thyroid health

8 Reasons Your Fatigue Could Be Thyroid Related

You’re not feeling like yourself. In fact, you’re feeling downright exhausted and it’s impacting your daily life. You might think that you’re just going through a phase or that you need more sleep, but what if your fatigue is actually being caused by your thyroid?

1) Poor Mood

One of the first signs that your fatigue could be thyroid related is if you find yourself in a constant bad mood. If you’re feeling irritable, anxious, or even depressed for no reason, it could be due to an imbalance in your hormones.

2) Feeling Cold

Another early sign of thyroid problems is feeling cold all the time, even when others around you are comfortable. This is because an underactive thyroid can cause your body temperature to drop.

3) Weight Loss Resistance

If you’re eating right and exercising but still not seeing any results on the scale, it could be due to a thyroid imbalance. An underactive thyroid can make it harder to lose weight, even when you’re doing everything right.

4) Hair Loss

Thyroid problems can lead to hair loss, which can further contribute to feeling tired and run down. If you notice that you’re losing more hair than usual, it’s worth checking in with your doctor.

5) Fatigue

Feeling fatigued all the time is one of the most common symptoms of thyroid problems. If you find yourself struggling to get through the day or falling asleep more often than not, it’s likely due to an imbalance in your thyroid hormone levels.

6) Imbalanced Hormones

One of the most common causes of fatigue is an imbalance in your hormones. This can be due to a number of different factors, but if you find that your energy levels are constantly fluctuating or that you’re feeling more tired than usual, it’s worth checking in with your doctor to see if your hormone levels are off.

7) Gut Issues

Another common cause of fatigue is gut problems. If you’re struggling with digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea, it can lead to feeling exhausted. This is because your gut health is directly linked to your overall health and well-being.

8) Pain

Lastly, pain can also be a sign of thyroid problems. If you’re constantly dealing with headaches, body aches, or fatigue, it’s worth checking in with your doctor to see if your thyroid could be the culprit.

We Can Do This Together

If you’re struggling with fatigue, it’s important to check in with a Certified Nutrition Specialist to rule out any underlying health issues. Thyroid problems are a common cause of fatigue, so if you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s worth getting checked out. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to managing thyroid problems and keeping your energy levels up. Check out below a few of my options to get you started on your journey to improve your health and regain your energy.

My Free 7 Meal Plan

There are 3 main health issues that affect how the thyroid functions. These include stabilizing blood sugar, managing stress, and balancing hormones. Grab my free 7-day meal plan and you’ll get an introduction to eating balanced meals and snacks that will have an impact on all 3 of these issues.

If you want to learn more about Thyroid Dysfunction and how it may be affecting your life, Schedule a Free Thyroid Breakthrough Session with me.

Let’s Connect!

Say goodbye to fatigue and hello to a full and vibrant life! Join me over in my Facebook group where we are talking all about how to take back control of your health!

Be sure to follow me on my Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest for tips and tricks on how to use nutrition to live your very best life!

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Calories In and Calories Out. Do Calories Matter?

Calories in calories out. Doesn’t work for you. Right? Are you someone who struggles with a health condition, chronic fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, a lot of stress in your life or some kind of underlying condition? You don’t know what’s wrong with you and you decide to lose weight.

So, you follow the influencers on TikTok and other places and tell you that all you need to do is reduce your calories, but you feel like that’s not working for you. It’s way more than just calories. I promise.

Calories In and Calories Out Model

The calories in, calories out model is the most basic model of weight loss. The theory behind this model is that if you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. If you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn.

If you’re eating a very low-calorie diet, you might lose weight in the beginning, but eventually your body will start to hold on to fat because it thinks you’re starving. When you cut calories too much, your body also starts to break down muscle for energy. You might lose weight, but you’ll also lose muscle mass and strength. Plus, when you cut calories and don’t exercise, you can end up with a slower metabolism.

So even if you do lose weight, it’ll be harder to keep it off in the long run. Calorie restriction can also lead to unhealthy behaviors like binge eating. When you finally do eat something, your body is so starved that you end up overeating and then feel guilty about it.

The calorie in, calorie out model is also flawed because it doesn’t take into account the quality of the food you’re eating. your individual metabolism or the energy you expend throughout the day. The calories in, calories out model is a very simplistic way of looking at weight loss and weight gain. It’s also not accurate for everyone.

Are all Calories Created Equal?

500 calories of gummy bears is not the same as 500 calories of broccoli. The gummy bears will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels, whereas the broccoli will give you fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

The quality of the food you’re eating matters more than the quantity (calories).  Processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar can all lead to weight gain, even if you’re not eating more calories than you’re burning. These types of foods are less satisfying and can lead to cravings and overeating.

Plus, different people have different metabolisms. Just because someone else can eat 2,000 calories a day and lose weight doesn’t mean you can too. We all have different energy needs based on our age, activity level, and other factors such as a thyroid dysfunction.

So if you’re struggling to lose weight, don’t be discouraged. It’s not just about the calories. There are other factors at play.

I am a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and I practice functional nutrition which deals with the way food affects you at the cellular level and how the nutrients from food affects your well-being. I offer 1:1 nutrition consultation as well as a health reset membership program that is designed specifically for what you need to do for YOUR body to regain your vitality and feel like yourself again.

3 Steps to Reset Your Health & Crush Your Fatigue

without Crazy Dieting or Beating Yourself up at the Gym

Learn 3 Steps to Reset Your Health & Crush Your Fatigue without Crazy Dieting or Beating Yourself up at the Gym.

This free on-demand workshop was created to support you in improving your health and finally getting your energy back on track.

Let’s Connect!

It’s time to say goodbye to fatigue and hello to a full and vibrant life!

Join me over in my Facebook group where we are talking all about how to take back control of your health!

Be sure to follow me on my Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest for tips and tricks on how to use nutrition to live your very best life! ​

Calories In and Calories Out. Do Calories Matter? Read More »

How Do I Help My Thyroid Work Its Best?

When people get diagnosed with a thyroid condition, their practitioner will often put them on Synthroid or some other T4 medication. Theoretically, everything should be good to go at this point — the pills should fix everything, and you should start feeling amazing again, right?

In reality, that’s not always the case, as medication alone does not necessarily fix the symptoms of thyroid disease. In the article below, I offer five things you need to have in check to help your thyroid work its best, but first, let’s look at some of the symptoms you might be having if your thyroid isn’t functioning optimally.

What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Dysfunction?

If you have a thyroid condition, there could be several symptoms that you might be feeling, even if you’re taking medication. These are the top complaints I hear from people I work with and that I have encountered myself, too:

  • Fatigue
  • Hair thinning or falling out
  • Often feeling cold
  • Irregular female hormone cycles
  • Low libido
  • Muscle weakness
  • Joint pain
  • Anemia
  • Food sensitivities
  • Allergies
  • Tendency to get sick
  • Inability to handle stress

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to find a practitioner who is willing to conduct a full thyroid panel to check for thyroid dysfunction. This includes testing TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and certain antibodies. Oftentimes, people go undiagnosed because their practitioner told them their labs were “normal,” even though they feel anything but. If you’re struggling to find a practitioner who can help you dig deeper into your symptoms, reach out to me and I can help you find someone.

In addition to checking thyroid hormones, you’ll want to check other hormones, too — including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and adrenal hormones. Together, these hormones need to be working in harmony for you to feel your best.

Optimizing Thyroid Hormones

Getting your hormones to work optimally may be easier said than done, and I can personally attest to how difficult that process can be. Coming off of thyroid cancer treatment, when we were working to optimize my thyroid hormones, my practitioner recommended I go on birth control pills to balance my female hormones. Desperate for a solution, I decided to give it a shot, despite the associated risk of having my cancer come back. Within just a couple months, my tumor markers went up — the very thing I was trying to avoid.

I know so many women who, like me, are desperate for answers and might resort to medication. And I totally get it — no judgments from me. However, it’s important to understand that even if you’re taking medication, you can support your thyroid with certain dietary and lifestyle changes and help your body feel its best. Here are five strategies I recommend:

  1. Eliminate processed foods as much as possible. Eating junk food can have a huge impact on proper thyroid function.
  2. Consider getting a micronutrient panel. This will tell you whether you have any nutrient deficiencies, down to the cellular level.
  3. Other things to check include levels of iron, iodine, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper. Vitamin D is especially important for proper immune system function, and a vitamin D deficiency can show up as anxiety, depression, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions.
  4. Manage your stress. It sounds cliche but working on stress management can have a big impact on getting your thyroid functioning properly. Remember, you can’t control everything that happens in life, but you can control how you choose to respond to daily challenges. Even five minutes a day of mindfulness work or meditation is a great starting point. Also, you might want to add a B complex supplement and eat more citrus as well as good animal protein, as stress depletes the body of B and C vitamins.
  5. Manage your blood sugar. To keep your blood sugar stable, make sure you’re eating high-quality proteins, fats, and carbs every time you eat. (As for carbs, think complex carbohydrates that are unprocessed, low-glycemic fruits, and a variety of vegetables, not chips and crackers!)

If you can focus on these five areas, it’ll have a domino effect in your body — allowing not only your thyroid but also all your systems to work optimally both together and individually for greater health. If you need more help creating a plan for your specific needs, book a free 30-minute call with me so we can talk through your goals, one step at a time.

How Do I Help My Thyroid Work Its Best? Read More »

What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor and What It Can Tell You

You can read as many textbooks as you want about proper insulin and sugar nutrition. But there’s no better way to learn then to try something for yourself.

And that’s exactly what Tiffany did.

For three months, Tiffany used a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) to see how her food and behavior affected her sugar and insulin levels. She used the dedicated app to tap into the data and see how her levels differed throughout the day, how they reacted to certain foods, and how various activities influenced them, too.

Alongside her Aura ring, she was able to find three pivotal parts of life that had the greatest effect on her hormone levels.

1.     Cortisol and stress

The first observation she had was that elevated levels of stress caused her cortisol levels to rise, which in turn elevated her glucose levels as insulin was unable to break down sugar in the body as efficiently.

And as she acknowledges, without the right nutrition and coping mechanisms such as mindfulness to help combat stress:

“Then your glucose becomes higher in your blood. Your insulin doesn’t work as well. And that sets us up for things like pre-diabetes type two diabetes, and chronic disease down the road.”

2.     Sleep

We all know how vital sleep is for basic human function. But what Tiffany learned specifically is that insulin sensitivity decreases at night.

So what does that mean for you?

If you’re a late night snacker, your body will break down the sugars a lot slower than it would earlier in the day, and this is especially true during sleep.

And while it might not always disrupt your REM cycle (although she noted she sometimes experienced this when her glucose levels were higher than usual) it means you often wake up with elevated blood glucose levels, which then becomes a negative cycle for dealing with stress.

3.     Exercise

It’s not all doom and gloom. The main contributor to mitigating higher glucose levels, (after nutrition of course), was doing exercise. Tiffany found that even if she woke up with elevated glucose levels, after a morning workout, it went straight back down, which proves the success of exercise on helping to break down sugars in the morning.

CGM Experiment conclusion

After three months, Tiffany’s takeaway is clear.

  1. Learn to manage your stress
  2. Avoid eating too late where possible
  3. Exercise is a vital part of glucose management so incorporate it in your daily life

Implementing these three simple steps will help you gain regain control of your hormones so you can thrive.

Rock Bottom Thyroid Treatment

Following years of learning how to allow her thyroid to thrive, Tiffany has written a book called the Rock Bottom Thyroid Treatment. It’s an eight-week program split into three phases that help readers overcome the many obstacles and symptoms they face from their thyroid conditions.

If you want to reach out to Tiffany with any questions on her book or how you can start thriving with your thyroid today, email her at hello@tiffanyflaten.com.

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What exercise should I do if I suffer from a chronic health condition?

It can be difficult to exercise when you have a chronic health condition. For example, I’ve talked to so many people who have a thyroid diagnosis or an auto-immune disorder, and they can’t lose weight or keep gaining weight. And when they do exercise, they tend to overdo it as their bodies need the extra energy to fight their condition.

Those with a chronic health condition suffer from fatigue, depression, anxiety, joint pain, poor gut health, chronic headaches, numbness, or inflammation. So, when they do exercise, they are putting more stress on their body and end up feeling worse.

As someone who has recovered from thyroid cancer, I struggled to lose weight. I thought if I exercised more and took intense classes, it would help me lose weight. However, because of my thyroid condition, I only felt worse. So instead, I had to find different workouts that benefited my body.

Here’s a look at different exercises you can do if you suffer from a chronic health condition:

 

Stretching

Before you put your body through an intense workout, you should first do simple and easy movements. Focus on stretching at night before you get into bed. Create a mini yoga routine or use a foam roller to relax your body for a nice restorative night’s sleep.

Walking

Another option is to take a good nature walk. You don’t have to go to the woods or hike a mountain. I mean just getting outside and taking in that fresh air. Walk around the block, even if it’s just for five minutes. Walking helps us be more mindful and calms our brains, which calms our bodies.

Strength Training

Next, you should strengthen your muscles with a specific regimen of yoga or Pilates. Yoga can help build endurance and help restore our bodies. Then, once your body feels less stressed, I suggest full body, upper or lower body strength training to keep your muscle mass and composition in check.

Interval Training

Finally, I would introduce interval training into your workout when your body is ready. Short bursts of intense exercise will get your heart rate up and then bring it back down again. It will change your body’s ability to handle stress and helps normalize your symptoms.

Go Back to the Basics

Learn from my mistakes. Don’t push your body with intense workouts to lose weight. Instead, take baby steps to strengthen your muscles and build your tolerance. Then, when you start to get a little bit better, and your body feels more restored, I would increase the intensity or duration of your exercise.

Change your daily walk into a jog or exercise for 30 minutes longer. If you follow these exercises, you should notice a big difference in your body and your weight in no time. Make sure you pay attention to your body. If you begin to feel sore or exhausted, it’s a sign that you’re doing too much.

What exercise should I do if I suffer from a chronic health condition? Read More »

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