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Archive | July, 2009

How To Treat Hypothyroidism: Is it your thyroid? Part 3

by on July 31, 2009

This is Tracie’s third and final part on hypothyroidism and knowing if you have it and how to deal with it.  Today Tracie gets personal and shares her story of her struggle with her weight and her thyroid.  I want to thank Tracie for taking the time to share this valuable information with us!  I highly recommend you seek her counsel for any nutritional guidance.  You won’t be disappointed!  You can check out her website at http://www.itsyourplate.com

If you missed either of her first two articles or want to read the comments that she wrote to answer some of your questions, click the links below!

Click here to read part 1

Click here to read part 2

“There is nothing wrong with you.  Your lab tests are normal.”  Does this statement sound familiar to you? Many of my clients have reported to me that they go to their doctor feeling tired, depressed, constipated, bloated, anxious, and overall just not themselves.  The doctor will run some lab test that come back normal and tell the patient they can’t find anything wrong with them. This is a terrible place to be….knowing something is not right and feeling as if there is no where to turn.

Tracie Before

Tracie Before

I was talking with Joy (Dustin’s mom) the other day. She encouraged me to share my experience so you can see the transformation that can take place when you get to the bottom of your health issues.  I am not going to waste a lot of space giving you my health history. If you are interested in the details, please visit my website.  To make a long story short, I had severe endometriosis when I was in my early twenties.  This diagnosis led to surgery and drug treatment that had many side effects (having 15 hot flashes a day at 20 years of age is not fun).  After that, I was on a quest to get my health back without drugs. Over the next 4 years, I made some progress with the help of a Naturopath doctor that I was seeing for treatment. I was still experiencing fatigue, bloating, and constipation. I also had 20 pounds that I could not get rid of, no matter what I tried.

Tracie After

Tracie After

I had taken many alternative lab tests (food allergy, metabolic profiles, and gut function tests) and spent thousands of dollars in supplements. In the end, it really did not get me the results I was seeking.  I was baffled, because I was eating a so-called “healthy diet” and was not feeling better.

One day, I was reading online about hypothyroidism and realized that many of my symptoms, including endometriosis, was related to it (click here for an online thyroid questionnaire). I decided to go to my doctor and request a thyroid test.  The doctor tested my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone – put out by your pituitary gland) and my numbers came back normal.  I thought that this was interesting since I had 20 signs of hypothyroidism after taking the quiz. Over time, I was not getting any better.  I started to take my basal body temperature and found out that they were between 96.6°F and 97.0°F.  In my mind, this was not adding up; I had low body temperatures and multiple symptoms for hypothyroidism, yet my doctor told me I was fine.

This is when I met a M.D. that had a more holistic approach. She told me that I needed to have my FULL thyroid panel taken.  She explained that just testing the TSH does not tell the whole story.  The active form of the hormones (Free T3) needs to be measured along with the Free T4 (is converted to T3 in your liver) and TSH.  My full panel indicated that even though my TSH was normal, my T3 was low.  At that point my doctor prescribed a bio-identical (desiccated) thyroid hormone called Armour (Naturethroid and Westhroid are other brand names).  Desiccated thyroid hormones have been used for over 100 years around the world. It was the number one drug used to treat hypothyroidism until the 1960′s when pharmaceutical companies developed and marketed the inexpensive synthetic version.  The difference between desiccated thyroid and synthetic thyroid drugs (Synthyroid and Levoxyl) is desiccated thyroid contains both T3 and T4 where Synthyoid and Levoxyl contain only synthetic T4. One of the main problems with using just T4 is that many individuals have a problem converting the T4 into active T3 in the liver.

There is a huge debate in the medical community about the use of synthetic vs. desiccated thyroid medications.  You can read about both sides of the issue on the internet.  Remember, a lot of the research you read is influenced and funded by pharmaceutical companies. For this reason, most mainstream doctors will only prescribe synthetic medications.  This is unfortunate because many of my clients have fully recovered after switching to bio-identical hormones.

Hypothyroidism Type 2, by Dr. Mark Starr, is a fantastic book that goes into great depth on this topic.  He scientifically explains why synthetic drugs do not work for most people and what you can do about it.  He also addresses why current lab tests are not accurate. Dr. Starr also explains that you might be hypothyroid, even if your thyroid full panel comes back normal.

I want to leave you with a couple of last thoughts:

  • If you are currently on a synthetic medication and you are not getting better, do your own research on this topic and talk to your doctor as an informed patient (resources below).
  • Ask your doctor to run a full thyroid panel (Free T3, Free T4, TSH)
  • If you are symptomatic with low body temperatures, find a doctor that will treat you with a holistic approach.

Remember that no one else is going to fight for your health but you.  To wrap this up…here is an update on my situation.  Since last October, I have overhauled my diet to include foods that support the metabolism (what these foods are will surprise you) and have been taking bio-identical thyroid for the last three months. I have lost 12 pounds by changing my diet to the recommendations that I give my clients.  My body temperatures have risen from 96.6°F to 98.2°F.  Since I started taking thyroid medication, I have lost an additional 8 pounds.  I feel better than I have in years.  I hope my story encourages you to do your own research and continue to dig until you find an answer and start to feel better. More often than not…proper thyroid function is a key to the equation.

Visit www.itsyourplate.com for more information about my services and available programs. You can download a temperature and pulse chart on my website to track your progress.

Tracie Hittman Nutrition, LLC

Resources for further study:

Barnes, Broda and Lawrence Galton. Hypo-thyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness. NY: Harpers & Row Publishers, 1976.

Peat, Ray. “TSH, Temperature, Pulse Rate, and Other Indicators in Hypothyroidism.” Ray Peat.com 2007. 9 Sept. 2009. <http://raypeat.com/articles/articles /hypothyroidism.shtm>.

Shomon, Mary. Living Well with Hypothyroidism. NY: HarperCollins, 2000.

Starr, Mark. Hypothyroidism Type 2. Columbia, MO: Mark Starr Trust, 2009.

Websites/articles:

http://thyroid.about.com/

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/thyroid.shtml

http://www.brodabarnes.org/

http://www.longnaturalhealth.com/library2.asp?A=59

http://www.longnaturalhealth.com/library2.asp?A=105

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

Tracie Hittman, MS, is a Nutritional Consultant and, as such, the nutritional consulting services provided are for information and education purposes only. Information provided is not to be substituted for a physician’s medical attention and professional judgment for diagnosis and hands-on treatment. Tracie Hittman MS, of Tracie Hittman Nutrition doesn’t provide medical advice or medical and/or diagnostic services. Follow suggestions as your own risk.

Comments { 16 }

Madison Mini Marathon

by on July 30, 2009

I have been asked by a few organizers and sponsors of the Madison Mini-Marathon to help promote this event. This is a brand new event this year and it features a half marathon (13.1 miles), and a 5K race.  The race is August 29th at 7 AM.  They are limiting the races to 2500, so you need to register soon if you are interested.

I hesitated to promote this, because as you know by now, I am very against marathons as a form of weight loss.  The research out there shows that it is an awful way to try to lose weight.  I personally haven’t met anyone who was trying to lose weight and did a marathon and actually lost weight.  But, I have received countless emails, and had many conversations with people who gained weight and fat during the training of such long endurance events.  I even had friends doing 50 mile running races and training 6 hours a day, and they continue to put on weight.  Long slow cardio eats away at muscle and will spike cortisol levels, leaving your body no other choice, but to conserve all the fat possible in order to survive.

I am also very hesitant to promote the half marathon because it is still quite a long distance and takes at least 2 hours for most people to run, but it is a much better option than the full.

The 5k race is much better!

http://www.madisonminimarathon.com/ Continue Reading →

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Pushup Workout Routine

by on July 29, 2009

I want to first congratulate Jody Rindy for winning 1 free year of bootcamp!  We held a 7 week contest for who could recruit the most people to Fit Fun Bootcamp and MamaTone.  Jody blew the competition away with 10 people!  In the

Jody before almost 60 lbs ago

Jody before almost 60 lbs ago

past year she has referred close to 20 clients to my programs.  She is very well deserving of this reward!  She has also lost 59 lbs and is in by far the best shape of her life after having 5 kids!  She tells me she gets asked by so many moms how she has transformed so much the past year.  There isn’t really any secret… she workouts incredibly hard, is consistent 3-4 times/week, and has completely changed her eating habits.

In order for her to receive her prize I make her do 52 pushups, but I didn’t want to make her do it by herself, so I had the help of some of the women in my 5:30 AM McFarland class to join her.

Check out the video!

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I have talked about my frustrations in previous posts about how many women believe they aren’t capable of doing even 1 pushup!  That is SO ridiculous.  Many of these women couldn’t do a single pushup when they started, but now can do 40-50.  We even had another woman in her mid 40′s do 70 perfect pushups!  When a proper training program that is supported with a balanced nutritional plan, amazing things can happen.  This isn’t the exception, it is the norm.  If you put in the hard work and follow a plan that has worked for hundreds of others, you will get the results!

Click here if you are interested in learning more about Fit Fun Bootcamps. We have many locations around the Madison and surrounding area, and with close to 200 in the various bootcamps, we are the largest bootcamp program around the area!

If you would rather follow a workout plan at home, you might be interested in checking out the Fit Moms For Life DVDs.  I encourage you to check it out.  To make it easier, I am giving the first months DVD and a CD for free.  Just pay for the shipping.  If you decide you like it, you can continue to receive a new DVD each month.  It is like having me in your home taking the guess workout out of what to eat and what exercises to chose, how many sets, how many reps, etc.

Comments { 17 }

Success Seminar In Madison

by on July 27, 2009

success-2

I have a very exciting announcement to be sharing with you! One of the most common questions I get asked is how I have been able to grow my business and help so many people in such a short amount of time (I just graduated from college 2.5 years ago).  The answer is simple; I am no smarter, no better, no wiser than anybody else, but what I do is hire mentors who are where I want to be and much smarter in certain areas.  I am also constantly attending seminars across the country, reading books, and watching educational videos.  The key to my success is due to the coaches I have had in my life.  They have saved me thousands of hours of frustration and trial and error.  They take the guess work out and show me the best and most efficient way to get from point A to point B.  All I have to do is listen and take action on what I am told to do.

successAbout 3 months ago I was approached to be part of one of the biggest success seminars ever to come to the Madison area!  They wanted me to be one of the 10 coaches, and to coach people into how to achieve optimal fitness and health!  So for the past 3 months and for the next 3 months I have been getting trained on how to be an effective speaker/coach.  This has been an amazing opportunity and I am honored to be doing it!  I will be presenting for 2.5 hours and know this will be a life changing event for those who attend!  I am also very excited to learn from all the other wonderful speakers!

Do you feel like you need a little guidance, well this two day educational and inspirational seminar will do just that for you and so much more!!  I promise to rock your life to the next level, join me for 2 days of expertise in fashion, business, health, fitness, spirituality, finance and more.  This is for those of you who want to take your life to new levels and break through plateaus that have been keeping you from achieving your dreams.  I want to take your life from good to great!

Click Here To View Success Seminar Flyer

Take a look at the flyer on who will be there and visit our website to reserve a ticket for yourself and your partner in Continue Reading →

Comments { 2 }

Lessons From Vacation

by on July 24, 2009

My 2 brothers (Chris far left, Eric on my right) and my friend Ryan on my near right

My 2 brothers (Chris far left, Eric on my right) and my friend Ryan on my near left

As my week of vacation is winding down, I would like to share with you some of my experiences as well as lessons I have learned.

I have said this before, but I believe that the type of vacations you take and what you do on your vacations tells a lot about yourself and whether or not you are living in a lifestyle of health. When you go on vacation, most other distractions in life decrease, you don’t have to worry about your job, you don’t have to worry about cooking and cleaning, and you don’t have as many appointments and commitments.

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What you do on vacation most of the time directly relates to who you are. The most fit people I know, plan their vacations around physically active activites. They go somewhere where they hike, where they swim, were they bike, where they can run on the beach, or they make sure where they are staying has a good fitness center nearby.

Here are some video clips from the week.  I didn’t take time to edit this, so it is raw.  The clip of my brother in the lake is only interesting when you realize that is glacier water that is just above freezing temperature!

 

I have been to Vancouver 15 straight years and have spent nearly 1 year of my life in Vancouver. I love coming up here because it gives me a chance to be active 24/7. All of my friends up here are in great shape (most in much better shape than myself), and we just live life and compete in as many things as possible.

Learning how to change a diaper!

Learning how to change a diaper!

To us it doesn’t seem like working out, it is just what we do and we enjoy doing it. When you enjoy doing something, you are much more likely to continue to do it. Continue Reading →

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3 Fat Burning Home Exercises

by on July 21, 2009

Last week I was on NBC with the star of the first Fit Moms For Life DVD, Jody.  Now for those of you who have claimed your free CD and DVD and watched Jody in action, you will notice a big difference in her from the video to her appearance on NBC.  We filmed the DVD about 5 months ago, and since then Jody has lost another 10 lbs and another 1-2 sizes!

This segment Jody shows a few simple exercises that will have your body screaming to release the fat off of it.  Jody even shows my highly secret move for raising and shaping the glutes… I call it the J-Lo Booty move.  I actually stole this exercise from Brook Burk’s trainer, Gunnar.  He said that this is her favorite exercise.  And if you know who she is, it is hard to argue with her results :)

I hope by showing you all these different exercises, you will have total confidence in knowing that YOU can do it YOU can make a change, and YOU have all the tools necesary to transform the body and the mind!

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Tell Me What You Want!

by on July 20, 2009

It is my goal to provide you with the most applicable, most informational, most relavent information I can share with you.  In order to do that I would like to ask you what you would like to see.  So please comment below.  Here are some questions to keep in mind. 

1.  What keeps you up at night (not counting your children)

2.  What are your biggest health fears

3.  What are you most confused about

4.  What specific topics are you interested in

5.  What format to you like… video, articles, picture, etc

6.  If you could ask me anything what would it be

7.  Think about all the topics related to overall health, what really interests you

8.  If I could lay out a step by step system for exercise, nutrition, attitude, etc… what would it look like?

9.  Anything else you would like to say

So please share your thoughts in the comment box below.  Don’t feel you have to be brief.  The more information you can provide me the better I will be able to serve and help you!  Thanks in advance for your help!

Comments { 43 }

Low Thyroid (hypothyroid), Do You Have It? Part 2

by on July 16, 2009

cutebabe

Last week Tracie did an awesome guest post on the warning signs of low thyroid.  Many of you had an “ah ha” moment realizing you might suffer from this.  Today Tracie gets more in depth into ways you can heal the thyroid naturally and what some of the causes are.  Her tips she gives not only are great for the thyroid, but are also the same recommendations I give people looking to lose weight.

cute-baby-working-mood-funny-02Here is her post.  Enjoy!

As I mentioned in the last post, thyroid conditions are becoming a serious issue in America today…the next question is why?

Why do so many people have hypothyroid and what can be done?

There are many things that can contribute to the inability for the thyroid to properly function. Listed below are some reasons along with helpful tips:

  • It runs in the family. According to Dr. Mark Starr in his book called Hypothyroidism Type 2, poor immune function and premature deaths are signs of hypothyroidism.  As modern medicine has advanced significantly over the last 100 years, fewer immune compromised individuals are dying from infectious diseases at an early age.  This is allowing individuals to pass on their weak genes to their offspring.  Survival of the fittest for many years has kept the hypothyroid gene pool under control but in today’s society, this is just not the case.  Does it run in your family?
  • PUFA intake has increased. Along with the increase of thyroid problems, there also has been an increase in the consumption of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAS) in the diet.  The intake of vegetable oils, such as soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower has skyrocketed 400% over the last 30 years.  This huge jump has created a lot of health issues for our nation.  PUFAS affect the thyroid by interfering with the uptake of the thyroid hormone in cells. PUFAS can also interfere with the conversion of T4 in the liver to T3.  Tip – Minimize or eliminate PUFA oils from your diet! Continue Reading →

Comments { 12 }

Fit Moms For Life Fat Loss DVD Program

by on July 16, 2009

Yesterday, I was on CBS promoting my Fit Moms For Life DVD program. Marsue demonstrated some of my favorite total body toning exercises and fat burning exercises that use only a ball, dumbells, and the best weight of all… our own bodies!

Click here to check out more of Marsue’s story

universal-gymSo many people make exercise complicated.  They feel like they don’t have the money to buy expensive treadmills or exercise equipment and therefore can’t get a workout in.  I cringe when I walk into a clients home and see the massive universal gym sitting there taking up half the room.  Not only is it not the best way to workout, it costs between $1,500-2,500 and very rarely do people use it!

The simplest and most cost effective is a $20 stability ball (that you can also use as a desk chair), along with a few sets of dumbells.  Don’t waste getting dumbells lighter than 10 lbs.  You should get weights up to 30′s at least 20′s starting out… The heavier weights will cost you a bit, but they will never break (unless you drop them on one another), they barely take up any space, and are extremely versatile!

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I think slowly people are realizing the powerful fat burning and toning effects weight training has, but so many are confused about how to do it, what weights to use, how long to do it, what types of exercise, and how many sets and reps.  This is one of the reasons I created the Fit Moms For Life DVD program.  I wanted to answer all those questions and take the guess work out of it.  Resistance training is very safe if done correctly and will really redefine your body! Continue Reading →

Comments { 12 }

I challenge You!

by on July 14, 2009

giving-up

I have a busy week ahead of me!  I got a call yesterday from CBS locally and they want me to come in tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6:40 for a live workout and to also promote the Fit Moms For Life DVDs. I will be bringing with me Marsue, the star of DVD #2.

The following day, Thursday at 6:40 AM I will be on NBC locally promoting the DVDs and will have Jody, the star of DVD #1 with me!

I leave the following day for a 9 day vacation to Vancouver Canada!  This is my 14th time up to Vancouver and is one of my favorite vacation spots.  I will shoot some videos up there for you!

But today I wanted to give you a challenge.  This isn’t directly fitness related, but can be applied to any area of your life.  I was reading a book over the weekend that posed a challenge, and I want to now pose it to you.

The challenge is for 1 week, don’t complain, not even once.  Don’t complain verbally, or even in your head.  When a complaining thought arises, immediately get rid of it.

This is an extremely powerful and challenging thing to do.  When you become aware of this, you will see not only how much you probably spend complaining, but how much people complain around you.

Instead of complaining about being out of shape, or not losing weight, or not having enough energy, figure out what isn’t working and take massive action towards changing that.  The only thing complaining tries to accomplish is to get the attention and pity of those around you.

My girlfriend and I have been doing this for 2 days now, and we sometimes catch each other starting to complain and remind each other not to!  But it has been an awesome experience so far and I look forward to the rest of the week!

I would love to hear your feedback on this!

Comments { 22 }