Introduction

1. Food and Diet

2. Health and Exercise Program

As with many diseases, your overall health and exercise plan can make a huge difference in how the disease affects your body on day-to-day basis. Making even subtle changes in your overall health can positively affect how your body responds to your illness.

For Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism, you are in an interesting position. Overstressing your body can allow the disease to do even greater damage to your body, so it is important to work with your physician to design an exercise program that is custom-fitted to your current conditioning and symptoms.

Suggested exercise programs could include:

• Stress reduction techniques, such as meditation
• Yoga*
• Pilates
• Tai Chi
• Light cardiovascular/aerobic work
• General conditioning and toning

As a starting point, a 30-minute walk is recommended.

*Yoga is particularly beneficial to hypothyroid sufferers. In fact, there is one pose -the shoulder stand - that has been shown to have an especially positive affect on those with thyroid issues.

In the shoulder stand:

• Begin by lying on your back and bringing your legs together.
• With your legs together, slowly raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor.
• Continue lifting your legs and rolling up on your lower back to support your hips with your hands.
• Tuck your chin into your chest.
• The weight of your body should be resting on your shoulders.
• You'll want to start with short pose times (e.g., 15-30 seconds). Over time, work up to 2 minutes per day in this position. For best results, join a local yoga studio or rent one of the many excellent videos and DVDs available today.

Remember to rest! Just as exercise is vitally important, it is also equally important that you always allow for ample rest to help your body continue its healing process.

2. Signs and Symptoms

Hypothyroidism has a number of tell-tale symptoms and signs. If you suffer from Hashimoto's disease or hypothyroidism, you are likely familiar with any number of these symptoms. The symptoms change and evolve depending on the stage and severity of the disease. The symptoms include:

Early stage symptoms:

Cold intolerance Constipation Depression Fatigue Joint pain Muscle pain

Paleness Thin, weak fingernails Thin, weak hair Weakness Weight gain

Late stage symptoms:

Decreased taste and smell Dry, flaky skin Hoarseness Irregular menstrual periods

Slow speech Swollen face, feet and hands Thickening of the skin Thinning eyebrows

Additionally, the following symptoms may present at any time during the disease:

Absence of teeth (or delay in formation) Ankle, feet and leg swelling Drowsiness Dry hair Facial swelling Hair loss Joint stiffness

Lack of menstruation Loss of appetite Muscle atrophy Muscle cramps Muscle pain Overall swelling Uncoordinated body movements

3. Who's at Risk?

Whereas much is yet to be learned and the exact cause of Hashimoto's disease is still unknown, there are several indications of who is at risk for the disease:

• Those over 50 years of age
• Women in their 20 and 30's are five times more likely to contract the disease
• Hashimoto's is not contagious
• As a general rule of thumb for all autoimmune
disorders, there is a genetic component. However, the Hashimoto's disease gene has not been definitively located yet
• Researchers have found that stress plays a role in the onset of Hashimoto's
• Viral infections can lead to hypothyroidism
• Other life stressors, such as pregnancy, can predispose a person to the disease
• Exposure of the neck area to X-ray or radiation treatments

Even today, research continues to better understand the causes of Hashimoto's and to determine what predisposes one individual to the disease over another.

4. How Hashimoto's disease Is Diagnosed

Because the symptoms associated with Hashimoto's disease are so widely varying, the only way to know for sure if you have the disease is to visit your physician. By performing a simple blood test, your doctor will be able to determine if your thyroid hormone levels indicate hypothyroidism.

More specifically, an examination will look for any combination of the following indicators:

• Delayed muscle relaxation (during reflex testing)
• Pale, yellowish skin
• Eyebrow loss (at the outer edges)
• Thin, brittle hair
• Coarse facial features
• Brittle nails
• Swelling in the arms and legs
• Mental sluggishness
• Slowed heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Low body temperature
• An enlarged heart (seen on X-ray)
• T4 test results will show low levels
• Serum TSH test results will show high, indicating primary hypothyroidism
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Increased liver enzymes
• Increased serum prolactin
• Low serum sodium
• Anemic results in complete blood test

If you suspect that you have hypothyroidism and/or are experiencing any of the symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. Once you have determined if you have Hashimoto's disease, you will be able to work with your doctor to understand your options for management and treatment of the disease.

5. Traditional Medicinal Treatments for Hashimoto's disease

4. Your Health, Your Choice

When you began reading this report, you did so because you wanted to learn more about Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism and the ways you could take control of your health by treating your condition with natural, home remedy alternatives to traditional medicinal or surgical approaches. You wanted to learn what steps were necessary for you to regain control of your body, your well being and your life.

Throughout the pages of this report, you have learned these very things - how and why proper thyroid hormones levels are important to the functioning of your body - but also, more importantly, what you can do to manage your symptoms in simple and effective ways.

With a diet and exercise program, combined with our 12 innovative ways to naturally manage your hypothyroidism, we have given you the tools to educate and empower yourself, put your destiny within reach and regain command of your health.

You've taken the time to learn about your health and the positive steps required to make a better life for yourself. It's time to put your learning into action and take back your health.

We wish you the best of luck on your journey, and we thank you for choosing us to be a part of your most important process toward better health.

5. Resource Links