Last few days I have done nothing but browsing through your CZ, MMB and YouTube-posts. I am truly amazed by your knowledgeability and willingness to help people.

Thanks.

I was hoping you could share your thoughts on the following questions, for which I have not been able to find answers in prior posts;

Hypothyroidism
i) I haven't been able to find a post in which you address how to deal with hypothyroidism. The main reason probably is that hypothyroidism can have a wide variety of causes. You do recommend 'starting with treating the adrenals' and not taking thyroid medication (i.e. synthetic or animal thyroid hormones).

Taking thyroid hormone sources such as Armour or Synthroid will shut the thyroid down even further over time.  This is why the dose is gradually increased to make up for the increased deficit as the thyroid shuts down further.

Yet, apart from nettle leaf (tea?) I haven't seen you make any specific dietary recommendations.

Again it depends in large part on the cause.  Iodine sources like seaweeds will help in some cases, but not all.  And excess amounts of iodine can aggravate Hashimoto's thyroidosis.

a) Are there -in addition to your Thyroid Tonic- any specific foods(/herbs/supplements) you can recommend?

Most of the foods that help increase thyroid function are iodine sources such as seaweeds or coconut oil.  Again these can be a problem in excess though if Hashimoto's is an issue.  On the other hand if consuming goitrogens like flax seed or raw cruciferous vegetables then increasing iodine intake can counter the goitrogenic effect of these foods.

b) Would you -as frequently advised by others- recommend to steer away from gluten/wheat when dealing with hypothyroidism?

Unless someone has true Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance I don't see any reason to avoid glutens.

c) What about goitrogenic foods that have not been heated/fermented thoroughly (e.g. almonds, almond butter or a raw spinach salad)? Should these foods be strictly avoided or Is the danger of goitrogonic foods exaggerated?

Cooking and fermentation will reduce goitrogens. But taking an iodine source, such as seaweed, with a goitrogen can also counter the goitrogenic effect of some foods.  Different plants have different levels of goitrogenic activity as well.  For example, all plants we eat contain goitrogenic phytoestrogens.  But levels can vary from extremely high, such as flax seed, to very low such as grapes.

d) Is it possible to naturally/herbally cure hypothyroidism that orginates from a hypothalamic/pituitary disorder? 

As long as the gland was not destroyed for some reason such as an accident, tumor, etc.  There are herbs that can support these glands such as alfalfa herb, nettle leaf and parsley leaf.

Grape bitters
ii) You recommend grape bitters for all kinds of reasons. The regimen you suggest is 1/2 a dropper full, 3 times a day with meals.
a) In a 3-year old post (http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1422583#i) you state: "These herbs should not be taken for more than two weeks since they can kill the flora, damage the intestinal lining, and deplete potassium leading to a rise in blood pressure." You were referring to several herbs that are in most grape bitters. How big of an issue is this? Do you still recommend 1/2 a dropper full of grape bitters, 3 times a day with meals, even for people who are working on building their intestinal flora?

The warning was based on the recommended use on the bottles, which recommend way more than I do.  Most bitters I have seen recommend a teaspoon of the bitters with meals.  This provides sufficient berberine to cause these side effects.  I recommend a half a dropper full since all you need for the effect is to taste the bitterness and this does not provide enough berberine to cause side effects.

b) How long does it take for the liver to be completed 'cleansed' once having started your bitters regimen?

This is another of those multiple factor questions.  The liver is constantly having to deal with toxins whether it be something like pesticides on food or excess hormones in the body.  What we choose to eat, where we live, what medications people choose to take, etc. can all play a role on the liver's burden.  The bitters stimulate the liver to help the liver deal with these burdens more efficiently.

Is it recommendable to keep using the bitters once this point has been reached?

Yes, as I mentioned the liver is always going to be exposed to toxins.  The bitters will help the liver deal with them more efficiently.  The only times bitters are really a problem is if the gallbladder was removed since bile dumping can burn the intestines increasing the risk of intestinal cancer.  And in the case of peptic ulcer since the increased acid can irritate the ulcer.

c) I have been taking grape bitters (1/2 dropper, 3x daily with meals; I started 'slowly') for a few weeks now, as well as a 'licorice/yucca/chickweed'-powdermix (1/2 tsp, 3x daily 30 minutes before meals; put on tongue, swished away with water), TMG (3x a day 1mg with meals), zinc (1x 50mg) and bee pollen (2 or 3 tbsp a day). I have been feeling a bit ill, but attribute that to the (liver) detox/herxheimer reaction (albeit drinking plenty of water ~away from meals). However, last few days I have had an uncomfortably warm/burning feeling in my stomach after meals (no burping though). Might this be a sign I pushed my body to the point where it is producing too much stomach acid?? (even though you mentioned before that such a condition is very rare).

Could be gastritis from an infection or possibly you had an ulcer you were not aware of and the increased stomach acid production is making it more obvious.

If so, what should I do? Lower or quit the TMG? Of course I'd like to keep the liver-cleansing benefits of the grape bitters.. Maybe the licorice/yucca/chickweed-mix also acts as a digestive bitter and hence taking additional grape bitters is simply too much?

You can try the bitters after meals so there is more food diluting the stomach acid.  This also gives more time fro the stomach to form its protective lining.

Adrenal fatigue
iii) I already purchased some Royal Jelly supplement based on someone else's advice. It is not completely clear to me what your opinion on Royal Jelly is. It apparently does contain steroids, so in that sense I would expect you to suggest to completely avoid it. On the other hand, I am pretty sure I have seen some post of yours stating Royal Jelly is not bad, but that bee pollen are just better. Overall; Would you recommend taking the Royal Jelly supplement I already purchased (as it may possible help a little, and not harm), or would you recommend to just give or throw it away?

The biggest factor with royal jelly is if it is in a liquid medium like honey or freeze dried.  Royal jelly is very unstable and quickly degrades in the presence of moisture.  If you want to use royal jelly make sure it is freeze dried.

Vitamin C
iv) I have noticed that my adrenals have a hard time dealing with large amounts of salicylates/phenols; substances that are found in significant quantities in virtually all natural vitamin C sources. (That is to say, it seems these 'salicylates'/'phenols' are the harmful substance, it might just as well be 'polysaccharides'; as you suggest here: http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1459572#i) Anyway, too much of these salicylates/phenols/polysaccharides seem to make me break out eczema. I am therefore aiming to gradually increase my natural vitamin C intake as my adrenals get stronger again, but for now I want to primarily foresee in my Vitamin C needs with some kind of (low salicylate/phenol/polysaccharides) supplement.
a) What do you think about this supplement: http://www.iherb.com/Solgar-Hy-Bio-Citrus-Bioflavonoids-Pure-Vitamin-C-Rutin-... Do you consider this an instable synthetic vitamin C supplement? (Note it does contain bioflavonoids. Does that mean it is stable and recommendable?)

The vitamin C in this product will be a synthetic, which is why they have to add the bioflavonoids separately.

b) Would this amla-berry-based supplement be a better choice?; http://www.iherb.com/Organic-by-Nature-Pure-Planet-Amla-C-Plus-500-mg-100-Tab... (If yes, what dosage would you recommend for this 500mg amla-C-sup. FYI: the packaging recommends 2 to 10 tablets daily.)

I have recieved samples of these from trade shows and have taken them.  I like them but there is no list of the amount of amla in the product so no way to have a rough idea how much you should take daily.

Finally, if you still got time, I would love to hear your opinion on so-called natural antibiotics (e.g. oil of oregano, grapefruit seed extract, garlic, etc).

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is not natural.  They add a synthetic antiseptic to make it effective.  Even at that I have not found it to be very effective.

These things are frequently recommended on the CureZone forums. Do you feel these natural antibiotics are just as 'dangerous' as synthetic antibiotics? Do natural antibiotics only kill the 'bad biotics', or do they harm the good intestinal flora just as much as synthetic antibiotics? In other words; would you recommend to avoid natural antibiotics as much as possible or can they be considered 'safe' and used liberally (e.g. when having a flu)?

The flu is viral, so antibiotics will not help.  The herb andrographis though has been shown to shorten the duration of colds and flu.

As for herbal antibiotics they differ a lot according to the herb.  Some antibiotics for example canbe used to target infections in specific areas of the body.  Uva ursi conains 2 aglycones that are inert until they reach the kidneys.  Then the glucose is split off leaving the antiseptic hydroquinones that destroy bacteria in the urinary tract specifically.  Some herbal antibiotics will kill pathogenic bacteria while leaving the good bacteria alone,such as pau d' arco.  On the other hand berberine herbs such as goldenseal, barberry and Oregon graperoot will kill the flora as well.  So it depends a lot on what the herbal antibiotic is and how it is beign applied.  As for garlic I think it is highly over rated. Oregano oil is a strong antiseptic and can be used for some infections.  It should be diluted for use though.  I rarely use oregano oil though because I prefer herbs that will workon a wider range of inections and that have other beneficial properties such as adrenal supportin gor anti-inflammatory effects.