Amy Myers's Blog, page 56

6 Causes of Insomnia and 6 Solutions to Overcome It

It’s the end of another long, hectic day. You’re so physically drained you feel as if you could fall asleep in an instant…until you get into bed. No matter how burnt out you are from the day, it’s as if the minute your head hits the pillow you are wide awake, and nothing can lull you to sleep. You try listening to music, reading a book, meditating, yet nothing seems to work! You are both “tired and wired,” tossing and turning all night long until the sun comes up and it starts all over again.

If you’re someone who deals with insomnia on a regular basis, you know what a torment it is to lie awake night after night, crazed with exhaustion yet unable to fall asleep. Insomnia can be extremely frustrating and, without adequate restful sleep, it could also be putting you at an increased risk of numerous health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.1

What you may not realize is there are certain underlying health problems that could be behind your sleepless nights. The key to overcoming insomnia is to identify the root causes that are keeping you from falling asleep and staying asleep. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most common causes of insomnia and some simple lifestyle strategies for addressing those underlying issues so you can finally get the quality, restorative sleep you need.

1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes heartburn and acid reflux, both of which can interrupt a sound sleep. In fact, three out of four people experience disrupted sleep due to GERD symptoms.2 That’s because the backflow of acid and food into the esophagus can worsen heartburn when you lie down, particularly if you are a late night snacker. This exacerbates GERD symptoms such as coughing and choking, which can lead to insomnia, sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness. Reflux is often caused by food sensitivities, a poor diet, too little stomach acid, stress, or gut infections such as SIBO. They key to overcoming GERD is to pinpoint and address the root cause behind your symptoms.

2. Hyperthyroidism

It’s estimated that between 3 and 10 million people suffer from an overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism. I myself was diagnosed with the autoimmune form of hyperthyroidism called Graves’ disease during my second year of medical school, so I can tell you how badly it affected my sleep! Hyperthyroidism ramps up all of your metabolic processes and overstimulates your nervous system, leading to tremors, night sweats, a racing heart, and anxiety–a perfect storm for insomnia. If you suspect hyperthyroidism is at the root of your sleep problems, check out my book The Thyroid Connection for a comprehensive guide to getting your condition and get your life back.

3. Neurological Conditions

Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis are linked to an increased incidence of insomnia. Nearly everyone with Parkinson’s has insomnia and those with multiple sclerosis are three times as likely to have sleep disturbances or poor quality sleep.3 Sleep disruption is partly due to pain, tremors, or spasticity, though insomnia also seems to be a symptom of the neurological disorder itself.4 Additionally, medications prescribed for these conditions can interrupt REM cycles and cause severe nightmares, thereby worsening the cycle of daytime fatigue and sleepless nights.

4. Musculoskeletal Disorders

If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or fibromyalgia, it’s likely that these disorders are keeping you awake at night. The musculoskeletal pain from these disorders can make it difficult to sleep, and often those with fibromyalgia experience other conditions such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, which can compound insomnia.5 In turn, poor sleep can increase stress hormones, causing flare-ups for those with RA and leading to worsened joint pain and depression–not exactly a recipe for a restful night!

5. Respiratory Problems

Asthma, sleep apnea, and other respiratory issues could be behind your insomnia. Difficulty breathing while lying down–and the accompanying anxiety of having an asthma attack while asleep–can cause sleep disruption for many people with these issues. Steroids and other medications for respiratory problems have a stimulating effect akin to caffeine, making it more difficult to fall asleep in the first place. Plus, circadian-related changes in the tone of the muscles surrounding the airways cause breathing airways to constrict at night, raising the chance of an asthma attack.

6. Anxiety and Depression

Many of the conditions above can trigger mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or having fitful nights where you feel even more exhausted come morning are hallmarks of these psychological issues. An astounding 90% of people with depression experience insomnia, and the persistent worrying and tension associated with anxiety can keep you up all night as you are plagued by thoughts about the past, present, or future that are beyond your control.

How to Overcome Insomnia and Promote Restful Sleep

Now the good news: insomnia does not have to be a lifelong struggle! Once you’ve figured out the root cause of your insomnia, you can work on incorporating some of the following diet and lifestyle strategies for promoting better-quality, more restful sleep.

1. Optimize your diet, especially for bed.

If you have GERD or other GI issues that are causing your insomnia, it is critical to optimize your diet to reduce reflux and other symptoms. Fried foods and other heavy, fatty, and spicy meals can exacerbate acid reflux, especially when consumed in large quantities right before bedtime. Drinking a lot before bed can also disrupt sleep due to frequent trips to the bathroom during the night. These interruptions could keep you from ever entering REM sleep, the most restorative type of sleep. You should especially limit or abstain from alcohol and caffeine if you struggle with insomnia. Alcohol disrupts sleep and increases the number of sleep apnea events, and the acidity of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages can worsen GERD. Caffeine also delays your circadian rhythm and exacerbates anxiety, while alcohol can lead to depression, which we know is a major factor in insomnia.

2. Reduce your inflammation.

Most chronic illnesses, including many of the conditions listed above, are caused by systemic inflammation. Our modern day diets are full of toxic foods (including sugar, alcohol, and processed junk) and inflammatory foods (gluten and dairy in particular) that trigger or worsen the symptoms of these conditions. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet and taking supplements such as curcumin that fight inflammation can help you work your way down the autoimmune spectrum and reverse the painful symptoms of autoimmunity and other inflammatory conditions including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and GERD.

3. Go for a walk.

Studies have shown that moderate-intensity exercise significantly improves the sleep of those with chronic insomnia.6 Staying active during the day (not right before bed!) reduces the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and increases the duration of sleep. Walking in particular can help with stress relief and management, which in turn has a positive impact on autoimmunity and other chronic conditions. Gentle exercise is also beneficial for depression, anxiety, and joint pain, all of which interfere with quality sleep. Interestingly, high-intensity exercise and lifting weights has no effect on insomnia, so keep it nice and easy with a long, brisk walk!

4. Develop good sleep hygiene habits.

Unsurprisingly, what you do during the day has a huge effect on how well you sleep. If your sleep schedule is all over the place (staying up until 2 a.m. binge watching your favorite show, taking naps in the afternoon) your body will be unable to regulate its internal clock to know when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to sleep. Your circadian rhythm can be thrown off by caffeine, blue light exposure from fluorescent lighting, computers, and TVs, and a lack of natural sunlight throughout the day. Keep a strict schedule where you go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, and try getting outside early in the morning to stimulate melatonin production. Limit or eliminate caffeine, which can delay your internal clock, and skip the catnap and late-night screen time. If you can’t avoid working on a device before bed, invest in a pair of amber glasses to help block out the blue light. I wear my amber glasses every night and have noticed a significant improvement in my sleep because of them.

5. Try aromatherapy.

Putting a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow could have a profound impact on your sleep. Lavender has a long anecdotal tradition as a natural remedy for insomnia, and scientific research supports those claims. Studies have demonstrated the ability of lavender essential oil to greatly decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. It also has antispasmodic, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective qualities to help mitigate the effects of various neurological disorders.7 What’s more, lavender has been shown to be an effective treatment for pain, migraines, and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and depression–all of which can keep you up at night. Using lavender as aromatherapy reduces restlessness and disturbed sleep, and has a beneficial influence on general well-being and quality of life.

6. Reverse chronic issues with diet and lifestyle.

Ultimately, overcoming insomnia comes down to overcoming the underlying cause(s) of your insomnia. By following the four pillars of The Myers Way®, you’ll be making critical changes to the dietary and lifestyle habits that are contributing to your chronic illness and sleepless nights. Repairing your gut, optimizing your diet, taming the toxins, healing your infections, and relieving your stress will help you conquer insomnia and set you on the path to lifelong wellness.

The post 6 Causes of Insomnia and 6 Solutions to Overcome It appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

The Perfect Father’s Day Burgers

When I think of Father’s Day, I always think of burgers. That’s because my father (aka The Fast Man) was an incredible cook who was known for his perfectly grilled hamburgers. This is my adaptation of his burgers (you can find this recipe under “The Perfect Fast Man Burgers” in The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook)!

Although I give instructions for cooking the burgers in a grill pan, feel free to use an outdoor grill, which is how my dad always made them.

Happy Father’s Day!

The Perfect Father’s Day Burger





CourseMain Dish

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection











Ingredients








1lb

100% grass-fed, pasture-raised ground beef

1tbsp

bone broth

1tbsp

garlic powder

1tbsp

onion powder

1tsp

dried thyme

1tsp

freshly ground black pepper

1/2tsp

fine sea salt










Instructions









Place all burger ingredients in a bowl. Using clean hands, mix together well. Shape into four patties.



Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat. Grill the burgers on one side for 4 to 6 minutes. Turn the burgers and grill on the other side for about 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Serve with toppings of your choice.

The post The Perfect Father’s Day Burgers appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Video: Optimizing Your Diet Based on Your Microbiome

Microbiome testing is one of the newest innovations in the health and wellness field. Each and every one of us has a unique and diverse collection of microflora in our guts, meaning there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to optimal health.

I went LIVE on my Facebook page with Naveen Jain of Viome to talk all about microbiome testing and how to optimize your diet based on your personal gut flora. Watch the replay below!

The post Video: Optimizing Your Diet Based on Your Microbiome appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

The SIBO & Histamine Intolerance Connection

Are you dealing with a histamine intolerance? If so, I’ll bet you’re frustrated by the symptoms that seem to come out of nowhere, ranging from headaches, to an itchy runny nose, face flushing, unexplained anxiety, and a myriad of other issues.

I had histamine intolerance myself, so I get it! I suffered from these awful headaches that would spring up out of the blue, and I could not figure out what was triggering them. So, I dove into functional medicine mode to identify the underlying cause of the issue and discovered that I had a histamine intolerance. Digging even deeper, it turns out that for me–and for many of my patients who also had histamine intolerance–a gut infection known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) was at the root of my symptoms. By overcoming SIBO, I was able to resolve my histamine issues as well.

What is Histamine Intolerance?

Let’s back up for a second and talk about what histamine is, and what histamine intolerance looks like. I cover this topic extensively in my article, Everything You Need to Know About Histamine Intolerance, and I’ll go over the basics here.

What is Histamine?

Histamines are chemicals produced by your immune system that create inflammation in response to an attack by an outside invader. Histamine is also a component of your stomach acid that aids in digestion by breaking down foods in your gut.

There are a variety of foods that either contain histamine or cause your body to release histamine when you eat them. You can find a list of these foods in my article on histamine intolerance.

The Role of Histamine in Immune Responses

Histamine works by causing your blood vessels to swell, or dilate, so that your white blood cells can quickly find and attack the infection or problem. You’re probably familiar with this effect when you get bitten by a mosquito and there is local swelling and redness at the site, along with itching and even pain. Histamines also react to allergens such as pollen by prompting the thin membranes in your nose and throat to produce more mucus, causing the runny nose, sneezing, itching, and coughing associated with seasonal allergies. That’s why people experiencing allergic reactions are often given “antihistamines” to control the release of histamines that produce these symptoms.

How Do You Develop Histamine Intolerance?

Your body produces enzymes known as diamine oxidase (DAO) that keep your histamine levels in check. If for some reason you don’t break down histamine properly, it begins to build up and you develop what we call histamine intolerance.

Because it travels throughout your bloodstream, histamine can affect your gut, lungs, skin, brain, and entire cardiovascular system, contributing to a wide range of symptoms, and often making a histamine intolerance difficult to pinpoint and diagnose.

Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance:

Headaches/migraines
Difficulty falling asleep
Hypertension
Vertigo or dizziness
Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate
Difficulty regulating body temperature
Anxiety
Nausea, vomiting
Abdominal cramps
Flushing
Nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing
Abnormal menstrual cycle
Hives
Fatigue
Tissue swelling

Excess histamine can be caused by a number of factors, including low DAO levels, allergies, leaky gut, GI bleeding, histamine-rich foods, and SIBO.

How SIBO Causes Histamine Intolerance

SIBO is an overgrowth of good or bad bacteria in the small intestine, where there should actually be relatively few bacteria as compared to the colon and large intestine. The primary causes of SIBO are diets high in sugar and refined carbs, antibiotics or other medications that disrupt your delicate microbiome, or physical obstructions in the gut such as scarring from surgeries or Crohn’s disease.

Food sensitivities such as histamine intolerance almost always indicate there is something going on in your gut. In my practice, I’ve found that SIBO is the leading culprit in histamine intolerance due to the following reasons.

Increase in Food Sensitivities

SIBO causes an increase in food sensitivities, which is why this gut infection could be to blame if you suddenly start experiencing an intolerance to histamines. Inflammation in your gut leads to intestinal permeability, otherwise known as leaky gut. When your gut lining is compromised, food particles can pass through and enter your bloodstream. Your immune system responds to these “invaders” by ramping up and triggering the inflammatory symptoms you experience as histamine intolerance: flushing, hives, headaches, etc. SIBO also causes dysmotility, which inhibits your ability to properly digest foods and allows both food and bacteria to sit in your digestive system longer, further exacerbating inflammation, leaky gut, and food intolerances.

Histamine-Producing Bacteria

Not everyone who has SIBO has histamine intolerance. Those who do likely have a build-up of histamine-producing bacteria as their overgrowth. Certain species of bacteria, including L. casei and L. bulgaricus, have been shown to increase histamine production.1 For this reason, if you suspect you have SIBO you’ll want to make sure you’re not adding fuel to the fire by taking a probiotic that contains lactic acid-based bacterial strains. Instead, opt for a soil-based probiotic such as the one I carry in my store.

Deficiency in DAO Enzymes

Intestinal inflammation that occurs when you have a gut infection such as SIBO leads to a deficit in DAO, the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamines in your digestive tract. This in turn causes an increase in circulating histamine. As you intake more and more histamine-rich or -producing foods your DAO levels will be unable to keep your histamine levels in check, and you’ll eventually develop an intolerance. DAO can also be blocked by certain foods, including alcohol, energy drinks, and tea, so if you have histamine intolerance or SIBO, you should avoid these foods at least until your symptoms have cleared. Histazyme, a DAO supplement, can help you break down foods and offer digestive support when dealing with histamine intolerance.

Stress and Mast Cell Stimulation

If you didn’t have enough reasons to get your stress levels in check, reducing stress could also help you overcome histamine intolerance! That’s because prolonged emotional stress can cause or exacerbate SIBO by impairing your motility, negatively altering your gut microbiome, and stimulating mast cell production. Mast cells are white blood cells that line the GI tract and are found throughout the body in connective tissues. They are the “master regulators” of the immune system, and secrete histamine and other cytokines.2 So if you have histamine intolerance, in addition to repairing your gut, you’ll also want to take measures to relieve your stress in order to break the vicious cycle of infection and inflammation behind your symptoms.

How to Overcome SIBO and Histamine Intolerance

To overcome histamine intolerance, you first have to overcome SIBO. Treating bacterial overgrowth requires a 3-step approach:

Step 1. Remove the foods that feed SIBO, including sugar, alcohol, and carbohydrates.
Step 2. Attack the bad bacteria. The primary antibiotics used for treating SIBO are Xifaxan and Neomycin, depending on the type of gas being produced by your gut organisms (methane or hydrogen). As a natural alternative to antibiotics, I recommend Microb Clear, which is a blend of magnesium caprylate, berberine, and extracts from tribulus, sweet wormwood, grapefruit, barberry, bearberry, and black walnut.
Step 3. Restore the good bacteria with probiotics. The best probiotics for SIBO are soil-based probiotics, as lactic acid-based probiotics are not well-tolerated in those with SIBO and may actually be adding fuel to the fire. The one I use with all my patients is Primal Earth.

There’s no doubt that histamine intolerance can be distressing, especially if you’ve been eating histamine-containing foods your whole life without any issues! However, by getting to the root of your symptoms–and treating any underlying conditions such as SIBO–you CAN overcome histamine intolerance and start living the symptom-free life you deserve!

And remember that while you are working to clear SIBO, a DAO supplement such as Histazyme can be immensely helpful for easing your digestive troubles and minimizing your body’s reaction to high-histamine foods.

 

The post The SIBO & Histamine Intolerance Connection appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

15 Tips to Save Time & Money While Following AIP

Following The Myers Way® or another autoimmune-friendly protocol (AIP) doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. The demand for high-quality, convenient, organic goods has skyrocketed in the recent years, to the point where you can find all the AIP ingredients you need at places such as Costco, Target, and even online retailers including and Amazon, so you can even follow an AIP diet on a budget! Plus, with a bit of smart planning and time-saving strategies, you can prepare for success all week with as little as one day of meal prep!

I walk you through just how to make The Myers Way® an integral part of your life in The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, which contains all the AIP recipes you’ll ever need! If you don’t have your copy yet, be sure to pick one up. In the meantime, use the following tips to save time and money on AIP.

How to Save Time on AIP

Time is a valuable commodity, one that we as a nation seem to have less and less of these days, as our lives get filled up with work, family, exercise, and leisure. Many people feel as if there is simply not enough time to shop, cook, or eat healthfully. However, there are some very easy ways to maximize your time so you can easily stick with your AIP protocol all week!

1. Try to Do All Your Grocery Shopping at Once

You can even do two full weeks of shopping in a single trip! You might need to make a quick stop during week two to pick up fresh produce, it will still save you time in the long run.

2. Organize Your Shopping List By Category

When writing your list, imagine how your grocery store is set up. Try to pair foods by the area of the grocery store they are in to be sure you don’t overlook something and to speed up your trip.

3. Double or Triple Your Recipes

Plan to make double or triple batches of recipes depending on the size of your family. This will save on both prep and cooking time, and you can freeze extra portions so you always have something on hand to defrost for an easy meal!

4. Design Your Menu with Crossover Ingredients

If you’re using spinach in your smoothies, find other ways to use spinach such as dinner salads. Making ground beef for one meal? Brown two pounds and use the second in lettuce wraps or salads to help cut back on prep time. Using crossover ingredients can be especially useful when you find good bulk deals on meat or produce!

5. Designate a “Prep Day” on the Weekend

When you have your most-used staples all ready to go, whipping up an autoimmune-friendly dinner is a snap! Make a big batch of bone broth, bake a sheet of sweet potatoes, roast an entire chicken, and wash and cut your veggies for the recipes you’re making that week.

6. Keep Your Menu on the Fridge

This will remind you what you’re eating that day, so you can easily set out items to defrost or make a quick stop at the grocery store for any last-minute ingredients you may need!

7. Utilize Leftovers

By cooking extra batches of recipes, you’ll have leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. This can help cut down on the amount of recipes that you need to prepare for the week.

8. Have Your Groceries Delivered

Don’t have time to go shopping? Many grocery stores such as Whole Foods offer shopping and delivery services with only a small fee for a tip. In as little as one hour from the time you order, you can have all your food for the week at your doorstep!

How to Save Money on AIP

When it comes to eating the highest quality food you can find, I often hear something along the lines of, “I can’t afford to buy organic food, it’s too expensive!” I’ll offer a counterpoint and say you can’t afford NOT to eat for your health! Your wellbeing is so important to your quality of life, and by choosing to spend money now on organic, nutrient-dense foods, you will be saving tens of thousands of dollars down the line in what you won’t be spending on medical costs.

Organic foods and ingredients are now more affordable than ever, since so many more stores are carrying them. Plus, when you’re following The Myers Way®, you won’t be spending money on processed foods, dairy products, and other inflammatory items, so you’ll actually be saving money in the long run. Once you’ve gotten used to this way of shopping, cooking, and eating, you’ll learn other money-saving strategies that you can implement as well, including the following.

1. Take Stock of Your Fridge and Pantry

This tip will actually save you both money and time. See what ingredients you already have on hand that you can utilize throughout the week for your meals. Taking stock of your fridge, freezer, and pantry will help you avoid buying double and keep food from going bad.

2. Look for Weekly Deals

Check the flyers from the grocery stores in your area, and take advantage of deals. Stores will often put organic produce or grass-fed meat on sale for the same price or even less than conventional versions.

3. Buy in Bulk

Buying food in bulk quantities is economical and will help simplify your shopping trip. Stock up on bulk items when there is a sale for even more value. If you’re making recipes from The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, some items you’ll always want to buy in large quantities are coconut oil, leafy greens, and packages of organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts because you’ll be cooking and eating them frequently!

4. Buy Online

When I was growing up, we shopped at the local health food store for all our organic goods. That was before there was even a Whole Foods! Now, there are tons of online stores such as where you can buy organic AIP pantry staples at prices 25-50% cheaper than you’ll find at the grocery store. These retailers are great if you don’t live near a store that sells all the AIP ingredients you need, or if you’re simply looking for a more affordable option.

5. Prioritize Organic Meats and the Dirty Dozen

If you can’t afford to buy all of your food organic, prioritize the foods that tend to carry the most chemicals: meat and the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen. Because animals are at the top of the food chain, pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins become concentrated in their meat, which is why it’s most important to prioritize organic, pasture-raised, and 100% grass-fed meat. You’ll also want to check out the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List–the most pesticide-laden produce of the year–and buy all those foods organic as well.

6. Split a CSA Box or Subscription Service

Know someone with the same tastes and health goals as you? Split a CSA box or subscription service such as ButcherBox with a friend or neighbor to get all the benefits at half the cost!

7. Minimize Waste

Did you know that we throw away roughly 1.3 billion tons of food worldwide every single year? That’s about one third of all the food we grow!1 To do your part to minimize global waste (and save yourself money at the same time), repurpose leftovers in new dishes, throw veggie scraps and chicken bones into a freezer bag for bone broth, and label perishables with dates and rotate pantry items so you use up older food first to prevent spoilage and rancidity.

Now that you’re armed with the tools you need to save time and money on AIP, let’s get cooking! The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook contains recipes for every meal from breakfast to dessert, and even includes instructions for making your own condiments! Some of my favorite recipes from the book are the Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon, Tigernut Waffles, Gingerbread Cake, and Mushroom and Asparagus Caulisotto (click here to check out a cool video from Thrive of this recipe in-the-making along with my tips for dining out AIP-style!). AIP cooking never looked so easy!

The post 15 Tips to Save Time & Money While Following AIP appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Have you heard of Japanese sweet potatoes? This variety of sweet potato is purple on the outside, white on the inside, and slightly less sweet than orange sweet potatoes. Best of all, they are AIP compliant!

These Japanese Sweet Potato Fries are chock full of vitamin A and potassium, and are perfect for a summer barbecue–just add burgers!

Japanese Sweet Potato Fries





CourseAppetizer, Side Dish, Snack

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection





Servings2 people







Ingredients








1

large Japanese sweet potatodiced or sliced into ½ inch fries

1tbsp

avocado oil

1tsp

fine sea salt

1tsp

ground black pepper



Seasonings of choice: garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, fresh rosemary










Instructions









Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.



Toss sweet potato in avocado oil. Season with salt, pepper, and additional seasonings of choice. Place on sheet pan.



Bake for 30 minutes, flipping half-way through.

The post Japanese Sweet Potato Fries appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Video: 4 Essential Nutrients to Reverse Hashimoto’s

If you have Hashimoto’s, there are 4 essential vitamins and minerals your thyroid relies on for producing its hormones, converting them into their active state, and other essential processes. Many of my Hashimoto’s and hypothyroid patients have seen a big improvement just by increasing these nutrients.

I went LIVE on my Facebook page to discuss the 4 key nutrients needed to reverse Hashimoto’s. In case you missed it, you can check out the replay below to find out what they are!

Resources I Mentioned

The Autoimmune Solution

The Thyroid Connection

The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook

The Myers Way® Multivitamin

The post Video: 4 Essential Nutrients to Reverse Hashimoto’s appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

7 Underlying Health Problems that Could Be Causing Your Anxiety

Do you experience panic attacks, anxiety, depression, or overwhelm? And do these feelings seem to come out of nowhere, unrelated to life events or what’s going on around you? If so, it’s quite possible your anxiety is a symptom of an underlying health issue. From gut imbalances to thyroid dysfunction and even cardiovascular disease, anxiety is often the first sign that something deeper is going on in your body.

In fact, an article in Psychiatric Times lists over 47 medical illnesses that may initially present as anxiety or other mood imbalances.1 Treating patients with anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants could actually be masking what is going on underneath, and it’s only until the physical issues are addressed that the mental and emotional problems will resolve.

Fortunately, by getting to the physiological root of your mood issues, you can face what’s causing your symptoms head-on, regain emotional stability, and restore your sense of wellbeing.

The Brain-Body Connection

Many people forget that the brain is an organ, just as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and stomach are. There is no separation between our minds and our bodies; what’s going on with us physically affects our mental-state and vice versa.

The problem with conventional medicine is that most doctors are not trained to recognize emotional symptoms as being related to physical illness, and will either refer you to a psychiatrist or prescribe medications to mask your mood issues rather than finding and treating the underlying cause of your symptoms. Likewise, it’s doubtful a psychiatrist would diagnose your dizziness, fatigue, or racing heart as anything other than psychological distress.

Today, roughly one in six adults in the U.S. is on some form of psychiatric medication, compared to only one in fifty people just three decades ago.2,3 Given the skyrocketing rates of autoimmunity, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular issues in America over the last half century, it’s not out of the question that patients are being misdiagnosed and over-prescribed medications for mood issues, when in reality they could be suffering from a physical ailment.

With many physical ailments, early detection is key. Unfortunately, our current medical system treats the brain and body as separate entities, leading to missed diagnoses of chronic health issues that could have been prevented with some awareness of how the two are intrinsically linked. A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that out of 30 patients with multiple sclerosis, three-fourths had a delay in diagnosis because they exhibited symptoms of major depression.4 That’s why if you’re experiencing anxiety or another mood disorder, it’s so crucial to get to the root cause in order to get a diagnosis early on.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common health problems that could be causing your anxiety, depression, or other mood issues, and what you can do to find relief from your symptoms.

 

1. Gut Infections or Imbalances

The gut isn’t called your “second brain” for nothing. Lining the walls of your gut is a mesh-like network of neurons that causes sensations such as “nervous butterflies” and “a pit in your stomach”–feelings that are an innate part of your psychological stress response. As many as 90% of these cells carry information to your brain rather than receiving messages from it, making your gut as influential–or even more influential–to your mood as your head is.5 Chances are, if you’re suffering from anxiety or other emotional distress, the answer lies in your gut. Here are some of the most common gut issues that may be behind your anxiety.

Candida Overgrowth

While there are many gut infections and conditions that play a role in mood imbalances, the number one cause I see in my clinic is Candida, or yeast overgrowth. Although you naturally have a small amount of Candida in your gut to aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, when the balance of good bacteria to yeast is disrupted from a round of antibiotics, a diet high in refined carbohydrates, excessive alcohol use, birth control, or chronic stress, the yeast is able to multiply unchecked. The Candida then coats the lining of your intestinal tract and suppresses your ability to produce or secrete serotonin, leading to anxiety, depression, and mood swings.

Along with avoiding alcohol, sugary foods, and carbohydrates, I recommend battling Candida using Candifense and Caprylic Acid, both of which are highly effective at discouraging yeast overgrowth.

SIBO

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when healthy bacteria in your colon and large intestine overgrow and colonize the small intestine. This leads to nutrient malabsorption, which can present as weight gain, fluid retention, depression, and changes in mood. SIBO can also cause fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and IBS–all of which are linked to patients with anxiety.

To find out whether you might be dealing with SIBO, you can use this lactulose breath test from mylabsforlife.com. Thousands of my patients have successfully treated SIBO at home using Microb Clear and then restoring beneficial gut bacteria with a high-potency probiotic.

Leaky Gut

Gut infections such as Candida and SIBO–along with an inflammatory diet, toxins, and stress–have the power to break down your intestinal wall and cause leaky gut. Symptoms of a leaky gut include irritability, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and depression. These symptoms are due in part to how a leaky gut interferes with nutrient absorption, specifically B vitamins, which are responsible for the production of neurotransmitters that help regulate mood.6

If you suspect leaky gut is behind your mood disorders, this article explains how to naturally repair your gut barrier, and my Leaky Gut Breakthrough Kit includes all the supplements you need to help seal a leaky gut!

Undiagnosed Food Sensitivities

The link between food and mood is undeniable, so there’s a chance your anxiety could be a sign of an undiagnosed food allergy or intolerance. A study conducted by The Journal of Biological Psychiatry showed how certain foods can create mental symptoms, including depression, nervousness, anger, loss of motivation, and brain fog. The main food culprits implicated in this study were gluten, dairy, sugar, and eggs. Other research showed that once problematic foods were removed from the diets of patients who suffered from lifelong depression, their depression completely resolved.7

Aside from removing the foods mentioned above (especially gluten and dairy, which no one should ever eat) you can try an elimination diet to determine your own personal food sensitivities to see if removing certain foods helps with your symptoms.

IBS

Anxiety can twist your stomach into knots and cause all sorts of digestive upset. However, it turns out that the opposite is true as well. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), characterized by abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea, can exacerbate anxiety and make you feel more anxious and depressed. That’s because the colon is partially controlled by the nervous system, which responds to stress signals. Most cases of IBS go undiagnosed, and an estimated 50-90% of those who do receive treatment for IBS also suffer from anxiety or another mood disorder.8

IBS can be caused by any of the above gut infections or imbalances and is also exacerbated by a high-stress lifestyle. To get to the root of your GI issues, take my Guide to the Gut eCourse!

2. Hashimoto’s or Other Thyroid Dysfunction

Depression has been found to be an early warning sign of thyroid disease, including Hashimoto’s and other forms of hypothyroidism. Meanwhile, hyperthyroidism (such as Graves’ disease) could be behind your anxiety. Thyroid hormone is responsible for creating and regulating a number of important neurotransmitters related to your mood, including GABA, serotonin, and norepinephrine.9 These neurotransmitters can get out of whack if your thyroid is not functioning properly, triggering anxiety and panic attacks. Low levels of these neurotransmitters are also linked to depression, fibromyalgia, negative thoughts, and low self-esteem.10

My book, The Thyroid Connection, walks you through how to get to the root of your thyroid dysfunction and get your life back.

3. Adrenal Fatigue

In my practice, I often see that Hashimoto’s and adrenal fatigue go hand-in-hand. Your adrenals are primarily responsible for managing your stress response. However, when you are under chronic stress (as many of us are in this nonstop modern lifestyle), you can develop adrenal fatigue, where your adrenals are no longer able to keep up with your stress levels and they produce insufficient amounts of stress hormones. Caffeine can also be a major drain on the adrenals, and can cause or worsen anxiety symptoms.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue can include:

Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression
Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
Body aches and muscle pain
Fatigue and difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
Feeling “tired and wired”
Low libido

So it’s no wonder this condition often gets misdiagnosed as “merely” a mood disorder! In addition to adopting stress-relieving strategies to cope with chronic stress, adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha, ginseng, and rhodiola can be particularly helpful for supporting the adrenal glands, a balanced stress response, and stress hormone production.

4. Estrogen Dominance

Just as when your thyroid and stress hormones get out of balance, sex hormone imbalances have a similar effect on your mood. Too much estrogen in your system is known as estrogen dominance. When you don’t have enough progesterone to balance out your estrogen–think PMS and perimenopause–you go into raging witch mode where you can’t control your emotions, which fluctuate wildly from one end of the spectrum to the other. Synthetic estrogens in particular (such as birth control and hormone replacement therapy) can cause both panic attacks and depression.

Estrogen dominance is due in part to the number of xenoestrogens we encounter daily in our modern lifestyle, including plastics, toxic beauty products, and heavy metals. Work on reducing your exposure to these synthetic estrogens while supporting your body’s natural ability to clear estrogens from your system to help restore optimal hormone balance.

5. Autoimmune Disorders

Chronic inflammation in your body can lead to autoimmunity, which may first manifest as a psychiatric problem. That’s because the inflammation responsible for autoimmune and other inflammatory disorders (including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and asthma) can also damage your brain and nervous tissues, leading to unexplained mood imbalances.11 With neurodegenerative conditions in particular, such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis, anxiety and depression can emerge years before neurological signs become apparent.12

I have a number of resources that can help you pinpoint the underlying causes of autoimmunity and reverse your condition, including my books, The Autoimmune Solution and The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, and my online course, The Autoimmune Solution Program.

6. Cardiovascular Disease

Roughly 5% of adults deal with generalized anxiety disorder. However, the incidence is much higher among those with coronary artery disease (11%) and heart failure (13%). It’s no coincidence then that panic attacks exhibit many of the same symptoms as heart attacks, including chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, and a racing or pounding heart.13 While it’s one of those “chicken or egg” scenarios, if you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety it’s important to closely monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol, and endothelial health to rule out any underlying cardiovascular issues, and make any necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle habits to help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

7. Toxic Mold or Mycotoxin Exposure

One of the most serious problems I encounter in my practice is mold toxicity, which can present as a myriad of psychiatric issues including anxiety, depression, brain fog, and insomnia, along with physical symptoms such as allergies, asthma, headaches, and chronic sinus infections.14 About 25% of the population is unable to effectively clear toxic mold from their systems (I’m one of them), and most people with toxic mold poisoning don’t even realize that mycotoxins are affecting them!

Allowed to build up, these mycotoxins can wreak havoc on your health long after exposure. I’ve personally suffered from toxic mold exposure on multiple occasions, and have been forced to move apartments and offices and get rid of the majority of my belongings because of how severely the exposure affected my health. If you’ve gone through the four pillars of The Myers Way® and your anxiety or depression have still not resolved, you might be dealing with a mold issue. I go over how to handle mold exposure in The Autoimmune Solution, and you can also check out my podcast episode on the subject.

Now that you’re aware of some of the main health problems that can cause anxiety, depression, and other mood imbalances, you can work on getting to the root of your emotional and mental distress. Repairing your gut, optimizing your diet, taming your toxic burden, healing your infections, and relieving your stress will help clear up many of the underlying issues you may be dealing with so you can figure out whether there is indeed a physical explanation for your symptoms. This is especially important if you have no family history of anxiety, you did not have anxiety as a child, and if your panic attacks seem to spring up out of nowhere. Remember: early detection is key, and a healthy body means a healthy brain!

 

The post 7 Underlying Health Problems that Could Be Causing Your Anxiety appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Should You Try Intermittent Fasting if You Have an Autoimmune Disease?

Have you heard of intermittent fasting? It’s the latest craze in the world of health and fitness, boasting tons of health benefits! Studies show that intermittent fasting, which has been practiced for thousands of years, has the potential to prevent and reverse chronic illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, and asthma.1 It even shows significant promise for improving autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. So if you have an autoimmune condition, you may be wondering if you, too, could benefit from intermittent fasting. Here’s everything you need to know before diving in.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a catch-all term for eating patterns that cycle between periods of eating and not eating. There are many different methods of IF, with fasting periods that last from 12 hours up to three weeks! The most common intermittent fasting methods, however, typically involve daily 16-hour fasts, or fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week.2 With a daily fast you would designate an 8-hour “eating window,” where you would only eat between the hours of 12pm-8pm, for example.

Fasting has a long history in cultures around the world, many of whom practice fasting for religious or spiritual purposes including followers of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. Periods of fasting were also a natural part of our evolution. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors could not always find food to eat, and so our bodies adapted to function for extended periods of time without eating. It is only recently that the scientific community has begun to research the various health applications of IF, with studies showing the potential of fasting to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, optimize energy metabolism, and boost cellular protection.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

While many people use intermittent fasting for weight loss, its benefits extend far beyond maintaining a healthy weight, including:

Improved insulin sensitivity
Increased Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels for fat loss and muscle gain
Cellular repair (autophagy)
Changes in gene expression related to longevity and disease protection
Reduced oxidative damage and inflammation
Ketogenesis
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Cardioprotective benefits, including reduced hypertension and obesity
Delayed aging
Cancer protection
Relief from symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis
Reduced seizures and seizure-related brain damage

As you can see, intermittent fasting has a long list of health applications that have been demonstrated in both human and animal studies. In the next section, we’ll take a look at how IF can be particularly beneficial for autoimmunity.

Intermittent Fasting and Autoimmune Disease

Studies have shown the potential benefits of IF for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, mixed connective tissue disease (a combination of lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis), and multiple sclerosis. When you fast for an extended period of time, your body has the chance to rest and recover since it is not busy digesting food or defending against inflammatory agents in food. This state of rest can be especially helpful for taming autoimmunity for a number of reasons.

1. Repairs a Leaky Gut

Incredibly, intermittent fasting has a profound effect on your gut barrier function. IF reduces intestinal permeability–otherwise known as leaky gut–the precursor to all autoimmune disorders.3 By “sealing the leaks” in your mucosal lining of your intestines, you can mitigate the symptoms of autoimmunity that are triggered by environmental factors such as undigested food particles, microbes, and toxins.

2. Initiates Autophagy

“Autophagy” is a term derived from Greek words that literally means “self-eating.” Fasting induces autophagy, which is essentially your body’s clean-up crew, breaking down damaged cells, dead cells, debris, and amyloid beta plaques (which are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis), meanwhile encouraging new growth of healthy cells. Autophagy also increases your body’s ability to resist internal stressors that may exacerbate autoimmune conditions, such as pathogens or infections.4

3. Reduces Inflammation and Pro-inflammatory Cytokines

Inflammation is at the root of nearly every chronic illness, including autoimmune disease. The more inflammation you have, the further up on the autoimmune spectrum you fall, inevitably leading to a diagnosis of full-blown autoimmunity if you do not take action to reduce your inflammation. Fortunately, intermittent fasting is shown to lower levels of systemic inflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokines, cell signaling molecules that make disease worse.5 Patients with rheumatoid arthritis experienced less inflammation and joint pain when put on a fasting diet.6 IF also significantly reduces leptin, a type of pro-inflammatory cytokine that is elevated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis.7

4. Improves Immune and Stress Response

Research shows that intermittent fasting can support a balanced immune response by suppressing autoimmune reactions.8 This may be due in part to the fact that while fasting, you are not intaking proteins that contribute to inflammation, allergic responses, or other immune reactions caused by certain foods (as in the case with food sensitivities). IF can also help modulate your body’s stress response, which is important given that stress is a major trigger of autoimmunity.

5. Kickstarts Ketogenesis

Intermittent fasting initiates ketogenesis, the production of ketone bodies that occurs during a metabolic state known as ketosis where your body burns stored fat for fuel rather than glucose. You’ve probably heard of the “ketogenic” diet, in which people drastically reduce carbohydrate intake to mimic a starvation state and induce ketosis for weight loss, heightened energy, and other health benefits. Keto diets have long been used for treatment of patients with epilepsy, and are now being looked at for possible benefits for autoimmunity as well. Not only does ketosis help modulate your body’s immune response, it also increases your levels of glutathione, the body’s most potent detoxifier, which is notoriously low in patients with autoimmune disorders.9

What You Need to Know Before Trying Intermittent Fasting

Although intermittent fasting has many potential benefits for autoimmunity and other chronic illness, IF is not for everyone. Whether or not you should try intermittent fasting depends on several factors. If you are a woman or are dealing with hormonal imbalances, thyroid issues, or adrenal fatigue, IF may not be the best option for you.

Fasting can throw your hormones out of balance and mess with your menstrual cycle and sleep patterns, resulting in amenorrhea and insomnia.10 That’s why women, particularly those with a lean body type, need to be careful when trying IF because our bodies are much more sensitive to signals of starvation than men. This is especially true if you already have hormonal imbalances or are in perimenopause.

You also need to be cautious if you have thyroid dysfunction or adrenal fatigue. Ketosis brought about by fasting is a major strain on your adrenal glands, which are already out of whack if you have one of these conditions. The added stress from a fast can exacerbate thyroid disorders and chronic fatigue, especially if you are already under a great amount of stress in your daily life.

If you are a woman with autoimmunity or have any of the above conditions and want to experiment with intermittent fasting, be sure to start slow. Maybe try pushing breakfast until 11 a.m. instead of eating right when you get up. See how your body reacts to this “mini-fast” and whether you think you might be able to tolerate a longer or more frequent fast. Another option would be to do a “bone broth fast,” during which you would not eat solid foods, yet would still be supplying your body with the necessary nutrients it needs to balance your hormones by sipping on nourishing bone broth while you fast.

Your best bet is to listen to your body and find what works for you. Intermittent fasting can be very beneficial for autoimmunity and other chronic illnesses–however, if you don’t react well to a prolonged fast, don’t get down on yourself! There are plenty of other ways to balance your blood sugar, achieve an optimal weight, and reduce your disease risk. Optimizing your diet with The Myers Way®, reducing your toxic burden, healing your infections, and relieving your stress are all important steps you can take to reverse your autoimmunity and achieve lasting wellness.

 

The post Should You Try Intermittent Fasting if You Have an Autoimmune Disease? appeared first on Amy Myers MD.

Everything Organic Green Juice

It’s Juice Friday, y’all! In other words, it’s the end of the week and time to clean out the fridge!

I’m calling this one Everything Organic Green Juice, because I took everything from my refrigerator and put it in this delicious and super-healthy juice.

Green juices are an excellent way to get a big dose of key nutrients (including vitamins A, C, K, potassium, and magnesium) in one delicious drink, with far less sugar than fruit juices or smoothies.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Everything Organic Green Juice





CourseBreakfast, Snack

ProtocolAutoimmune Solution (AIP), Candida Control & SIBO, Elimination Diet, Paleo, Thyroid Connection











Ingredients








5

carrots

5

strawberries

1head

broccoli

5leaves

swiss chard

1

gala apple

1

cucumber

1/4inch

ginger










Instructions









Juice all ingredients in a juicer.

The post Everything Organic Green Juice appeared first on Amy Myers MD.