What Doctors Won’t Tell You About Your Thyroid, Little-Known Hacks To Improve Thyroid Function, The Best Thyroid Supplements & Much More With Dr. Amie Hornaman

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Every once in a while, a personal story serves as a stark reminder that your body, while resilient, isn't infallible. Sometimes, it sends signs—like unexpected weight gain before a major event or constant fatigue—that something's off.

But what if those signals are misunderstood? Or worse, overlooked?

Meet Dr. Amie Hornaman, doctor of clinical nutrition and host of the top-rated podcast in medicine and alternative health The Thyroid Fixer™, with listeners around the globe. The title of “The Thyroid-Fixer” didn’t just fall into Dr. Amie's lap; she earned it. Not only through her groundbreaking work, but because she knows the frustration of being misdiagnosed, not once or twice, but six excruciating times. It's not just about the wrong diagnosis; it's the emotional upheaval, the self-doubt, and grappling with a system that often doesn't look beyond the superficial. But adversity has a way of shaping trailblazers.

The founder of The Institute for Thyroid and Hormone Optimization, an organization with transformational, proven approaches to address thyroid dysfunction and support people in returning to full health, Dr. Amie is also the creator of The Fixxr™ supplement line, offering revolutionary, proprietary supplements that are changing the lives of many people.

From her own challenges, Dr. Amie carved out a mission: to ensure that you don’t endure the harrowing cycle of misdiagnoses she faced. Armed with her expertise in Clinical Nutrition, her credentials as a leading Functional Medicine expert, and her personal journey, Dr. Amie isn't just treating; she's transforming. She digs deep, looking beyond mere lab values to see the person in front of her. Her message to you is clear: “I don’t just fix numbers; I fix people. I give you your life back.”

So, why the focus on the thyroid?

Because this tiny, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck wields immense influence in your body. The thyroid plays a pivotal role in determining how your cells use energy, affecting almost every organ in your body. Its proper functioning is essential for heart rate, body temperature, and even cognitive functions, underscoring its central role in overall health and well-being.

Today, let Dr. Amie guide you through the nuances of thyroid health. Are typical tests enough, or are there gaps in the bigger picture? How does your genetic makeup influence your thyroid's function? And that low-carb regimen you're adhering to—what's it doing to your thyroid? Discover why T1 and T2 hormones are more vital than most realize, and if you're curious about animal-desiccated thyroid glandular, that's on the docket too. This is a discussion that goes beyond the thyroid to the importance of tuning into your body, championing your health, and realizing it's okay to challenge the norm.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-How did Amie Hornaman start her journey?…07:37

  • Amie competed in fitness and did fitness modeling
    • She had chicken, fish, asparagus, gym twice a day regimen
  • Getting ready for a pretty big show
  • Started gaining weight out of nowhere
  • Went to her doctor
  • The first doctor told her that everything was fine
    • To eat less and exercise more
  • She went to other doctors because she felt something was wrong
    • Dr. #7 told her she had Hashimoto’s
  • Started taking pills – Synthroid T4
    • Nothing improved
    • Started Googling thyroid hormones
  • Went into functional medicine
    • A functional medicine practitioner saved her life
    • Became her mentor
  • Amie is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and a Functional Medicine practitioner
  • Specializes in thyroid hormones
  • The Institute for Thyroid and Hormone Optimization

-How does your thyroid affect weight gain?…15:43

  • Formation of new fat based on the decrease in metabolism
  • The thyroid is the master of all metabolic processes, including fat-burning
  • If your thyroid isn't working, there's nothing that is working
    • People can't burn body fat; their metabolism starts to lower
  • Eating less and exercising more drops their metabolism even lower

-Are the usual thyroid tests adequate?…18:45

  • If you do not specify the thyroid test, doctors usually get you TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
  • TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone
  • It is adequate, but not enough
  • Functional medicine has different lab values than standard medicine lab values
  • For TSH, functional medicine reference range should be below 2
    • Standard medicine says 4.5+
  • Free T3 – the active thyroid hormone
  • Free T4 – the inactive thyroid hormone
  • We want to see the total of Free T3
    • Shows how much free active thyroid hormone is in the body
  • Reverse T3 – anti-thyroid hormone
    • Too much reverse T3 blocks T3 action at the cellular level
  • Hashimoto antibodies
    • TPO and TGA
  • 95% of all hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s
  • Over-exercising and over-dieting can affect the thyroid directly
    • A stressor on the body that can flip on the Hashimoto switch
    • Analogy to leaky gut

-What to do when thyroid values are off?…24:32

-Genetic tests for thyroid?…32:31

  • Genetic-wise, we can only test D101 and D102 pathways
    • It shows if the body is converting T4 to T3
    • Or pushing T4 to reverse T3
  • No genetic test that tells us exactly what medication is the best for us

-The importance of T1 and T2 hormones…34:11

  • T1 and T2 are very important
  • T1 is inactive
  • Amie has been studying T2 for 15 years
  • Many women bodybuilders would use T3 in order to lose body fat
    • After the show, they would put on significant weight
    • They cause thyroid problems because they shut down their own thyroid production
    • Like men taking testosterone
  • T2 in supplemental form – Thyroid Fixxr (use code BEN20 to save 20%)
    • Decreases body fat
    • Increases basal metabolic rate
    • Stimulate brown adipose tissue
    • Protects muscles
  • Ben’s experience with Thyroid Fixxr when he traveled in Italy
  • T2 is 3,5-Diiodo-L-Thyronine in Thyroid Fixxr (use code BEN20 to save 20%)
    • Amazing fat-burning results with no effect on thyroid lab values
    • No downside effect on the thyroid gland itself
    • T2 works at the mitochondrial level

-Does lack of carbohydrates suppress the thyroid?…40:38

  • Faster study over at Dr. Jeff Volek’s at the UConn Human Performance Laboratory
  • Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield
  • Glucose dysregulation and insulin resistance in the majority of thyroid patients
  • All of them go on a low-carb diet
  • Months and years of low carb diet can influence T3 production
    • Not significant enough to say a low-carb diet is bad
  • Cheat days and re-feeds every four weeks to push the reboot button
    • Haven't seen any hardcore evidence or studies on it
  • Good quality carbohydrates once a week is ok
    • Live life and it will come naturally

-The use of animal desiccated thyroid glandular…45:44

  • Organ meats supplements
  • The story goes back 15-20 years ago
  • Drying the thyroid gland out of a cow, hormones are going to be dried
  • They are beneficial if you are not a converter
  • Glandulars are 80% T4, 20% T3
  • If someone's a non-converter and they take a glandular, they could actually get worse

-Are iodine and selenium good for thyroid problems?…48:34

-Peptides and bio-regulators for thyroid support…53:12

-Red light therapy for thyroid issues…58:46

-Cold thermogenesis for thyroid support…1:01:25

  • Cold therapy is very useful:
    • Brown fat activation
    • Decrease in inflammation
    • Body is adjusting to cold
  • Cool Fat Burner
    • Cold packs for gut and neck
  • Stacking with T2 (use code BEN20 to save 20%)
    • Lowers or improves insulin sensitivity
    • Stimulates mitochondria
    • Improves energy
    • Inflammation goes down
    • Fat is burned
  • Grains of Paradise
    • Super potent brown fat activator

-Testosterone for women…1:05:54

  • Women get left behind in the testosterone talk
  • Testosterone is the most abundant hormone in a woman's body
    • It gives us motivation, drive, strength, helps with body fat, libido, hair growth
  • Conventional medicine and standard lab value range for women – 2-48
    • Amie believes it should be 50 and above
  • Women's Testosterone Booster (use code BEN20 to save 20%)
  • It's all about the dose, the administration, aromatizing testosterone into DHT
    • Personalization is important
  • Testosterone protects against auto-immune 
    • You can lower the Hashimoto antibodies by bringing the testosterone levels up
  • Amie can prescribe to all 50 states

-And much more…

Upcoming Events:

  • Couples Collective: October 25th – 29th, 2023

Couples Collective is an exclusive and immersive way to explore health, wellness, and mindset with your significant other. Jessa and I will be leading a health optimization and relationships workshop, alongside many other awesome couples. This is a small event, and access requires you to interview with event-holder OWN IT to ensure a right fit. However, for those who are said fit, this event is designed to bring you into deeper union within your relationship and onward into greater connection with your life, love, health, and happiness. I'm looking for 6 to 7 powerful couples to come join me at the event – are you one of them? Learn more here.

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

Dr. Amie Hornaman:

– Podcasts:

– Books:

– Other Resources:

Episode Sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Dr. Amie Hornaman or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

Ask Ben a Podcast Question

9 thoughts on “What Doctors Won’t Tell You About Your Thyroid, Little-Known Hacks To Improve Thyroid Function, The Best Thyroid Supplements & Much More With Dr. Amie Hornaman

  1. RICHARD G HAY says:

    Where is a good place to see what the normal test levels can be found (thyroid, metabolic, etc.)

  2. Darrin Schmidt says:

    Nice interview- BEN20 Code is not valid.

    1. Darrin Schmidt says:

      Update, the code works just not with the sub subscription.

      1. Ben Greenfield says:

        thanks for the update Darrin, let me know if you run into any other issues using my codes

  3. Tessa Bergman says:

    Hi! I liked your podcast on the thyroid with Amie Hornaman. I learned a lot but I would like to make a remark on the thyroid and cold exposure. I am a certified Wim Hof instructor and trained for 2 years with ice baths and other cold exposure. I wrecked my thyroid function and I had a remarkable high reverse T3. I dove deeper into this topic and I found publications about the effect of cold exposure (decreasing core temperature) on your thyroid. Cold is a stressor and it’s known that it will increase your reverse T3. Now, how to benefit from the cold when your thyroid is dysfunctional? Yes, you can psychologically and physiologically increase your cold tolerance with a dysfunctional thyroid but you:
    1 should avoid radical extreme cold exposure (drop in core temperature) – take baby steps, cold showers, short dips in cold water -50-65 degrees Fahrenheit is enough, build it up slowly. A lot of people with thyroid problems have maxed out adrenal glands, even more a reason not to create more stress on the body.
    2 could work with cold compresses/pack on your neck to decrease inflammation / increase vascularisation locally

    I hope this will add to a smart approach for people with thyroid problems.
    Kind regards
    Tessa Bergman

  4. Karen says:

    Code is fixed now. Thanks!

    1. Ben Greenfield says:

      Good! Thanks for letting me know.

  5. Karen says:

    I tried to order on Dr. Amie Hornaman’s site but your code isn’t being applied. :(

  6. Gina Gallagher says:

    OMG I couldn’t listen anymore and wait fit Dr Any. Sooooooo many commercials. Waste of time see ya later

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