lower than normal free T3 levels which lead to hair loss. But some patients may have a suppressed TSH and high free T3 which can also contribute to hair loss. It's important to make sure your dose is in that Goldilocks range. #2. Your iron (or other nutrients) levels. Perhaps one of the most important factors for hair growth is your ferritin or iron level. Thyroid patients are at increased risk for iron deficiency (low ferritin) which will make growing your hair back imp

Today is all about exercising when you have thyroid problems. First, you need to understand how exercise impacts calorie burn in your body. There are 2 main ways that your body burns calories... The first is through your metabolism (of which about 60% is controlled by your thyroid) which accounts for around 70% of total calories burned and the other 30% is controlled through other activities such as exercise. Factors that influence your metabolism include your resting heart rate, thinking, breathing, sleeping and so on. Factors that you can control include the amount that you exercise and how active you are throughout the day. In many cases, patients accidentally damage their metabolism by overexercising which can cause issues to their thyroid. This means you have to be careful when you exercise because it causes stress to your body. This stress, if excessive, can also cause damage to other hormones such as cortisol. The proper amount of exercise can help increase your metabolism by increasing

This is lesson #13 and today is all about Optimal vs Normal ranges for thyroid lab tests. You can find the link to the complete article here as referenced in the video: https://www.restartmed.com/normal-thyroid-levels/ What is the difference between optimal and normal ranges when it comes to your thyroid? Normal refers to the standard reference range that the laboratory company creates based on the population. These ranges are generated from thousands of people of various ages and health status. If you look at the average person in our country you will notice that they are most likely NOT healthy and therefore not someone that you want to be compared against. Optimal, on the other hand, refers to the range that a normal healthy adult would be in assuming they have no medical or metabolic conditions. You want to compare yourself to this standard and NOT the normal standard. Looking at your labs in this way will provide you with 2 separate ranges, one that is broader (the reference range) and one th

Today is lesson #12 and it's all about what causes thyroid disease. Why does it matter what causes thyroid disease? If you can find the cause you can better target your treatment. Most doctors are only concerned with lab tests and not the causes of those problems, which means you may be unnecessarily treated for something that could be reversible. Thyroid Dysfunction vs Hypothyroidism: What's the difference? Thyroid dysfunction = thyroid hormone is not working properly at the cellular level but your body can still produce it. These are the top causes of thyroid dysfunction (remember they may be reversible): #1. Obesity - Just being overweight is enough to put strain on your thyroid (even as little as 10 pounds) #2. Calorie restriction or diets - as little as 1,200 calories per day x21 days #3. Nutrient deficiencies - Such as zinc, selenium and iodine - these are all required for your body to convert T4 into T3 #4. Insulin resistance/Leptin resistance - $5. Chronic illness & Infections - High bl

This is episode #11 in my thyroid video series and today is all about thyroid lab patterns! Lab patterns can give you important insight as to how your thyroid gland is functioning and they can be very confusing, especially for patients. In this video I go over 6 lab patterns which tend to be the most "confusing" because they may seem "normal" even though you may experience hypothyroid symptoms. 1. High TSH, normal T4, normal T3 = This is the pattern we've been discussing in this post and will usually present with hypothyroid symptoms. 2. High TSH, normal T4, low T3 = This pattern may be an indication that you are having issues with thyroid conversion and most often presents with hypothyroid symptoms. 3. Normal TSH, low T4, low T3 = This pattern is usually what is seen in those with chronic illness and in those who are taking multiple medications. If you have this pattern you will most likely be symptomatic. 4. Normal TSH, normal T4, low T3 = This pattern may be consistent with low T3 syndrome or e

Today is lesson #10 in my thyroid beginner series and it's all about Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This lesson is designed for those who are recently diagnosed and for those who want a basic overview of the disease! Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease which means that your body is attacking itself. This will eventually result in the entire destruction of your thyroid gland (if left untreated). But what causes hashimoto's? Hashimoto's is triggered by the following factors: + Stress, usually extreme (death of a family member, taking care of a dying family member, losing a job, divorce, etc.) + Infections, especially viral tend to trigger autoimmunity + Increased intestinal permeability + Genetic predisposition + High iodine intake + Environmental toxins + Food allergies, overgrowth syndromes and so on Hashimoto's is different from hypothyroidism because it is a CAUSE of hypothyroidism (but not the only cause). Patients with Hashimoto's also have an increased risk for developing certain conditions

This is lesson #9 in my thyroid beginner series and today it's all about NDT or natural desiccated thyroid! So what is NDT? Stands for Natural Desiccated Thyroid. This thyroid medication is porcine-derived which means it comes from the thyroid gland of pigs. It contains both the active T3 thyroid hormone and the inactive thyroid hormone T4. The ratio of T4 to T3 is around 76% T4 to 23% T3 which is roughly similar to the same amount that your thyroid gland produces naturally of 80:20. NDT is felt to be safer and more natural than other synthetic hormones such as Synthroid or Levothyroxine and other people believe it's the best thyroid medication. But is that actually true? There may be some truth to it, but your main goal should be to always find the best thyroid medication for YOU. Some of the problems with NDT include: - Many people take too much thyroid hormone which may cause issues - Dosing is static which means you can’t tweak the T4 and T3 concentrations. - May lead to variations in free T3