Podcasts about thyroid debacle

Explore Dr. Eric Balcavage's revolutionary insights into thyroid health, cellular stress, and the misunderstood root causes behind hypothyroid symptoms.Dr. Jen Pfleghaar speaks with Dr. Eric Balcavage, a nationally recognized educator and founder of a functional medicine clinic, about "The Thyroid Debacle." They dive deep into why both conventional and functional medicine often misinterpret thyroid symptoms, delaying diagnosis and leading to mismanagement. Dr. Balcavage explains how chronic stress triggers an adaptive response at the cellular level that mimics hypothyroid symptoms, long before the gland itself is damaged. Learn about the cell danger response, why blasting the body with thyroid hormones can backfire, and how to truly address the root causes of hormonal and metabolic dysfunction.Dr. Eric Balcavage owns and founded Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is a licensed chiropractor, author of The Thyroid Debacle, and host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast. Dr. Balcavage is a nationally recognized speaker on thyroid dysfunction, cellular health, and metabolic disorders. His work centers on identifying stress-induced adaptations in the body that drive chronic illness, especially hypothyroidism and autoimmune conditions.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drericbalcavage PODCAST: Thank you for listening please subscribe and share! Shop supplements: https://healthybydrjen.shop/CHECK OUT a list of my Favorite products here: https://www.healthybydrjen.com/drjenfavorites FOLLOW ME:Instagram :: https://www.instagram.com/integrativedrmom/Facebook :: https://www.facebook.com/integrativedrmomYouTube :: https://www.youtube.com/@integrativedrmom FTC: Some links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I truly appreciate your support of my channel. Thank you for watching! Video is not sponsored. DISCLAIMER: This podcast does not contain any medical or health related diagnosis or treatment advice. Content provided on this podcast is for informational purposes only. For any medical or health related advice, please consult with a physician or other healthcare professionals. Further, information about specific products or treatments within this podcast are not to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Today, I am blessed to have Dr. Eric Balcavage here with me. He is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen. Dr. Balcavage is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering from thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions. Dr. Balcavage received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, Iowa in 1995 and has been in practice since 1996. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. Dr. Balcavage is Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and a Certified Nutrition Specialist. He spends hundreds of hours every year advancing his knowledge base on functional medicine, thyroid physiology, functional neurology, immune system function, hormone function, and regenerative therapies. Dr. Balcavage's quest for advanced research and training is the result of his passion and determination to help patients who have been unable to heal and recover from chronic illness in the Allopathic medical model. Dr. Balcavage has studied under and consulted with several experts in Functional Medicine over the years, including renowned thyroid expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian and methylation expert Dr. Ben Lynch. Dr. Balcavage trains and consults with hundreds of doctors on topics such as Thyroid physiology, GI physiology, Organic acid testing, and Methylation. He also lectures locally and around the country on numerous other health conditions. His Functional Medicine Center has always been on the cutting edge of health care and science. Currently, he devotes his practice to treating patients with thyroid disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes/ insulin resistance, autoimmune & inflammatory disorders, and other metabolic challenges. In this episode, Dr. Balcavage dives into the intricate world of thyroid physiology and its profound impact on overall health. Focusing on understanding thyroid allostasis, he challenges conventional perspectives on thyroid dysfunction, emphasizing the role of adaptive responses to cellular stress. Dr. Balcavage explores the potential for thyroid recovery, advocating for a nuanced approach to medication use and highlighting the body's remarkable capacity for healing and adaptation. Additionally, he explores the intricate interplay between thyroid hormone, mitochondrial function, and cellular stress adaptation, shedding light on the complexities of maintaining optimal thyroid health.  Resources from this episode:  Rejuvagen: https://rejuvagencenter.com/ The Thyroid Debacle: https://amzn.to/3DalW7K  Thyroid Answers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thyroid-answers-podcast/id1189585193 Follow Dr. Eric Balcavage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rejuvagencenter/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askdrbalcavage

In this episode of the Fusionary Health podcast, Dr. Shivani Gupta interviews Dr. Eric Balcavage, a chiropractor and functional medicine expert, to discuss thyroid health issues, especially in women. Dr. Balcavage, author of "The Thyroid Debacle" and host of the "Thyroid Answers Podcast," offers his insights into the causes of thyroid problems, such as iodine deficiency and thyroiditis, and the impact of various stressors.   What You'll Learn:   Root Causes of Thyroid Problems: Understand the common causes like iodine deficiency and thyroiditis and how they affect thyroid health.   Stress and Thyroid Health: Learn how different stressors, including emotional, dietary, and environmental factors, contribute to thyroid issues.   Functional vs. Conventional Medicine: Gain insights into the differences between functional and allopathic medicine approaches to thyroid health.   Adaptive Response Theory: Discover Dr. Balcavage's view that thyroid downregulation is an adaptive response to cell stress, not just a hormone deficiency.   Comprehensive Health Approaches: Explore the importance of a balanced diet, gut health, and addressing underlying stressors to support thyroid function and overall well-being.   Medication vs. Natural Healing: Learn about the potential issues with thyroid hormone treatments and the emphasis on natural healing and addressing root causes.   Why You Should Watch:   Expert Insights: Hear from Dr. Eric Balcavage, a leading expert in functional medicine, as he shares his unique perspective on thyroid health.   Personal Experiences: Dr. Shivani Gupta shares her own experiences with thyroid medication, providing a relatable context for the discussion.   Holistic Approach: Understand the importance of a comprehensive and integrative approach to thyroid health and overall wellness.   Actionable Advice: Get practical tips on how to support your thyroid health through diet, lifestyle, and stress management.   Empowering Knowledge: Empower yourself with knowledge to make informed decisions about your thyroid health and find the right practitioner for your needs.   Join us for this enlightening conversation that not only sheds light on the complexities of thyroid health but also emphasizes the importance of a holistic and personalized approach to wellness. Whether you're dealing with thyroid issues or looking to optimize your overall health, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice to help you on your journey. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from experts and take control of your health!   Learn more about our host visit: www.shivanigupta.com   Show sponsored by Fusionary Formulas. Visit www.fusionaryformulas.com use code FUSIONARYHEALTH for 15% off your entire order.   #ThyroidHealth #FunctionalMedicine #HolisticHealth #DrEricBalcavage #ThyroidHealing #IodineDeficiency #Thyroiditis #StressManagement #GutHealth #NaturalHealing #IntegrativeMedicine #WellnessJourney #ThyroidRecovery #RootCause #HealthTips #HormoneBalance #HealthyLifestyle #MedicalInsights #ThyroidAwareness #FusionaryHealthPodcast  

Today, I am blessed to have Dr. Eric Balcavage here with me. He is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen. Dr. Balcavage is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering from thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions. Dr. Balcavage received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, Iowa in 1995 and has been in practice since 1996. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. Dr. Balcavage is Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and a Certified Nutrition Specialist. He spends hundreds of hours every year advancing his knowledge base on functional medicine, thyroid physiology, functional neurology, immune system function, hormone function, and regenerative therapies. Dr. Balcavage's quest for advanced research and training is the result of his passion and determination to help patients who have been unable to heal and recover from chronic illness in the Allopathic medical model.  Dr. Balcavage has studied under and consulted with several experts in Functional Medicine over the years, including renowned thyroid expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian and methylation expert Dr. Ben Lynch. Dr. Balcavage trains and consults with hundreds of doctors on topics such as Thyroid physiology, GI physiology, Organic acid testing, and Methylation. He also lectures locally and around the country on numerous other health conditions.  His Functional Medicine Center has always been on the cutting edge of health care and science. Currently, he devotes his practice to treating patients with thyroid disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes/ insulin resistance, autoimmune & inflammatory disorders, and other metabolic challenges. In this episode, Dr. Balcavage dives into the intricate world of thyroid physiology and its profound impact on overall health. Focusing on understanding thyroid allostasis, he challenges conventional perspectives on thyroid dysfunction, emphasizing the role of adaptive responses to cellular stress. Dr. Balcavage explores the potential for thyroid recovery, advocating for a nuanced approach to medication use and highlighting the body's remarkable capacity for healing and adaptation. Additionally, he explores the intricate interplay between thyroid hormone, mitochondrial function, and cellular stress adaptation, shedding light on the complexities of maintaining optimal thyroid health. Plus, Dr. Balcavage discusses the importance of embracing dietary diversity and a holistic approach to nutrition for supporting thyroid function. Tune in as he explores the intricacies of stool test analysis and gut health restoration, emphasizing the need for individualized interpretation and addressing underlying factors contributing to dysbiosis and immune dysfunction. Through his insights, Dr. Balcavage provides a comprehensive understanding of thyroid health and offers valuable guidance for achieving optimal well-being.

In this episode of the Thyroid Answers Podcast I bring back my friend and co-author of The Thyroid Debacle, Dr. Kelly Halderman to answer your questions. Some of the topics covered include: Can T3 medication cause weight gain? Can a person treat their hypothyroidism on their own? Can you get off thyroid medication? Are there foods that cause hypothyroidism? Do they need to be removed forever? Are food sensitivity panels valid? And so much more ... Check out this episode. If you have questions that you would like covered on a future episode of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, submit them to office@rejuvagencenter.com.

In today's episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage joins the conversation for a deep-dive into thyroid health. Dr. Eric is a doctor of chiropractic, board certified in integrative medicine, certified functional medicine practitioner, and certified gluten coach. He is the founder and owner of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine practice in Pennsylvania. Dr. Eric is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and thyroid physiology. He is so passionate about the thyroid that he co-wrote the book The Thyroid Debacle, which was published in 2022. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering from thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions. Dr. Eric also has a podcast, 'Thyroid Answers Podcast', where he cohosts a rather compelling show. Today's topics: - Dr. Eric's journey into Functional Medicine - Fundamentals of thyroid function - Understanding the cell danger response - Insights into cellular hypothyroidism - Comprehensive perspectives on thyroid health, emphasizing a holistic approach over what Dr. Eric terms as the simplistic "whack a mole" method with laboratory results. This is a show you will not want to miss and will likely listen to more than once. Let's dive in! Connect with Dr. Eric: Website: https://rejuvagencenter.com/ Thyroid Answers Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Vl5OrcIuvALZS23KGdrhu?si=022003e604384e02 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@askdrbalcavage Get Dr. Eric's book: https://amzn.to/3Sfpg5u Do you live in Indiana? Schedule a free consultation on my website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http⁠s://thefunctionalnursepractitioner.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ** Subscribe to our Newsletter: ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuMTXJiLp1u6eNSQBJ6RqxJ1776z7cV7l55dkXzkj8lZYfrQ/viewform?usp=sf_link⁠ ** Interested in Masterclasses? ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2seKJ-m6xTeVwa8BVDQQekSzc6iYhS3IHLOVbWTWHUSZ7ZQ/viewform?usp=sf_link⁠ ** Get The Free Gluten-Free Guide: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAablKVoiwsbQPFRMel2GN0pL99AzYhBDm-TOGkdLoTZ-6Rg/viewform?usp=sf_link ** Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/⁠/www.instagram.com/thefunctionalnursepractitioner/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ** Follow on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thefunctionalnursepractitioner ** Follow me Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thefunctionalnursepractitioner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ** Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thefunctionalnursepractitioner@hotmail.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ** Dining With Tara: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DiningWithTara⁠⁠ ** Level up your products: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Try Thrive Market here: 40% off 1st order using my link ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://thrv.me/Hqxrfu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Just a quick disclaimer that this podcast is meant for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or be a substitute for medical advice from your practitioner. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of anything you heard on the podcast or on my website.

Dr. Troy Spurrill of the Synapse Center for Health and Healing talks about fats. The good ones and the not so good ones. The second half of the show he answers listener questions. Dr. Troy mentions this book "The Thyroid Debacle." Dr. Troy's non-profit is State of Grace Foundation. Find out more here. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here

Check out my program Clear Your Thyroid Blocks. The Case:  Molly has Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's  She feels exhausted and foggy from the moment she wakes up. She's been taking thyroid medicine for a while and has not noticed much improvement in her energy or mental clarity. The Investigation When I met Molly and reviewed her labs, I noticed right away that she was not supported for her thyroid type. This meant that although she was on medicine, her cells were not getting what they needed. I knew exactly where we needed to look to solve her health mystery. Looking Beyond TSH Levels When someone is first diagnosed with a thyroid issue, it is usually because they have had a lab test showing their TSH is out of range. But, there is so much more to understanding and treating a thyroid issue than the TSH levels. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Eric Balcavage about this and the intricacies of thyroid function. Dr. Balcavage is the host of The Thyroid Answers Podcast and co-author of The Thyroid Debacle.  To fully understand the impact of a thyroid imbalance, you must look at the journey of thyroid hormones from production to absorption and their critical role in cellular activities. Dr. Balcavage eloquently explains the cellular dynamics, likening cells to people in either manufacturing or defense mode. He highlighted the significance of T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, and how its absorption into cells influences the delicate balance between energy production and cell defense mechanisms. This conversation sheds light on the often overlooked aspect of thyroid health—absorption—and provides valuable insights into why individuals might still experience suboptimal well-being despite having sufficient thyroid hormones. Understanding these nuances is crucial for anyone seeking a holistic approach to thyroid care. Decoding Functional Thyroid Ranges and Unveiling the Root Causes One critical aspect often overlooked in medicine is the interpretation of lab values. It is a common misconception that as long as thyroid levels fall within the functional or optimal range, they are deemed satisfactory. This is something I talk about often in this podcast and Dr. Balcavage agrees, emphasizing that optimal ranges don't necessarily equate to appropriateness for an individual's unique health profile. In this episode, we explore scenarios where seemingly normal TSH levels could mask underlying issues, such as inflammation-induced TSH suppression or hypothalamic saturation due to excessive T4 intake.  The pitfalls of solely focusing on T3 supplementation without unraveling the root causes of impaired T4 to T3 conversion are not to be ignored. Dr. Balcavage explains the importance of investigating whether a genuine inability to convert exists or if the issue stems from inflammatory and stress responses, shedding light on the nuanced complexities of thyroid health.  Chronic Stress and “Multisystem Adaptive Disorders” Stress and other triggers can cause a cell danger response. Dr. Balcavage provides insights into how this response manifests differently based on its duration and the impacted tissues and systems. He further explains that the cell danger response is not unfamiliar to most, as we've all experienced it transiently during times of illness or stress. However, for some, this response becomes chronic, creating a new operating system laden with symptoms and imbalances. This can lead to cellular repercussions—weight gain despite a balanced diet, glucose resistance, hormone dysregulation, and diminished parasympathetic function, among others. Cumulative stress and poor recovery can also have a major impact which Dr. Balcavage likens to adding incremental weights to a fragile plank. He emphasizes that it's not always the result of a single, dramatic stressor like a specific infection or toxin. Instead, it often stems from the relentless accumulation of life stressors, each contributing to the breaking point. Drawing parallels, we explore scenarios where both constant, gradual stressors and sudden, impactful events can trigger the cell danger response – something he refers to as "multisystem adaptive disorder." Rather than focusing on singular diagnoses, he underscores the importance of identifying ongoing stressors and promoting recovery to facilitate true healing. This is why he believes that fixing the symptoms without addressing the underlying adaptive responses is a misguided approach. Stress Triggers in Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's I talk a lot about Hahimoto's four triggers and one of them is stress. However, there are a myriad of stressors to consider. It is essential to dig a little deeper so you can identify and mitigate these stressors. Once these stressors are addressed the next crucial step is switching off the persistent cell danger response. Dr. Balcavage underscores the critical role of seemingly mundane factors that profoundly influence our physiological state. Breathing, diet, sleep, and mindset emerged as the unsung heroes in the journey towards optimal health. He illuminates the fact that our cells can remain entrenched in a stress response, even after the external stressors diminish, emphasizing the need for deliberate interventions. Contrary to the allure of quick fixes and flashy supplement solutions, Dr. Balcavage emphasizes the power of foundational lifestyle factors.  Embracing Emotional Fitness So often, we focus on physical adjustments to our routines without taking into account the importance of our emotional fitness including dealing with emotional stressors and conscious thoughts that can shape our physiological responses. Often, we are unaware of our thought patterns and their impact on our health.  Limiting beliefs and imprints acquired during the formative years of our lives are often embedded in the subconscious during the Theta state. Dr. Balcavage and I explore the significance of unraveling these deep-seated beliefs, emphasizing their influence on the stories we tell ourselves as an important step toward improving emotional fitness. It's important to adopt tools tailored to individual needs for managing emotional stress. Whether it's the DNRS method, the map method, meditation, or other techniques, the key is finding what resonates with each person. Recognizing individual emotional triggers and how they show up in our environment; presenting subtle cues that can lead to a patterned emotional response. Dr. Balcavage believes that a shift in the thought process is more powerful and important than simply suppressing symptoms with supplements.  Choosing this paradigm shift allows individuals to approach life events with resilience and a growth-oriented mindset. Dr. Balcavage challenges the idea that good or bad events inherently shape our lives. Instead, he advocates for interpreting these experiences as opportunities for learning and growth. The journey towards emotional fitness involves acknowledging the inevitability of stress, embracing a brief pity party, and then strategically leveraging each experience as a stepping stone toward a better, more empowered life. Tools for Decreasing Stress There are many diverse modalities and tools designed to improve our mental, emotional, and energetic health. Everyone's journey is different so it's best to try different approaches to find the one that resonates with you. One approach that Dr. Balcavage shares in this episode is the Apollo Neuro—a wearable device that uses vibrational technology to alter brainwave frequencies. This device, placed on the wrist, serves as an accessible and practical tool for individuals seeking to manage stress, improve sleep, and enhance focus.  Another useful tool that we discuss is breathwork, particularly when done with the guidance of HeartMath. HeartMath is a device that monitors the heart and guides breathing based on your heart rate. This tool really drives home the biochemistry connection to our breath and our stress.  A Holistic Approach The more we discuss stress and other root causes of thyroid issues, the more it becomes obvious that a holistic approach to health is needed. We can't just treat the symptoms. We need to consider the interconnectedness of stress, our mind, and our biochemistry in order to navigate our way to optimal health.  Mystery Solved Taking this holistic approach with Molly meant we had to look at her thyroid type, which was ‘unavailable'. We worked on balancing other hormones and dealt with her stress response.  By approaching her thyroid issues more holistically (and not just treating the symptoms with medication) we were able to get great results.  If you're dealing with similar issues as Molly, then consider a holistic approach by starting with how your thoughts might be creating a biochemical reaction.  Thoughts don't just circle around in our heads. Each thought has a frequency and in this world where everything is energy, the frequency really matters because it creates your reality. When we're not mindful of what's happening in our thoughts, we end up with more stress. This additional stress increases the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) which can trigger thyroid issues and cause a Hashimoto's flare-up. It can also impact other autoimmune diseases because cortisol causes inflammation - and if we are in chronic stress, the cell response becomes normalized.  You can change this.  The quickest way to change it is to clear what is not serving you. Start by noticing negative self-talk and then stopping yourself from engaging in negative self-talk. This is key because negative self-talk has a negative vibration as does emotional responses like worry, shame, guilt, frustration, and anger (for example). While we don't want to suppress our emotions—we need to feel them—but once we have felt them, we need to ask whether they are still serving us and if they aren't then we need to clear them and replace them with positive emotions that will serve us.  Dealing with your emotional thyroid blocks requires intentional effort which is exactly what I share with you in my program Clear Your Thyroid Blocks. If diet, medication, and supplementation are only doing part of the job, this can be your missing piece.   Learn more here: www.thyroidmysterysolved.com/thyroidblocks Eliminating Health Mysteries For Molly, we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help her regain her health. Could this be the missing clue for you or someone in your life? Check out Clearing Your Thyroid Blocks to find out. www.thyroidmysterysolved.com/thyroidblocks   Links: Resources mentioned Thanks to my guest Dr. Eric Balcavage. You can connect with him through his website and social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rejuvagencenter Instagram: @drericbalcavage Suggested Products www.thyroidmysterysolved.com/thyroidblocks Related Podcast Episodes: 111 What Is Your Thyroid Type? (and How to Manage It) 105 The Biggest Hidden Food Trigger for Hashimoto's and Autoimmune Diseases You Need to Know 125 The Super Simple Mindset Shift to Help Hashimoto's 155 The Surprising Blocks to Your Thyroid and Autoimmune Health (and How to Clear Them Fast) Thanks for Listening If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows but also helps more people find this important information. Never miss an episode -  Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solved with host, Inna Topiler on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts, and remember to rate and review the show! Find out more at http://healthmysteriessolved.com PLEASE NOTE All information, content, and material on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Some of the links provided are affiliate links. This means we may make a very small amount of money should you choose to buy after clicking on them. This will in no way affect the price of the product but it helps us a tiny bit in covering our expenses.   

In this episode, I am speaking with Dr. Eric Balcavage, who is a renowned thyroid health expert and author of the Thyroid Debacle. He also lectures around the country on various health topics including stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, thyroid dysfunction, methylation dysfunction, and more. 

Welcome back to another episode of The Hormone Prescription Podcast, the go-to resource for midlife women seeking to better understand their hormones and how to navigate this often-challenging stage of life. Today, we are honored to have the brilliant Dr. Eric Balcavage as our guest.    Dr. Balcavage is the proud owner and founder of Rejuvagen and has made exceptional strides in the world of functional medicine, earning him a reputable position as a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania. Drawing upon his wealth of knowledge and years of experience in the field, Dr. Balcavage will be diving deep into the truths behind thyroid physiology and the shortcomings of the current medical model.    In this eye-opening episode, get ready to learn about: - The crucial role that thyroid physiology plays in our everyday lives, particularly for midlife women - The complexity of bile physiology, and what it has to do with hormonal balance - The decisive factors that influence detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness    Here's a taste of Dr. Balcavage's wisdom from the episode: "Understanding thyroid physiology is paramount for midlife women, as changes in hormonal balance can directly affect our overall well-being."    Dr. Balcavage's journey into understanding thyroid physiology began when he encountered a staggering number of patients who were continually misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to the restrictive parameters of the current medical model. Inspired by the undeniable need for a more comprehensive approach, he set out on a quest to dig deeper into human physiology and develop a more refined understanding of hormonal challenges that midlife women face, specifically thyroid disorders.    Throughout this episode, Dr. Balcavage shares personal anecdotes, professional insights, and invaluable advice on how to take control of your hormonal health. Armed with these enlightening perspectives, you will be better equipped to advocate for yourself in navigating the current medical model—which, as Dr. Balcavage bluntly puts it: "The traditional medical model's approach to thyroid health is flawed. It's far too narrowly focused, ineffectual, and doesn't paint the full picture."    So, join us on The Hormone Prescription Podcast as we pull back the curtain on the state of thyroid healthcare, empowering you, our midlife women listeners, to push past the constraints of the current medical model and embark on a journey toward better health and vitality. Don't miss this transformative episode with Dr. Eric Balcavage!    Remember to subscribe, rate, and leave a review for future episodes, and always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen. Until next time, stay tuned for more empowering conversations on The Hormone Prescription Podcast!   Speaker 1 (00:00): The thyroid debacle. Why the current medical model is keeping you sick and unwell. Stay tuned to hear Dr. Eric Balcavage with his unique perspective. Speaker 2 (00:11): So the big question is, how do women over 40 like us, keep weight off, have great energy, balance our hormones and our moods, feel sexy and confident, and master midlife? If you're like most of us, you are not getting the answers you need and remain confused and pretty hopeless to ever feel like yourself again. As an O B G Y N, I had to discover for myself the truth about what creates a rock solid metabolism, lasting weight loss, and supercharged energy after 40, in order to lose a hundred pounds and fix my fatigue. Now I'm on a mission. This podcast is designed to share the natural tools you need for impactful results and to give you clarity on the answers to your midlife metabolism challenges. Join me for tangible, natural strategies to crush the hormone imbalances you are facing and help you get unstuck from the sidelines of life. My name is Dr. Kyrin Dunston. Welcome to the Hormone Prescription Podcast. Speaker 1 (01:04): Hi everybody. Welcome to another episode of the Hormone Prescription with Dr. Kyrin. Thank you so much for joining me today. As we are going to talk about the thyroid debacle. Dr. Eric is a chiropractor who's functional medicine trained who really has a unique way of articulating the difficulties with thyroid management, not only in traditional corporate allopathic medic medicine or medical model, but in a functional medicine model model. This is where a lot of us actually get it wrong too, because we just change trying to chase T four. We're trying to chase T three. And a lot of practitioners don't look to identify and address the underlying root cause of thyroid disorders, which you must do if you're going to fix thyroid disorders once and for all. So Dr. Eric has written a book, the Thyroid Debacle, and he has a very unique perspective about a cell danger response that you're going to want to hear about. Speaker 1 (02:08): There's a lot of information here. It's very dense. He talks very quickly. So if you don't catch it all, you might wanna play it a little more slowly than usual so you can hear everything. But there's lots of good information in here, and we're gonna tell you the top three steps to start taking to address your thyroid problems. And he talks a lot about testing and so much else in this episode. So I'll tell you a little bit about him and then we'll get started. So Dr. Eric Balcavage is an actually recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, biophysiology detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness. He's a functional medicine practitioner and a licensed chiropractor in Pennsylvania and is the owner and founder of rejuven, a functional medicine clinic in Chads Ford, pa. Welcome Dr. Eric to the show. Well, thanks Speaker 3 (03:04): For having me. How you doing? Speaker 1 (03:05): I'm doing great. How are you doing today? Speaker 3 (03:08): I'm doing fantastic. So Speaker 1 (03:09): We are gonna talk about one of my favorite topics, thyroid, because that's one of the things that kept me stuck for years. 243 pounds with all my chronic health problems. And I kept thinking, I know I've got to have a thyroid problem. I have the top five symptoms, right? I'm overweight, I'm tired. I had hair loss, constipation, anxiety, and a host of other things. But every time I would do the standard thyroid profile as a board certified ob, G Y N, it would come back, quote unquote normal. And I started thinking I was crazy. And I even remember the last time Dr. Eric that I went to my internal medicine doctor and I said to her, I have to have a thyroid problem. Look at me. And she yelled at me and she said, fine, we're gonna check it one last time. But if it's normal, then it's just because you eat too much and you don't exercise enough that you're having all these problems. Speaker 1 (04:09): And she made me come to her office to get the lab results 'cause she was so fed up with me. And many people listening can probably relate to that because so many patients really do have low thyroid, but the tests come back normal. And I remember when I went to her office and drove across town that Tuesday, it was just starting to rain, and I was so afraid she was gonna tell me it was normal again. And that's exactly what she told me. And she yelled at me and said, you just eat too much and don't exercise enough. And I went in my car and closed the door and the rain was coming down and I started crying because I thought, I'm just crazy. There's really nothing wrong with me. And I know there's somebody listening right now who thinks that, so let's get into thyroid, the thyroid debacle, and how my story was not at all unique. It's actually very common. Do you wanna talk about that? Speaker 3 (05:01): Yeah, I, I think a huge problem for a lot of people is that we assume that two tests and ma many times, one test assess the state of thyroid physiology in the whole body. So most people, if they have, they're tired, they're fatigued, they're gaining weight, they're constipated, they have depression, anxiety, irritability, they have all these symptoms and they Google them, they go, sounds like a thyroid condition since your thyroid hormone drives the metabolism of the body. And so if you have the signs and symptoms and you get tested in a traditional allopathic model, what allopathic physicians have been trained to do much like yourself is to assess to run one test. And many times it's called A T S H, but many physicians will run a T S H with a reflex to free T four. And so what they're looking at is this marker, T S H. Speaker 3 (05:55): If that's out of the normal lab reference range, then there's a possibility based on the model that somebody might have either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. If the T s H is elevated, they might have hypothyroidism where their thyroid gland can't make enough thyroid hormone. And if it's below the lab reference range, then they might have hypothyroidism. And if it's, if the value's outta the reference range, then the lab automatically runs what they call a free T four test. And T four is the primary hormone that's made by the thyroid gland. So what they wanna see is if the T s H is high, is it because there's the thyroid glands not making enough T four, or if the T s H is lab low, is it because there's too much thyroid hormone being made? But if you have tired fatigue, all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, they're looking to see is that T S H high and the free T four low. Speaker 3 (06:46): And they're assuming that as long as the values are with TSH is within that reference range, that there isn't a thyroid problem that they can address. And their primary reason for that is in allopathic world, they're typically not re recommended all the guidelines, you've read them all, I'm sure the guidelines don't recommend intervention with thyroid hormone replacement until the gland is damaged or destroyed to a point that it can't make sufficient thyroid hormone anymore. Until that happens, until there's overt glandular dysfunction, the general recommendations aren't to provide thyroid hormone. And so they'll say, Hey, they're your thyroid's fine. The thyroid gland could be fine. But what causes hypothyroid signs and symptoms is less about the gland and more about what's happening inside your individual cells and tissues, which isn't fully represented by A T S H in a free T four. And that's where most people struggle and have problems. Speaker 3 (07:51): So to back it up for your listeners, you have trillions of cells in your body. They're like people. They need to bring nutrition into the cell and then turn that food energy into cellular energy so they can make proteins and peptides and hormones and all kinds of good stuff, hair and skin and all this stuff that makes us feel and function well. And T three is a, is the active thyroid hormone that really drives that process. So we have this gland that's right underneath our chin in the middle of our neck and it's, it's called our thyroid gland. And when it gets stimulated, when the body senses that there's more thyroid hormone is needed, the pituitary gland generates a hormone called T ss h thyroid stimulating hormone, it signal it goes to the thyroid gland, and that triggers more hormone production. The thyroid gland primarily makes T four, that's the primary circulating hormone. Speaker 3 (08:50): It's in a, it's a less active hormone. It still has activity, but it's less active what the cells do with that T four. Once that T four enters the bloodstream and a little bit of the active form, T three enters the bloodstream, but it's really at a ratio of about 10 to one, eight to one maybe. But that thyroid hormone enters into the bloodstream then like almost all hormones in the body, it gets docked onto a, like an like a taxi cab. We call 'em binding globulins. And they get escorted through the bloodstream to the cells and tissues that need hormone. Once they get to a cell or tissue that needs hormone, the hormones become free of that binding globulin or get outta the taxi cab. And now they can get it, get to the cell. Once those hormones are at the cell, then there's another step the cells have to determine do they want more hormone or not want more hormone. Speaker 3 (09:43): If it's a cell that's in low stress manufacturing mode, it's gonna bring T four in maybe a little bit of T three in, and it's going to convert the T four into T three. That T three goes to the receptors inside the nucleus, inside the mitochondria, and turns on the manufacturing process so that the cell can generate the energy, can bring glucose in other nutrients in, and make the stuff that makes us feel good. That requires a lot of energy. So we burn glucose, we burn fats, we feel and function good, we're able to maintain our weight. And then when we have enough metabolism, those cells say, okay, I'm gonna slow this process down. It can kind of bring less thyroid hormone in or deactivate the thyroid hormone to slow the metabolism back down. That's how it should work. And that's what we call homeostasis. Speaker 3 (10:34): But for a lot of people, they've got some type of dangerous physiology going on. There's stress, there's inflammation, there's infections, there's toxins, there's organisms that are impacting a cell. And if the cell is starting to perceive danger, because if there's a bacteria or a virus or some toxicity, that cell innately says, whoa, we need to shift from manufacturing and shift our attention to cell defense. We need to make more inflammatory chemicals. We need to ramp up the immune system to find the threat and kill it. And the dimmer switch to determines whether we're in manufacturing mode, high metabolism, making hair and skin and hormones, or whether we're in cell defense mechanism is the amount of thyroid hormone in the cell. The amount of T three in the cell can turn on the manufacturing, but higher levels of T three in the cell can also turn off the immune inflammatory process. Speaker 3 (11:29): But if I have, if I have a cell stress or cell danger response going on, I don't wanna increase the manufacturing. I don't wanna make more sex hormones. I don't wanna make more proteins and peptides that could support the threat. I don't wanna bring more glucose into the cell that could support the threat. I wanna slow the metabolism down, I wanna ramp up the defense mechanisms. And to do that, the cell reduces the amount of T three in the cell, slows down the mitochondria, reduces glucose coming into the cell, ramps up inflammation so it can fine and just dam and destroy mm-hmm. The threat. Mm-Hmm. And that okay, unfortunately causes hypothyroid symptoms even if you have a perfectly functioning thyroid gland and plenty of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. So Speaker 1 (12:12): Are you talking about subclinical hypothyroidism where T S H is in the quote unquote normal range? And so is T three and T four? Is that what you're talking about? Speaker 3 (12:22): So you could have hypothyroid signs and symptoms and have a perfectly normal T S H. It could be a low T ss H and still have hypothyroid signs and symptoms. Mm-Hmm. . So if somebody has the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, then we have to look at a more comprehensive thyroid panel to assess is that, is there a reduced conversion of T four to T three? And then we want to take the next steps, like if there is a reduced conversion of T four to T three, are there inflammatory mechanisms that would be driving that process? And then we also wanna consider what tissues are being, IM impacted by that immune inflammatory process. Speaker 1 (13:00): Okay. Let's back up a minute. 'cause I know we got very granular, very fast and we probably lost some people. So I wanna back up a little bit and take a little bit wider view. Your book is called The Thyroid Debacle, why the Current Medical Model is Keeping You Sick and Unwell. And before we started recording, you were talking about how your approach to thyroid disorders is different. And so you were talking about what allopathic medicine does, what a root cause functional approach is, and then going beyond. So I think that would be great for everyone to hear. Do you wanna talk a little bit about what the thyroid debacle is? Speaker 3 (13:38): Yeah, I think it's the fact, I think it goes to the fact that we treaties every person that has hypothyroid signs and symptoms or actually has hypothyroidism as if they're in that state, we call homeostasis that if we're just gonna give them thyroid hormone, it's gonna do what we wanted to do. Whether it's T four or T three, we assume it's gonna work inside the cells and it doesn't work the same if we're in homeostasis versus allostasis. So we have to change our thinking as clinicians and, and stop thinking that the immune system's outta control and destroying the gland for no apparent reason, or that this body forgot how to convert T four to T three. And if I just flood the system with T four and T three, it's gonna work the way I should. We have to, as clinicians start to understand and explain to our patients that they're not broken, their bodies are adapting to some type of excessive cell stress response. Speaker 3 (14:31): And if we address the things that are causing the excessive cell stress, that's how you get their body to convert T four to T three efficiently. That's how they get their immune system to stop damaging and destroying their thyroid gland. I think we make the mistake in, especially in functional and integrative medicine, that it's the reason that people don't feel well is, is because they can't convert T four to T three versus they're adaptively doing that and giving them T three can provide a just another drug providing a temporary fix, but it doesn't address the root issues. Speaker 1 (15:09): Yeah. So you talk about hypothyroidism as a spectrum disorder. What do you mean by that? Speaker 3 (15:15): In allopathic medicine, and even to some degree in functional medicine, we consider that hypothyroidism starts when the gland can't make thyroid hormone anymore. T S h's lab high T four, free T four is lab low. That's when hypothyroidism starts. We might ev, and that's not when hypothyroid starts, in my opinion, that's the end stage of hypothyroidism. What the literature shows is that by the time you're diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism, you've lost 90% of the function of your thyroid gland. So that's not the beginning. That's like saying cardiovascular disease starts when you have your first heart attack or diabe blood sugar dysregulation starts when you get diagnosis di di with diabetes. Everything's a process in the body. So my thought process and my hypothesis is that hypothyroidism typically starts at the individual cell and tissue level, not at the thyroid gland level. So that's why somebody like you says, Hey, I'm tired, fatigued, I don't feel well, I have hypothyroid signs and symptoms, but my T S H is still normal. Speaker 3 (16:18): My free T four is still normal. And it's because we're checking what the gland output is potentially and not considering that what is ultimately causing hypothyroid signs and symptoms isn't about the gland, it's not about what's in the bloodstream, it's about how much T three is hitting the receptors inside the cell, and that's under the control of the individual cells and tissues to a large degree. So I think most hypothyroidism starts at the cell and tissue level. And if it's short-term, you get short-term si hypothyroid signs and symptoms, you get an upregulation of the immune inflammatory system. We address the cold, the virus, the bacteria and it, and those signs and symptoms go away. But if the stress becomes chronic and persistent, then not only do we have cellular tissue, hypothyroidism start to occur, but now we get glandular thyroiditis that starts to occur and eventually we lose gland function. And that's why if you're then just giving T four or maybe just T three, the symptoms, the improvement's only temporary and partial. Mm-Hmm. . And we don't get full resolve in, in either re regardless of the medication you're taking. Speaker 1 (17:27): And so you talk about the cell gave your response, you've talked a little bit about that, what's going on in the cell as a big determinant. And then you talk about the fitness factors that help you determine each patient's stress load. So how can everybody listening know, how do they know, are my cells in a cell danger response? How would somebody know before we get to the fitness factors, how would somebody know? Speaker 3 (17:53): Well, if you feel awesome, you have plenty of energy, no real signs or symptoms, you sleep eight hours, you feel well rested, you've got good muscle mass, limited extra body fat tissue on you, you've got tons of energy, great libido, probably not in the cell danger response, but if you have chronic health issues gaining weight, I mean gaining weight and seeing blood sugar dysregulation would be two of the easy things to say that there's something wrong with your cellular physiology. But beyond that, look at, if you have lots of signs and symptoms, there's some type of abnormal physiology going on. And that's when you start needing to say, maybe I'm in this allostatic state or cell danger response and not in homeostasis. 'cause Homeostasis means that I make enough energy to do everything I need to do at a cellular level efficiently. So the caloric intake is appropriate. I can make sex hormones, I can do everything I wanna do. That's homeostasis. Yeah. Speaker 1 (18:48): Well you just described like 60 to 80% of women over 40 have some list of signs and symptoms going wrong with their health. So we're pretty much all, that's Speaker 3 (18:58): Because probably 60 80% of the people have a cell danger response. And if you look at the population of the US, six 50 to 60% of the US population is overweight or obese, 50 to 60% of the population is on a statin. 50 to 60% of the population is diabetic. So yeah, I think that's easy to say that. Yeah, 40 to, I mean, a large percentage of people are grossly unhealthy to Yes. Speaker 1 (19:21): Yes we are. And so the average person listening that they're like, check that's me. Particularly if they're suspecting that they have a thyroid problem, how do they get at the root of, well, why are my cells having a cell danger response? And what are the specific issues that I personally need to address to help improve my thyroid so that I don't go through this? The chacha, the T four chacha with the allopathic practitioner, the T three chacha with the functional practitioner, and they wanna get out of that dance. How do they figure out what is causing the cell danger response for their cells in particular? Speaker 3 (20:00): Well, I mean, it's easy to do a self-assessment. And it's one of the things that Dr. Kelly and I, who was my co-author in the book, we talk about the fitness factors and we talk about the difference kind of aspects of your physiology that are probably contributing to the excessive stress load. And so when we talk about stress, most the time everybody thinks about emotional stress is the problem, right? This external thing that then causes us to have this angst. But stress comes in lots of different forms. You're never gonna be stress free. That's never the goal of what you're trying to accomplish. What you need to be able to do is stress the physiology and allow for recovery. So when we think about what creates excessive cell stress, it could be a number of factors. One of the things in my situation in my forties, I was still tr, you know, doing a lot of sports and training. Speaker 3 (20:49): I was doing triathlons at that point in time and training hard. And you know, few hours of physical training per day run into businesses, coaching, being a dad, sleeping four hours a day. And I had a great, I mean, my diet was good. I was physically active, mindset was good. But the big thing that drove me to have chronic inflammatory immune and thyroiditis issues was I was over training and limited recovery on top of poor breathing habits due to multiple broken noses. So I wasn't breathing well, I was over training, I wasn't allowing for recovery. So one day is not that big of a deal, my body's able to adapt. But do that over and over again and you start to create an excessive stress response on the tissues and your cells and tissues say like, enough already, let's try and shut this thing down. Speaker 3 (21:38): But as many athletes are, they go, I, pain is weakness leaving the body or discomfort is weakness leaving the body. And we try and just keep pushing forward. And then if you have that type of stress on your system, plus respiratory stress plus work stress plus emotional stress plus relationship stress, at some point the stress becomes excessive. And then I need to shift how my cellular physiology works. And I'll give you an example of how I typically express the cell danger physiology to my clients. And that is, do you have kids yourself? Yep. Mm-Hmm. . Okay. Do you love your kids? Yeah. Okay. So let's say this weekend you're gonna have a huge party at your house, right? One of your kids, your favorite one is sitting at your kitchen island, right? Eating food. You've got four burners on, you're cooking a whole bunch of food, you're doing wash, you're cleaning, you're doing everything all at the same time, and somebody breaks into your home and starts attacking your child. Speaker 3 (22:38): Are you gonna continue to cook? Nope. Are you gonna take time to turn the burners off? Put everything in nice glass Tupperware? Nope. Okay. Are you gonna try and slide one more Load of wash in? Nope. Finish vacuuming. No. Are you gonna try and take a nap? Nope. Sex? Nope. Okay. So if I walked into your house and I saw the foods burning on the stove, the house is a disaster, a mess. Vacuum cleaners running down, running in the middle of the floor, clothes are all over the place. I can make a couple decisions, right? I can make some thoughts. I could just say, well, you're a terrible cook and terrible housekeeper, so I'm gonna fix this and I'm gonna hire you a chef and I'm gonna hire you a housekeeper and I'll fix the problem. And it look, they come in, they clean, clean it up, everything looks awesome. Speaker 3 (23:27): Or I can ask a better question, which is, why is this happening? Is there an explanation for why you would leave the food burning on the stove, leave the vacuum cleaner, running, leave the house a disaster? And maybe I start to investigate that so we can make one of two choices that you're terrible cook chef, just like we could say the thyroid physiology's broken and the cell physiology is, is outta control. Or we could say, is this an appropriate adaptive response? So when somebody has, is feeling tired and fatigued and has signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, or actually is diagnosed with hypothyroidism but still doesn't feel well on the medication, is their immune system outta control? Are they unable to convert T four to T three or is what we're seeing? Not broken physiology, but adaptive physiology. It's the appropriate response given the stressors that are put on the system. Speaker 3 (24:21): Mm-Hmm. And my argument is whether it's an allopathic approach or a functional medicine approach, we shouldn't be getting in the way and trying to fix an imbalance if it's an adaptation. And we shouldn't be assuming that everything's broken physiology, but start to look at the wisdom of the body and start to say, maybe this is adaptive. And what I need to identify is what's creating that excessive stress response. And if I address that, if I find out that you're in your basement fighting off an attacker and I take down the attacker and we get that attacker, you know, off of you and in custody and get rid of them, that's the solution. You weren't being a terrible housekeeper and cook. You were doing exactly the right thing you should have been doing. And the signs and symptoms, the burning food and the stuff all over the place was what we should be seeing. The signs and symptoms that you have, my hormones don't regulate. I'm gaining weight even though I'm eating and exercising appropriately. We need to look at those signs and symptoms and stop trying to like play, you know, whack-a-mole with those results and or those lab values and start to say, okay, what's create, why is the body adaptively doing that? Mm-Hmm. . And when we do that, that's what functional medicine is, in my opinion. Speaker 1 (25:39): Okay. And so what is the strategic thyroid solution is to identify and fix these root causes. Do you wanna talk about maybe the top three most important ones You list dietary, fitness, sleep, fitness, respiratory, fitness, emotional, physical, habitual, environmental, fitness, metabolic and genetic. What would be the top three in your opinion? Speaker 3 (26:01): Well, I think the top three would probably be, and we think about the things that we have the greatest control over and cost us next to nothing. Okay. And they're all important for the listener. She kinda ran through those, but they're all important. But definitely respiratory fitnesses would be right at the top of my list if you breathe inappropriately, and I would say the vast majority of us breathe inappropriately. We over breathe, we mouth breathe, especially at night when nobody's really paying attention. If you over breathe or excessively mouth breathe, you wind up reducing carbon dioxide levels. You wind up creating what we call hypoxia at the tissue level. And as soon as you induce hypoxia at the tissue level, low oxygen, you can't burn fat as a fuel efficiently. You downregulate your thyroid physiology and that's gonna set the stage for chronic immune inflammatory processes. Speaker 3 (26:58): So it doesn't cost anything to improve your breathing, it just takes time and activity or time and training. And first thing you gotta do is be aware. So how do you be become aware that you might have a respiratory, for my clients, I, I give them a respiratory fitness questionnaire, have 'em go through those things. But key things to keep an eye on are, you know, do you snore? And you may say, well I never snore. Well, how do you know ? Well, nobody complains. Well that doesn't mean you don't, right? And so if you're a mouth breather, if you snore, if you have a history of cavities or gum disease, there's a good chance that you're a mouth breather. If you've had a deviated septum or a broken nose, probably a good chance that you are a more of a mouth breather. If you get stuffy or congested at night, it's probably a good indication that you're gonna tend to be more of a mouth breather. Speaker 3 (27:45): And so assess it, address it, retrain your body's ability to breathe appropriately. If you, the other thing you could do is you could check your respiratory rate. I think you and I went to school, they, we, the average respiratory rate somewhere between 15, maybe 18 breaths per minute was considered normal. But really optimal is somewhere between six and 10 breaths per minute for optimal health. And most people aren't even close to it. Mm-Hmm. . And the other thing I have my patients do is do a controlled breath hold time test where they blow all the air out, hold their breath until they start to get their first SI signs of anxiousness or panic. And if that number optimally, that number should be being closer to over 40. But you know, a lot of people with chronic health issues, it's under 20, under 10, they, their poor breathing habits, maybe a really big contributor to what's creating some of their problems. Speaker 3 (28:37): And it doesn't cost you anything to check it and it doesn't cost you anything to retrain your breathing. And there's plenty of things out there that if you need guided care yoga, there's lots of yoga type breathing things. There's Wim Hof and all these things that can teach you and train you how to rebreed. And you don't have to, but you really don't have to pay for anything. You just gotta work on it. I would say number two would be good nutrition. And despite the craziness in the functional medicine space today where we've circled the diet religions in and we're shooting in at each other, the focus of somebody's dietary strategy you know, it should be a whole food based diet, 80% of the time is a great place to start. If you're eating a lot of processed foods, start there, stop doing it. Speaker 3 (29:27): Right? That's an easy thing to do. And you can say, well, do I need to be carnivore? Do I need to be keto? Do I need to be vegetarian, vegan, paleo, medi? What do I need to be? Get rid of all those fancy names and religions and just start shifting your diet to being 80% of the time whole food based. That's a great place to start. What we've done in functional medicine and this in the, in our industry is somebody's found that they did something. It helped them, helped the patient. So therefore everybody should be doing it. And what we have to consider that a carnivore diet could be really beneficial to somebody for a short period of time. Paleo diet could be very beneficial for somebody for a short period of time. Mm-Hmm. , maybe vegan or vegetarian, depending on what you're doing and how you're doing and what's going on with your physiology. Variation in diet may be, may be important to change, but the real issue isn't with what type of whole food diet we should be eating. We should be reducing the toxic load of the processed foods. And if we just do that, most people are gonna start to become healthier, more satisfied. Right. . And then, and then I'd say the third thing is, well, I was Speaker 1 (30:33): Gonna say just before you go to that, we just need to stop eating the crap and just , right. Eat for real food. Speaker 3 (30:40): We've lost touch with what we think healthy food is because we have stickers and labels that we stick on things and say, oh, this is, this is organic, this is whatever, and we think, oh, then it must be good. Well not, so it's all marketing. Speaker 1 (30:58): Right. Okay. Sorry to interrupt. And so the third thing would be, Speaker 3 (31:03): I think it's one of those things you, that everybody can work on that's really important for health and wellbeing is quality sleep. Too many of us, and I was one of those, I was like, you can sleep when you're dead. So, you know, I could stay up late studying, doing research, get up early so I could start training four hours of sleep. I was, I thought that was like a badge of like honor. I wore that proudly for probably 20 years, but I didn't realize the negative consequences it really had on my physiology. You can't heal and recover. Your brain does not process things appropriately if you don't sleep appropriately. Yeah. You don't, you can't clear out the toxins in the brain if you don't get good quality restorative sleep. And the vast majority of us are not getting it. We're on TVs or cell phones or whatever. Speaker 3 (31:48): We're taking stimulants too late in the day. We're sleeping with somebody who snores and keeps us from waking up or sleeping with our kids or our dog that keeps us awake. We're doing so many things to disrupt our sleep patterns and we don't realize how impactful that can be on our physiology. But those are three things that don't cost you anything to do tomorrow that you easily, you can easily assess just by googling healthy whole food diet. How do I check my respiratory rate? How do I improve my sleep? And you do those foundational things. You, your sleep may still not get, may not be as good as you want it to be, but you still have to start with good sleep habits and behaviors to be even have a chance of getting a better night's sleep. Speaker 1 (32:34): Right. And you can read about the other fitness factors in the book book. So I definitely recommend that. But I gotta ask you, where's spiritual fitness on that list? Speaker 3 (32:44): Well, I think that fit for me that fits into that psychological or emotional fitness category, like what goes on between the six inches of your ears has a huge impact on your physiology. So we talk about things in there, like, I think one of the things that's really important for people who are really anxious or depressed or sad or unhappy with their life is I think to have, whether, I don't care what religion somebody is, but I think having some spiritual beliefs is really important. And the other thing is the principles that we learn in whatever church you go to or whatever, you know, whatever spiritual philosophy you grew up in, those found, many of those foundational principles are just good things to, you know, good principles to live by. Mm-Hmm. . And if you live by a lot of those principles, you're gonna feel in, you're gonna feel and functional better from an emotional, from a spiritual standpoint. Speaker 3 (33:34): A lot of times people think that their life is terrible. My life is awful. I'm in such bad shape. Everything is terrible for me. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Those are the people I usually say, you need to volunteer, you need to go volunteer, you need to go help somebody mm-hmm. Who's in worse shape than you. And start to start to realize, you know, even though things may not all be going right, that there is some blessings in your life and some benefits in your life, but sometimes we're so stuck in our stuff and we're so focused on how terrible things are and what's wrong, that we can't actually see how good what's around us is. And so yeah, I think you have to have some, that, that spiritual piece is part of the emotional psychological fitness. Speaker 1 (34:15): Yeah. I mean, what you're saying is so true. I, the other day I was all in my head about my problems and I'm in Dubai and I met a guy on the waterfront who moved here with his family from Syria at 19 to study computer science. And he lost his two sisters a few months ago in the war in Syria. And here I am thinking that I have issues and he told me it's okay. And I said, really . And so it just really puts things in perspective. But for me in particular, the thyroid has a lot of spiritual meaning for women. I think that's one of the reasons why women have such a greater rate of thyroid dysfunction, particularly because it's in that throat chakra or energy center where you're supposed to speak your truth and so many women don't. So in particular, it's something that I talk with women about. So I was curious where that fit into your, your perspective. Speaker 3 (35:09): I'm not as in tune maybe from a, from a chakra perspective as you are, and there may be something to that, I don't know necessarily. But I do think what goes on, whether consciously or or subconsciously between the six inches of your ears has a drastic influence of your overall health and wellbeing. I mean, if you have a lot of trauma, a lot of emotional burden that's gonna create a windup of the limbic system, a windup of the sympathetic nervous system, a downregulation of the, a parasympathetic, and for the listener, you know, the sympathetic nervous system is that flight or flight response. And the parasympathetic is kind of the rest and recovery response. And so if in my mind I'm stressed, I'm worried I've got negative thoughts going on in that space and I can't manage and control it, that is going to drive a state of danger. Speaker 3 (36:01): It's a state of fear, a state of, of fight or flight response. And that will totally shift your physiology. I mean, if I was being chased by the tiger and I'm running for my life, I'm probably not gonna make digestive hormones 'cause I don't need the hormones. Right. I'm probably not gonna make appropriate levels of sex hormones because I don't need those. I'm not stopping to have sex. Right. I am running right. And so my physiology adapts to what's going on in my environment, whether it's the physical environment or the spiritual or emotional environment, my body's going to adapt to that environment. Speaker 1 (36:37): Right. Dr. Eric, thank you so much for raising the conversation level around thyroid disorder diagnosis and treatment. The book is the Thyroid Debacle. Why the current medical model is keeping you sick and unwell. Where can people connect with you online and found that, find out more about the work that you're doing? Speaker 3 (36:57): Sure. My website is rejuven center.com. So if somebody wants to learn more about me, they can go there. If they wanna have a, what we call a discovery consultation, just kind of chat about what's going on and what maybe the right strategies are or if I'm a, if they wanna potentially work with me, what that looks like. I do have a podcast that calls it, it's called the Thyroid Dancers Podcast, where we talk about not just thyroid physiology, but I talk about everything through the lens of the cell danger response. So I don't care what condition you have, we're talking about those foundational principles, physical fitness, emotional fitness, all those things that we kind of hinted to in the discussion. I've got a YouTube where all my podcasts are listed on there, as well as wherever you get your podcast, you can get 'em, you can download those. The podcast I do Thursdays, I do thyroid Thursday videos, they're on YouTube and I, my team puts them on Instagram. That's probably where I'm not really spend too much time on social media, but that's where we post, like on Instagram. And then anybody who's I, we do regular posts on there. And then any commentary that's, that comes in, those are a lot of times what becomes the content for a podcast, A Thyroid Thursday or an Instagram post. So those are the best places to reach out and hear more about what I'm doing. Speaker 1 (38:12): Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Well, Speaker 3 (38:15): Thanks for the invitation. It was great. Speaker 1 (38:17): And thank you for listening to another episode of The Hormone Prescription with Dr. Ki. Hopefully you learned something today that you will put into action, maybe start figuring out what's triggering your cell danger response, because pretty much most all of us went in over 40, have it and start doing something about it. Like Dr. Eric, Eric was talking about, looking at your food, looking at your sleep, looking at your breathing. The this is a place to start. Reach out and tell me about it on social media at Kyrin Dunston MD on Facebook and Instagram. I look forward to having and continuing the conversation with you there. And until next week when I'll see you for another episode, peace, love, and Hormones, y'all. Speaker 2 (38:58): Thank you so much for listening. I know that incredible vitality occurs for women over 40 when we learn to speak hormone and balance these vital regulators to create the health and the life that we deserve. If you're enjoying this podcast, podcast, I'd love it if you'd give me a review and subscribe. It really does help this podcast out so much. You can visit the hormone prescription.com where we have some free gifts for you, and you can sign up to have a hormone evaluation with me on the podcast to gain clarity into your personal situation. Until next time, remember, take small steps each day to balance your hormones and watch the wonderful changes in your health that begin to unfold for you. Talk to you soon.   ► Get Dr. Eric Balcavage's FREE ebook, "Why Don't I Feel Better on Thyroid Medication?" Learn the three hidden reasons thyroid replacement isn't helping you (or maybe even making you feel worse). - CLICK HERE ► Feeling tired? Can't seem to lose weight, no matter how hard you try? It might be time to check your hormones. Most people don't even know that their hormones could be the culprit behind their problems. But at Her Hormone Club, we specialize in hormone testing and treatment. We can help you figure out what's going on with your hormones and get you back on track. We offer advanced hormone testing and treatment from Board Certified Practitioners, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best possible care. Plus, our convenient online consultation process makes it easy to get started. Try Her Hormone Club for 30 days and see how it can help you feel better than before. CLICK HERE.    

Why do so many women still have thyroid symptoms even when their lab results are “normal”? Find out in today's episode with Dr. Eric Balcavage and Dr. Kelly Halderman.   Follow this link to view the full show notes page! Today's episode is also sponsored by the Fertility Awareness Mastery Online Self-Study Course. The most in-depth and comprehensive online fertility awareness self-study program available. Click here to join now! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! Today's episode is also sponsored by The Fifth Vital Sign. Grab your copy here. 

Our first episode this week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Eric Balcavage.  It's a GOOD week on the podcast if you are interested in thyroid.  In this episode, we discuss all the things about thyroid physiology. Plus some rapid fire questions at the end from our audience. KEY TAKEAWAYS:Allopathic vs functional medicine approachesVitamin D relationship to thyroidDifferent stressors & their effect thyroid hormonesMulti-system adaptive disorderABOUT GUEST:Dr. Eric Balcavage is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania.Dr. Balcavage is the co-host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering from chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and YouTube.Dr. Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. He is the co-author of the book, The Thyroid Debacle, which addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology.Listeners can schedule a free discovery call with Dr. Balcavage at: https://p.bttr.to/3Jjp1l2 Listeners can receive a free ebook at: https://rejuvagencenter.com/free-ebook-download/WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://rejuvagencenter.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rejuvagencenterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage/WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: instagram.com/anti.inflammatory.nutritionist/Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links

You are showing all signs of Hypothyroidism and yet your lab work and especially your thyroid numbers are all normal. Is that even possible?It is indeed very possible and it's more prevalent than we think says Dr. Eric Balcavage. He chalks it all up to a condition called Cellular Hypothyroidism. Cellular Hypothyroidism occurs when our cells fail to act on and absorb the normal levels of Thyroid Hormones produced by the body. The process of making the Thyroid gland is a complex one with so many steps and interfaces between the trigger from the hypothalamus and the final synthesis of T3 hormones by our cells.  The present conventional approach to thyroid is a glandular one where all thyroid related symptoms and disorders are attributed to the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland with little or no regard for the processes that happen at the cellular level.  Further the treatment for thyroid disorders is a fragmented one with so much emphasis on replacement thyroid hormones, supplements, rigid diets etc that what is lost in translation is the redressal of the root causes of the symptoms that we are experiencing. How can we better handle the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid conditions? That's the central theme of Dr. Balcavage's book - The Thyroid Debacle. Watch this video to learn more. In this podcast we discuss,Cellular hypothyroidism vs Glandular HypothyroidismIssues with the conventional approach for diagnosing and tackling hypothyroidism.Reasons for cellular hypothyroidism. Cellular defense vs cellular manufacturingWhat constitutes whole foods and a good dietAre supplements really the best line of defense against any conditionThe importance of understanding your thyroid glandInterpreting your lab resultsUnderstanding and working with fitness factorsStrategic Thyroid Solution***About the Guest***Dr Eric Balcavage is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness.  Dr. Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S.), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania.  Dr. Balcavage is the co-host of Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering with chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and Youtube. Dr Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. He is the co-author of the book The Thyroid Debacle. The book co-written by Dr. Kelly Halderman addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology.Connect with Dr. Eric Balcavagewww.rejuvagencenter.comInstagram: drericbalcavageYoutube: RejuvagenThyroid Answers Podcast*** KNOW MORE AT ***https://www.anshulguptamd.com/ ***Book a call with Dr. Anshul Gupta ***https://www.anshulguptamd.com/work-with-me/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/anshulguptamd/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anshulguptamdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drguptafunctionalmedicine/Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/anshulguptamd

In this week's episode, we have with us Dr. Eric Balcavage, the co-author of The Thyroid Debacle, host of the Thyroid Answers podcast, and the owner and founder of Rejuvagan, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.  Together we talk about what's wrong with the western Medicine approach to thyroid care, and how we as practitioners can do things differently from a Functional perspective.  IN THIS EPISODE: Why Is The book called “The Thyroid Debacle” There are countless clients who struggle from chronic hypothyroid signs and symptoms who are told that they don't have a problem with their thyroid. At the same time, there are also those who get diagnosed with hypothyroidism and get medications and improved lab numbers, but still struggle with hypothyroid signs and symptoms.  These people continue to suffer because they are told they can't have thyroid problems because their labs are normal. The Correlation Between People on Hypothyroidism Medication and Risk Of Cancer Hypothyroid clients who have “sick cells” are given T4.  In this situation, the metabolism of the sick cells can increase, causing the precancerous or cancerous cells to replicate and lead to cancer.    RESOURCES: More about Dr. Eric Balcavage: Dr. Balcavage's Clinic - Rejuvagen Follow Dr. Eric Balcavage's Instagram page Get your copy of The Thyroid Debacle here Visit Dr Eric Balcavage's Rejuvagan YouTube and Rejuvagan Facebook pages for more details Get our FREE Thyroid Resources Guide with resources to support you in managing clients with Thyroid issues here Get our FREE Guide to Taking a Detailed Health History that gets you to root causes with ease  Access Additional Resources for Practitioners Ready to Improve Clinical Outcomes through our Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training Improve Your Clinical Skills with our recorded 1-day Thyroid Adrenal Workshop here  Learn from our Client Thyroid Program packed with strategies for restoring optimal thyroid function here  

I am joined on this episode by Dr. Eric Balcavage who co-authored the book: The Thyroid Debacle.  Eric is recognized worldwide as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology and has trained with experts such as Dr. Datis Kharrazian and Dr. Ben Lynch. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of patients overcome thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions.Dr. Balcavage's passion lies in educating patients about the true nature of their thyroid physiology, which often runs contrary to popular advice. By understanding how the body works from a cellular level, he helps patients find the underlying causes of their thyroid symptoms and experience long-term relief.He currently runs his virtual practice, Rejuvagen Center, helping patients with thyroid disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes/ insulin resistance, autoimmune & inflammatory disorders, and other metabolic challenges.You can find out more at:www.thryoiddebacle.com www.rejuvagencenter.com

Eric Balcavage DC, CNS, CFMP, BCIM Dr Eric Balcavage is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness. Dr. Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S.), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania. Dr. Balcavage is the co-host of Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering with chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and Youtube. Dr Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. He is the co-author of the book, The Thyroid Debacle, The book co-written by Dr. Kelly Halderman addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology. Dr Eric's Website Dr Eric's Instagram Dr Eric's Facebook Dr Eric's Youtube Vimeo: Rejuvagen Skype: Dr Eric Balcavage   WE DISCUSS: What's wrong with the current approach to hypothyroidism Cell danger response, what it is and how it's linked to our thyroid The impact of stress from external sources, but also the internal stress of trying to heal ourselves The stress of exercise - anaerobic or aerobic and which is better for you The connection between the immune system and the thyroid Hypoxia and breathing - how crucial this is and the signs of someone who is not breathing properly at night The importance of clean air, food, water, and sometimes less supplements is the next step for patients Iron, and how a lower ferritin level may actually be a good thing His thoughts on mold exposure   MENTIONED: JOIN IM-BALANCED COURSE  Previous Episode with Dr Eric Part 1  Previous Episode with Dr Kelly Halderman  Previous Episode on sleep & breathing with Dr Gelb    MY LINKS: AIR DOCTOR & AMAZING AIR - Use code AMAZINGVIV for £200 off, applicable for UK purifiers COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE (CNM) REFERRAL LINK (GET £250 OFF) QUEENS OF THRONES CASTOR OIL KIT - Use code HORMONES10 for 10% off - USA CASTOR VIDA on AMRITA - Create an account using my invite code 'LSO6PQ' & you will receive 10% client discount on your orders - UK GET FITT INFRARED SAUNA - Use code VIVIEN45 for £45 off KING - Try my favourite ORGANO KING coffee BON CHARGE - Grab my favourite Blue Light Blocking Glasses - Use code HORMONES10 for £10 off worldwide  WELLEASY FAVOURITE PRODUCTS - Use code VIVIEN10 for £10 off (first £50+ order) & a 30-day free trial  ------- Got a podcast question? Send you emails to hormonesinharmony@gmail.com Enjoyed this episode? Leave me a rating and review so that I can share this podcast with more women Want more from me? You can find me online… WEBSITE PCOS SUCCESS COURSE MOLD RECOVERY COURSE IM-BALANCED GROUP COACHING 1:1 ROOT CAUSE RELIEF PACKAGE ENROLMENT CALL LINK FREE DOWNLOADS INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK EMAIL Tune in now on iTunes, Spotify, my website or watch on Youtube (Viva Natural Health) If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave me a rating and review, as this helps me to reach more women and continue to interview awesome guests! Make sure you hit subscribe so that you never miss an episode!

As anyone who has worked with me in my clinical practice may know, I feel very strongly about monitoring thyroid function and trying to optimize it. Plus, I get questions ALL the time surrounding it. Because of that, I am so excited to have an expert on the thyroid, Dr. Eric Balcavage, on this episode to talk about this important topic. Dr. Eric Balcavage is a functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor, host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, and the co-author of the book, The Thyroid Debacle. The book co-written by Kelly Halderman MD, addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology. Dr. Balcavage is also the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. As a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and being Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, he is a nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation and chronic illness. He has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. If you're suffering with a skin condition, have you checked into thyroid function? Were you surprised by it? Let me know in the comments below! In this episode: What does it mean for your thyroid to not be working the way that it should? What can cause a cell to perceive danger and affect its function? The difference between the body having dysfunction vs. creating an adaptive response Dr. Balcavage's opinion on having Hashimoto's- is it different than having any other thyroid problems? The elephant in the room- why should you even care about your thyroid if you're having skin issues?? FREE things to do to reduce stress responses in your body which affect the thyroid and skin health Finally...Which diet is best? (It's probably not what you think!) Quotes “If we have a population that's about 50% overweight or obese and if about 50% of the population has some type of blood sugar regulation issues going on, then the number of people that struggle with problems with thyroid signal physiology and tissue or cellular hypothyroidism is probably closer to 50 or 60%." [05:17] "What's the biggest organ to dump stuff out if you have a bad gut, bad liver, and bad gallbladder? Skin is one of the best places to dump it out. If you have an immune inflammatory issue, you're producing a bunch of inflammatory chemicals that are going to have an impact on the skin." [18:36] Links Find Dr. Eric online at his Rejuvagen clinic Follow Dr. Eric on Youtube | Facebook | Instagram Get Dr. Balcavage's book The Thyroid Debacle Healthy Skin Show ep. 101: Psoriasis-Thyroid Connection Healthy Skin Show ep. 023: How Low Thyroid Plays A Role In Skin Rashes w/ Dr. Izabella Wentz Thyroid Skin Rashes: The Hidden Connection No One Talks About

I'm delighted to reconnect with Dr. Eric Balcavage today! He is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Pennsylvania. He is also a nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health-related topics, including thyroid physiology, detoxification, methylation, and chronic illness. Dr. Eric Balcavage joins me for the third time today to discuss his new book, The Thyroid Debacle, co-authored with Dr. Kelly Halderman. We dive into his motivation for writing his book, discuss cellular hypothyroidism and its triggers, and get into the impact of chronic low-grade inflammation on our mitochondrial health. We go into why hypothyroidism is a spectrum, the role of bile in thyroid functioning, and the impact of hypothyroidism on our sex hormones. We also discuss the incidence of Hashimoto's, why iodine is so controversial, labs we want to look at more closely with thyroid issues, and supplements and nutrition. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Dr. Eric explains why clinicians are failing their patients concerning thyroid management and diagnosis. A better clinical approach to thyroid issues. Dr. Eric unpacks cellular hypothyroidism. Why weight loss is a lot more complicated than simply counting calories and fasting. What bile does, apart from breaking down and emulsifying fat. Problems that might occur after having the gallbladder removed. The impact of hypothyroidism on the sex hormones. How a broader approach could ultimately result in more effective treatment strategies. Dr. Eric shares his view on what triggers the development of goiters.  Is iodine supplementation necessary? Dr. Eric shares his thoughts on nutrition for thyroid health. The best supplements for reducing inflammation. Bio Dr. Eric Balcavage is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is a nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health-related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness.  Dr. Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S.), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania.  Dr. Balcavage is the co-host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering from chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and Youtube. Dr. Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. He is the co-author of the book, The Thyroid Debacle. The book, co-written by Dr. Kelly Halderman, addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website  Connect with Dr. Eric Balcavage On his website On Instagram Dr. Balcavage's book, The Thyroid Debacle, is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Balboa Press, or online. Listen to episodes 105 and 166 with Dr. Eric Balcavage

In this episode, I am speaking with Dr. Eric Balcavage, who is a renowned thyroid health expert and author of the Thyroid Debacle. He also lectures around the country on various health topics including stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, thyroid dysfunction, methylation dysfunction, and more. We are going to talk about his take on thyroid health. In this podcast, Dr. Balcavage and I discuss: How the conventional notion of thyroid disease might be seriously misplaced Why low-thyroid output might actually just be a healthy adaptive response to a less than ideal environment (and not really a disease at all). “Greenwashing medicine” and why even functional medicine doctors are as guilty as conventional doctors of failing to address root causes What is cellular hypothyroidism and how it shows up Iodine - friend or foe? Four practical strategies to reduce your symptoms

Why You Should Listen:  In this episode, you will learn about the thyroid and how thyroid conditions may be the result of a Cell Danger Response. About My Guest: My guests for this episode are Dr. Eric Balcavage and Dr. Kelly Halderman.   Eric Balcavage, DC, CNS, CFMP, BCIM is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA.  He is a nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation, and chronic illness.  Dr. Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor.   He is the co-host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering with chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and YouTube.  Dr. Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism.  Kelly Halderman, DCN completed a Family Practice Medicine internship with the University of Minnesota.  She has a Naturopathic Medical Degree from Kingdom College of Natural Health.  She holds certification in MethylGenetic Nutrition by the Nutrigenetic Research Institute and certification from The American Functional Neurology Institute in Functional Neurology and Neurofeedback.  She is an active member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, President and Founder of The American Association of Nutraceutical Formulators, as well as a member of The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine.  Dr. Halderman is also board certified in Clinical Nutrition by the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board.  She coined the term "Phase 2.5 Detoxification" which involves properly restoring bile physiology.  She serves as Weo Foundation's Chief Health Officer; the global leader in water research and its application to living systems.  Dr. Eric and Dr. Kelly are the co-authors of the book The Thyroid Debacle which addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology.   Key Takeaways: What symptoms might lead one to explore thyroid physiology? Why are thyroid issues broader, systemic issues? What is the best way to evaluate thyroid conditions? How does the Cell Danger Response (CDR) play a role in thyroid conditions? What are the primary triggers of the CDR that lead to issues with thyroid physiology? How might an autoimmune attack on the thyroid itself be an intelligent response? Is it more important to kill the bug or to modulate the host response? Could an elevated rT3 be an indicator of a Cell Danger Response? Is iodine appropriate to use in Hashimoto's? What is the role of the mitochondria, compared to the thyroid and adrenals, in chronic illness? How might supporting sulfation and glucuronidation make the thyroid problem worse? What is "Multisystem Adaptive Disorder"? How might SIBO be associated with the thyroid? Is hypercholestolaemia associated with the Cell Danger Response and issues with thyroid physiology? Is blood sugar metabolism associated with cellular hypothyroidism? What is the "Strategic Thyroid Solution Protocol"? What are the fitness factors that comprise the wellness wheel? Connect With My Guests: http://RejuvagenCenter.com http://DrKellyHalderman.com Interview Date: October 7, 2022 Transcript: To review a transcript of this show, visit https://BetterHealthGuy.com/Episode173. Additional Information: To learn more, visit https://BetterHealthGuy.com. Disclaimer:  The content of this show is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or medical condition. Nothing in today's discussion is meant to serve as medical advice or as information to facilitate self-treatment. As always, please discuss any potential health-related decisions with your own personal medical authority. 

This episode is an absolute game changer and will turn your understanding of hypothyroidism on its ear! In their new book, "The Thyroid Debacle," Dr. Eric Balcavage and Dr. Kelly Halderman explore why the current medical model is keeping you sick and unwell. They propose a paradigm shift in how doctors and patients understand and approach thyroid physiology. Don't miss this highly informative and enlightening interview! Helpful Links: FREE Thyroid-healthy Grocery Guide Hypothyroid Chef Website The Thyroid Debacle Book The Thyroid Debacle Webpage The Thyroid Debacle Blood Test Panel Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, health care, or exercise regimen.

In this episode we talk about:    * How stress affects thyroid function.    * What is the Cell Danger Response.    * How most thyroid issues are missed and mistreated.    * How to address thyroid function comprehensively.    -    Dr. Eric Balcavage is a functional medicine practitioner who looks to assess physiology looking for ways to really help people that want to optimize their overall health. His work is to analyze what's creating that excessive stress in your body and what you can do to reduce it, and how to support you on your way back to an optimal state of health.    In this episode he talks about how his job is different from allopathic medicine as his job is not to manage the thyroid disease or disorder but to look for ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.     Our bodies response to stress will affect us in different ways, for some people it might show up mostly as thyroid issues and for others it might show up as something else. Also, our bodies respond differently to supplements in allostatic and homeostatic states.     -   So how do we go from a state of allostasis back to homeostasis? Believing that the body can heal when we give it the right tools and support and look to get to the root cause of many different health issues.    His breakthrough moment came when he read the paper by Dr. Robert Naviaux: Cell Danger Response. He realized his approach was biased as to thinking how to fix the problem or symptoms instead of really going deep into the root of them to find a permanent solution. And he realized this was actually true not just for thyroid issues.    If we just keep chasing the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem, then we are not really healing.    It's important for people to understand that they can have signs and symptoms of altered thyroid physiology and the gland will still work fine.     50% of the US population is overweight or obese and that means that about 50% of the population has altered or adapted thyroid physiology and so their gland may be fine but it's one thing to make the hormone and it's another thing how the hormone works in your body.     He uses an analogy to explain this: You could have a full tank of gas but that doesn't mean the car is going to run well.     Similarly, it is possible to have a normal TSH and still not have optimal thyroid physiology.     When the body is in healthy mode (low stress) it says as soon as I get more calories, I'm going to increase metabolism so if you're gaining body fat and not lean muscle mass you could have a metabolism problem.     The things that end up clogging up the system and cause the metabolism to get stuck and therefore the fatigue and the weight gain and the other issues to develop are mainly related to how our diet, sleep, breathing patterns, emotional fitness, environmental fitness, metabolic fitness, and microbial fitness affect our stress state.     Start analyzing your lifestyle and how you're supporting your health on a daily basis. You might be going to many practitioners who might have prescribed different things and you still don't feel better and you're like how much money do I have to spend and how many practitioners do I have to see before we can solve this.      You need to have stress in your life, but we must have a better set of skills to be able to have turn that stressor into a positive experience.     If you've been struggling with what you know as thyroid issues or you are wondering if you have thyroid issues, make sure to check out Dr. Balcavage's book: The Thyroid Debacle.    https://www.amazon.com/Thyroid-Debacle-Dr-Eric-Balcavage/dp/B0B31VDBSV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WUWKNVKTP6FI&keywords=thyroid+debacle+eric+balcavage&qid=1663080395&sprefix=thyroid+debacle%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-1     This book describes the thyroid and helps you understand beyond what you might hear from most practitioners, but more importantly it helps you understand your whole body, not just a thyroid but how to optimize your overall health.    My new book Master Your Stress, Reset Your Health is also a valuable resource for understanding how stress affects thyroid function and how reversing the effects of stress by mastering your own stress type will lead not only to an optimized thyroid function but an overall healthier you.    I'm happy to meet with you and help you put together a comprehensive plan to truly address your thyroid.    Dr. Doni   -   Connect with Dr. Doni:    Facebook HTTPS://FACEBOOK.COM/DRDONIWILSON   Instagram HTTPS://INSTAGRAM.COM/DRDONIWILSON   YouTube HTTPS://YOUTUBE.COM/USER/DONIWILSONND   Weekly Wellness Wisdom Newsletter: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/WWW     -   Books and Resources:    Order My New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Your-Stress-Reset-Health/dp/1953295576   Stress Warrior Book (FREE)  HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/STRESSWARRIOR      Stress Warrior Stress Resiliency Facebook Group (FREE)  HTTPS://FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/STRESSWARRIOR     7-day Stress Reset (FREE)  HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/STRESS-RESET     HPV & Cervical Dysplasia Guide (FREE)  HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/HPV-AND-CERVICAL-DYSPLASIA-GUIDE/     -   Personalized Solutions:    If you'd like to meet with Dr. Doni one-on-one for your health, request a Health Breakthrough Session: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/BREAKTHROUGH     To get an idea of more comprehensive options, read about Dr. Doni's Signature Consultation Programs: HTTPS://DOCTORDONI.COM/SERVICES   Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are product links and affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Part 2 In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage and I discuss the root causes of hypothyroidism. What is cellular hypothyroidism and how do we treat it? Why the conventional and the functional world may be looking at hypothyroidism in the wrong light. Is there a place for medication? What can cause cellular danger? Plus so much more! This is one you will want to grab a paper and pen to take notes on while you listen.  Dr. Eric Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania. Dr. Balcavage has studied under and consulted with several experts in Functional Medicine over the years, including renowned thyroid expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian and methylation expert, Dr. Ben Lynch. Dr. Balcavage trains and consults with hundreds of doctors on topics such as Thyroid physiology, GI physiology, Organic acid testing and Methylation. He also lectures locally and around the country on numerous other health conditions. Rejuvagen is a center that offers a blend of Functional Medicine & Regenerative Medicine combined with Functional Neurology & Nutrition.   He co-hosts the Thyroid Answers Podcast which is available on iTunes. Dr. Balcavage is also the author of The Thyroid Debacle. Get the details and apply to be part of my 3-month Mastering Peri & Post Menopause coaching program. Purchase your home Hormone Test Kits here.  Start your membership to the OnTrack group coaching program to help you balance your hormones and lose weight.   Karen Martel, Certified Hormone Specialist & Transformational Nutrition Coach and weight loss expert.  Visit https://karenmartel.com/  Karen's Facebook Karen's Instagram

Dr Eric Balcavage joins me to discuss his new book (co-authored with Dr Kelly Halderman), The Thyroid Debacle.The topics we cover in this discussion are:The mainstream medical model and functional medical approach to thyroid health.How to think of thyroid health as a spectrum disorder.Tissue/cellular hypothyroidism (see Ep58 too) and how cells are being protective (not attacking).Thyroid antibodies and how they aren't like pac-man gobbling up thyroid tissue but more like a clean up crew clearing debris.Thyroid antibodies cause little to no damage to the thyroid gland according to research.Lowering antibodies shouldn't be the goal in itself but may well be the consequence of reducing stress.How can you test for cellular hypothyroidism?T3 is made in peripheral tissue as well as in the thyroid, liver and gut.You need to look at the different systems in the body to see where cellular hypothyroidism is taking place.Multi-System Adaptive Disorder - your system isn't BROKEN, it's ADAPTING.The solution to most chronic issues.The a cell is in danger/defence mode, it's not in repair/regeneration mode or not in repair/regeneration mode tor long enough.Your fitness 10 categories determines your overall fitness (we discuss 1 in a little detail - Respiratory Fitness)--Dr. Eric Balcavage DC, CNS, CFMP, BCIM, is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen. Dr. Balcavage is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering with thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions.https://rejuvagencenter.com/Instagram @DrEricBalcavageYoutubeThe Thyroid Debacle* book - Amazon affiliate link.--Let's Talk Thyroid is a podcast where we explore different aspects of living thyroid-friendly lifestyle positively & practically to help you thrive and not just survive. I bring together my experiences as a Hashimoto's patient, interviews with real people thriving with thyroid issues and experts to give us the low down on different aspects of living a healthy thyroid lifestyle. Expect discussions on diet, energy, gut health, stress, holistic approaches, essential oils, sleep, relationships and more. ✅ Download your FREE Printable Thyroid Health Checklist: https://annabelbateman.com/checklist

Thyroid struggles? This show is where you need to be then for the next 70 minutes. I am thrilled to have back on the show Dr Eric Balcavage, a relentless crusader in thyroid health education and long-term root-causes-based healing. He is one of the duo that has written a new book called The Thyroid Debacle, the co-author also being a past show guest, Dr Kelly Halderman. Kelly Halderman, a conventionally trained and practised physician was hit by two chronic health conditions, one being MS and through her trusting that something more could be done than what she was being told was her lot in life, discovered functional medicine and hasn't looked back. Eric, seeing sick patient after patient that no amount of spinal adjustments could support for long-term healing in his chiropractic practice felt the same. And so, thanks to these two Drs broadening their understanding of what helps humans achieve homeostasis and lasting improved health, and practising with and educating thousands around the world, we have a powerhouse tackling a thyroid-illness epidemic and having read the book myself I can honestly say I know just how impactful it will be for people to read it and practice what they learn from its pages. Today isn't all about the book though, as we explore thyroid testing, what gaps there are in current treatments, how you can be on meds and still feel awful and so much more. Enjoy the show and be sure to head to the shownotes for more information and the sponsor offers. lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage and I discuss the root causes of hypothyroidism. What is cellular hypothyroidism and how do we treat it? Why the conventional and the functional world may be looking at hypothyroidism in the wrong light. Is there a place for medication? What can cause cellular danger? Plus so much more! This is one you will want to grab a paper and pen to take notes on while you listen.  Dr. Eric Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania. Dr. Balcavage has studied under and consulted with several experts in Functional Medicine over the years, including renowned thyroid expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian and methylation expert, Dr. Ben Lynch. Dr. Balcavage trains and consults with hundreds of doctors on topics such as Thyroid physiology, GI physiology, Organic acid testing and Methylation. He also lectures locally and around the country on numerous other health conditions. Rejuvagen is a center that offers a blend of Functional Medicine & Regenerative Medicine combined with Functional Neurology & Nutrition.   He co-hosts the Thyroid Answers Podcast which is available on iTunes. Dr. Balcavage is also the author of The Thyroid Debacle. Today's episode is sponsored by Relish Life. Get $100 off your first month with coupon code KAREN. Listen to an interview with the owners of Relish Life here.  Purchase your home Hormone Test Kits here.  Start your membership to the OnTrack group coaching program to help you balance your hormones and lose weight.   Karen Martel, Certified Hormone Specialist & Transformational Nutrition Coach and weight loss expert.  Visit https://karenmartel.com/  Karen's Facebook Karen's Instagram

Bringing Dr. Eric Balcavage back on to discuss his new book "The Thyroid Debacle" and chat about hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's, and cellular hypothyroidism. We go into the functional vs conventional/allopathic approaches & why your thyroid issues may not be healing! My Supplement Company: www.nourishwellco.com My info: My Website & Work with Me: www.upliftfitnutrition.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/faithandfit Twitter: www.twitter.com/laceyadunn Email for coaching & phone consults: laceydunn@upliftfitnutrition.com Order my book "The Women's Guide to Hormonal Harmony" on amazon! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578884127/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 Dr. Eric's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thyroid-Debacle-Dr-Eric-Balcavage/dp/B0B31VDBSV Follow him: https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/upliftfitnutrition/support

Join me as I talk with Dr Eric Balcavage in a meaty discussion about cellular hypothyroidism. We cover lots of other topics too:* How to get the best value from your thyroid support team* The Cell Danger Response* Chronic cell stress* Antibodies and how they don't cause actual damage to the thyroid gland.* Thyroiditis and the difference between it and Hashimoto's.* Reducing cellular stress/inflammation.* The best question to ask yourself.* Thyroid health as an onion.Rejuvagen Clinic Director, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, Certified Gluten Coach.Dr. Eric Balcavage DC, CNS, CFMP, BCIM, is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen. Dr. Balcavage is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering with thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions.Dr. Balcavage received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, Iowa in 1995, and has been in practice since 1996. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. Dr. Balcavage is Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and a Certified Nutrition Specialist. He spends hundreds of hours every year advancing his knowledge base on functional medicine, thyroid physiology, functional neurology, immune system function, hormone function, and regenerative therapies. Dr. Balcavage's quest for advanced research and training is the result of his passion and determination to help patients who have been unable to heal and recover from chronic illness in the Allopathic medical model.Dr. Balcavage has studied under and consulted with several experts in Functional Medicine over the years, including renowned thyroid expert Dr. Datis Kharrazian and methylation expert, Dr. Ben Lynch. Dr. Balcavage trains and consults with hundreds of doctors on topics such as Thyroid physiology, GI physiology, Organic acid testing and Methylation. He also lecturers locally and around the country on numerous other health conditions.His Functional Medicine center has always been on the cutting edge of health care and science. Currently, he devotes his practice to treating patients with thyroid disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes/ insulin resistance, autoimmune & inflammatory disorders and other metabolic challenges.He has been a guest on numerous podcasts and health summits. He co-hosts the Thyroid Answers Podcast which is available on iTunes. Dr. Balcavage is also the author of the soon to be released book, The Thyroid Debacle.WebsiteInstagram @DrEricBalcavageYoutube-------------------Let's Talk Thyroid is a podcast where we explore different aspects of living thyroid-friendly lifestyle positively & practically to help you thrive and not just survive. I bring together my experiences as a Hashimoto's patient, interviews with real people thriving with thyroid issues and experts to give us the low down on different aspects of living a healthy thyroid lifestyle. Expect discussions on diet, energy, gut health, stress, holistic approaches, essential oils, sleep, relationships and more. ------------------------Let's talk further with Annabel...Book your Strategy Session: annabelbateman.com/strategyGo to annabelbateman.com for show notes and more!Join the Let's Talk Thyroid Community on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/584308325427424Connect on Instagram or Facebook @annabel.bateman.wellnessYou can also listen on your favourite podcast platform including Spotify and Apple Podcasts or wat

Dr. Eric Balcavage is the Clinic Director at Rejuvagen, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Board Certified in Intergrative Medicine. Dr. Eric Balcavage DC, is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen. He is widely recognized around the world as a leader in Functional Medicine and Thyroid Physiology. In over 20 years of practice, he has successfully helped thousands of people suffering with thyroid problems and other chronic health conditions. He co-hosts the Thyroid Answers Podcast and is also the author of the soon to be released book, The Thyroid Debacle.

I am delighted to have Dr. Eric Balcavage back on the show with us today! He appeared on the podcast once before, in Episode 105, where he spoke about thyroid physiology and chronic illness. Due to the enormous demand, we invited him to join us on the podcast once again to talk about thyroid function. Dr. Eric is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He is also the co-host of Thyroid Answers Podcast, where he focuses on answering the pressing questions of those suffering from chronic hypothyroidism symptoms. He recently co-authored a book called Thyroid Debacle. In this episode, Dr. Eric and I take a deeper dive into thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, and chronic illnesses. We talk about the signs and symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism, fat malabsorption, and the use of synthetic versus non-synthetic thyroid medications. We also discuss why people can have lab values suggestive of them being persistently hypothyroid despite their use of escalating doses of medications. Stay tuned today to learn what stops the thyroid from functioning optimally and find out what you can do to maintain a healthier thyroid. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: The physiology of the thyroid. Some things that could impact the conversion from inactive to active thyroid hormone. Seed oils, and the association between thyroid physiology, thyroid glands, and cells. Why is it possible to have hypothyroid or hyperthyroid signs and symptoms when there is nothing wrong with the thyroid gland? Why forcing extra thyroid hormone into the bloodstream does not mean that you will optimize the cell function. Why does lab work have to be properly evaluated and interpreted? The last point at which hypothyroidism could be reversed. The use of synthetic thyroid medications versus non-synthetic medications. Is it normal to have insomnia after changing your thyroid medication? The connection between HDL and fat malabsorption. Thyroiditis and Hashimoto's. Dr. Eric shares his take on how iodine relates to thyroid function. Why do people tend to feel cold when they have an underactive thyroid? Intermittent fasting for perimenopausal and menopausal women with an underactive thyroid. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website  Connect with Dr. Eric Balcavage On his website The Thyroid Answers Podcast    Follow on Instagram and Twitter  

Get ready to learn in this beefy interview covering next-level topics on the thyroid. If you're a practitioner, you may want to break out your notepad for this! Today Erin sits down with Dr. Eric Balcavage to discuss all things thyroid health, considerations for specific markers on thyroid panels, and looking beyond labs to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. If you've been struggling with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's, this episode may provide some answers you haven't gotten elsewhere. This episode is also beneficial for anyone with autoimmunity, not just hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's: pay attention to what Dr. Balcavage says about the immune system, what starts the process, and how we can unravel that. FEEL OVERWHELMED WITH THIS TALK? It's ok, this is NOT a Thyroid 101 episode. We encourage you to go back to some earlier episodes we covered on thyroid topics. You can find them linked below! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! The Funk'tional Nutrition Academy will open for enrollment Monday, August 9th! Read more about what the program is all about here: https://www.erinholthealth.com/mentorship In this episode: -If you're just starting your thyroid research... [2:12] -Functional medicine and the rise of lab testing [6:18] -Finding root cause in thyroid physiology [7:26] -Chronic cellular stress and thyroiditis [13:19] -Stress, autoimmunity and the immune system's job [17:01] -Looking beyond thyroid panels for hypothyroidism [22:43] -The most important piece of information a patient can provide [26:06] -When does it make sense to consider medication? [30:09] -The importance of context with elevated Reverse T3 [31:27] -Considering lab ranges with presented (or lack of) symptoms [35:20] -Suppressing TSH [38:30] -Conversion confusion with T4, T3 and Reverse T3 [45:52] -The cellular vs tissue issue with hypothyroidism [54:58] -Pinpointing specific stressors that compromise health [57:28] -The connection between insulin and T3 [59:37] -The Thyroid Debacle [1:03:41] Dr. Eric Balcavage is the owner and founder of Rejuvagen, a functional medicine clinic in Chadds Ford, PA. He is nationally recognized speaker and educator on various health related topics including thyroid physiology, bile physiology, detoxification, oxidative stress, methylation and chronic illness. Dr. Balcavage is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (C.N.S.), a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, along with being a licensed Chiropractor in Pennsylvania. Dr. Balcavage is the co-host of Thyroid Answers Podcast. The podcast focuses on answering the pressing questions those suffering with chronic hypothyroid symptoms can't get answered elsewhere. You can find his educational Thyroid Thursday videos on Vimeo and Youtube. Dr. Balcavage has made it his mission to change the way medicine looks at hypothyroidism. He is the co-author of the soon to be released book, Thyroid Debacle, The book co-written by Kelly Halderman MD, addresses the problems with current allopathic and functional medicine approaches to hypothyroidism as well as the solutions to restoring thyroid physiology. Resources mentioned: Coyote River Hemp Co CBD products (save 10% & free shipping on your order with code FUNK10) https://coyoteriverhempco.com/ Organifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) https://organifi.com/FUNK The Funk'tional Nutrition Academy™ (next enrollment opens August 9th!) https://www.erinholthealth.com/mentorship Ask Dr. Balcavage https://www.youtube.com/user/askdrbalcavage Thyroid Answers Podcast https://rejuvagencenter.com/category/thyroid-answers/ Rejuvagen Strategic Functional Medicine www.rejuvagencenter.com Follow Erin on Insta https://www.instagram.com/the.funktional.nutritionist/ Find Eric on Insta https://www.instagram.com/drericbalcavage Related eps: Ep 125: Thyroid Health, Gluten & Hashimoto's https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2020/11/17/episode-125-thyroid-health-gluten-amp-hashimotos Ep 66: Thyroid Health + Hashimoto's with Dr. Becky Campbell https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2019/7/10/episode-66-thyroid-health-hashimotos-with-dr-becky-campbell Ep 49: Why You Need To Test Your Thyroid (and how to do it) https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2019/2/28/episode-49-why-you-need-to-test-your-thyroid-and-how-to-do-it

On this week's episode of the Spectrum of Health podcast, I have invited one of our most popular guests, Dr. Kelly Halderman, along with new guest Dr. Eric Balcavage. I'm excited to discuss their new book, The Thyroid Debacle, the Undiagnosed Epidemic of Cellular Hypothyroidism.   For more Dr. Schaffner (including more podcasts!), visit www.drchristineschaffner.com.