Thank you, @Lizb.

With a temp of 93.4°, he is extremely hypothyroid so it makes sense he would break bones easily—the thyroid/parathyroid glands are the main glands involved in bone/connective tissue metabolism. Also, if his diet and/or supplement stack is irritating and/or estrogenic, that can contribute to bone thinning as the former raises serotonin and both serotonin and estrogen cause bone thinning (per Ray). A low irritation diet abundant in nutrient-rich animal proteins (raw milk, raw yogurt, raw cheese, eggs, bone broth and small amounts of meat—mostly shellfish) reversed my advanced osteoporosis. I went from a DEXA score of -6.7 to -3.6 within a year. Just for reference, -3.4 is considered osteopenia and -3.5 is osteoporosis. With the addition of a thyroid supplement (standardized NDT), I’ve slowly been gaining back the 4” of height I lost when my spine collapsed in my late 20s, while following a high-carb, low-protein, fruit-based (80/10/10) diet. My bones were so brittle that I fractured 12 vertebrae, 8 of which compressed, within seconds of lifting half a watermelon.

@GRay, my pleasure. The results of your experiment are very interesting. Thank you for sharing! I take thyroid right before my meal or during it—I oftentimes remember to take it after I’ve started eating—and I take my last dose around 7 pm and go to bed around 10 pm.

@GreekDemiGod said in Does exogenous thyroid shrink the thyroid gland?:

This is an important question that I haven’t seen much addressed in the Peat spheres.
Does taking thyroid long-term lead to shrinkage or atrophy of the thyroid gland?

I need to know what are the risks of taking thyroid meds when one has a functioning thyroid gland.
I understand that for people who had their thyroid removed or they had severe hypothyroidism, there aren’t much risks, but for many of us Peaters who have a functioning gland and we have just a slight degree of hypothyroidism, is it worth it?
Will we regain our thyroid function fully when going off meds?

If despite diet and lifestyle changes a person is still hypothyroid, even if slightly, I think supplementing thyroid is worth it, given how important the thyroid is to all bodily processes because nothing in our body works in isolation. Without the thyroid functioning optimally, we’re dependent on its backup, the adrenals, and the backup hormones produced by them are catabolic to the body long-term so it seems to me that even a slight degree of hypothyroidism can have potentially devastating effects down the line. Along with dairy, which naturally contains small amounts of thyroid, my ancestors consumed all parts of an animal, including the thyroid gland, so I think of my use of NDT (Armour) as something that would have been a regular part of my diet if today’s meat processors weren’t required by law to remove the thyroid gland because “gullet trimming” is now banned in the US. Ray said this when asked if there is long-term effects from thyroid supplementation:

“Experimenters using isotopes gave large doses of thyroid until the subjects' glands were completely shut off, and when they stopped giving the doses, everyone's gland returned to normal activity in just 2 or 3 days. The gland is extremely quick to adjust its activity, both up and down, except when it's inhibited by stress, or PUFA, or estrogen, etc.”

@GRay said in Milk and Cheese with NDT feedback:

@Jennifer

Thanks for your feedback. What is your dose/frequency?

I think the T3 in Armour is bound to protein, so it may be more slow released already than Cytomel for example. I’m not sure Peat used to refer to a synthetic T3 and therefore the need to take it with food multiple times per day?

Yes, the thyroid hormones in NDT are bound to thyroglobulin, but even though it’s a slower release than synthetic, I was taking 3 grains at one point and found it to be way too much T3 in one dose—it triggered symptoms of adrenaline—and Ray’s recommendations to me were the same as his recommendations to those taking synthetic T3. I currently take 1 1/2 grains of Armour daily and half a grain with my three main meals.

For a total body cleanser, I use this soap nut shampoo:

https://www.earthtemplefoods.com/products/raw-soap-nut-shampoo-with-probiotics-1-gallon

For exfoliation, I use this ayate washcloth:

https://www.amazon.com/Ayate-Washcloth-Natural-Agave-washcloth/dp/B0014AYLOG

For a toner (and hair mist), I use these hydrosols:

https://mountainroseherbs.com/rose-hydrosol

https://mountainroseherbs.com/sweetgrass-hydrosol

For a total body emollient (and hair conditioner), I use these monoï oils:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X926L1V/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXZH6RB3/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYJ29N5R/

For sun protection when hiking at high elevations, I use this sunscreen (it comes in a tinted version):

https://suntribesunscreen.com/product/suntribe-natural-zinc-sunscreen-face-sport-spf30/

For lip protection during the winter, I use cocoa butter and beeswax mixed together:

https://mountainroseherbs.com/cocoa-butter-wafers

https://mountainroseherbs.com/beeswax-pastilles

@Samyo, do you have access to raw milk and if so, have you tried it? I experienced the same issue as you, even after eliminating the methane SIBO (causes constipation) that I had, when pasteurized dairy comprised the majority of my diet and my diet was fiber-free. My skin and gut were happy but like you, I had rabbit stools. Also, I’m not sure why but eggs caused constipation too, until I switched to eggs from heirloom hens. With raw milk and heirloom eggs, even without fiber, my eliminations are perfect.

@GRay, I’m not sure if the same can be said for calcium supplements, but I’ve always taken NDT with meals to slow its absorption so I can dose more than the physiologically appropriate 4 mcg of T3 per hour without running into problems, and my thyroid numbers and stats (temps, pulse rate etc.) are the best on a dairy-based diet so it hasn’t been my experience that dairy decreases the absorption of thyroid. I don’t recall Ray ever saying to take thyroid away from dairy, either. I only ever heard him say it’s better to take it with food and he recommended dairy so…

@SpaceManJim, I believe it comes down to personal context. Take me, for instance. One would think given my small size (99 lb at 5’2”) and relatively sedentary lifestyle that I wouldn’t need nearly as much protein as a large male who lifts weights and/or does hard, manual labor and yet I do—I average just as much protein as my brother who is 200 lb at 6’4”. When I don’t get enough, my blood pressure, temps and pulse rate tank, my muscles atrophy, I lose hair and bone density, and my blood work shows a protein deficiency, something the vegan community in particular claims is impossible for someone who consumes adequate calories (I average 2,500+ daily). Anyhow, all that to say, your body will most likely let you know what a good amount of protein is for you, and which proteins treat you best, if you pay attention to it.

You’re welcome, @RPadmirateur. Thank you for letting me know you sent a PM as I wasn’t notified. My apologies if I gave you the impression that I’m a health professional, but I have no medical training so I don’t do consultations.

Complex carbs triggered my hypoglycemia, but not simple sugars—the latter prevented it—and there was no transition to fruitarianism—I developed a severe case of gastritis when I had SIBO, which left me unable to digest anything but fruit. I didn’t go long without eating as that would crash my blood sugar, and there wasn’t a concern for stomach emptying time using dairy, eggs and seafood, no. I take 1 1/2 grains of Armour, no extra T3, with meals, this way I can safely go above the physiological dose of 4 mcg of T3 per hour. Since my diet varied when I still had hypoglycemia, I’ll give you an example day of eating that worked best for me and continues to:

When I first wake up (5:00 am): Tea (decaf or herbal) sweetened with honey or Dolcedi apple sweetener

Breakfast (7:00 am): Compôte with a chunk of raw cheese or flourless banana crêpes stuffed with strained yogurt and an all fruit jam (St. Dalfour), and a glass of juice

Snack (9:00 am): Hot, spiced cider

Lunch (11:30 am): A slice of crustless quiche (3rd pic from the bottom) or seared scallops with honey butter, a glass of raw milk and banana nice cream (last pic)

Snack (2:00 pm): Hot, spiced cider

Dinner (5:00 pm): Strained yogurt with jam or zucchini soup topped with eggs and strained yogurt (2nd pic from the bottom), a glass of raw milk, and a glass of juice

Snack (7:00 pm): Sweetened tea

Basically, I have fruit and animal protein at every meal and juice or tea between meals, and make sure to get sufficient calories throughout the day or else my sleep suffers.