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Episode 202: Missing Strategies That May Ignite Your Weight Loss

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Release Date: 07/22/2025

Is Your Brain Keeping You Stuck in Thyroid Purgatory? | Thyroid Shorts #22 show art Is Your Brain Keeping You Stuck in Thyroid Purgatory? | Thyroid Shorts #22

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Is Your Brain Keeping You Stuck in Thyroid Purgatory? | Thyroid Shorts #22 Most people assume persistent hypothyroid symptoms mean their thyroid is failing or their medication is wrong. But what if your thyroid isn’t broken at all, and your brain’s perception of safety or threat is controlling everything? In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage reveals why many people get trapped in Thyroid Purgatory. In this state, thyroid physiology is perfectly adapted to protection, not performance, which is why more T4 or adding T3 often makes symptoms worse, not better. You’ll learn how two...

info_outline Is T3 Medication Causing You Anxiety and Insomnia? show art Is T3 Medication Causing You Anxiety and Insomnia?

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Many people start T3 medication hoping for more energy and mental clarity—only to end up feeling wired, anxious, or unable to sleep. In this episode of Thyroid Shorts, Dr. Eric Balcavage explains why too much or too little T3 can both amplify anxiety and insomnia, and how to restore calm by shifting from defense mode to recovery mode. You’ll learn how the brain’s fear center (the amygdala) interprets stress, how local T3 activity inside the brain differs from global thyroid output, and why “state before hormone” is the key to lasting recovery. Featuring insights from two pivotal...

info_outline Episode 211: Rewiring the Brain for Thyroid Recovery with Dr. Patrick Porter show art Episode 211: Rewiring the Brain for Thyroid Recovery with Dr. Patrick Porter

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Rewiring the Brain for Thyroid Recovery with Dr. Patrick Porter What if you could train your brain to help your thyroid recover? In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage sits down with Dr. Patrick Porter, creator of BrainTapÂź, to explore how brainwave training, stress regulation, and nervous-system balance can unlock your body’s natural healing potential. In this conversation: How chronic stress keeps the brain stuck in “danger mode” and blocks thyroid recovery Why the amygdala, HPA axis, and thyroid are part of one continuous feedback loop The role of neuroplasticity and...

info_outline TS Epsisode 20: The Real Reason Your TSH Goes Up in Winter show art TS Epsisode 20: The Real Reason Your TSH Goes Up in Winter

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Every winter, TSH rises—but that doesn’t mean thyroid failure. Dr Eric Balcavage explains how photoperiod, melatonin, and circannual rhythms alter TRH → TSH → T3 and why seasonal adaptation is often misdiagnosed as hypothyroidism. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ How shorter days and colder temperatures reset the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis ✅ Why macro-TSH raises lab TSH without true hypothyroidism ✅ How both conventional and functional models misread winter physiology ✅ Five ways to align with your seasonal thyroid rhythm (light, rest, minerals, movement,...

info_outline TS Epsiode 19: Stress and Holiday Hypothyroidism show art TS Epsiode 19: Stress and Holiday Hypothyroidism

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Stress and Holiday Hypothyroidism | How Stress Lowers T3 and Raises rT3 | Dr. Eric Balcavage – Thyroid Shorts Ep. 19 The holidays are supposed to be joyful — but for many with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s, they trigger fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and anxiety. In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage, creator of the Adaptive Thyroid Modelℱ, explains how stress physiology, poor sleep, and inflammation can turn down your thyroid hormone activity — even when your blood tests look “normal.” Learn why holiday stress, late nights, sugar spikes, alcohol, and over-training push your...

info_outline Do Thyroid Antibodies Tell the Whole Story of Hashimoto’s? – Thyroid Shorts Ep 18 show art Do Thyroid Antibodies Tell the Whole Story of Hashimoto’s? – Thyroid Shorts Ep 18

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Most people are told: “If you have thyroid antibodies, you have Hashimoto’s. If you don’t, you don’t.” In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage, creator of the Adaptive Thyroid Modelℱ, revisits that idea and shows why antibodies are only one piece of a much bigger picture. Discover how: ✅ Th1 and Th17 T-cells, CD8 T-cells, and low T-regs drive thyroid inflammation and tissue damage ✅ PAMPs (pathogen signals) and DAMPs (cell-danger signals) can bind to pattern-recognition receptors [PRRs] on thyroid cells, triggering cytokines and interferon activity ✅ Antibodies may confirm...

info_outline Episode 210: Hashimoto’s Revisited - A Conversation with Dr. Izabella Wentz show art Episode 210: Hashimoto’s Revisited - A Conversation with Dr. Izabella Wentz

Thyroid Answers Podcast

In this episode of Thyroid Answers, Dr. Eric Balcavage sits down with pharmacist and bestselling author Dr. Izabella Wentz to revisit one of the most misunderstood conditions in modern medicine — Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. They explore how new research and clinical experience are reshaping what we know about autoimmune thyroid disease, why so many women still struggle with fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog despite “normal” thyroid labs, and what it really takes to recover thyroid function from the inside out. Dr. Wentz and Dr. Balcavage break down the differences between managing...

info_outline Thyroid Shorts 17: Does Everyone with Low T3 Need Medication? show art Thyroid Shorts 17: Does Everyone with Low T3 Need Medication?

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Are you struggling with hypothyroid symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, or brain fog?  Have you been told the reason is that you have “low T3”? Many patients are told the solution is simple: add T3 thyroid hormone replacement. But is that the truth? Is that the correct strategy? In this Thyroid Answers Shorts episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage, functional medicine thyroid expert and host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, explains: ✅ Why low T3 doesn’t always mean you need medication ✅ How stress, inflammation, and the Cell Danger Response affect T4-to-T3 conversion ✅ Why...

info_outline Episode 209: Age Stronger, Live Longer with Dr. Mani Kukreja show art Episode 209: Age Stronger, Live Longer with Dr. Mani Kukreja

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Are you ready to challenge the myths of aging and discover how to stay strong, vital, and resilient for decades to come? In this episode of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, Dr. Eric Balcavage sits down with Dr. Mani Kukreja to explore the cutting-edge science of healthy aging. We dive into: Why aging is not just about years—but about cellular health and resilience The hidden role of thyroid physiology in longevity and vitality Nutrition, movement, and lifestyle strategies that slow the aging clock The difference between simply “managing” disease and truly recovering health Practical steps...

info_outline Episode 16: Bile, Bugs, and Barriers - The Thyroid Connection You’ve Never Heard show art Episode 16: Bile, Bugs, and Barriers - The Thyroid Connection You’ve Never Heard

Thyroid Answers Podcast

Your thyroid doesn’t work in isolation. It relies on your liver, your bile, and even your gut bacteria to keep hormone conversion running smoothly. In this episode of Thyroid Shorts, Dr. Eric Balcavage explains how thyroid hormone T3 regulates bile acid production, shapes your microbiome, and keeps your gut lining strong in a state of homeostasis. But what happens when stress, inflammation, or the Cell Danger Response lower circulating T3? The liver shifts bile chemistry, gut bugs change, and your barrier can loosen. This isn’t necessarily dysfunction — it’s your body’s intelligent...

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More Episodes
Dr. Eric Balcavage interviews Nagina Abdullah about why traditional weight loss approaches fail for women with thyroid issues, especially in midlife. Nagina shares her personal journey from yo-yo dieting to losing 40 pounds using metabolism-focused strategies and reveals the framework she's used to help 1600+ women.
 
Key Topics Covered:
  • Why "calories in, calories out" doesn't work in midlife
  • How perimenopause changes metabolism and increases inflammation 
  • The role of stress, sleep, and under-eating in weight gain 
  • Nagina's "Tested & Perfected Fat Burning Food Framework" 
  • Specific macro ratios: 40% protein, 35% healthy fats, 25% healthy carbs 
  • When to use advanced strategies like "feeding up" and intermittent fasting 
  • Why thyroid patients need digestive support and adequate carbohydrates
  • The connection between liver function and T4 to T3 conversion
Perfect for: Women over 40 struggling with weight despite "doing everything right," especially those with thyroid conditions seeking practical, science-based nutrition strategies.
 

Nagina Abdullah is the founder of MasalaBody. She is the metabolism expert for midlife women who feel like their bodies have turned against them. When nothing else works, she helps them fire up their metabolism, burn stubborn fat, and finally see results.

After maintaining a 40-pound weight loss for over a decade, she used her Bloat Busting Protocol to shed 14 pounds of perimenopause weight. With a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley & an MBA from NYU, she blends scientific research with practical strategies to help midlife women boost their metabolism, shed stubborn weight, and create a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

While most midlife women are told to "eat less and exercise more," Nagina does the opposite. She replaces restriction with metabolism-boosting foods that melt belly fat & make healthy living effortless. Her proven methods have helped 1,600+ women finally break free from stubborn midlife weight, without frustration or deprivation.

 
Guest Links & Resources: 

🌐 Website: https://masalabody.com/

đŸ“· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masalabody

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masalabody

đŸŽ„ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MasalaBody

 

FREE GIFT - Nagina shares her "Sweet Spice Cheat Sheet" with the spice that is in your kitchen cabinet! It helps to lower blood sugar and curb sugar cravings. The cheat sheet includes: 3 health benefits of using this spice 5 ways to use it in your day An easy recipe using this spice https://masalabody.com/SweetSpicePDF/