Category Archives: Whole Person Health

Stress and Obesity – Part II

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Causes of Stress

Prior to the early 1970’s, the majority of family units were structured as a one wage earner household where the male worked and the female stayed at home taking care of the house and family. Driven largely by social and socio-economic factors, all of that has changed. Now, the overwhelming majority of families include both parents working and we find ourselves on a treadmill of more work, more responsibilities, more demands and non-stop scheduling that has many of us in a state of physical and, at times, emotional exhaustion.

Added to the mix is our competitive culture, which often lends to isolation or “them against us”, thinking. Isolation of this nature causes additional “hidden” stress. The perennial truth is that the whole world is one family. It is said that there is only one disease, the disease of separateness; separating oneself from the awareness that as a member of the human family, we are one living collective organism. The drama created by a “one up” or “one down” dynamic, which we find in competitive societies, can lend to the exhaustion and the psycho-social behavioral issues that contribute to overeating.

Understanding Exhaustion
and it’s Effect on Obesity

The tipping point at which our bodies can no longer compensate for or adapt to the stress they are under is based in large part on the threshold of nutritional competency and the state of integrity of our nervous systems. When our central nervous system, which governs every cell in our body and makes life possible, is not working efficiently, we have a decrease in bodily function and a decrease in the ability to adapt to the world we live in.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, is rampant in our culture today and growing at an alarming rate because of the over stimulation and increased demands placed on our nervous systems. Add to this inadequate nutrition and a decreased ability of our bodies to digest and absorb properly because of the stress, and we see the building blocks of the epidemic of chronic diseases being currently reported.

What is so shocking for us as American’s, is that while we live in one of the most affluent societies ever to exist on earth and have one of the most technologically advanced medical systems; we are ranked at approximately 26th in the “World Health Olympics”.

This is not the failure of our medical system but, in fact, our collective societal failure to live in our bodies mindfully and respectfully, taking time for rest, proper nutrition, reflection, intimacy with self and others and serving the common good of all. It is this imbalance that leads us to chronic stress, which leads to physical and, if you will, spiritual exhaustion that is producing the levels of chronic disease and rampant obesity we see today.

Next Installment – Self Esteem and Health

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Stress and Obesity

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This topic is complex, important and requires much discussion. This will be the first of several installments on the topic. This material is in part excerpted from an article I wrote several years ago for Well Being Journal on the subject of Morgan Spurlock’s movie Super Size Me.

A Precursor to Obesity

A groundbreaking study, reported in 2003 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that between 1977 and 1996, portion sizes for key food groups grew markedly in the United States. This was not only found at fast food restaurants but also in homes and at conventional restaurants. In particular, portion sizes for salty and sugary foods, essentially “comfort foods”, experienced the most dramatic portion size increases. For example, the USDA’s recommended serving size for a cookie is half and ounce, while the average cook sold in restaurants was found to be 700% larger.

The by-products of our affluent American society, envied by many around the world, have a definite dark side – our obesity rates for starters. In a culture here more is better and disposable income is abundant, when it comes to eating we have developed a “more food, more conveniently and more often” attitude.

Certainly, no one forces us to eat more than our body needs, so what is driving this “hunger” for more? Over the last two decades, almost proportionally to the dramatic increase in food consumption and chronic disease diagnoses, the amount of stress in our society and on each of us individually has increased significantly. Stress the term medical researcher Hans Selye, MD, PhD, gave to the experience our bodies go through when we have to adjust or adapt to various changes in our environment, either externally or internally.

While many of us limit our thinking about stress to emotional states, many other factors can exert an equally detrimental effect on our bodies. When we do not get enough sleep or rest, work or exercise too much, neglect our nutritional needs, have an infection, have allergies, injuries or trauma, undergo dental or surgical procedures, have emotional upsets or deal with any aspect of reproductive function, our bodies must chemically and neurologically adapt in order to survive. Part of this adaption process relies heavily on the nutrition that is available for the kidney’s adrenal glands to produce adaptive hormones. It is often this aspect of stress that can lead to overeating, and what’s more, over eating the types of foods that cause unhealthy weight gain.

How it Works – the next installment.

With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Relationships and Health

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Recently, I attended a grief support group for adults who have experienced a significant loss over the past year. All the attendees were at various stages of grief and loss, from a wide range of life altering experiences.

What was so important to me about having the privilege of hearing their stories is that each and every person talked about how being in relationship and or belonging to their family or loved ones was, in the end, the most important aspects of their life and the their loss was devastating, no matter how much success in other parts of their lives they had experienced.

Many of the attendees had excellent incomes, owned high end homes and lived what would be called abundant, successful lives. But what each of them discovered through the sudden loss of a spouse or family member, or through an unexpected divorce, is that Freud hit the nail on the head when he coined “we are never so hopelessly unhappy as when we lose love.”

When it comes to our health, we often do not connect how imperative the experience of loving, being loved and belonging are to our overall well being and immune function. Leaving the support meeting, it felt important that from time to time we remind ourselves about what really matters in our lives, as our health and our relationships are intimately intertwined.

Many of the attendees also suffer from chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers. All of these conditions can be traced back to the stress they experience from the loss and subsequent grief that comes from the loss of relationship.

Do something good for your self today, and for those you are in relationship with. Take a moment of gratitude for the gift of family, friends, spouse, partner, peers who enrich your life and keep you healthy.

Without the gift of sharing love, our lives and our health suffer.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease – GERD

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GERD, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, is one of the top 5 most prevalent gastrointestinal conditions in adults. Considering that digestive complaints comprise the number one emergency room complaint, that is a lot of tummy aches! GERD is typified by heartburn, nausea and regurgitation and is most common when a GERD sufferer lies down at night.

The cause of GERD is the failure of the lower esophageal sphincter or LES mechanism, meaning it does not close properly to keep stomach acid from regurgitating into the upper esophageal region. When acid finds its way there (we’ve all burped up stomach acid and it hurts!) burning, sometimes nausea and even vomiting can occur. Unfortunately, if it becomes chronic a wide number of conditions can occur, including esophageal ulcer and cancer.

Why do people get this? From a medical perspective it’s a condition caused by a mechanical failure of the LES and the diaphragm (there can be a hiatal hernia involved) to keep the pressure on the esophageal sphincter; or there is “slow stomach emptying” that can be the cause. Using antacids, Prilosec, anti-histamines, eliminating foods that can provoke the GERD (chocolate, mint, alcohol and coffee) or reducing the amount the patient eats and the times they eat are all treatments for GERD. In severe cases, surgery is often recommended.

From a Whole Person Health perspective how would a practitioner support a client with GERD? Let’s look at the mechanisms involved to give us clues to the cause and effect of this condition:

> esophageal sphincter is not working properly
> diaphragm is not working properly
> acid is escaping into the upper esophageal area
> obese or significantly overweight individuals have a higher occurrence of GERD

These symptoms suggest that the enervation’s of nerve stimulation of the esophagus and diaphragm may be under functioning due to either structural/neurological causes or that stress, which constricts the diaphragm and decrease internal muscle function.

In the medical literature, GERD appears to be more related to structure and function than to pathology. Unfortunately, the traditional treatment for GERD is Prilosec, which by suppressing the stomach acid also reducing the body’s immune function as stomach acid is a front line immune defense against bacteria and viruses entering the body. This medication comes with a caution for many unpleasant side effects, including cancer, which is a result of the decreased immune function of the stomach acid which kills micro-organisms that can make us sick or even kill us.

How would a Whole Health Practitioner facilitate their client’s recovery from GERD?

> educate the patient about HOW GERD occurs and invite them to identify what could be the causes for their dysfunctional digestive system. If you ask most individuals what they think is wrong; 9 times out of 10 they have the answer.

If they understand the role their stress plays in this condition they can do something about it and take greater control over their health.

> provide information about how to relax the diaphragm both manually and through breathing exercises to assist is reducing the GERD symptoms

> assist the person in identifying how various known foods and over eating of these foods can contribute to the problem

> providing information about calcium as a natural anti-acid

> identify how yoga postures can make a marked difference in GERD symptoms

> offer information about acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathic as options to treating the neurological component of GERD rather than only relying on drugs

> explain how losing weight can greatly enhance recovery

> share exercise information that can help strengthen their diaphragm

> most importantly, let them know they are in charge of their body and they can take control over their symptoms

Even if a person is taking medication, there are many things they can do to improve and even eliminate GERD. I have seen this happen almost miraculously once a person is fully engaged with clear, demystified health information and is empowered to take control, feel better, be healthier and happier.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Science of How What We Believe Becomes Our Reality – Part Two

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Given the way the health sciences have been taught in nursing and medical schools, it is perfectly understandable for physicians and nurses trained more than 25 years ago to think the placebo effect didn’t make sense and was instead a popular explanation for a sudden healing – a “spontaneous remission”. It is a leap for many to accept that a person could think or believe something and that simple act of belief could heal them?

Up until the last twenty or so years, research scientists did not have a grasp on how the brain and our emotions worked to create our reality. The subject of emotions has been and still is very much “uncharted waters” in behavioral science. However, what is well documented today is how the various brain waves function and what part of the brain each of the various brain waves control and stimulate and most importantly what emotions actually are. (This will be discussed in another segment.)

The “beta waves” which are the brain waves that allows us to focus on the words on this blog and comprehend, in the moment, what is intellectually being communicated. These waves are produced in the frontal lobe which is the seat of intellectual functioning. Thinking, analyzing, reasoning and so forth occur in this part of the brain.

The “alpha waves” which are the slower brain waves which originate in the mid-brain are the brain waves that allow us access to our unconscious thinking or what some refer to as the soul. All thought processes, be it from the beta wave or alpha wave region of the brain are actually chemical reactions that produce specific proteins which communicate with our immune cell membranes and other cell membranes of our body.

The specific thoughts we think and the region of the brain they originate in have an identifiable chemistry that has been shown to create dramatic changes in our physical bodies. In Dr Paul Pearsall’s ground breaking book “The Hearts Code” he tell many amazing mind/body stories but one in particular, that is a striking example of how powerful thoughts and images are, is the story he tells about a schizophrenic patient who demonstrated completely different disease states depending on the personality she was exhibiting. Ultra sounds, cat-scans, lab tests all confirmed that one of her personalities had a massive cancerous tumor and yet when she went into a different personality state all of her previous pathology disappeared as well.

Our brains are the ultimate manifestors of matter. The chair you are sitting on was a thought before if became that chair. Thought ARE “things” – that it thoughts in action are what manifest reality. For the woman in the study in Part I of this blog topic, who was cured of her stiffness after the sham surgery, her mind manifested a different set of thoughts through her hope and expectations for the outcome of the surgery. Her brain waves and proteins created positive chemistry which communicated with her immune system through its cell membranes. The results – she became healthier and could “stride across the room”

The idea of mind over matter is a powerful one. This science, and our understanding of its amazing chemistry, is in its infancy stage. In the future we will take the possibility of healing ourselves with thought and imagery for granted just as we now do about people having an organ transplant – which was thought unheard of not that long ago.

In the meantime, we can all improve our health, success and happiness but learning to improve our “self-speak” and reinforce our bodies and minds with positive words, thoughts and images.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Passion Diet

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One of the frustrating aspects of health information that we hear the most from consumers is that just when you think you’ve got a handle on what you are supposed to do to be healthy – the information changes.

For example, not long ago those of us who were over 50 were assured that if we moderately cut back our portions, decreasing our calories and exercised for a half hour 4-5 times a week, we could keep the extra body fat that creeps in after menopause, at bay.

How many women dutifully reduced their calories and did their daily half hour exercise routine, only to feel that there was “something wrong with them” because this formula didn’t work for their body, even though the “experts” said it was the right way to control weight after the age of 50.

The weight loss wisdom has now shifted for women past the age when our estrogen is dramatically lower than pre-menopause. Estrogen, as every woman knows, is that amazing hormone that is a metabolic calorie burner as well as a reproductive hormone. It keeps us heart healthy; keeps our skin healthy and it produces “pheromones” for attraction, among other amazing and important body functions

No longer is a half hour of exercise deemed adequate to increase the metabolic furnace that is slowed down by the loss of estrogen and the creeping weight gain around the middle. We now have to exercise a minimum of one hour per day and really watch everything we put in our mouths, especially carbohydrates, which we want more than ever for the serotonin surge they give us. This new information comes from the simple fact that women over 50 generally do not lose the weight they want with just a half hour of exercise.

What is important regarding losing weight and keeping it off after 50 is what our individual body tells us is right for our metabolism and body type. We need to ask ourselves what do we know about ourselves , and our own weight loss and weight gain pattern, that should be more important than the “weight loss expert’s” advice?

The big question is, now that we are past the age of reproduction and our body no longer is protecting us against many of the maladies that come with getting older, what are we willing to make the priority in our lives and what do we know about our own metabolic profile and how food and exercise affects our body weight? What also happens past 50 that can liberate us from this body syndrome and how can we harness it for our health and well being?

After 50, we lose our inhibitions, accept ourselves for who we are more, surprise ourselves with finding new interests and passionsand throw off the yoke of being so concerned with success and achievement. We may lose some physical passion, but mentally and spiritually we are “off and running” in a whole new way.

Important questions to ask ourselves about what we know about how to lose weight~

1- What do I know about how I gain weight?
2- What do I know about how I lose weight?
3- Do I eat when I’m stressed?
4- Do I lose weight when I’m stressed?
5- Do I use food for emotional soothing?
6- Does eating play a dominant role in my daily routine?
7- Is losing weight more important than eating what I like when I like it?
8- What am I willing to give up, to get the body weight I want?
9- Do I feel my food choices need to improve?
10- What is my personal experience with exercise?
11- What works best for me, what kind of exercise do I enjoy?
12- What do you know about how my body responds to exercise?
13- Am I willing to make the time to take care of myself?
14- What are my health priorities?
15- What are my ego priorities?
16- What keeps me from being the weight I want to be- REALLY?

The issue of weight loss is intimately connected with our relationship with our mental, emotional and physical energy. Rarely do we see an energetic, productive, organized individual (man or woman) who struggles with weight issues, even after 50 because they are often focused on their external interests and passions. Ironically, these folks often suffer from not taking the time to eat when or as much as they should.

One of the weight loss “secrets” I have learned over the years from my patients is that when they are excited, creative, interested and passionate about their work, their relationships, learning, doing or being, the issue of a naturally right body weigh solves itself. We are often over focused on the sensory experience and pleasure of food as a main stay for satisfaction and fulfillment.

However, when something else captures our attention and energy, the issue of fulfillment and gratification can come from a totally unexpected and different source. Something to consider ~ Let’s find our passion and joyfully burn those calories!

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Autism and the Amish

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An important health article was sent to me yesterday and even though this week’s blog has been about the endocrine glands, this information felt compelling enough that it should be shared with you while it’s fresh. The following quoted information regarding the Amish and Autism was provided by Thomas Corriher who hosts The Health Wyze Report, an Internet radio program. Please note: I have made editorial changes indicated with [ ] to keep the tone of the piece as non-political as possible.

“People outside the alternative health community are often confused by the lack of autism in the Amish people. The Amish do not experience autism, or any of the other learning disabilities that plague our technological society. The Amish live in a society that consists of outdated technologies and ideals, by contemporary standards. Their diet consists of eating organic, fresh, locally-grown produce, and they do not follow the established vaccination routines.

This has resulted in a healthier people who are void of our [most common]chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are virtually non-existent in Amish villages. Equally non-existent are modern, chemically-engineered medicines, chemically-engineered foods, G.M.O. foods, and of course, vaccines. How is it that those who are without modern orthodox medicine are healthier? The truth about health, medicine, and how they both relate to the Amish is becoming [ever more important].

There have been 3 verified cases of autism in the Amish, and at least two of those children were vaccinated. No information is available for the third. The strong correlation between vaccinations and autism [appears] undeniable, unless you work for [vaccine vested interests]. Proponents [of vaccination] claim that the Amish have a special super gene that makes them immune to autism.”

The subject of autism and vaccination is highly controversial and there are many families (you may belong to one of them) who are trying to sort out the facts in order to make the important decision of whether or not to vaccinate or how much and how many vaccines to allow.

I would like to offer, if this is a concern for your family, that you may want to explore this subject of autism in the Amish, as well as autism in those who live within specific communities which follow an organic, natural lifestyle and do not use synthetically produced medications as part of their health care. This information may possibly assist you in making a more informed decision regarding this important matter.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

Female Hormones and Depression

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Recent research review by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at hormonal dysfunction in women as potential causes for depression.

The focus of the review by the NIWH investigators and their subsequent report was on how the female reproductive system interacts with the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body’s stress response. This mechanism can set up a biochemical environment for psychological disorders in females. It was noted that females are twice as likely then men to experience depression.

Through the HP-axis, stress in women impacts the reproductive hormones which can upset patterns of ovulation. This upset can contribute to the lost of menses and to infertility. If the inter-relationship of stress and female reproductive hormones becomes chronic, behavior and mood disorders and depression can increase significantly. When oxytocin is suppressed due to excessive stress hormones, fertilized eggs cannot implant into the uterus. This is believed to be a primary cause of infertility in American women, owing to our highly stressful lifestyle.

Depression, eating disorders, alcoholism or other addictions may occur with the estrogen-induced disruption of normal HPA function. The key to preventing or correcting the problem as we find in many physiological conditions is to create a more balanced, less stressful lifestyle. If the body’s stress adaptation system becomes overwhelmed, and cannot appropriately adapt to the environment and demands of everyday life, many disorders and conditions can develop, depression being just one of them.

Regarding postpartum depression, the investigators identified that chronic hyper secretion of the stress hormone cortisol during a pregnancy creates a temporary suppression of adrenal function following delivery. This coupled with the sudden drop of hormonal levels of estrogen after birth may be a significant factor in post-partum depression or subsequent immune dysfunctions such as postpartum thyroid conditions.

It is very important for women, because of our very integrated hormonal and nervous systems to work towards a balanced, low stress life-style. Unlike our male counter part, our hormonal system immediately let’s us know when we are “off center” by delivering loud messages through hormonal dys-function.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part VI

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

Called the “Master Gland” by many, the next endocrine gland to discuss is the Pituitary Gland. The Pituitary, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the third eye”. This is because the Pituitary Gland is associated with “higher awareness and higher consciousness”.

As the Pituitary gland is located in the frontal portion of the brain, right behind the space between our eyes, it is called the “third eye” as it also “sees” the world from a different perspective beyond just the physical appearance. The Pituitary sits on its own little throne, called the “Turk’s Saddle”, and holds court as a high ranking endocrine gland. It has been called the Master Gland because the Pituitary acts as a “dispatcher” of sorts, directing the various endocrine gland secretions to function on cue.

These cues come from the nervous system, the emotional center of the brain and the body’s chemical communications. The Pituitary is the interconnectedness component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Just as the Pituitary interconnects all of the endocrine glands to each other, so does it relate to our awareness and consciousness regarding our connectedness to one another.

The endocrine system is a completely inter-dependent system and if there is an abnormal function in one gland it has a direct effect on all of the other glands, each of which adapts to the hormonal change and “pitches in” to try and restore balance to the body chemistry.

This is actually what happens in healthy societies when each member works to serve the common good of all. Physically the Pituitary is connected to our Balance in the world and to the balance of the entire endocrine system.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Pituitary, holds a place for our “higher self” and responds to and expresses Trust, Acceptance and Integration. The Pituitary is the Spirituality component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.Spirituality being defined literally as “breath or life” or how we live within our self and with others.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects.The last two aspects, as we have seen with all the other endocrines clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Pituitary is Charitywhich expresses a generosity towards others and a giving of self. The Pituitary works on behalf of all the other glands, doing multiple jobs for the benefit of all. When we are accepting and gracious to all, we express the highest consciousness of the human experience and we are said to be living from our “third Eye Chakra”.

The DEADLY SIN of the Pituitary is the opposite of its virtue. The opposite of this charitable, hard working gland is SLOTH or laziness and self-serving behavior. While the higher expression of the Pituitary is Charity and generosity towards the good of all, the lower expression of the Pituitary is a laziness and uncaring self absorption. When we are too self-centered or narcissistic, we work against the common good and can become destructive.

It is very simple to see the value and importance of understanding how the body works in a whole integrated way. Many meditation and spiritual practices understand the power and potential of awakening the Pituitary or “Third Eye” consciousness. This awakening is not only for the benefit of others, but for our own emotional and physical health, as well as for our own happiness.

Next and final Endocrine Gland: the Pineal Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved

The Endocrines – Part V

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To review the subject of the Endocrine System:

The endocrines are just so perfectly expressed as “everything being connected to everything else in the body” that it is pure joy to share the information.

We will discuss SEVEN aspects of the reproductive glands based on these concepts:

(1) the physical gland
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) the five (5) Whole Health aspects
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

The Thyroid is the next endocrine gland to discuss. The Thyroid, in yoga and energy circles is often referred to as “the throat” chakra. The Thyroidgland is located in the neck. It differs from other endocrine glands in that its hormones are stored for future use, as well as secreted for immediate metabolic needs. The hormones produced by the thyroid, Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3), are responsible for stimulating cellular metabolism throughout the entire body as well as growth and energy. The Thyroid controls how many calories we burn, our body heat, and how much we weigh. If the Thyroid was removed and there was no hormone replacement, the cells would cease to function metabolically and death would occur within a relatively short period of time.

The Thyroid is the personal power and self expression component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. This is easily understood when we think about how our throat is “our voice” and when we speak our truth and express ourselves in the world, we own our personal power and experience self-expression. Under functioning Thyroid problems are believed in many healing circles to be caused by “not having a voice” and not expressing ourselves in the world. Physically the Thyroid is intimately connected to our Brain Cortex – and our interpretation of Self.

Regarding Selye’s Stress Model, the Thyroid can express the Fear, Worry and Lack of Trust dynamic. The Thyroid is the mental-cortex-intellect component of the Whole Health Five Aspects.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last two, as we saw with the reproductive glands, the adrenals and pancreas and thymus, clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of each specific endocrine gland.

The VIRTUE of the Thyroid is FORTITUDEor strength. Often the force of will of an individual determines their fortitude or strength. The “throat chakras” – which relates to our voice in the world and how we express our WILL in the world, is what the Thyroid represents. People who have Graves disease, where their eyes are bulging from their sockets, is the result of a hyperactive thyroid gland and appears very clearly as a forceful expression of WILL or anger. If you have ever witnessed anyone becoming intensely angry about not getting their way, you can see this eye bulging occur.

The DEADLY SIN of the Thyroid is once again the opposite of its virtue. The opposite of fortitude and strength is weakness, fear and ANGRY WILLFULNESS. When we are too focused on getting our way or imposing our will onto others, we suffer from aggression that ultimately can become expressed through the symptoms of chronic conditions, such as Graves Disease.

Once again we can see the value and importance in understanding how the body works a whole integrated being. The Thyroid is another important gland in the endocrine system, enabling us to function well metabolically to keep us healthy or if malfunctioning can make us sick.

The function of our Thyroid function is in our hands. The way we think, treat ourselves and others play a role in the health and function of our Thyroid gland.

Next Endocrine: The Pituitary Gland

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved