Help with analyzing recent labs- hypothyroid confirmed

[oriane]

Hello All,

If you are inclined I'd love some help analyzing recent bloodwork. As I suspected I am hypothyroid with TSH at 3.0
The tests were taken during my luteal phase. Does the progesterone level look good? What about in relation to estrogen? What would you do about the low Vit. D (so confused as to supplement or not)?
File is attached.

Thanks so much.

 

[oriane]

Below is the health plan recommended by the functional MD and the health coach. Ground flaxseed for getting estrogen out of tissue (my estradiol is normal)? I know that doesn't sound right but every study I find on the Internet says flax is a good phyto estrogen for estrogen dominance. I should be doing carrot salad and vitamin E, right? If anyone can help with resources for pro metabolic estrogen dominance that would wonderful. I have been semi- Peating for four months and this is where I am at ( see labs in the previous post).
Symptoms:
PMS- swollen fibrocystic breasts. bloating, pressure in pelvis. irritable.
fatigue is erratic, but noticing it after eating wheat/gluten sourdough bread.
Cannot tolerate alcohol.

NUTRITION​

• Meet with Danielle to discuss cycle support and blood sugar balance.
• Here are some tips to help regulate your blood sugar:
• Eat your food in this order: vegetables --> protein/fat --> starches/sugar. This will prevent extreme jumps of cortisol and insulin by slowing glucose absorption and keeping consistent energy throughout the day.
• Eat a green veggie before every meal.
• Drink 1-2 Tbs apple cider vinegar in water up to 30 min before every meal. Alternatively, add vinegar to your greens.
• Eat your carbs with fats/protein/fiber. Don't eat your carbs naked.
• Eat a savory, not sweet, breakfast.
• Take a walk/use your muscles for 10 minutes after every meal.

For more information on balancing blood sugar, including helpful nutrition and lifestyle recommendations, recipes, tips for managing cravings, and more, see our Blood Sugar Balancing Resource

Magnesium-rich food sources:​

• Leafy Greens
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Lima Beans
• Dark Chocolate
• Avocado
• Banana
  

Movement​

• Continue current movement routine or reintroduce activities that you love. Avoid high-intensity activities while feeling fatigued as it can worsen cortisol imbalance.
• Try to avoid sitting still for longer than 20 minutes at a time, even by stretching while seated.
• Take 15-30 minutes walks outside in nature, most days of the week when you can.

SLEEP HYGIENE​

• For more information, read our Healthy Sleep Habits Resource.

DAILY RELAXATION PRACTICES​

Incorporate breathwork into your day to help promote calm and relaxation or get you focused for a task at-hand. Check out different breathing exercises in our Breathwork Resource.

Medications​

Current medications reconciled.
START:

• ARMOUR THYROID ........................... (15MG Other): One tab by mouth daily in morning, empty stomach, at least 30-60 min away from food/coffee, 4 hours away from mineral supplements

Supplements​

Current supplements reconciled.
START in this order. Start one new supplement every 2-3 days.

• Liquid Vitamin D3 with K2 (Ortho) (Orthomolecular) (QD) - 5 drops (5000IU) daily with food.
• Stellar C (DFH) (Designs For Health) (QD) - Take one capsule twice daily with meals to support overall immune and adrenal health.
• Homocysteine Supreme (DFH) (Designs For Health) (QD) - Take 2 capsules daily.
• Vitex Supreme Liquid Phyto-Caps (Gaia Herbs/Professional Solutions) (QD) - Take 2 capsules daily in the morning.. Best results obtained after 1 month of use. Vitex Supreme helps to support healthy hormone levels and ovulation rhythm.* With Chaste tree, Ginger root, and Cramp bark, it also helps to maintain healthy cycles during preconception.*
• AllQlear Chewable (ITI) (Integrative Therapeutics) (QD) - Take 2 tablets once or twice daily between meals for seasonal use. May repeat as needed. Do not exceed 10 tablets per day. For best results, chew tablets slowly and allow to dissolve in the mouth prior to swallowing.
• Please, note that every supplement or prescription may have side effects.
• We will do our best to discuss these in the visit but if you have any questions, please message me through your My Parsley Health portal.
• Please do not start more than one new recommendation at a time with a 3-day interval.
• Please notify our office if you experience any adverse effects on these recommendations or modify them in any way.
• Please notify our office if you start any new medications so that we may ensure there are no interactions with herbs or supplements.

You can order your supplements from our online supplement dispensary called FullScript. After your visit, you should receive an email from Fullscript with all of the recommended supplements we discussed. If you do not receive that email, please message your Care Manager to have the email sent to you.
Continue: * Magnesium (glycinate) (PUR) (Pure Encapsulations) (QHS) - Take 2-4 capsules daily at bedtime to assist with sleep, anxiety, constipation, palpitations, etc. Reduce dosage if it causes loose stools. - Cordyceps, 1 x day, 1200 mg, Date started: ongoing, Reason: immunity, energy - Ashwagandha, 1 x day, 350 mg, Date started: march 2022, Reason: I used to take this every day and then stopped. started again last week. seems to help with sleep and possibly allergies. - Reishi, as needed, 1200 mg, Date started: ongoing, Reason: immunity, stress, insomnia
HOLD: - Ancient Nutrients B complex

HEALTH COACH HEALTH PLAN

Your Top Action Steps:​

1. Trial eliminating both gluten and dairy for 2-4 weeks to see if these foods impact energy, allergy symptoms, and hormones. Please check out our recommendations for gluten free pastas and crackers and dairy free cheeses, milks, and yogurts in your supporting resources below! Rather than gluten free bread, which contains yeast, consider swapping in gluten free whole grains like quinoa or rice or starchy root veggies like sweet potato and winter squash.
   
   
2. Optimize breakfast with a meal high in healthy fats and proteins and low in carbs (see my recipe suggestions in your supporting resources below). For lunch and dinner meals, use the Parsley Plate Method to create balance with the right portions of healthy fat, protein, and fiber. Take a look at our Parsley Core Plate for a helpful visual guide and recipes.
   
   
   Let's try doubling dinner ingredients so that you have an extra meal to eat for lunch the next day. I've included our favorite simple and healthy lunch/dinner recipes in your supporting resources!
   
   
3. For estrogen support:

• Add at least 1 cup of dark leafy greens daily such as kale, spinach, arugula, romaine, baby greens, chard, etc.
• Include at least 1 cup of cooked cruciferous veggies daily such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, or cabbage.
• Add 2 TBSP of ground flaxseeds daily with your breakfast or in the morning- you can add this directly to a cool meal like a shake or plant yogurt bowl, or mix it into a glass of water. I recommend Bob's Red Mill Organic Golden Flax Meal: Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal
  

1. Optimize your workout routine for balance by scheduling two 15-30 minute cardio workouts and two total body strength workouts into your calendar each week. Aim for at least 48 hours between strength workouts to facilitate recovery, and lay out your workout clothes and cue up your workout on your phone the night prior as visual reminders. For cardio workouts stick with Nike Training Club runs or swimming if time permits, and for strength workouts consider scheduling a free introductory session with a trainer at a gym near you or using one of the downloads below that is safer for your wrists:

• HASfit 30 Minute Full Body Resistance Bands Workout #1:
  View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18hPypKsQ8w
  
• HASfit 30 Minute Full Body Resistance Bands Workout #2:
  View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j-PyCVLvMw
  
• POPSUGAR 45-Minute No Equipment Barre Workout That Fuses Cardio + Toning: youtube.com/watch?v=1gAiGNKain4&t=6s
• POPSUGAR 30-Minute No-Equipment Barre Sculpting Workout: youtube.com/watch?v=sAapLQCASOE&t369s
• Move with Nicole YouTube Channel- choose her barre workouts as these will be safer for your wrists than her pilates workouts: https://www.youtube.com/c/NicoleKastoun
  

Supporting Resources​

Ways to help your body break down histamine:​

• Quercetin, found in capers, apples, citrus, onions, and pretty much every fruit and vegetable, is a potent inhibitor of mast cell activation and histamine release.
• Stinging nettle can reduce the amount of histamine the body produces in response to an allergen. In one study, almost half of the subjects found stinging nettle to be as effective as over the counter anti-histamine drugs.
• Protect your circadian rhythm- The Activity of mast cells adhere to your circadian rhythm. Make sure to get adequate sunlight during the day and try to avoid ultra-stimulating blue light from electronic screens after the sun goes down. If screens cannot be avoided:

1. Install f.lux on your computer and set to maximum warmth (in settings): f.lux
2. Set night mode on your phone so that it goes on automatically from sunset to sunrise. Go to settings ?> display & brightness ?> night shift ?> click on scheduled ?> turn on ?from sunset to sunrise? ?> at the bottom of the screen drag the color temperature all the way to ?more warm?
3. Consider blue light blocking glasses (especially if you watch television at night). We like these ones: https://amzn.to/2HFxPSr OR https://amzn.to/2vlMUpG
   If you don't have blackout shades, start using an eye mask for sleep. This one is, in my opinion, by far the best and most comfortable: https://amzn.to/2JTgKVb
   

Gluten & Dairy Alternatives​

For alternatives to dairy cheese, consider nut cheeses:

• Miyoko’s Cheeses
• Treeline Cheeses
• Kite Hill Cheeses
• Basilicotta spreads
• Nutritional yeast (great alternative to parmesan cheese)
• Violife Cheeses
  Note: all of these are available at Whole Foods Market
  
  
  For alternatives to cow's milk yogurt, consider coconut or almond milk yogurt (opt for unsweetened plain or unsweetened vanilla varieties and keep in mind these are technically fermented foods so they may play into allergies):
• Cocojune Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative
• So Delicious Coconut Yogurt
• Forager Project Cashew Yogurt
• Lava Coconut Yogurt
• GT’s CocoYo
  
  
  For dairy-free nut milks, consider:
• New Barn Organics unsweetened almond milk
• MALK almond milk
• Thrive Market brand oat milk
• Elmhurst unsweetened milked oats
  
  
  For higher quality, gluten-free varieties of pasta, consider:
• Cappello’s Almond Flour Pasta
• Banza Chickpea Pasta
• Tolerant Lentil Pasta
• Ancient Harvest Brown Rice or Quinoa based Pasta
• Lundberg Brown Rice Pasta
• Jovial Brown Rice Pasta
  
  
  For alternatives to crackers and chips consider:
• Mary's Gone Crackers flax crackers
• Crunchmeister flax crackers
• Siete cassava and coconut flour tortilla chips
• Jackson's Honest sweet potato chips
  

Breakfast Recipes​

Let's aim for proteins, healthy fats, and fiber from veggies or low sugar fruits for breakfast. Try one of the recipes below!


Chocolate Almond Smoothie

• 1 serving chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 cup berries
• 1 T almond butter
• 2 T ground flax
• 1 handful spinach
• 1.5 cups unsweetened nut milk or water
  
  
  Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 T almond butter
• 2 T ground flax
• 1 handful spinach
• 1.5 cups unsweetened nut milk or water
  
  
  Blue-Green Low Glycemic Smoothie
• 1/2 cup zucchini
• 1/3 cup frozen cauliflower florets (buy in frozen food section at Whole Foods)
• 1/3 cup frozen spinach (buy in frozen food section of Whole Foods)
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1 cup water, nut milk or coconut milk
• 1 serving protein powder
  
  
  Eggs:
• 2-3 eggs cooked in a tablespoon of healthy oil (ghee, coconut oil, or olive oil) with veggies of your choice, topped with avocado slices or sunflower/pumpkin seeds
  
  
  Make your own egg cups:
• Healthy Egg Muffins
• Keto Egg Muffins Recipe (Egg Muffin Cups)
  
  
  Chia Pudding
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• Cover in 1/2 cup water or unsweetened nut milk and wait at least 1 hour to soak (or prepare the night before and store in fridge overnight)
• When soaked add toppings- a few tablespoons of coconut or almond milk yogurt, collagen protein powder, berries, almond butter, etc.
  
  
  Plant based yogurt parfait:
• Unsweetened coconut or almond milk yogurt as your base (I love Anita’s and Lava plain coconut milk yogurts and Kite Hill plain almond milk yogurt)
• Add a tablespoon of nut/seed butter and 2 tablespoons of ground flax
• Add a scoop of protein powder
• Add a handful of fresh or frozen and thawed berries
• Use a bit of natural sweetener like honey or stevia if needed for sweetness
  

Lunch & Dinner Recipes​

All of these can be meal prepped by doubling/tripling ingredients as needed!
Instant pot/slow cooker meals:
Try adding a few handfuls of greens to any slow cooker/instant pot meal for more micronutrients and fiber!

• Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (add greens!): https://40aprons.com/whole30-instant-pot-chicken-tortilla-less-soup-paleo/
• Paleo Chicken Tikka Masala: https://tastythin.com/instant-pot-chicken-tikka-masala-whole30-paleo/
• Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup: https://www.farmsteadchic.com/paleo-and-whole30-chicken-noodle-soup/
• Paleo Cabbage Beef Soup: http://www.farmsteadchic.com/paleo-whole30-cabbage-beef-soup/
• 
  

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