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Organic, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo Recipes and Thyroid Health

12 Ways to Improve Thyroid Hormone Conversion (T4 to T3)

Is your body underconverting thyroid hormone? Are you producing enough T4, but not enough T3?

Did you know that your liver might be to blame?

Let me explain. . .

11 Steps to Improve Thyroid Hormone Conversion

Your thyroid produces T4 and sends most of it to the liver to be converted into the active form, T3. If you’re underconverting, then you don’t necessarily have a thyroid problem, instead, you need to support your liver so it can efficiently convert the hormone for you.

Liver congestion is pretty common nowadays, and can not only cause low T3 in the body, it also can cause estrogen dominance, severe headaches, blood sugar imbalance, chemical sensitivities, skin issues, and dark circles under the eyes, among other things.

As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I see this all the time, but the good news is there are some easy steps you can take to improve thyroid conversion.

Here are 12 ways to help improve thyroid conversion:

1. Do a castor oil pack over your liver 3-4 times a week. Castor oil packs are a gentle way to decongest the liver and lymphatic system.

2. Reduce your sugar intake as much as possible. The liver is one of the three organs that controls your blood sugar levels. The more sugar you eat, the more stress you put on your liver which can reduce thyroid hormone conversion. If you’d like to kick the sugar habit, click here to grab my buttermint recipe and give them try.

3. Rub one drop of Zendocrine essential oil blend over your liver twice a day. I personally use it every day. It’s a blend of Tangerine Peel, Rosemary Leaf, Geranium Flower/Leaf, Juniper Berry, and Cilantro Herb essential oils. It’s an amazing blend to add to your daily regimen to support the liver.

A little side note: I was on a real food diet for many years, and despite all of my efforts I would still get a break out on my chin each month before my cycle. These breakouts are usually hormone/liver related. So, I started using Zendocrine daily and it completely cleared up those annoying monthly breakouts! This has worked for so many others that I’ve shared this tip with!

4. Diffuse essential oils each day, such as Lavender, Lemon, Balance, Ylang Ylang, etc. to reduce your stress and relax the body. Your sense of smell is directly connected to your emotional brain, so diffusing oils can immediately change how you feel and reduce stress. Stress puts strain on the adrenals, liver and pancreas and causes an imbalance in blood sugar levels (yes, this can happen even if you don’t eat sugar), so using oils each day to reduce cortisol levels will give your liver the support it needs to be able to work more efficiently.

5. Make sure you are eating enough carbohydrates. While a low-carb diet is all the rage right now, going too low carb can inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3 in the liver. A minimum of 100g of carbohydrates a day from foods such as properly prepared legumes, lentils, potatoes and other starchy vegetables is a good place to start. And, if you’ve been on a very low-carb or grain-free diet for more than 12 months, I would consider talking to your practitioner about adding back some properly prepared gluten-free grains or fermented sourdough.

6. Eat two Brazil nuts a day. Brazil nuts contain selenium and this nutrient helps convert T4 to T3. I like to purchase raw Brazil nuts, soak them (to remove the phytic acid) and then dehydrate them in the oven. Check out my Instagram Story I did on this topic.

7. Read my 20 Steps to Heal From Adrenal Fatigue and see what steps you can add to your daily regimen. When the adrenals are fatigued, this puts extra strain on the liver, and this can reduce thyroid hormone conversion.

8. Take my free class about how to use real food, stress reduction, essential oils, and gentle detox to support the thyroid. I teach the class alongside fellow NTP, Season Johnson, and I think you’ll find it incredibly helpful!

9. Drink 1/2 a cup of beet kvass first thing in the morning, at least 10 minutes away from food. Beet Kvass is a tonic that helps decongest the liver.

10. Practice forgiveness. Nothing burdens the liver like harboring anger or bitterness.

11. Consume foods rich in Vitamin A daily. Vitamin A is actually essential for proper detoxification. It’s important to remember that Vitamin A is found only in animal foods. Your richest sources are liver (beef, lamb, duck, chicken), cod liver oil, butter, egg yolks, raw cream and cultured raw sour cream. There is a HUGE misconception out there that vegetables, especially carrots and squashes, are excellent sources of vitamin A. This is absolutely false. Vegetables are wonderful sources of beta-carotene. But beta-carotene is only useful to humans as it is broken down and converted in the body to vitamin A by the body’s vitamin A stores. This presents a tremendous challenge and serious health problem for vegans. This also explains why most long-term vegans eventually present with disorders linked to liver congestion and why it is not uncommon to see jaundice in vegans. While most vegans have good intentions, they may not have been properly educated as to the significant role vitamin A plays in detoxification as well as in skeletal formation and thyroid function.

12. Avoid intermittent fasting. While this is all the rage right now, most who are struggling with thyroid issues, need to avoid intermittent fasting because it puts too much strain on the adrenals and liver. Here’s a video Kim Schuette, CN, and I did on this topic. 

Have you found other steps that have helped you increase your conversion of thyroid hormone? If so, please share in the comments below!

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36 Comments

  1. Amy

    January 4, 2018 at 3:02 pm

    Hi Carrie -Thanks, as always, for your wonderful posts.Would you give us very practical ways to use essential oils on the body, without them getting on clothes, being messy, and feeling like oil is getting everywhere?Thanks!Amy G.
    Reply to this comment

    • Susan Hughes

      January 5, 2018 at 10:22 am

      I never feel this way when I apply essential oils and I use them daily! I will either add drops to my lotion or I’ll use EO drops with fractionated coconut oil. I especially like combining Frankincense with Copaiba and FCO.
      Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      January 5, 2018 at 10:43 am

      If you're using pure oils, then they shouldn't be oily. If they are, that's a sign that the company cut the oils with something like olive oil, vegetable oil, etc. This is pretty common for store-bought oils. If you haven't given doTERRA oils a try, I highly recommend them. They soak in almost immediately. I will say there are a few oils like myrrh and vetiver that are a bit more viscous, so they soak in at a slower rate, but they aren't oily on the skin.
      Reply to this comment

      • Amy

        January 5, 2018 at 6:18 pm

        Thanks!I have made several roller balls with carrier oil and essential oils in them. I guess I should find some skin that is exposed since I don't like the feeling of getting the oil on my clothes. Maybe the FCO is the oily part. I haven't tried doTERRA yet but do purchase top brands. Thanks again!Amy
        Reply to this comment

  2. Janet

    January 4, 2018 at 3:16 pm

    Thank you for easy tips and information! I was vegetarian for 40 years and Vegan for 10 of those years...I believed I was eating the perfect diet for me until 5 years ago when I began manifesting thyroid nodules, thinning hair and eyebrows, brittle nails and joint issues.......I've since integrated wild caught salmon, grassfed beef, collagen and bone broth, coconut oil etc. and the healing has been miraculous!
    Reply to this comment

    • Melior

      August 22, 2018 at 4:09 am

      Any chance you could give me more details on your diet? I have a supersensitive thyroid and nodules and I would like to find a way to slow the process or even reverse it if possible. Thank u so much
      Reply to this comment

      • Deliciously Organic

        August 23, 2018 at 9:47 am

        Castor oil packs and iodine are incredibly helpful for nodules and for recipes, check out my cookbook, "The Grain-Free Family Table" or the hundreds of gf recipes I have here on my site!Here are the links: Castor Oil Packs: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/castor-oil-packs-detox/ Why iodine is needed for the thyroid: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/iodine-hashimotos-thyroid-disease/ Cookbook: https://amzn.to/2wkyHqi Recipes: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/category/index-categories/grain-free-2/
        Reply to this comment

  3. Jen

    January 4, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    How many of these things are good to do together? And how do we know where to rub the Zendocrine? I only have one lob of my thyroid so I try to take the best care of myself. I normally like fasting since it just fits for me mentally but I do horrible on it. I do not feel well and I gain weight so fast. Thanks for all of this info!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      January 5, 2018 at 10:51 am

      You could do all of them together, but if you're just starting out, I would take baby steps and integrate one new step each week or every other week so that you don't put too much strain on the liver. You can either rub the Zendocrine over the liver, or place a drop under the tongue each day. I know using essential oils is controversial, so if that isn't something you want to do, just do what you are most comfortable with.
      Reply to this comment

  4. Susan Hughes

    January 5, 2018 at 10:25 am

    Thanks as always! And such a timely topic for me!! I’ve experienced severely heavy cycles the past few months and have crossed the bridge to anemia and I KNOW it is liver/adrenal related. I have slacked from using my thyroid EO blend before bed, and have also slacked from using LLV and zendocrine daily. Your wisdom is always welcome.
    Reply to this comment

  5. Megan

    January 5, 2018 at 11:15 am

    Thank you for this fantastic resource! I saw there are also Zendocrine softgels available. I have never applied nor ingested essential oils.. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on softgels vs. topical/sublingual application as you mentioned above? Many thanks!
    Reply to this comment

  6. Ruth

    January 8, 2018 at 9:28 am

    Hi Carrie! I have Hashimoto's with some nodules but with lifestyle improvements I am steadily getting better. I'm also currently 12 weeks pregnant! Which of these steps are safe to do during pregnancy because I'm finding out not everything I used to do is recommended while pregnant. For example i've had to lower my Vitamin A intake and don't do castor oil packs anymore. I take warm lemon water in the mornings, but if beet kvass is better i'll just switch to that. Despite all of my questions I'm so excited to be having a baby!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      January 8, 2018 at 11:34 am

      Congrats on your pregnancy! For pregnancy, we recommend to our clients that at a minimum they consume a nutrient-dense diet that is free from as much sugar and processed foods as possible, that all grains, seeds, nuts and legumes are properly prepared and to eat plenty of animal fats and organ meats for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Because I don't know your full health history, I can't say for sure exactly what your body needs. But, a nutrient-dense diet, using pure essential oils to keep your stress levels as low as possible, and epsom salt baths is a good start. If you'd like to book a 30-minute Nutritional consult with me, feel free to give our office, Biodynamic Wellness, a call! 858.259.6000
      Reply to this comment

  9. Jill

    January 27, 2018 at 6:40 am

    I had my thyroid removed due to thyroid ca 9 years ago. My endo says my levels are normal based on labs however i struggle with weight loss and am chronically cold. Despite eating a Whole Foods diet and regular exercise 6 days/week, Would your thyroid suggestions help me as well?
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      January 30, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      Did your doctor just look at TSH, or did they also look at T4, T3, FT3, etc.? It could be that your TSH is "normal", but that you're under converting thyroid hormones, so the proper amount of T3 isn't getting to the cells which can result in being chronically cold. Or, it could be that cortisol levels are too high which is creating high FT3 levels and weight gain. I'd read this post, and start taking some of the steps listed:https://deliciouslyorganic.net/20-steps-heal-adrenal-fatigue/
      Reply to this comment

  10. Carolyn Stutz

    February 9, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Hi - is it okay to do a castor oil pack even if your TSH, T3 and T4 are all normal? (I can't remember the difference between the FT3 and T3, etc, but the numbers are all good - this coming from a naturopathic doctor.) The only issue I'm having lately is some weird thing on my face. It started with my chin, then moved to my cheeks (near my nose) and now my nose. The best way to describe it is like having been in the ocean and having the salt and/or sand sticking to wet skin. I'm 56 and don't mind getting older. I just don't want to LOOK older with dried-out skin. I use the OCM and have been moisturizing with shea butter and coconut oil. When I fell on this article it gave me hope, but when I re-read all my numbers I began to wonder if I should bother with the pack.
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      February 22, 2018 at 11:52 am

      Iodine supplementation along with castor oil packs over the thyroid can be incredibly helpful. If you'd like, you can call our office, Biodynamic Wellness, and book a consult with me (I work with all clients long-distance) to help you walk through the process. Here's the number: 858.259.6000
      Reply to this comment

  12. Christina

    February 28, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    Hi, Carrie -I'm trying to get your specific instructions for soaking and dehydrating brail nuts, but when I click on the link it just takes me to your general instagram page and I can't seem to find your past stories. Am I missing something?I appreciate the help!
    Reply to this comment

  13. Saltean

    April 7, 2018 at 1:56 am

    Hi Carrie! Thank you for sharing your immense knowledge regarding thyroid solution. I am very grateful to you. I'm using Himalayan salt in cooking. I had thyroid problem before. After using it in my cooking, my thyroid problem has improved. Cheers!
    Reply to this comment

  14. Suzanne Taylor

    October 24, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Hey, I'd love to call and book with you. I have your fist book and have been following you for years. One thing I will say though is that intermittent fasting has really helped me but I could never do it without my adrenal cocktail that I learned from Morely Robbins The Root Cause Protocol. That has been revolutionary to my life! Because of my auto immune disease I waste electrolytes but when I keep them topped off I can fast and that has really helped my healing and I have lost 18lbs. I have only gained weight for 9 yrs due to illness no matter what I did. I agree w you it can be super traumatizing to some people with thyroid/adrenal issues especially if they waste precious electrolytes like I constantly do! Anyway, looking forward to working with you! You are awesome!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      November 24, 2018 at 6:42 am

      It’s a fact that Vitamin A (aka: retinol) is only in animal foods. This is not a statement against anyone. I agree that conventional meat and processed/conventional dairy are very harmful for the body, but pastured meats and cultured/raw dairy are very healthy food for the body.It’s a fact that they thyroid needs vitamin A to function properly, and yes, the body can convert a small amount of beta carotene to retinol, but this conversion cannot happen properly if one has thyroid, gut, liver or immune system issues. So, when one has thyroid disease, it’s imperative to consume Vitamin A rich foods.Stating nutritional facts doesn’t discredit anyone. If you have studies that prove that retinol is in plants, or that even with thyroid disease, gut dysbiosis, or liver congestion the body can convert plenty of beta carotene to retinol to keep the body functioning at it’s optimum level, please send them over. I’m always eager to learn!
      Reply to this comment

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