Everyday Wellness with Cynthia Thurlow ™

BONUS: Optimizing Adrenal Health: The Power of Lifestyle Changes with Dr. Izabella Wentz

Feb 17, 2025

Dr. Izabella Wentz, PharmD, is an internationally acclaimed thyroid specialist and author known for her work on Hashimoto's and adrenal health. She shares insights on the link between adrenal and thyroid issues, the myth of adrenal fatigue, and the physiological differences between acute and chronic stress. Dr. Wentz discusses lifestyle factors that affect adrenal health, the role of adaptogens, and the critical impact of sleep and trauma on well-being. Listeners will learn about foods that support or hinder thyroid function and practical steps for optimizing their health.

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ANECDOTE

Hashimoto's Journey

Dr. Wentz's interest in Hashimoto's stemmed from her own diagnosis and struggles with conventional treatments.
She found significant relief through functional medicine and lifestyle changes, leading her to dedicate her career to this approach.

INSIGHT

Adrenal Dysfunction and Fatigue

Adrenal dysfunction, often misdiagnosed or dismissed, significantly impacts those with Hashimoto's and other fatigue-related conditions.
It's characterized by a dysregulated stress response, causing a cluster of debilitating symptoms.

INSIGHT

Adrenal Fatigue Explained

Adrenal fatigue is not a destruction of adrenals as initially theorized by Dr. James Wilson but a dysregulation of the HPA axis.
This dysregulation occurs due to a communication breakdown between the brain and adrenals in managing stress hormones.

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I’m delighted to connect with Dr. Izabella Wentz today! She is a PharmD, an internationally acclaimed thyroid specialist, and a licensed pharmacist who has dedicated her career to addressing the root causes of autoimmune thyroid disease. She is also the author of three books. Her most recent book is The Adrenal Transformation Protocol.

Dr. Wentz joins me to dive into how to identify what is going on with our adrenal health and why adrenal issues tend to occur along with thyroid issues. We speak about her background and how it influenced her life’s work, the myth of adrenal fatigue, and HPA dysfunction. We also discuss the physiology of the adrenals, acute versus chronic stress, signs of a dysregulated HPA axis, lifestyle, the impact of trauma, and how Dr. Wentz’s protocol works.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Dr. Wentz explains what led her to write The Adrenal Protocol.
What happens in the body when we experience significant amounts of fatigue?
How the physical impact of acute stress differs from that of chronic stress.
Symptoms of adrenal dysfunction (other than chronic fatigue).
How does sleep apnea tie to Hashimoto’s and mitochondrial health?
Lifestyle factors that may contribute to adrenal fatigue.
Adaptogens and supplements that can assist in balancing cortisol levels.
How to know when to cut back on exercise.
Foods that support thyroid and adrenal health, and foods that could negatively impact thyroid and adrenal health.
What is molecular mimicry?
How does trauma impact adrenal health?
Dr. Wentz talks about her latest book, The Adrenal Transformation Protocol.
Something you can do right now to improve your adrenal health.

Bio:

Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP, is an internationally acclaimed thyroid specialist and a licensed pharmacist who has dedicated her career to addressing the root causes of autoimmune thyroid disease after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009. She is the author of three books on Hashimoto’s: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology, and Hashimoto’s Protocol, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Dr. Wentz currently lives in Texas with her husband, Michael, and their son, Dimitry.

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Get Dr. Wentz’s adrenal healing guide: The ABCs of Adrenal Support

Find Dr. Wentz’s new book, The Adrenal Transformation Protocol

Book Mentioned:

From Fatigued to Fantastic by Jacob Teitelbaum