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Sara Gottfried MD
  • Home
  • About Dr Sara
    • Media
    • Contact
  • Books
    • Women, Food, and Hormones
    • Younger
    • Brain Body Diet
    • Hormone Reset Diet
    • The Hormone Cure
  • Upcoming Events
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Women’s Health
    • Hormones
    • Weight Loss
    • Cleanse
    • Stress Management

Do You Have FLC Syndrome?

By Mark Hyman, MD | January 22, 2014

What is FLC Syndrome? Chances are, you have it.

Do You Have FLC ProblemIt affects nearly half of our population. It causes weight gain and resistance to weight loss. And it causes a whole list of chronic symptoms and diseases. Yet most people have no idea what causes it or how to fix it. The truth is most of us have experienced FLC Syndrome at some point in our lives.

FLC Syndrome is when you Feel Like Crap. Even though most doctors don’t know how to diagnose and treat it, the science of Functional Medicine provides a clear road map for your way out of FLC!

How Do You Know If You Have FLC Syndrome?

You have FLC Syndrome if you have any of these symptoms:

  1. Excess weight around the middle (belly fat)
  2. Crave sugar and refined carbs
  3. Binge on sugar or junk food
  4. Yo-yo dieting where you keep gaining back the weight
  5. Tired and sluggish
  6. Brain fog
  7. Joint pain or muscle aches
  8. Bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation
  9. Congestion, sinus problems, asthma
  10.  Allergies or autoimmune diseases
  11. Skin problems—acne, eczema, psoriasis
  12. Mood problems like anxiety, depression, or insomnia
  13. Headaches
  14. Memory problems
  15. Low sex drive or function
  16. Just “feel like crap”

The fact is, most of us are only a few days away from feeling well, from ending sugar and carb cravings, from having control over our bodies, only a few days away from getting our body back to its original factory settings.

Food Is a Drug

There is a solution. It is one of the greatest medical advances of the 21st century.

It is this: Food is the most powerful drug on the planet.

The wrong food will make you sick (FLC Syndrome) and the right food will transform your body in just a few days. Food is medicine, and what you put at the end of your fork is far more powerful than anything you will find in a prescription bottle.

After nearly three decades of medical practice and research and seeing over 15,000 patients, performing extensive metabolic and nutritional testing, and synthesizing thousands of research papers on the root causes of disease and FLC Syndrome, of weight gain, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, or what I like to call “diabesity,” I created a simple 10-day plan that can quickly reverse FLC Syndrome and help you lose significant amounts of weight quickly, safely, and sustainably.

The result is: The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet.  

We did a trial on 600 people, and here are their results:

  • Lost over 4000 pounds in 10 days (average of about 8 pounds each)
  • Blood sugar dropped an average of 20 points
  • Blood pressure dropped an average of 10 points
  • Ended sugar and carb cravings
  • Reduction of all symptoms from all diseases by 62% in 10 days (FLC Syndrome)—there is no drug on the planet that can achieve those results
  • Many went on to lose 50 to 100 pounds and reverse type 2 diabetes and many other health problems as they continued on the program

The Secret of The 10-Day Detox Diet

The secret of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet is this: we simply swap out processed foods, sugar, flour, and inflammatory foods and add delicious, whole, fresh, real, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying food, and the body does the rest.

The food industry’s dirty little secret is that they have intentionally hooked us on addictive, hyper-processed, hyper-palatable,“food-like” substances that have hijacked our taste buds, hormones, our brain chemistry, and our metabolism.

The scientific verdict is in: sugar and flour and processed foods are highly biologically addictive. In fact, sugar has proven to be eight times as addictive as cocaine. Think cocaine cookies, morphine muffins, or heroin lollypops.

The 10-Day Detox Diet is a goof-proof, step-by-step,science-based program that resets your hormones and brain chemistry and quickly lets you take ownership back over your body. The truth is, our biology has been held hostage by food terrorism, and The 10-Day Detox Diet is a Navy SEALraid taking it back. And it doesn’t take long.

If you are thinking you can’t give up sugar or bread for 10 days, then, for sure, you are an addict. If you start wondering about artificial sweeteners or alternatives to sugars, it is a profound clue that you don’t own your body anymore—the food industry does.

Why It Is Not Your Fault You Are Overweight:

The era of blaming overweight people for being lazy gluttons is over. That is exactly what our government and the food industry would have use believe by saying its all about personal responsibility, all about moderation, that there are no good or bad foods, that all we need to do is exercise more and eat less.

But here’s the truth: there are bad foods, there are toxic and addictive foods we should not be eating, and 100 calories of almonds is VERY different from 100 calories of soda. Any fifth grader knows that. But most nutrition experts, doctors, and our policy makers still haven’t figured out that a calorie is not a calorie! Some calories make us sick and fat, and some make us thin and healthy.

In my book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, I expose the lies that keep us fat and sick and use the latest science to help you end FLC Syndrome forever! You can preorder it right now on Amazon. Get started. End FLC Syndrome,and take back your health today.


Mark Hyman Head shotMark Hyman, MD
Mark Hyman, MD is a practicing family physician, a seven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in his field. He is also the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post, and a regular medical contributor on Katie Couric’s TV show, Katie.Join Dr. Hyman on his path to revolutionize the way we think about and take care of ourhealth and our societies at:  www.drhyman.com || Twitter   || Instagram  ||  Facebook

Posted in Balance, Best Ways to Lose Weight, Blog, Blood Sugar, Boost Energy Levels Naturally, Cleanse, Detox Diet, Exercise, Food, Food and Detox, Guest Experts, How to Lose Weight Fast, Low Sex Drive in Women, Sugar Addiction, Sugar Cravings, Weight Loss, Women's Health and tagged blood sugar solution, detox diet, Dr. Mark Hyman, excess weight, Feel Like Crap, FLC Syndrome, food is a drug, overweight

PRAISE

“For the first time in my adult life I feel that I have gained control over food. I feel healthier, look better and have gained an interest in making sure that what I am putting into my body is the best it can be. And I lost 10 pounds in all the right places.”

– Janice Lunde, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“Dr. Sara is the height of excellence! She is incredibly knowledgeable and gives very generously of her time. I feel so blessed to have been able to work with her.”

– Yvonne Varah

“You don’t have to settle for being stressed out, binging on sugar and chocolate, and aging prematurely. Stop blaming yourself and step into sacred action. It’s your birthright. You can have the joyous, mission-driven life you want, and Dr. Sara is here to show us how.”

– Marci Shimoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason

“Dr. Gottfried offers powerful and effective tools for addressing the most difficult health issues facing women and men today. She is warm and kind and has so much experience to draw upon, it’s inspiring. Thank you Dr. S!”

– Cassandra Mick

“Dr. Sara Gottfried is a modern-day healer goddess if ever there was one, and she also happens to be a Harvard Medical School graduate and rigorous physician-scientist.”

– Christiane Northrup MD, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

“Dr. Gottfried’s book and detox came at a time when I was ready to give in to old age. Hot flashes, low energy and libido, weight gain, increasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels were unacceptable to me. I now know that hormone levels and what I eat are a huge influence on how I feel and look. To now be able to control something that was out of control is empowering…”

Cheryl V., Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“My health coach told me about your book and I took the [hormone] test, and lo and behold, I found I was a mess, hormonally speaking. Now I’m getting on track and I love your videos and your book. I feel like I’m getting my life back again, when not long ago I truly thought I was losing it!”

-Tracy, Registered Nurse

“You don’t have to accept the hormonal hell of being tired, stressed, overweight, and never in the mood for sex as you grow older. In her fabulous new book, the brilliant Dr. Gottfried gives you an effective, easy-to-follow plan to balance your hormones and become lean, energetic, and loving life again. Stop settling and reclaim your sexy!”

–JJ Virgin, Author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy and The Virgin Diet

“I lost 10 lbs., reset my hormones and metabolism and eliminated my sugar cravings! I have also found that I respond to stress much differently, I feel it, notice it and move on from it. Stress no longer has a grip on me. Dr. Sara’s conference calls and detox information was invaluable. I am so grateful for this program. Thank you Dr. Sara!”

–Sophia, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“The Hormone Cure is the playbook for your mojo, your mind, and your bootie. With every chapter I thought, ‘So THAT’s how that works.’ I wanted to call every girlfriend and give them the goods on how to glow… now and always.”

-Danielle LaPorte, Author of The Fire Starter Sessions and The Desire Map

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There are more than 5 factors that make your thyro There are more than 5 factors that make your thyroid sluggish, including gene variants (DIO2), hormones (estrogen, progesterone and cortisol), and gluten. But I will dive deeper into these five here. 1️⃣Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a chronic disease in which the body interprets the thyroid as a threat, and as a result produces antibodies that target the thyroid's cells, thereby destroying them. HT is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the US and is 5-10X more common in women than men. Despite conventional medical management with thyroid hormone replacement (usually T4), many women with HT continue to experience symptoms and impaired quality of life. 2️⃣After giving birth, about 7% of women develop what’s called postpartum thyroiditis. Women with baseline thyroid antibodies before pregnancy are much more likely to develop postpartum thyroiditis. 3️⃣As our exposure to endocrine disruptors has increased, so has the incidence of thyroid disease in the United States, particularly for thyroid cancer and thyroid autoimmune disease. The most common exposure to thyroid disruptors is flame retardants, and the worst offender is your home and office furniture. Bisphenol A (BPA) is another major endocrine disruptor that blocks thyroid receptors and keeps your thyroid hormone from exerting its biological destiny. 4️⃣Selenium deficiency can also lead to low thyroid function. I believe selenium is the most important mineral for your thyroid health and it’s difficult to get enough from your food as many areas around the globe have soil depleted in selenium. If you don’t get enough, you are less able to convert T4 into T3. 5️⃣If you don’t have enough iodine in your diet, you can develop low thyroid function. If you’re not sure about your iodine consumption, check your urine in a home test. But those of you with Hashis, beware. Iodine stimulates thyroid peroxidase, which can lead to a dramatic increase in antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPO), resulting in an autoimmune “flare.” The therapeutic range of iodine is remarkably narrow, so don’t get too little or too much. Check vit D levels as deficiency is more common in people with autoimmune thyroiditis.
I want to help you understand your thyroid and the I want to help you understand your thyroid and the numbers. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and when you have low thyroid function, you make more TSH. TSH is not made in your thyroid, it’s made in your pituitary, the manager of your thyroid. When your thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone, your brain senses it. Your hypothalamus tells the pituitary to crank out more TSH and whip that thyroid into shape by stimulating greater production of thyroid hormones. As a result, the hormone factory in the thyroid manufactures more thyroid hormones, which are then sensed by the brain. Often the thyroid will adjust sufficiently, and TSH settles back down to normal. If not, your TSH levels will climb correlating with the severity of the problem. Mainstream medicine usually defines thyroid problems as: 👉Overt hypothyroidism: TSH levels are high, but total and free T3 and T4 are below normal or 👉Subclinical hypothyroidism: TSH levels are high, above 2.5, but total and free T3 and T4 are in the normal range. In my years of practice, I’ve observed gradations of thyroid IMBALANCE. More people, particularly women, brave thyroid imbalance because of old reference ranges for the thyroid. That’s a lot of sluggish, uncomfortable, and unhappy people. I recommend a full hormone panel to my patients, including: ▪TSH ▪free T3 ▪free T4 ▪reverse T3 ▪thyroid peroxidase antibodies ▪anti-thyroglobulin antibodies Your mainstream doc will probably only check TSH, maybe free T4. In 2002, the AACC lowered the normal range for TSH to 0.3-2.5 mIU/L. Your doc may not know this and still use the old range. Save this post to refer back to as we continue with the thyroid. #womenfoodhormones #thehormonecure #thyroidhealth #thyropause #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance
Let’s talk about reverse T3. Reverse T3 (rT3) i Let’s talk about reverse T3. Reverse T3 (rT3) is an inactive metabolite of T4, and provides a mechanism to slow down metabolism in order to save energy. Generally, if you are healthy, T4 gets made into T3, and a small portion of T4 gets converted into reverse T3. Put another way, reverse T3 provides a feedback system to keep you in balance under normal conditions. But occasionally this plan backfires, and what was designed to be adaptive for your body becomes disadvantageous. Here’s why: if your body is stressed or on a calorie-restricted diet, a signal is sent to change the ratio, and you produce more reverse T3. One of the common issues in patients on a ketogenic diet is that they may have increased reverse T3. This is one of the things I check with patients who tell me they have tried keto and it didn’t work for them. Part of the reason I wrote my book WOMEN, FOOD, AND HORMONES (link in bio @saragottfriedmd) was to find a better-formulated plan for these patients, where we still work with ketosis for weight loss or whatever their health goal is but we modify the plan. One element of this modified ketogenic diet plan is adding back prebiotic carbohydrates and exploring what their carbohydrate tolerance is as a way of helping with their thyroid function. Aside from stress, and a low carb diet, other factors that can increase the conversion of T4 to RT3 include: ▪Trauma ▪Inflammation ▪Infections ▪Kidney/liver dysfunction ▪Toxins The toxins that I see the most in my patients who have high reverse T3 are bromide and fluoride. This could be in the toothpaste or mouthwash they are using, or in their water supply. Have you had your reverse T3 checked? #womenfoodhormones #thehormonecure #thyroidhealth #thyropause #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance
We know that hypothyroidism is the second most com We know that hypothyroidism is the second most common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. (PCOS is #1) 60-70% of people with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Now, this is one of those things that makes me slightly crazy because what I find routinely in my practice is that many of my patients who've been talking to their well-meaning primary care doctor about their symptoms of hypothyroidism often get dismissed. Occasionally, they'll get a TSH but often they don't get more than that. In fact, I'll tell you a quick story about what first got me motivated to learn more about thyroid dysregulation and dysfunction. When I finished residency in 1998, I went to work at a large health maintenance organization and I was trying to be careful about stepping on other doctors' toes. However, I had a patient who came to see me for a Pap smear who had classic symptoms of hypothyroidism. She had constipation, cold intolerance, hair loss, weight gain. She also had fatigue that lasted all day, which in my mind is one of those cardinal signs of hypothyroidism. I checked her TSH (4.2) and she had a low free T4. She had TPO antibodies that no one bothered to check in the past. I thought she should be treated so I called her primary care doctor to discuss it—he refused to offer her treatment. I remember him saying, “Here at the HMO, we don't treat TSH until it's greater than 5 and in some cases, we don't treat until it's greater than 10 depending on other circumstances.” I disagreed completely. So I checked her micronutrients, recommended an elimination diet, and wrote her a prescription for thyroid medication. This experience made me realize very early in my career that there are so many patients, especially women, who are not getting adequately screened and treated for their symptoms of hypothyroidism. I’ve been on a mission to change this ever since. Btw, this clip is from my lecture for Integrative Psychiatry Institute If you purchased my book Women, Food, and Hormones, this thyroid lecture is part of the BONUS content that you can access through the link in my bio. Enter your purchase details to gain immediate access to the content.
Another breakfast scramble #nutrition #health #hor Another breakfast scramble #nutrition #health #hormones #farmtotable
You may think your sluggishness or poor memory is You may think your sluggishness or poor memory is simply a sign of getting older. But what about a puffy face, high cholesterol, or excessive menstrual bleeding? Can these be due to age? These are just a few symptoms of low thyroid function. Common symptoms that women struggle with as they enter their forties include fatigue, weight gain, and depression. This can be due to what has been termed thyropause. It’s when a decline in reproductive hormones may trigger hypothyroidism and cause or contribute to these common symptoms of fatigue, depression, abnormal cholesterol, and weight gain. It’s estimated that about 60 million Americans, both men and women, struggle with thyroid problems. Most don’t even know it. Given the depth of suffering, we can no longer ignore that so many people are burned out, confused, and underfunctioning. Conventional physicians often respond with skepticism, derision, and even hostility to those who earnestly ask for thyroid help. They think that “doctors like me” are prescribing thyroid treatment indiscriminately and under the false pretense that it will help with weight problems and fatigue. While I won’t disagree that some providers may overdiagnose and overtreat patients, the best practice is to apply rigorous science. I am going to do a short thyroid series this week so stop back for more😍 #thehormonecure #thyroidhealth #thyropause #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance
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