Realfoodology - A Discussion on AutoImmunity with Carly Johnson

Episode Date: February 3, 2022

79: Carly Johnson Brawner is the host of The Doing it Different Podcast, a Non-toxic living expert, Certified Health Coach, and the creator of Frolic & Flow. Frolic & Flow is a space for women curious about holistic living who are in pursuit of taking care of their own health and the health of their families from a natural point of view. She was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and we dive into her story, how she got diagnosed, what her symptoms were, why she thinks we are seeing such a rise in Hashimotos, triggers that cause flare ups, things to avoid if you have it and so much more As always, if you have any questions for the show please email us at [e-mail].  And if you like this show, please share it, rate it, review it and subscribe to it on your favorite podcast app.  Check Out Carly: https://www.carlyjohnsonbrawner.com/ https://www.instagram.com/carlyjohnsonbrawner/ https://www.carlyjohnsonbrawner.com/podcast/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-different/id1515370358

on today's episode of the Real Foodology Podcast. And I went to a doctor and I said, I need you to test me for all of this on the list and I won't leave until you do. And finally, after six months of this, I got a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. And I was so relieved to get a diagnosis, even if it meant I needed to go on medication or something,

I just wanted to feel better. I had hit a rock bottom in my life and with my health that I really didn't see coming. And everything kind of was crumbling and falling apart because of it. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Real Foodology podcast. I'm your host, Courtney Swan, and I am the creator behind Real Foodology, which started out as a food blog 11 years ago when I was getting my master's in human health. And it has since progressed into an Instagram page and of course this podcast. And my main goal with Real Foodology is just to provide digestible information

for people who are wanting to better their health. My main goal is just to help people to feel better in their bodies. And I just think that being healthy in these modern times has become more confusing and harder than ever. And my hope is that I can help you break that down, make it easier and apply it to your life because I ultimately just want everyone to feel really good in their bodies. So that's what I'm trying to do here with Real Foodology. Today's guest is Carly Johnson Brawner. She is the host of the Doing It Different podcast. I was actually just on her podcast recently. So if you have not checked that out, go check out that episode. I really loved that interview. She's a non-toxic living expert, certified health coach, and the creator of Frolic and Flow, which is a space for women curious about holistic living who are in pursuit of taking care of their

own health and the health of their families from a natural point of view. Carly has Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disorder involving chronic inflammation of the thyroid. So we really dive into all things Hashimoto's. We talk about her story, how she got diagnosed, what her symptoms were, why she thinks we're seeing such a rise in Hashimoto's, triggers that cause flare-ups, things to avoid if you have it, and so much more. This was such an informative episode, and I really hope that you guys enjoy it. Did you know that most cookware and appliances are made with forever chemicals? Yes, that means your nonstick pans, your air fryers,

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Yeah. So before we dive into anything, why don't you give everyone a little bit of your background and kind of how you got into health? Yeah. So I always say that my story begins, you know, 32 years ago, I'm 32 now. And I grew up living the standard American lifestyle, eating the standard American diet. And I never thought that it was unhealthy. I never thought there was anything wrong with it until I got sick myself when I was 25. And I think we'll get into Hashimoto's today. But at that point, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's. I had never heard that word before. I didn't know anything about thyroid health.

I mean, I was working at a startup. I was eating out for all my meals. I lived off coffee and sugar, and I had no idea that those inputs could actually harm my body. I think I was just thought I was invincible and didn't really think I needed to pay attention to health until I really did. So that diagnosis was my introduction to the health world. And I mean, it was a 180 for me truly, because it had never been on my radar before I worked out simply to look a certain way, not to like really fuel my body. I ate just so I would survive. I never thought about truly putting nutrients in. And I always thought holistic doctors were quacks. And then I still had to start seeing one myself. So

it truly changed my life. And, uh, yeah, I always am grateful for it now, but it was a really hard journey. That's so hard. And, you know, it's interesting. I've found that there is a common theme, uh, with a lot of people that end up in the more natural holistic world that, um, kind of the standard allopathic conventional medicine model has really failed them. Or just, you know, they end up with really, really sick, and then don't have any other options, or, you know, they're just desperate for answers. So for people listening that don't know what Hashimoto's is, what exactly is it? And what's the difference between Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism?

It's a great question. So Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease and the immune system is essentially targeting the thyroid and breaking it down. So it starts by breaking down thyroid cells, and then it breaks down thyroid tissue. And then that tissue is organs. So the organ, the actual thyroid stops working as it should. And usually what happens is someone becomes hypothyroidism. So when the thyroid isn't able to do its job because of that stress from the immune system, it stops being able to produce enough thyroid hormone and hypothyroidism, as you mentioned, is that it is the thyroid being in a state of not being able to produce enough thyroid hormone. So the difference between the two is that Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease that

causes hypothyroidism. However, hypothyroidism itself is, and can be a completely different condition caused by various things that are not autoimmune related. Yeah. So I'm curious to kind of hear your journey and your story. Like, how did you get diagnosed? Because I know for a lot of people, this goes misdiagnosed or undetected and you really have to be careful and you have to ask for a full thyroid panel. So if you want to talk about the thyroid test as well. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So I feel like my diagnosis is kind of a classic Hashimoto's diagnosis. It took me about six months and I started feeling all these symptoms that I never felt before.

Remember, I was this young 25 year old living in LA, had this incredible life, all the energy could really eat and do whatever I want and nothing really impacted me. And then I started feeling really tired and my skin started feeling really itchy and dry. And, you know, you start noticing these things one by one, but you never really think they're related. So other symptoms I started experiencing, I had trouble swallowing. So that's a big thyroid indicator. I just always felt like there was something kind of holding me back from fully swallowing. My period was irregular. It started getting a little bit longer. My cycles just, um, went from, I think 28 days to like 40. Uh, there are a few more, but those are the really big ones. And then

I will also say, I constantly felt like I was on a blood sugar rollercoaster and I didn't have the language for it at the time, but I was moody as hell. And my partner will attest to that. So I started feeling these symptoms and I was like, you know what? I got to go check something out. Like why is my skin itching so much? And dry skin is, is associated with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. So I got some tests done. Everything came back normal. And at this point I'm, I'm naturally a very petite person. So I'm pretty thin. And a lot of times doctors associate hypothyroidism with weight gain and overweight people. So my doctor looked at me and did not assume that there was a possibility

I could have Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism. So she didn't run those tests and she ran everything else. And basically it was like, hey, you're young. Maybe you're going through a stressful time. I can't find anything. Like you don't need to worry. And I'm like, but why do I feel like this? So went to another doctor, did the same thing. And I finally got to a point where I made a list

of things that I thought it could be. And some of it was one on the list was hypothyroidism, honestly, like leukemia and, and other things were on the list too. I was very scared for my health because I could not figure it out. And I went to a doctor and I said, I need you to test me for all of this on the list. And I won't leave until you do. And finally, after six months of this, I got a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and I was so relieved to get a diagnosis. Even if it meant I needed to go on medication or something, I just wanted to feel better. I had hit a rock bottom in my life and with my health that I really didn't see coming and everything kind of was crumbling and falling apart because of it. So, um, this brings me to how I did feel like the conventional system kind

of failed my case and my body. My doctor said, you have hypothyroidism. I want you to go on this medication. And I did. And I was like,ism. I want you to go on this medication. And I did. And I was like, great. I don't even care if I'm on medicine the rest of my life, as long as this is going to help me feel like myself again. But it didn't. That medication alone wasn't enough to make me feel good. And my symptoms weren't resolving. So I went back and just said, I'm going to give you a little more medication. And I said, okay, let's try this. And it was just this cycle of me going back and saying, this isn't working. Is there anything else I can do? Like I'll do anything.

Can I change my diet? Can I take any supplements? And she said, no, this is the only treatment for hypothyroidism. And, you know, I'm sorry, like I can't do anything else. And this is one of the best endocrinologists in LA. Like I knew I was being well taken care of. Um, so I believed her until a certain point, my boyfriend at the time was not my husband. We just said, we have to find something. So we got online and we started looking at stories of other women who are sharing their experience healing from Hashimoto's. And it was, it was

very different than the approach I was taking. They changed their diet. They were using supplementation. They were healing their guts and clearing their guts of Candida and parasites and things I had never heard of, but because I felt so bad, I was like, all right, I guess I'm going to a holistic doctor. I need someone to guide me through this. If these women can do it, I can do it. And it gave me hope for the first time in like a year that I could come out of my Hashimoto's hole. Um, and so I did, I went to a doctor in LA. He was actually a chiropractor who specialized in Hashimoto's lab work and helping women

heal from Hashimoto's. And he really gave me a run for my money when he told me I needed to change my diet that, um, and at this point, one thing I should mention, cause I think it ties into a lot of people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. I went to this doctor and he said, what's going on? And I said, I have hypothyroidism. I need your help. He looked at my lab work. And for the first time, someone actually told me, no, you have Hashimoto's. It's not just hypothyroidism. So that was a really big difference because it changed how he was addressing the problem I was

experiencing. He wanted to regulate my immune system rather than just target the thyroid. And all the other doctors, all the conventional doctors just wanted to target my thyroid health. So it's a very different approach and it meant reducing my stress and getting off caffeine for a while, changing my diet. I had a whole host of supplements I was taking, and this was a completely new world for me. But after a year, I had made so much progress. I became such a believer in the holistic, functional lifestyle that I've been living that way ever since. Wow. I mean, that's a really amazing story. It, you know, it's such a testament to, well, there's a couple of things there that people can take away. One,

if anyone listening has a doctor that is just continuing to tell them, even though they keep going to the doctor and they're like, look, I have these symptoms. And the doctor is just like, look, there's nothing there. There's nothing you can do. We'll put we'll try this med or whatever. Then either you need to find a new doctor or you need to start pushing for other lab works or lab work tests, whatever it is. Because I can't tell you how many times I hear this story from people that are just like, yeah, my doctor just said it was all in my head or, um, that they couldn't find anything and that I look healthy, you know, and there's, there are answers to be found, but you need to find those doctors that are willing

to dive in there and really get to the root cause and figure out what's going on besides, you know, instead of just like throwing some medication at it. And I think that's so important. Sorry, we're going to say something. No, I was just going to agree with you. And it changed my life being able to do that and advocate for myself, even though I didn't know I was doing that at the time and really believing myself and trusting that this is not who I am. And this is not how I felt my whole life. It changed my health and changing your health changes your life. So I feel really fortunate that, you know, I've had this stubbornness forever and it

really did, um, come through and help me in that, in that certain, um, specific period of my life. But I agree. I advocate for everyone to do that. And I always incur, I have a course where I work with people with Hashimoto's and I encourage so many people to fire their doctors. If they're not being heard, if they're not, they aren't believed, Um, if they're not willing to work with them in an integrative way, it's just not worth it. Your poor health is not worth it. Yeah, absolutely. Cause you know, like I mentioned

earlier, there's so many people that go on for years, really struggling and going misdiagnosed or, um, underdiagnosed or being told that they're totally fine, but they're not, you know, they're having all these symptoms that they cannot connect the dots of. And I'll also say, if you ever have a doctor that tells you that diet and lifestyle change, that there's no diet and lifestyle changes that you can make fire that doctor, because they do not know what they're talking about. They're not up with the times. They are not keeping up with all of the research that's coming out. And like you're, like you said, your story alone is a testament to how much you can change your life and reduce your symptoms just by simply making very simple changes like diet and lifestyle changes. Yeah. So you did ask

about testing and I didn't touch on that. And I think it's really important because there are a lot of women who actually have Hashimoto's, but they're never told that they do. And I was one of them. So there are a bundle of thyroid tests. I call it like a optimal thyroid panel that people want to run. And this panel will not only give you a true overarching, um, glimpse into thyroid health, but it'll also tell you if any thyroid problems are autoimmune related and sometimes 80% of the time they are. So it's really important to get this full panel run. And I'll tell you what it is. It's a TSH. Um, it is a free T3 free T4 reverse T3, and then TG antibodies and TPO antibodies. And, um, I have a whole document on this. If you want to link it

for people just in case they can't remember it or they don't want to write it down. Okay. Yeah. We'll definitely link that. Cause that's a really important one too. Um, cause yeah, like we were saying often it's, it's pretty standard and just the conventional model when they test the thyroid, they only test you'll know this cause I can't remember which ones, but they only TSH. Yeah. Is it only TSH? Yeah. And if you want a full picture of what is actually really going on with your thyroid, you're going to want all of those things that Carly just mentioned. And it's such a disservice because one in eight women will have a thyroid condition in their lifetime. And so I really advocate that everyone gets this panel yearly because if you catch Hashimoto's

or hypothyroidism at the beginning stages, which lab work will show you, Oh, a little off here, maybe you need to work on this. You can make so much more progress early on. And it's so much easier early on than it is when you were at one of the very later stages of Hashimoto's like I was took me a full year to really get back to baseline. So why you brought up a really good point. Cause you keep saying women and Hashimoto's and I've noticed that it's the majority of the population that are getting diagnosed with Hashimoto's is women. Do we know

why that is? There's a lot of different theories and we don't have an exact, um, like precision answer. A lot of the experts and doctors who really specialize in Hashimoto's have their own ideas. Um, some of them are, we, our hormones fluctuate a lot. And because of that, there's just like a lot more room for air and, um, inflammation in the body. And then there are other ones, there are other theories as well. Um. I would, if people are interested in learning more about that, like Isabella Wentz has an interesting theory. So yeah, I wish we had a better answer, but interestingly enough, one thing to add here is that a lot of women experience Hashimoto's after they give birth or they're pregnant.

So it's really common to have postpartum flare ups. And so that could also be part of this equation. Yeah, that makes sense. And I wonder too, if we're seeing a big rise in it because of how many women are on birth control. Oh, 100%. This is really exciting. Organifi now has kids stuff. They just released two kid products. One is called Easy Greens, and it's a refreshing green apple juice where kids will never know that it's packed with veggies. And the other one is called Protect. It's a delicious wild berry punch like the Kool-Aid that we used to have as a kid, but without any sugar. This is really exciting. And if you've listened to the podcast for a while, you know that I'm a huge

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does not love. So I think that birth control and all those synthetic hormones are not serving women, um, especially thyroid health, short and long-term. I know. Oh God, the birth control conversation really upsets me because, you know, cause we're in the age group of like, I remember when I was like, I don't know, 13, 14 in the age group of like, I remember when I was like, I don't know, 13, 14, all of my friends around me were getting put on birth control. None of us were having sex at that point. So I remember asking my mom, I was like, and I had, I had no reason to be on it by the way. It was just literally me being like, mom, all my friends are on it. I want to get on it. You know, my mom was like, no, thank God. My mom

had the wherewithal to be like, no, I don't want you on medication. Like, I don't care what you're saying it's for or whatever. And so thankfully I was never put on it, but I can't, I mean, I know so many of my girlfriends that were put on it at 14 and they didn't even like think about it and took it for, you know, 10 to 15 years and then came out of it being like, wait, why was I on that for so long? Now I want to have kids and I'm having issues with fertility. I'm also having issues, you know, with my thyroid or we're seeing all these different issues now

in women, um, my age. And it makes me so mad because it's, you know, no doctors had any sort of conversation with us about the side effects of it. No one knew it was like, all of a sudden we like came out of this haze and are like late twenties, early thirties. And we were all like, wait, why, why were we on this for so long? Oh God, it makes me, I know. And back to your point of like why people want to be on it. It's like, I thought it was a magic pill at one point, you know, like it prevents me from getting pregnant. It clears up my skin and makes my period shorter and it makes my boobs bigger. What else could I ask for? You know? And, um, I think a lot of people feel that way. And I definitely am seeing a shift

right now where it feels like people are waking up to the fact that birth control is not this flaw free medicine that just does all the four things I mentioned. There's so much more to it than that. And I'm like really happy to see that awakening within women, especially me too. And I find it really empowering because now instead of us suppressing our cycles and suppressing all of our hormones, now we're able to actually tune into our bodies, know where our cycles at, know how it works. Cause I know a lot of us too, like we were never taught about our cycle. It was just like, Oh, just take this pill. Then you don't have to worry about pregnancy. It just suppresses everything. Also, we didn't know

at the time that it was suppressing all of our hormones, or at least I didn't. And so I find it really empowering that there is this like awakening of like women taking their bodies back and taking their health back. Yeah, I totally agree. It's amazing. And I will say learning about the fertility awareness method, learning about my cycles, and then getting off birth control. When I started working with this holistic doctor and him recommending, okay, I want you to track your cycles. I want you to use your temperature. I want you to notice your cervical fluid and all these things combined can be birth control, you know, prevent pregnancy for you. I had no idea. I'm like, why am I in my late twenties learning all these things about my body? Like, how did I not know I couldn't get pregnant every

single day of the month? Cervical fluid isn't gross. It's actually incredible. And it's my body helping me reproduce if I want to. I mean, all these things are so amazing. And, um, I want all women to understand these incredible components of their cycle and of their fertility and body, because it opened up a lot for me and just like such a deep appreciation that I did not have before. Yeah, I agree. And it's doing such a disservice to women because then, you know, we moved through the world, obviously not knowing what any of this means, like the cervical fluid, for example, like I know, like I was so ashamed for so long being like, Oh my God, I'm so gross. This is so dirty. Like, cause we had no concept of what was going on in our bodies. And I've, you know, since then

had a lot of conversations with girlfriends that felt very similarly and it's pretty isolating, you know, it's like, we don't, there's not a lot of conversation around women's bodies and our cycles and what is really happening. And like you said, once we have all that information, we know we can use that to our advantage to either help us get pregnant or to prevent pregnancy. Totally. I completely agree. And, um, I love talking about it. I love teaching about it. Like this is something for me that I feel really passionate about. And, um, I tell as many people as possible. I think I've gotten like 20 of my friends to use the fertility awareness method and to, to read books on it and to, um, like open their eyes to this magical part of being a woman. Yeah, it's cool. It's like I said, super empowering. I love that. So, okay. To kind

of go back a little bit to Hashimoto's. So we barely touched on this, but I kind of want to dive into this. So what are some of the things you think that are leading to Hashimoto's or maybe that are triggers for it? Um, things that are that are leading to Hashimoto's or maybe that are triggers for it? Um, things that are definitely not helping with Hashimoto's or maybe that are causing it as well. Yeah. Oh my gosh. There's so many things.

So a few that come to mind right away, um, stress is really big. So the adrenals and the thyroid are very intimately connected. And a lot of us are seeing cortisol dysregulation right now. When our adrenals are off, it pulls on our thyroid a little bit. It stresses our thyroid a little bit. So I think that stress is a really big one and we're all in chronic fight or flight. Um, so I definitely think that is a massive contributor to the thyroid and Hashimoto's epidemic that we're seeing. Um, toxins are another really big one. So our thyroid is actually a really sensitive organ and

it accumulates a lot of toxins. So if we are constantly putting on makeup and using cleaning products and, and just swimming in the chemical bath that most people are, that is going to affect our thyroid health. If our, if our thyroid is bogged down with chemicals, it's not going to be able to do its job properly. So that was a big switch I made was really going non-toxic and making that a huge focus in my life. There are also things like gluten. So gluten is intimately tied or gluten sensitivity is intimately tied to Hashimoto's because of molecular mimicry. We see a lot of the protein strands in gluten actually look similar to protein strands in our thyroid. So we think that's one reason why the immune system can be so reactive to the thyroid. If people are sensitive to gluten,

have leaky gut, which most people with autoimmunity do. So if they're having that gluten, it gets into the bloodstream. It actually activates the immune system and then the thyroid is impacted as well. So those are three really big ones. And then auto-immunity in general is just way more prevalent now. And I think, you know, there's so many reasons for that. Our food, our toxins, which I already mentioned, all the medications and antibiotics that so many of us are on from a young age. I mean, I can think of so many instances of antibiotic use up until age 25, probably 50, right? Honestly, if I'm being honest, I think that contributes to it. I think there's just probably only needed them for like 10% of it, you know? Oh, if that, if that, right.

Um, so I think like those are the big factors and of course there are a few more, we already talked about birth control. I really do think that is a big component of the thyroid epidemic. I know in my course, almost every single woman that comes through was on some sort of hormone, hormonal birth control at one time, but you know, we're also seeing things like mold, um, candida, uh, parasites. There's lots of different triggers that can lead to Hashimoto's. Um, it's really an imbalance in the body. And so if someone has the genetics for Hashimoto's, which so many of us do, um, they have that leaky gut, that dysbiosis,

and then something in their life is a trigger, whether it's gluten, whether it's birth control, whether it's mold, the, it is very likely that the Hashimoto's autoimmune process starts. Yeah. So you just touched on something really important that I think we should talk about, which is epigenetics, which is for people listening that are unaware of what this is, it means that we can have a propensity to so we can have like the genes to something, for example, like Hashimoto's, let's say that, you know, your mom had it or whatever. And now that only plays about a 10% role of you actually getting it. And I don't think a lot of people understand this, like people think like, oh, you know, my mom had breast cancer or whatever. That means I'm just destined to have it. But what epigenetics taught teaches us is that actually

we only really have about a 10% a chance of getting that. And what really is affecting it is our environment. And we can turn it on or off depending on, um, what we do in our lives and what we expose ourselves to. And a lot of what you were talking about is, you know, like pesticides, um, mold, um, water that's not, um, filtered, you know, or like all of the toxins that we have in our body lotions and our makeup and just all this stuff that we're being exposed to, those things can turn those genes on and then it starts to, you know, domino effect in our bodies, but we're not always necessarily going to turn those genes on. Yeah. It's such a good point. And I think epigenetics are so empowering. I actually have a lot of autoimmunity within my family and my genes, right? So I'm primed for autoimmunity. And since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I have not been diagnosed with

anymore because of my lifestyle. And that's actually really uncommon. People with autoimmunity are more likely to have two or three autoimmune diagnoses. So, um, epigenetics play a huge role in my men like mentality and mindset around how I live my life. And, um, I think anyone with different diseases, cancer, um, autoimmunity in their family, like be excited about the news that you have so much control over your health. Like 10% is just, is genetics. That's great news. 90% is in your daily habits, your lifestyle, the food you eat, the toxins you don't come into contact with. So I think that's really exciting. And, um, yeah, it's just such a fun field to follow right now. I agree. And like you said, I find it really, really empowering

because it means that we have a lot of control over this, you know, and I know a lot of people first learning about this can get super overwhelmed and feel like, Oh my God, there's so many things that I have to do and I have to change. And I always like to remind people that you're not going to make all these changes overnight. You know, it starts with one thing at a time, like make sure you get a really good water filter. Um, and then, you know, the next month, like get a water filter in your shower and then start slowly, um, incorporating more organic food in your diet and then start swapping out your makeup and then start swapping out your, your beauty care, you know, your beauty and your body care and all that. It doesn't have to be like all of a sudden, just, you know, you drop

everything and you redo it all. You can do it in little baby steps, but it really, I mean, I can't stress how important it is. Yeah. I feel like you just like basically said my journey. That's exactly how I did it. It's like when I could afford something, I got the water filter. When something ran out, I got the new product. It wasn't this like clear the house of all the toxins just isn't realistic, but it was a slow process. And, you know, over the years now I really live a fairly toxin free life in my home, at least. But it's so much more digestible and that, and I think people feel a lot, um, safer and less afraid of committing to the process. If they can think of it as a step-by-step journey, rather than this like huge life clearing and getting rid of everything. Yeah, absolutely. And those little baby steps,

like over time, they, you know, they build up and it really does make a huge difference. So what are, I mean, I guess you kind of pretty much named most of it, but is there anything that you haven't listed that really helped you heal and lessen your symptoms of your Hashimoto's? Yeah, there's one really big thing actually, and that's medication. So, um, I am still on thyroid medication even seven years later. Um, and so my approach was stay on the medicine. My Hashimoto's was so bad that my thyroid now actually cannot produce enough thyroid hormone, even if my body isn't in the, um, autoimmune process. So my immune system is no longer attacking my thyroid. And I'm clear of

that portion of things, but my thyroid was so damaged that it can't produce enough thyroid hormone. So I have been on medication. I might always be on medication, but that is in conjunction with my lifestyle. So I always have to say both of those things really did contribute. But the funny thing is when I was just doing medicine alone, I was still extremely symptomatic. I did not feel better. I was really missing the lifestyle whole body approach. And so I like to, I guess like kind of de-shame the thyroid medicine stigma that I think exists in the holistic community. Unfortunately, I think there's a lot of people who start it for really good reason and can come off of it. I am not one of them. And there are a lot of people who are like me. So if you need thyroid medicine, don't be ashamed or embarrassed of that. Um, while using, you know, all your tools to live a holistic life. So that is one really, really big one.

And there's so many different nuances. There's so many different types of medication. I feel like I've tried them all. Um, but if you are someone who needs to be on medicine and you're not feeling good from the type of medicine you're taking, feel free with your doctor to ask to experiment a little bit, maybe with a different type. So there's synthetic, there's also compounded.

There's a lot of different experiments to run within medicine. And I have found that I feel significantly different on different types. So I always like to just throw that tidbit out there for people and be really upfront about all the tools that I use. So, yeah, I love that. It's so funny. This is literally one of my questions I was going to ask you because I'm on, um, the smallest amount of thyroid medication as well. I've never been actually diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but a few years ago, my functional medicine doctor was like, you know, your numbers are getting, getting a little low for me.

What I'd like to do is just put you on half a grain. I was on a nature throid. And then because of all the recalls and everything, I've now switched over to NP thyroid. And I mean, I take the smallest little amount, but I can't tell you the difference that it made in my life. Like I used to be so fatigued brain fog. And again, like I wasn't full blown hypo, but I can't tell you the difference that it made in my life. Like I used to be so fatigued brain fog. And again, like I wasn't full blown hypo, but it was just enough that it was really affecting my day to day. Well, and I think that's such a good example. Thyroid health is so huge when it is off by a little bit, you feel it. The brain fog is terrible. The fatigue is terrible. Like sex drive drops. There's so many things that happen when your thyroid is not functioning, functioning optimally,

which is why I'm like test every year, work with a doctor who really knows the thyroid and all the systems it's connected to. And yeah, I mean, you feel great now. Like you noticed a huge difference. So yes, I totally agree. I will share that I am on tyrosine soul. So I'm actually on a liquid thyroid medication. And I started that about six months ago when I started working with a new doctor, I had never been on it before. And for all the things I know about Hashimoto's and thyroid health, I'd actually never even heard of it. Um, and it's a really good option for me. I feel super great on it. And it is a synthetic. I was on, um, the pig thyroid, the desiccated for years. And I didn't really want to make the switch. My doctor was like, I want you to try this.

And I've been really happy with it. So you never know. Yeah. You never know what can come from it. Well, I think sometimes in the natural world, um, we like there's a tendency to really vilify medication. And I like to sit right in the middle where I'm like, you know, my MO is like, let's get to the root first. Let's try to not use medication if we can, because we want to minimize side effects. Cause the ultimate goal at the end of the day is to feel good in your body and live a long, healthy life where you feel good. And you have the energy to do the things you want to do, live an amazing life. And part of that might be that you have to take some medication, but this is where I like to be of that might be that you have to take some medication.

But this is where I like to be in that middle ground, you know, where it's like, okay, you're doing all the right things that you need to be doing. You know, you clean up your diet, you clean up your environment, and you're feeling the effects of that, which is amazing. But also, you can do all that and be healthy and still be on this medication in order to feel the best that you need to feel in your body. Totally. And I get a lot of women coming to me who don't think I'm on thyroid medicine because of my non-toxic approach, because of the holistic lifestyle that I really like to live. And I'm like, no, no, no, you got it wrong. I do all those things. And medicine is absolutely a tool in my toolbox. And I'm so with you that if you're not using all the tools and if you're,

if you're not feeling well, and you're not using all the tools and if you're, if you're not feeling well and you're not using all the tools you have, like at some point that's on you, right? So like use the tools from the left, from the right, from wherever you can to get your optimal health back. And that doesn't mean being on medication forever. Maybe it does either way. Like the goal is to thrive, to be happy, to have

a full life. And that's really what I've transitioned my mindset to be around health. Like, I think I used to really want to be healthy for the sake of it and like show people how healthy I was. And now I'm like, Oh, that that's not even interesting to me anymore. I want to have a really cool life with incredible relationships where I am, you know, getting to enjoy and explore. And that fullness really is associated with wellness for me now. Yeah. Oh, I love that. I love that approach too. And I'm happy to hear that you've gotten a place where you feel better in your body, you know, because like I said, I mean, that's the ultimate goal. Yeah. And you know, there definitely have been flare ups. Like I went into remission and then I tested six months later and I wasn't and went back into

remission. So it's not like for seven years, I've been the perfect thyroid patient, but I've been so much better than I was seven years ago. I never went back to that place. Um, and you know, I'm in remission right now and really happy about that and feel great. But the life of someone with autoimmune disease is keeping up with your health and making sure that you do what you can to stay in a good place. And knowing that in the future, you might have to give a little more care and emphasis to your health if you have a flare. So I'm very aware of all that. I don't try to pretend that that isn't part of like my health mindset, um, because it is, uh, but for now I feel really good.

That's awesome. Do you know, when you have a flare up, can you, are you usually able to trace it back to something? It's a really good question. Sometimes travel will flare me up. Um, my husband and I love to do long-term travel and shorter term travel is definitely better for my health. Um, and then sometimes stress, or I know one time I had a really bad flare up because we moved into a new house and it was moldy. And so just things like that, but sometimes there's no telling, right? Like I'll have, I'll see a bump in a number and I'm like, things have been the same for six months. I don't know what's going on. Um, yeah. So I, I don't know. I don't know. Um, like I don't always have the answers about when I flare and when I don't. Yeah. And I think that is probably everyone's story, you know, cause if we knew then

we'd never have flare ups, you know? So, okay. So we've talked a lot about things to avoid and take out of your life. What are some things that really help Hashimoto's and just thyroid health in general, whether it be diet, so like foods or other sort of things that people can do? Yeah, I definitely have emphasized like how important I think testing yearly is. So I think that's a really crucial part of thyroid health. Um, I really highly recommend a gluten-free diet for people with, um, thyroid disease in their family or any symptoms of leaky gut. Um, and then if you're in a healing phase and you know, you have Hashimoto's or autoimmunity, even a more restricted diet temporarily, um, grain-free can be really helpful. Dairy-free

can be really helpful. Paleo template was very helpful for me for a while. I don't necessarily eat that way all the time anymore, but there was a time where that was really beneficial. And then, you know, seafood is actually really good for the thyroid. It has iodine and zinc and selenium, which are all thyroid, basically resources. So the thyroid uses those nutrients to do its job. So we want to make sure we have that. And then I really like adaptogens.

So ashwagandha and rhodiola have been shown to improve thyroid health. Um, there are a few other things depending on the condition, um, but a general non-toxic lifestyle, like I said, thyroid really has an affinity for toxins. So, um, making sure that those aren't in our makeup and our everyday contact and then stress is a really big one. And I feel like it's probably the hardest thing for people to a admit is a problem in their life and be reduced or engage with in a different way. But we see so much improvement for people who can better manage their stress or reduce their stress in their thyroid health health. We see a lot of really go getter type a women with Hashimoto's for that reason. Interesting. I think my stress and my adrenal issues were absolutely the reason

why my thyroid was not optimally working. Yeah. I mean, I totally. And then another big one is gut health. Like, do you want to improve your thyroid function, improve your gut health? There's conversion of thyroid hormone that happens in the gut and the liver. So those are two really big, um, supporting, uh, organs that people kind of undermine when they think about thyroid health. So, you know, doing the liver cleanses once a year and drinking the dandelion tea or the bone broth and the glycine, all those things that directly impact, um, other organs actually support thyroid thyroid health as well. Yeah. Well, and you touched on something that I think, um,

we often forget and, you know, this is where the allopathic model really does fail us is that when there's something going on with one organ in the body, it's not usually an isolated event, you know, because everything in the body is connected. So like you just said, you know, you've mentioned this a couple of times, people often, when they're having thyroid issues, usually have something going on with the gut. It's usually leaky gut syndrome. Sometimes like, like I just said, there's things going on with the adrenals, like all of these organs work in conjunction together. And we can't just look at this one organ and just dial into that, that one. We need to zoom out and be like, look at the whole picture

here. What's going on here. What's going on with the gut? And another important thing to know, especially right now with everything going on in the last two years is that our gut health is, you know, really the central centralized, um, part of our health, like without our gut health, you know, that's where our immune system, like 70, 80% of our immune system lies. It affects the thyroid, like we've been talking about, and we're doing ourselves a disservice by not addressing these like big main issues. Yeah, I totally agree. And gut health is everything. It really is. And it all comes back to that. And even if we don't want to admit it, like if you're having gut issues,

work on them, work with a provider because they will extend to other parts of the body. Yeah. Yeah. That's a really great point. So is there anything else that we haven't touched on that you think is really important for people to understand about thyroid health, Hashimoto's really anything we talked about? Yeah. You know, I think we covered a lot. Um, I just want anyone out there who's dealing with Hashimoto's to know that is absolutely available and an option to heal and be, feel like yourself again, and to overcome this disease. I was at the lowest point in my life with it. I was working from bed three days a week. I, my TSH was the highest my doctor had ever seen. And I am now living an incredible life with great health. And I, it took a little while, but I just want anyone out

there to know that it's absolutely possible and doable and to have hope and to not give up because it is, um, yeah, I just feel that hope and know that if I can do it, you can do it too. I'm so glad that you said that. It also, it reminded me of, um, so I've, one of my really close girlfriends has struggled with Hashimoto's for, I want to say the last like five years or so. And I mean, she's gone through everything. She's, you know, done all the diets under the sun, paleo, AIP, all the stuff, um, changed out her makeup, her, you know, cleaning products, everything. And she just recently got tested for mold. And it feels like this is finally the like finalized puzzle piece that she could not figure out why she was still feeling so sick. And I tell that

story only to encourage people, one to not give up and to to remember that it could be one or any of all the different things that we just mentioned, you know, and so don't be scared to really dig deep into everything having to do with your environment. You know, it could be down to like what you're spraying your countertops with, or if you have mold exposure in your house or heavy metals, parasites, Candida. Yeah. All those things. I totally agree with you. And I hope for your friend that this is the last straw, you know, the one thing that was

activating her immune system. But it really, when the system is off, your genes will express themselves. Like we said in however they were programmed to do so. So her system was off, her immune system was activated and Hashimoto's was that genetic disposition that she experienced. And yes, if you haven't tested for some of these things and you're still in it, please do. I would save up for tests to be able to run them. Um, and it was worth every penny. Yeah, that's awesome. So before we go, I like to ask every one of my guests this question,

what are your health non-negotiables? These are things that no matter how busy or crazy you are, you know, during the day, these are things that you prioritize for yourself and for your health non-negotiables? These are things that no matter how busy or crazy you are, you know, during the day, these are things that you prioritize for yourself and for your health. How many do I get as many as you want? Um, so my health pillars are real food. Like I really need that to feel well, I could notice a difference when I'm traveling a lot, or if I eat at someone's house repeatedly, um, I really need a lot of vegetables, a lot of quality animal protein. Um, that is a non-negotiable for me. Um, thyroid medicine is a non-negotiable for me. Like I would not be surviving without it. I would not feel the way I do without it. I'm so grateful for it. Movement

for my mental health specifically. I am a different person when I'm consistently moving, working out. I'm also a bitch when I don't sleep. So like sleep is a huge non-negotiable for me. I'm sensitive. Like I just need these things. And then non-toxic lifestyle. Like I love, you know,

I went to my friend's house the other day in in Fort Worth and she lives a very similar lifestyle to me and I was like gosh I just feel so good in your home like I love that and then friends and community is so big for me like I have the best time with my friends and the people I hang out with and I feel so supported by them and so loved by them and I am able to extend that to them and their families well. And that has just been such a blessing in my life and it actually adds to my health and wellbeing. So I think those are my big ones. And then like clean water. Um, there's any other things like I love certain supplements, like adaptogens, take them daily, um, sunshine and nature. And I think that covers it all.

I feel like you basically just listed off all of mine too. So yeah, I know we live very similar lifestyles. I see you walking with your friends all the time. I'm like, yep. Me too. Over here. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah, definitely. One of my biggest non-negotiables is going out for a hike every day, either alone or with friends, either way I get vitamin D, move my dog. It's or move my dog. Jesus move my body, get bonding time with my dog. Yeah. Your dog does also move. It's all good. Exactly. I'm moving my body or moving my dog. Oh my gosh. It's so funny. Um, well, thank you so much for coming on today. Can you just let everyone know where to find you? Yeah, you can find me at Carly Johnson Bronner on today. Can you just let everyone know where to find you? Yeah, you can find me at Carly Johnson Bronner on Instagram. My podcast is doing it different. And my website is Carly Johnson

Bronner.me. So yeah, thank you. Yeah, thanks so much for coming on. We'll link all of that so that people can find you. Awesome. Thanks, Courtney. Thanks for listening to today's episode of the real foodology podcast. If you liked this episode, please leave a review in your podcast app to let me know. This is a resident media production produced by Drake Peterson and edited by Chris McCone. The theme song is called Heaven by the amazing singer Georgie, spelled with a J. Love you guys so much. See you next week. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only.

It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and doesn't constitute a provider patient relationship. I am a nutritionist, but I am not your nutritionist. As always, talk to your doctor or your health team first. you