And 4 Other Reader Questions For Sally-Ann Creed

‘I’Ve Heard That Eating More Carbs Is Better For Some Women – Is This True?

- Sally-Ann Creed

Q: I’ve discovered that my thyroid function is suboptimal, but apparently the same goes for my adrenal glands. Which should I tackle first?

A: Very often, when the body is under extreme stress (and even eating poorly can exert undue pressure on your system), the adrenal glands don’t cope well and a condition known as ‘adrenal fatigue’ ensues. This is more complicated than it sounds, but let’s just say that once you begin to eat more protein and stop having sugar and refined food, you should be able to restore adrenal function in six months (although this can take longer). The thyroid frequently rectifies itself during this time, so it may be best to address adrenal function first, and wait a year to give the thyroid a chance to respond. Most of the top experts in the field who understand thyroid disorders (from a nutritional perspective) will refuse to treat the thyroid until after the adrenal problem has been addressed. Sugar and a high-carb diet are extremely stressful to the body, including the adrenal and thyroid glands, so following an LCHF programme should yield excellent results. Please don’t fast if you have suboptimal thyroid or adrenal function. Start by avoiding sugar, grains, dairy, fizzy drinks, fruit, caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes. These are stimulants or sugary foods, which deplete the adrenals. Take a good high-dose vitamin C supplement and make your own bone broth and fermented food. Also, get some help from a qualified health professional, although doing all of the above is a great start!