026 An Functional Medicine Approach to Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism with Dr. E Curious Women

Dr E is a firecracker, comedian and potential future mayor of Staten Island (just ask her). She truly is one of a kind in what she does and she does it with such intention and focus. She is more fierce than fluff and here to talk to Kylie & Meg today about her functional approach to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Dr. Efrat LaMandre, PHD owns and operates her own Medical practice, EG Healthcare, which provides pediatric, adult and geriatric care to over 20K patients. In addition to her primary care practice, she has taken conventional medicine to the next level with her signature process The Knew Method. Dr. E is co-chair of the Staten Island Hospital Board of Trustees. She at also serves as the President of the Nurse Practitioner Association State Board. In addition, she is Clinical Faculty at Wagner College. She is also the Primary Care Provider for the City University New York, College of Staten Island Athletic Department. Efrat owns a Medical Scribe company, HawkScribes, that allows providers fo focus on their patients instead of charting. Dr. E is also a public speaker and offers consulting services to other nurse practitioners who are opening up their own practices.



You can connect with Dr E and her team on TikTok, YouTube and IG @theknewmethod , check our her website www.theknewmethod.com or grab a copy of her book The Knew Method!



TLDL takeaways/action steps:

1) So many people are unwell but not sick. There's no room in conventional medicine for those who are unwell but NOT sick OR those who are both unwell and sick but want alternatives to medication

2) Hashimoto's: your body attacks your thyroid, stops reducing thyroid hormone (T4). From a functional perspective, Hashimoto's is due to leaky gut (Dr E specifies gluten consumption here too). It starts with a source of inflammation which can be gluten sensitivity, toxins, mold, etc. The exposure is usually never addressed and eventually the body starts producing antibodies against the thyroid

3) Typical Hashimoto's patient: cold all the time, trouble losing weight, tired, family thyroid issues, hair thinning, fatigue. This patient may be symptomatic for YEARS before a diagnosable "illness" is actually diagnosed

4) Typically conventional doctors only do TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. You can ask your provider for the antibody test if you actually want to do something about it (if positive). 

5) It starts with a source of inflammation which can be gluten sensitivity, toxins, mold, etc. The exposure is usually never addressed and eventually the body 

6) If you're not feeling WELL - "I don't feel good ITIS", as Dr E puts it:

      STEP 1: Get the full conventional workup done- you want to know 100% that there is no pathology

      STEP 2: "Clean up" your diet/heal gut

          i.) Dr E's definition of a "clean"diet is an intense (but brief!) elimination period; no gluten/dairy/grains or legumes for 30 days. Then reintroduce "intensely"

          ii) She also mentions using short chain fatty acids, pre/probiotics when appropriate and usually after the reintroduction phase

          iii) Dr E encourages intermittent fasting, particularly an 18:6 schedule for her autoimmune patients

     STEP 3: Conventional testing: ferritin, CRP, H pylori, lime disease, check for gingivitis (gum disease); if you are 40+ or have/suspected PCOS hormone panel is helpful too

     STEP 4: Functional testing: Mold, heavy metals


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