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June 6, 2018

Managing Your Stress Response

Is your stress response chronically elevated? It could be adrenal fatigue. We’ll tell you more about how to quiet your stress response and heal your adrenals below.

How to Manage Your Stress Response | The Family That Heals Together

What is the most common response to stress?

I don’t know a mom that wouldn’t rate her stress level as “high.” In our fast, be-it-all, do-it-all world, we are left with limitless decisions and tasks despite our limited resources. Families are overburdened and overwhelmed in epidemic numbers.

Is this how we were meant to live? Why are we so stressed? Is there something we can do about it?

What are the stages of stress response?

Most of us notice we have stress but don’t know the stages of stress which are actually quite distinct. If you understand the stages any stressor follows, you can learn how to control and manage your stress responses to lower your overall stress.

Stage 1: Recognizing a potential stressor event.

Any outside occurrence can be perceived as a potential stressor. This comes in many forms and happens thousands of times in the course of one day. We get the mail, drive, cook, work, clean, and go throughout our daily lives. Any out of the ordinary happening or unexpected event triggers our consciousness to consider if this is a threat or stressor.

This is where habits can be helpful. Good habits help you make fewer decisions and free up your time and mental resources to make decisions on more important tasks. For some, this means making a weekly schedule of your tasks can decrease your overall stress levels.

Stage 2: Evaluating the potential stressor event. 

Once a potential stressor is recognized, we begin to evaluate if it’s truly a stressor to our personal resources. What is a stressor to one person, is not to another. Our subconscious asks these two questions: is this a threat to me, and do I have the resources to meet this demand?

If we feel that the event could be a threat, or that we do not have the resources to handle it, we begin the physical and mental stress process. This event is labeled as a stressor, and even if it’s not significantly draining, we will treat it as such. This is why some individuals can handle a significantly stressful event and others are upset over an unexpected $4.50 bill.

Stage 3: The body prepares for the stress response. 

If an event is labeled a potential stressor, the body begins to respond by firing up the nervous response to meet the stressor’s demands. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), also called the fight-or-flight response, prepares the body for extra physical demands and possibly a battle or quick escape.

The SNS signals the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis, to create and use more energy (ATP) because of the incoming event. This system communicates to the adrenals (small organs located above the kidney) to produce more cortisol, the hormone responsible for generating energy in our body.

While energy moves to our limbs and brain to physically and mentally prepare, it is moved away from our internal organs such as our digestive and immune systems, emotions, and sexual behavior.

Stage 4: The body acts on the stress response. 

In this final stage of stress, the body prepares for the attack or flee. Pupils dilate, the heart rate increases, perspiration and breathing increases, blood clotting factors are sent to the appendages, and the blood moves from the internal organs to the limbs and brain.

Stage 5: The body perceives the threat as over, and scales back.

After the stressor’s demands are perceived as met, our parasympathetic system begins to take back over and lessen the effects of the sympathetic system. The parasympathetic system sends out messages to lower stress hormones, move the energy back to the digestive system and internal organs, rest, and to regenerate new energy for storage. It focuses on the long term, versus the short term of the SNS, survival.

Run or eat? Your “fight-or-flight” and “rest-and-digest” instincts

Why is the body’s response to stress called the fight or flight response? Because back in our non-modern days, we needed this type of reaction to stressors. Most of our serious threats were environmental and physical, and we needed to be able to act quickly to fight or run away from our enemy.

Today, not so much. The enemy is our busy schedule, rude boss, unruly toddlers, financial struggles, and on and on. Our stressors are more long term rather than short-term, and our SNS is activated for way too long. This wreaks havoc on our digestion, immune system, emotions, sexual health, and energy levels.

The vagus nerve and your stress response

When the parasympathetic system is employed, the vagus nerve is stimulated to send signals of relaxation, peace, and calmness to your body. When your vagus nerve is impaired, those messages aren’t sending.

Luckily, you can stimulate the nerve yourself to encourage the body to lessen your stress levels. Though there are a number of herbs which can help, simple relaxation techniques like mediation, prayer, laughter, and music or silence can make a huge difference in our vagal health.

How to Manage Your Stress Response | The Family That Heals Together

How to improve your stress response

First, begin with managing your beginning stages of response. You don’t need to perceive every event as a threat. Mantras such as “I have all I need,” “God is my strength,” & “This too shall pass,” will create a baseline of peace and strength in your world, eventually reminding even your subconscious that it doesn’t need to jump on every possible stressor.

Work on developing a solid foundation of a good schedule, concrete community and help, financial stability, and self-awareness (via journaling, meditation, etc).

Then, implement these steps to lessen your stress response.

  • Mindfulness – simply being aware of yourself, your response to events, and being present in the moment elevates your mindfulness. Being aware of the Four Agreements, as penned by Don Miguel Ruiz, can also help in your relations to yourself and others: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.
  • Deep and slow breathing – slowing your breathing can slow down your stress response and activate your parasympathetic system. Try 5 or 10 long breaths that fill your lungs all the way to your belly, clearing your mind and focusing on one object in front of you.
  • Sole water – imbalanced minerals play a huge role in adrenal health. If you have consistently been stressed, you may be depleted. Sipping sole water can rejuvenate your mineral levels and increase your energy, creating a more positive stress response. Learn how to make sole water here.
  • Adaptogenic herbs – in addition to a balanced, whole foods diet, adaptogenic herbs such as maca, ashwaganda, ginseng, holy basil, rosemary, milk thistle, and some mushrooms and can help your body cope with stress. Learn how to make your own adaptogenic herbal remedy here.
  • Give back and connect – volunteering at a friend’s home, local shelter, or charity will broaden your perspective on your life’s stressors and teach you how to cope with new situations. Realizing there’s a world apart from our struggles can send huge ripples of change through our view of our own stress.

The Adrenals 101

If you have been undergoing chronic stress, your adrenals may actually have sustained some damage. Your adrenal system may be overactive, or underactive after years of stressful burdens. If you are consistently short-tempered, have a very low sex drive, don’t enjoy social engagements, do not sleep well, have a consistently high heart rate or high blood pressure, it may be time to give your adrenals some additional support.

Supporting your adrenals

Cortisol is the primary hormone that helps us adapt and handle stress in our day to day lives. Yes, it’s that important. And unfortunately, it can become low producing or get thrown off its daily rhythm leading to major issues for your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Test your adrenals via a four-point (four different times of the day, see below) saliva test and consider supplementing for the lows (adrenal cortex extract) and highs (zinc and/or holy basil). We like this supplement and this supplement of adrenal cortex. Of course, if you know your farmer, you can also ask for the adrenal glands and desiccate them yourself.

Iron
To build up your thyroid and adrenal health, you need a solid supply of iron. It’s important to get your iron tested before working on healing your adrenals (see test below in Additional Resources). To improve iron levels, work on healing your gut, detoxing your liver, and getting enough natural iron. Consider taking desiccated liver capsules.

Selenium
Selenium is an important cofactor to thyroid hormone production. Selenium must be optimal for your thyroid and adrenals to function properly, as selenium prevents iodine from attacking the thyroid cells. You can consider a supplement like this one, or eating Brazil nuts, which contain high levels of selenium.

Iodine
As of the 1990’s, salt and other processed foods are no longer required to contain iodine. It was replaced by its not-so-healthy friend bromine, which works against iodine in the body and actually makes other toxins, like fluoride, stick in the body.

Originally derived from the sea, iodine is also found in cranberries, strawberries, kale, and seaweed. Kelp is one of the best natural sources, though most of us need more than kelp to supplement our low iodine levels.

In fact, the RDA is about .003% of the amount most iodine researchers say we need today. Iodine (with selenium) is needed to produce enough thyroid hormones, which in turn generate good ol’ ATP (energy) in your body.

Iodine deficiency looks like lack of energy, thinning hair and eyebrows, brain fog, fatigue, low immunity, and breast tenderness and cysts.

See testing, supplementation, and dosing suggestions in the Additional Resources section below, and be sure to read our full post on iodine supplementation here.

There is hope! You may not need therapy or medication to manage chronic low or even high levels of stress. You can change your stress response with a little of self-awareness and some help from a few natural supplements.

How do you handle daily stress in your life?


Additional Resources

Stop the Thyroid Madness Website

Stop the Thyroid Madness Book

BLT Thyroid Test

ZRT At Home Cortisol Saliva Test

Iron Test

Lugols Iodine

Natural Seagreens Iodine

Iodine Dosing

By: Danielle · Filed Under: Beautiful, Blog, health · Tagged: adrenal fatigue, adrenals, autoimmune disease, fight or flight, gut health, hashimotos, hormones, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, stress, stress response, thyroid, women's health

February 28, 2018

Iodine Benefits- Should You Supplement?

We talk a lot about how to promote healthy hormone function, but did you know that iodine is needed for just that reason? Below, contributor Danielle reveals the iodine benefits you need to know about.

Iodine Benefits- Should You Supplement? | The Family That Heals Together

Do we need iodine?

Iodine is an essential trace element that is stored in nearly every organ in the body, but over 60% of the body’s supply is found in the thyroid. Iodine is also important for brain function, and muscle and skin health.

Though iodine is essential to a wide number of bodily functions, the most important function of iodine occurs in the thyroid. Without iodine, no thyroid hormones would be synthesized. These hormones control metabolism, remove toxins, and utilize other minerals, such as calcium.

Unfortunately, bromine, found in processed bread products, and fluoride, found in toothpaste and added to the water supply, deplete iodine in the body. With the majority of Americans brushing with fluoride, then rinsing it down with more fluoride, and consuming high amounts of processed bread products, we find ourselves in an even deeper deficiency.

According to the CDC, iodine deficiency is one of the four major deficiencies in the world. (source) Though the United States is not a developing country, research shows that over half of Americans are deficient in iodine, and that statistic is growing. (source)

The USDA recommends:

  • 150 micrograms (mcg) per day for adult men and women
  • 220 mcg for pregnant women
  • 290 mcg for lactating/breastfeeding women

But these amounts may not be enough for optimal thyroid function, thyroid healing, and women who are pregnant.

What are the types of iodine?

There are a number of forms of iodine supplements – including nascent, potassium iodide, and lugols.

  • Nascent iodine has an incomplete number of electrons, giving it an electromagnetic charge and reported better absorption in the body when consumed orally. The body recognizes nascent iodine as what it uses to make the T3 and T4 hormones (learn more about those here). Most prefer this form of iodine supplementation. Get it here.
  • Potassium iodide is the most common form of iodine, and most inexpensive to produce. Only about 20% of potassium iodide is absorbed by the digestive tract, and thus not the best choice for iodine supplementation. Get it here.
  • Lugol’s iodine is made up of potassium iodide plus iodine in a distilled water solution. Breast tissue favors this type, and it has also been found to help inhibit hormone secretion. Get it here. (Jaclyn’s note: this is my preferred type of iodine, and I use it to paint on my skin; a palm-sized amount is the general suggestion.)

Iodine supplements may be taken orally or topically.

Painting is applying a solution topically to the skin. The idea behind this method is that the body will only consume that which it truly needs, and you can actually measure and observe the amount taken in. It also allows the iodine to reach the ideal destination in a higher concentration. One study found that iodine bioavailability increased seven times when painted on the problem area. (source)

What foods are rich in iodine?

Iodine-rich soil is found by the coasts, so one is much more likely to experience iodine deficiency in the middle regions of the country. However, the soil has been depleted of every mineral in recent decades, leading to iodine deficiency in soils everywhere.

This adds up to simply not enough iodine in our diet, even if we eat a whole foods diet. Boosting your intake of iodine-rich foods is a great start, but also consider adding with a quality iodine supplement as well.

Foods rich in iodine include:

  • Seaweed (my kids love these!)
  • Blueberries
  • Yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Navy beans
  • Strawberries
  • Potatoes
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Green beans
  • Bananas
  • Prunes

Iodine Benefits- Should You Supplement? | The Family That Heals Together
Seaweed salad

Why should I take iodine?

Everyone should include iodine-rich whole foods in their diet. Those experiencing infertility, constipation, mood disorders, and those with mental or physical impairments or planning to get pregnant should consider consistent iodine supplementation.

It’s extremely important for those planning to conceive to have optimum iodine levels. Low maternal iodine has been linked to autism (source), physical and mental growth issues, mental retardation, and cretinism. Continue taking iodine through breastfeeding to ensure your baby has an adequate supply of iodine, too.

Iodine benefits include:

  • improved energy
  • healthy fertility
  • strengthened immune function
  • enhanced detoxification
  • improved thyroid health

Who is iodine supplementation NOT recommended for?

Although iodine is imperative for thyroid health and can be a cure for those with hypothyroidism and even hyperthyroidism, it is not recommended for those with the autoimmune thyroid disease Hashimoto’s.

Chris Kesser, an integrative medicine specialist, explains why this happens:

“Because increased iodine intake, especially in supplement form, can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Iodine reduces the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is required for proper thyroid hormone production.

On the other hand, restricting intake of iodine can reverse hypothyroidism. In one study, 78% of patients with Hashimoto’s regained normal thyroid function with iodine restriction alone.” (source)

Those taking high blood pressure medications, diuretics, or anti-thyroid medications should not supplement iodine, or should first consult their physician to be sure iodine supplementation would not interfere with their medication.

The importance of iodine co-factor supplementation

There’s a great deal of evidence that adequate selenium levels will allow those with Hashimoto’s to be able to consume iodine safely and gain its benefits. If you are looking to treat your Hashimoto’s, do a lot of research, and consider supplementing selenium before supplementing iodine. (The

It’s possible to have too high of selenium levels, however, especially if you have a MTHFR mutation. It’s best, if you are trying to treat Hashimoto’s or any thyroid disease, to get your iodine and selenium levels checked before beginning a supplement regimen. (Jaclyn’s note: Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium and are my preferred source! However, in the case of severe deficiency or imbalance, high doses of selenium may be necessary. This should be done under the care of a functional medicine doctor. According to Dr. Jolene Brighten, a maintenance dose of 200mcg per day of selenium may be sufficient once levels have been normalized.)

Most vitamins and minerals need certain other vitamins and minerals to perform their necessary functions perfectly. These are called cofactors or companion nutrients. Important cofactors for iodine include selenium (minimum 200 mg per day), magnesium (minimum 400 mg per day), vitamin C (minimum 2,000-3,000 mg per day), and vitamins B2 and B3 (100 mg riboflavin and 500 mg niacin per day). Vitamin B1 (thiamin) may also be required to activate the thyroid hormone. (source)

Iodine deficiency symptoms include:

  • Goiter
  • Lack of sweating
  • Pain in muscles or low muscle tone
  • Stillbirth
  • Spontaneous abortion
  • Stunted physical growth
  • Delayed intellectual development
  • Cretinism (a serious developmental delay in child, typically due to severe maternal hypothyroidism)
  • Frustration
  • Depression
  • Decreased fertility
  • Weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Bumpy skin
  • Mental retardation

How much iodine does a person need?

Though the USDA has set the recommended daily amount (150 mcg for men and women, 220 mcg for pregnant women, and 290 mcg for nursing women), many holistic doctors have purported that it’s not nearly enough for healthy function.

According to Dr. Flechas M.D. M.P.H., who has overseen a number of pregnancies and done extensive study on iodine in the body, a 110-pound woman’s breasts need 5 mg of iodine a day, the thyroid needs 6 mg of iodine a day, and other lymphatic organs need another 2 mg a day. (source) To his credit, it’s been found that the body can hold 1,500 mg of iodine, with 50 mg being held in the thyroid alone. (source) Note that these are milligrams, not micrograms.

A number of studies beginning in the early 1900s have shown that high iodine supplementation is not only safe, but can treat cancer, hypothyroidism, and goiter. (source)

Iodized salt has been a thing in the United States since U.S. manufacturers started adding iodine to table salt in the 1920s to prevent iodine deficiency.  On average, 45 mcg of iodine can be found in one eighth teaspoon of table salt. Today, U.S. manufacturers are supposed to put non-iodized salt into their products to prevent too high intake of iodine.

You can supplement iodine by table salt, or the better option of pink Himalayan sea salt. A large portion of iodine supplements are derived from kelp. Some have great additives, like selenium, but research which is best for you. (source)

What are the symptoms of too much iodine?

Consuming too much iodine is hazardous. Monitor your symptoms when supplementing iodine, as taking too much iodine can result in the conditions below.

  • Mouth or throat burning (if a high dose is taken)
  • Thyroid cancer or inflammation
  • Goiter

Remember that those taking certain prescriptions should not supplement iodine (see above).

The National Institute for Health notes these doses as the maximum level of iodine that should be consumed daily (source):

  • Birth to 1 Year: No amount specified
  • 1-3 Years: 200 mcg
  • 4-8 Years: 300 mcg
  • 9-13 Years: 600 mcg
  • 14-18 years: 900 mcg
  • Adults: 1,100 mcg

Iodine is an essential mineral that should be a staple in your whole foods diet. It is especially important for those trying to conceive, as well as pregnant and nursing moms to have an adequate intake of iodine in their diet or supplement regimen.

Those suffering from metabolism issues and hormonal imbalance, including thyroid diseases, could also find relief through supplementing iodine, although it should be done with caution.

By: Danielle · Filed Under: Blog · Tagged: hormones, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, iodine, minerals, seaweed, thyroid, women's health

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