Basal Body Temperature- Tracking Thyroid Health

Have you ever gone to the doctor, knowing that something is up with your body, but they find nothing? They test your bloods, your thyroid is normal, your kidney is normal and they shrug their shoulders and say, hey maybe you are just getting older? Your thyroid may not be operating optimally and could be the source of your symptoms.

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that lives in your throat and is responsible for controlling the metabolism of the body. Think of it like the accelerator pedal in a car. When the thyroid is over active, the car is speeding too fast. If it is under active the car is going at a snail pace.

If your thyroid is not operating optimally, and going at a snail's pace, you can feel sluggish, fatigued, have cold hands and feet, have poor cold sensitivity and weight gain that does not shift. If your thyroid is a speed demon, you can experience unexplained weight loss, anxiety, rapid heart rate and heat sensitivity.

Sometimes you can experience these symptoms and there are no changes on blood work. This is due to the fact that thyroid metabolism is complicated and it may be that there is an issue with mineral deficiencies that might be impacting the way that the thyroid hormone travels around the body and interacts with the tissues. For example, potassium is important for sensitising the tissue to thyroid hormone, if you have low potassium, you will not have enough cell receptors present to interact with the thyroid hormone.

So you have been to the doctor, your bloods are clear and you are suspicious that your thyroid is not working optimally. What can you do? One simple and easy way to measure the function of your thyroid is measuring your basal body temperature. Basal body temperature is measured first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed. It gives an indication of the metabolism of the body and thyroid function.

I have included a chapter from my book 'Listen Goddess' below that will give you all of the information you need to track and measure your basal body temperature. If you are interested in gaining a copy of the book, which contains information on what the symptoms of the female body are telling us, check it out here.

Season 2: Measuring the rhythm of the body

“Her body spoke in warm whispers, a rising and falling tide of flame and hush—each morning a secret kept in degrees.”

The goddess’s body beats to an internal rhythm and it is more than the heart’s beat. There is an intricate dance that occurs between key organs, one of those is the thyroid. The thyroid is such a quietly powerful organ—shaped like a butterfly, perched at the throat—governing the rhythm of metabolism, warmth, voice, and vitality. It's the body's inner timekeeper, a keeper of flame and flight, often unspoken, yet central to vitality.

A simple way to measure the internal rhythm of the body is via basal body temperature, which is measured first thing in the morning before the Goddess arises from bed. This marker gives a useful guide to the state of the resting metabolism of the body.

To measure basal body temperature, gain an accurate thermometer to 2 decimal points and record the temperature daily. If the Goddess is not a morning person and this task is continually missed, it may be helpful to gain this information through a smart watch.

The Goddess wishing to sew the womb, (or wishing to avoid) will listen for a dip and then rise in temperature which indicates the womb is ready to be sown. The Goddess should expect a healthy range of 36.1-37.2 degrees Celsius with a drop to under the baseline, then increasing from 0.28-0.56 degrees.

As the goddess makes positive lifestyle changes, then basal body temperatures should normalise into the healthy range. If there is no change in temperature throughout the luna cycle, it may be the case that the flower is not opening, and the Goddess may consider reaching out to a health professional for guidance in this situation. A healthy opening of the flower, or ovulation, is important for the general health of the Goddess and should not be overlooked.

Basal Body temperature ranges

Healthy basal body temp Pre-ovulation 36.1-37.2 deg

After Ovulation C 36.1-36.7 deg

Change C +0.28-0.56 deg C

Post menopause 36.1-36.4 deg C

Tracking basal body temperature: The Goddess should measure her temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. Using an accurate thermometer that reads to 2 decimal places is encouraged for accuracy. Look for the dip then rise of temperature to indicate ovulation.Ovulation should occur between day 10-15 but this might vary for each Goddess.

If you are interested in delving deeper into your thyroid health, book an appointment online here.

In Stillness and in Strength

Jessica