NEW: Powerhouse Vitamins - Iodine & K2

In the fall of 2019, I started an adventure that would last me 6 years of headaches and misery, but nevertheless result in more knowledge, wisdom and edification for you. I was burning out from competing professionally in dance, and also trying to run a business, and my free T3 levels were dropping. So after lots of research I decided to go on high dose iodine, referencing the work of people like Guy Abraham, Dr. David Brownstein and Charles Hakala — whom I had interviewed on the podcast about the fascinating research with high dose iodine.

On paper it seemed like the long lost hidden gem of health and wellness, yet in practice high dose iodine proved to be the equivalent of walking through a room full of mousetraps barefoot and blindfolded. And after 6 years of constant thyroid suppression and worsening of my HPA balance, I dug even deeper into the biochemistry — now with the power of AI and a long and detailed medical history at my disposal — and realized that high dose iodine wasn’t what it had been propped up to be.

For reasons I will leave to my in-depth research article on the topic (or my health book), iodine basically can shut your thyroid down if it’s in excess — even if the initial results are promising. The biochemistry is complex and some respond differently than others, but as of 2025 I have stopped recommending high dose iodine. I do believe there is promise for it in certain cases, like cancer or fibromyalgia or extreme metabolic disorder, as there are free radical and regulating effects it can have in these cases. But the whole “iodine sufficiency” science is far from being a perfect science, and I simply do not think it is justifiable in most cases because it can shut the body down and make it worse than before.

With that said, the problem remains that iodine is a crucial nutrient for thyroid hormones, and because the thyroid controls metabolism and sleep and sex hormones and practically everything under the sun — it is still an essential mineral. And with food being much lower quality, the average intake of iodine is fairly low or non-existent. Iodized salt has many problems, which I discuss in the article and book, so iodine supplementation with potassium iodide is important. Thankfully it’s pretty cheap, and in manageable microgram dosages (under 1000mcg) it is an excellent intervention to have for overall health. Thyroid hormones should be above the middle of the range, with a relatively low TSH (1-2), low reverse T3 (10-12) and a ratio of T3 to Reverse T3 of at least 10:1. I wish I could say that I was there myself, but everyone has a journey to walk. What matters are healthy habits and having the right tools, and today I am announcing that you can grab some very affordable iodine (225mcg) in the store.

Iodine is absolutely vital for health and metabolism. It is absorbed by the thyroid gland and supports the formation of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones have the ability to cross cell membranes, thereby supporting all cells of the body. In the cell, they promote metabolic function by enhancing mitochondrial activity and enzyme synthesis, especially in tissues and organs such as muscle and the liver. Along with a nutrition program that covers the basic nutrients like selenium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, B2 and B3 — the body can utilize iodine to maximize thyroid output and rejuvenate your health.

Alongside this release I have also decided to carry another vital and under-appreciated nutrient, which is K2. K2 comes in several forms, like MK-4 and MK-7, and it’s the latter that you want to take because it is much more biovailable. However not all MK7 K2 is created equal, and this is something I found out only about a year or two ago when I was cleaning up my health book. K2 has various “isomers” — which in chemistry is just a particular structure for a compound. So the form of K2 MK7 has its own “sub-forms” that it can come in, and with K2 there is the “trans” isomer and the “cis” isomer. Unlike our LGBTQABC123 friendly world, “trans” here is a good thing! You want all trans isomer for your K2 because it is the bioactive version. The all-trans isomer is the form found in nature and is highly bioavailable. It effectively activates proteins like osteocalcin (to build bone) and matrix Gla protein (to prevent arterial calcification). Chemically synthesized K2 often results in a mixture that includes the cis isomer, which is considered less effective because it cannot properly bind to or activate these critical enzymes. But if you find K2 MK7 that is produced by fermentation, then that has the all trans formulation.

So I reached out to NOW Foods, a very reputable company and one that I’ve used for a while, and got some of their fermented MK7 (MenaQ7 brand) to stock in the store. K2 is essential along with vitamin D, A, boron and magnesium to manage the calcium levels and behavior in your body. Deficiency in these nutrients leads to calcium related diseases like parathyroid insufficiency, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, calcification of the tissues or arteries, kidney stones, etc. All of these are calcium mismanagement diseases, and they can be prevented with adequate lifestyle and nutrition habits. Vitamin K2 is also implicated in dental health, as it helps maintain calcium in the teeth rather than the body leeching calcium from the teeth.

These are both now available in the store. And if you mix and match health items, including my big nutrition book, you can save up to 10% per order. I hope these things help you build healthier habits and a stronger body, so that you can use your days to spread the good news.