Regaining Thyroid Health with Paleo/Primal Expert Elle Russ - EP002

Regaining Thyroid Health with Paleo/Primal Expert Elle Russ – EP002

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Elle Russ was doing everything ‘right.’ She was eating a low-fat, low-carb diet and doing high-intensity cardio workouts regularly. Unfortunately, her primal brain thought that she was starving and running from danger, and in an effort to protect her, it asked her body to produce less thyroid hormone. Elle gained fifty pounds – despite working out two hours a day – and suffered from 30-plus debilitating symptoms. When the medical community offered no solution, she became her own doctor and resolved two severe bouts of hypothyroidism in ten years with a combination of thyroid hormone replacement therapy and a dedicated Paleo/Primal lifestyle.

Elle is a writer, actor and life coach. An alumna of the prestigious Second City–Chicago comedy theatre, she began her acting and writing career in sketch comedy and improvisation. She has gone on to write sitcoms, documentaries, drama, and non-fiction, including The Paleo Thyroid Solution, the only lifestyle and weight loss plan for maximizing thyroid metabolism in alignment with evolutionary health principles. A leading voice in the Paleo/Primal Health Movement, Elle is also the host of The Primal Blueprint Podcast, a top-20 ranked show in the Health category on iTunes.

Today she joins Ali to discuss the significance of the thyroid, how suboptimal thyroid hormone metabolism affects the body, and how a Paleo/Primal lifestyle will help you regain – and maintain – thyroid health. Listen in to hear about Elle’s difficult journey navigating the medical system and how she finally took control of her health!

Topics Covered

[0:52] The significance of the thyroid

Master gland of the human body (die without it)
Regulates sex hormones, body temperature, metabolism

[4:22] Some consequences of suboptimal thyroid hormones/thyroid hormone metabolism

Infertility, miscarriages
Food addictions

[8:01] The vocabulary of thyroid issues

Hashimoto’s disease – autoimmune disorder, body attacks thyroid, causing hypothyroidism or hypo/hyper swings (triggered by grains)
Graves’ disease – autoimmune disorder, body attacks thyroid, causing hyperthyroidism

[11:42] Why people on thyroid hormone replacement still need to maintain the Paleo Primal paradigm

Antibodies indicate inflammation, which leads to autoimmune disorders
Eliminating gluten/grains reduces antibodies to appropriate levels (ideally under ten)
Hashimoto’s antibodies = TPO and TgAb; Graves’ antibodies = TSI

[16:09] Elle’s story

Serious chronic cardio, low fat/carb diet
Gave herself hypothyroidism
Gained weight out of nowhere (from 110-160 pounds)
Continued to work out two hours per day
Could not lose weight until thyroid fixed (exercise impedes progress)
Developed 30-plus symptoms, including gynecological issues
Cognitive function affected as well
Spent $15,000 on doctors, but no one helped her
Became own doctor
Suffered from second bout (Reverse T3)
Treated herself again, taking T3 directly
Adopted Paleo/Primal lifestyle

[25:23] The thyroid tests you should be asking for

Hypothyroidism: free T3, free T4, TSH, RT3
Hashimoto’s: TPOAb, TgAb
TSH is meaningless in isolation

[30:39] How to treat Reverse T3

Adopt a Paleo/Primal lifestyle
Reduce workout regimen
Take selenium, vitamin D
Optimize nutrients
Adjust thyroid hormone replacement
Take T3 directly as last resort

[32:09] How to find a knowledgeable doctor

Contact Elle through website for free resources
Natural Thyroid Yahoo! Group ‘good doc’ list
Search ‘functional medicine doctors,’ ‘anti-aging doctors,’ or ‘integrating MDs’
Find a doctor who is malleable and educate them
Look at Foresman’s site and match credentials
Avoid endocrinologists
Educate yourself – never simply accept a pill

[37:10] Why Elle chose the title, The Paleo Thyroid Solution