The Hot Springs Wellness Clinic in Truth Or Consequences, located in the Chihuahua Desert of New Mexico, on the Rio Grande, is dedicated to helping the increasingly huge numbers of “Tired”, “Cold”, and “Obese” Americans by repairing thyroid function. We are offering hope, help, and guidance in the great effort required to overcome the debilitating effects of Hypothyroidism and correct Thyroid Hormone function. Our aim is to help people return to the former self, including the appearance one had prior to the onset of the disease. This is a major undertaking, requiring discipline, great struggle and determination. In the face of overwhelming fatigue, I am recommending a series of steps, which over 4-month periods will guide a person to overcome this illness. I think one has to wait one year to see the greatest improvement. This is not a quick fix disease; I doubt that any disease is. However almost immediately you will have a sense that you are better.

Hypothyroidism is the disease of low energy. In today’s’ demanding work environment that is a huge burden on people who minute by minute force themselves to keep going in the face of an unreal and unrelenting fatigue, they work in states of brain fog memory problems and depression. Unfortunately modern medicine does not take the disease seriously and fails to address or correct the multitude of symptoms.

There is little guidance from the medical community on the disease of Hypothyroidism. As I learned in medical school 35 years ago, “Thyroid is easy, just give them Synthyroid" (synthetic thyroid replacement). This is still the major approach. I find that treatment utterly preposterous, on many levels, first is the synthetic hormone replacement and certainly not the thyroid hormone replacement I take to control the symptoms of Hypothyroidism myself. Eating the right food is as important as getting the right medication. Supplements play a major role, as does sunlight exposure, beginning to sleep deep restorative sleep and exercise. And along the way, rebuilding gut bacteria. Not least is hot springs bathing, heat therapy.

 Here are the 11 Commandments of Great Thyroid Health

1.  Desiccated animal porcine thyroid (almost bioidentical to human thyroid) in the correct amounts instead of synthetic hormone replacement T4 only medication. Many find it helpful to dose the medication all day long taking it 2 to 3 times and those without a thyroid may take small doses, up to 5 times daily. The medication is available by prescription, known as Natural Thyroid, prescribed for the last 130 years and found in many American pharmacies. My choice is ERFA desiccated thyroid, from Canada and taken sublingual (to bypass digestion) and by prescription.

2.  Eating the right foods to help the body be more efficient at the production, storage, conversion, and transport of thyroid hormones including improving cell wall permeability so thyroid is able to pass into the cell and work on a cellular level. This is a formidable challenge in the face of a food supply, which is contaminated with toxic chemicals, and is nutrient deficient. Also rebuilding the gut bacteria thru consumption of natural probiotics foods.

3.  The right supplements, with more emphasis on a healthy diet rather than pills, pills, and more pills, nevertheless supplementation is essential.

4.   Avoiding the wrong foods, those that block thyroid production and foods full of estrogen, which block transport of thyroid to the cells. Also avoiding the foods which cause inflammation, allergy, and stimulate autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland.

5.   Avoiding the wrong supplements which block thyroid action.

6.   Creating a healthy liver by eating a diet naturally high in selenium and zinc to aid in the conversion of thyroid hormone.

7.   Sunlight exposure on the body and sparing the face.             

8. Finding again restorative sleep.

9. Return of the energy level so that exercise is possible

10. Weight loss, getting rid of the swelling around the eyes and face.

11.  Detoxification with heat therapies, hopefully until the patient produces a sweat in people who are too weak to “work up a sweat”. Sweating is a form of detoxification and chemical elimination from skin pores. At the Hot Springs Wellness Clinic here the mineral water is 107.4 degrees. Also recommended, infrared therapy, saunas, wet or dry as another form of heat therapy.

By an examination of the before and after photos of people with Hypothyroidism, you can see a remarkable recovery is possible. This program promises increased energy, stamina, and gusto for life, including ability to exercise, better brain function, improve attention concentration, more creativity and clearness of thought, increase intuition, ability to pick up on nuances, become more alert to everything, feel that life has meaning and a new calmer you around family and associates and a feeling of optimism can replace the current pessimism and depression.

This program can in many cases, can not only halt hair loss, but also you will find hair re-growth and you may also have healthier shinier hair. Think of getting rid of swelling and water retention, especially the skin on face and under the eyes. Eating the right diet and with an emphasis in eating Vitamin A containing vegetables, a beautiful healthy tan like hue returns to skin that is healthier looking. Say good-bye to digestive complaints of indigestion and constipation.

There will be weight loss, weight loss, weight loss . . .

THE 11 OBSTACLES THYROID HORMONE HAS TO OVERCOME

1. A lack of Thyroid Hormone caused by a low Iodine state, not eating wild seafood, using sea salt which does not contain Iodine, eating plants and animals grown in low Iodine soil, and the attack on the thyroid by your own immune system, Hashimotos.

2. A defect in the conversion of T4 storage hormone to T3 active hormone caused by a deficiency of Selenium and Zinc.

3.  Cell receptors have to allow Thyroid Hormone, T3 to act on the cell factories, billions upon billions of little cells factories, mitochondria cells in every system of the body. Eating the insane American industrialized corn fed animals (unhealthy themselves), and eating a low fat diet, having Essential Fatty Acid deficiency, all create a shabby, inferior lipid membrane encompassing and covering the cell. Thyroid Hormone can’t get in, and Insulin can’t pass either and that is the theory of what causes Type II Diabetes and Type II Hypothyroidism. Both diseases cause obesity. Americans are lab rats in some terrible experiment; they eat continuously trying to get a sufficient level of the missing essential fatty acids, and other vitamin and minerals. This deficiency causes the appetite to be in the “On” position and they are chronically hungry and over eat, driven by what is nutritionally missing. All the meat, dairy grain, sugar eating throws people into acidosis and that results in cravings for more refined carbohydrate eating and on and on, the endless cycle goes. If you want to get somewhere in your obesity project for kids, take a group of overweight families and put them on a decent Omega 3 and other vital essential fatty acid rich foods, pasture meat and dairy, wild fish and seafood, healthy carbohydrates and sweets such as are found in health stores. Watch what happens. Expensive I understand.

4. Thyroid has to bind to the protein transport system to get to the cells. Estrogen, being a pushy hormone (you know how women are) will knock the Thyroid Hormone off and bind instead to this transport protein, so prescription Estrogen and probably Estrogen found in dairy products and chicken also bind to these transport proteins just as prescription Estrogen does, and blocks the receptor and lowers Thyroid function. (Dairy can contain 30 to 60 times the Estrogen amount compared to what is found in other foods, due to milk produced from pregnant cows and can cause gynocomastia, (men developing more breast tissue).

5.  Sufficient fuel for the cells to run, a deficiency of plant food in the diet will result in a low magnesium state which is the essential mineral to run the mitochondria, the cell factory that produces energy.

6. Sufficient Vitamin D levels from sunlight exposure are required for Thyroid production.

7. There is a defect caused by hypothyroidism in forming Vitamin A from Beta-Carotene. Eating vegetables with a good source of oil such as olive oil enhances absorption of Vitamin A. Sometimes hypothyroid people have a yellowish cast to the skin, especially noted on the hands due to an accumulation of Beta-Carotenes, which didn’t get converted into Vitamin A.

8.  Sufficient levels of antioxidants & vitamins required, and importantly Vitamin C are needed for Thyroid production.

9.  Avoid soymilk and products, since they contain a chemical that prevents Iodine from attaching. Sorry, since tofu is wonderful stuff. Certain vegetables will interfere with Thyroid production and can cause low Thyroid function such as broccoli, kale and other cruciferous vegetables in this class.

10. High-powered supplements such as selenium and zinc, can worsening hypothyroidism worse, so food sources rich in selenium and zinc are the best source.

11. Dampen down the autoimmune attack on the Thyroid gland by avoiding particularly flour, but also dairy and eggs, which are associated with Hashimoto’s Autoimmune disease of the Thyroid. (This is the hardest part of this disease, not eating these wonderful foods).

Everything I am offering and advising in this program are the things I do in my daily life, and recommend to my patients. I have sever Hypothyroidism, am in my 70’s and going stronger than ever. And I have had this disease since childhood. I am amazed I am still here, not to mention thriving.

Yes, this program promises everything, however if you are not willing to put the time, effort, focus, money spent on food and supplements and the effort to sunbath, then returning to your old self may not occur. As a matter of fact there are people who this program cannot help, the sun phobic, vegetarians and vegans, those who continue to consume alcohol and use tobacco. But if you are a person capable of hard work, and believing in yourself, than wow, get ready for a new life. Again I refer you to the before and after photos.

You will feel warmed up and not colder than other people because the right thyroid medication and diet will increases metabolism and the cells turn on and keep the body warm. Many patients find a higher dose of thyroid medication (30 to 60 mgs) can be taken during the cold months if necessary. Also increasing the dosage of the thyroid medications will help to keep those winter pounds off. Importantly you can sleep like a younger person; there is a section dedicated to sleeping for people who have low thyroid function. You will find a return of the libido; feel more affectionate, and experienced decrease in vaginal dryness. With Thyroid hormone therapy there can be a decrease in size of goiter, and decrease in the thickening and fullness around lower neck. There will be a decrease risk for cancers of the thyroid, breast, ovarian, colon, and prostate (scientific evidence is there to support these claims).