I had another temperature control issue. Not only I would get cold easily (see First Clue); I also had trouble sweating. In hot weather it was difficult to sweat and if I did, it would be very little and sometimes caused pain. I would just get this uncomfortable heat sensation under my skin and my body would get hot. I would have to stop and find a way to cool off. There was nothing in my mind that could have made the connection to iodine deficiency.
After my experience at the vegan restaurant in Winter of 2008 (see First Clue), my life continued its busy path until it came to the point that I knew I needed a proper break. So, I packed my bags and went to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I wanted to do something for myself, get spiritually grounded, and have time to sort out mountains of accumulated thoughts.
Soon my issues with sweat became a problem I could not ignore. If you have ever spent time in Thailand you know that it is a different kind of heat there. The air is heavy and moist, other folks could break a sweat by just standing around.
With more time on my hands I was able to pursue and learn about the interests and ideas I had over the years, but never had time to follow-up on, because of my busy schedule. One of my interests was in nutritional supplements because I had experienced their benefits first hand.
While I was learning about the rich world of nutrition, I came across a post on iodine deficiency. As I read, I was excited and surprised that my symptoms were listed: feeling colder than usual, dry skin and eyes, and inability to sweat. Then suddenly my seaweed eating experience in Toronto sprung to mind.
I could not get enough of this material. The research led me to books like Lynne Farrow’s Iodine Crisis and Dr Brownstein’s Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without. Both had made a great case for supplementing with iodine. I also came across a talk by Dr Flechas (video below) where he discussed the connection the between iodine deficiency and skin conditions including the inability to sweat. He seemed credible and sincere, but more importantly his ideas and arguments were convincing. I was eager to start taking iodine.
The part about iodine and the skin begins at 5:50.
I began experimenting with iodine supplements. After just a few days I had increased mental clarity and a stronger focus. Then one day I noticed I was sweating a little just by standing in the heat. I decided to go for a run during the day and realized I could sweat normally again! It felt AMAZING! The physical sensation of sweating is likely taken for granted by most where just a little breeze hitting you feels like air conditioning. If the idea feeling so great about sweating sounds strange, then you, my friend, are privileged. For those of us who have been deprived will, hopefully, never take it for granted again.
This got me thinking about what other issues were there from not having proper nutrition and not having your sweat glands, a key detox pathway, functioning properly.
At this point I became keen student of iodine. I disagreed with some of what I had read and I expressed my views by writing a number of articles on different aspects of iodine supplementation. I have created an iodine complex formula and introduced it in the market to help others. I improve on the formula based on customer feedback, my own experiences, and new research findings.
