We have a wealth of knowledge to sit with today, friend! In this episode, I chat with my friend Michael Rutherford. Michael and I connected via the great land of Instagram, where he shares holistic health practices as The Thyroid Coach.
From a young age, Michael was no stranger to extreme digestive issues. IBS contributed to horrible quality of life. He was consuming 2000mg of Ibuprofen daily, with constant pain and non-existent energy. It wasn’t until a conversation with his dad that he was led down the path of diet changes and holistic approaches. Through this, he experienced healing change. Now a champion for nutrition and health, he equips men and women through training, coaching, and community at Fundamenta Wellness. Michael lives in the Pacific Northwest with his twin boys.
Today we share part one of a two-part conversation surrounding thyroid health, signs and symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, as well as busting the myth of supplementing with Vitamin D. You may want to open your notes app or grab a pen, you’re about to learn a LOT!
Resources Mentioned
Things to Remember
1. Everything is connected. If you’ve been hanging around Wholly Well long, you know I am all about this. When one part of our body doesn’t do its job very well, it’s going to impact so many other areas of our body. Michael breaks down the “alphabet soup” of HPATG (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid-gonadal axis) and explains what fuels (and disrupts!) our thyroid. You will love his Santa’s workshop metaphor!
2. We’ve accepted symptoms as normal. For example, are you the one always reaching for a blanket or bumping up the thermostat? Did you know being cold is a sign of an unhealthy thyroid? Your thyroid regulates your temperature. Other symptoms include dry skin, constipation, muscle weakness, high cholesterol, thinning/loss of hair, brain fog, depression, and dysregulated cycles. These aren’t okay to accept as normal. We can do better, my friend.
3. We’re not designed to do this alone. I really enjoyed this aside from our conversation. Many of the signs and symptoms pertaining to thyroid health are rooted in unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves, especially as women. We’re not designed to sacrifice our health to raise our children. Yet, we think we’re a failure when we can’t perform. We weren’t designed to live this way, and getting to the root of this can realign our health in many ways.
The Wellness Wrap-Up
Tune back in to the next episode for Part 2 of our conversation, and Michael’s answer to how he’s living wholly well right now!
Meet the Guest
Michael Rutherford
From a young age, Michael was no stranger to extreme digestive issues. IBS contributed to horrible quality of life. He was consuming 2000mg of Ibuprofen daily, with constant pain and non-existent energy. Now a champion for nutrition and health, he equips men and women through training, coaching, and community at Fundamenta Wellness. Michael lives in the Pacific Northwest with his twin boys.