Written during the 2020 pandemic, I read this book while juggling my own health being a little topsy-turvy following the birth of my first child. The postpartum period saw my Hashimoto’s come out of remission and old symptoms of fatigue, acne and brain fog (naming just a few) returned.
So it was a welcome reminder of the kinds of practises that can support our thyroid health.
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get the review on my website!
The author, Mark Pilja, is a thyroid health coach, diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism himself (he shares that his TSH was even as high as 314 at one point). Thyroid medication did not ‘fix’ everything for him and he continued to feel unwell, which was highly disruptive to him as an athlete. So he embarked on a journey to get his health back and this book details how he has done that.
The Hashimoto’s Handbook covers thyroid basics, Hashimoto’s, why meds do not always help, diet, exercise, sleep and stress when it comes to having a thyroid condition, as they are so often very important jigsaw puzzle pieces. I found the chapters to be concise and short enough that if you’re experiencing fatigue or brain fog for example, then they are still easy to consume, especially since bulleted round-ups are given at the end of each chapter, too.
The chapter on diet and epigenetics was interesting, although slightly triggering for me as someone with a history of eating disorders, so I did have to skim this one somewhat. However, if you’re looking for weight loss tips with a thyroid condition, then it may be useful to you.
The information on foods to avoid feels a little overwhelming and scary, although the author does suggest attempting to add them back in after a month. The suggestion of organic foods will also be out of reach for many people and I don’t feel are completely necessary.
The chapter on stress management was one of my favourites, giving lots of suggestions for daily ways we can reduce our stress levels and feel more balanced mental health wise. I also really enjoyed the chapter on sleep, which is another very important thyroid jigsaw puzzle piece – many of my readers don’t realise how important good sleep is for managing their thyroid condition and staving off flares.
A chapter on exercise with some exercise routine examples will also be helpful to many, as long as we keep in mind how our bodies can all respond differently.
I wasn’t taken on a lot of the claims in the chapter on chemicals – whereas some may well be true, a lot of these sources of chemicals are unavoidable for most people anyway and so it may breed unnecessary worry. I do agree that it’s often helpful to feel aware of these things, but we also need to weigh up how stressful avoiding them can be and if that stress is just as bad for our health.
Overall, this book makes living a full life with thyroid issues and reclaiming our lives possible, with advice on various aspects of our lifestyle that we may not have considered yet. It encourages us to be our own thyroid advocates and whilst some information will not be applicable to everyone, we can use what does apply to form a good basis for better health.
Get a copy of this book from Amazon here.
