Your thyroid is your master metabolic regulator

Body Temp & Pulse Measurements

Thyroid hormones are crucial for energy production, as indicated by body temperature, and for the distribution of nutrients and energy to cells across the body, as shown by pulse.

A healthy body produces enough energy to fulfill its energy needs, allowing all bodily functions to operate efficiently. An easy method to evaluate metabolic health and determine if our health is progressing positively. Your thyroid acts as your primary metabolic regulator!

How to take Body Temp & Pulse Measurements

The best way to evaluate your metabolism is by taking these measurements multiple times a day, since stress hormones can cause your morning temperatures to be unusually high.

“If the night-time stress is very high, the adrenalin will still be high until breakfast, increasing both temperature and pulse rate. The cortisol stimulates the breakdown of muscle tissue and its conversion to energy, so it is thermogenic, for some of the same reasons that food is thermogenic. After eating breakfast, the cortisol (and adrenalin...) will start returning to a more normal, lower level, as the blood sugar is sustained by food, instead of by the stress hormones. In some hypothyroid people, this is a good time to measure the temperature and pulse rate. In a normal person, both temperature and pulse rate rise after breakfast, but in very hypothyroid people either, or both, might fall.” - Dr. Ray Peat

Ideal Body Temp & Pulse Measurements

A pattern where morning temperatures are elevated and decrease after the first meal indicates a sluggish thyroid system and elevated stress hormones (high morning temperatures that drop after breakfast suggest high cortisol levels).

Ideally, your body temperature should start at around 97 degrees Fahrenheit upon waking, rise to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and then slightly decrease as bedtime approaches.

A slow thyroid system might also exhibit this pattern, characterized by low morning temperatures and not approaching 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit by midday.

The aim is to maintain waking temperatures at 97s or low 98s, reaching 98.6°F by midday, and decreasing towards the evening before bedtime.

Temp does not dip between meals. Pulse is ideally in the 70-90 BPM range all day.

How to take Body Temp & Pulse Measurements

Utilize a digital basal thermometer and a pulse oximeter (or just use your fingers to count your pulse for 15 seconds at your wrist or neck, then multiply by 4 to determine beats per minute (bpm)). Avoid eating or drinking immediately before taking measurements. Ideally, sit for at least 10-20 minutes beforehand. Position the thermometer under your tongue and let it sit for 2-5 minutes to calibrate. Press the button and record the temperature.

Utilize a pulse oximeter or manually measure your pulse by using your fingers to count your pulse for 15 seconds. Multiply the result by 4 to obtain the total pulse for 1 minute. Document the pulse. Conduct these measurements 3-4 times daily: upon waking, 40 minutes after breakfast, and in the afternoon between 12-2 pm. Monitor the data over time to identify trends.

Optimal thyroid output & conversion

Increased energy production results in more ATP, enabling the body to perform both essential and non-essential functions, allowing it to thrive.

Reduced thyroid hormone levels and/or inhibited conversion of T4 to T3 result in decreased energy production and less ATP. Non-essential functions like hair/skin maintenance, digestion, and hormone production are downregulated as the body enters survival mode.

A persistently low body temperature and pulse indicate a slow metabolism and reduced cellular activity. Sluggish Metabolism Resilient Metabolism An optimal body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is necessary for all systems in the human body to operate at their best.

Why?

Enzyme activity is influenced by temperature. A decrease in enzyme activity results in diminished functionality of the corresponding organ tissue or body part. Therefore, a decrease in body temperature leads to less energy production, reduced enzymatic activity, and lower systemic function. Body temperature and pulse measurements can help evaluate your metabolic state. If your temperatures are consistently increasing, you are likely progressing well. If they are decreasing or staying low, it simply indicates that there is more work to be done, and that's perfectly fine!

You can enhance your body temperature and pulse data, which reflects your metabolic rate. However, it's essential to avoid restrictive paths, as they likely contributed to your current condition. Although extreme dietary and lifestyle methods might offer short-term advantages, they usually entail a long-term metabolic expense.

Using Body Temp & Pulse Measurements

These measurements can also help determine if the size, composition, or types of meals are effective for you. A meal that stimulates metabolism should boost energy production, generate heat, and elevate body temperature.