“There are no guarantees in this life; so when we hold back we do so at the risk of never fully blossoming.”
Holding back or holding onto things that you thought you could count on is like branches of the tree of life hanging over the quagmire of hopelessness. Then without warning the branches crack. You fall to the ground and are swallowed up by the earth. On that tree-- your branches were not balanced. As the quote states, "There are no guarantees in life." I just love the quote-- risk of never fully blossoming is for me the blossoming of a new herb--a new you. I feel the drive of my hope, ambition and dreams enticing me to always move forward. In the last sixteen years I have been moving forward.
I will admit at the beginning of this new sober life I moved forward as if I were a giant tortoise. I did hold back at the beginning, so my Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) was not blossoming. Without my disappointments, duties and responsibilities pressing against my dreams I would have never begun to move towards my destiny. What is my destiny? What is your destiny? Does anyone know their destiny? What I did realize is that resilience depends on the art of surrendering to a twelve step program rather than merely pushing through the program. I am reaching my destiny. Among colleagues and friends in the ‘plant world’ I am relaxed and serene. Four months after my volunteer summer’s disappointment, I feel the pain has gently receded.
Are you tired, having difficulty sleeping and concentrating and feeling cold all the time? Are you depressed? Is your hair starting to fall out? Perhaps you told these symptoms to the doctor last week. He replied, "You are under a lot of stress." He stays all of your bloods are normal including your complete blood profile, your chemistry and your thyroid function. You feel you have depressed thyroid function. To understand thyroid function you must understand a cascade of thyroid effects. It is simple: the hypothalamus (in the brain) secretes TRH ( thyroid releasing hormone) which stimulates the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from another part of the brain--the anterior pituitary. The TSH directly affects the thyroid gland, which is situated in your neck to release the two thyroid hormones, T3 and T4.
The description above is of hypothyroidism, an under active metabolic state. There are three different types of hypothyroidism:
1. Primary Hypothyroidism - when the thyroid hormones ( T3 and T4) are LOWERED and the TSH is ELEVATED. This is defective thyroid synthesis
2. Secondary Hypothyroidism - when both the thyroid hormones ( T3 and T4) and TSH are LOW. This indicates the pituitary gland is responsible
3. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis - this is an autoimmune condition in which antibodies are formed that bind to the thyroid gland preventing adequate release of the hormone. These antibodies are either thyroglobulin or thyroid peroxidase (TPO). These auto antibodies may also bind to other organs including the pancreas and adrenal gland. The labs might look like this: low or high T3 and T4 (or a mixture) and a low or high TSH. Usually the TSH is low.
The allopathic treatment for hypothyroidism is to supplement both the respective T3 or T4. This can be accomplished synthetically with levothyroxine (brand name synthroid) for T4 and liothyronine (brand name cytomel) for T3. This can also be done with glandular thyroid hormones- nature thyroid for T4, west thyroid or armour thyroid for T3. Some would consider this thyroid replacement to be alternative. However the glandular thyroids are available and can be found in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR)
The dietary treatment for an under active thyroid varies from individual to individual. The most effective way to increase thyroid function is to ingest seaweeds which are rich in iodine. As Americans we are iodine deficient. The easiest way is to eat Kelp. Different species of kelp and large brown seaweeds vary in iodine content.
The easiest way is to first ingest kelp tablets. I find this easier. I find that many individuals do not like the idea of ingesting seaweed. Since the recommended iodine dose is 150-300 micrograms--I would start by taking 150 micrograms for four months.
Make sure you have your thyroid function measured
Until tomorrow...
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