Why the Heck are YOU so Tired?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Really...why the heck are you so tired??? 

More importantly, doesn't it sound like a good idea to address this before we get into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season?

You've likely heard all the reasons why this is so, but energy still eludes you. Frustrating, huh?

Let's look at the common challenges:

• Insomnia
• Poor diet
• Poor digestion
• Poor brain function
• Lack of exercise
• Iron anemic
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Poor adrenal function
• Poor thyroid function

We've talked about many of these in the past but today we are going to focus on the tie between the thyroid and adrenal glands. Most of you have heard me talk about adrenal function many times but for those that are not familiar please take note.

Your adrenal glands play such a significant role in whole body function. To be more exact, your adrenal glands play a direct role in every area listed below.

• Thyroid
• Pancreas
• Ovaries
• Mucosal tissue lining
• Metabolism of fat and protein
• Ability to regulate body weight and fat
• Detoxification
• Immune regulation
• Pro and anti-inflammatory states
• Cellular energy
• Blood sugar stability
• Bone and connective tissue turnover
• Muscular integrity
• Quality of sleep and mood
• Ability to memorize and learn
• Neural connectivity

Of the list above, I recognized the most challenging areas with energy by placing these in bold. So you can see that poor adrenal function itself can have a huge impact on your energy.

For this reason, if you find that your energy has been low for some time assessing adrenal function is a must. To do this we always recommend that use of saliva testing for the most accurate understanding of overall adrenal function. Whether you are completing this testing with Depke Wellness or another holistic practice, we recommend a #205 adrenal saliva kit with BioHealth. If finances are a challenge for you, you could utilize the basic kit which is a #201 adrenal saliva kit. The reason why this is so essential is because here at Depke Wellness, we have assessed over 4,300 adrenal saliva kits over the years and have only seen 5 of these kits come back normal, healthy and balanced. Yes, ONLY 5. What this tells us is that if you have a health issue, it is almost a 100% likelihood that you also have an adrenal issue.

Once you have an idea of where your adrenal function is you can use appropriate supplementation to assist your body in finding its balance. The simple start for you is the use of the Prime Adrenal Support which contains the vitamin B5 needed as the beginning of all hormone production in your adrenals. There are deeper levels of supplementation needed but this is a good start for you.

Another factor is addressing the areas that cause your adrenal dysfunction in the first place. Refer to this list below:

• Reduce your stress levels by practicing deep belly breathing
• Assess your likelihood of gluten intolerance and eliminate if this is an issue
• Address chronic inflammatory states
• Assess and address potential chronic infections (likely gut infections)

While understanding the adrenal aspect as tied into fatigue. Let's now look at the tie between your adrenal function and thyroid.

The first issue with your adrenal/thyroid connection is the fact that your adrenals create hormones that have an affect on your hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then decodes the message sent from the adrenals and sends a message to the pituitary. From here, the pituitary then determines how much TSH to make which is your thyroid stimulating hormone. This TSH then tells your thyroid how much thyroid hormone to produce. Without getting too deep into this (I know, I may have already) you need to produce and convert thyroid hormones for energy.

Another issue with the adrenal and thyroid, is the fact that adrenal dysfunction has an affect on something referred to as reverse T3. Let me make this connection as simple as I can. When your adrenal function is off, your body ill over produce this reverse T3. When we look at T3 as compared to reverse T3, look at it this way. T3 itself is the "gas pedal" for energy, while reverse T3 is the "brake" for energy. So in the end it looks like this.

1. Poor adrenal function
2. Confused production of TSH
3. Over production of reverse T3
4. Fatigue

Here at Depke Wellness we assess your adrenal function, assess a "complete" thyroid function and address the deeper causes of the entire imbalance.

For a more comprehensive understanding in this area I suggest talking to our Depke Wellness thyroid specialist Lynda Buitrago by calling (949)954-6226. You can set up a complimentary 20 minute consultation with Lynda to how she can help you find your energy.

After all, isn't your energy worth it?!?!

Thyroid Treatment...Ridiculous!

by Glen Depke

I see it time after time with clients diagnosed with thyroid challenges.

• An individual has all the symptoms of a thyroid challenge
• Thyroid labs are off
• Medication is prescribed
• Labs are now normal
• Yet all the symptom challenges remain unchanged

Here's another senario.

• An individual has all the symptoms of a thyroid challenge
• Thyroid labs all come back as normal in the reference range
• They are told everything is fine, yet they are still suffering with symptoms

Now do you get while I say thyroid treatment is ridiculous? 

I have not discussed the thyroid much in the past because I generally recognize the thyroid challenges are very often not tied into thyroid function. I truly cannot hold back any longer.


This has to be discussed.


First we will recognize what most doctors are looking at in regard to thyroid function. Most are looking at TSH, T4 and T3. TSH is the thyroid stimulating hormone that is produced in the pituitary gland who's purpose is to communicate to the thyroid how much T4 and T3 to produce. The T4 and T3 are hormones produced in the thyroid to allow the benefit of normal body function. So with this information, many practitioners are making diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction with this information. 
 
Let me show you why this is ridiculous.


Here is the comprehensive way of looking at what is going on with your thyroid.

• Hypothalamus send thyroid releasing hormone (TRH) to the pituitary gland
• Pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to the thyroid gland
• TSH stimulates the thyroid to utilize iodine to create T4 and T3
• 93% of this production is T4 and 7% isT3 (Recognize that the body predominately functions on an active form of T3)
• 60% of your T4 is converted in the liver into  active T3
• 20% of your T4 is eventually converted in active T3 in your gastrointestinal tract
• 20% is converted into reverse T3 which is an inactive form
• Any remaining T4 is converted into active T3 in peripheral tissue

Even with this said, there is even more to understand when addressing thyroid function. Here's more

• One of the most common and often not assessed challenges for the thyroid is and autoimmune thyroid condition
• Another key factor is your (TBG) or thyroid binding globulin which is the protein that acts as the delivery system to transport the active T3 to the cells of your body for use

So what do you test if you are suspecting a thyroid challenge so you can actually address this properly and eliminate your symptoms?

• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) 
• Total thyroxine (TT4)
• Free thyroxine index (FTI)
• Free thyroxine (FT4)
• Resin T3 uptake
• Free triiodothyroxine (FT3)
• Reverse T3 (rT3)
• Thyroid binding globulin (TBG)
• Thyroid antibodies

Now there's one more key here. It is important to recognize functional ranges rather than the typical reference ranges on the typical blood panel results. Often those outside of the functional or optimal ranges will already be suffering with the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.


One last topic to mention.


What are the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction?


Here you go...

• Fatigue
• Weight gain despite adhering to your diet
• Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
• Depression
• Constipation
• Hypersensitivity to cold weather
• Poor circulation and numbness in the hands or feet
• Muscle cramps while at rest
• Increased susceptibility to colds and other infections and difficulty with recovery
• Slow wound healing
• Excessive sleep required to function normally
• Chronic digestive challenges such as low stomach acid
• Itchy dry skin
• Hair falls out easily
• Dry skin
• Low body temperature
• Edema, especially facial swelling
• Loss of the outermost portion of eyebrows

There you have it. The most comprehensive information I can provide in a short article. I trust that you can use this in some positive manner in your life.


I will be presenting a complimentary webinar on thyroid function coming soon. If you want this update and you are not currently signed up for the Depke Wellness newsletter, click here to register for our weekly newsletter and update on upcoming complimentary webinars.


If you have any comments or questions about this article, feel free to leave this below for me to answer personally.