Izabella Wentz - Hashimotos Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back

T he guiding principle of Hashimotos Protocol, Genes are not your destiny! is something I truly believe in. I tell my patients that genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. The way you eat, how much you exercise, how you manage stress, and your exposure to environmental toxins all contribute to the formation and progression of chronic disease.

Over 133 million Americans suffer from chronic disease, with an estimated 20 million Americans living with some form of thyroid disease. The symptoms of Hashimotos and hypothyroidism go well beyond low energy and can have a catastrophic impact on your health. The thyroid gland determines the speed of, and enhances the activity of, every function in your body. It determines your mood, skin and hair health, heart function, blood sugar levels, fertility, body temperature, muscle function, and hormonal function especially with symptoms related to PMS and menopause.

When Izabella Wentz, PharmD, was first diagnosed with Hashimotos, she quickly discovered there was a significant lack of knowledge about lifestyle interventions for Hashimotos. Faced with her own illness, she methodically researched and tested healing protocols to achieve her personal remission. Then she bravely shared her process with the world, leading the way for other Hashimotos patients to follow in her footsteps. Not only have thousands of patients read and successfully applied the research from her first book, Hashimotos Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, but she has also been a strong voice in the medical world in building awareness about Hashimotos and championing the functional medicine approach.

As a strong advocate of functional medicine, which addresses the root cause of disease, not just the symptoms, I am an admirer of Dr. Wentzs Fundamental Protocol approach, which will help you get to the root of your illness by focusing on three key areas.

First, Dr. Wentzs Liver Support Protocol will give you the steps to reduce your toxic burden, support your bodys own detoxification pathways, and make you more resilient against the chemical warfare in our environment. Environmental toxins can feed thyroid dysfunction and related health conditions through inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial injury. Our environment affects our genes. The genetic code itself may not change, but the world around us highly influences the way those genes are expressed. Our environment has changed more in the last one hundred years than in all of previous human history. The Liver Support Protocol shows you how to take action. Wentz walks you through removing toxins from your home and food supply all while supporting your natural detoxification pathways by adding in superfoods, activities, and supplements to lower your bodys toxic burden.

Second, the Adrenal Recovery Protocol will give you the steps to improve your thyroid function through adrenal balance. As a functional medicine doctor, I know that any patient with poor thyroid function must address the effects of chronic stress and provide support to the adrenal glands as part of the healing process. Wentz teaches you how to boost your stress resilience through her Adrenal Recovery Protocol, which guides patients through the restorative steps of resting, reducing stress and inflammation, balancing blood sugar, and replenishing key nutrients.

Lastly, the Gut Balance Protocol provides Hashimotos patients with the tools they need to heal intestinal permeability and regain optimal health. Patients living with irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut often struggle with debilitating symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Wentz suggests strategies in line with those Ive found to eliminate irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and restore healthy gut function in most of my patients, including removing reactive foods, balancing gut flora, and supplementing with enzymes and nutrients to nourish the gut.

Im also excited about the innovative research shared in the Advanced Protocols, which will allow patients to halt the progression of autoimmunity by identifying and removing triggers and not just optimize their thyroid hormone levels through the use of appropriate medications but also reverse the autoimmune thyroid damage sustained, allowing many patients to taper their medications under their doctors supervision and to live their life to the fullest.

Hashimotos Protocol provides the opportunity to change the way both patients and doctors think about Hashimotos treatment and recovery. By using a broad approach that deals with the underlying cause of disease and not simply subduing symptoms, Wentz has paved the way for you to return to health in the most pragmatic time frame possible. This book provides you with the opportunity to take charge of your own health by supporting you with the tools and knowledge necessary to put your healing into action!

Dr. Wentz reminds patients that with the guidance of a functional medicine doctor, patients can take a proactive approach to correcting their thyroid issues and putting their autoimmune condition into remission.

Mark Hyman, MD

Ten-time #1 New York Times bestselling author

Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine

Founder and Director, The UltraWellness Center