Self-Worth with Jaclyn Steele

Thyroid nutrition & health with integrative dietician, Whitney Crouch

May 12, 2021 Jaclyn Steele Season 2 Episode 68
Self-Worth with Jaclyn Steele
Thyroid nutrition & health with integrative dietician, Whitney Crouch
Show Notes Transcript

Whitney Crouch is an Integrative Dietitian with a whole body, functional approach to nutrition and lifestyle. 

Her own journey with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is what inspired her to specialize in thyroid health and to support other women struggling with thyroid issues.

Join us as we chat on her personal story, thyroid nutrition, and thriving with Hashimoto's (because it's totally possible).

GET IN TOUCH WITH WHITNEY:
website: https://whitneycrouchrdn.com
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyc.the.rd/

BOOKS MENTIONED:
Renegade Beauty by Nadine Artemis
Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI

FAVORITE THINGS:
Everlane - www.jaclynsteele.com/everlane
BRK - www.jaclynsteele.com/bkr

Other companies mentioned:
+ Lawless Beauty for clean beauty (I’d be interested to see if you see anything weird on their ingredient lists - I haven’t but I’m not as versed as you are)
+ Imayla Beauty (new indie brand - just launched last year mid pandemic)
+ Living Libations (MY FAVORITE).  I love them SO much I asked to be an affiliate.  Their branding is kind of confusing and woo woo, but the products are incredible!  JACLYN12 is my code and it provides 12% off.

CONNECT:
+ Website:
jaclynsteele.com
+ Instagram:
@jaclynsteele
+ Youtube:
officialjaclynsteele
+ Facebook:
jaclynsteeleinternational
+ Clubhouse: @jaclynsteele
+ Sign up for
THE SCOOP & get the skinny on the latest wellness, beauty, & self development trends, as well as exclusive email-only content.

TEXT ME:
+1 480-531-6858 or follow this
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With so much LOVE,

Jaclyn Steele






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Unknown:

But I will say that across the board, at least 75% of people with hashimotos, or an autoimmune condition are reactive to gluten, or other parts for sure. Mm hmm. So there are actually a ton of different components making up wheat. It's not just gluten. And there are tests out there that can look for this. And I actually am a huge questioner, I question everything. And I needed to have this test to prove to me because I didn't have any intestinal symptoms.

Jaclyn Steele:

Hi, I am Jaclyn Steele. And welcome to self discovery. Howard Thurman so beautifully wrote, don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive, coming alive. That, my friends, is what self discovery is all.

Unknown:

Where that man?

Jaclyn Steele:

Y'all today, we have an amazing, amazing guest on the show. Her name is Whitney crouch, and she is an integrative dietitian, with a whole body functional approach to nutrition and lifestyle. She is consistently investigating the latest evidence based nutrition and science practices to improve health. Her own journey with hashimotos thyroiditis is what inspired her to specialize in thyroid health, and to support other women struggling with thyroid issues. Whitney, I'm so excited you're here. And I'm so excited to talk about the program that you are about to launch. So thank you.

Unknown:

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here chatting with you and your audience and you know, hoping that women out there will start to understand what might be going on in their body. Yeah, well, I

Jaclyn Steele:

feel like you're such a trailblazer in that. Which leads me to my first question. I met you via a clubhouse chat room on hashimotos. And when I heard your story, at first, my jaw dropped, I was just totally floored the way that you shared it. The vulnerability your experience with hashimotos was so striking to me. So if you would, can you share a little bit about your diagnosis of hashimotos and YOUR story leading up to where you are now?

Unknown:

Absolutely. So my story starts long before I had a diagnosis as many of ours have. I've probably had hashimotos for like 10 years now. But I was only diagnosed about five years ago. And that was after my first child was born. And he was about six months old when I decided okay, this has been like the most magical and worst six months of my life and I need to put myself back on my list and take care of myself so he was born in July come January 1 or right around there I had my first appointment other than the follow up ob gyn appointments which I've which they're like to postpartum which is ridiculous in itself. But um, I made an appointment with an integrative doctor the the best integrative doctor I could find in the area, you know, that was in network because we all know how expensive they are and how hard it is to find them. And she, she I was so lucky that she nailed it. She nailed it in that she is she asked the right questions, she drew enough of the right labs to be able to diagnose me with hashimotos. And I mean, leading up to that I thought I was crazy. And honestly the sounds terrible. But my husband thought I just must not have been cut out to be a mom. Later, he didn't tell me that during that Oh, but I was having a hard time I was struggling with my physical health. I was actually most people experience being overweight when they're hypothyroid. I was emaciated, which I'll get to later but I was rail thin, freezing cold, super anxious, hair falling out dizzy. I lost my breast milk supply. And my son had a bunch of health problems. So his health problems were also gut related. And so me not being able to breastfeed him was another stressor because he was allergic to every formula on the market. So I actually had to design his formula and create it myself from scratch. So and he ended up meeting that for 18 months couldn't eat food because of his own allergies. So there were all these factors at play. Of course, I had my own gut health issues, which I, at the time had no idea was a thing as well, and people weren't really talking about it then either.

Jaclyn Steele:

I mean, it's like the hot topic right now. But in my observation that's only in the last 12 to 18 months, not five years ago.

Unknown:

Right, right. It was not a thing. And what happened was, while I was pregnant, in my second trimester, I was like, Oh, I thought I'm gonna have all this energy right now. And I don't so they tested my TSH and they put me on just 25 micrograms to get me through. The doctor told me six months after you deliver go off of the meds, you don't need them anymore. You're good. Never retested me, but also, I didn't know that I never really tested you. Oh, no, no, my gosh, I tested my TPO antibodies, or tg antibodies, nothing. Oh, nothing else was like that. Um, so I had that. And then at another point in the pregnancy, they said, Oh, you have this this problem, you need to go on these really high dose antibiotics. And I was like, you know, I don't really want to do that. Because I know that's not good for my gut. But, um, you know, like, can we can we hold off a little bit and see if this is a problem? And they're like, no, and like, Well, can you culture me and see if this is like, really accurate? And she's like, Okay, well, we'll culture you but you in the meantime have to take these or it's going to like harm your child. Okay, fear gotten me take the Yeah, use antibiotics. Three days later, results come back negative. So now I'm, oh my gosh, Synthroid, I have a totally ruined gut, because of the high dose antibiotics super high dose, and I'm delivering a baby, like three months from then, which is not enough time for me to fix my gut. So I try, you know, but I still didn't know just how important it was to get things figured out with my gut and make sure that when he came out, everything was healthy for him because that was the beginning of his gut. My body, what I pass on is being of his gut and his in his immune system. Anyway, so that's kind of one of the reasons why he was kind of messed up for 18 months, intolerances, allergies, sensitivities, you name it, he had it XML, blah, blah, blah. He's fine. Now thankfully, I'm so glad. Yeah, so I, I was experiencing everything with him as I was experiencing my own things, and too afraid to carry him because I felt like I was gonna pass out can go up and down the stairs, could barely, like, feed him or change his diaper in the middle of the night. And then I was diagnosed, the doctor was wonderful. She offered me some medication. Way to lower the dose, I asked to see a specialist and endocrinologist. And I ended up seeing like four or five more before I found anyone that had anything to offer me other than medication.

Jaclyn Steele:

Which is so frustrating is and it's what everyone goes through. They tell you take this medication and everything will be okay. And then it's not okay. And then it it kind of makes you feel like you're the crazy one.

Unknown:

Yes, it was. And I was actually just so lucky that I had someone in my life, a friend who was a nurse, and herself had hashimotos. So when I looked at my labs for the first time, and I saw my numbers, I was like, I have what she has, whoa, and then she became a wealth of information for me. So I knew at that point, what I was looking for in a doctor and I had a head start, but because I was so messed up, I couldn't even like, read the books and follow the protocols. I couldn't put the information together. I couldn't find it all over the internet and like put it into a health plan that I could follow. And there was no one there to do that for me. Whitney, I

Jaclyn Steele:

the fact that you were pregnant and had a baby and experienced all of these symptoms on top of that. I know for me, I don't have kids yet I haven't been pregnant yet. I would love to. But the symptoms that I've experienced the chronic fatigue where you feel like you're walking through mud, it's just so heavy on your body, the anxiety, the depression and then add a kid on top of that. I mean, what you went through is your a super woman during that time.

Unknown:

Thank you I appreciate that. And it's just it's insane to know that so many women are going through this all the time.

Jaclyn Steele:

It like I feel tears welling up in my eyes thinking about your experience and then thinking about all these women who like you didn't know what was wrong with them or maybe had a spouse who actually said you're not you know, built for this or or you are whatever

Unknown:

in that. Content even making fun of them? Like, my husband did not mean anything by it. He would tell me though, like, are you ever gonna get out of the house today? are you ever gonna leave and I didn't realize that I had such an intense anxiety about going out of the house.

Jaclyn Steele:

Isn't that an all again, it breaks my heart because people don't understand that the root cause is hashimotos. And then the root cause of that often is a gut imbalance and hormonal issues. But people will go to a therapist because they're depressed, or they'll go to the doctor and talk about anxiety and get anti anxiety medication. But none of it is fixing the root cause, which is hashimotos. So I want to launch into my second question for you if that's okay, yeah. Okay, so there is such frustration surrounding thyroid disorders. I remember when I was first diagnosed, my endocrinologist said that treating hashimotos is more of an art than a science, which was not the most encouraging thing to say to somebody when you've just been diagnosed. And when I asked him about dietary changes, because that was my first inkling was to go, Oh, I gotta change my diet. Something's not right here. I've been into holistic medicine and Integrative Health for as long as I can remember. And when I asked him about dietary changes, he said, I didn't need to make any, that I would start feeling better after I started taking the love with the Roxon. And this just did not sit well with me at all. It didn't feel like the truth. And I'm not at all against medication, and its efficacy, but not addressing diet and lifestyle for long term healing just doesn't make sense to me, no matter what your disorder is. So for someone who's struggling with their thyroid health, what are some dietary changes we can make to start feeling better?

Unknown:

So easy, easy, but also has to be individualized. But I will say that across the board, at least 75% of people with hashimotos, or an autoimmune condition are reactive to gluten, or other parts for sure. Mm hmm. So there are actually a ton of different components making up wheat. It's not just gluten. And there are tests out there that can look for this. And I actually am a huge questioner, I question everything. And I needed to have this test to prove to me because I didn't have any intestinal symptoms. I didn't experience any kind of gas, bloating, diarrhea, or things that most people would think of as being, you know, a reaction to eating something like that. Wow. Yes. So, yes, 75%, at least of people will react. And there are different ways that your immune system reacts. And there are different ways that it presents in your body. So that's a biggie. And I will say that it's really important for because a lot of auto Miche auto immune conditions come hand in hand with another that the person is tested for celiac disease before they removed gluten or are prepared to reintroduce gluten for at least six to eight weeks before having a celiac test. And that's not just like a speck of gluten here and there. It's actually two to five slices of bread worth of gluten daily for six, eight weeks. So

Jaclyn Steele:

Whoa. So I know for me when I was diagnosed, even though my doctor said, he said, No, there's really no connection between gluten and hashimotos. I was like, I gotta research this subject doesn't sit right. So I gave up gluten pretty immediately. And almost immediately, my bloating and inflammation in my stomach area went down because that's why I went to get tested. I was like, I've gained like 15 pounds in like a week. This is so not me. I haven't changed my diet. I haven't really changed my exercise schedule like this is weird. And the gluten immediately giving that up made such a difference. My question for you is twofold. For people with hashimotos do they need to stay off gluten permanently? And what about products like sprouted grain products like zekiel bread or sprouted grain wraps that are grains in their original form without being without a bunch of crap added in?

Unknown:

Right, so some of that is definitely bio individual. But broadly speaking, everyone needs to have gluten out of their diet that has an autoimmune condition permanently. And there isn't like a gut healing protocol that can make it so that the gluten doesn't hurt your body when you reintroduce it. If you choose fermented gluten and wheat sources, it may help with the whole tolerance level for how bad The damage is or you know what amount of the food will cause the damage. But the your immune system reacts to gluten for a long period of time after you have even an accidental small exposure, it's three to six months that your body remembers that. So if you're micro exposures all the time, your body is constantly stimulated. So and then other grains, you know, that's also an individual thing. And there are tests for that, too. Yeah.

Jaclyn Steele:

So for somebody who is curious about whether or not they react to grains, because I'm curious, I don't eat any, like, refined gluten products, nothing like that. But I will occasionally have like Ezekiel bread with avocado. And I don't experience any digestion or upset from that. But at the same time, if that's something that is harming me, I want to know what to look out for.

Unknown:

Right? So if you don't experience outward symptoms, you wouldn't know but you can do a test. There's one that I like called the wheat Zoomer to Yeah. And there's a grain Zoomer.

Jaclyn Steele:

This is so cool. Okay, cool. I find it really, it really is, though, because this stuff. I mean, you go to the endocrinologist, they're supposed to be the expert, he tells me I don't need to worry about gluten, which if I hadn't done my own research, if I had stayed eating gluten, this would have just been perpetuated for the rest of my life and could have turned into something. I mean, hashimotos is serious, but it could have turned into something more serious.

Unknown:

It's wild, other, you could get lupus, you could get a any other autoimmune condition. They always like a friend. So if so keep the inflammation level high, you will probably get another one.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah. Which is just so so wild to me. So these tests that you're speaking of, where can people go to take these tests? Also, I know with your new program, you're incorporating all kinds of really cool science. So can you speak on that a little bit to

Unknown:

Yes, happy to these tests can be run through any functional medicine practitioner who works with the labs that provide them. So functional medicine practitioners have different kinds of training. And they work with different labs, I work with a lot of different labs to be able to offer my clients a variety of different tests, a variety of different price points. But I will only offer ones that have really clear evidence of positive outcomes, and something that can be taken action on because if you have a test, and it doesn't provide you any direction in your treatment plan, it's just a waste of money. Mm hmm. So yeah, that's why like, for me, I didn't do the the gluten test the wheat Zoomer for a long time, because I thought, you know, it's just going to tell me, you know, it or it won't, it won't tell me anything that I can't read on a blog, or I haven't heard from this doctor on this summit, or whatever. But a really important part of healing your hashimotos and your thyroid is knowing your own personality type two. When I realized that the truth, yes, a question. And then you need to learn how to manage all the other things that come with your personality. But I wasn't adhering to my diet, as well, as I thought I was flush I knew in the back of my brain that I wasn't. And this proved to me that I could do better for myself. And I'm very clear. So I want to offer that I as you mentioned, I am launching a thyroid healing program. It will be a six to 12 month program for my ladies to be in a community where they not only learn with me through a program format, where I have live office hours, but also as a community where they are safe, to share their stories to share their questions to not be judged, because many of us have been in online groups where the judgment is so intense. So rediculous Yeah, if you say, I'm not dairy free, you will be jumped on. If you say that you're not gluten free, you'll essentially be like kicked out of the group.

Jaclyn Steele:

If you want to have with us, you got to be gluten free. That's so silly. It's so silly. And people, I mean people are judgmental already. And I find that anybody who has not experienced hashimotos directly, besides like my husband, who is just, he's willing to hold space for me in any area, and he's just so kind and if I talk about it too much, I'm going to start crying. But if you talk with other people, and they ask you how Are you are or, you know, hey, how's what's going on with your hashimotos? And you tell the truth, they look at you. Like you're crazy. Like, why are you always tired? Or if you gain weight, I had one guy who was like, well, you should just, this was the conversation. I was like, I feel like my hormones are off. This was before I was diagnosed about a month before I was diagnosed, I was like, I feel like my hormones are really off, I'm not sleeping through the night, I wake up at 3am every single night, and then I can't go back to sleep until like six, I've also gained this weight in my belly. Normally, when I gain weight, it's not in my belly. And I feel like something is wrong. And he was like, well, you're probably not going to want to hear this. But maybe you should just work out really, really hard, and just get super tired, and then you'll knock yourself out and you'll be able to sleep through the night. And I was like, that is not the issue I work out. But also with hashimotos. If you work out too much, it actually exacerbates the problem. So the fact that you're creating a community around this is so beautiful to me, because women need the support of other women in general. But especially when it comes to hashimotos. Because it's complex. I think for a lot of people, too, who maybe were diagnosed even 10 years ago, this doesn't even have to be for just newcomers. 10 years ago, what we knew about hashimotos is very different than what we know now. And so I think some of those people who have been diagnosed for many, many years are now going well, I have to kind of start over the way that I approached this disease because I had no idea about all of this, all of these new findings. Mm hmm.

Unknown:

Yes. And the way that that autoimmune disease, and Hashimoto, specifically, are becoming what's the word I'm looking for brain brain fog. We all have it, right are becoming more prevalent. So we're women who are diagnosed like maybe 20 years ago, they didn't have as many symptoms or they didn't feel like their environment, or their food or their lifestyle affected them all that much. It was really just a quick fix for some of them with like Synthroid or what other medications were on the market back then. That's not really the case anymore. Now our environment is so toxic, whether you're talking like the world we live in the outside environment, is whether we're talking about our water that comes in through the pipes, whether we're talking about our work environments, everything is different now. So stress,

Jaclyn Steele:

so much stress and and toxic buildup, so much stress and toxic buildup at

Unknown:

work at home expectations on parents expectations for making sure that your kids schedule is fully booked and back to back to back and especially parents who are homeschooling their children right now with a pandemic. Thankfully, things are starting to open back up. But and still hold down a job and still keep the house and still get food on the table. And it's got to be healthy and it's got to be fresh, and it has to be homemade.

Jaclyn Steele:

And it has to be picture worthy.

Unknown:

Like that. You're you're you're relaxing and taking care of yourself and having your long Epsom salt baths. So like, journal Don't forget to meditate.

Jaclyn Steele:

Ding ding ding ding the the to do list is 18 miles long. For one hour.

Unknown:

Yeah, women here and they're like, I wish I could do all that. I wish I want to believe me, but so it's all of that that has changed and why women need a community that gets it. No pressure, no stress, just here. Listen, and provide support

Jaclyn Steele:

and a safe sweet place to heal.

Unknown:

Yeah.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh my gosh, I love that so much. All right, so I'm starting a new segment of the self discovery podcast called These are a few of my favorite things. And these are me highlighting brands that I absolutely love that are sustainable and ethical. And yes, I am an affiliate for them. So when you purchase I get a little kickback but that is what allows me to keep making this podcast and pay my bills. So that being said, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite brands of all time ever lane. They stand for exceptional quality ethical factories and radically transparent pricing. Essentially because they are direct to consumer they cut out the middleman so you can get cashmere and silk and high quality cotton apparel at a price that will not break the bank. And this is what they have to say about their process at everlane. We want the right choice to be as easy as putting on a great t shirt. That's why we partner with the best ethical factories around the world, source only the finest materials and share those stories with you down to the true cost of every product we make. It's a new way of doing things and we call it radical transparency. I remember when I purchased my first everlane sweater, taking it out of the packaging, I immediately thought, Oh, this is what a sweater is supposed to feel like. The quality is truly exceptional. And I know I will have the items I have purchased from them for years to come. When I need a seasonal refresh in my wardrobe. everlean is consistently one of the first places that I visit, I shop there for my husband as well because he loves their t shirts and button downs. Anyway, you get the picture. I absolutely love this brand. That's why they are one of my favorite things. And I have some of my favorite pics of the season at the ready for you to view on Jaclyn Steele calm slash everlane. Again, that's Jaclyn Steele comm slash everlane. And you can also get 10% off your first order by going there. So all the links are in the show notes. Now back to the episode. Okay, next question, my dear. What about lifestyle changes. And I want to ask this specifically, because I'm such a type A personality, I was like ambitious from the day I was born, my mom was like you didn't sleep, you are always on the go, you are always talking. So that's my personality. After I got diagnosed with hashimotos, I was like, cool. I'm going to take the medication for now. But I'm really going to attack this diet wise and figure out how to make those dietary changes. What I did not take into consideration that after my last little like relapse where I had a medication change, this was just three weeks ago, I did not consider lifestyle changes nearly as much as I needed to and specifically stress. I did not realize how constantly stressed I was and how throughout the day, instead of allowing myself to relax. I was constantly elevating my cortisol by answering this message and then going to Instagram and answering all these DMS. And I never turned off to the point where even when I got in bed, my whole body is tense, like my neck can't relax, my shoulders are all and I feel like this component has not been talked about enough. In the conversations that I've had around hashimotos. It's usually medication, and it's dietary. But let's talk lifestyle.

Unknown:

Absolutely. So actually stress is one of the main triggers of hashimotos. And whether it's new onset or a flare, I actually flared up really early in the pandemic because I was trying to do all the things, you know, do the work, right? The things take care of the kids educate the kids put healthy food on the table, and it was like oh my gosh, a month of burning at both ends. And I was just like, luckily it only lasted 48 hours, 48 hours of me sitting there on the ground. Like I don't know if I can do this. It's been a really long time since I've felt like this. But that's what it is it it has to be realizing that it's okay to let some things go. And striving to let go of perfectionism and remembering that which is the hardest thing for me. Oh, it's the hardest for me to many of us. It's cultural, we have been trained to be like this. And some of us really have the personality for it. And some of us It may have come You know, it's a learning experience through school or expectations passed down from our family. But it's really a lesson in becoming the CEO of your life of being the boss of your own personal business. And realizing that if you don't take care of yourself, the whole ship will sink. Everything will fall apart. Oh,

Jaclyn Steele:

I just want to absorb that for a minute because it is so in tune with what I have been meditating on and realizing we are worth stopping. Why am I constantly feeling like I have to do more and more and more and more and more and more and more that's inside of me and I have just as much power to go, Hey, do your thing. But at 5pm turn off and don't check your phone all night. I have been leaving my phone in another room and that one simple act. It has transformed the way I feel during the entire day. I mean I never am like a wake up an Instagram kind of gal I'd like drink my little bit of coffee. I meditate I journal I read I have a beautiful morning routine. But then past that, I was constantly checking my phone until like 9pm. And not doing that has revolutionized the way that I feel I can literally feel it in my thyroid area that everything is calming down from one act.

Unknown:

Yes, it makes all the difference in your mindset. And the interesting thing is that your mindset isn't just in your mind, your mind speaks to your gut. And it's not just the whole, I have a gut feeling, although that is where it comes from. You have the vagus nerve that runs up and down your body. So you're sending messages from your brain to your gut and your gut to your brain. And all of that is going back and being transmitted through your whole body. And that triggers your cortisol, it triggers different aspects of your immune system and inflammation. So it's a real thing. It is a real threat.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Unknown:

No, go ahead. It just wasn't recognized for a long time. It's

Jaclyn Steele:

no. I think it's flooring to me to that Adrenal Fatigue is not recognized fully in the western medical practice, and adrenal fatigue and hashimotos are also related.

Unknown:

Yeah, so the reason that adrenal fatigue isn't really recognized, it's not that the the symptoms and the condition itself aren't real. It's really just a semantics because Oh, okay. Teague. Yes, it would just mean that you're you are running out of cortisol is kind of what social media and bloggers have made it into, which is a real condition called Addison's disease. So it's not that but HPA axis dysregulation. Okay.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah. Well, and that makes so much sense. I mean, I think back to right before I was diagnosed, my husband and I were selling our house, we're already both entrepreneurs. So as you know, that's a lot of stress in and of itself. We were selling our house, I was selling my car, we were buying an RV, we were buying a new truck, I was selling almost all of my belongings. It was like Stress, Stress, Stress all day long for multiple months, consecutively. And I am positive that that is what pushed me over the edge because I think I've had hashimotos for a very long time, but like low grade hashimotos, where I struggled with fatigue, but I didn't really experience the other symptoms nearly as much. I experienced anxiety and some depression, but not to the point where I was like, Oh, I really I really need help. But that consecutive period of such high stress. I mean, it was wild, how out of control. I felt both physically and mentally. And I'm sure what did you call it not adrenal fatigue, but

Unknown:

HPA axis dysregulation,

Jaclyn Steele:

yes, HPA axis dysregulation, I'm sure I was experiencing some of that too, because my tendency is to not turn off like ever.

Unknown:

And you can swing, you can swing from being tired to fatigued. And that's just, that's how your body works. We are like a whole earth inside of our body or our environment is constantly shifting, our homeostasis is like it's not really homeostasis. Everything is going. And it's just a balancing act.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh, it Yeah, it's wild. Okay. As a dietitian, have you seen disordered eating lead to thyroid issues? I've talked openly on this podcast about my struggle with anorexia when I was in my late teens. And I have this gut feeling that that is what initially triggered my hormonal imbalances that eventually led to hashimotos. And I had the eating, eating disorder. It came on, as my parents were getting divorced. And now looking back, like that's the way I controlled my environment. I felt so out of control. I was like, this is the one thing I can control. And I weigh over did it. But I didn't have a period for almost a year at 18 years old.

Unknown:

Yes, yes. So I, I haven't seen a lot of my clients with that. But I know from the greater community, but it definitely is a reason. And the reason is, it's multifactorial, but from from the emotional aspect, that depression, that anxiety, those feelings actually cause inflammation in the body, which is one of the reasons you're predisposed to having an autoimmune disease triggered. So if you have the genetic predisposition, that's one of your triggers right there. It's an antecedent to your genes turning on and saying, alright, it's go time. So that's one thing. You're one of the The straws on the camel's back, then you have under eating, which signals to your body. I'm in starvation mode, cell danger response, freakout time, my cells need to slow down, we need to slow everything down to preserve this life. So we need to slow down the metabolism, meaning we need to hold on to our hormones, keep them back, TSH goes up, and your whole body slows down, your period stops because your body isn't fit to be another. You can't put something you can't grow a life inside a life that isn't able to grow itself.

Jaclyn Steele:

I have such compassion for my younger self, she was hurting so, so badly. And I feel like that's also something with hashimotos that people don't talk about is like, so often these stressors are coming from really legitimate traumatic events. And we have to hold space for ourselves, we can my personality is to go, Okay, I understand the emotion, I'm going to read 18 books on it. And then I'm going to put it in a very neat box categorized in my mind, and I'm going to move on. And I'm going to say that I dealt with it. And intellectually, I have dealt with it. But emotionally, I have not. And now at 34 years old, I'm going, Oh, honey, you've been to therapy, and you've read all the self help books, and you have a podcast about self discovery. But there's still these feelings that you haven't allowed yourself to release. And I feel like so much is stored in my physical body. And

Unknown:

I think we can all agree with that and feel that way. I mean, I certainly have that experience. You go to therapy, and you're like, I've read the book. So I know what this therapist is saying, I'm going to check that box, okay, we're on the same page, I'm educated, I'm educated, I'm educated. You're not really sitting there taking in and allowing you to think and get really vulnerable. And get it out. Because we're still like, we have to be perfect. We have to be prim, we know everything. So we're going to go tick the box.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yep. And now we're going to attack it with a diet and we're just going to keep going on. But mostly the

Unknown:

things that look great on the Instagram real, we're gonna put it out there.

Jaclyn Steele:

And the stuff that doesn't look great on the Instagram real, like the snotty crying and the tears or just the fatigue and having to lay down and going, Oh my gosh, my body is having a visceral reaction to my environment right now. And I need to respect this, that component of hashimotos I want to bring more to the forefront to and just be so honest about because I feel like my trauma, my like, most basic childhood trauma of my parents having this horribly messy and contentious divorce is what started everything because my whole world was flipped upside down. And I remember at that time going, Okay, you have two decisions right? Now you can fall apart and be like a statistic and a child of divorce. Or you can work even harder and get great grades and make it look like this isn't affecting you at all. And I went the ladder route. And though in some ways that served me because I didn't fall apart on the inside I fell apart.

Unknown:

Right? So now you need to find that safe space to fall. Yeah, someone or people help you put yourself back together in a different way.

Jaclyn Steele:

Mm hmm. And I think that one of the beauties of hashimotos is that because emotionally, I was denying myself and it wasn't caught. It was not a conscious decision. But I was denying myself that physical release, and the physical healing. I had only done the intellectual side hashimotos has been one of my greatest teachers. I feel like it's teaching me how to really love myself. Not the Instagram self love. I'm taking a bath and eating chocolate and getting takeout. The respecting my body and my boundaries kind of so yes,

Unknown:

yes. And that is something I feel like we're similar in age. So we've gone through a lot of life, maybe feeling similarly. And I know that a lot of the women listening will have, you know, had similar experiences. It's cultural. I mean, we all live in the same country, different lives, but a lot of things will overlap for people. That it really is like taking control of your life and the boundaries are so important setting a schedule as you mentioned, like not hopping onto Instagram. First thing in the morning, I actually have a very specific schedule that I have set and where I have blocks of time that are for work. And I make notes in there when exactly I should be doing things and for how long and reminder, don't be mindless about it. And first thing, after I get my kids to school is me time, me time for an hour. And for me that's running, it might be yoga, it might be tapping, it might be just meditation, it might be organizing the meal plan for the family, because that reduces my stress. So I do know that I have to have my exercise, or I feel it.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh my gosh, like Same here. So much anxiety, it just builds, builds, builds, builds builds, and it has to have a physical release, or I go crazy.

Unknown:

Yes, I had a woman the other day, she made a comment to me about being thin. And it wasn't anything she meant negative about it. But my like word vomit response was, I run for stress management. Like that's what comes out because it really is like I I am very fortunate that I have a healthy body now. And that I can run and it shows that I do that for stress management, because I have toned muscles. But if I didn't have that stress, I don't know if I'd be so inclined to run. I didn't need that, like feel it in my body.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah, I totally. Yeah. Well, and I think exercise is just though people who are suffering from hashimotos, and often have chronic fatigue, finding exercise that is not cortisol inducing, necessarily, but exercise that they like to I feel like if you love to run, run, if somebody loves to play tennis, play tennis, like do something that brings you joy, don't go to the gym and and try and do something that you hate and then call it exercise. Because again, the emotional component of hashimotos is such a big thing.

Unknown:

Yes, and balancing it out. Like listen to your body to know, find what you enjoy. If it's dancing in the kitchen. You know, like my kids, I dance every night after dinner, just get silly. And if I don't feel like running, even though I had planned on going running, if I just want to sit and listen to some tabbing I'm going to do that. Just feel what you're feeling and listen to your body. And if you don't exercise cardio for three months or three years, it's okay. Figure out what feels right.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah, but and, and, and the body's logo. Sorry,

Unknown:

sorry. The studies do show that exercise does reduce inflammation, exercise in any form. So whether you're doing floor yoga, that's all you can do. That's perfect.

Jaclyn Steele:

Mm hmm. And I find that the body's intelligence is so acute. More often than not, my body wants to move. So I want to encourage people who are listening to really tune in, is it you that is just not really wanting to get up and get going? Or is it your body that is saying I really need rest because I think that's an important distinction because movement has been such a huge part of my own healing. And I exercise all the time before my diagnosis. But I was doing a lot more cardio a lot more cortisol inducing kind of stuff. Now I'm like I'm taking super long walks and hikes, and doing Pilates and yoga and loving it and not feeling stressed.

Unknown:

It's a gift. Oh, it's such a good job.

Jaclyn Steele:

It's a gift now and it's something I look forward to. This is another segment of these are a few of my favorite things and my favorite things I mean companies. Yes, I am an affiliate for these companies. So I get a little kickback when you purchase from them and that allows me to continue to make this podcast and pay my bills. So today I want to introduce you to be k r and they are by far my favorite reusable water bottle company. I've been using their bottles since 2017. So you do the math. It's been a long time. Here's why I love them so much the shape of the water bottle and the loop lid. Make it so easy to carry them from yoga to the grocery store to work, whatever. They're super portable. Next, the specialty lid that holds weight for it. Lip Balm. So in this Arizona dryness, my lips can get some much needed moisture, always right at my fingertips. Next, the silicone shell that makes it grippy and easy to drink from and Then the Colors Oh my Gosh, admittedly, I'm someone who's very picky about what I purchase. I want it sustainable, ethical, and I want the colors to be on brand. I'm not a hot pink in your face kind of gal and bkr gets it. They have the most beautiful selection of colors that, in my opinion will not hurt your eyes. Also, the water bottles are easy, easy, easy to clean or pop in the dishwasher. I love that they don't take a lot of time to keep sanitary. I got my first bkr bottle like I mentioned in 2017. And it still looks brand new. And that's something I wish wasn't so important to me. But it is it's in perfect condition. And I have dropped it traveled with it, taking it to music, performances, et cetera, taken it to work. Oh my gosh, this thing has seen some life my friends and it looks fantastic for its age. You can see my little family of bkr bottles on Jaclyn Steele calm slash bkr. My favorite colors are Teddy and Brooklyn. Trust me, they are so freaking beautiful. And they are an item that will last and last and last again. That's Jaclyn Steele comm slash bkr for my favorite picks. Now back to the episode. Okay, next question, my dear, this is so much fun. I just love talking to you about this. So we touched on this, but I want to check trauma to do you think emotional and physical trauma contribute to thyroid disorders? And do you have any advice on emotional healing? specifically? Because like we mentioned a little bit earlier, this is such a huge component of hashimotos.

Unknown:

Yeah, absolutely. There are studies to prove that, in lay people like you and me, or in our military or other people who have been involved in really serious and stressful situations, that PTSD increases the risk, twofold of getting an autoimmune disease and people who are predisposed to have the genetics. And in women, that number is, is four times higher.

Jaclyn Steele:

Are you serious? Higher?

Unknown:

Three times higher? Yeah.

Jaclyn Steele:

I did not know that. And I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was 24. Oh, my gosh. I mean, it makes so much sense. But PTSD, specifically. Wow. And how many? Is it one in three women that have a thyroid disorder? Is it like one in five? Do you remember, I get that statistic confused.

Unknown:

It's, it's like one in five and it's one eight, if you're counting people who that's one in five who are diagnosed as having a thyroid condition, but it's one in eight women. So like whether they're diagnosed or not. Yeah,

Jaclyn Steele:

so so many women are walking around feeling like crap.

Unknown:

And they may have more than one. You know, it usually comes in threes. I'm lucky I only have one. And I plan to keep it that way. But yeah, women, women are walking around wearing the weight of the world on their shoulders, and literally just falling apart on the inside.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah, and just keeping it together. So for those women who are listening right now that may relate to what Whitney just said, What's the first thing that they should do?

Unknown:

Sounds so cliche, but self care. self actualization, taking the time to listen to your thoughts, to make space for yourself to actually live in your thoughts, and face your traumas, face your current stressors, and work with someone to write out a plan and post it everywhere. you're posting your daily schedule, you're in your house, right?

Jaclyn Steele:

Not like online.

Unknown:

Yeah, physically in your house in front of you where you see it on your mirror in the bathroom, your affirmations, reminding yourself how important you are, how you can do this. And it's really just one foot in front of the other one step at a time. We don't have to be super women. No, we also don't need to get into remission. It doesn't need to be a goal to get into remission. I will say that and I will scream it from the mountains. It is also not important, at least first step, or ever for a lot of people to get off of medication or to avoid going onto medication. And I think that's really hard for women to hear because we have comparison itis and

Jaclyn Steele:

so oh my gosh, yeah. Oh, totally. I was so opposed to getting on medication. So opposed. And the reason I did was because I was like I feel so awful. I can't function so if 25 micrograms of this thing is going to help me at least balanced out. And then I tried silly, silly me to go off the medication without any kind of supervision, and I tanked tanked. And that's with eating well still, but I tanked.

Unknown:

Yes, because it's a physiological condition. It's not, I mean, the impact that our mental health has is dramatic in our outcomes. But when the damage is done, some people can regenerate their thyroid, or at least in part, so you will see women who can if they didn't have a lot of thyroid damage, or if they caught it, you know, early and they were subclinical with their hypothyroidism, they could get off of medication. If there is a lot of damage done, and they can see that on ultrasound, doctors, you may not be able to get your thyroid to grow back, which means that you're working at a reduced capacity to create the thyroid hormones. And you could have zero antibodies, you could be in remission in that way. But you could still need thyroid hormone replacement hormones. It's not Yeah, you know, going on a lipid lowering medication.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah. And our hormones affect every function in our body, every single one. So if and the thyroid regulates all of it. And so if we are off there, it is going to affect every single system in our body. And for those listeners who are listening and going, Oh my gosh, this is kind of mind boggling. It's so important that we take ourselves seriously enough to check in and go How do I actually feel if you remove like alcohol or marijuana or shopping or exercise? Whatever your particular distraction poison is? If you remove that, how do you actually feel physically and mentally? And then we need to go from there.

Unknown:

Hmm.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh, my gosh, I just want to every woman and every man to is struggling with this. I just want to hug everybody and be like, I know it's hard. But this is, in some ways, one of the biggest gifts of our lives, because it's teaching us how to treat ourselves. And I know it's annoying, but at the same time, the lessons are, to me more important and much more valuable, and they outweigh the annoyance.

Unknown:

Absolutely. It's it's been an incredible journey. And so valuable in every way for me and for everyone I speak with just, it forces you to learn about the world around you, it forces you to learn about relationships and what a healthy relationship is, with yourself or with someone else it forces you to remember work life balance, or priorities. checking in on people, because you wish that people would check in on you. All the things Mm hmm. How sacred our body is, how our food system and how we need to take care of our planet. Everything is

Jaclyn Steele:

it's all connected and what a beautiful thing that is. Okay. Before I ask you these last two questions, I do want to touch on this. I also am wondering if my diet prior to my diagnosis was part of the trigger. I have been a vegetarian for 10 years. So as a dietitian, do you see an increase in thyroid issues from people that are coming from a plant based diet or a vegetarian diet? Because I don't want to blame it on that, if that has absolutely nothing to do with it. But if it does, I want to correct that.

Unknown:

Right. So I won't say that. A plant based diet by itself could be a cause it's really about the quality of the diet and your absorption of the diet. So your gut health. Were you able to digest and absorb what you ate? Were you able to take in those nutrients? The food itself? Was it high enough in protein? Probably not.

Jaclyn Steele:

Maybe I mean, I ate I ate so many fruits and vegetables. But I also ate the same things all the time. Because those are like my favorite thing in the world is a roasted vegetable salad and I make this homemade vinaigrette and it's gorgeous, and on its own would appear very, very healthy. But now knowing what I know if you eat the same things over and over your body also. It takes in too much and it forms some kind of reaction to too much of anything. Isn't that correct?

Unknown:

Yes. If they leaky gut is present, which is technically called intestinal permeability. Yeah. And I know people have in this environment this day and age world and is a precursor to having an autoimmune disease present. Yeah. So, and I know I have that dresser,

Jaclyn Steele:

I know I have that for sure I was on an antibiotic for two years when I was little for a chronic ear infection. And I was a C section, baby. So I didn't get that influx of really good gut bacteria to begin with that happens and a vaginal birth canal. And then chronic ear infection two years on antibiotics. I had a horrible thrush when I was a little kid. And so I'm sure that this has all just been leading up to hashimotos. And I'm so fortunate that I'm as healthy as I am based on some of those experience. Yesterday, you're very resilient.

Unknown:

There. You're very oh my gosh,

Jaclyn Steele:

yeah. Yeah, you

Unknown:

also then have so much to work with, that's what's green, there are so many areas to look and, you know, fill gaps fill the holes where the ship is sinking, you know? Oh, totally.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah. So I could keep talking to you all day, but I'm not going to steal all of your time. So

Unknown:

last question. I'll add to that, though, I will add that that with the foods, having a really wide variety of plants is actually one of the very important ways hashimotos. So it's kind of Yeah, that's and then you know, the quality being pesticides, or non organic plants still have pesticides, they just have organic pesticides. So that's something that a lot of people don't know, unless you're going to the farmers market, and you're asking your farmers do you spray? And they say no, then you know, you're clear. But if they just use organic pesticides, then

Jaclyn Steele:

saying, We need a whole revolution in our food system, a whole revolution. And I did read a really, really interesting book that came out recently called fiber fueled. And it was exactly what you just said, eat as many plants as much as a wide variety as possible. And that will help in healing your gut. And this was a book that is all plant based. So they advocate, no meat, no dairy. And with hashimotos. The information that I've had, in some ways is a little conflicting. But Dr. Mark has talked about lots of veggies, lots of fruit, and then lean proteins, too. Yeah. What's, what's your take on that in a synopsis?

Unknown:

I would agree with that. I recommend about 75% of your plate being plants. So maybe a quarter of your plate is starchy vegetables, half of your plate is non starchy. And then the other quarter is lean proteins from high quality. You know, pasture raised animals as much as possible. When you use leaner cuts, that does reduce the amount of toxins there's a lot of toxins are stored in the fat. So even if you're not able to get the highest quality meats, because let's face it, they can be really challenging for certain areas of the country or more expensive. So if you don't have a local farmer or Co Op, where you can get reduced pricing, just getting a leaner cut and the highest quality you can get at your local store is a great start variety, and then choosing organic fruits and vegetables aiming for at least 30 different kinds of plants each week. And that like Yes, so but it's but

Jaclyn Steele:

that will heal your gut, right? It does at least aid in healing your gut.

Unknown:

Yeah, you'll you would depending on the person and what their you know, comprehensive stool test results show you would need to add some supplements and to help really support the gut lining healing and closing the gaps. But you would reduce the sensitivities because you're not over stimulating your immune system with the same foods over and over, already become desensitized to and a lot of different herbs. So like you were to add parsley and cilantro, and other herbs, those count as the plants so even if it's a garnish that counts as one of your plants and they have released nurses

Jaclyn Steele:

so good. Oh yeah, there's so good for you.

Unknown:

Oh, good, bountiful amounts of flavor really enriching the dish and then they're just really potent with antioxidants and nutrients that your body needs and isn't getting if you're eating the same thing. Oh yeah,

Jaclyn Steele:

I make. I'll just brag on this myself. I make the most beautiful vinegar rats with cilantro and basil. And it's so easy. It's like a little vinegar, a little olive oil and a ton of herbs and salt and pepper. And it's unbelievably good. You can put it on any kind of vegetable, anything really? It's amazing. Oh, I'd

Unknown:

be happy to. Yeah,

Jaclyn Steele:

I'd be happy to. There's so fresh, so fresh, so easy to make. Question about cruciferous vegetables. What's your take on cruciferous vegetables? Because a lot of literature says no cruciferous vegetables for people with hypothyroid. But then we should have it with hashimotos just not raw, it has to be cooked.

Unknown:

Yeah, so definitely incorporate them. Yeah, they were known to be goitrogenic. But yeah, reason science has kind of gotten rid of that myth. I still lean on the side of being a little careful and making sure that most of the cruciferous vegetables are cooked, at least mildly steamed to deactivate some of the enzymes that lead to the goitrogenic effect. So I don't sit around and eat a platter of like veggies that have you know, raw broccoli and cauliflower. But I will eat the crap out of broccoli and cauliflower every single week.

Jaclyn Steele:

So, I mean, those are some of my favorite vegetables. So to give those off, I did for a short period of time, and I was like, I don't feel any different. And I feel like my body's craving them. So something's not right here.

Unknown:

Yes, and the a lot of the the sulfur that's in those are very important for liver detoxification. So we need these foods. We need the brassica family, which is the cruciferous, we need the alliums. So we need like the onions and the garlic. We need asparagus we need all of these like really crunchy and non starchy vegetables, the greens because they are the ones that provide those active phytonutrients at the at the liver level to really support natural detoxification. People talk about water fasting and juice fasting. No. Let me repeat that for hyperthyroidism. No, no, no, no, no, no, that starvation mode. And it does put so much stress

Jaclyn Steele:

on us.

Unknown:

Yeah, yeah, not to mention juices are just concentrated sugar. So even if it's a green juice, I mean, if you're talking about certain green juices that have become popular, it can potentially be a good adjunct to a healthy diet. Sure, but not

Jaclyn Steele:

the only thing.

Unknown:

Yes. And not. I mean, like all the fruit juices that are no

Jaclyn Steele:

sugar and spike your blood sugars. You have to look at the back. I mean, it flabbergast me even when you go to Whole Foods and you look at the juice aisle, I think most people think oh juice healthy. But if you look at it, it's like pineapple, Apple pear. It's like all sugar. I'm looking for like celery, kale spirally, not Apple,

Unknown:

then better to have it blended in a smoothie it's and then to have a cold pressed juice so that you get that really important fiber. Because as women, our bare minimum need for fiber is 25 grams per day. But like yeah, Ideally, we'd be at least over 35 which is the guys recommended back in the day, the Paleolithic area, area area. era that was a tough one. I mean, people were consuming upwards of 50 to 100 grams of protein, or fiber fiber. Brain yeah is going by now I

Jaclyn Steele:

totally get it.

Unknown:

So keeping all the nutrients together, keeping all the phytonutrients that are locked into the fiber, then you're also getting the vitamins that could come out in the cold pressed or not if they're attached to the fiber. I'm getting super scientific on you

Jaclyn Steele:

know, but this is important to talk about, it's so important to talk about because what is considered healthy and I'm doing this in air quotes is often not healthy. Like I understand the beauty of fresh pressed juice when you're doing a lot of vegetables and you need to like reset your system a little bit but that is not a sustainable way of eating.

Unknown:

Right. It's a treat like if you're at the farmers market and it's a hot day and you see a really delicious and ice cold cold pressed green juice. Sure grab my mouth is watering. I know right Me too, if it's going to support you in like your journey at the farmers market grabbing those really healthy greens and not going next door for some ice cream which I'm still on board with Hey, treat yourself, but you know, balance and you can incorporate the green juice at the right time and also know that when you choose to eat higher sugar foods, going for a little walk after having some form of exercise really helps your body to utilize those sugars. And that's another option. There are just so many ways if you work with someone where they can get to know you, your routines, your your must haves and your goals that you can personalize your experience. Well, I'm

Jaclyn Steele:

so glad that you're serving as this bridge between science and layman's terms or lay women's terms because it's so important to have this decoding activation that you're doing because somebody like me, who I love to read, I love to research, but I'm not a nutritionist, and I don't necessarily have the expertise to understand what is actually good for my hashimotos disorder. So the service that you provide is absolutely necessary.

Unknown:

Thank you. I'm so passionate about it. I love and, and it's women.

Jaclyn Steele:

It's so obvious. It's so obvious. Okay, so wanted to ask you a question about products, makeup and skincare specifically, this is something I've been obsessed with, like my whole life. I've always loved hippie dippie clean products. But now as someone with hashimotos, I'm like seven steps further in. So can you talk to us a little bit about products and what we should be using on our skin, and what we should at all costs be avoiding? Absolutely.

Unknown:

So in general, women use way too many products. So really cutting back on the number of products that you use in improving the quality is number one, that way you can understand what you're doing. Don't waste your time with that there are other ways to prioritize your time and spend your time really finding like just a handful of products that are clean and safe and better for the planet better for you. And that you can launch this are super conscious. Yeah, I actually used to be a consultant for one of the popular beauty brands. I sold the product, I don't anymore, but I really stand for everything they advocate for. And I believe in them. And I believe in products and brands that are like them. So I would say number one look for parabens and phthalates in any products, no fragrance, no plasticizers it's really like fragrances, the hidden one, you'll see a lot of natural products even say they don't contain X, Y and Z but they don't. When you see fragrance in the ingredients. Yeah, that can be awful. It

Jaclyn Steele:

is a cocktail of disgusting stuff.

Unknown:

Exactly. I mean, I have been known to email brands, and call them out and just be like, hey, you're you're saying that you're clean? But really, they're just greenwashed and they're not really clean? rmation? Yeah. So

Jaclyn Steele:

for the listeners who are like, okay, I want to transition to more clean products. What are some brands that you really love? Let's get micro here so that somebody can go, I'm gonna go order some of that stuff and just start the process.

Unknown:

So I used to work with beauty counter and yeah, yeah, I'm

Jaclyn Steele:

not very familiar with them.

Unknown:

I think they're wonderful. I stand behind them. I know that there are a few other really clean brands out now that I don't have a ton of experience with but that I like I like thrive, cosmetics, or their mascara. Because I personally don't love the beauty counter ones. Gotcha. So them and then there are there's one called Mineral Fusion that is pretty good that can be found at like sprouts and stores like that. You know, you're more like natural chain type stores. And then Jane Iredale is one that's more mainstream. And also

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah, I've heard that. And there are some that are hitting the market now that are incredible. Have you heard of lawless beauty?

Unknown:

I haven't.

Jaclyn Steele:

No, they're amazing. So I wear mostly lawless beauty and the color payoff is really great. But the founder has celiacs and has had a bunch of other issues. So her makeup is paraben free, dilate free. I mean, anything that she has found on the toxic list is not part of her ingredient list. And so I really like lawless. There's another clean beauty brand that came out recently called a maila beauty. And they are all clean too, but they're indie brands. So unless we have conversations and share those products, these brands it's harder for them to get out and be known because they're not mainstream. Well lawless is becoming mainstream. They're on Sephora now. But it's only because

Unknown:

awesome. Do you like your show notes? Yeah. Oh, for sure. It's really easy for everyone. Yeah, as far as body products go,

Jaclyn Steele:

are there certain brands that you like for body products, lotion, serums, cleansers, stuff like that.

Unknown:

I honestly don't use a ton of serums as far as cleansers go, I tend to use either beauty counter or a cure since a cure. Yeah,

Jaclyn Steele:

I have a lot of their products too.

Unknown:

They're great. I like they are. They're great. I also use Dr. Bronner's products for some new watches or even like cleaning. I love Dr.

Jaclyn Steele:

Bronner's. Oh, the almond. The almond scent is my favorite. It's heaven off to use that

Unknown:

I have that's like government and unscented and

Jaclyn Steele:

my gosh, the almond one is my jam. That's like my everyday cleaner. Yeah, I use it all the time. I also have you heard of living libations. Now, it is the most incredible company out of Canada. And they're just becoming popular. But the founder is obsessed with nature, and the purest ingredients on Earth. So she won't obviously she doesn't use any parabens or highlights or anything like that. But she won't even use certain oils because they have a tendency to go rancid. So she uses only the purest essential oils and botanicals. And then like yo yo but oil. And her products are on believable. Like I've never experienced anything quite like it. When you smell it, your nose recognizes like this is from the earth. This is not synthetic. And then you put it on your skin and the way my skin drank it. It was like, Wait a second. This is like my skin from when I was five years old. And it's because it's straight from the earth. It's straight from the earth. She is this woman who lives in the woods in Canada, she wrote this book called Renegade beauty. And it's all about living in harmony with nature. And she started this company with her husband and she literally creates all the products. She's created all the products herself.

Unknown:

All need that information as well.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah. And her book Renegade beauty is incredible. And actually, she's going to come on the podcast in a couple months, I reached out to her I could not believe that. She said yes. But I fell in love with the brand. I was like, I've never touched something. And I've been into clean beauty for years before clean beauty was cool. I was into clean beauty. But this living libations these formulas are just it's like, it's it's a form of self respect using them. It's like putting a line in the sand and saying, I am no longer willing to put anything on my skin that doesn't feel like it is a celebration coming out of Mother Earth.

Unknown:

So yes, yes, I am with you. I mean, I think that's one of the reasons I have minimized everything that I use, because I why people survive for a long time without using a lot of products and the ones that they use were from nature, and if I don't have them ready, I don't need to use anything. No be just fine. So if you can, if we can source these amazing from the earth products that are effective,

Jaclyn Steele:

and simple. And she she talks about simplifying everything. She's like, your skin has its own microbiome. Don't mess with it like us oil and that's it.

Unknown:

It's so cool. topical antibiotics and all of them.

Jaclyn Steele:

Oh my gosh, for the acne. Oh, yeah.

Unknown:

Yes, that we've all you know, used or been prescribed or

Jaclyn Steele:

that they actually the podcast interview I have today after you is a skincare expert, who has healed her skin from the inside out and only uses like the purest botanicals ever. And she's how I learned about living libations

Unknown:

Okay, yeah, so, yeah,

Jaclyn Steele:

I know. I just get to have so much fun. Okay, last few questions. These are rapid fire questions. So first thing that comes to your mind. What do you take comfort in?

Unknown:

Like actions or it can be anything that feels juicy to tell us. I honestly take comfort in knowing that my struggles will bring other people joy. Like it was all for a good cause.

Jaclyn Steele:

I took comfort in that too.

Unknown:

Yeah, I have a purpose to inform and support as many women going through this as possible because it was so traumatic for me. And you're doing that sister, you're doing it okay.

Jaclyn Steele:

What instantly brings you joy?

Unknown:

Chocolate

Jaclyn Steele:

or what has been your greatest teacher?

Unknown:

Hmm. Wow, well aside from my thyroid condition, which has taught me pretty much everything about what I need to change In my life, my grandpa. Huh, beautiful. Oh,

Jaclyn Steele:

favorite book?

Unknown:

I don't know if I have a favorite book. I'm so into like, well, gosh,

Jaclyn Steele:

it's a hard question. I know. And I call these rapid fire but they really make people think.

Unknown:

Yeah, because I'm such a science nerd. I am like glued to scientific studies and books all the time. But I would say self improvement books in general as a category have been in the last five years of my life. Major I can I can I listen on Audible to everything. And they have been really huge. My personal growth and relationship health.

Jaclyn Steele:

Yeah, me too. What do you want our dear listeners to take away from this episode?

Unknown:

That there are practitioners out there who know you hear you and will and can support you that you don't have to do this journey alone. You don't have to feel like you're on an island. You don't have to feel like you're talking to a wall, or feel like you don't have the options to do with your health, what you see for yourself.

Jaclyn Steele:

Whitney, thank you so much for being here. And for sharing all of this wisdom and expertise with us. We're so happy to have been here. This has been amazing. You're such a delight. Before.

Unknown:

You are and I love everything that you're doing. Oh, thank you.

Jaclyn Steele:

Okay, last thing, where can people find you online, and I'll link all of it in the show notes.

Unknown:

People can find me on Instagram at Whitney c.v.rd or at my website, Whitney crouch rdn.com. And I am putting together my six to 12 month program that is so excited for this patient. Yeah, I'm very excited to I'm putting all the science into it. All of this support. There will be educational trainings, there will be tools, there will be check ins, there will be office hours and there will be a community of like minded women going through the same journey there to support each other.

Jaclyn Steele:

That is what it's all about. Okay, well, people couldn't have gone better. Oh, good. Yeah. How people can register Tom?

Unknown:

Yes. If they're interested on my website, they can find it under how to work with me. The thyroid healing collective and they can register their interest and get on my list so they can get all of the updates and early burden is

Jaclyn Steele:

beautiful. Okay, thank you so much, Whitney. Yeah, thank

Unknown:

you.