One in ten Americans suffers from thyroid dysfunction, yet most don't realize the mental and emotional components of this condition. "This is the first book to explain the hidden suffering that many patients have difficulty expressing and the first book to provide new ways of helping address and heal this suffering," promises author Ridha Arem, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Ben Taub General Hospital, both in Houston, Texas. This book explains the link between stress and thyroid imbalance; how thyroid imbalance affects your emotions, sex life, and relationships; and how to cope with the effects of this imbalance. Because thyroid problems primarily strike women, a whole section deals with women's health issues, such as infertility, miscarriage, postpartum depression, premenstrual syndrome, and menopause. Another section provides practical tools, such as evaluating lab tests and self-diagnosis techniques, dealing with treatment problems and side effects, and preventing memory lapses and depression. The book covers lifestyle choices that affect thyroid health, such as diet, supplementation, and exercise. Frequent case studies (usually told as first-person narratives), checklists, and questionnaires help to simplify the material and make it easier to check the medical information against your own situation. Each chapter ends with "valuable points to remember," making review easy. If you suffer from thyroid imbalance, or think you might, this book could be a valuable resource.

More than 20 million Americans have thyroid disease. Surprisingly, as many as 10 million of these sufferers don’t yet know they have a thyroid condition. They struggle to lose weight, doomed to fail because of the metabolic slowdown of a malfunctioning and untreated thyroid problem. Diagnosis and treatment may be the key to successful weight loss for many of these people. Even those who have been diagnosed with a thyroid problem find themselves packing on the pounds -- or unable to lose weight - after treatment. For these millions, until now, there have been few answers.

THE THYROID DIET: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss by Mary Shomon is the first book to tackle the weight factors specific to thyroid conditions and detail a practical plan for lasting weight loss. Covering the issues including getting that all-important diagnosis, raising metabolism, resolving nutritional deficiencies, treating and rebalancing brain chemistry, THE THYROID DIET provides the in depth information needed by anyone whose weight struggles stem from thyroid disease.

Guidelines in THE THYROID DIET will help many previously unsuccessful dieters get diagnosed and treated - and proper thyroid treatment may be all that’s needed to successfully lose weight. For those thyroid patients still struggling to lose weight, THE THYROID DIET identifies the many frustrating impediments to weight loss, and offers solutions -- both conventional and alternative alternative -- to help.

THE THYROID DIET optimal dietary changes, including how a thyroid sufferer should focus on a low-glycemic, high-fiber, lower-calorie diet, optimal timing of meals for maximum hormonal impact, thyroid-damaging foods to avoid, helpful herbs and supplements, prescription weight loss drugs, and more. It contains several different eating plans, food lists, and a set of delicious and healthy gourmet recipes. With handy worksheets to use in weight loss tracking, and a special resource section featuring websites, books, and support groups, THE THYROID DIET offers vital help for the millions dealing with thyroid-related weight problems.

Diagnosed with thyroid disease in 1995, Mary J. Shomon transformed her health challenges into a mission as a nationally-known patient advocate. THE THYROID DIET reflects her personal and medical understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and weight challenges faced by thyroid patients, and offers a roadmap to a happier and healthier life through proper nutrition, lifestyle and education.

Depressed, overworked, or just feelin' old are common enough complaints. But when disparate symptoms such as joint pain, weight gain, and foggy-headedness join the ranks, it's time to think thyroid. As the "throttle" for the body's energy hormones, the thyroid affects every organ and cell; when it's in trouble, any variety of ailments--physical and mental--can occur. Trouble is, physicians are more likely to treat each symptom independently, with pill upon pill, rather than search for a root cause. Bolstered by 25 years of treating patients with low thyroid condition, husband-and-wife team Richard L. Shames, M.D., and Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D., ably explain the physical and emotional profiles of those diagnosed with the disease, why the proverbial deck is stacked against them, and how each patient can forge an effective path of treatment.

"Consider Thyroid Power a long, personal visit with a caring, prevention-oriented practitioner," state the authors. The journey begins with thyroid basics: how this little hormone-producing tissue operates, signs that things are amiss, how other illnesses compound the problem, and how to determine one's risk for hypothyroidism. Next, the Shameses discuss the labyrinth of diagnostic and treatment issues a patient must endure. Helpful and harmful supplements and environmental factors, repairing the immune system (the origin of thyroid troubles), and a rich, sensitive exploration of holistic healing nicely round out this valuable resource. A brief section titled "Show This to Your Doctor," penned by Richard, perfectly crystallizes the book and provides an effective tool for initiating a patient/physician dialogue.

As many as one in eight women have a thyroid condition. In Living Well with Hypothyroidism, Mary Shomon outlines the most common of these--too little thyroid hormones in the body. Weight gain, depression, fatigue, and what patients call "brain fog, Brillo hair, and prune skin" result. Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism mimic so many other conditions--chronic fatigue, PMS, clinical depression--it can be very tricky to diagnose, especially since patients with HMOs may not get the thorough testing they need.

Shomon knows of what she speaks: she's a health writer and thyroid patient herself. She also manages a thyroid Web site and writes a newsletter on hypothyroidism. In Living Well, she offers an extensively researched guide to this complex condition. She covers conventional, alternative, and late-breaking approaches to treatment--such as challenging the gold standard of Synthroid as the thyroid replacement therapy of choice. (Synthroid replaces T4, the less active of the two thyroid hormones, and Shomon features new research on adding T3--the more potent thyroid hormone--to treatment.)

With her down-to-earth, patient-centered approach, Shomon explains everything from how to choose a thyroid specialist to how calcium, antidepressants, and a high-fiber diet affect thyroid hormone absorption. The book includes a chapter on depression, which is a typical misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism--as well as a symptom that often persists even after treatment. She also covers infertility (women who are hypothyroid don't ovulate as regularly and miscarry more frequently) and thyroid cancer, one of the less common causes of hypothyroidism. She explains how to spot hypothyroidism in kids, and ends with a glossary, international resources, and journal references.

Shomon creates a sense of community by excerpting e-mails from her vast network of patients--voices that bring a sense of humor so often missing from health books. One quibble: she could have avoided the antidoctor stance in the beginning of her book, where she blames physicians, rather than incomplete science, for the misdiagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism.

Praise for Thyroid For Dummies "Thyroid For Dummies meets a critical need for a user-friendly reference for patients with thyroid disease. Dr. Rubin has succeeded in making this concise volume both readable and comprehensive, and I anticipate enthusiastically recommending it to my own patients." -Dr. Leonard Wartofsky, MACP, Chairman, Department of Medicine, The Washington Hospital Center

Expert advice on improving your thyroid health - at any age!

Your essential guide to understanding your thyroid condition Do you have, or suspect you have, a thyroid condition? Are you wondering how your thyroid affects your overall health? Relax - you're in expert hands. With a shot of humor and a big dose of common sense, Dr. Alan Rubin explains thyroid disorders in plain English - and helps you get your condition under control.

Discover how to:

• Identify the major thyroid disorder signs and symptoms
• Understand thyroid test results
• Choose among different treatment options
• Avoid drug interactions
• Maximize thyroid health

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"Overcoming Thyroid Disorders" by Dr. David Brownstein is a ground-breaking book about how a holistic program can be used to treat Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Disease, Graves" Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and many other conditions. This book will show you how a natural treatment program consisting of: natural thyroid hormone, other natural hormones, vitamins, minerals, diet modifications and detoxification can successfully treat many thyriod and other conditions.

Dr. Brownstein illustrates the tremendous success he has had with his holistic treatment program by including over 30 actual case studies from his practice. This book provides hope to those who suffer from thyroid problems because it shows how a natural, holistic prgram can be used to overcome these chronic conditions.

Dr. David Brownstein is a Board-Certified Family Physician who utilizes the best of conventional and alternative therapies. He is the Medical Director for the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Dr. Brownstein is a member of the American College for the Advancement in Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Browstein is the author of two other books in addition to this book: "The Miracle of Natural Hormones" and "Overcoming Arthritis."

"Toxins, which are all around us, are at the root of many auto-immune diseases. They lurk in our clothing, our furniture, and in the products we use every day. Our bodies make heroic efforts to eliminate the toxins, but sometimes the burden is just too much. Get the facts on: . Bottled water: Toxins from the plastic bottles can leak into the water. Use a water filter instead. . Plants: Did you know pollution-reducing plants, including mums and spider plants, can remove chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air? . Toxins in your home: Carpets, furniture, plastics, foam rub-ber, upholstery, tiles, linoleum, paint, and varnishes emit hazardous chemicals into the air. . Safe pest controls: Use boric acid and heat instead of toxic pesticides. . Radiation: Protect yourself from the dangers of microwaves, computers, cell phones, televisions, power lines, heating pads, electric blankets, and more."

Consumer text discusses the connection between environmental toxins and autoimmune disease. Outlines the concept of molecular medicine and describes a drug-free approach to treatment of such autoimmune diseases as lupus, arthritis, scleroderma, and multiple sclerosis. Softcover.

Stephen Edelson, M.D., has practiced medicine for more than 20 years. As an autoimmune specialist and founder of the Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventative Medicine in Atlanta, he has successfully treated thousands of patients using innovative and effective alternative therapies.

The Thyroid Sourcebook for Women is an indispensable resource for the one in eight American women who suffers from chronic thyroid disorders. This new edition features the latest research on thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer, and their effect on women's health and lives. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the latest medications and treatments, while addressing critical concerns for women such as fertility, pregnancy, postpartum thyroid disorder, menopause, depression, and weight gain. It also offers candid appraisals of major alternative therapies.

Rosenthal focuses on the thyroid's effect on the body, which treatments are available, and how to cope effectively with a chronic thyroid condition.

The author shares his impelling personal story from diagnosis to reversal. The reader will be informed and inspired. In layman's terms, he provides the reader with insight into how he succesfully improved his health. In addtion to sharing the author's journey on the road to his recovery, the book is packed with additional Thyroid related resources. A must read for anyone inflicted with Hashimoto's, Hypothyroidism or any Autoimmune related disease.

The Author resides in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with his charming wife Mary. He was listed in the International Who's Who of Professionals in 1997. He has spent most of his professional life in the Aerospace Industry, working in the realm of Quality Assurance. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters' degree in Statistics. He also has completed additional graduate course work; nearly completing a second Masters' degree in Community Counseling and half of the course work required for a Phd. in Operations Research. He has received the recognition of being certified by the American Society of Quality Control as a Certified Quality Engineer and a Certified Quality Auditor.

In addition to these accomplishments, he is also the President and Founder of the all-volunteer non-profit corporation, Gennesaret, Inc. Gennesaret is headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its primary purpose is to provide transitional housing to two-parent families and supportive services to the poor.

For his efforts with this non-profit corporation he received the JC Penney Golden Rule Award in 1994, was nominated for the President of the United States Service Award in 1995, received an award for being the 1996 Ohio Outstanding Volunteer Administrator for Public or Private Non-Profit Organizations and was nominated for the National Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1996.

Shortly after Jody, a political activist in her forties, had radioiodine I131 ablative treatment for hyperthyroidism related to Graves' disease (autoimmune hyperthyroidism), she learned that this particular treatment was linked to the development of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO).

M. Sara Rosenthal, Ph.D., bestselling author of The Thyroid Sourcebook (recommended by The New York Times), The Thyroid Sourcebook for Women and The Hypothyroid Sourcebook has just published The Thyroid Cancer Book, the only consumer book to date devoted to thyroid cancer. A thyroid cancer survivor herself, Rosenthal wrote the book she wishes she'd had when diagnosed in 1983.

The Thyroid Cancer Book explains all forms of thyroid cancer and its treatment in plain language. It was written in consultation with the leading medical experts on thyroid cancer in North America, and is the only book of its kind in the world. It includes extensive information on:

* Significant risk factors for developing the disease, and how to find and investigate lumps in the neck
* Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers, as well as the less common medullary and anaplastic cancers
* Treatment options, surgery and radioactive iodine
* Post-treatment follow up, whole body scans and Thyrogen
* Self-healing and complementary therapies
* The emotional impact of cancer on families and loved ones
* Palliative care

While thyroid cancer accounts for roughly two percent of all cancers, it's among the fastest growing cancers in incidence. Its causes in North America are associated with fallout from nuclear testing in the American midwest, and environmental causes which Rosenthal also writes about in detail.

What thyroid cancer survivors are saying about The Thyroid Cancer Book:

M. Sara Rosenthal is a sociologist and bioethicist who completed her Ph.D. at The University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. She is author of more than 25 books and is an Associate of the University of Toronto Centre for Health Promotion, as well as Medical Ethicist for The American Foundation for Thyroid Patients.

Dr. M. Sara Rosenthal is a bioethicist and sociologist with a long career as a medical health journalist. She is author of over twenty-five widely recommended health books. Her work covers everything from women's reproductive health issues to general health, and has been translated into languages as diverse as Chinese and Arabic. Rosenthal received both her Masters and Ph.D. in sociology and bioethics from the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics, a World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Bioethics. She is an Associate of the University of Toronto Centre for Health Promotion, also a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.