Everyday Wellness with Cynthia Thurlow ™

Ep. 478 Thyroid Truths: Labs, Adrenals & Appetite Explained with McCall McPherson, PA-C

Jun 28, 2025

In this insightful discussion, McCall McPherson, founder of Modern Thyroid Clinic and thyroid expert, unpacks the complexities of thyroid and adrenal health. She highlights the importance of proper lab timing for testing and sheds light on misconceptions surrounding thyroid function. McCall also explores the impact of lifestyle choices on wellness, advocating for personalized health strategies, especially for women. Additionally, she delves into appetite regulation and the benefits of recent advancements in thyroid medication.

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ADVICE

Test Thyroid at Medication Peak

Test thyroid levels at medication peak for safety and effectiveness.
Testing only before meds can miss dangerously high T3 levels.

INSIGHT

TSH Alone Is Not Enough

TSH alone is not enough to diagnose thyroid conditions.
Optimal thyroid function requires looking beyond wide "normal" lab ranges.

INSIGHT

T3 Inversely Linked To Mortality

Higher T3 within reasonable range associates with lower mortality and disease risk.
Higher T4 correlates with increased risk of heart attacks and osteoporosis.

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Today, I am thrilled to reconnect with McCall McPherson, the visionary behind Modern Thyroid Clinic, a thyroid-centered functional medicine practice, and the owner and Chief Hope Giver of Thyroid Nation. She is also a frequent guest on podcasts and summits and is the host of the Thyroid Nation Podcast.

In our discussion, we explore common thyroid misconceptions, the importance of lab timing, the impact of defensive ideologies and traditional allopathic medicine within endocrinology, and the connection between thyroid and adrenal health. McCall shares some of her favorite methods of support, highlighting the importance of resting your way out of adrenal health issues, and offers her take on various lifestyle measures and alcohol use. We also dive into appetite regulation, hunger, metabolic hibernation, and recent research on microdosing with GLP-1s.

This conversation with McCall McPherson is exceptionally valuable and worth revisiting more than once.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why thyroid testing must be done when levels peak
Various challenges with the traditional endocrinology approach
How we need a broader understanding of thyroid health beyond TSH levels alone
Some common misconceptions surrounding thyroid health
How T3 and T4 impact thyroid health outcomes
McCall clarifies the concept of normal thyroid levels, highlighting the need for optimal thyroid function
The link between thyroid and adrenal health
What happens when people in a prolonged hypothyroid state go into metabolic hibernation?
Some helpful strategies for supporting adrenal health
The benefits of microdosing with GLP-1s
How alcohol affects thyroid and adrenal health

Bio:

McCall McPherson is the founder of Modern Thyroid Clinic, a thyroid-centered functional medicine practice in Austin, Texas, and the owner and Chief-Hope-Giver of Thyroid Nation. She is a physician assistant, TEDx speaker, and a thyroid expert, having been a thyroid patient herself.

Her passion is helping women rebuild their lives from the devastating effects of thyroid and hormonal disorders. Her philosophy is simple: There is no reason to still have thyroid symptoms.

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