Thyroid Reset - 4 Ways to Get Your Thyroid Back on Track

Thyroid Reset – 4 Ways to Get Your Thyroid Back on Track

Ready to tackle your thyroid problems but unsure of where to start? 

​Enter the 10-day thyroid reset.

Let me first start by saying…

This guide is only a starting point! ​This isn’t going to completely resolve every one of your problems, and you may ultimately need further restrictions and changes. 

But:

It is the first place I would start if you are overwhelmed and it will definitely help improve your thyroid function and metabolism.

​I created this because it just isn’t feasible to see every patient personally and there are so many out there who need help… and I want to do what I can to move forward with my mission to help as many Hashi and Hypothyroid patients as possible!

So let’s start with some ground rules.

Who is this for?

  • People who have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroidism
  • People who have not tried any other interventions before
  • People who are ready to take action on their health and make changes

Who isn’t this for? 

  • People who have failed more restrictive diets like the Autoimmune Protocol
  • People who are already working with a Functional Medicine Practitioner
  • People who are looking for a “quick fix”

What is the 10 Day Thyroid Reset? 

This guide contains a small portion of my 60 Hormone Mastery Guide if you like what you see here you can find more information about the complete guide here

​The full guide contains a step-by-step walkthrough for 60 days and includes recipes, shopping lists, supplement guides, weight loss guides, and detoxification guides – ALL designed to help improve your thyroid function naturally!

Did you know that lifestyle factors (1) like what kind of food you put in your mouth, how much stress you have, how much you sleep, and how much you exercise all play a major role in your overall health? 

If you ask any Doctor if the foods that you eat or don’t eat are important for reversing disease, they will all unanimously agree. 

But when was the last time your Doctor sat down and talked to you about your diet, your energy levels, or the stress in your life? ​

​And that is the problem.

If all of these things are so important why hasn’t anyone addressed them for you?​

This guide is designed to get you from ‘couch to 5k’ but with your thyroid!

You see…

One of the biggest frustrations for me is that no matter how many people I see in my office I still never really seem to make a dent in helping all the people that need it. ​

So even though I may not be able to see everyone in my clinic, I can definitely give you the tools to help get you started. 

Speaking of that, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. 

​This Thyroid Reset Diet is actually going to cover more areas than just diet…

I broke down the 4 most important categories when it comes to healing your thyroid and boosting metabolism and expanded upon them below. 

If you want to get the full benefit then you need to commit to making changes in these 4 categories for the following 10 days. ​

DOWNLOAD FREE RESOURCES

Foods to Avoid if you Have Thyroid Problems:

I’ve found that these 10 foods cause the most problems for thyroid patients. Learn which foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease of any type.

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The Complete List of Thyroid Lab tests:

The list includes optimal ranges, normal ranges, and the complete list of tests you need to diagnose and manage thyroid disease correctly!

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Thyroid Reset Diet Guidelines

Diet

  • 10 days of Solid Commitment
  • No more than 6-8 servings of Goitrogenic foods per week
  • No cheating

Exercise

  • High-Intensity Interval Training once per week
  • 1 hour of Low-Intensity Exercise (like walking) Daily
  • 10,000 Steps per day minimum

Supplements

Detox

  • Actively avoid Endocrine Disruptors
  • Deep Sweat once per week
  • Drink 64 ounces of water per day

Reboot Your Diet

Low carb high fat foods

Real, Whole food that you should focus on eating. If it doesn’t look like food, don’t eat it!

Where should you start? 

I’ll make it easy…

Eat real whole food. Period.

If it has more than 1 ingredient then don’t eat it. If it doesn’t pass the eyeball test then don’t eat it. ​You should be able to easily look at food and determine if it was made from a plant, or in a plant. 

In addition, there are a couple of No-Nos that every Thyroid patient should be aware of.

1. You should Avoid Calorie Restricted Diets at all costs

Calorie-restricted diets actually make thyroid function worse. (2) 

When you restrict calories your body thinks you’re in a state of starvation, and in order to preserve energy, it increases the production of Reverse T3 and reduces T4 to T3 conversion.

As little as 25 days of calorie-restricted dieting can reduce thyroid function (3) by up to 50%. 

2. ​You should Avoid Low-Fat Diets

Low fat is synonymous with high sugar. Not only that but low-fat diets have never been shown to cause sustained weight loss. 

​Remember that foods high in sugar may ultimately cause insulin resistance and lead to further hormonal imbalances. Insulin resistance (and elevated insulin levels) are notorious for causing Thyroid Resistance and increasing Reverse T3 levels. 

3. You should be cautious of very low carbohydrate diets

While it is true that low-carb diets do cause the most effective weight loss (4), they can potentially cause worsening fatigue in some hypothyroid patients. 

​That doesn’t mean you necessarily need to avoid them completely, but it does mean that you should only start this kind of diet if the person recommending it understands how carbs influence energy levels and adrenal function in thyroid patients. 

Low carb diets result in the most weight loss but can be harmful to hypothyroid patients

People suffering from thyroid problems do much better on a moderate-carb diet – around 20-30% of calories from carbs is a good starting point (and what you should focus on for these 10 days). 

After thyroid function and conversion have been optimized you can then consider reducing carbohydrates further. Because the majority of people are NOT optimized I generally don’t suggest low-carb diets to start with. ​

4. You should avoid eating more than 6-8 servings of Goitrogenic foods per week and these foods should be steamed instead of eaten raw

 

No more than 6-8 servings of goitrogens per week

Goitrogens are compounds that limit thyroid function and production by limiting the amount of iodine the thyroid can take in (5). 

These goitrogens are found in both the environment and in foods and may play a role in how you are feeling. 

Foods that contain goitrogens (you can find the list below), typically do not cause many issues for the majority of people suffering from thyroid problems. 

But, to be safe, you can limit your exposure to goitrogens in the foods that you consume by steaming them before you eat them

This tactic will limit the total amount that your body is exposed to.  

While it’s theoretically possible to cause thyroid dysfunction as you consume even healthy foods, in the practical world the risk of this happening is very slim. 

Foods high in goitrogens include

  • Cruciferous vegetables (Bok choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, and Cauliflower), and some other foods – peaches, pine nuts, pears, soy milk, soybeans, etc.
  • Quick Tip: Steaming foods that are high in goitrogens actually limits the active goitrogenic compounds in the food. If you are sensitive to goitrogens make sure you don’t eat these foods raw. 

Revitalize Your Exercise Routine

the science behind high intensity interval training

Exercise is another important area that requires some special considerations for patients with thyroid problems. 

​You have to remember that exercise is a stress on your body. And if you have a sluggish thyroid your body can’t necessarily tolerate that stress. 

In my practice, I’ve found that some patients aren’t exercising at all due to extreme fatigue (which isn’t good), and those that are exercising tend to be over-exercising thinking it will solve their weight problem (which also isn’t good). 

The truth is that you should really be somewhere in between…

Exercise is kind of like Goldilocks, too much is a bad thing and too little is also a bad thing. 

​Not only that but there are some distinct types of exercises that thyroid patients should be doing to boost their metabolism.

To boost your metabolism you need to strike a balance between these two areas:​

High-Intensity Interval Training

This type of exercise (if done correctly) puts a physiologic stimulus at the biochemical level that causes a number of beneficial changes:

  1. It improves hormonal balance overall
  2. It sensitizes your body to insulin
  3. It causes more calorie burn than any other exercise
  4. It helps build lean muscle mass
  5. It boosts your metabolism by increasing Human Growth Hormone (6)

As you know, if you have thyroid problems, crushing fatigue can make it seem impossible to exercise at times. So, there are a few things you should remember before you start exercising:

join 80000 thyroid patients

Before you add high-intensity interval training into your regimen make sure your thyroid medication is optimized (if you are on it) and make sure your adrenals can tolerate the stress. 

If you are still experiencing crushing fatigue it’s best to focus on low-intensity and skip high-intensity exercise in the beginning. 

Low-Intensity Interval Training

This type of exercise should not be excluded! Science has shown that 1 hour of walking per day is enough to reduce your risk of ​premature death by 39%. 

Not only will it help you live longer but it is also critical to boosting and maintaining your metabolism. 

You’ll want to focus on doing one of the following for at least 30-60 minutes per day, in addition to walking 10,000 steps per day: 

  1. Walking
  2. Hiking
  3. Biking
  4. ​Household chores (Sweeping, Mopping, Cleaning Windows, etc.)
  5. Yoga
  6. Swimming

Don’t overthink this:

The goal here is to keep you moving constantly throughout the day. 

Bonus tip: ​Cycle Synching your Exercise Routine

Have you heard of cycle synching your workouts? 

Let me explain:

Throughout a woman’s cycle, her hormone levels fluctuate on a daily basis (I’m sure you know this already!), but what you may not know is that these hormones can influence your energy levels, metabolism, appetite and even your desire for exercise.

Follicular Phase Exercises: Days 1-14

For instance – at the beginning of your cycle you will have more energy as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are in relative balance with one another. This means that you should focus on moderate intensity and longer workouts. 

graph showing when ovulation starts
​Ovulatory Phase Exercises: Days 12-16

Compare that to the ovulatory phase when testosterone levels peak and estrogen is increased – you will have the power and energy to do more strenuous exercise like lifting weights or doing high-intensity exercises. 

graph showing the elevation and fall of various hormones during the menstrual cycle
​Luteal Phase Exercises: Days 14-28

On the final two weeks of your cycle progesterone levels should peak which has a very calming sensation on your body – during this time you should focus on more relaxing and soothing exercises like yoga, pilates or lower intensity exercises. ​

Cycle synching exercises

Replete Nutrient Deficiencies with Targeted Supplements

supplements lined up on a shelf

​The focus of supplements during this 10-Day Thyroid Reset is to boost the conversion of inactive T4 to the active T3 hormone. 

This is accomplished by providing your body with the critical nutrients involved in the conversion process, and also by improving gut health which is involved in both converting thyroid hormone and acting as a reservoir (7) for stored thyroid hormone in the body. 

In addition, I’ve never found a person in my clinic who isn’t suffering from Adrenal fatigue to some degree due to the constant low-grade stress that we all deal with on a daily basis. 

Healing your adrenals will help the thyroid do its job and provide you with a boost of energy during this 10-day reset.

The following supplements have been tested on hundreds of patients with thyroid problems in my clinic and they are far and away the most potent and powerful supplements that I’ve used. 

​Adrenal Support

​Healing Adrenal Fatigue is such a huge part of treating the thyroid that it simply cannot be overlooked. 

The adrenals and the thyroid work in synergy to create your energy levels and your baseline metabolism. We’ve known this as far back as the 1920s (8). 

Further studies have shown that Hypothyroidism causes direct dysfunction (9) in the Adrenal Glands themselves – resulting in symptoms of fatigue which may manifest as the condition of “adrenal fatigue”. 

study showing the connection between tsh and cortisol

My experience in working with patients is that healing the Adrenals is required in order to achieve optimal results. I’ve also found that all other supplements and treatment seem to be more effective when also targeting the adrenals. 

Zinc

Zinc is one of the top 5 most common nutrient deficiencies I see in patients suffering from Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.

If you’re curious about the other 4 nutrient deficiencies you can read about them here

This nutrient is involved in converting inactive T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone in addition to a number of other beneficial side effects:

  1. Zinc boosts immune function (10) (Especially helpful for those with Hashimoto’s).
  2. Zinc is a powerful anti-inflammatory (11) agent.
  3. Zinc boosts cell-mediated immunity (12) helping to reduce autoimmunity.
  4. And finally, Zinc plays a role in reducing oxidative stress (13) and chronic inflammation. 
Zinc is an Antioxidant and Anti Inflammatory Agent

Using Zinc is a no-brainer when you have any sort of thyroid problem and should be a pivotal part of your nutrient regimen! 

Using the right type of Zinc and getting on the right brand is very important.

Remember that not all supplements are created equal, because of this I recommend using either zinc-picolinate or zinc-citrate because these have been shown to have superior absorption (14) compared to other cheaper formulations. 

Zinc tends to work well when coupled with Selenium (more on Selenium below) due to how they both work in your thyroid gland. 

Because of this, I recommend a product which contains both Zinc and Selenium. 

Selenium

Selenium is another important player in the T4 to T3 conversion process as well as the creation of thyroid hormone in your thyroid gland. 

Selenium forms a portion of the certain enzymes that catalyze the production of thyroid hormone. 

These proteins are known as selenoproteins and they are in several areas of the body. 

Without adequate levels of Selenium (and Zinc), these proteins may not work properly which may lead to decreased circulating thyroid hormone and decreased thyroid conversion. 

(This picture clearly depicts the nutrients required for proper T4 to T3 conversion and optimal thyroid function – The 10 Day Thyroid Reset targets all of these areas to help heal your metabolism and boost thyroid function)

Selenium (like zinc) is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and, when supplemented in healthy doses, may help reduce autoimmunity and inflammatory mediators (15). 

This is super important for all hypothyroid patients!

Why?

Because it’s estimated that over 70-90% of patients with Hypothyroidism in the United States have an autoimmune thyroiditis, whether your antibodies are elevated or not.

Let me say that again because it is so important…

If you have hypothyroidism there is a 70-90% chance it is caused by an autoimmune disease.

study showing selenium can help improve thyroid function

That is why I recommend that Hypothyroid patients undergo a trial of selenium supplementation.

This trial may help to promote more thyroid hormone, may help reduce autoimmunity and even antibody levels (16), and carries a very low risk of causing any harm. 

Couple that with the fact that it may help boost T4 to T3 conversion (17) and Selenium supplementation becomes a no-brainer for almost all thyroid patients. 

*Note: selenium tends to provide superior results when combined with zinc, for this reason, I recommend using them together in 1 supplement.

Probiotics​

Undiagnosed gut imbalances are probably the most overlooked and underdiagnosed conditions found among thyroid patients.

And this is a terrible situation, considering the importance the Gut plays in thyroid hormone metabolism. 

How Nutrient Deficiencies and Gut Imbalances Stack up Against You

Let me give you an example of how this can all stack up against you:

  1. If 20% of Thyroid Hormone is converted in the gut (18) and you have a gut imbalance (SIBO, Yeast overgrowth, Reflux, Dysbiosis, Leaky Gut, etc.) then the inflammation from this condition may limit your conversion process by 5-10%.
  2. If you have Zinc or Selenium deficiencies in your body that can further reduce whole-body conversion by another 5-10%.
  3. Now let’s assume you have Insulin Resistance, Leptin Resistance or that you take Anti-Depressants or other thyroid conversion-blocking medications. Now you’re set up to have another 5-10% reduction in conversion. 

Each of these alone wouldn’t make a big difference, but, when you start stacking them up, all of a sudden you have a 15-30% (or more) reduction in T4 to T3 conversion in your entire body!

This doesn’t even take into account the fact that inflammatory conditions (like Insulin and leptin resistance) cause Thyroid Resistance at the cellular level.

So, not only can your body not convert the inactive T4 to T3, but now it has trouble even letting what little active T3 is in the body get inside the cells to do its job. ​

This is why you simply cannot ignore nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, or gut imbalances.

Most Common Gut Imbalances in Thyroid Patients​

Thyroid patients are susceptible to a number of gut imbalances because of how thyroid hormone functions in the gut.

Thyroid hormone helps increase intestinal peristalsis (19) (the natural movement of the gut) and it also helps the body regulate the amount of stomach acid (20) needed for digestion. 

study showing the connection between the thyroid and the gut

If you have low thyroid problems you’re now set up to develop gut imbalances…

The most common imbalances I see in Hypothyroid and Hashimoto’s patients include Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Yeast overgrowth (21), Acid Reflux/GERD (22), Intestinal Dysbiosis, Leaky Gut, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I’ve found that unless these imbalances are treated your thyroid will NOT function at 100%.

That’s why I’ve included some basic gut health recommendations in this Thyroid Reset Diet.

The Best Probiotics for Hypothyroidism

Because certain gut imbalances are so common in Hypothyroid patients I don’t recommend jumping into any random probiotic to try and improve your health.

Certain types of probiotics are better than others and certain strains of probiotics have been well-studied and shown to be effective in clinical studies. 

Hypothyroid patients tend to benefit from probiotics that meet the following criteria:

  • They contain several different species and strains of probiotics
  • They contain a high enough CFU or ‘dose’
  • They contain both bifidobacteria and lactobacilli species
  • They are packaged properly to maintain stability and efficacy (they need to be in the right type of containers to protect against probiotic degradation)

If you stick to these guidelines then you can be sure you are getting a high-quality probiotic and one that will actually be effective. 

The right probiotic may help improve your intestinal tract (23), reduce inflammation (24) and even promote weight loss

Renew Your Body By Detoxing

Detoxing doesn’t just refer to chemicals and toxins (though I will teach you how to do this!), but it also refers to removing negative thoughts and emotions which have a huge impact on your overall health.

​Did you know there is a magic number of happy emotions you need to have for every negative emotion to really thrive in life? 

The answer is 3:1.

how many positive emotions you need to have each day to be happy

You need to have three positive emotions for every negative emotion. ​

The point is:

Toxic emotions, toxic chemicals, toxic behaviors, whatever it is, they matter and they have a negative impact on your health.

If you don’t remove these toxins from your body you will NOT optimize your health. ​

​Detoxing Endocrine Disruptors and Chemicals

​Whether you realize this or not, your body comes into contact with chemicals that have to be eliminated by your liver on a DAILY basis. 

What’s worse is that many of these chemicals ​have been shown to negatively impact hormone levels by blocking the effect of hormones at the cellular level or by mimicking the actions of hormones in your body. 

These chemicals are known as Endocrine Disruptors and they may be seriously impacting your thyroid function. ​

In fact…

The Endocrine Society recently published a paper (25) outlining the list of chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors.

study showing the importance of endocrine disrupting chemicals on thyroid function

The scary part is that they recognize in their paper that these chemicals alter thyroid function at the cellular level (causing tissue-level hypothyroidism) lowering free T3 levels, but the chemicals don’t impact TSH levels. 

This means that if your doctor is only ordering TSH and Free T4 then they are not getting a complete picture of your thyroid function. ​

​The main bad guys you want to avoid include:

  • Bisphenol A
  • Phthalates
  • Pesticides
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants (Polychlorinated biphenyls) 
  • Polybrominated Diethyl Ethers

​Use these tips to ensure you don’t even come into contact with these chemicals: 

  • 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)

​Helpful Tips to Make the Thyroid Reset Diet More Effective

One of the best ways to make this reset a success is to find an accountability buddy to help keep you on track!

You can make a commitment (as a comment here) or find someone else to do it with you and, by doing this, you will have publicly committed yourself. 

When you make a commitment public you are much more likely to follow through!

I also have other resources for you, which you can find more info about below: 

I’m always updating this post, so if I left something out or you have more questions please comment below and I will do my best to answer

At the end of your 10 days, you should notice a change in your energy levels, how well your brain is functioning and a change in your waistline. And that is by design!

Now I want to hear from you:

Did you use this guide? Did it help you?

Are you planning on using it?

Is anything confusing?

What’s holding you back?

Leave your questions or comments below! 

Scientific References

#1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21276278

#2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6694559

#3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6694559

#4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17341711

#5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21745527

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137178

#7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3049061

#8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524572/?page=1

#9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15007197

#10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9701160

#11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429650/

#12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20150599

#13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429650/

#14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3630857

#15. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2721352/

#16. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23046013

#17. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8834378

#18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3049061

#19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2833301/

#20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20351569

#21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3163673/

#22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3929142/

#23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16148529

#24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490534/

#25. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26414233

how to reset your thyroid to get back on track

picture of westin childs D.O. standing

About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

P.S. Here are 4 ways you can get more help right now:

#1. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here.

#2. Need better symptom control? Check out my thyroid supplements.

#3. Sign up to receive 20% off your first order.

#4. Follow me on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-date thyroid tips, tricks, videos, and more.

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