Years ago, Dr. Broda Barnes discovered a very simple and accurate method of testing the thyroid. Using his method, you can take your temperature and get a good idea of your basal metabolic rate and thyroid condition without putting out the big bucks for a laboratory test.

Put an oral thermometer by your beside.

Now taking your temperature is easy but must be done in a certain way.

What is interesting here, men can take their temp any time. For women who are in their menstrual years, the best reading will be on the 2nd or 3rd day after the menstrual flow starts. Now comes the fun part.

Anywhere between 97.2 and 98.2 is considered normal. If your temp falls below this range, it indicates a sluggish thyroid or hypothyroid condition. If above, your thyroid is overactive.

So what happens if your thyroid is low? Natural thyroid support is easy and should be considered before relying on synthetic drugs that often have side-effects.

There are good glandular forms of products out there and a knowledgeable health store assistant can give you some options. It is recommended that the starting dosage be 2 to 3 tablets a day. The chewable kind is the best and it should be done on an empty stomach. After about 2 months, most people can gradually reduce the dose to 1 tab a day but everyone is different. 1 tab a day is a good maintenance dose.

But the thyroid not only needs glandular support it also relies on iodine to make hormones. Our food is sadly lacking of iodine since it is so nutrient poor because of present farming practices. To make matters worse, chlorine and fluoride interfere with the utilization of iodine and make deficiencies more prevalent.

It is easy to see if you need iodine. First, it's a good idea to test yourself using liquid iodine. Just paint a round patch on your stomach and watch to see how long your body takes to absorb it. If it is gone in a few hours, then you need to supplement.

To do that, just use liquid iodine, not the stuff you buy from the drugstore, that's poison, but the one that is food grade. Take 2 drops a day for a week or 2 and then reduce the amount to one drop a day.

Here is what a well functioning thyroid will make you feel like:

? lifting of brain fog

? much newfound energy

? improvement in the skin

? regrowth of hair on the outside end of the eyebrows

? less confusion, memory loss and depression

? better circulation to hands and feet

? loss of excess weight

? less constipation

? feelings of calmness

? better sleep

? less food cravings

So you see, there are a lot of benefits associated with keeping your thyroid in good working order and checking to see if it's working right is easy as pie.