I’m so excited Carrie is sharing her powerful story of healing with my reader’s today. After receiving a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease, she took matters into her own hands. She used healthy food, natural supplements and essential oils to help her recover. 

As with any disease, it’s important to remember to not simply band-aid the symptoms with medication. Instead, it is critical to address the underlying cause by using complimentary therapies. So, I hope you enjoy these tips that Carrie shares to empower you on your healing journey! (And be sure to continue to follow her on her blog.)

Thyroid disease has become a major health issue. 30 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and it’s estimated that 14 million of those have Hashimoto’s disease. When I first read these stats, I was shocked! While we hear from the conventional community that there’s not much that can be done, I learned through my own experience that there are many things you can do to regain your health and live a symptom-free life. 

Reversing a chronic illness like thyroid disease is complex and often requires a long-term commitment to getting well. So, keep in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint!

And what about a game plan? Well, you have to have the right information to make a plan. Plus, I’ve got some great tools to get you going.

Here are 8 steps you can take to begin the healing process:

1. Eat a diet rich in omega-3s – Omega-3s help reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 intake should be between 2:1 and 1:1. This will maintain a healthy immune system and reduce inflammation. You can find omega-3s in foods like grass-fed butter, pastured/organic meats (beef, chicken, duck, lamb, etc.), wild fish (not farmed), organic eggs, unprocessed/pastured milk and cream, ghee and duck fat.

2. Exercise, but not too much – If you’re struggling with thyroid disease, you’re probably also dealing with inflammation. Strenuous exercise can induce inflammation, so it’s better to stick with yoga, pilates, walking, light weightlifting, etc.

3. Eat saturated fats at every meal – I could go on for days about the many benefits of saturated fats from the right sources: organic butter, coconut oil, ghee, lard, tallow, etc. In a nutshell, they help reduce inflammation and nourish the body. Here’s a fantastic resource with dozens of peer-reviewed studies demonstrating the health benefits of saturated fats.

4. Do a castor oil pack over your thyroid 3-4 times a week. Your liver is responsible for converting the thyroid hormone T4 to the active form T3. It is also responsible for balancing blood sugar in the body, as well as 500 other functions. Most people struggling with thyroid disease have some form of liver congestion. So, castor oil packs are an easy and economical way to gently detox the liver. 

5. Read my 20 Steps to Heal From Adrenal Fatigue and see what steps you can add to your daily regimen. Almost everyone with thyroid disease has some form of adrenal exhaustion. So, taking steps to reduce stress and give the body the raw materials it needs to keep the adrenals strong is very important.

6. Avoid intermittent fasting – While this is all the rage right now, most who are struggling with thyroid issues, need to avoid intermittent fasting because it puts too much strain on the adrenals and liver. Here’s a video Kim Schuette, CN, and I did on this topic. 

7. Reduce your sugar consumption – Sugar causes inflammation in the body and puts strain on the entire endocrine system. If you find the sugar habit hard to kick, make a batch of these buttermints and you’ll see your sugar cravings slowly subside. I know it sounds like a gimmick. However, every Nutritional Therapy client that I’ve recommended these to comes back saying they worked like a charm!

8. Drop the gluten and grains – When grains enter the body, they cause the insulin levels in the blood to rise. When they are eaten in excess over time, the body becomes overtaxed, and eventually the excessive grains can cause inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of autoimmune disease. A grain-free diet rich in nourishing foods gives the body time to rest, heal and reduce inflammation.

If the list is overwhelming, think about finding just one change or resource each week. After about 6 months, you’ll have made a wealth of changes. Plus, you will hopefully be on your way to better health!

If you’d like an additional 42 ways to heal your thyroid sent to your inbox, click here. I think you’ll find the list incredibly helpful!

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Carrie is the author of the successful cooking blog, DeliciouslyOrganic.net, and two cookbooks, Deliciously Organic and The Grain-Free Family Table. As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Carrie is particularly passionate in helping those who are struggling with thyroid disease and other autoimmune issues. She personally struggled with health issues for years, but after turning to an unprocessed grain-free diet, a variety of detox therapies, and addressing the root cause of heavy metal toxicity, she was able to help her and her family reverse Hashimoto’s Disease, severe asthma, eczema, IBS and migraines.