Health Mysteries Solved

The Wide Range of Hashimoto Symptoms Hashimoto’s is complex and often misunderstood by mainstream medicine. It’s a topic that I have a lot of experience with both personally and professionally and know that so many of you are struggling with its many symptoms. Because of this,  I knew that dedicating the 100th episode of this podcast to the topic was exactly how I wanted to celebrate this milestone.  One of the most common questions I get about Hashimoto’s is whether a specific symptom is related to Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s has a wide variety of symptoms and it can be difficult to figure out if something is related to Hashimoto’s or if it is a symptom of something else. It’s very frustrating.  People ask me about  fatigue, anxiety, GI issues, hair loss, fertility challenges, brain fog, rashes, and even eye twitches. How can all of these be symptoms of Hashimoto’s (especially when not everyone with Hashimoto’s has these symptoms?  It’s important to remember that Hashimoto’s is not a thyroid disease but an auto

The Case:  Julia is dealing with many different symptoms that none of her doctors can explain or treat. She feels achy, has low energy, deals with anxiety, and has trouble sleeping She took matters into her own hands but she found herself on a very strict diet, taking a lot of supplements, obsessing over her meals and with limited results.   The Investigation When I met Julia it was clear that there was a lot going on. Her symptoms were quite varied and she had already tried a lot of different solutions. On the plus side, she had made a lot of healthy shifts in her diet but ultimately, it had become so strict that it was creating stress. When I found out how much stress she was experiencing at home and work, I started to develop a theory about what was going on with Julia and her persistent symptoms.  My suspicions led me to look at the state of the nervous system because an upregulated nervous system can cause all kinds of unexplained symptoms. To discuss this case further, I knew exactly who I wanted to i

Please be sure to grab my free THYROID GUIDE to make sure your doctor is not missing your thyroid issue   The Question I work out and watch what I eat but every year, I gain weight. I can’t get rid of it. Is there anything I can do?  Inna’s Response  Yes. There is absolutely something that you can do! The first step is to get a clear picture of what’s going on with your thyroid levels. Make sure you get the full thyroid panel including TSH (which is where most tests stop), T 3, free T4, Free T3, and reverse T3. I also recommend testing thyroid antibodies and T3 uptake. For more on these tests and how to understand your results, you can download my FREE THYROID GUIDE   This has to do with unexplained weight gain because your levels may not be optimal (even if your doctor doesn’t note it). If you have Hashimoto’s, you may experience thyroid destruction so you need to make sure your levels are optimal To improve weight loss, you will also want to balance inflammation and support your immune system. This could in

The Case:  Amanda has trouble concentrating, staying on task, and remembering everything.  Her son, Logan, is also struggling with concentration. He can’t sit still in school or focus on his homework.  She’s hesitant to go to a doctor because she doesn’t want to solve this issue with medication. Many people think that ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is something that only affects kids but actually it’s estimated that between 3-6% of American adults suffer from ADD and it's possible that number is way higher as it's not always diagnosed.   The Investigation I suspected right away that the issue for Amanda and her son was related to ADD. I was happy to explore how we can support her and her son without turning to medication.  Joining me to talk about Amanda’s case in this episode is Dr. Darin Ingels. He focuses on environmental medicine with special emphasis on Lyme but also MS, autism, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS and PANDAS) and chronic immune dysfunction, including allergies, asth

The Case:  Jill is suffering from hormone imbalances which her doctors chalk up to perimenopause She was experiencing hot flashes, irregular periods, PMS, dry skin, mood swings, and extreme brain fog She wasn’t sure if these were all connected but she knew she didn’t like the doctor’s advice of waiting it out.  Every woman experiences perimenopause and menopause differently. There are some common symptoms like hot flashes and irregular menstrual cycles, and some symptoms attributed to this hormonal shift that may or may not be related, like brain fog and dry skin.  Jill and I both agreed that we needed to find out the root of her issues     The Investigation When Jill came to see me, I took a look at her history and labs. I saw her declining hormones, so I knew that at least some of the issues could be because of this. I also know that as hormones decline, they affect our organs (including the thyroid) and can be triggers for autoimmunity like Hashimoto’s. I knew some of the symptoms could be thyroid relate

The Investigation In a previous episode, I revealed what I eat on a regular basis to stay healthy and I was thrilled to get so much positive feedback about it. So, I thought I would pull the curtain back a little further and share what I feed my kids to keep them healthy now and to help them develop a good relationship with nutritious food. In this episode, I walk you through what my 5 year-old son and 9-month old baby daughter eat now and what they ate getting to this age. I know that kids are not easy when it comes to food. I hear, ‘my child is a picky eater!’ all the time and mine are too. It can be tough, but remember, that even if they don’t like something, it does not mean they won’t like it forever. In fact, studies show that kids have to try a food over and over again before they learn to like it so don’t give up after one or even a few tries.    Introducing Healthy Foods Early You can expand a child’s palate and willingness to try new things by introducing healthy foods and supplements at an early a

The Case:  Annabelle often feels anxious, overwhelmed and unsettled. She was experiencing weird body sensations, panic attacks and unexplained mood swings. She visited GPs, psychiatrists, therapists and a rheumatologist but their medications and an autoimmune diagnosis didn’t help solve her problem.    The Investigation One of the biggest issues for Annabelle was that she felt like nobody was really hearing her or worse, dismissing her concerns as being all in her head. I’m so glad that she reached out to me because I knew there had to be an underlying issue.  After our initial 2-hour consultation, I was convinced that her issues weren’t just internal and we had to look at external triggers to get to the root cause. Some of her symptoms reminded me of a conversation I had with Stephanie Roman (episode 21) so I knew talking to her would be the first step in solving this health mystery. Stephanie helps empaths understand their gifts and also manage them.  What is an Empath? An empath is someone who feels the

The Case:  Amanda suffers with frequent colds and sinus infections (especially around her menstrual cycle). Her hands and feet are always cold and she gets tension headaches all the time.  Standard blood tests came back normal, leaving the doctors with no answers.   The Investigation I run more comprehensive labs that many traditional doctors I make sure to run them at a specific time in the menstrual cycle. My suspicions were that this was not related to her sex hormones but rather something upstream. I suspected that a combination of hormones were being affected and leading to tension and immune challenges. In other words, I suspected that Amanda had fallen into sympathetic overdrive.  One of the top experts in this field is Dr. Amir Rashidian so I was eager to discuss Amanda’s case with him.  Dr. Amir Rashidian is the founder of the Mid-Atlantic Chiropractic Center where he focuses on high-tech diagnostics to detect and correct disturbances in the nervous system. Like me, he is a believer in drugless hea

The Investigation I’ve been getting so many questions from my clients and listeners about the various COVID vaccines. I know it can feel like a real mystery, especially if you have an autoimmune issue like Hashimoto’s. I am not an MD but I know you look to me for all types of answers because I can address things from a whole body perspective, explain things in a clear way but also can be unbiased. One of the key questions I get is whether or not someone should get the vaccine. Some have even asked if it’s better to contract COVID 19 as a way to build natural immunity.   I unfortunately can’t tell you if you should or should not get the vaccine because  I think it’s very personal and the decision is yours and only yours. I am not here to tell you what to do, but my hope is that if I answer your questions and clear up some of the confusion and mystery around it, it will hopefully make the decision, whichever decision you make easier for you.  Speaking of which, research on the vaccines is ongoing and new inform

The Case:  Laura was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) in her 20s  She’s experiencing acne, weight gain, hair loss, and irregular cycles.  She took birth control as recommended by her doctor and her symptoms subsided, but within a month of getting off of it, her acne, weight, sleep issues returned Laura’s period didn’t return after 3 months later of getting off the pill. Frustrated by not getting anywhere with her primary doctor, Laura was ready to just start taking the pill again to make the symptoms go away, but she knew this would only be a band-aid solution, and that’s when she decided to see if I could help.    The Investigation  Difficult to manage menstrual cycles is an issue I often see, and there are a number of underlying factors that could be at play. With Laura, we did more bloodwork and saw that her DHEA sulfate was elevated and her testosterone was also on the higher side. I wanted to make sure this did not become just another health mystery. Dr. Erin Kinney is a Naturopathic D

The Case:  Alison has an autoimmune disease and struggles to fight off colds and flus At the start of the pandemic, she took extra precautions including social distancing and taking extra vitamins As things open up, her anxiety is heightened and she wonders if she’ll ever shake the fear of going out again   The Investigation Alison reached out to me for help supporting her immune system so that she can start getting out more without the fear of infection and a flare up of her autoimmune disease. I knew there was a hidden threat to her health beyond being exposed to more people and germs. I knew we had to look at this from all angles to help her enter the post-lockdown COVID world with confidence.  To help me explore the emotional impact of quarantine, pandemic fears, and increased anxiety on the immune system, I invited Dr. Don Wood back to the show.  You may recall that Dr. Wood joined us on episode 62 when he shared insights into a potential underlying cause of inflammation and autoimmunity.  He is the f

The Case:  Ava has three different autoimmune conditions including Hashimoto’s  A functional medicine doctor put her on a restrictive diet for six months and an extensive supplements regimen Despite these measures, Ava still isn’t feeling better.  Ava’s autoimmune struggles have been going on for some time now. She’s put in so much work and has invested in supplements, appointments, and treatments so it’s understandable that she’s frustrated to see no payoff. It’s my impression that the root problem hasn’t been exposed. I knew that was exactly where I wanted to start.    The Investigation Autoimmunity is rampant in our society and more people are being diagnosed with all types of autoimmune conditions every day. Many start with conventional medicine like Ava did, then realize it may not hold all the answers for them, and turn to functional (or holistic) medicine. However for some, like in Ava’s case, it may still not be complete. Many practitioners, even more functional and holistic ones, can still be missi

The Investigation I hear it all the time. Someone goes on a cleanse to feel better but they end up feeling worse.  Detox reactions, die-off reactions, or Herxheimer’s reactions are caused by a variety of factors such as toxin exposure, viruses, bugs, yeasts, and parasites. Cleansing or detoxing can be incredible for our health but some people do experience symptoms like headaches, fatigue, gas, bloating, congestion, and flu-like symptoms.    Why We Experience Detox Reactions When your body has more toxins or infections present, or if it is a first cleanse, you may experience more physical reactions as there is more to clear out.  Secondly, genetics can affect how someone reacts to certain factors involved in a cleanse. The way you detoxify, and how your detoxification pathways work can be related to genetic factors in your metabolic pathways.  Thirdly, some people are simply more sensitive. It may be tougher for some people to cleanse, or they may need to take a different approach. Being sensitive to changes

The Case:  Emily is dealing with hair loss, sluggishness and constipation. Emily tried changing her diet and taking adrenal supplements but not much changed. Lab results confirm her suspicion that her thyroid is slow (even though the numbers are technically in range).  Emily’s numbers come up right on the edge of optimal so I knew that we needed to dig a bit deeper to find out what else was playing a role in her health mystery.    The Investigation Emily went to see her primary care doctor and asked her to run all the thyroid markers. The doctor was actually very open and ran everything she requested including TSH, total and free t4, total and free t3, reverse t3 and thyroid antibodies.  Her doctor reported that everything was within range, but as a fan of the show, Emily knew that ‘in range’ doesn’t mean optimal. My first instinct here was to run a hair test, and get to the bottom of the hair loss, sluggishness and constipation.   Top Thyroid Expert I asked my friend and colleague Dr. Michael Biamante to

The Case:  Lexi is dealing with constant fatigue and is struggling to stay awake during the day. She’s tried coffee and energy drinks, and was offered Adderall but preferred to seek out natural solutions. Lexi’s husband complains about her snoring, and her little guy wakes her up most nights. Lexi never wakes up feeling rested.   The Investigation Even though Lexi came to find a natural solution to her fatigue and low energy levels, I knew I had to get to the root cause of the problem.  The first thing I did was ask about sleep. It may seem surprising, but it’s shocking how many people deal with poor sleep quality, and continue living their lives assuming it’s relatively normal. To chat more about this, I called in Dr. Meghna Dassani. Dr. Dassani is a renowned wellness leader, international speaker, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Expert. She’s the author of Healthy Sleep, Happy Kids, and Sleep. Breath. Dream, both available on Amazon.   What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is diagnose

The Case:  Linda was having trouble with anxiety and sleep Routine blood work revealed a very high TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and she was given a medication to treat hypothyroidism. Linda wondered why she didn’t have many of the typical symptoms for hypothyroidism and worried that going on medication might be the wrong move.   Even though Linda was happy to have an answer, something didn’t add up. She was told to get on the medication, regardless of whether she showed typical symptoms or not. Linda wasn’t convinced. That’s when she came to see me.    The Investigation Linda was right to question her results and her treatment even though her numbers were very high. I knew I needed to figure out the root cause of her elevated TSH and determine if there might be a way to get her back into optimal range.    Normal Range for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)  The regular lab range for TSH is between .5 and 4.5, but the more functional range that we want to aim for is really between 1.8 and 3 if not medica

The Case:  Paulina is dealing with tension and constant pain in her upper back and neck.  She’s also experiencing frequent sleep interruptions, headaches and her body is in a constant state of inflammation. Paulina tried adjusting her work set up, saw doctors and a chiropractor, following their advice to take NSAIDs and anti-inflammatory medications but they left her with a sore stomach and still in pain. Natural anti-inflammatories (like fish oil and curcumin) only dulled the pain without decreasing inflammation. When it comes to inflammation and pain, many things are at play and like most things in health, things are interconnected. We often talk about inflammatory cytokines but my instinct was that there really was more going on and we had to dig to find the root cause.   The Investigation My instinct was to focus on the endocannabinoid system, which I suspected might assist in understanding and solving Paulina’s case.  When I went over the history and looked at all the things that she tried for inflamma

The Investigation Where I live, the pandemic is still very much in full swing with cases continuing to rise. This may not be what we want to hear or think about after the year we’ve just had but I want you to know that all of this can’t take away your power. You still have the power to protect your body  and your immune system so that you can best deal with whatever comes at you in the coming months.  As we learn more about the virus and as the situation shifts, my immune recommendations have also shifted. There is a lot of information floating around and not all of it is good or relevant to people with certain immune conditions.  In this episode of Health Mysteries Solved, I want to share my latest updates on immunity. I’m including the best information on how food, nutrients, contraptions and health-hacks can help you stay healthy this winter.     Protecting Your Autoimmune Self When you have an autoimmune disease, the immune system is already overactive against your own organs. Many immune formulas (supple

The Investigation Resolutions don’t work. In this episode of Health Mysteries Solved, we’re going to explore why and what you should be doing instead.    New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work We all make them, and most of us fail at them. Or, we have small successes that don’t last. Why? I think there are a few reasons:  Tied to New Years. Most of us only think about resolutions as the calendar rolls over. So, we think about this goal once. And then, we forget it so there’s not much consistency.  Obligation. For many of us, we make these resolutions about things we feel like we should be doing. We don’t think about why we want these things, or if we truly want them.  Wrong focus. We think about the resolution but don’t always put ourselves in a place where we can really feel it happening. We focus on fixing specific health issues and getting to the root of our ailments but not on what we really want and how we want to feel. We focus on what we don’t want instead of what we do want.  The New Year’s Resolutions R

The Case:  Rachel is dealing with digestion problems, sleep issues, headaches, psoriasis, and rashes.  She’s seen a ton of specialists, including a dermatologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, and an endocrinologist She tried steroids, acid lowering medications, and a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) with little improvement.   The Investigation This battery of symptoms may seem unrelated but I suspected that they were all connected.  My first clue was in her diet - which was not unhealthy but did have one common element that raised my suspicions. It’s found naturally in many foods and many traditional doctors don’t know to look for it - despite the fact that it’s estimated that as much as 17% of the population may have a reaction to it.  Dr. Beth O’Hara is a Functional Naturopath and the owner of Mast Cell 360, a Functional practice specializing in root cause approach to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Histamine Intolerance, and related conditions such as oxalates, mold toxicity, and chemical