Book Review: The Thyroid Diet Revolution – by Cara Potapshyn Meyers
I don’t think I have ever made this statement about any book I have ever read: The Thyroid Diet Revolution by Mary J. Shomon literally saved my life. Period. In fact, it saved my life to the point where I was asked to review it last summer and here it is a year later and I am still recuperating from conditions I never heard of nor would have been tested for, had it not been for this book. And I am still recovering. Here is my story.
I have hypothyroidism. I knew quite a bit about the condition, but I felt you can never be too knowledgable. When I began reading The Thyroid Diet Revolution I was quite taken aback at how educated Ms. Shomon was on the subject of thyroid conditions. Especially considering that although she has a thyroid condition herself, she doesn’t have any “formal” medical background. To defend that statement on her behalf, when you have a condition that motivates you to have the best quality of life possible, you really don’t need a medical background. I can personally attest to that.
Ms. Shomon must have done hoards of research. Tons of it. I was mouth open, amazed at what she knew and was presenting in her book. It went way beyond simply diet information. In fact, her references span seventeen pages in very small print. I don’t even think I had that many references for my own Master’s thesis. That aside, you knew that this author and her book were going to tell you far more than the “typical” book on thyroid disorders. I immediately dug in.
As I read, I came upon a section where Ms. Solomon discussed in particular detail a condition I had never heard of before: Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. I was somewhat curious about what that was. As I read, then took the quiz in her book to determine if I had some of the symptoms, I was floored. I had every single symptom described! This whole section detailed how miserable I had been feeling for many months. Her recommendation was to see an Integrative Medical Doctor. I was blessed that a close friend was already seeing an extremely excellent one.
I made an appointment to see this doctor. At the time I saw him I felt like a wet dish cloth. I barely had the energy to get myself into New York City, which is a short train ride from my home. The doctor listened with rapt attention, scribbling away on his pad of paper as I described how I felt. He told me he wanted to test for variety of conditions, but that he was fairly certain I had Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.
He gave me the work-up of the century. I was even more fatigued when I went back to see him to discuss my results. The first important condition I found out I had was, in fact, Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. This condition results from an overload of chronic stress on the body. Ms. Shomon discusses this in a whole section of her book. I next found out that I had two other nuisance conditions that were simply adding to my overall discomfort. Then the next major disease was revealed: Lyme Disease.
Lyme Disease is a disease contracted by being bitten by a tick. Many, but not all, people who get bitten will immediately exhibit a “bulls-eye” or similar rash. I never noticed any rashes at all. I also didn’t have any symptoms of Lyme at the time. The doctor and I decided to treat my adrenal problem first since it was the more serious of the bunch. We also added a thyroid medication I had heard of but didn’t fully know much about until reading Ms. Shomon’s book. The new medication, taken with my already prescribed synthroid, made a world of difference as well. Ms. Shomon absolutely knows her expertise.
For those of you who plan to read Ms. Shomon’s book and have a thyroid disorder, I recommend seeing an Integrative Medical Doctor (ACAM.org), as the author suggests. “Mainstream” physician’s often negate the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome in it’s early stages. If not corrected early enough, the adrenal glands will ultimately shut down. At that point the condition becomes highly serious. I was tested at an early/moderate stage so we aggressively chose to correct my adrenals with medication and herbal therapy. Six months later I was feeling almost back to baseline. Then the Lyme Disease surfaced.
The Lyme Disease is very serious. I have been on antibiotic and herbal therapy for six months now and I predict I have at least another four to six more months on this regimen to go. I am improving. But as I have stated in previous blogs, it is a very difficult disease to manage and live with. That’s a whole different review. Back to The Thyroid Diet Revolution.
What I was amazed at was the depth of completeness in this book. No stone was left unturned. Not only were thyroid conditions expertly described in incredibly accurate detail, Ms. Shomon made sure that she covered every possible condition. She did this also with the plethora of thyroid medications, lifestyle recommendations, and nutrition information provided. What she couldn’t fit into her book, she gave excellent references or websites to look into. Truthfully, I was blown away by her thoroughness. The Thyroid Diet Revolution is more than merely an informative book. It goes into the category of reference book, in my opinion. Just look at the number of “flags” I have sticking out of my own copy in the photo below. I continually refer back to this book again and again. It will forever remain on my bookshelf.
Yes, I am a year overdue in reviewing this fabulous book, but truthfully I needed this time to process not only Ms. Shomon’s recommendations, but to also seek assistance for conditions she helped me find and slowly recuperate from. I additionally discovered a disease that most people live with for years before they are diagnosed. I thank Ms. Solomon for suggesting the idea of seeing an Integrative Physician so that I was tested and prepared once the disease finally surfaced.
Thank you, Ms. Shomon! Thank you for your patience, for sharing your extensive knowledge and for literally saving my life. The Thyroid Diet Revolution is invaluable. For anyone with a thyroid condition, please read this book. You will absolutely be glad you did.
The Thyroid Diet Revolution can be found at major book retailers and www.Amazon.com. Price: $16.99
My undying thanks to Dr. Fred Pescatore, Integrative Medical Doctor and Contributing Blogger to MotherhoodLater.com, along with his medical partner, Karen Paris, NP. You both also literally “saved my life.”
Tags: Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, Cara Potapshyn Meyers, Hypothyroidism, Integrative Medical Physician, Lyme Disease, Mary J. Solomon, The Thyroid Diet Revolution
