A client struggling with weight, tiredness and muscle pain

Nicky came to see me struggling with her weight, tiredness and muscle pain. At the age of 39 with 2 young children, being tired all the time was something that she wanted to improve & was keen to see if changing her diet could help.

Health questionnaire findings

Analysis of her nutrition questionnaire showed there was a family history of under-active thyroid which is often linked with weight gain, fatigue and muscle pain plus some of her other symptoms such as cold feet and hands, poor circulation & dry skin and so I immediately felt it would be important to focus on her thyroid hormone status as this could explain many of her health issues.

My initial Recommendations

At her initial consultation we agreed a number of changes to her foods which included eating more protein as well as plant based sources of Omega 3 Essential fats to boost her energy levels (she had been following a Vegan diet for 5 years). I also recommended a Total Thyroid Screen blood test which would provide a complete picture of her thyroid hormone levels to understand whether this picture could explain her current health symptoms and sadly a test which is not offered by GPs.

At her follow up consultation, Nicky reported improvements in her energy levels which she attributed to eating more protein and good fats at meal times and snacks. I discussed her thyroid test results which showed that her thyroid hormones were low and that also there were thyroid anti bodies present suggesting an auto immune element to her thyroid health. We agreed a dietary protocol which included improving her immune tolerance, a gut restoration programme and optimising her thyroid hormone status through food and targeted supplements.

Longer term results

Over the next 4 months (6 consultations in total), Nicky and I worked together refining her diet and supplements during which time she saw a steady improvement in her energy, her muscle pain had gone and her weight whilst not at her target goal was steadily decreasing, and most of her other niggling health symptoms had significantly improved.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Nicky and helping her restore her health by using a Functional Medicine approach of understanding what was at the root cause of her symptoms – poor thyroid health. Together we were able to make dietary and lifestyle changes over the 6 months which have drastically changed the landscape of being a mother of 2 young kids who was told it was perfectly normal to be “tired all the time” when intuitively she knew there was more to it.

A year on from our first consultation, Nicky contacted me to tell me she has taken on a part time job something she could never have contemplated when prior to addressing her health, she had literally been dragging herself through each day.

I am now working again with this client as she has asked me to help her with a nutrition programme to support her for peri-menopause as this was something we had discussed previously – the healthier you are prior to beginning your menopause the more likely you will be able to manage any unwanted symptoms but that is another story…

*Names have been changed to respect client privacy.