It Has To Be Me Episode

THYROID & HORMONE HEALTH FOR WOMEN OVER 40

Amanda Hinman

Episode #28: November 14th, 2024

THE GOLD FROM THIS EPISODE

“The thyroid is critical because it touches every single aspect of our health. Every organ in the body is influenced by the strength and capacity and optimization of your thyroid.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“For women over 40, it is important to look at body composition, body weight, lean muscle, and body fat percentage. Lean muscle is one of the strongest indicators of longevity.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“By the age of 65, statistics show that 85% of us will have two or more chronic diseases. To sidestep that norm, we need to be proactive about our health.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“When assessing your bloodwork, go beyond looking at the reference range, and aim for optimal function. There is a gap between “normal” and true vitality.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“Healing happens in the parasympathetic activation period. Find ways to toggle out of your sympathetic (fight of flight) and more readily and easily step into the rest-and-digest part of your nervous system responses.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“Instead of trusting in the thing you don’t want, choose to trust in the thing you do want. When you take action from that new place, things align, you gain momentum, and healthy living feels engaging, inspiring and fun. And, it's repeatable.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“To build a framework for transformation and longevity, pick your “two-by-two”. Choose two things that are aligned with your core values, and that stretch and excite you that you can step into and live with for two years.”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

“Making health changes requires an identity shift. What qualities, thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives do you need to step into the best version of yourself?”

Amanda Hinman

Founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute

in THIS EPISODE

  • For women over 40 with thyroid issues and hormone imbalances, functional medicine practitioner Amanda Hinman shares her 5-step plan for healing naturally from Hashimoto’s, Graves disease, PCOS, insulin resistance, and other conditions.

  • Amanda takes us inside her introduction to functional medicine when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis during her fourth pregnancy, although she believed she was in peak health. At the time, her first daughter had chronic seizures and her husband was suffering from panic attacks. These health crises shifted her perspective on wellness—that symptoms are not inconveniences to be ignored or “fixed,” but powerful signals that point to underlying imbalances needing attention.

  • We discuss the interconnectedness of hormones, the six key hormones for women, the five core nutrients, restoring digestive fire, and why cleaning up your home environment and lifestyle choices are so critical for vitality and longevity.

  • Emphasizing the importance of optimal thyroid function, Amanda explains why record numbers of women now experience thyroid dysfunction. She encourages us to go beyond standard yearly bloodwork, to DUTCH tests, stool samples, micronutrient labs, and advanced thyroid panels to get more comprehensive data. To find your clear path to better health, Amanda advocates “looking at the data not the drama.”

  • What makes her approach so great is her focus on mindset and the identity shifts that make healthy living sustainable and fun. Her “Be, Release, Do, Have” method is all about who we need to be in order to achieve our goals. 

  • Get Amanda’s tips for letting go of limiting beliefs and reframing your internal narrative into one grounded in self-belief and healing.

TESS'S TAKEAWAYS

  • Be an empowered health leader rather than a passive health reactor.

  • Pay attention to your food, exercise, stress, and toxins.

  • Mindset shifts are crucial for making sustainable health changes.

  • Be proactive with a quarterly hormone review and yearly bloodwork.

  • Optimize your thyroid function for better hormone and metabolic health.

  • Focus on gaining lean muscle rather than losing weight to support longevity. 

  • PFFV (Protein, Fiber, Fat, Vegetables) is a simple meal-planning framework.

  • Restorative practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system to promote healing.

ABOUT AMANDA

After careers in finance and fitness training, Amanda got an autoimmune disease diagnosis that prompted her to become a functional medicine practitioner.

As founder of Hinman Holistic Health Institute and creator of the Thyroid & Hormone Solution program, she and her team specialize in helping women over 40 heal from hormone, mood, and gut imbalances. 

They have helped hundreds of women manage hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, and PCOS, and thrive, and overcome insulin resistance, anxiety, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, brain fog, and weight gain. 

Amanda’s book, The Thyroid & Hormone Solution, takes readers inside her 5-step plan to balance your hormones naturally. 

Amanda lives in Illinois with her husband and four daughters.