Congrats to my colleague Aviva Romm, MD on the launch of her new book The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution: A Proven 4-Week Program to Rescue Your Metabolism, Hormones, Mind & Mood. This book addresses stress so well and is so needed because ….
According to the Annual Stress Survey by the American Psychological Association, 75 percent of women experience moderate to severe stress, 49 percent report sleep problems, and more than 40 percent report physical symptoms as a direct result of stress. Recent studies show that most are also experiencing chronic overwhelm and exhaustion.
She shares how common anxiety and depression are:
One in four women experiences an extended time of major depression in her life, and as many women are on an antidepressant, an antianxiety medication, or often, both, not living their lives with the joy and satisfaction we are meant to experience.
She shares that the stress and insomnia, the anxiety and depression, as well as obesity and autoimmunity has this at their root:
the fact that women are living in chronic overload emotionally and physically. We are stuck in survival mode.
It’s a brilliant book and she eloquently explains how to get out of survival mode and how to actually thrive:
- with a big focus on finding the root causes of your adrenal and thyroid issues
- removing food triggers and eating a “real- food, energy- boosting, fat-burning version of the Mediterranean diet”
- tools and exercises to calm your mind
- healing your gut, boosting immunity, supporting detoxification, and balancing your hormones
With Dr. Aviva Romm’s herbal expertise I particularly appreciate the section on nourishing your adrenals with herbal adaptogens:
Adaptogens are a category of herbal medicines that are specifically restorative to the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Used for centuries in China and India they are considered the “royalty” of herbs for helping you respond to stress, restore health, vitality, immunity, stamina and sense of well-being. Adaptogens help your body to cope more easily with the demands of everyday life, providing a sense of calm and energy at a deep level.
She writes about these adaptogens for adrenal support for their calming effects, lowering high cortisol and to help with energy, insomnia and more: rhodiola (this is one of my favorites), schizandra, reishi mushrooms, maca, holy basil, eleuthero and shatavari.
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is new to me and Dr. Romm shares about this adaptogen:
Shatavari is considered the “queen of herbs” in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is beloved as a rejuvenating tonic for women. It is nourishing and calming as well as hormonally balancing, and is used for irritability and many hormonal imbalances affecting the mood.
I’m impressed by the research on shatavari and will be sharing more as I learn more and may consider this as an option for some of my anxious female clients.
Rhodiola is an adaptogen I use with the majority of clients who have adrenal issues. Dr. Romm shares her feedback on rhodiola, which she calls “the spirit calmer”:
Rhodiola is perhaps the most important adaptogen for anxiety…. While it shouldn’t be taken before bed because it’s stimulating, its mood-regulating and nervous-system-supporting effects lead to improved sleep and reduced stress, irritability, and “burn-out.”
I really like her emphasis that the use of adaptogens does not mean you can keep going “at a twenty-first century pace.” You do need to address all the aspects she covers in the book!
The thyroid chapter is also very thorough with a detailed section on testing. I just received this positive feedback from a reader on Facebook:
I’ve been slowly reading it today and I can tell you there’s a heavy emphasis on both gut issues and Hashis. Her chapter on thyroid (I skipped ahead because I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to discuss test results) helped me understand it all like no one else has.
I was able to take my latest results, read the section on thyroid, actually understand what it all meant and compare my numbers with her charts. Now I feel more equipped to discuss with my own doctor.
Dr. Aviva Romm is a Yale-trained, board-certified family physician with a specialty in women’s health and obstetrics; certified professional midwife; and herbalist. Referred to as “the face of natural medicine in the 21st century” by Prevention Magazine, she is a member of the Yale Integrative Medicine Program’s Advisory Board, and currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
She has been one of my favorite authors for a long time – long before I had the pleasure of meeting her in person. I’m really excited to be celebrating her book launch and sharing it here with you!
We’re planning a video interview so please let me know if you have questions for her.
If you’ve used shatavari personally or with clients/patients please share what you think. If you have questions about this adaptogen now is the time to ask them!
Be sure to check out her Adrenal Thyroid Revolution community here.
Check out the book and get your copy here on Amazon.
If you’ve already picked up the book and read it please do share areas that were highlights for you.
Please help. I have had my hormones tested…a 24 hour urine test….and I have high estrogen, and low testosterone and low progesterone. Although much much better (praise Jesus!) than I once was….I do suffer with anxiety and fear issues. I do not eat gluten or dairy and haven’t for years….that has greatly helped. Natural doctor put me on DIM supplements to lower estrogen and told me to take oral liquid progesterone supplement…although I am leery of taking progesterone. Doc said I may need to be on DIM and Progesterone for now on. I am only 38 and believe I am going to go into menopause earlier than most. I have never been on birth control, and don’t know why my hormones are so out of whack other than years of bad anxiety taxing my system. I eat organic and don’t use toxins in our home. My question is……for hormones and anxiety you read take this, no take that, no don’t take that it is dangerous, on and on. What are your feelings on DIM and oral progesterone? Was told that progesterone creams can build up over time and cause problems, so oral is best. Also, is tryptophan safe b/c I read conflicting things online. Have read your book The Anti-anxiety Food Solution and it is awesome!!! Please help me with all this! Thank you so much.
Ella
It sounds like you are in good hands with your doctor.
I have excellent results with tryptophan when the anxiety is the busy worry-in-the-head, ruminating thoughts, low self-esteem type of anxiety. If it’s physical anxiety then GABA helps (and keep in mind that GABA supports progesterone production too)
I’m so pleased you find my book awesome – thanks!
I encourage you to read Dr Aviva Romm’s new book too – “The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution”. Our hormones do this merry dance together and poor adrenal health has impacts on sex hormones.
HI, DIM may block thyroid…is uncooked broccoli etc. The Pill makes people estrogen dominant and has progestin instead of progesterone. Depression/anxiety/no sleep/obsessing/panic/suicidal thoughts maybe due to low oxygen in the brain which the thyroid being low and progesterone being low and hidden gluten may cause. Amour thyroid may help. Hidden gluten may still hurt. LDN/gluten enzymes may help. Oral progesterone may get removed by the liver. Open the capsules and rub it on your leg instead. Rotate location of putting the progesterone on your leg. I can’t take tryptophan…but it may help sleep.
Below is what I do. Read John Lee book about progesterone. Best wishes.
No gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO/food with a label etc. and vitamins/good oils/ LDN and detoxing help me. Vit D3 5000IU, zinc 50mg if detoxing, 2000mg fish oil, 2000mg evening primrose oil. 2000 mg lecithin, Phosphatidylserine/DMAE, krill oil, CLA, Coenzyme Q10, Rhodiola, Mg citrate 400mg, Vit C, 5000mcg of biotin, Nature’s Plus- Source of life multiple, HCl and Now brand- Super enzymes with meals, dairy free probiotic, Vit B12 methylcobalamin shot/spray/under the tongue kind/intrinsic factor kind, MTHF folate, coenyzme Q10, rhodiola, may help brain/body/thyroid/depression/immune system and more. Gluten is wheat/barley/rye/corn…oats has gluten with avenin…and there is a small amount of gluten in rice. GMO corn/soy/canola oil may hurt. Amour thyroid maybe needed since gluten may make antibodies to the thyroid. Coenzymated B vitamins far from synthetic kind made me calm.
Sunlight (helps the immune system and helps to heal the gut lining),exercise, organic food, good water..not tap water, cooking by scratch pure food….. no food in a box/bag/premade/label/restaurant which may help avoid hidden gluten. Certified gluten free food may have 20ppm of gluten…too much. Nuts not sold in the shell/meat basting/some spices may have hidden gluten/food with a label and lotion/make up etc. One restaurant cooks special for me…rice/veg/tea/extra mushrooms (no meat since the woks may have MSG/gluten in them).
EDTA/DMPS IV chelations from an Alternative doctor, 600mg of cilantro, organic sulfur, Now brand- Detox support, Far Infrared Sauna and more may help detox. Hair tests show good minerals and heavy metals. Heavy metals can block thyroid and other chemical reactions in the body/brain.
LDN may help block hidden gluten/heal the gut lining and help the immune system, but the Celiac diet is still needed. 100% no gluten..no hidden or microscopic gluten may help. Cutting back on gluten or cheating by eating gluten hurts the immune system. It may take 1 1/2 months to heal the gut lining after getting hidden gluten. HCl and enzymes with meals and gluten enzymes help me. There are now gluten enzymes also a person may use that may help, but LDN helps block gluten in the air/on the skin and all day long.
Amour thyroid has some T3 and Calcitonin. Synthroid is only T4..may not convert to T3. Zn/Se/enough iron/strong probiotic may help convert T4 to T3 for thyroid.
Alternative doctors/chiropractors/acupuncturists and more may help with health/vitamins etc.
Books: No grain No Pain, Wheat Belly, Grain Brain, Dangerous Grains and The Autoimmune Fix and more explain Celiac. Peter Osborne/Tom O’Bryan on Facebook/Youtube.
Shasha
Thanks for sharing what’s working for you.
I love those books and love that we have access to these brilliant doctors via their books. And Dr Aviva Romm’s new book is a no-brainer addition to our collection of great books
Hi, Yes…the latest books are awesome. Much wisdom that will help people heal fast. Many people are not getting the help they need. Thyroid/adrenal issues are very common and TSH maybe low due to the pituitary not making TSH. Doctors may skip free T4 and free T3 so people may not get help. Thanks for helping restore people’s health and stop their suffering! Happiness….
The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal hub. Utilized for quite a long time in China and India they are viewed as the “sovereignty” of herbs for helping you react to push, reestablish wellbeing, imperativeness, resistance, stamina and feeling of prosperity. Adaptogens help your body to adapt all the more effortlessly to the requests of regular day to day existence, giving a feeling of quiet and vitality at a profound level.
Absolutely!