Dr. Westin Childs, Contributor
Thyroid Nation

Did you know that detox is main stream?

Well it should be anyways…

If you aren’t adding detox into your thyroid regimen, then you need to listen up.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) are things we come into contact with on a DAILY basis. And these chemicals can seriously interfere with how your body utilizes thyroid hormone in the tissues.

These chemicals actually interfere with cellular uptake of thyroid hormone and result in reduced T3 levels in the serum which corresponds with tissue level hypothyroidism.

This problem is so serious that the Endocrine Society recently came out with a published paper that outlines the problem that we are facing. In this article they even mention that these chemicals do NOT alter the TSH.

Just another reason (in an ever increasing list) that you can’t trust the TSH in isolation.

So which chemicals are these and where do they come from?

Known endocrine disrupting chemicals:

• Bisphenol A

• Phthalates

• Pesticides

• Persistent Organic Pollutants (Polychlorinated biphenyls)

• Polybrominated Diethyl Ethers

I will outline some tips below to help you not only avoid these guys, but to also help you get rid of any that are currently floating around in your blood stream.

One of the big problems with these chemicals is that we are coming into contact with these guys every single day.

Take for instance Bisphenol-A. This chemical is found on receipts! Which means if you are touching receipts after purchasing something, your body will transdermally absorb some of these chemicals and your body will have to eliminate it.

Now, everyone is going to be a little different in terms of how they metabolize and eliminate these chemicals from their blood – which is why treating the individual is so important.

However, I still recommend that EVERYONE avoid these chemicals and that EVERYONE undergoes some detox.

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Here are some quick tips you can start using right away to get started:

How to Avoid Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals for better thyroid health:

• Stop touching Receipts (they contain high levels of bisphenol-A)

• Drink out of glass cups or containers

• Drink filtered water ONLY (any filter is better than no filter)

• Avoid anything made of plastic

• Say no to hand-me-down plastic toys

• Eat organic foods and grass-fed meats

• Avoid anything with the word ‘Fragrance’ or ‘Parfum’

• Check your cosmetics for Chemicals (use the Skin Deep application from EWG)

But what about those chemicals that are already in your body? To get rid of these you will have to eliminate them and one of my favorite ways to do this is through a detox bath:

To do a detox bath you will need the following:

1. Lavender essential oil (or try I’m Your Everything)

2. Baking Soda

3. Epsom Salts

To do this you fill up a HOT bathtub and put in 1-2 cups of epsom salt, 1 cup of baking soda and 10 drops of Lavender oil.

This bath will help you reduce cortisol levels through the essential oil lavender, the baking soda will help to alkalinize the body, and the epsom salt will give you a healthy dose of magnesium to calm you down and relax the body. Sweating during the hot bath will help activate liver enzymes and cause your body to eliminate waste through your sweat.

I recommend doing this bath right before you go to bed as the magnesium will help you fall asleep.

Make sure to wrap yourself up in a bathrobe to keep the heat in and then lay down in your bed. It will keep your body warm and active as you detox throughout the night.

Another way to detox is to get into a FAR infrared sauna!

The sauna will activate heat shock proteins to help your body eliminate waste, improve the tone of your skin and cause a slight calorie burn.

Remember that you should be in a FAR infrared sauna though! You won’t get the full effect if you hop into a hot box at the gym.

A word of caution:

Go slow when detoxing, as rapid detox may cause worsening symptoms. If this happens to you be sure to back off the frequency and duration that you are detoxing. I’ve found in my practice that thyroid patients tend to be very sensitize.

If you want further information you can check out this post here!

Dr. Westin Childs is a physician that specializes in treating and reversing Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and other thyroid related problems. His goal is to provide high quality actionable information based on the most recent scientific journals and literature that you can trust. Check out his website at RestartMed.com and follow him on Facebook.

PLEASE take a moment to also ‘Like’ us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also listen to Tiffany and I on Thyroid Nation RADIO.

Now, it’s your TURN: What has worked for you for detox? What hasn’t? Are you noticing an improvement in your thyroid function after detoxing? You may just help someone else in need.