I recently shared how I reversed my Hashimoto’s and naturally healed my thyroid, and many of you were curious how. In this post, I’m sharing a full thyroid update and walking you through my Hashimoto’s healing journey.
But before we start, please keep in mind that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for someone else. I’m simply sharing my story in the hope that it can inspire someone else on their own path. If you’ve ever been where I’ve been, I hope this serves as a reminder that healing can be possible.
So, how did I get my thyroid back on track?
Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease in Remission
The short version is that my most recent lab results showed no detectable thyroid antibodies. Every marker wasn’t just in the “normal” range, but optimal. I used Function Health’s panel (which tests over 100 biomarkers), which you can find here. I also had an ultrasound done to check for nodules… but as far as my Hashimoto’s is concerned, it’s in remission.
I haven’t needed thyroid medication in over two years and my body is doing all the work on its own. If you’d told me that 10 years ago, when I was in the thick of things, I would have had a hard time believing you. However, it certainly didn’t happen overnight, and the path was far from linear.
My Rock Bottom (And What Didn’t Work at First)
For years I did all of the “right” things for my Hashimoto’s, including trying to eat the perfect diet, medication, and spreadsheets of supplements. However, I was still exhausted all the time, inflamed, had poor digestion, and stubborn weight gain. I thought if I just had the perfect diet and took all the right supplements, my thyroid would start behaving like it was supposed to.
But it didn’t, at least not until I addressed the actual root cause of my stress and inflammation. In the process, I learned that you can’t out-supplement a dysregulated nervous system.
The Missing Piece: Nervous System Healing
This was my big “aha” moment, and the one I resisted the most. It wasn’t about another protocol or checklist, but recognizing and addressing my nervous system health. It was about looking at my inner landscape, my trauma, and how it all tied back to my nervous system.
For over a decade, I was unknowingly living in sympathetic dominance, always in a state of fight or flight. I was productive and always busy, but I wasn’t really healing. When we’re stuck in stress mode, our body prioritizes survival. It’s not going to repair the thyroid, digest food optimally, or balance your hormones. It’s too busy trying to keep you alive. The shift finally happened when I began teaching my body how to feel safe again.
Tools That Helped Regulate My Nervous System
While this is a journey I’m still on, there were a few practices that really made the biggest difference for me. I’ve since incorporated some of them into my daily routine for ongoing nervous system support.
Breathwork is first on the list. Not only can we regulate our heart rhythm just by breathing, but we can help our body shift into parasympathetic with our breath. I hadn’t been breathing deeply for years, so this was definitely a shift for me. You can read more about how to try it yourself here.
I also utilized somatic therapy and deep emotional healing work to help me release stored trauma. Hypnosis and guided meditation were also helpful tools that helped me rewire unhelpful beliefs and patterns. And according to a 2018 review, exercises like meditation and breathing exercises stimulate the vagus nerve and help calm the body.
Another 2018 study found that stress can worsen thyroid function, which was true in my case.
A Surprising Factor: The Power of Voice
Along with the above strategies that helped me calm my nervous system, I discovered another powerful tool. One of the most unexpected things that helped me was voice work. And while I don’t think this will heal a thyroid on its own, I do think it played a big role in the healing process.
How does it work? Our thyroid sits near our vocal cords, and humming, chanting, and singing actually stimulate the vagus nerve. This important nerve regulates our parasympathetic “rest and digest” function.
I used to be very soft-spoken and avoided hard conversations. Learning to use my voice through humming, singing lessons (even belting it out in the shower) was very healing. This also brought blood flow and vibration directly to the thyroid area. It was such an overlooked piece for me, and it correlated strongly with my improvement.
Positive Messaging
One of my biggest mindset shifts was no longer seeing my Hashimoto’s autoimmune condition as my body attacking itself. Instead, I learned to see it as my body doing the best it could with the tools it had. Every symptom was a beautiful message from my body, and I had to learn to listen.
I also realized I’d been living in the “I’ll be happy when…” trap: When I lose X amount of weight, then I’ll be happy. When I earn X amount of money, I’ll feel safe. However, healing came when I let that go and learned to find joy and rest in the now, not someday. It turns out, joy is a signal of safety too. The more safety signals we can send to our nervous system, the safer it feels and the more healing can happen.
The Food and Supplement Side (Yes, That Still Mattered)
Once I started healing my nervous system, the food and supplement piece finally started working. My body just needed to have the nervous system piece in first. While I still focus on a nutrient-dense diet, when I was actively healing my Hashimoto’s, I focused on simple, whole foods only. This included:
- Grass-fed meats and organ meats
- Wild-caught seafood (especially sardines and oysters)
- Fermented veggies, broths, and soups
- Plenty of healthy fats and root veggies
Now that my gut has healed, I’m on no restrictive diet at all. I can eat gluten, dairy, and other foods without a reaction, which is wild, because I used to react to different foods. I can tell my gut is no longer inflamed and my body can now handle the occasional cinnamon roll or Mexican food takeout.
Gut Health Tips
Here are the gut health supplements and tips I found to be the most helpful in my healing journey. I still use these to keep my gut (and overall health) on track.
- Just Thrive Probiotic – The only one I’ve consistently felt a difference with.
- Occasional extended fasting for gut rest. I also stop eating at least 3 hours before bed to give my digestion a rest.
- Bone broth and gelatin-rich foods for a healthy gut lining
Other Supplements That Are Key For My Thyroid and Hashimoto’s
I cycle through quite a few different supplements and I like experimenting with different things to see how they make me feel. Over time, I’ve honed in on some of my favorites that I really feel a difference with. These supplements include:
- Magnesium – Supports the conversion of T4 to active T3. Plus, our body uses it for over 600 functions in the body.
- Selenium – Helps regulate TPO (thyroid peroxidase), which is key for hormone production. A 2017 study also showed selenium can lower thyroid antibodies for those with Hashimoto’s.
- Zinc – Essential for hormones, immune support, and thyroid hormone conversion.
- Choline – While I do better with extra choline because of my genetics, it can be helpful for most people. I noticed a huge energy boost with choline and it helps support liver detox (which is also an important piece of the thyroid equation).
- Kion amino acids – Our thyroid needs amino acids to make hormones, and I found these helpful, especially when I wasn’t having great digestion.
I also cycle through trace minerals daily and use things like Beam Minerals. The thyroid is incredibly mineral dependent.
Simplicity For the Win
There’s a reason I keep shouting this from the rooftops, but it’s often the simplest things that can bring about the biggest impact. This is why I focused (and still do) on getting sunlight, supporting my circadian rhythm, and prioritizing sleep. These are free and powerful tools that are often skipped in favor of fancier biohacks.
- I get morning sunlight within 30 minutes of waking, every single day. I also get afternoon sunlight, and I’ve noticed a big increase in my vitamin D levels from this.
- I limit artificial light at night and wear blue-light blocking glasses
- I sleep 8+ hours, and my bedroom is cold, dark, and tech-free.
Detoxing the Environment
I also radically reduced my body’s toxic burden, and this was really the root behind Wellness Mama. Even though I did these things for years, it wasn’t until I had the nervous system piece in place that it all clicked. This involved swapping out my skincare, makeup, cleaners, and natural home products for non-toxic versions. I also started just using fewer products in general to limit my exposures.
I invested in high-quality water filters and air purifiers. And I eat clean as much as possible to avoid pesticides and herbicides. All of these changes signaled safety to my body and less toxins coming in meant more energy for healing.
Movement and Rest: Gentle First
When I was deep in the healing phase, I paused all high-intensity workouts. I walked, stretched, swam, and did bodyweight exercises. My focus was on rest and a whole lot of it. This was a huge mental shift for me, since I’m a type A personality and always felt like I had to be busy. Now, I no longer see rest as lazy, but productive and vital for healing.
I’ve since added sprinting, strength training, and more intense movements again, but only because my body is ready for it.
What My Labs Show Now
So, where am I at with everything now? It’s been quite the journey, but my labs are now showing no detectable TPO or TG antibodies. Other thyroid test markers (TSH, Free T3, etc.) are all in optimal range, and I don’t have any thyroid nodules. And yes, that’s without any thyroid medication now!
For years I’d been told healing my Hashimoto’s wasn’t possible, yet here I am.
Key Takeaways of My Hashimoto’s Journey
If you’re navigating thyroid challenges, autoimmune flares, or fatigue, here are some things to consider: Our bodies can heal and it can be possible. It’s important to start with safety signals so our body can prioritize healing. This includes joy, rest, and nervous system regulation, along with simple habits like getting sunshine, sleep, and breathwork.
I’ve found that healing doesn’t require perfection and it can sometimes be messy. This journey has taught me that my body wasn’t broken; it wasn’t attacking me, it was trying to help me. When I finally stopped trying to force it to behave and instead cared for it mentally, emotionally, and physically, I saw the biggest changes.
If you’re in the middle of your own healing story, I hope this gives you some encouragement to honor the signals your body is giving you. Healing looks different for everyone, but it’s much more possible than we’re often told!
Have you struggled with a chronic health issue? What were the biggest game changers for you? Leave a comment and let me know!
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