Welcome to Your Journey. Let’s walk through how to get the most out of your course!

Requirements

1. You Must Be Willing To Challenge Most of What You Think You Know About Health & Nutrition

2. You should be open to trying new methods and techniques – some of which are the opposite of what you’ve learned (and may push you out of your comfort zone)

3. You need to promise yourself you’ll use what you learn. Knowledge is not power. The application of that knowledge is.

GET TO KNOW YOUR PROGRAM MATERIALS

Included in your downloaded materials are:

·     Two guides to read through and to use as a reference during the next 30 days. Weeks 1 and 2 will be available to you at the start of your program. Weeks 3 and 4 will be available to view, download, and work through 14 days after the start of your Week 1.

· As soon as you receive access to your program download all the materials and organize them under a new folder on your desktop "Journey to Thrive" (Week 1-2 guide, 5 E-books/handouts with suggestions for balancing your hormones, 4 weeks of meal plans, and a food diary)

-Complete the quizzes/assessment tests within the first few days from the start of your program. The quizzes that you find on your journey are designed to help you identify possible problems you may not even know you have. In addition, that is how we are going to track your progress.

-I made very specific recommendations (supplements and products) in this course. I did my best to remember to link them to the products that I trust and love. If you see the word highlighted in blue and underlined, that means there is a link and you can click on it to see the exact product I'm talking about.

IMPORTANT PROGRAM NOTES

Start by downloading the Week 1&2 e-book. Look over the content and see what you need to purchase prior to starting the program (optional). I am referring to supplements and self-care products. Of course, you can start the program without them but may not see improvement as soon as you want to.

Do not skip lectures. There are in a specific order for a reason. You have to build the foundation before you are able to apply the new knowledge. In addition, you have to complete a video/lesson in order to move on to the next one.

The program is gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free. You may already be gluten-free but going grain-free is the next step. There is so much research regarding a grain-free diet and thyroid healing. For more details, refer to the handout titled, “Going Grain-Free and Paleo for Hormone Health,” found in your downloaded materials. We also have a chapter about the connection between grain and thyroid disease.

“Grains promote inflammation and while we mainly think of inflammation as a gut problem, it’s also a body, brain, and thyroid problem.  Numerous studies have linked gluten – a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, spelt, and rye – to autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimoto's.  If you suffer from celiac disease or even a gluten intolerance, then the likelihood of you suffering from an autoimmune thyroid condition, like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is significantly increased. 

Even if you don’t suffer from an autoimmune condition, the regular consumption of gluten can lead to intestinal permeability and chronic inflammation which can hamper the conversion of T4 to T3.  Not surprisingly, intestinal permeability and inflammation are commonly seen in those with subclinical thyroid disorders.

– Loren Cordain PHD”

You’ll also see the word “detox” throughout this program but don’t get scared. This is simply the term we use to talk about how to rid your body of toxins, both environmental and chemical.

Scary as it sounds, we unknowingly ingest toxins every day. Detoxing involves eating clean, whole foods that eliminate these toxins from our bodies as well as becoming aware of the ingredients in ALL our household cleaning and beauty products. Please refer to the handout, “Benefits of Detox to Balance Hormones” to see how detoxing will help regulate your thyroid hormone production.

I love probiotics and can’t recommend them enough to those who want to detox and balance out their thyroid levels. Probiotics work to heal the gut and once the gut is healed, you’ll notice improved thyroid function. Read the handout titled, “Benefits of Probiotics for Balancing Hormones” for more details.

As you proceed through the program, you’ll notice that many different organs need to work efficiently for the thyroid and the whole rest of your body to attain optimal health, and the best way to attain that health is with dietary changes.

The liver is a vital organ and should be cared for because it is responsible for metabolizing and eliminating toxins out of the body. To help your liver work efficiently, refer to the handout, “Teas for Liver Detox to Balance Hormones.”

The liver converts inactive T4 to active T3, you have thyroid receptor cells all over your body and they need active T3 to function optimally. Conversely, if you can’t convert, you produce RT3 (inactive version), which is why we are discussing how to naturally cleanse your liver and reduce toxic overload.

Lastly, please refer to the handout, “Thyroid Balancing Foods,” for some food suggestions that will aid your thyroid healing efforts. These suggested foods in addition to healthy, whole foods at mealtime help balance your hormones.