Heart to Heart with Hads

Thyroid, Metabolism, Fat Loss

• Hadlea Shaw

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We break down the thyroid in plain language, from TRH to TSH to T4 to T3 and show how stress, food, and gut health change your energy, mood, periods, and weight. 

• symptoms of slow and fast thyroid and what they signal
• thyroid pathway from brain signals to active T3
• reverse T3 as a stress brake on metabolism
• why TSH alone misleads and which labs to add
• differences between hypothyroid, hyperthyroid and Hashimoto’s
• how gut health drives T3 conversion and energy
• root causes including stress, undereating, toxins and life stages
• food-first support with key nutrients and top thyroid foods
• smarter dieting, carb use and training to protect T3
• optimal lab ranges and when to investigate antibodies
• menstrual cycle links and why ovulation needs thyroid energy

If you guys have any questions, feel free to reach out, DM me


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SPEAKER_00:

Hello guys, welcome back to another podcast episode. We're diving deep into our hormone episodes, if you will. And so this episode is going to strictly be on thyroid. So let's get into the thyroid because I think this is something that is often overlooked for a lot of people. So we're gonna explain in depth kind of so you can understand it and so you're not gonna be confused by labs or symptoms. So essentially, some of the symptoms that you can feel from a slower or too fast of a thyroid, tired all the time, no matter what, cold all the time, bloated, constipated, stuck with weight loss, very anxious, foggy feeling, or like your body just doesn't respond anymore. Our thyroid could be involved with this. And the thyroid, I just want to make clear, is not just about weight and metabolism, it talks to every other cell in your body, every single cell. So we're gonna break down simply so that you're not gonna be confused by your labs or your symptoms. Again, right? This is not anything to be scared of, just wanting to clear the air on thyroid so that you have all the information that you need. So, very basic layman's terms. I'm gonna explain what the thyroid is. And I'm gonna explain in this analogy of the thyroid is essentially your body's thermostat. It is a small little butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck, and its main job is essentially to decide how fast or how slow that your body runs. So if it's too slow, everything feels very heavy and sluggish and constipated, backed up. And if it's too fast, everything feels wired and anxious inside of your body. So, in plain language, thyroid is your energy, your metabolism. So, how fast you burn fuel, heart rate, body temperature, mood, periods and hormones, digestion. Although it is one small gland, right? It has a very big job. And obviously, by all those things I just mentioned that it's a part of, it's plays a role in many, many factors. So I'm going to explain kind of the thyroid communication chain. So essentially it is, you're gonna have to listen carefully because this is how it's breaked down. Now, this doesn't really matter, but I just want to explain how it all works. So basically, it starts in the brain, right? The hypothalamus is going to send TRH, and TRH just means, hey, we need these thyroid hormones. The pituitary is what is the messenger. It sends TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. Thyroid stimulating hormone is the text message that just says thyroid, do your job. It makes mostly T4, which T4 isn't active, so it's basically like think of it as like the package that hasn't been opened yet, and then your body converts T4 into T3. I know it's a lot. So TRH to TSH to T4 to T3. That's the chain of events. So T3 is the active thyroid hormone. T3 is what your cells actually use for energy. You can make thyroid hormone though and still not be able to use it. So those are the main kind of thyroid hormones, but we're gonna get into some of the other ones. When we think about the next thyroid hormone, which is RT3 or reverse T3, think of this as like the breaks. So sometimes T4 can turn into reverse T3 instead of T3, right? Remember because we're converting from T4 to T3, but sometimes it can go into reverse T3. And reverse T3 blocks T3 from working, which remember, we need T3 to work because it is our active thyroid hormone and what tells our, and it's what tells our cells what's actually used for energy. And so what happens, the reasoning why reverse T3 blocks T3 from working is because stress undereating, not eating enough nutrients, or overdoing it with workout or illness, chronic illness. So reverse T essentially slows your body down when it thinks you're not safe. And personally, I've experienced this. Anytime I've gotten out of like a dieting phase or I've been in a dieting phase, my reverse T3 is usually pretty high. T3 is low. And so, in order to kind of flip those back around, I have to start feeding my body up more. So increase my food and micronutrient intake. So I'm gonna explain kind of the negative feed feedback loop and keep it very simple for you. So remember that we talked about thermostat, right? The thyroid being your body's thermostat. So when we have enough T3 and T4 floating around, the brain is like, all right, we're good. It stops sending messages. But when these levels are low, specifically T3, the brain yells louder and TSH goes up. This is why high TSH usually can mean the body is struggling, but low TSH doesn't always mean quote unquote healthy. And we're gonna explain this because a lot of the time doctors only will look at your TSH and if it's in the normal ranges, they're like, yep, you're good, but they don't check your T3 or your T4 or your reverse T3, which are really, really important things to see, especially if you have been dealing with, okay, I can't lose the weight, yada yada, yada. So now we're gonna talk about hypothyroidism versus hyperthyroidism. So hypo is most common, and this is underactive thyroid. So this is when everything slows down. You know, you can't lose the weight, you're constipated, everything is uh so the common feelings you get with this, like I said, is the weight gain, fatigue, cold hands and feet, constipation, brain fog, hair loss, low mood, low libido. And what's crazy about when we're talking about the thyroid is most women with thyroid issues do not even know they have them because they associate these things with being normal. And let me tell you, they are not normal, right? So then when we talk about hyperthyroidism, this is less common. This is when the thyroid is overactive, everything speeds up. And a lot of the times this can happen because women are in hypothyroid, they're in that hypo range, and then they get put on thyroid medication and it does too much, and then they go into this hyper. And so it's kind of like this back and forth kind of thing. And some common feelings with this are anxiety, weight loss without even trying, rapid heart rate, sweating, heat intolerance, shaky hands, poor sleep. I don't know a lot of people that have hyperthyroidism. So we're gonna get into why kind of thyroid labs can confuse people, which I had already basically mentioned that doctors often only look at your thyroid simulating hormone, but TSH is just the messenger. You also need free T4, like I said, free T3, reverse T3, and then also looking at antibodies, TPO, TP, OAB, yeah, TPO, and then T G. And this is gonna show is there thing, is there anything that's indicating Hashimoto's? And Hashimoto's is not a thyroid, it's autoimmune that attacks the thyroid. Just to make that clear. So, and another thing too is just because you have normal lobs doesn't mean you always have optimal function, right? Free T3 is a lot of like how we feel. Do we feel hungry, you know, three to four hours after a meal that we had? Are we warm? Are we freezing? You have to think about all of these things. So, and then just to kind of bring a lot of these things together, the thyroid is highly connected to the rest of your body. It talks to your gut, your brain, your adrenals, which is your stress hormones, your sex hormones, your liver, your blood sugar. A lot of things can happen as a result of low thyroid. If thyroid is low, we can see poor digestion only going to the bathroom one to two to three times a week. Poor digestion resulting in nutrient deficiencies. And then we have it's it's a it's a thought, it's a it's a it's a loop, right? We have low thyroid, which results in poor digestion. Poor digestion results in nutrient deficiencies, nutrient deficiencies worsen thyroid function. So all of these we have to keep in consideration, and it's all one just big feedback loop. So why the thyroid issues actually happen is another little thing that I want to kind of dive into. Thyroid dysfunction is usually a symptom, not the problem. Same thing with the sex hormone episode that I talked about. It's there, it's getting a message from your body. So the main buckets are chronic stress, right? High cortisol is gonna block T block T4 from converting into T3. Undereating and overtraining, undereating, being in a calorie deficit all the time, overtraining, you're doing endurance training, you are going to the gym five to six times a week, you are really, really overdoing it with activity. Poor gut health. This one is huge. This is probably the number one thing. 20% of T3 conversion happens inside of the gut. So if you have intestinal permeability, if you have some sort of gut infection going on, this is going to really, really affect your T3 conversion. And a lot of people are like, oh, like I can't lose weight and I don't know what it is. Like, what if it's my gut? What if it's my thyroid? Everything is connected. And if your gut is shitty, then you cannot expect to have a higher metabolism. Another thing, too, um, that can that's sorry, I lost my train of thought. Another cause of why thyroid issues happen, autoimmunity, specifically Hashimoto's. And this is where the immune system attacks the thyroid. And then we get into nutrient deficiencies like iodine, selenium, zinc, iron, vitamin A D, all of these things, all of these nutrients, minerals get depleted when you're on birth control. And so that's another reason why birth control, we blame birth control, but birth control is actually depleting these nutrients, and these nutrients are needed for our thyroid. And when our thyroid slows down, wah, wah, wah, can't lose weight. Another thing, too, toxins and hormone-disrupting chemicals, things like BPA, plastic. If you're starting to notice that a lot of these things that are associated with the other aspect, the sex hormones, the losing weight, the building muscle, like everything is all connected, right? So, like the toxins, the hormone disruptors, like if they're affecting the sex hormones, they're also affecting the thyroid hormones. Pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause also can cause thyroid issues. So the through line here is your thyroid is not failing you in any way. Your body has just kind of adapted to the lifestyle habits that you have picked up on, and that's okay. So I'm gonna break down some simple nutrients that help support the thyroid that you can either supplement in or some foods that you can take, not take, eat foods that are high in these things. So for the brain for thyro for brain to thyroid communication, so TSH, really good nutrients that we need to have in B12, magnesium, zinc. And then for making T4 iodine, which iodine you can get from sea salt, vitamin B2, vitamin C from fruits. Kiwi is like the highest fruit in vitamin C. I know it's not orange, it's kiwi actually. And then for converting T4 into T3, which remember T3 is our active form of thyroid, so we really need this high selenium. And so the food that is highest in selenium is Brazil nuts. Okay, literally just two Brazil nuts a day will help support that thyroid health, and then also zinc. And then for receptor health in general, vitamin A, vitamin D, but tie it. We're we want to tie these things back to food and not pills first, not supplements. So I'm going to kind of explain some of the foods that can help support your thyroid. Um, the top 10 foods for thyroid health. I'm gonna explain them, and I'm also gonna say, like, I've never even tried some of this. So, number one, actually organic Swiss chard. And this is because it has chlorophyll in it, it helps increase the energy and support healthy detox. So the thyroid is easily affected by toxins. So this food or food in general that supports detox are crucial. They're very leafy greens, so I think you can saute them up. So also this and or spinach would be my next best thing for you. And then sardines, you will not be catching me eat that, but since it's high in selenium and iodine, two of the most major minerals for your thyroid health. Spinach, mentioned that chicken, actually, very good, would get good quality chicken, like pasteurised if you can, because a lot of chicken can be really bad quality. Coconut oil, coconut really, really can help with the thyroid because it does help with blood sugar, which is gonna indirectly improve your thyroid and adrenals. And sweet potatoes, they have lots of vitamin A, which helps use your thyroid hormone within the cell. Love sweet potatoes. I am a sucker for sweet potatoes, wild caught salmon, they have a really great effect on your immune system and help decrease inflammation, right? Anything that's omega-3 fatty acid, fantastic, amazing for that. So this helps your cells. This is so the cells can use your thyroid hormone. Also, some also has a lot of selenium and iodine. Remember, those two are very important for thyroid health. Wild caught salmon over farm raised. Please, please, please. They do not have the same benefits. Bone broth. This is actually a good one because it has minerals and vitamins like magnesium, vitamin A. Also, like I mentioned, foods that your thyroid needs to function. Buffalo, beef, that's great. Pasteure raised strawberries, actually, vitamin C, like I said, kiwi. And um, what else? What else is having it? Yeah, vitamin C carrots. I love carrots. There's a lot of different things, like I mentioned. Brazil nuts are really good. What else am I missing? I'm trying to think of all the things. Really just nutrient-dense whole foods, lots of berries. You can supplement. I would I would highly recommend supplementing with magnesium, zinc, and B6. And all the others get from foods, eggs, whole eggs are really good. Um, another thing too is like making sure you're eating enough and then throughout the day, every three to four hours is usually what I like to strive for. This is also gonna support thyroid health too. Another thing to keep into consideration is long-term low calorie diets are gonna lower your T3. Remember, T3 is your active form of thyroid, and then chronic carb restriction, also. If you're eating a very low-carb diet for a long amount of time, that also is going to lower your T3. And the body will start to slow your metabolism down to survive, to maintain the body fat that you have. So if you've been under-eating for years, your thyroid is not necessarily broken or hindered, or you can't fix it. It's just trying to protect you. And so once you start nourishing it back up, you feel better. And I notice this when I get leaner, yeah, cool, I'm leaner. And my thyroid function starts to go down, and I have to diet even more, diet even deeper. So, what I have to do is start giving myself more food, and then my body's like, ooh, our thyroid loves this. And so then we start using that as fuel. And so going in through phases of like, okay, a little more calorie restriction and then a little more of a calorie surplus, you're you're feeding your body like, or you're telling your thyroid, okay, cool, like I can survive on this, and then ooh, wow, I get a boost of food. We love that. That helps our thyroid, thyroid hormone go up. So remember that years of dieting, overtraining, and stress all stacks up, and this all affects your thyroid way more than you know it. You know you've been dieting or under eating for years. You will know this because the women who have done this, they know they know how that feels. So the really big main takeaway that I want you all to get from this is thyroid issues do not come out of nowhere. Remember, they come out of stress, undereating, inflammation, gut dysfunction, hormone imbalances. Now, to figure out if you have some gut dysfunction going on, I'd highly recommend getting a GI map, getting a coach to guide you through this because this is not something that you want to navigate on your own. I have recently, in August of 2025, I had H. pylori and I'm just now getting over it, but I had to hire a coach to tell me what to do, what specifically what to do in different phases. And you're like, that's so annoying. I don't really have the time for that. Yes, you do. You have to make time for your healing, or else these other things, these thyroid issues, these hormone issues are going to continue to pop up. So stress, under eating, chronic inflammation of like just go, go, going, not sleeping, not feeling your body, the gut dysfunction, and then overall hormonal imbalances where stress is high all the time, or your sex hormones are off. Last thing is the goal isn't really to force your thyroid to try harder. It's just to make your body feel safe again. And healing your thyroid, making your thyroid levels better, means healing the environment inside of your body. So I'm also going to explain to you the optimal levels for thyroid. Let me pull up my optimal lab references. I don't have these memorized, by the way, so that's why I have to pull up my labs for you. Let's go into her. Okay. So TSH, we want it between 0.3 and 2.5. I don't know the actual unit of measure, but I do know it's UIU over ML. Free T4, we want that to be between 1.45 and 2.5, and that's Ng over ML. And then free T3, we want that to be between 4.5 and 6.5. The unit is picograms over milliliters. Reverse T3 less than 15 nanograms over deciliters. TPOAB, we want that less than 4. TBG 1.1 to 2.1. Remember, the TPOB is when we are getting into Hashimoto's. If that's higher than that, could be indicative of some autoimmune going on. Let's see. I think that's all I have as far as what I wanted to say on thyroid. Obviously, there's a lot more thyroid issues that we could talk about, but I think these are more of the more basic things. So, like I mentioned, making sure getting in enough iodine, right? And I get this a lot through sea salt, the foods that I had talked about. And then the last thing I want to mention on Hashimoto's is removing gluten can help a lot, like with your symptoms. When you go gluten-free and dairy free, 88% said they felt better. And when they went dairy free, 79% felt better. And then 33% reduced their thyroid antibodies and 20% reduced thyroid antibodies for the dairy-free diet. So just some cool things to kind of consider when it comes to thyroid health. And then when we get into thyroid and menstrual cycle, just the last kind of things I want to mention is if your thyroid is underactive, so hypo, what it does is it can actually cause your period to be irregular. So it can elevate your prolactin, which will suppress ovulation, and also can impair insulin sensitivity, which can increase your risk of PCOS. And then the most important things is that it robs your ovaries of cellular energy needed to ovulate. And so thyroid health needs to be a key priority if you want hormone health to be good. So checking those thyroid labs need to do that. ASAP, a lot of the things I would do too to help reduce like thyroid issues for thyroid autoimmunity issues, obviously eliminate wheat, like I said. And then another thing too is you can take ashwagonda that also will help with production of thyroid hormone. I think that's all I got. I know I talked a lot, a lot, a lot about a lot of these things for health. So for thyroid health. So I think that's all. I'm gonna end this here. If you guys have any questions, feel free to reach out, DM me, and I'll see you tomorrow for our part three. We're gonna be talking about adrenals, cortisol, stress. Get ready. That one's gonna be great.