Blog Posts and Articles

I heard a beautiful saying a couple of years ago that really struck me. It said, “In simplicity, there’s great complexity.”

Another way of saying it is, “Small hinges swing big doors,” which I’ve repeated hundreds of times over many years.

As of this fall, I’ll have been working with the hypothyroid/Hashimoto’s community for 17 years. I’m honored to have served so many clients and students and I never, ever, ever tire of hearing them say, “My thyroid labs are normal for the first time in years!” Or, “I no longer have thyroid antibodies—my Hashimoto’s is in remission!”

We always discuss laying the right foundation before we even talk about the thyroid gland specifically. I know it’s a corny analogy, but you can’t put the roof on the house without a solid foundation.

Fact: A lot of women (and men) sabotage their thyroid every single day without realizing it. It’s not because they’re doing something “wrong,” it’s because modern life is unintentionally designed to stress our endocrine system, and with it, our oh-so-delicate delicate thyroid gland.

If you’re struggling with thyroid-related fatigue (some have referred to it as “living in slow motion”), constipation, dry skin, hair loss, weight gain, depression, inability to thermo-regulate (you’re cold all the time), or any of these other symptoms, you may be unknowingly keeping yourself stuck by continuing with some everyday habits—you’re living life the way the modern world has wired us: fast, stressed, caffeinated, and overextended.

Thyroid health isn’t just about what shows up on a blood test (go here for a functional thyroid panel). Your thyroid is a tiny gland that’s incredibly responsive to the world around you (a “canary in a coalmine”) and it has an enormous influence on your energy, metabolism, mood, digestion, skin, and cognition.

Many people think of “thyroid problems” as “big” issues like Hashimoto’s antibodies (yes, upwards of 90 percent of people with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s, which is autoimmune hypothyroidism), nodules, or whether they’re on the right dose of thyroid hormone replacement. But Hashimoto’s or not, your thyroid is sensitive and it responds to stressors in ways that often fly under the radar.

Below are seven habits that might be holding your thyroid hostage. These aren’t obscure, complicated medical mysteries. They’re often part of our everyday routines—things we do almost on autopilot that quietly chip away at thyroid function.

Boosting thyroid function might not be about “doing more.” It might be about removing a few of these saboteurs.

Remember…in simplicity, there’s great complexity.

1. The coffee–cortisol–thyroid connection

I know, no one wants to hear it.

Before you continue reading, I’m not going to ask you to stop drinking coffee! Nope, I’m not.

Coffee is practically a love language and for many people, the day doesn’t start until those first sips of the brown nectar. But when you rely on it to prop you up every morning—or worse, every afternoon—you’re forcing your adrenal glands to pump out cortisol, a stress hormone. High cortisol suppresses thyroid hormone conversion (T4, the inactive form to T3, the active form), leaving you tired but wired and exhausted but unable to get restorative rest.

Additionally, it can raise Reverse T3, an antagonist to T3.

Go here for my eBook, Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Health: The Often Misunderstood Link >

And if you drink coffee first thing, on an empty stomach? Man, it’s like rocket fuel. Cortisol spikes and blood sugar swings follow, both of which make it harder for your thyroid to keep up.

What to do instead:
If you love coffee, keep it. But for the love of all things holy, don’t drink it on an empty stomach. I simply cannot tell you how this one suggestion has changed the lives of hundreds of my clients. Many have said, “I was afraid you were going to say, ‘no coffee.’ Heck yeah, I can stop drinking it on an empty stomach! As long as I don’t have to give it up.”

Start drinking it about halfway through your protein- and fat-rich breakfast. Or better yet, treat it as an after-breakfast indulgence, with fat, like organic half-and-half or whipping cream if you tolerate dairy.

And if you’ve been relying on multiple cups a day, watch how not jangling your adrenals first thing in the morning gives you more stable cortisol distribution, better blood sugar management, and more sustained energy throughout the day and you just might find that you don’t even want or need that afternoon pick-me-up.

2. Skipping breakfast (including skimping on protein)

Speaking of breakfast, skipping it has become downright trendy. It makes me nuts.

Intermittent fasting (IF), bulletproof coffee, or just racing out the door—many people do these at least some of the time. The problem is that your thyroid thrives on stability, especially stable blood sugar.

When you skip breakfast, your body interprets it as a major stress signal. Cortisol increases, thyroid hormone conversion decreases, Reverse T3 increases, and insulin spikes, including later in the day. And long-term? It adds to the metabolic burden on your thyroid.

And let me guess, when you do finally eat, it’s often a quick carb hit—like a granola bar, muffin, or smoothie with mostly fruit? Amirite?

Well, that insulin rollercoaster isn’t doing your thyroid any favors, either.

What to do instead:
Start your day with 20–30 grams of protein and plenty of quality fats. Make it a priority…it doesn’t have to be difficult and time-consuming. Eggs, turkey sausage, Greek yogurt, or a protein smoothie with added collagen or nut butter are all simple ways to get protein. I’m telling you, this will change your life in ways you couldn’t have imagined.

Go here for additional pitfalls associated with skipping breakfast >

3. Low-calorie and an obsession with “clean eating”

One of the biggest hidden stressors on the thyroid is not eating enough. See above point about breakfast.

Many women, especially those trying to lose weight or eat “clean,” end up cutting calories to the point that they’re literally undernourished. The body interprets this as famine! and responds by conserving energy. How? By lowering active T3 and increasing Reverse T3.

Metabolism slows, fat loss stalls, and fatigue sets in—even though you’re “being good.”

This isn’t just about calories either. Skimping on any macronutrient (protein, fat, carbs) can also slow thyroid function. Despite what we’ve been browbeaten to believe, carbs are especially important because they support the conversion of T4 to T3 in the liver.

Go here for my post, 12 Reasons Low-Carb is a Bad Idea >

What to do instead:
Rather than eating less, eat enough of the right things—quality protein, healthy fats, and slow-burning carbs. If you’ve been under-eating, sometimes the most healing thing you can do for your thyroid is simply to feed it.

My bestselling Essential Thyroid Cookbook: Over 100 Nourishing Recipes for Thriving with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s is a great place to start. And if you’d like to learn more about balancing your macronutrients for blood sugar stability, my eBook, Balance Your Blood Sugar, Balance Your Life is a great place to start.

4. Plastics, packaging, and endocrine burden

You may not think twice about drinking from a plastic water bottle or microwaving leftovers in plastic containers. But trust me, these habits add up and not in ways you want.

Plastics contain endocrine disruptors like BPA and phthalates. And even “BPA-free” plastics aren’t safe—they’re often worse.

These chemicals mimic hormones and interfere with how thyroid hormones bind to receptors. Over time, this means your cells may stop “hearing” thyroid signals.

It’s not just everyday plastics—endocrine disruptors are in paper receipts (never touch them), non-stick pans, some cosmetics, and even common cleaning products.

What to do instead:
You don’t need to throw everything out and start from scratch. Begin with small swaps:

- Use a stainless steel or glass water bottle.
- Store leftovers in glass containers.
- Stop microwaving plastic—yes, even if it says “microwave safe.”
- Choose clean and green personal care and cleaning products.

Think of it as lowering your overall “toxic load.” Each of these swaps gives your thyroid more breathing room.

Go here for my post, Autoimmunity and Body Burden >

5. Over-exercising (and under-recovering)

Exercise is great—until it’s not. Most women don’t realize that too much exercise, especially high-intensity workouts done without enough recovery, can be hard—very hard—on the thyroid.

Exercise is a form of stress. Usually, it’s a positive stress that builds resilience. But if you’re pounding out HIIT six days a week, adding long runs, or pushing through fatigue because you “should,” your body starts interpreting it as a threat. 

The response? Thyroid hormones downshifting to conserve energy. Additionally, couple threat! with famine! and you’ve got a metabolic catastrophe. 

What to do instead:
Move your body in a way that energizes rather than depletes. Brisk walking, pilates, light strength training, or even dancing in your living room can be thyroid-friendly. Intense exercise can have its place—but not when the thyroid is underfunctioning and the adrenals need support.

6. Inadequate sleep (aka burning the candle at both ends)

Most people underestimate how much sleep affects our hormones. Missing a few hours here and there doesn’t feel like a big deal, but chronic sleep debt has a positively brutal effect on your thyroid.

Your body repairs itself when you sleep and it’s also when your thyroid resets itself. Poor or insufficient sleep lowers the active form of T3, the hormone that drives energy and metabolism. You could have labs that look “normal,” but if T3 conversion is tanking because of poor sleep, you’ll still suffer from fatigue.

What to do instead:
Aim for 8–10 hours (you read that right) of consistent, quality sleep. Start small: go to bed 30 minutes earlier, dim the lights in the evening, and cut screens an hour before bed. Sleep is medicine, not a luxury.

(Note: As of this writing, I’m considering reopening my Sleep Reset Blueprint this fall.)

7. The invisible mental load

Finally, let’s talk about the mental load. You may not be running marathons or working 80-hour weeks, but your brain is carrying a constant to-do list: carpool schedules, meal planning, laundry, bills, deadlines, kids’ sports, and everything else. (Raises hand.)

That invisible weight keeps your nervous system in a low-grade stress state. Cortisol hums in the background, and again, thyroid conversion can suffer.

What to do instead:
You don’t need an hour a day for prayer or meditation. Even 10 minutes of true downtime—where your brain isn’t “working”—can reset your nervous system. Sit outside. Pray. Journal. Listen to calming music. The activity matters less than the pause itself.

Remove friction before adding more

“Thyroid supplements” get a lot of attention. And yes, they can definitely move the meter. (But not glandulars!)

But if you’re still living in a thyroid-hostile environment, supplements are just band-aids.

Healing isn’t always about adding more. It’s about gently removing the friction that keeps your thyroid from doing its job. These everyday saboteurs—coffee on an empty stomach, skipped meals, plastics, over-exercise, poor sleep, chronic stress—add up.

I offer you a gentle challenge to look at your past week and ask yourself…which of these habits are showing up most frequently? You don’t have to overhaul your life right now. Pick one. Maybe it’s swapping your water bottle, adding protein at breakfast, or carving out 10 minutes of quiet. Do that one thing consistently. Then add another.

I’m not saying this list will “cure” hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s, but remember, foundation, foundation, foundation.