As I do with all my clients, I run blood work on myself every year. In 2007 I found out that I had antibodies to my thyroid and hence a condition called Hashimoto’s disease.

Although I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism 25 years ago, I had been eating “right,” managing my stress through exercise, practicing my faith, praying, surrounding myself with people I love and that love me, and sleeping well. The doctor is not supposed to be sick! I thought I had managed my hypothyroidism. Why had I been doing everything right and my lab work was saying I had problems?

The truth is, I had wanted to lose ten pounds for about ten years, and sometimes felt “foggy-brained” since going through menopause. I thought it was just age or that I was doing too much.

Scared into action

But that blood test scared me into action. I immediately removed all gluten from my diet. I studied with Dr. Kharrazian, Dr. Bob Marshall, founder of Premiere Labs and Quantum Reflex Analysis, and Sam Queen out of Colorado. I went on a customized supplement regimen I made for myself based on my lab tests and symptoms.

The first thirty days required some real discipline. Since then, however, I can truly say I desire to eat a gluten-free diet because of how much better I feel. I lost ten pounds in the first six weeks of a gluten-free diet, the brain fog lifted, I developed a newfound sense of well-being, and I started sleeping better and waking up refreshed. I have to monitor my stress, diet, and supplements every day, and will all throughout my life—that’s what good health requires. I also exercise about four to five times a week, and pray every morning for wisdom and every night for forgiveness. But no longer does gluten talk to me, and I happily enjoy good thyroid function.

Our health affects not just us but also those closest to us

I lost my mom to breast cancer when she was only fifty; I was twenty years old. I know first-hand what it’s like to lose a loved one too soon. I also know how health issues can change the dynamics of the whole family, especially when it is the mom who is unwell. Unfortunately this is often the case with hypothyroidism as it affects more women than men, and commonly becomes a problem after childbirth.

Growing up with an unwell mom

My mom was full of hope and dreams and life. She was constantly looking for something that would give her a sense of vitality so she could raise her three daughters, socialize with her friends, and participate in life’s little pleasures. She tried so hard to live, but poor health robbed her of that freedom.

Now when I look back I see that my mother suffered from undiagnosed hypothyroidism. I also believe the stress of her childhood, an alcoholic father, losing her first fiancée in WWII, and a mouth full of mercury amalgams also contributed to her lack of energy, loss of pleasure in life, inability to lose weight, foggy thinking, and eventual early death. I know the particular hardships of being raised by a mother who suffers from chronically poor health.

Nine years later I lost my dad to melanoma. He was sixty years old. I had buried both my parents by the time I was thirty.

Every minute that goes by cannot be reclaimed. That is why it is so important to get help for these insidious thyroid problems—so you can live your life not in suffering, but in the health and well-being that is your birthright.

My quest to help others with the same health challenges

This is what has set me on a quest to study natural alternatives or “functional medicine,” a form of medicine that treats underlying causes and is focused on prevention. This is why I have such a passion for my work and for you! My life’s journey is about preventing degenerative disease and getting to the root cause of the problem so that you can have a full, long life. I want you to realize how precious you are to your family and friends, and that your life just explodes with blessings. You are never too old or too young to start on the road to recovery.

Everyday I’m blessed to counsel with people like you, making extraordinary, life-changing habits for their health. This in turn enhances the destiny of your families, friends, and future.

I believe two key elements in life are time and people. That’s why you matter to me!

Let’s roll up our sleeves and see if you are a candidate for treatment.

Comrade in Arms,
Joni Labbe, DC, CCN, DCCN