10 Top Foods for Thyroid Health

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Thyroid & Hormone Balance Leave a Comment

Whether you are Hypothyroid or Hyperthyroid, this list of 10 top foods for thyroid health has got you covered! In my clinic, we like to focus on what you CAN eat, rather than all the foods you should be avoiding. And while there are certainly plenty of foods you should be avoiding if you have hypothyroidism, I want to encourage …

Thyroid Disease After Pregnancy: Fatigue in the Fourth Trimester

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Postpartum Leave a Comment

Thyroid disease after pregnancy may be the most overlooked and under diagnosed condition affecting new mothers. Taking a conservative estimate, we can expect 300,000-400,000 mothers to develop postpartum thyroid disease this year. That is 10% of all new moms. But some estimate it may be as high as 17%— and those are only the women who are being tested. Many other mothers …

The Ovarian Adrenal Thyroid Axis Connection

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Thyroid & Hormone Balance Leave a Comment

The Ovarian-Adrenal-Thyroid Axis or OAT for short is the most important axis to assess when striving for balanced hormones. The OAT is the way in which these three hormone producing glands (your ovaries, adrenals and thyroid) communicate and truly–rule your world. The 3-Legged Stool I like to think of the OAT as a 3-legged stool, which each gland representing a leg. When …

What You Need to Know About Heartburn & Hypothyroidism

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Thyroid & Hormone Balance Leave a Comment

Heartburn — that sensation of burning in your chest or throat that may accompany meals or haunt you throughout the day. Chances are you’ve experienced it at some point, which you means you know how uncomfortable it can be. However, you might be asking yourself right now, what could Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroidism and heartburn possibly have in common? Heartburn is a common condition …

7 Natural Ways to Curb Your Anxiety

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Sex Hormones Leave a Comment

Have you ever felt tired and unable to concentrate and reached for the nearest sugary treat for that familiar, quick rush of energy? It’s true, stimulants like sugar, caffeine, and chocolate do provide a shock of energy, but this is often short lived and followed by a huge dip in blood sugar, resulting brain fog and even less energy than …

Celiac Disease— More Than Just a Tummy Ache

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Digestion Leave a Comment

Awhile back, I attended a school event with my son and through a series of events I came to realize there’s a whole lot people do not understand about celiac disease. I’ve written about my son’s food sensitivities before (there’s a long list here), but it just so happens that there is girl in his class that shares the big …

Hypothyroidism? Why You Should Absolutely Quit Gluten Now

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Thyroid & Hormone Balance Leave a Comment

It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of hypothyroidism in the United States is caused by an autoimmune condition. In these cases of autoimmune hypothyroidism, known as Hashimoto’s, antibodies attack the thyroid, resulting in thyroid tissue destruction. There is evidence showing gluten plays a significant role in driving the antibody attack against your thyroid.

SIBO Autoimmune Oakland Portland | Dr. Jolene Brighten | DrBrighten.com

SIBO Part II: Natural Treatment and Therapies

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Food Leave a Comment

As we talked about in the previous post, “SIBO Part I: What Is It & How Do I Know If I Have It?,” SIBO can be quite difficult to treat. Today, in SIBO Part II, I want to share my approach to treating this condition and what steps you can take right now to heal your gut. When treating SIBO, …

hypothyroidism symptoms

10 Signs You Have Hypothyroidism

Dr. Jolene BrightenPublished: Thyroid, Thyroid & Hormone Balance Leave a Comment

There are very obvious signs you have hypothyroidism and then much more subtle signs that can make this condition easy to miss. Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder, which means it affects hormones—in this case, thyroid hormone. Thankfully, providers are getting better at recognizing the signs. Even so, symptoms are often subtle or chalked up to other things, which means it …