A significant challenge that many people face is systemic imbalance that causes the thyroid to either underperform or overperform. Often, thyroid hormone imbalance becomes coupled with estrogen imbalance. The causes are many, but the good news is that there is a dietary and lifestyle approach that can make a difference.

A combined approach of intermittent fasting, pre-meal exercise and an early-to-bed/early-to-rise lifestyle can make a big difference in restoring thyroid function, balancing estrogen and testosterone, optimizing Human Growth Hormone production and balancing output of serotonin and melatonin.

I’ve become a big fan of regular morning fasting, exercising on an empty stomach and then breaking my fast with easy-to-digest, protein-rich meals. For many years now, I’ve been an early riser, and these days with dawn coming at ~4 a.m. in Japan, I tend to be up very early. My bedtime is seldom much later than 9 or 9:30 p.m., to ensure that I get adequate sleep.

The overall strategy is to ensure that my hippocampus is adequately stimulated during natural daylight hours and to minimize stimulation during nighttime hours. I enhance nighttime darkness through the use of blackout curtains and an eye mask. The early morning birdsong invariably acts as my alarm clock. During the evening hours between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., optimal amounts of melatonin are released, which enable me to sleep better. I heal better, too. I can always tell when I’ve been up too late because I experience increased inflammation in the morning.

I’ve been fascinated by research that indicates that HGH is optimized with intermittent fasting and calorie restriction when combined with a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet that is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

There is also significant information that points to a strong correlation between a lack of libido and high insulin resistance in sufferers of Metabolic Syndrome. Getting your diet in order can, apparently, help improve your sex life. Studies have shown hypogonadism in people with Type II diabetes, which is commonplace among those with MBS. Getting your leptin and insulin sensitivity back in order will have a strong effect on balancing your sex hormones.

Testosterone and estrogen balance have a role to play in thyroid function. Where estrogen imbalance is evident, one may also find thyroid function is compromised. So, getting those sex hormones back in balance can play a large role in restoring balance to the thyroid gland and its associated hormone output.

Ultimately, none of the stuff you read here is difficult to implement. Mostly, I parrot the common sense of yesteryear with new research to back it up. Early to bed and early to rise really does help to make you healthy, wealthy and wise. Chew your food well before you swallow (some enzymes are released only upon mastication, and nutrients are more bioavailable). Find the silver lining in every cloud. You are what you eat.

Live Intentionally. Live Well. Love Life.

trane