Beverly Meyer, MBA, Guest
Thyroid Nation
There’s A Strong Link Between Anxiety And Thyroid Health
Humans have two nervous systems – the sympathetic and the para-sympathetic. We evolved to live in our calmer para-sympathetic system to eat, hunt, sleep, walk and work. Only when facing danger would we shift into the sympathetic mode. When we encounter dangers such as fire, an attacker, falling or being injured we increase the Adrenal hormone Cortisol preparing to fight or flee. Blood pressure and heart rate elevate, glucose and cholesterol rise, digestion and the immune system stop.
In the modern world, we face many “little dangers” every day. We react to beeping phones, alarms, deadlines, the news, illness, isolation, WIFI, toxic chemicals and financial worry with this same sympathetic response. Only now it is the dominant way we live and feel. We are often fearful, scattered and overwhelmed. Driving the adrenals to make Cortisol eventually will exhaust them, and the thyroid and adrenals work in tandem. Tire one and the other, working harder to keep our metabolic energy up, can tire too. See more on this in my articles and podcasts on The Thyroid Adrenal Connection. The neurotransmitters Serotonin and GABA work to restore balance and stability to all body functions, so they can become exhausted too by all this high-pressure living. Like the adrenals and thyroid, these neurotransmitters control dozens of body functions. If they’re depleted, we’re in trouble.
Adrenals, neurotransmitters, and thyroid can be tested for yourself with help from our friends at TrueHealthLabs.com.
What Is GABA Neurotransmitter?
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. When we worry or stress too much, we deplete this important substance. Eventually, we become anxious, startle easily, can’t sleep properly and don’t digest our food well. We begin to think it’s normal to worry and stress, and this wears us down more every day. Once GABA is depleted, the immune system dysregulates. We’re more prone to chronic infections, fatigue or autoimmune problems.
5 Tips For Restoring GABA
1). Acknowledge you have become a worrier. Learn to recognize it and stop it when overthinking, planning for the worst or feeling rushed or fearful. I call it “Catastrophizing”. 2). Once you can recognize these faster, learn to “re-frame” those thoughts. Turn your attention to positive matters and pro-active solutions. Acknowledge the things that ARE going right today or in your life. 3). Start GABA support. I have many blog posts and podcasts on this on my website OnDietandHealth.com. My favorite fast and easy helper is Passion Flower. It comes in a variety of forms and can be taken day or night. I offer it in a glycerin tincture in my online store so it’s easy to take just the number of drops you need to feel better, depending on what’s up. 4). Consider other calming herbs and Adaptogens daily 5). Manage every element of stress you can. Face the facts about relationships, your health, the amount of EMF’s and WIFI you’re exposing yourself to and the toxicity or carb content of your food. Get to work and fix your life. Every cell of your body will respond, including reduced anxiety and better energy.
About the Author
Beverly Meyer is a clinical and holistic nutritionist. As an Alternative Health patient since the 1970s, she knows what it’s like to want answers. She’s tried dozens of modalities and traveled widely to get help for her anxiety, chronic fatigue, pain, adrenals, digestion, insomnia, immune problems and more. After her health crashed in the mid-80s, she made a major career and lifestyle change. She closed multiple businesses, took several years off to study, and began a naturopathic health practice as a gluten free and Paleo nutritionist at her Diet and Health Center in San Antonio. It’s an amazing privilege for her to see clients change their lives and be rewarded with hope and renewed energy. And weight loss! Her approach to helping herself and others is to first REMOVE anything causing the body stress or harm, such as sugars, toxic dental fillings, vegetable oils and grains, excess or inadequate exercise, excess prescription drugs and hormones. Once lifestyle changes are in place, she does extensive muscle-response testing to help determine what labs are needed and what supplements might be useful to target that person’s health priorities. Her Diet & Health Center clinic is in San Antonio, Texas. Be sure to follow Beverly on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
