Elixir Naturopathy Blog

Melissa Briggs Melissa Briggs

How Gut Health Affects Your Thyroid

Discover the critical link between gut health and thyroid function. Learn how leaky gut syndrome and microbiome imbalances can trigger autoimmune thyroid conditions, impair hormone conversion, and create systemic inflammation.

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Melissa Briggs Melissa Briggs

The Top Herbs for Supporting Hashimoto's Disease

It's no secret that the side effects of living with Hashimoto's disease can be draining in every sense of the word. That's why as a qualified naturopath, I like to draw on the addition of herbal medicine to support the body and manage the many symptoms of this disease. Let’s start by having a look at some of my favourite herbal options for Hashimoto's disease management.

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gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs

The Gluten, Leaky Gut & Thyroid Connection

There is a strong connection between the thyroid and gut health. Studies have shown that low thyroid hormone production can lead to leaky gut and impaired digestive health can impair thyroid function. Optimal digestion supports a reduction in the antibodies associated with autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's and Graves.

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gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs

5 Ways You Can Reduce Your Environmental Toxin Exposure

We’re all trying our best to live clean, green lives. It’s one thing that we know is beneficial for our overall health. Only, these days the world we live in makes it harder to escape them. Environmental toxin exposure is concerning; from the food we eat and the water we drink to the products we clean our bodies and homes with. More often than not they’re laden with high doses of toxins that have devastating effects on our health in the long-run.

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gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs

10 Signs You Have Might Have A Thyroid Problem & What To Do About It

The thyroid gland is a powerhouse in the human body. But because a lot of it’s magic happens behind the scenes in the endocrine (hormonal) system, when things go wrong they can be hard to pick up on. There are a few telltale signs that we tend to think nothing of, but when they begin to arise collectively (or sometimes on their own), they begin to point to a thyroid problem.

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thyroid health, thyroid, gut health Melissa Briggs thyroid health, thyroid, gut health Melissa Briggs

Improving Sleep for Thyroid Health

Having a hard time waking up in the morning? Feel like you only had 2 hours sleep when you had 8?
Sleep issues are one of the most common symptoms of thyroid disorders, resulting in up to 30% of cases.
Both hypo and hyperthyroidism can result in disrupted sleep and insomnia. The catch 22? Good quality sleep is vitally important for thyroid patients to help combat fatigue, brain fog and other symptoms.
So what easy streps can be taken to start improving sleep? Here are a few recommendations.

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gut health, thyroid, thyroid health, stress Melissa Briggs gut health, thyroid, thyroid health, stress Melissa Briggs

Stress & Thyroid Health

Stress has become common place in our day to day lives. Whether it be associated with work, money, family, or something else, stress can have a massive impact on our lives.
While short burst of stress are actually good for you, chronic long term stress has been clinically proven to cause a vast array of negative effects on health including thyroid health.

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thyroid, thyroid health, hair loss Melissa Briggs thyroid, thyroid health, hair loss Melissa Briggs

6 Links Between The Thyroid & Hair Loss

There are many different causes for hair loss through out life, such as post childbirth or through menopause for women and most men will lose some hair by the time they reach adulthood. But while some hair loss is considered normal, excessive prolonged loss is not. 

Of the many health conditions that can cause excessive hair loss and thinning, thyroid conditions are one of the most common. Severe and unmanaged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can both result in hair loss, thinning or even balding. 

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gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs gut health, thyroid health, digestion, nutrition Melissa Briggs

Selenium & Thyroid health

The essential trace mineral, selenium, is of crucial importance to human health. It is a necessary component of several major metabolic pathways including thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense and immune regulation.

While the body requires selenium, it does not produce this mineral, therefore selenium must be obtained through the diet or supplementation. 

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