Dr. David Wang, ND, Contributor
Thyroid Nation
Dr. Wang discusses adrenals, chronic stress, thyroid disease, the changes that can occur from season to season and how to handle them.
Summer was filled with time off for sun, fun, rest and relaxation. Typically after
the Labor Day weekend, everyone goes back to work or school and all of a sudden,
I see patients coming in droves with fatigue, exhaustion, colds, flus, and so on,
which are all symptoms of stress and the inability to cope.
Stress affects everyone, and yet it is the most underdiagnosed and unproclaimed
epidemic condition in the world! In the doctor’s office, 75% to 95% of all medical
conditions are attributed to stress. In the workplace, the cost of stress is
estimated at $300B per year in the U.S. according to Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA). Chronic stress can result from physical causes
such as cold, noise, trauma, burns, malnutrition, exercise and surgery.
Psychological stressors such as worry and anxiety about finances, family, career,
deadlines, interviews, exams and so on, can induce stress as well. Stress symptoms
can include fatigue, exhaustion, slow metabolism, weight gain, low mood,
depression, pain, inflammation, frequent colds or flus, infertility, insomnia,
anxiety, worry and panic attacks.
These conditions can certainly set the stage for cardiovascular events and
cancers, two of the most common causes of death in North America. Chronic
stress does not just affect your mind and spirit, but it can also profoundly affect
your physical body. Chronic stress initially depletes adrenal glands of its
cortisone and in turn less cortisol is released into the blood. Cortisol is
necessary to maintain metabolism and is secreted in larger quantities during
times of stress in order to mobilize blood sugar, the energy sources needed for the
response. When the adrenal glands are depleted, the thyroid gland will work
harder to make up for the lack of energy. As chronic stress continues, the thyroid
gland will eventually become depleted as well and lead to symptoms of hair loss,
weight gain, and cold extremities. About half of all my patients with adrenal
depletion will have a compromised thyroid condition. Anyone who has gone
through a major life changing event such as losing a loved one, separation or
divorce, having children, losing a job, or moving to another country could
potentially have adrenal depletion problems. Many times this is in combination
with thyroid depletion. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?
Oftentimes, MDs will treat the thyroid gland when it’s become deficient,
and fail to recognize that the original cause is adrenal deficiency, stressors
or the inability to cope. The adrenal-thyroid connection has been established in
studies and in my practice. Many do well with a dual-glandular support
program and nutritional support along with lifestyle management strategies.
What is key in restoring adrenal and thyroid depletion problems is the
importance of nutritional support including B-vitamins and Vitamin C, from
organic whole foods. This is because the body only recognizes, absorbs, and
assimilates nutrients that are made by nature. Only foods that are grown from
the ground provide nutrients that are recognized by the body and supported
by the required cofactors including minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids,
fatty acids and phytonutrients in order to ensure assimilation. In addition,
these restorative nutrients are bound naturally with proteins, carbohydrates
and fats that your body recognizes and can then absorb readily. On the contrary,
synthetic nutrients are isolated compounds made by drug companies. For
example B-vitamins are typically made from toxic chemicals including
petroleum by-products, coal-tar derivatives, formaldehyde, acetone and cyanide.
This is one reason they often made my patients feel sick, in the early part
of my practice.
During times of stress, it is important to eat wholesome foods regularly.
Maintaining your blood sugar is paramount to reducing your cortisol level,
since low blood sugar is one of the key triggers for cortisol release. So eating
meals with complex carbohydrates, proteins and essential fatty acids from whole
foods, and not from processed or packaged foods, will feel better for your body.
Eating regularly means eating every 3 to 4 waking hours. Feeding your body
good fuel regularly, will also help to maintain your blood sugar level. This
means that most people need to get into the habit of eating a good snack at
3 pm, when this transient low blood sugar state could potentially cause more
cortisol release. A good idea would be to eat some organic nuts and seeds
along with an apple or a pear, for a snack.
On the contrary, if you were to skip meals (because you forget to eat or
you’re trying to lose weight), blood sugar drops and this triggers a cortisol
release, which means that your next meal will be packed away around your
waist rather than being used. This is because your body senses the stress of
starvation and will store away the food as fat in the event that there’s another
bout of starvation. Remember that if you’re trying to fuel your body properly
to get through your day or to lose weight, you need to eat good food regularly!
Generally speaking, eating primarily a plant-based diet will offer more
support by way of preventing diseases and being more easily digestible, and
it will also alkalize the body. This means that it will get more oxygen to the
tissues, and reduce tension in your muscles. Eating more organic food also
makes sense due to the increase in oxidation from stress reactions. A recent
study shows that organic foods have more antioxidants, are less toxic and
have more phytonutrients.
In addition to pushing themselves, people on the verge of adrenal collapse
will also often consume artificial energy-boosters like sugary snacks and
caffeinated beverages. These “vices” cause sugar surges followed shortly by
sugar crashes that can worsen their adrenal status. Coffees and caffeinated
beverages can further deplete your adrenals by stimulating the release of
already depleted cortisol levels.
As our society becomes busier and our lives more demanding, people are
forgetting to relax. Many feel that they do not have time to rest, so they
continue to push themselves, not realizing that their bodies work on natural
cycles of being energized and relaxed, using up (catabolism) and restoring
(anabolism). People who are heading toward a nervous breakdown or
burnout often feel that the demands on their lives are increasing, and thus
they feel that they must work even harder. This is because relative to their
low adrenal reserves, their work and stressors seem to be mounting.
Instead of slowing down, they take on more stress and in turn cause even
further depletion.
Chronically stressed individuals are not taking the time to be present,
breathe deeply, relax, meditate, do yoga and slow down before eating – nor
are they getting an adequate amount of sleep. What I recommend to my
patients is to pay close attention to the body’s natural circadian rhythm. The
natural rise in cortisol during the day should be matched with exercise and
work while the natural dip in cortisol level in the evening should correspond
to a period of rest and relaxation. After dinner, everyone should take a least
an hour of “me” time for a relaxing walk, meditation, light reading, listening
to relaxing music, hatha yoga or taking a hot bath before bed. Oh yes,
unfortunately this does mean putting away your electronic equipment, not
watching TV and no more emails or social media messaging for at least an
hour before bedtime!
The importance of maintaining proper circadian rhythm cannot be
overstated. During daylight savings time, when we lose or gain one hour of
daylight, there is an increase in health risk associated with this change in our
sleep-wake cycle. Car accidents increase by 8%, workplace accidents increase
by 6% and heart attacks increase by 10%. Studies have also shown that
people who do shift work experience increased risks to Type 2 diabetes by
50%, heart attacks by 23%, coronary events by 24%, stroke by 5% and
also increased risks to depression, gastric ulcers, infertility and cancer.
It’s important to lead a purposeful life and to achieve your professional and
personal goals. But if you find that your desire turns into an obsession, or
that your goals and desires turn into anxiety and worry then you need to
find your balance. According to Eastern philosophy, suffering comes from
deep-rooted mental issues that stem from cravings and aversions. Finding
your center is key to reducing your tension. Being equanimous means
to neither crave and cling nor to be averse or be anxious about something
or someone. Adopting a new attitude of letting go, accepting what is,
being in the here and now will reduce your cortisol levels and spare your
adrenal glands.
| DO’S | DON’TS |
| -Take organic pure food supplements (Vit B’s and C) | -Take synthetic supplements that may be toxic |
| -Be aware of breathing and breathe! | -Hold your breath and being tense |
| -Exercise in the morning | -Exercise in the evening or night-time (Yoga, Walking) |
| -Stay focused on one task at a time | -Multi-task all day at work and home |
| -Relax in the evening with yoga, bath, reading, etc. | -Work, email, or watch TV in evenings |
| -Engage in creative activities like art, music in evening | -Think or always being busy in the evenings |
| -Have regular sleep-wake cycle & get a full night’s sleep | -Work irregular shifts, late night socials & reduce sleep |
| -Give thanks and relax before eating “slow foods” | -Rush and work through your meals, eat “fast foods” |
| -Eat balanced meals and regularly | -Skip meals or consume sugars & coffees |
| -Say “No” to some things and set boundaries | -Say “yes” to everything and over commit |
| -Incorporate more breaks, laughter, and be happy | -Work overtime at dead-end job, being sad & depressed |
| -Stay balanced and be present | -Over-reacting, obsessing over desires or being anxious |
In my practice, when patients follow these simple steps and take
the right food supplements, about 80% of them experience
significant improvements within 30 days! Can you imagine having
more energy and focus, better metabolism, weight loss, improved
mood, coming off of antidepressants, reduced inflammation,
stronger immunity, and happiness?
About the Author
Dr. David Wang, ND is the past president of the BC Naturopathic Association, and founder of the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. He currently teaches at the Boucher Institute and offers seminars across Canada. Dr. David also maintains a practice in Burnaby, BC. VancouverHolisticHealth.com. Visit his site at Pranin.com, follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To learn more about Dr. Wang, click here.
Questions or anything to ask Dr. Wang about your adrenals, chronic stress or your thyroid? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please!
Dear Dr Wang,
This article really spoke to me but I have this constant pain under my right rib that radiates to my back ( or vise versa ) along with overall stomach discomfort and crushing fatigue. I was wondering what your thoughts may be on this, Thank you so much