How I’m managing Graves Disease the natural way

 I battled with toxic eating habits when I was younger, battling them still as an adult, and turning that into something greater. Here is my story.

 For me, it was a love-hate relationship with food since I was a kid. I thought I needed to be a certain weight to feel happy or loved. I NEEDED to keep myself under 100 lbs, With me being only 5 feet tall, that was a pretty achievable goal. The way that I executed the plan was the problem. I either didn't eat at all, or I ate whatever I wanted, feeling upset and depressed later.  It was a vicious cycle. At a young age, I never felt right. My heart would race for no reason, I couldn't take a deep breath, and I'd pass out. I was constantly wired yet exhausted; my hands trembled, and my brain was all over the place. My unhealthy habits made my symptoms worse. At 18, I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease – an autoimmune condition where my immune system was attacking my thyroid, making it overactive. I was put on a very high dose of methimazole and beta-blockers, which made me gain 18 lbs in 2 weeks. I was not happy, and I stopped eating for weeks. I knew this was not a good path I was leading down. I knew I had to do something else. I talked to my endocrinologist about my concerns. She told me the treatment options of radioactive iodine, surgery, or the long-term medication she originally put me on. I’m not 100 % anti-medicine to an extent, but I'm also not one to not seek other options either. I tend to focus on healing my body from the inside out, addressing the root cause rather than just suppressing the symptoms. Especially later, learning I have a combined condition of both Graves' Disease with Hashimoto's. It was a nightmare.

My Journey Back to Balance

That's when my journey into natural and holistic approaches began. And let me tell you, it wasn't a quick fix or an easy road, but it has been incredibly empowering. I started researching nutrition, health, and wellness. I got off my medication altogether.

Please also note that supplements should never be taken as an alternative to prescribed medication. I am not a practitioner, nor do I advise taking your health into your own hands without consulting a doctor first, but this is what I did. I later found a holistic doctor who listened to my concerns, and we talked about what I was doing to manage my levels and the extensive research and online classes that I took.

The Gut Connection: Where I Started

My first deep dive was into gut health. I’d read so much about the link between a compromised gut and autoimmune conditions, and it just made sense to me. My diet at the time (when I did eat) while not terrible, certainly wasn't optimized for healing. I decided to try an elimination diet, specifically focusing on removing gluten and dairy, which are common inflammatory triggers.

The first few weeks were tough. Saying goodbye to my favorite sourdough bread, crackers, and cheese, and switching everything to non-dairy products was a challenge. But within a few months, I noticed subtle shifts. My digestion improved dramatically, I didn't have horrible gas, and some of the anxiety I’d been experiencing seemed to lessen. It wasn't a cure-all, but it was enough to show me I was on the right track. I started incorporating gut-healing foods like fermented foods and plenty of colorful, fiber-rich vegetables. I cut out processed, sugary foods and switched to fruits and nuts. I watch food dyes, and I always read my food labels.

I researched thyroid healing supplements, and found holy basil, selenium, Omega 3s, lemon balm, carnitine and resveratrol, and a multi-vitamin specifically for the thyroid, may help. I bought everything that potentially could work. At first, I was taking A LOT of vitamins, but now I have progressed into growing the herbs myself and making them into healing teas. This was a lifesaver!

Taming the Inflammation: Food as Medicine

Beyond just removing irritants, I focused on actively building an anti-inflammatory diet. This meant a huge emphasis on:

• Omega-3s: Lots of wild-caught salmon, chia seeds, and flax seeds. I even started taking a high-quality omega-3 supplement.

• Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables: Berries, leafy greens, colorful bell peppers – basically, eating the rainbow.

• Selenium: Brazil nuts became my new best friend! Just a couple a day provided a powerful dose of this crucial mineral for thyroid health.

• Reducing processed foods and sugar: This was probably the biggest game-changer. Cutting out the hidden sugars and artificial ingredients in packaged foods made a huge difference in my overall energy and reduced that "wired but tired" feeling.

• Carnitine: A trial of carnitine in people with hyperthyroidism found that it improved many of the symptoms, particularly irregular heartbeat. You get this from eating red meat.

• Lemon balm: This is an antioxidant like carnitine and resveratrol, and it is claimed it can improve sleep, skin quality, and circulation. A study from the 1980s suggested lemon balm may be beneficial in Graves’ disease. The study showed that components of lemon balm could prevent the thyroid-stimulating antibodies that cause Graves’ disease from binding to the thyroid on/off switch.

• Magnesium: Magnesium can be found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. Smaller amounts are found in meat and fish.

The Power of Stress Management

One thing that kept coming up in my research was the undeniable link between stress and autoimmune flare-ups. Looking back, my Graves' diagnosis followed a particularly stressful period in my life. I realized that while I couldn't eliminate all stress, I could change how I responded to it.

This led me to explore:

• Mindfulness and meditation: Even just 10-15 minutes a day of guided meditation or focused breathwork helped calm my nervous system.

• Gentle movement: High-intensity workouts often made my symptoms worse. Instead, I embraced restorative yoga, long walks in nature, and gentle stretching

• Workouts: Even though HIITs made me feel worse, they also made me feel great and alive. I added a few of these in periodically.

• Prioritizing sleep: This was non-negotiable. I created a strict bedtime routine and committed to getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. When your body is fighting itself, it needs extra rest to heal.

Seeking Support: A Collaborative Approach

While I was committed to natural healing, I also understood the importance of medical monitoring. My endocrinologist, who was open to a more integrative approach, told me I needed blood tests every 6 months for a while to adjust my supplements and diet as needed. This team approach allowed me to get the FULL thyroid hormone panel, which also included the antibodies and metabolic panels, ensuring I wasn't going too far off course.

It wasn't a linear path. There were days I felt discouraged, days when symptoms flared up, and days when I questioned if I was doing the right thing. But with persistence, consistency, and a deep belief in my body's ability to heal, I slowly but surely started to see improvements. My tremors lessened, my heart rate stabilized, and that frantic, anxious energy began to dissipate.

Today, my thyroid levels are stable, and my antibodies have significantly decreased. I'm not "cured" in the conventional sense, as Graves' is an autoimmune condition, but I am in remission, managing my condition largely through diet and lifestyle. When I start to feel different again, I adjust what I'm doing and move forward. It's an ongoing journey of listening to my body, making conscious choices, and continuing to learn.

If you're grappling with a Graves' diagnosis or Hashimoto's and exploring natural options, know that it's possible to find a path that works for you. It requires dedication, patience, and often a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. But for me, reclaiming my health and finding a deeper understanding of my body has been the most rewarding journey of all.