In addition to co-hosting LA’s top morning radio show, KIIS FM’s On Air With Ryan Seacrest, and the award-winning iHeart Radio podcast Scrubbing In, Tanya Rad is also inspiring others to take a holistic approach to their health and fitness instead of immediately reaching for a pill. Considering herself fit and active, Rad was forced to evaluate her own lifestyle when diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s in 2023. M&F sat down with the star to find out how she discovered her condition, and how she ultimately reversed it.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is a common condition that occurs when the thyroid gland becomes irritated. The body begins making antibodies that think they need to eliminate healthy cells in the thyroid, leading to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). It is an autoimmune disorder that is ten times more likely to affect women, and symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, and constipation. So named after Dr Hakaru Hashimoto, who identified the disease in 1912, it is understood that a build up of inflammation damages the thyroid, often requiring medication to boost thyroid hormones.
While the risk of contracting the condition increases with age and a family history of the disease, it is also thought that lifestyle and environmental factors may also be at play, as Tanya Rad explains.
MF: Before your own diagnosis, were you aware of Hashimoto’s?
TR: A fellow podcast host and friend of mine used to talk about it on her podcast which is the only reason I’d ever heard of it before. But her symptoms were so different from mine, and it just goes to show you that every single person is so unique and what works for you may not work for others and vice versa. Like many things, you may hear about something, but unless you are dealing with it yourself, you kind of think it won’t happen to you and don’t pay as much attention to it.
What were the first symptoms that you experienced?
To be honest, I never had any symptoms that I thought were abnormal ahead of time. I had been feeling tired, and had brain fog, but I always just kind of chalked that up to working super-early mornings on the radio. I just went for my annual checkup and it was presented to me with the results of my bloodwork. My tests showed that my thyroid antibodies (thyroid peroxidase TPO-Ab) were above the “normal range” and even though it was just barely above normal, that meant I had the disease. Once my bloodwork came in, it clicked that constant tiredness and brain fog were not normal and that I needed to deal with this.
Does anyone else in your family suffer with the same condition?
No, however, I learned that this is a very common disease affecting about 5 in 100 people in the United States according to the Clevland Clinic. And, once I came out publicly with the news that I had Hashimoto’s, it was amazing how many women I know told me that they had it, or something similar.
You’ve taken a very hands-on approach to dealing with Hashimoto’s, can you tell us about your journey?
When I received my Hashimoto diagnosis, in July of 2022, I felt I was met with a lot of, “Oh your numbers aren’t that bad” and “This is very common among women, people deal with this all the time” and “There is no way to reverse it naturally, you will need to take a pill for the rest of your life, but it’s safe, everyone takes it and it’s no big deal.”
Doctors, especially, were very closed-minded and dismissive of the possibility of a holistic remedy and insisted that pills were the only option. But for me, that just wasn’t cutting it. I have spent my entire adult life focusing on my health; eating clean, doing things naturally, trying to avoid chemicals and pharmaceuticals as much as possible. I didn’t want to treat it as “not a big deal” just because “there is a pill for that.” If my numbers were off, even just slightly, then that showed me something needed to change, so I was determined to try everything I could to reverse Hashimoto’s naturally, and if ultimately that didn’t help, then I would take the pills, but I was going to give it my all before I did.
I shifted my focus to what I was putting my body. I did a lot of my own research, consulted with holistic professionals as well as friends who also have Hashimoto’s, to get as much information as I possibly could from trusted sources. What I learned is that Hashimoto’s is really the result of internal inflammation – so my focus was to switch to an anti-inflammatory diet. I went completely gluten free, limited my dairy, and eliminated all seed oils, only using olive and avocado oil. I also needed to reduce the toxins in my environment not just in my body, so I stopped storing or eating food out of plastic bags or containers and switched to glass.
We did some testing that most medical doctors don’t do as part of their blood tests, and discovered that, like many people, I had higher than desired heavy metals and mold levels in my body, and in addition to the anti-inflammatory diet and removing toxins from my environment, I took supplements like toxin binders to remove those from my system. There were also other therapeutic aids like red-light/infrared therapy, lymphatic massages, air filters for my bedroom, going to a “green” dry cleaner, and getting better quality sleep. I’d learned all this may help, so I incorporated these things into my regimen. I loved the red-light therapy so much that I got an infrared sauna for my home and I believe it was hugely beneficial. All of these things, working together, clearly made a difference because one year later, in May of 2023, my blood work was back to normal. Against all odds, and the objections of my doctors, I had reversed my Hashimoto’s diagnosis!
You have shared your progress on social media. How has your own experience helped others?
I receive countless DM’s from women sharing their journey with me; a lot of women wanting to try to change their lifestyle and try a more holistic approach to healing. It has felt like a community rooted in support and love, and I’m so grateful for everyone that shares their story with me. It was shocking to learn how many women deal with Hashimoto’s or other similar diseases, so it is really important for me to bring awareness to the issue and hopefully empower as many women to overcome their diseases as well.
What advice would you give to anyone who may suspect they have this condition?
The advice I would give to anyone is to take your health into your own hands. You need to be proactive and you need to get different opinions. You also need to listen to your gut. I’m someone who used to be a little naive in these areas prior to this experience. Many doctors are amazing, but even the best-of-the-best doctors tend only to be experts in their specific field and may not be aware of alternative ways of dealing with things. I wouldn’t necessarily take one person’s professional opinion as the only answer, I’d take that as a starting off point. So, you need to be your biggest advocate and cheerleader and don’t be afraid to try something that may seem different.
Tanya’s experience with Hashimoto’s may not be the same as the next persons’, and while she advocates holistic approaches, she understands that in other cases, medication may be part of the answer too, but she strongly feels that understanding your body better, and making positive changes is going to give you the best possible chance to fight Hashimoto’s.
For more information on the condition, visit here or consult your health professional. You can also follow Tanya Rad on Instagram!
Tanya Rad has also given some insight into how “Cycle Syncing” has been a gamechanger for her workouts following Hashimoto’s, understanding her hormone fluctuations to make the most out of every day. Click here to continue. (link to cycle syncing workout when posted.)
