By Dr. Josh Redd, Chiropractic Physician, RedRiver Health and Wellness Center
In Parts 1–3 of this series, I introduced the ways in which Hashimoto’s low thyroid can cause symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, depression, memory loss, and sleep issues.
They included a thyroid hormone deficiency from an unmanaged autoimmune attacks on the thyroid or the wrong thyroid hormone medication.
Inflammation from unmanaged Hashimoto’s can lead to inflammation in the brain, causing symptoms.
Third, poor balance can indicate accelerated cerebellum degeneration, and Hashimoto’s can trigger autoimmune reactions to brain tissue. Exercising the vagus nerve are ways to support brain health.
In Part 4, I’m going to introduce some lesser known strategies that are great for supporting brain health when you have Hashimoto’s low thyroid.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Exercise is a great way to oxygenate the brain, which dampens brain inflammation. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) in particular dilates blood vessels, lowers inflammation, and improves blood flow to the brain.
HIIT involves reaching your maximum heart rate with a short but vigorous burst of exercise, resting, and repeating. This can be done on a spin bike, running, walking up a hill, doing calisthenics, or whatever works for you.
Even just a few minutes of high-intensity exercise can improve blood flow in the brain.
However, it’s important to work within your ability and avoid overdoing it — over exercising has the opposite effect and increases inflammation.
Cold showers or ice baths
Although they sound horrible, most people come to love morning cold showers or ice baths for how much better they make you feel. I try to get as many of my patients as possible on board with them.
I also have my patients do breathing exercises along with their cold-water therapy. In the beginning this will help you better tolerate the water. Then you can use the experience to lengthen and deepen your breathing exercises, which will improve vagus nerve function, better oxygenate your body, and improve your lung capacity.
You will also find the cold showers give you a sense of accomplishment and pride, which boosts dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical that relieves depression, improves motivation, and boosts energy.
Stay at least 1 minute in a cold shower on the coldest setting—you can do it after your hot shower. Or fill a tub of cold water with ice and submerge yourself. Start with 2 minutes and work up to 5–10 minutes. See the link in my Instagram bio for my free guide, The 30-Day Cold Shower Challenge.
Alpha-stim™ training
Your brain has electrical currents. The Alpha-Stim cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) device delivers a natural level of microcurrent, via small clips worn on your earlobes, through the brain to stimulate and modulate specific groups of nerve cells.
The microcurrent is very tiny and completely safe, yet is effective for anxiety relief, mood normalization, and better sleep (both in quality and duration).
Treatments take only 20 minutes and you can use Alpha-Stim in the privacy of your own home or carry it with you.
Not only does the Alpha-Stim improve brain function, it also has been shown to relieve post-traumatic stress and acute and chronic pain.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves lying comfortably in a pressurized oxygen-rich environment. This increased pressure in oxygen-rich air allows the oxygen to dissolve and saturate your blood plasma (independent of your red blood cells).
This exponentially increases the delivery of oxygen throughout your body, allowing it to reach inflamed tissues and infuse the body’s cells for improved function. We are seeing great results using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) with our Hashimoto’s and autoimmune patients.
See the free download guide in my Instagram bio, Feel and Function Better with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
Fasting and intermittent fasting (IF)
In our clinics many of our Hashimoto’s patients undergo different types of fasts because we have found it is one of the surest ways to swiftly relieve their symptoms.
Fasting and intermittent fasting can dramatically improve brain function. One way it does this is by boosting a brain chemical called brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF protects your brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Fasting also supports autophagy, or the removal of dead and dying cells in the brain. This is essentially like cleaning house and helps your brain function more efficiently. Fasting also reduces brain inflammation and supports brain repair.
However, fasting is not appropriate for everyone, such as in the cases of low blood sugar, adrenal fatigue, certain brain disorders, pregnancy, or eating disorders/disordered eating. If fasting makes you feel better, then you know it’s ok for you.
To learn more about fasting, check out my free downloadable guide, 5 Ways Improves Hashimoto’s and Autoimmunity in my Instagram bio.
REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO BLUE LIGHT AFTER DARK
Are you staring into a computer, phone, tablet, or TV screen right before bed?
If so, you’re confusing your body’s sleep hormone production. The body recognizes blue light as daylight, which suppresses the production of melatonin, our main sleep hormone.
Limiting your exposure to blue light at night can help boost your body’s production of sleep hormones, saving wear and tear on your brain.
Wear orange glasses when it gets dark outside, use orange bulbs in your evening lamps, and limit your evening screen time to boost melatonin and improve brain function.
Conclusion
I hope by now you feel motivated to investigate your brain health, what may be causing any issues you have, and to take action to improve your brain function. The brain is an area that does not magically get better on its own, you have to take action to set it on the right course.
Unfortunately, the average health care professional is not going to help you spot early warning signs of declining brain function, or help you improve your brain health. Brain health isn’t usually addressed in the standard health care model until you are in advanced stages of dementia. But there is no reason you have to wait that long.
If you would like support on your brain-healing journey, please contact our clinic, RedRiver Health and Wellness.
I address more ways to improve brain health when you have Hashimoto’s in parts 1–3. If you’d like all the information in one document, download my free guide, 12 Ways to Improve Brain Function When You Have Hashimoto’s or Autoimmunity at this link.
To learn more about our services and to schedule a free consultation, please visit redriverhealthandwellness.com. We work with your prescribing physician for optimal results. Do not discontinue medication or hormone replacement therapy without consulting your prescribing physician.