Thyroid Power: Ten Steps to Total Health

Depressed, overworked, or just feelin' old are common enough complaints. But when disparate symptoms such as joint pain, weight gain, and foggy-headedness join the ranks, it's time to think thyroid. As the "throttle" for the body's energy hormones, the thyroid affects every organ and cell; when it's in trouble, any variety of ailments--physical and mental--can occur. Trouble is, physicians are more likely to treat each symptom independently, with pill upon pill, rather than search for a root cause. Bolstered by 25 years of treating patients with low thyroid condition, husband-and-wife team Richard L. Shames, M.D., and Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D., ably explain the physical and emotional profiles of those diagnosed with the disease, why the proverbial deck is stacked against them, and how each patient can forge an effective path of treatment.

"Consider Thyroid Power a long, personal visit with a caring, prevention-oriented practitioner," state the authors. The journey begins with thyroid basics: how this little hormone-producing tissue operates, signs that things are amiss, how other illnesses compound the problem, and how to determine one's risk for hypothyroidism. Next, the Shameses discuss the labyrinth of diagnostic and treatment issues a patient must endure. Helpful and harmful supplements and environmental factors, repairing the immune system (the origin of thyroid troubles), and a rich, sensitive exploration of holistic healing nicely round out this valuable resource. A brief section titled "Show This to Your Doctor," penned by Richard, perfectly crystallizes the book and provides an effective tool for initiating a patient/physician dialogue. --Liane Thomas