Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) For Men

Reversing the process of aging is almost impossible. However, with the advent of biotechnological advancement, hormone replacement therapy for a younger & healthier body helps improve life for men who're into their middle age and beyond.

Sexual hormones see a steady downfall with increase in age in incidence and quantity for both genders. So far, however, the reduction in sex hormones has been considered crucial only in women, making them resort to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) during their menopause, to help them alleviate drastic menopausal symptoms such as osteoporosis, hot flashes, etc.

In distinction, hormone-replacement therapy (MHRT) for men has rarely been approved for fit, elder men. Current proof advocates that men might be able to stay trimmer, well-built, more contented, and virile for a higher duration of time if they consumed supplements to compensate for the testosterone that is lost as a result of aging.

Testosterone-replacement therapy has been put to test in various groups, and its impact is very evident especially in an overall improvement in functionality and well being. There have been inadequate scientific research of its lasting effects and experts remain worried that hormone supplements might increase the threat of the onset of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The consumption of testosterone by aging men, better perceived as male hormone replacement therapy and more specifically, androgen replacement therapy, has captured the interest of the medical community as well as lay people for the past ten years or more. Although information of the probable advantages and threats of male Androgen Replacement Therapy is greater than before, there is still a good deal that needs to be found out. Though there are a considerable amount of possible benefits of male Androgen Replacement  and statistics regarding the irrefutable impacts of such substitution have built up, but so far there have not been any large scale trials of this therapy.

Being the chief masculinizing hormone (androgen), testosterone stimulates bone and muscle growth and promotes development of male genitalia.

During the onset of puberty in young males, responding to an indicator from the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland induces specific cells in the testicles to augment the amount of testosterone production in the body. This hormonal rush brings about sex drive and sperm production, induces acne, facial and pubic hair, and cracks the voice. Testosterone is produced women as well but not to the extent to which it is produced in men.

In grown up men, the testicles create about seven milligrams of testosterone on a day to day basis, with production normally being elevated in the early morning than at other time of the day.

Coconut Oil and Vitamin D Can Affect Your Hypothyroid Symptoms

Nutrition is so important in helping fight your hypothyroid symptoms. In addition to the basic nutrients, there are a few other things to consider as well. Coconut oil is something you want to consider adding into your diet.

Coconut oil is mostly made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These fats are very small and passively absorb and diffuse through the cell membranes. The liver uses these fatty acids as an energy source. These fatty acids also help support thyroid function. Supporting your thyroid function helps promote a healthy metabolic rate.

Coconut oil is absorbed into your body differently than regular oils, so it is not an oil that contributes to weight gain. It can however help with losing the weight that was gained with your hypothyroid because it is helping reset your metabolism. It also contains loric acid which is a stimulus to your immune system, and contains anti viral properties. (These are the properties only found in breast milk). It can replace butter, and works great when you fry vegetables.

Coconut oil may also help to reduce your cholesterol because hypothyroid patients tend to have higher cholesterol levels. Coconut oil can be found in your local health store, and some grocery markets have started carrying it as well. If you can, you want cold pressed organic extra virgin oil. Coconut oil is not a "cure" for your thyroid, but it can be very helpful for thyroid support.

Vitamin D is also something to pay attention to. The basic function of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of phosphorus and calcium in our body. Vitamin D helps in our absorption of calcium, but it also helps with much more. Research suggests it may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer, and several auto immune diseases including Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

If you are feeling fatigue from your hypothyroid, getting your vitamin D levels up to normal seems to help increase your energy. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, so many foods are fortified with it such as butter, cheese, cream, milk, juice, and breakfast cereals. Small amounts can be found in fatty fish such as sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon. The best source is sunshine. Ten minutes without sunscreen about three times a week helps your body produce its natural vitamin D.

Make sure you discuss it with your Dr. if you think your levels are low. As with everything, you need to find a good balance. To much of a good thing can be just as bad as to little.

Reduce the Chances of Depression Strokes With Human Growth Hormone HGH Therapy

If you are worried about being alone in the misery of stress and depression, don't be! Statistics say there are around 20 million Americans feeling the same way you are. Having such great numbers makes depression the most serious among other brain diseases. Annually, billions of dollars are spent by mentally distressed people to get out of this state. Large majority of the US population suffers from depression in one way or the other. It is interesting to note here that people of all ages including teens, adults, and oldies are affected by this mental disease.

There are many reasons of depression; loss in life, illness, loneliness, heredity, work load, blood deficiency, and brain weakness are among a few. Depression, if left untreated can become a permanent condition, interrupting the joys of your life. This matter should be looked into with a serious thought, but the tragedy is that only a one third of people facing depression consider having proper treatment to get rid of it. The rest are feared from the social responses they'll get from friends, coworkers and family.

Among the many symptoms of depression, the gravest one is the thought of attempting suicide by the depressed. Therefore, if you are facing depression yourself, or any of your loved one is going through it, be sure to get it treated on-time! Sadness and despair affects all body parts. The heart, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and the brain; all are endangered.

The proven and affordable method for curing this disease is through the use of HGH. Human Growth Hormone is the leading hormone controlling and managing the activities of various secondary hormones and metabolism levels in body. Growth hormone is excreted from the pituitary gland placed below the human brain. The excretion heightens during the early morning before waking up. There is an obvious decline in HGH discharge from mid-age onwards. This is also the same age at which biological depression also starts to show in a person.

Dr Ronald Klatz explains the role of human growth hormone in depression and stress in his book "Grow Young with GH":"If HGH has a natural antidepressant effect on the brain, it could be a major reason that we are so optimistic and resilient when we are young. With the decline of GH that comes with age, we not only lose muscle, bone, thymus tissue, body water, and cell division, we lose our joy for life. But with a program of Human Growth Hormone stimulation, we can have it all back again."

Many other experts and physicians are of the view that HGH effectively reduces stress and improves builds self esteem in a person. The psychological and emotional benefits of treating depression with HGH dose include higher energy and capacity to work, greater emotional control, control of mood swings, and restrain anxiety and depression.

Old age comes more quickly when your hormones level drop down. Once the hormone level is low, your body and mind starts to weaken. This makes you feel grumpy, uptight, and anxious all the time with frequent depression attacks. Thus, replacing and raising your natural hormone (HGH) level is positive measure to control depression.

If you are serious about treating your depression condition with HGH therapy, consult our expert physician's advice at LA Health & Rejuvenation Center. Live life like you have never lived it before, and instantly start with your depression control treatment. We make you stay happy and appreciate the beautiful things in life. With our therapist's help, you can control depression and bring back the confidence in yourself and your life.

Natural Menopause Therapy

Millions of women in the planet are having perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, due to hormone imbalance, hysterectomy or simply because today woman can be so stressed. This stress is causing women to get menopausal symptoms much earlier than they would normally expect.

Hormonal balance is our normal state. When we have menopausal symptoms, we are suffering from hormonal imbalance, an abnormal state. Today statistics show that about 80% of women experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance, more than ever before, because of the extraordinary demands made on their bodies without inadequate support, such as a nutritious diet. Fortunately, nearly all women can find relief from the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause by restoring that balance without drugs through natural menopause therapy.

Perimenopause

Physical signs of menopause can begin many years before the final menstrual period. This transition phase is called perimenopause. It can last between 5-15 years with the last part extending one year after the last period. Some early symptoms can include the following, plus others listed below in the menopause section:

- Worsening PMS
- Cravings for sweets and Carbohydrates
- Low Libido
- Headaches
- Increased facial hair
- Urinary dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Digestive Problems

Menopause

Menopause is a natural and normal event that every woman goes through. It is defined as the second year after the last menstrual period. It is caused by and associated with a reduction in the ovaries' functions due to age or other causes. The reduction of the level of hormones is considerable and can cause some of the symptoms mentioned in the perimenopause list as well as those listed below:

- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Diminished sexual desire
- Vaginal dryness
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Insomnia or restless sleep
- Fuzzy thinking (difficulty concentrating, memory problems)
- Weight gain, especially around the middle
- Stiffness and joint pain
- Heart palpitations
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Dry eyes

Here are some solutions to treat these symptoms.

1- Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT. HRT is done with synthetic hormone replacement which can be associated with dangerous side effects and consequences. Synthetic hormones are patentable, the most widely used being Premarin, Prempro, and Provera.

2- Bioidentical hormone replacement Therapy (BHRT) has been an option adopted by many women today. There are many different forms of BHRT that work in different ways, and each woman responds according to her unique physiology. It's also important to understand that while BHRT can provide amazing results in some women, others need more support.

Bioidentical hormones are manufactured in the lab to have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by your own body. The great appeal of bioidentical hormones is that they are natural, and our bodies can metabolize them as it was designed to do, minimizing side effects.

3- The newest approach to hormonal balance is Hormone Chronotherapy. Many of our body's internal processes are cyclical. There are daily patterns, like waking and sleeping; monthly patterns, like a woman's menstrual cycle; and even seasonal patterns, like those that cause seasonal-affective disorder (SAD) during the winter months. But doctors are only recently beginning to understand the impact of these rhythms on other conditions well enough to more effectively treat their patients.

The idea that medical treatments can be improved based on when they are given to a patient is called chronotherapy. And by making use of this good timing, doctors are finding that they are more effectively treating a wide-range of diseases such as asthma, arthritis and cancer, all while reducing side effects.

Even tumor-removing surgery may benefit from some clever timing. While the idea is still fervently debated, some small studies have shown that women's menstrual cycles are important in breast tumor removal. One study in particular, presented at the 1996 International Conference on Breast Diseases, showed that removing a tumor during the week following ovulation improved the five-year cancer-free rate by 13 percent over patients whose surgeries occurred earlier in the menstrual cycle. It is assumed that the differences in hormone levels produced in the latter stages of a woman's cycle play a role in inhibiting the spread of cancer after surgery.

One example of hormonal chronotherapy has been accomplished by Bent Formby, PhD, who is a co-author of Sex, Lies, and Menopause, by TS Wiley. Bent Formby, PhD, was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark and where he was awarded two doctorates in molecular biology and one in medical biochemistry. He served on the faculty of the University of Copenhagen Medical School as professor in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics until 1979 when he moved on a sabbatical to University of California in San Francisco, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics where he served as visiting professor.

Dr. Bent Formby has developed a hormonal treatment system based on the body's rhythmic pattern and the way it goes up and down like any other things in the body. Dr Formby said: "You can not give a flat dose; you have to cycle it just like it is in the natural regulatory system." He developed this system, cycling the phytoestrogens in a pattern similar to what we see in the menstrual cycle. This product is now available as another alternative treatment for women who want to treat their symptoms with natural menopause therapy.

Want to Increase Female Libido? Try Female Aphrodisiacs and Boosting Your Hormones!

If you're looking for ways to increase female libido, you might want to try these female aphrodisiacs as well as boosting your low estrogen and low progesterone levels.

While these tips may help you to feel a little more willing to jump into bed now again, know that the most common reasons for a low libido are relationship issues, stress, and low self-esteem -- three factors that can't be changed with a pill or a food.

But, if you're looking for a little extra something to spice things up, try these out!

Female Aphrodisiacs

Eating these foods might just make you feel a little more sexy.

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  Chocolate: Mmmmm, chocolate! Eating chocolate gives us serotonin which helps us to relax and let go of stress.
  
  
  


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  Peppers and Chillies: Cayenne peppers and chillies will increase your blood flow, and they are full of vitamin C.
  
  
  


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  Lobster: Lobster contains calcium, iron, amino acids and vitamin B -- all ingredients for a healthy libido.
  
  
  


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  Oysters: Oysters contain protein and zinc -- more ingredients for a good sex drive.
  
  
  


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  Nuts and Eggs: These contain arginine, which is an amino acid. You can also find it in coconut milk and cheese.
  
  
  


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  Wine: Drinking a little wine or champagne can help us to relax and feel sexy.
  

Low Estrogen

If your estrogen level is too low (which happens to most women in menopause), it can lead to vaginal dryness. Estrogen also helps us to feel sensitive to sexual touch.

Here are some natural ways to raise your estrogen level and get back in the game!

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  Black cohosh: This is an herb that has plant estrogens (also called "phytoestrogens"). They give our bodies estrogen-like effects.
  
  
  


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  Dong quai: This herb is also called the "Angelica herb." It has long been used in Chinese herbal medicine to cure feminine issues. It also contains plant estrogens.
  
  
  


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  Flaxseed: Again, these seeds contain plant estrogens. If you eat ground flax seeds rather than just the flax seed oil, you will get the most benefit. You'll also get the seed's fiber and omega 3s.
  

Low Progesterone

Progesterone is a very important hormone in the female body. It helps us to feel aroused, increases our blood flow, and balances the estrogen in our bodies.

Progesterone will help to increase female libido if your level is low (which happens to most women in pre menopause). Another way progesterone helps to increase female libido is by reducing vaginal dryness.

If you want to use progesterone cream to increase vaginal lubrication, you should use the vaginal form of these creams.

These creams can also moisturize your skin, help you sleep, relieve PMS, and help you to keep an even mood.

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  Wild Yam Cream: The active ingredient in this cream comes from Mexican wild yams. Scientists manipulate the progesterone precursor from the yams and turn it into bio-identical progesterone. You rub this into your face, neck, hands, inner things, or stomach twice a day.
  
  
  


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  Progesterone Cream: This over the counter cream has a 2% progesterone level. Like wild yam cream you rub progesterone cream into your face, neck, hands, inner thighs or stomach twice a day. The most common over the counter progesterone cream is Pro-Gest. You can also get progesterone cream with a higher percentage of progesterone with a prescription from your doctor.
  

Everything You Want to Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be used to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of menopause. If you are suffering from moderate to severe menopausal issues, then bioidentical hormones may be for you. Information on the procedure and its benefits can be found below in order to help you make the decision that is right for you.

What is it?

Menopause symptoms are generally caused by the sudden disturbance in hormone levels that occurs in the body during this time. By restoring balance to these levels, and replacing diminishing levels of one hormone or the other, you can stop the symptoms or at least drastically reduce them. That is where bioidentical hormones come in.

During bioidentical hormone therapy, a saliva test is done on the patient to assess various hormone levels and see where balance can be restored. Over the years, every woman's hormone levels diminish in a unique way. This is one of the only treatments for menopause that allows for customized dosages that are tailored to meet the needs of each woman.

Bioidentical hormones are formed from parts of different plants and animals, which are then altered to have the identical chemical makeup of the hormones that are found naturally within your body. For women, the most common are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and estriol.

The Advantages

There are a wide variety of benefits to using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in order to restore balance to the body. Besides the obvious fact that it can reduce and even eliminate your menopause symptoms, it also is able to reduce some forms of cancer through the addition of estriol.

Bioidentical hormone therapy is generally administered by a topical method such as injections and creams, and this can cut down by liver damaged that is caused by the hormone replacement pills used in other methods. The mixture of hormones that is administered is customized exclusively for each person, which makes it much more effective than other methods as well.

If you are a woman who has been suffering with painful or embarrassing menopause symptoms, then stop being a victim today. Bioidentical hormones can help to restore balance to your body's hormone levels, and alleviate the symptoms that are associated with this condition.

What's the Right Omega 3 Oil Dosage for the Treatment of Endometriosis?

While there is no cure, endometriosis can be treated. For example, the condition is linked to pollutants and PCBs and unhealthy trans fats. By reducing your intake of contaminants and processed foods, you'll lower your risk of endometriosis. Fish and red meat are typical sources of the chemicals that can cause endometriosis.

The Paradox

Ironically, the omega 3 fatty acids present in fish have been shown to slow the growth of endometrial tissue. Because fish is often high in mercury and PCBs, women are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately, because fish oil can be purified, you can reap the omega 3 benefits without ingesting heavy metals. Until our oceans are decontaminated, eating too much fish can have unwanted health consequences for men and women alike.

How to Make It Work for You

Fish oil supplements also work to lessen the pain associated with endometriosis, because the omega 3 compounds in omega oil decrease inflammation. What's the right dose? You can follow the manufacturer's guidelines, but the typical recommendation is one or two capsules per day. While it's unclear what level is too much, your doctor can provide the right guidelines for you. Anything below 3000 mg per day is considered a low, safe dose.

Remember, trans fats in processed foods are the bad fats that can incite endometriosis, while omega 3 oil pills are "good" fats that help slow the progression of the condition. When women with endometriosis take fish oil, they commonly report lighter, less painful periods. This good fat is worth trying if you want to reduce the painful effects of this condition.

Women Over 50: Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Most women suffering from menopause know that treatments for the condition are often worse than the symptoms they are suffering. Hormone replacement therapy may slow the hot flashes and short tempers, but it is a leading cause of female cancers. With this risk in mind, many women opt out of taking hormone replacement therapy and choose instead to suffer through their menopause without treatment. However, a side consequence of suffering through their menopause is that they also inflict on spouses and others around them much grief and negative reaction. That is what is so exciting about a new form of menopausal treatment.

The new form of treatment that is now available poses little risk to the women who use the product. Bioidentical hormone therapy is a therapy that works with identical forms of female estrogen, allowing the body to ease menopausal symptoms without the danger of causing of cancer.

Identical hormones have an identical makeup to naturally occurring female hormones. Previously, hormone treatments surprisingly used estrogen products that were harvested from pigs. It is the belief of many in the medical industry that the type of hormones that were being used from pigs was the cause of the high incidences of cancer, not the fact that hormones were being replaced in the therapy.

Hormone therapy can ease many of the symptoms of menopause as well as provide additional health to the heart. Another problem occurring at the age when menopause sets in is bone loss. This is also slowed when Identical hormone replacement therapy is used.

This is why most doctors will now offer identical hormone replacement automatically. Some, however, will only offer it if the risk of cancer seems very high. Women should consider requesting bioidentical hormone replacement therapy so that any risk of cancer might be reduced from treatment.

Menopause is a terrible time for most women. In addition to the effect it has upon the body with increased risk of cancer, heart disease and bone loss, it is also a difficult time for the peace of mind of their spouses and others around them. Many marriages have dissolved during the menopausal period because of the strain that menopause has put upon the spousal relationship.

That's why bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is the right treatment to safely get through this difficult experience, both for the women involved as well as their spouses.

Home Remedies for Aging Skin

It's likely that your skin will be the first to herald the onset of old age. The process of aging begins slowly, and progresses steadily over time. Though wrinkles and pigmentation changes on the skin are often the first and most obvious signs of advancing years, there are internal changes happening as well that are not as easy to see. It's important that as you address changes that are occurring to your skin, that you also think about changes that are occurring throughout your body. As you work on restoring and maintaining the health of aging skin, a holistic approach using home remedies can help you stay as healthy on the inside as you look on the outside.

Drinking plenty of water can actually help you ward off the signs of aging. When your skin is dehydrated, wrinkles show more easily because your skin gets dry. Being dehydrated is detrimental to the functioning of the whole body. Making sure that you're drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day can make a big difference in how you look as well as how you feel.

Fruits and vegetables can also be helpful to you in your quest for ageless skin. Potato peels can be used to reduce age spots without any adverse effects. Simply rub the raw potato peels on the areas where age spots are present. This is an easy home remedy that can make a big difference in your overall appearance. Cutting off the core of a pineapple and rubbing it on the skin of your face is a fruity and effective way to minimize wrinkles. Leave the juice on your skin for 10-15 minutes to experience the full benefits of this anti-aging remedy.

If you don't have any potatoes or pineapples in your pantry, use lemon juice to reduce the look of age spots and blemishes on your skin. Use a couple of drops of real lemon juice directly on the pigmented areas of your skin to obtain a more youthful appearance. Leave the drops on your skin for 10-15 minutes before washing it off with warm water.

Sugar can juice, turmeric powder, and a little bit of water can be mixed together into a paste that will help you diminish wrinkles and other signs of aging. Mix these ingredients together in equal parts and then apply to the whole face for 30 minutes.

One of the biggest benefits of using home remedies like these is the fact that they're kind to your whole body, not just your skin. They're also budget-friendly and good for the environment! If you can't afford expensive anti-aging remedies, don't worry! There are plenty of home remedies that are holistically beneficial that you can use to keep your skin looking and feeling beautiful.

How to Avoid the Risks Associated With Hormone Replacement

Modern medicine has turned menopause into a disease.

Doctors offer hormone therapy during perimenopause and menopause for symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings because this is all they're taught and all they know.

Sad.

Sad that we take advice from anyone who wants us to take potentially harmful chemicals into our bodies on a regular basis, rather than investigate natural menopause solutions first. If you've ever agreed to 'try' hormone replacement and taken a good hard look at the information sheet from the pharmacist, you know the list of frightening side effects associated with adding hormones to your body.

Many women delay taking action for mood swings or night sweats at the start of menopause, when it would be most beneficial. Unfortunately for them, they've ignored what seems to be a law of the Universe that it's better to prevent a problem, than to treat it after it becomes bigger, more noticeable and more disruptive. Many women seek help with distressing menopause symptoms only after they've become intolerable and they demand immediate relief. Hormone therapy usually provides faster results than herbs at the crisis point, but how much better to take herbs or homeopathy or use an energy medicine method such as Emotional Freedom Techniques, that work with the body, rather than force it into an artificial state where it has been fooled rather than respected.

You may not know that hormone therapy is usually a long-term solution, that when it ends, can bring back the same problems it was intended to solve. That's what happened to my mother who was on HRT for 20 years. She, like millions of other women, was scared off HRT in 2002 when a large clinical study found that HRT increased the risk of heart disease and cancer. She went off the hormones and went right back into hot flashes and night sweats - somewhat ridiculous and definitely stressful for a woman in her mid-70s.

Call it hormone therapy or HRT or hormone replacement or bioidentical hormone replacement - it's all the same thing. You're putting hormones into your body that your body did not create. With the addition of these so-called 'bio-identical' hormones, your body will stop producing hormones of its own, when if left alone, it would continue to produce a small measure of its own hormones. Your own hormones could help your body transition to its permanent post-menopause state of fewer hormones than during all of your life since puberty. Your own hormones could protect your body from osteoporosis and heart disease.

Why do we give away our power to anyone who thinks the answer to a natural life transition involves chemicals? It doesn't make sense.

Now, of course, at this point I've got to agree that hormone replacement almost assuredly has a role to play in our stressed out, toxic world for some people. People who would choose to take a pill every day rather than take a supplement or herb that would nourish their bodies; people who waited too long to seek help and are in a very troubled state of health by the time they show up in their doctor's office wanting a prescription. God love you and protect you ladies. You really let this one get ahead of you didn't you?

And how about the woman who had a hysterectomy for whatever reason and finds herself in a hellish situation because her body has been shocked into premature menopause? My dear, get thee to a doctor for some hormone replacement. You've been through enough already.

As for the rest of us...let's slow down.

Take time to examine your options. Find yourself a practitioner - naturopathic doctor, holistic health practitioner, herbalist, homeopathic doctor, doctor of traditional Chinese medicine - someone you trust who can advise you on your journey through menopause.

Meanwhile all of us, at whatever stage of menopause we're at, can make healthy lifestyle choices to manage menopause. We can nourish ourselves with herbal infusions of oatstraw, stinging nettle, red clover, and/or garden sage. We can choose to eat a piece of dried dulse daily and take a fish oil supplement or a vegan equivalent. Take a daily anti-aging supplement that has Vitamin D, CoEnzymeQ10 and Resveratrol - fantastic for the heart health too. We can cleanse our bodies of toxins on a regular basis so our bodies function like they were meant to.

Take care of yourself woman. Your body is all that's between you and eternity, which you will agree, is a very long time.

Don't present yourself passively to your doctor and say 'do me with those drugs ya' got there doc'. It's not right to take hormones because that's what your friends do - it's irresponsible, and downright dangerous! Look at the alternatives. They exist and they're bountiful! Just look for them!

Honey, menopause is coming. Won't you agree that it's better to embrace menopause and take charge of your own health and wellness, than to medicate yourself into a drug-dependent old age?

What is the Definition of Communication?

Communication is the transference of thoughts, ideas, and/or information.

Still, it's much more than that, so, we need to have a dialogue for me to convey these thoughts and concepts on the definition of communication to you. This article in a way is a comminque. Shall we begin?

When we think about the definition of communication, what do we think about? Well, most folks think about the telephone, especially the older generation. Before the telephone there was the telegraph, and letter writing, and before all that there were simple conversations, and stories passed down. Of course, before written or spoken language there was always body language, perhaps humans had better senses back then and could "feel" the vibrational changes in their fellow species member, or even other species, all of that too is communication right?

Those who have challenges communicating might use sign language, Braille, or touching. Love is a lot about communication in fact, think on that for a moment if you will. Okay so, let's widen this conversation about communication to encompass the past, present, and future shall we?

Today, communication has evolved to an unbelievable degree. Consider if you will all the possible ways to communicate and some of the ways which are used less often these days. The mail and letter writing appears to be a lost art, pagers are old news too, and then the FAX Machine is falling to the email attachment, in many cases it has merged. Humans communicate in other ways too, through songs, stories, and media when communicating news, feelings, thoughts, concepts, opinions, experiences, and knowledge. So, what is communication today you ask, well it could be;

Emailing
Text Messaging
Social Networking

In the future of communication we will see new forms of communicating for humans. Perhaps, holographic projection, thought swapping, and interlinked socially networked chips with brain interfaces. These are all ways we have, are, or will communicate amongst ourselves. But realize there is a lot going on in the world of biology and within our own bodies as well. Our cells, body, and even all the symbiotic bacteria inside communicates together. Our DNA gives the communication and plan, instructing our bodies how to grow and work things out.

Plants have seeds which communicate the same to that phylum. Chemical compounds communicate and align themselves, as does all matter it appears, even if we may only understand some of how all that works at all levels. Our computer networks communicate within the devices and they might send signals via photons, light, energy, code, or in the future borrow some tricks from biology. All of this is communication. Perhaps the more advanced our technology gets we will learn so much more about communication, there will be some great new discoveries in the future, this is only the beginning.

Without Communication there would be nothing and philosophically speaking even nothing seems to communicate with everything else, as it's an integral part of the equation, but we will save that concept for another time. Even non-communication can often be a form of communication, in fact, it's often the most important part. But for now, think of communication as the transference of information, thoughts, and ideas, and that should satisfy the contemporary definition just fine. Please consider all this and think on it.

What Our Ancestors Ate to Keep Fit and Active

What little evidence we have on the diet of our prehistoric ancestors, and what we know from indigenous cultures that lasted into our times shows that our ancestors were not primarily carnivores. Most of the diet was plant food, roots, seeds, nuts and fruits gathered by the women, and maybe fish and seafood. What meat our ancestors did eat was a far cry from the meat we find in our supermarkets, which is full of unhealthy saturated fats.

Whenever I tell people that I am vegetarian or that I often recommend a vegetarian diet to my patients, someone invariably asks, 'But aren't we meant to eat meat? 'Haven't human beings always eaten lots of meat?'

According to my anthropologist friend, the answer is No. Except for the Innuit who ate mostly fish and seals because their environment did not allow much plant growth. In most early societies, the meat brought home by hunters made up only a part of the diet. (Sorry, all you hunters out there!) Most of the diet was plant food, roots, seeds, nuts and fruits gathered by the women, and maybe fish and seafood.

Just as important is the kind of red meat our ancestors thrived on. They ate wild game which is significantly lower in fat, saturated fats and calories than farm-raised meat, and much higher in EPA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. That is a far cry from the meat we find in our supermarkets, which is full of unhealthy saturated fats and chemicals introduced in meat production processes.

Even when humans began keeping food animals - cows, pigs, goats, poultry, or sheep - those animals were much more valuable alive, producing milk, eggs, and dung for fuel, than as roasts. Most food animals were only eaten at feast times or celebrations.

In fact, go to any small village in Europe and Asia or elsewhere, and you will still find that pattern. If meat is included in the daily diet, it is usually in very small amounts to enrich and flavour a predominantly vegetarian meal.

You see, village farmers know two things that most westerners who buy meat from supermarkets don't:

1. A person can thrive with very little or no meat at all in the diet

2. It takes four times the amount of food and land and lots more water to raise a food animal than it does to feed a whole family on plant foods. In terms of resources and energy, meat is very costly.

So village farmers eat meat sparingly and save it for special occasions or for broths to strengthen invalids.

When we buy our meat from supermarkets, we don't see the real cost of that meat. We don't realize that for each steak and plastic-wrapped packet of minced meat, we sacrifice enough healthy land to feed a family, and to give several villages clean drinking water for years. We don't count the cost in polluted water, air and soil that we - and our children - pay for the meat we eat.

Nor do we realize the price we pay in poor health for eating lots of meat. We now eat 4 times as much meat as our great grandparents did, and as a result, suffer from untold digestive disorders, bowel cancer (the 4th largest killer of British men), obesity, burgeoning allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and rampant heart disease.

I am not advocating a vegetarian diet (though it has many benefits), just a common sense balance of vegetables and fruits, seeds and nuts, eggs, lentils, yogurt, tofu, and a variety of whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa, oats, barley, brown rice, whole wheat), fish...and if you like it now and then, a little meat.

If you love meat, make it an occasional treat, not the main part of your diet. Add it to vegetable stir fries; toss thin lightly cooked strips into your salads; or once a week, have a good, small steak with lightly steamed vegetables. Eat lots of vegetables (no grains or starches!) with your meat to aid digestion so you'll get all the benefits from whatever meat you eat. Or try going totally vegetarian for a month, and see how much more energetic and lighter you feel!

Find Bioidentical Physicians and Compound Pharmacists Who Work Together for Hormone Therapy

Since I write a blog based on my wife's and my own experience in being married while she processes through perimenopause and menopause, the subject of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy comes up often. This was rocketed to prominence by doctors talking about the subject on Oprah. Heck, Oprah's credibility is high with me and I've never watched her show.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy or BHRT as we are going to call it for typing purposes is the science of replacing hormones in women that begin to diminish in menopausal women as they age. The idea is that by replenishing exactly what is missing women's bodies can be medically coaxed into operating more normally.

The surprising part is that these hormones are derived mostly from soybeans and wild yams. A yam is a sweet potato. I can't fill you in on this except it doesn't seem as dangerous to me not that I know that. My wife and I are planning on her trying it.

In order to consider it you must find a physician who practices BHRT. The physician will run blood and saliva tests and decide what combination of hormones is right for you. The hormone mixture is not made at some large pharmaceutical company with all mixtures the same.

In the case of BHRT the prescription is mixed at the pharmacy. These pharmacies are called "compound pharmacies." This is because they mix the prescription on site exactly like the physician has prescribed. This should then be the prescription which is just perfect for you today. Obviously your prescription will change as time goes by, much like your glasses prescription changes.

How Hormones Affect Young Looking Skin

Young looking skin does not stay young forever. The normal aging process is happening every single day and this is something unavoidable. This aging process is actually triggered by some hormones in our body.

How hormones affect young looking skin
Hormones act like messengers of chemicals in our body. Different types of hormones are excreted by our vital organs. Most of them are beneficial and some can be debilitating. The imbalance of hormones in our body can trigger the development of many diseases-physical, psychological and developmental.

Women are more susceptible to the formation of wrinkles because of hormones. When a woman reaches the age of 40 or 50, the menopausal process happens. This is the point when hormones are crazily imbalanced. Estrogen, a dominant female hormone, depletes. As a result, dermis becomes drier and more fragile. In addition to that, skin elasticity drastically reduces and this causes skin sagging and wrinkles. This imbalance in hormones can also trigger crepey skin condition. This is a condition that characterized by thin skin tissues. This condition significantly increases your chances of developing wrinkles.

What can help?
Women under the menopausal stage can still improve their dermis functions despite these things happening in their body. As a topical solution, anti aging products can help slow down rapid aging symptoms. You only need to find that one product that contains natural ingredients to boost collagen, moisturize skin and get rid of harmful free radicals.

To boost collagen, you need the help of CynergyTK. This is an ingredient taken from sheep wool. It is an abundant source of functional keratin. This is a kind of protein that can help in the regeneration of collagen and elastin.

The life of collagen is shortened when it is not lubricated properly. That is why you need abundant supply of hyaluronic acid. As we get older, harmful enzymes that naturally exist in our body, attacks hyaluronic acid. What can prevent that from happening is a Japanese sea kelp called Phytessence Wakame. This sea kelp reduces harmful enzymes in the body and protects hyaluronic acid.

As a way to remove harmful free radicals, antioxidants are there. You need Nano Lipobelle HEQ10. This antioxidant is comprised of small molecules that can penetrate deeper into the skin. As a result, it reduces more harmful free radicals that any other antioxidants known to Science.

Women can prolong young looking skin if they stick to an effective product with such ingredients.

Menopause And Bioidentical Hormones - You Do Have An Option

Perimenopause

What is perimenopause? It is the time leading up to menopause (when you have not had your period for twelve months). During perimenopause, your body starts making less of certain hormones (estrogen and progesterone), and you begin to lose the ability to become pregnant.

How long does perimenopause last? It varies. Women normally go through menopause between ages 45 and 55. Many women experience menopause around age 51. However, perimenopause can start as early as age 35. It can last just a few months or a few years. There is no way to tell in advance how long it will last OR how long it will take you to go through it.

I've been depressed in the past. Will this affect when I start going through perimenopause? It could. Researchers are studying how depression in a woman's life affects the time she starts perimenopause.

Some studies have found that women with a history of depression started perimenopause earlier than women without depression. Women who took antidepressants started perimenopause even earlier. If you start perimenopause early, researchers don't know if you reach menopause faster than other women or if you're just in perimenopause longer.

Symptoms include: changes in your menstrual cycle (longer or shorter periods, heavier or lighter periods, or missed periods and:

hot flashes (sudden rush of heat from your chest to your head)

night sweats (hot flashes that happen while you sleep)

vaginal dryness

sleep problems

mood changes (mood swings, depression, irritability)

pain during sex

more urinary infections

urinary incontinence

less interest in sex

increase in body fat around your waist

problems with concentration and memory

Hot Flashes: We don't know exactly what causes hot flashes. It could be a drop in estrogen or change in another hormone. This affects the part of your brain that regulates your body temperature. During a hot flash, you feel a sudden rush of heat move from your chest to your head. Your skin may turn red, and you may sweat. Hot flashes are sometimes brought on by things like hot weather, eating hot or spicy foods, or drinking alcohol or caffeine. Try to avoid these things if you find they trigger the hot flashes.

Emotional Lability or Mood Swings : I am feeling so emotional lately. Is this from the changes in my hormones? Your mood changes could be caused by a lot of factors. Some researchers believe that the decrease in estrogen triggers changes in your brain causing depression. Others think that if you're depressed, irritable, and anxious, it's influenced by other symptoms you're having, such as sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue-not hormonal changes. Or, it could be a combination of hormone changes and symptoms. Other things that could cause depression and/or anxiety include:

having depression during your lifetime

feeling negative about menopause and getting older

increased stress

having severe menopause symptoms

smoking

not being physically active

not being happy in your relationship or not being in a relationship

not having a job

not having enough money

low self-esteem (how you feel about yourself)

not having the social support you need

regretful that you can't have children anymore

What can I do to prevent or relieve symptoms of perimenopause?

Keep a journal for a few months and write down your symptoms, like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. That can help you figure out the changes you're going through.

Record your menstrual cycle, noting whether you have a heavy, normal, or light period.

Find a physical activity that you'll enjoy doing.

If you smoke, try to quit. Visit A Breath of Fresh Air! for help.

Keep your body mass index (BMI) at a normal level. Figure out your BMI by going to www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

Talk to your friends who are in perimenopause or menopause. Most likely, they're going through the same things you are!

Do something new - volunteer or take a class.

Use a vaginal lubricant for dryness and pain during sex.

Dress in layers.

Try to figure out if certain triggers cause hot flashes, like spicy foods or being outside in the heat. Avoid these things.

Talk with your health care provider if you feel depressed or have any other questions about how to relieve your symptoms.

I'm going through perimenopause right now. My period is very heavy, and I'm bleeding after sex. Is this normal? Irregular periods are common and normal during perimenopause, but not all changes in bleeding are from perimenopause or menopause. Other things can cause abnormal bleeding. Talk to your health care provider if:

the bleeding is very heavy or comes with clots

you're bleeding from the vagina after sex

the bleeding lasts longer than 7 days

you have spotting or bleeding between periods

By using natural hormones and following a program of regular testing, women can develop an individualized hormone replacement regimen that is safe and effective.

"You need to use natural means to restore the body's hormone balance," says Dr. Wright, a member of the Life Extension Foundation's Medical Advisory Board. "Bioidentical hormones are superior to patentable drugs because they are exact copies of what the body produces. They work better than the deformed, inexact copies that are required to get a patent."

By replacing the hormones that decline as time goes by, you can sustain your health and promote longevity. It's never too late, either. I have had patients in their eighties who saw their health improve. For example, in cell cultures, gender-specific bioidentical estrogen or testosterone supplementation slows the accumulation of tau protein, neurofibrillary tangle, and amyloid in human neurons, reducing the potential for Alzheimer's disease. The bioidentical versions of these two hormones reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis as well.

By returning to the physiological hormone levels you had earlier in your life, you can slow down the aging process and maximize your quality of life.

Affects of Low Estrogen In The Menopausal Transition

Doctors and researchers are not sure that menopausal symptoms are the result of or affects of low estrogen. Some women experience very few menopausal symptoms, while others are plagued by numerous symptoms throughout the menopausal transition. Hormone replacement therapy was the treatment of choice for many years, but many women have questions concerning the sources of estrogen used for this type of therapy. Here we look at some of the possible affects of low estrogen on a woman's body and the various sources of estrogen supplementation.

The primary affects of low estrogen levels are irregular or missed periods, as occurs in the years leading up to and during menopause. Women whose ovaries have been damaged or surgically removed typically experience severe hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, no matter what their age. Typically when researchers use laboratory animals to study the affects of low estrogen, they remove the animal's ovaries. Through clinical studies, animal research and cell-line studies, researchers have shown that some menopausal symptoms are likely to be caused by the affects of low estrogen, while others may simply be related to the aging process.

During a woman's reproductive years, the primary function of estrogen is to prepare the uterus to receive a fertilized egg, but it affects many other parts of a woman's body. Researchers have studied the affects of low estrogen on the skin, bones, brain and vagina. They have investigated the relationship between estrogen levels, sexuality and a woman's overall sense of well-being. They have studied various sources of estrogen and based on these studies, recommendations are made concerning hormone replacement therapy or alternative treatment plans. Typically when a woman's symptoms are mild to moderate, doctors will initially recommend dietary and lifestyle changes.

The sources of estrogen most commonly used by pharmaceutical companies are horses. Estrogen is obtained from the urine of pregnant mares. When the sources of estrogen are horses, they are referred to as "equine estrogens". Women participating in the Women's Health Initiative were taking equine estrogens, either alone or in combination with synthetic progesterone. These studies were concluded early due to the number of adverse events reported, which included blood clots and stroke. The study concluded that the health risks of hormone replacement therapy outweigh the benefits. However, many health experts note that only equine estrogens were used in the study and that other sources of estrogen may be safer.

Bio-identical hormones are available from some clinics. These are designed in compounding pharmacies to be molecularly identical to a woman's own hormones. The sources of estrogen and other hormones used for this therapy are animals and plants. Some are created in the laboratory. There have been no long-term studies concerning the safety of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. It is hoped that since the hormones are identical to a woman's own that the body will not respond negatively to them.

Dietary sources of estrogen are sometimes recommended to help women during the menopausal transition. Some plants contain an estrogen-like compound. These are referred to as phytoestrogens or isoflavones. The best known sources are soy and red clover. Soy can be added to the diet, if a woman is not allergic, but some research indicates that dietary supplements containing isoflavones are more effective for relieving hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

Many women have been able to avoid the affects of low estrogen without hormone replacement therapy. To learn more about dietary supplements that can help relieve menopausal symptoms, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer - A New Perspective

The news has again been filled with reports of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on October 20, 2010 looked at the same people from the infamous Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The news isn't that different, they just followed the study participants longer and found the cancers to be more aggressive.

Here's a perspective:

• The women in the WHI were given 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) (synthetic) and 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (synthetic progesterone otherwise known as progestin).

• CEE is available in much lower doses and bioidentical estradiol is available in both patch and oral form. The patch allows hormone to be absorbed through the skin and does not increase clotting.

• Progestin was implicated in cancer risk and we now have pharmaceutical bioidentical progesterone known as Prometrium or it can be compounded by a compounding pharmacy. There is a difference between synthetic progestin and bioidentical progesterone which is the same chemical structure made by your body.

• The average age of those in the study was 63, and most were well past menopause when they started hormone replacement therapy.

• Reports from the most recent North American Menopause Society meeting in Chicago indicate that there was a statistically significant reduction in mortality and a positive benefit to risk ratio for women started on hormone therapy in the first decade after onset of menopause when data from the two Women's Health Initiative hormone therapy trials were pooled.

• The deaths due to breast cancer were 2.6 per 10,000 women and women who were not on hormone replacement therapy also developed breast cancer at the rate of 1.3 deaths per 10,000 women.

• Dr. Andre Lalonde, Executive Vice-President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada stated, "The increased risks for breast cancer in users of combination hormone therapy is about the same risk women accept when they drink alcohol, don't exercise regularly or gain weight after menopause."

So many women suffer and both doctors and patients are fearful of hormone replacement therapy. The point is, that it is time for a new large scale study using bioidentical hormones at the beginning of menopause. I suggest you read the press release from Dr. Andre Lalonde which can be found on the home page of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada

If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause, talk to a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and get a perspective of the risks and benefits.

Menopause and Pregnancy - Just What Are The Chances?

Imagine the scene if you will.

Marjorie and her husband Ken (not their real names), were settling down for a romantic night in front of the television, when Marjorie quietly leaned over and informed her husband that they were expecting the pitter patter of tiny feet! Apparently Ken almost fell off his chair.

Now normally, this would be a cause for celebration, but what if I told you that Marjorie and Ken were both in their early fifties and they had brought up three children, prior to taking early retirement? This was supposed to be 'their' time, when they had no-one to please but themselves.

You would probably be shocked and then surprised at this story, I know I was when my friends told me. You see, I didn't realise that a woman could become pregnant once she had started menopause. Unfortunately, neither did Marjorie. She had taken birth control right up until she began suffering from hot flashes and 'spotting' and then she stopped. You see Marjorie, as many women do, had wrongly assumed that because she was displaying menopausal symptoms, that she was now infertile.

Many of us believe that menopause is an event with a start and a finish that signals the end of fertility from day one. But, that is incorrect and it is a process that could potentially last for ten years (yikes) usually beginning somewhere in our early fifties. Although some women do suffer from premature menopause and they can go through it many years earlier than this. All that the symptoms mean is that our hormone levels are becoming unbalanced, but this does not mean that we are unable to conceive.

It's true that as a woman ages, her fertility decreases and so it becomes less likely that she will fall pregnant naturally - but it is not impossible. In fact there are many stories available to read online of ladies over fifty giving birth naturally.

That's all well and good, providing you are ready to welcome a new born baby into your life, but this article is for those menopausal women who are looking forward to the freedom from child rearing that age and maturity usually brings.

So, how can it happen that a woman is going through menopause and yet she is still fertile? Easy, while eggs are still being released and there is an adequate supply of the necessary hormones, she can still become pregnant.

It doesn't matter that her periods may be all over the place or she is so bloated that she resembles a small planet, providing that she is still having her monthly period, pregnancy is possible. In fact, it is wise to continue with birth control until there has been no show of blood for twelve consecutive months. After this time, it is impossible to become pregnant naturally as there would not be an adequate supply of estrogen to facilitate the process.

Apart from the psychological aspects of a late pregnancy, there are of course health considerations to think about for those women who become pregnant in menopause.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it will give you an idea of the dangers.

There is an increased risk of infection, miscarriage, bleeding and several other potentially dangerous medical conditions. Furthermore, medical research has proven that the risk grows even higher with every passing year over the age of forty.

So, if you are coming up to an age where night sweats and hot flashes beckon and you don't fancy the idea of early morning feeds and dirty diapers - don't take a chance and hope for the best. Make sure that you continue with the birth control.

The Connection Between a Woman's Menstrual Cycle and Her Libido

Every man has this dream where he can predict when his woman wants to go crazy in bed. This dream can turn into a reality if you do a bit of research and observe carefully. There is no doubt that a woman's cycle affects her sex drive. It's during ovulation that her sex drive is at its peak and this is when she will be wild with lust.

Read on to know more.

Her period and ovulation

Think about a 'period' and your mind conjures up images of lots of blood and mess. But, a period is much more than that; its a woman's body preparing itself for reproduction. There are various hormonal changes taking place in a woman during this time and these are going to have a marked effect on her libido, for better or for worse. What follows during her menstrual cycle, is a process known as ovulation. This is when a woman is at her most fertile and when she is reaching her peak of sexual desire. Her body will encourage copulation during this time. If she is ovulating, you know she is going to say 'yes' more often than not.

What is the woman thinking?

During ovulation, women have this desperate craving for sex. If you are wondering whether they also have a hankering for their motorized "friends" during this time, the answer is their craving is concentrated on having penetrative sex with a real man and not some vibrator. A woman's sex drive goes into overdrive and she has this insatiable need to have intense sexual intercourse.

You will find that ovulating woman are more flirtatious, wear provocative clothes and also indulge in a bit of risqu矇 behaviour. If you see your wife giving you those lingering looks and dressing up in her high heels, it's time for acknowledgement and action - she wants sex and she wants it now. It's her fertility that comes out very strongly in her desire to have sex. A woman going through her cycle feels more sexy, more sure of herself and she will actively want sex during this time.

Birth control pill and her libido

The use of birth control pill deserves a mention in relation to her cycle and her libido. The purpose of birth control pills is the prevention of ovulation. This means the woman is denied her peak of sexual desire. In such cases, a woman's libido remains even throughout her cycle and at no point of time can you expect a resurgence of her libido. Let's just say that birth control pills can keep her libido on a tight leash. The danger is that the use of birth control pills might just bring down her libido and it will stay that way. So, you need to guard against such an occurrence and keep this fact in mind.

Remember, when it comes to a woman, her cycle and its effect on libido, nothing should be considered a done deal. You can predict when she would like to have sex, but there are always some other issues involved that you will also have to take note of. Don't take a particular process for granted, more so if it is a biological one.

Use of Statin Drugs to Lower Cholesterol Is Under Attack

A review of several published articles in the Archives of Internal Medicine have found that the effectiveness of statin drugs are questionable. Most all of the studies might be biased, and several questions have been raised about the financial and professional motives of the medical researchers who conducted many highly influential studies.

An elevated cholesterol is generally not a risk factor unless it is in the 400 range. The normal upper range of 200 has been arbitrarily set by convention, and this level was known to scientists in the pharmaceutical industry, to capture millions of patients as candidates for statin use.

Our baseline cholesterol levels are usually related to genetics, but a low glycemic diet and hormone optimization will generally lower the number, as well as lower the triglycerides. Regular physical exercise and eating plenty of fiber also helps bring elevated cholesterol down.

One of my patients is a pharmaceutical scientist that helped get one of the statin drugs approved by the FDA. He confessed to me that this drug, like all statins, was very toxic, but loved by the FDA because it lowers cholesterol so effectively. For those of you that take statins because your primary care provider or cardiologist insists, try taking it just 3 days per week. It will still keep the cholesterol under 200 with less lethal and debilitating side effects.

If you wish to read further and understand the depth of this issue, purchase a copy of "Alzheimer's Revisited".

"Alzheimer's Revisited" was written by a dentist in South Carolina. Interesting story from his perspective.

Henry Lorin's father weighed over 300 pounds. At age 50 he had an irregular heart beat and went to see his cardiologist. Cardiologist scared him into going on a crash Pritikin Diet that eliminated all fat and most protein. His father was also put on double doses of a well known statin drug to lower the cholesterol. Within a year the father had lost over 200 pounds, but developed Alzheimer's Disease. At autopsy the brain had shrunk as expected.

Henry Lorin's father had a twin brother that also weighed over 300 pounds. He was never placed on a statin drug such as his brother, and lived to be a ripe old 80 year old. No Alzheimer's Disease. So...Dr. Lorin paid a researcher to glean all the medical literature for research done on statins that was not funded or sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. What he found was astounding!

Malnutrition, even mild, along with statins are strongly implicated in the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. As we all know, older persons lose some of their taste buds, often eat alone, and often are malnourished because of bad dentures. Then their well-meaning physician prescribes a cholesterol-lowering drug. Perfect storm for development of dementia and neurological decline.

Statins do not prolong survival, and often impair quality of life. They are designer drugs and not fit for human consumption. If the same effort was put forth by physicians to educate their patients in the Mediterranean Diet and coached them for increasing physical exercise, their triglycerides and cholesterol would come down naturally. Drug-free.

Lewis H. Stocks, M.D., Ph.D. Medical Director Stocks Institute Raleigh NC

Hyperthyroidism, Menopause, and Natural Treatment Methods

Many menopausal women who have hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease have symptoms which they assume to be normal, but usually can be controlled by following a natural treatment protocol. Some of the common symptoms which these women experience include fatigue, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and many other symptoms. Once again, these symptoms usually can be reduced, and in some cases completely eliminated by following a natural treatment protocol under the guidance of a competent holistic doctor.

The question you may have is "if these symptoms aren't normal in menopausal women, then why are they so common?" There are numerous reasons why women who are in menopause experience these symptoms. One of the primary reasons is due to a hormone imbalance, specifically involving the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

There is a great book about the benefits of natural progesterone which was written by Dr. John R. Lee. The title of the book is "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause". This book discusses many different conditions in menopausal women which can be helped through natural progesterone. And the reason why natural progesterone is so effective is because many women have a progesterone deficiency.

Should Natural Progesterone Be Given For All Menopausal Symptoms?

Even though natural progesterone can help many menopausal women, I don't agree that everyone with menopausal symptoms should be given this. The first thing which obviously should be done is to confirm that the person has a progesterone deficiency. This can easily be determined through proper hormone testing. I personally use a company called Diagnos-Techs to conduct hormone testing on my patients, but there are other companies out there as well.

When it is determined that someone has a progesterone deficiency, natural progesterone is usually necessary under two situations. The first situation is if the woman had a complete hysterectomy. In this case the woman will most likely need to take natural progesterone for the rest of her life. The second case would be a woman who has a severe progesterone deficiency. In this situation it is frequently necessary for a woman to take bioidentical progesterone, although it should only be on a temporary basis.

Can Natural Progesterone Help With Hyperthyroidism?

Taking natural progesterone alone won't cure a hyperthyroid condition. However, many people with hyperthyroidism have a progesterone deficiency. In this case, taking natural progesterone is necessary to correct the hormone balance, which in turn is probably necessary to cure the hyperthyroid condition. On the other hand, there are other factors which cause a hyperthyroid condition to develop, so anyone with hyperthyroidism or Graves' Disease looking to restore their health back to normal will need to address these other factors as well.

There Are Risks With Taking Natural Progesterone

While taking natural progesterone is sometimes necessary, one needs to keep in mind that there are always risks involved with bioidentical hormones. Many people think that just because they are natural they are harmless. But it's easy to overdose on bioidentical hormones, and this is why it's a good idea to consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor, rather than try to self-treat your condition.

A competent holistic doctor will determine whether or not you have a progesterone deficiency, and if so, whether or not taking natural progesterone is necessary. If it is necessary they will be able to tell you what dosage you should take, and for how long you should take it. For your hyperthyroid condition they will also be able to put you on an individualized treatment protocol to help restore your health back to normal.

In summary, some menopausal women with hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease can benefit from taking natural progesterone to help manage their symptoms. However, most of these women don't need to take any bioidentical hormones, as many can have these hormone imbalances corrected naturally. The wise thing to do is to consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor, who will put you on a natural treatment protocol to not only correct your hormone imbalance, but it can potentially restore your thyroid health back to normal as well.

Backed by Science, Rhythmic Bioidentical Hormones Reverse Osteoporosis

A condition in which bones become thin and porous as a result of calcium loss, osteoporosis affects women eight times more than men. A bone scan can determine if one has this condition. Statistics say that one in two women over age fifty, or a woman in menopause, will suffer at least one lifetime fracture from osteoporosis. There is recent evidence that biomimetic rhythmic bioidentical hormone therapy can prevent osteoporosis.

Research studies have also shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) lowers the risk of osteoporosis-related hip fractures and other fractures in postmenopausal women. When we run out of estrogen and progesterone hormones, our bones begin to die very quickly. Bones have their own life cycle or metabolism, a rhythm of growth and death governed by estrogen and progesterone. The fall off of estrogen during perimenopause means no peak of estrogen activity to make progesterone receptors which would build bone. This is the beginning of osteoporosis.

Estrogen controls osteoclast activity. Osteoclasts are bone cells that "eat up" old bone for disposal. Progesterone controls osteoblastic activity. Osteoblasts are bone cells that build fresh new bone. In this case progesterone grows bone, and estrogen takes it away so that new bone can grow again next month. Without this balanced interplay, one of two things can happen: Without estrogen, bone would overgrow into a cancer- like state, or without progesterone, unopposed estrogen would make bones thin, fragile, and porous - osteoporotic.

Women in menopause who take rhythmic hormones are seeing reversal of bone loss, and the end of osteoporosis. Why? Because it is rhythmic biomimetic bioidentical hormone replacement that helps slow bone thinning or loss and causes an increase in bone thickness. Estrogen replacement alone, because it takes away bone, should be bad for osteoporosis and seems to be so in conventional low doses. Estrogen replacement helps for a little while because it does prevent apoptosis in the bone-building cells, the osteoblasts; but, unless progesterone comes in to stimulate osteoblasts, not much bone grows from estrogen replacement alone.

Newer drugs on the market act to stimulate osteoblasts in an artificial way. But it can't be good. Living on drugs that exacerbates bone growth is the epitome of "moving a marble." Increasing supplemental calcium is really pretty useless. No claims have ever been made by the medical establishment that increasing calcium can really prevent or cure osteoporosis.

Natural transdermal, bioidentical hormone replacement prescribed in a normal rhythmic cycle can do what none of those approaches can do: revive your bones. Biomimetic hormone restoration therapy is accurate, it's biomimetic and mimics the up and down rhythms of hormone blood levels in a normal menstrual cycle.

Patients on rhythmic bioidentical hormones and their doctors are raving about the turnaround in bone density scans, saying that it is a remarkable benefits from taking rhythmic bioidentical hormones. A Santa Fe medical practitioner, Doctor Deb Werenko said in a YouTube interview, "Some of my patients have anxiety and depression, bone loss, hot flashes, or low libido, and all those things seem to improve dramatically when I start them on the rhythmic biomimetic hormone replacement therapy. Osteoporosis - I'm seeing reversal; libido and relationship issues seem to improve, and I have exciting, exciting results."

What Benefits Can Bioidentical Hormone Treatments Give Me Once I Turn 35 Years Old?

Bioidentical hormones get their name because they are made in a laboratory to have the same molecular structure as hormones produced naturally by the body. Synthetic hormones are different by intention. This is because a personal assessment of the individual is necessary before treatment can be administered with bioidentical hormones. Compounded bioidentical hormones allow doctors to match them individually to each woman. This is not an option when dealing with mass-produced products.

Hormone balancing may begin in the forties, but some women begin the treatment while in their mid-thirties. Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life cycle and there is no way to stop it from coming or to reverse it. Menopause is the point in a woman's life marked by the decline of ovarian production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It is defined as a period in which the woman does not menstruate for a full year. The progression to this point may begin much sooner.

Leading up to menopause, women often notice a change in their periods, as they become shorter in duration. Women may also notice certain symptoms such as sluggishness, lack of a libido and a decline in strength. Apathy, depression, forgetfulness and agitation may also be symptoms that women notice as they approach menopause. Women may begin to notice a change in their menstrual period in their forties, while others experience changes much sooner.

Fortunately, however, bioidentical hormone therapy may be beneficial to women looking to find relief for the various symptoms associated with menopause. The symptoms of menopause can be very frustrating and may significantly disrupt women's lives in some cases. As a result, finding relief from the symptoms of menopause can be very important to many women.

Bioidentical hormone therapy may help women overcome hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, weight gain, poor libido and memory loss. This treatment may also benefit women experiencing PMS, uterine bleeding, insomnia and other conditions.

As with many treatments, there are certain risks associated with bioidentical hormone therapy that women should discuss with their doctor before beginning treatment. It is hard to determine the extent of risks associated with bioidentical hormone therapy because further clinical trials and research is needed, but risks associated with hormone replacement therapy may include an increased risk of certain cancers, blood clots, gallbladder disease, heart attack, stroke, breast pain, etc. It is very important to discuss all of these risks with a trained professional prior to treatment.

The Importance of Having Testosterone

Testosterone is an extremely important hormone for both men and women.
This importance begins at conception. It is in fact required to make conception a reality in the first place.

In the July 1996 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers discovered that testosterone significantly enhanced muscle size and reduced body fat, even in men who did NOT exercise or go on any special diet. In this particular study, there were three groups of male weight lifters who either did the same exercise or no exercise. These men were either given testosterone or placebo every week for ten weeks, and the men given testosterone (they did not know if they got the test or the Placebo), accrued significantly more muscle, whether or not they exercised.

Testosterone is elaborated most heavily in the male, during the rapid period of a boy's maturation. This generally starts at age 11-14 for most boys, and ends by age 16-19. Testosterone has been well-studied from infancy up through adolescence, and medicine is becoming more interested in it's benefits for aging males and females. A man has a total testosterone about 10 times higher than a woman.

In men, testosterone is the major androgen and surprisingly, may start to decline at age 25. Those with a decline in testosterone, can usually get dramatic clinical benefits, once their total testosterone levels are restored to normal range (generally 300-1000 ng/dl) and the bioavailable testosterone to 120 to 600 ng/dl. In earlier literature a less accurate method of testing referred to "free" testosterone. The bioavailable testosterone can be calculated by knowing sex hormone binding globulin (SHGB), albumin (loosely-bound protein) and testosterone. The bioavailable testosterone is considered the most accurate measure, because it is the active portion that exerts the most benefits to the body.Growth hormone has probably garnered more medical stature and attention, than deserved. In fact, in the very near future, men over the age of 50 will be encouraged by their physicians to take supplementary testosterone with growth hormone and other supporting hormones. Physicians are becoming much more aware of symptoms that may be related to testosterone decline, low levels and outright deficiency.

Testosterone Discovery wins Nobel Prize

In 1934, the scientist who isolated testosterone received the Nobel Prize in medicine. Research on testosterone has demonstrated an overwhelming number of powerful effects, this includes strengthening certain properties of our immune system, sexual and physical maturation processes in males, such as gaining facial and body hair, a deeper voice and a significant spurt in height and weight. Testosterone also enlarges the genitalia.

In the early years, tons of raw bull testes were needed as the only source of human testosterone. Currently a more natural Bioidentical source of testosterone is used commercially and compounded into creams. Other forms of testosterone although less desirable are widely available under prescription as injections, pellets, patches, and some pill forms.

In the early 50's, science discovered that testosterone improved Nitrogen balance, increased muscle mass and(when adequate calories and protein were available), even helped repair damaged bones and ligaments. As it relates to my area of medical study, extending health, energy, strength and function as we age, it's extremely important. A study on men and testosterone was done way back in 1944, by Heller and Myers. After only three weeks of therapy, 20 men, all treated for low testosterone levels and related symptoms, showed enormous improvement in problems with insomnia, depression, being emotional labile (crying episodes), suicidal thoughts/tendencies, inability to concentrate, heart palpitations, headaches, fatigue, muscle pains, urinary problems, general energy, vigor and loss of normal sexual function. Even in the 1960s, some studies showed testosterone lowered cholesterol, improved cardiac function, abnormal EKGs in cardiac patients, relieved chest angina (pain) and helped decrease clogged leg and heart arteries. Once more, when bioavailable testosterone levels were restored to normal, men had less atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In many diabetics, testosterone administration improved diabetic retinopathy, (having to do with small blood vessels in the eyes), lowered insulin requirements and enhanced glucose tolerance. Testosterone, of course, is present in both sexes, and although it is considered a sex hormone, it contributes to, and is essential for, many functions throughout your body.

Testosterone is either bound or bioavailable. Blood tests measure free, bioavailable, and total testosterone. Testosterone is the critical hormone that modulates so many functions, that it is called the King of all hormones. Testosterone is produced in large quantities in the testes and adrenals in young males. A woman's ovaries produce testosterone and smaller amounts from the adrenals to provide energy, libido and a feeling of well-being. Women report better nipple and clitoral sensitivity, greater sexual function, less depression, and less beast cancer rates. A woman who has had her ovaries removed, not only will need estrogen and progesterone, but also testosterone replacement to feel right. Male teenagers and young adults, have large increases in Bioavailable testosterone, followed by a gradual decrease after about age 20-25, with a steady, slow decline, decade by decade, especially of Bioavailable T, which is most critical.
In certain (rare) instances, men can maintain high testosterone at the upper end of the normal scale into their 50s, 60s and even 70s. In Okinawa, Japan, men and women ages 70 to 100 have significantly higher testosterone levels than men and women in the USA. Once more several studies show that farmers and blue collar workers, (like physical laborers), have an average testosterone higher than white collar workers. Why? Exercise and the diet of farmers or laborers gives them lower body fat. People with more body fat tend to produce higher quantities of estrogens that compete with or suppress normal testosterone activity.

Another killer of testosterone is stress. An attorney may go home at night worrying that his client is innocent and may go to jail for life, while an MD may worry his patient will die on the operating table if he fails to do his job right. Generally speaking though, a plumber may exercise more during his work and burn off potential excess cortisol levels, whether he worries or not about your pipes breaking in the night, or worries that your toilet will overflow so high that you'll drown. People under high stress tend to drink more and smoke too and both cause T levels to plummet! There are many reasons T-levels may decline. And, even the speed of the genetically-coded aging process may be more modulated by testosterone levels, than many had previously considered.

As men age, most will develop relative states of hypogonadism, a condition where your testicles aren't able to produce enough testosterone to maintain a statistically healthy normal level. Women can have a similar problem, since production of testosterone from
their ovaries, also declines with age. Men and women, who exhibit symptoms of deficiency, are generally over 50, but many have signs
starting at the tender age of 25! Those who have low Bioavailable and total testosterone levels should explore replacement therapy,
with their physician or contact me at: agedoc2007@yahoo.com for an anti aging expert referral.

How to Improve Your Memory: 8 Tips For Memory Improvement - Stop Forgetting And Start Remembering

Memory improvement isn't as hard to do as you might think it is. A great many of us are forgetful from time to time. It gets frustrating sometimes when we're trying to remember something and it just doesn't seem to come to us or takes a little bit of time before the thought pops up in our head. While it is difficult to deal with at times, most of the time it is not so much that we are losing our memory, but that our minds are overloaded with excessive thoughts all at the same time.
Here are 8 premier tips for memory improvement:

1. Stay or get healthy by eating a healthy diet and getting daily exercise. You don't have to lift weights or run a marathon, just start walking a little each day.Then try and walk 20 minutes a day for at least 5 days. Eat a plant. Yes, vegetables and fruits as well go a long way in a healthy body and a healthy mind as well. Drink a sufficient amount of water for your individual body every day. It is the most important thing that you can do.


2. You need to give yourself a time-out once in a while. You don't have to be a super person all the time. Avoiding stress and allowing your body and mind to take a break occasionally will benefit your memory in so many ways.


3. Write things down. You can help your mind by writing things down. If you begin writing a list, then you will only have to remember the list.


4. Stay and remain focused. You may have a lot of information stored in your brain, but you can increase your odds of retaining more information if you stay focused on one thing at a time.


5. Use your God-given common sense about things. Common sense is crucial in making decisions and holding on to information in your memory bank. You have 7 senses. Use all of them to aid you in remembering what is going on in your busy life.


6. Introduce mind games into your schedule. Card games, crossword puzzles, brain teasers, word association games and even chess keep your mind sharp.


7. Change your attitude. If you have a poor attitude, your memory will suffer. A positive attitude will do your memory a world of good. To enhance your brain and thinking, try visualization. I do it all the time and it makes remembering a lot easier for me!


8. Finally, get the proper amount of sleep for yourself. If you don't, you can't function right and nether will your mind. This is just about the best tip I can offer. Get a good night's sleep and you will be on your way to a clearer mind in the morning.

Human Growth Hormone Therapy For Kids - Is It Worth The Risk?

Human growth hormone is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland does not produce sufficient growth hormone, growth is slower than usual. Initially used for children with growth disorders, HGH prescription medication is also used with adults who have a growth hormone deficiency.

Deficiency of HGH can be problematic, resulting in growth hormone deficiency syndrome caused by an underactive pituitary gland. This deficiency results in stunted growth in children. The prime cause of HGH deficiency may be due to a malfunctioning pituitary gland or an injury to apart of the brain called the hypothalamus.

Research proves that HGH therapy is quite suitable for children. However, before undergoing any sort of HGH treatment, it is necessary to understand the possible negative side effects of taking growth hormones. Side effects may include increased risks of ear infection, abdominal pain or bloating, headache, nausea, changes in vision, skin rash or itching, carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, enlargement of breasts and swelling of hands, feet or lower legs.

Healthy children with normal growth should not be given HGH injections as they may experience additional health risks. Only if a child's height is more than two standard deviations below the mean for age and gender should this treatment be considered. Additional chronic effects of continued HGH use can include the following:

Cancer - Elevated risks of prostate and breast cancer are a serious concern with long-term use of growth hormone therapy. You also have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer later in life.

Renal Complications - Constant use of HGH may lead to severe renal complications. Since your kidneys have to filter blood at a higher rate caused by a higher flow of blood, your kidneys experience increased stress.

Cardiovascular Risks - HGH supplementation in children may lead to enlargement of the heart, hardening of arteries and high blood pressure.

Metabolic Changes - Children taking HGH show a higher rate of metabolism. As a result, their body fat decreases substantially and can cause the child to become incongruously lean. This can make the child more susceptible to other illness and injuries.

Compared to the side effects of treatment, which are rare, the benefits of growth hormone treatment are often obvious in a child suffering from HGH deficiency for a long time: by providing synthetic supplements of HGH that are similar to natural growth hormones secreted by the pituitary gland, children will begin to grow noticeably faster. Healthy children who happen to be naturally short, on the other hand, do not benefit from this treatment. Other benefits of providing HGH supplements to a child include increased strength, progress in motor development, and reduction of body fat.

In conclusion, providing growth hormone therapy to children deficient in HGH is worth the risk, with rare side effects and obvious benefits.

Are You Fertile? Some Simple Right Brain, Left Brain Techniques to Find Out

Are you fertile? Is it a risky time to have unprotected sex or is it the perfect time if you are trying to get pregnant? While knowing your menstrual cycle along with a very left brain analytical process, can certainly help in answering this question, there are also some right brain, "I just feel like I'm fertile," indicators that may signal that you are ovulating and at a prime time for conception.

To begin with, it is important to be familiar with your personal menstrual cycle. Believe it or not, you can only conceive during a small fertile window which occurs 3 days before and the actual day of ovulation. This is the time that a mature egg has been released from the ovary through your fallopian tube and into the uterus making it available to be fertilized by the sperm. Typically this occurs during the middle of your menstrual cycle. Keeping a menstrual calendar and noting the number of days from the first day of one period to the first day of the next will help identify this 3 day window (simple ovulation calendars as well as cell phone apps can be found online). The day of ovulation is usually right around the 14th day after your period. If your timing is perfect, unprotected sex during ovulation results in pregnancy 30% of the time. In general, during the first 5-7 days after your period, the chances of getting pregnant are less than 1% and increase as you get closer to the middle of your menstrual cycle dropping down again a few days before your period.

Another left brain method to find out if you are ovulating, would be to chart your basal body temperature. Just chart your temperature everyday with an oral thermometer for a couple of months and you may notice a time right in between your first and last period that your temperature jumps up at least point four (.4) degrees Fahrenheit. It will stay around that level until you start your period again.

Ok, but let's say you lost track of when you had your last period and you're not sure if you are on the 14th day or the 20th day of your cycle. All of the calculating, numbers and charting your temperature everyday just don't seem to resonate with your right brain thinking. What are the feelings that you should be experiencing? Your body has got to be giving off signals right?

Every woman is different; some are very sensitive to changes in their bodies others have to look a little harder. If you are really sensitive, you may notice that your breasts seem swollen or a bit more tender than usual a couple of weeks after your period or you may even feel a slight spasm or a pain in your lower stomach as the ovary is releasing the egg into the fallopian tubes. The thought may even cross your mind that you are pregnant. You could find that your libido is going crazy and you can't believe how horny you feel. Physically, you might spot a mucus discharge in your underwear or notice that your vagina moisture feels silkier than normal. This is just the natural, amazing process as your reproductive organs are preparing for sperm at the optimal time of conception.

Your body knows exactly when you are at the perfect time for conception. You just need to know how to listen. If you are left brain oriented, chart your menstrual cycle and your basal body temperature and find those fertile days in between your periods. If you are right brain oriented, tune in to your body. Notice the physical changes as you move into ovulation. The more you become aware of these monthly changes, the easier it will be to notice them month after month. Either way, right or left brained, you should easily be able answer the question, "Are you fertile?"

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy - Is it Safe?

In the recent past, Oprah Winfrey's show on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has sparked a fresh wave of interest in the therapy. Through shows such as these and popular books like Suzanne Somers' Ageless and The Sexy Years, women are fast becoming aware of treatment options that can give them a fresh and longer go at looking and feeling young. However, there are many questions to be answered, the most important of all being whether these treatments are successful and whether the hormones are safe in the long run.

How successful are these treatments?
There are different forms of bioidentical hormones and different hormones work in different ways. Therefore, it is important to treat each patient in a manner that her unique physiology responds to the treatment most effectively. Many experts agree that both male and female patients have experienced tremendous success with these treatments. However, it is also seen that treatment is more successful when it is tailored to suit individual requirements of patients.

Experts also point out that hormones, whether they are bioidentical or synthesized, have to be treated with a lot of respect. Therefore, these are not necessarily the first step in achieving hormonal balance. At the onset of menopause or andropause, many women and men can find natural relief from bothersome symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes alone. It is only when these steps have been tried and tested and the results are not up to the expectations that therapy has to be considered.

How safe are they?
Coming to the second most important question - there are medical studies that suggest that bioidentical hormone therapy is safer than synthetic hormones. The greatest advantage of this kind of therapy is that it makes use of natural hormones that are similar in molecular structure to the hormones produced in the body. Therefore, the body is equipped to metabolize these hormones quickly. Side effects are minimal too. On the other hand, synthetic hormones are not identical to the hormones naturally produced by the body. Thus, they may have unpredictable and undesirable side effects.

In addition to the above, bioidentical hormone therapy also has another appeal for patients and doctors alike. These hormones are available in different doses and can therefore be calibrated and matched to suit the individual needs of different patients. This is something that mass produced synthetic hormones cannot achieve.

That said, it is important to know that there are no long term studies have been conducted on bioidentical hormones as of now. Therefore, the long term impact of bioidentical hormone therapy is hard to predict with any degree of certainty.

Bioidentical Hormones - Or Are They?

We have Oprah, Suzanne Somers, Christiane Northrup and even Dr. Phil's wife, Robin McGraw on the bio-identical bandwagon, but we're still as confused as ever and I personally feel there is still pressure to sell us (middle-aged women) some very expensive drugs that are being hyped as the fountain of youth!

At least one of them is a doctor (Northrup), but honestly, you can always find equal numbers of doctors, scientists and researchers who either agree or disagree with the safety and the efficacy. I wanted to laugh when the opposing doctor in the audience stated that the drugs you get from the compounding pharmacy (she doesn't accept the bioidentical term) are not monitored by the government, so you don't know what you're getting and if it's safe, etc. The laughable part was because of the 20+ years that the FDA was in bed with the pharmaceutical industry and pushed Premarin and Provera on women like it was candy, saying it would "make you feel like a young woman again"! How is that any different than people saying bioidentical hormones can help a woman get her quality of life back?

If the FDA did nothing to protect us until they were forced to by the WHI report, why should we have confidence in them now when their chain is still being jerked by the pharmaceutical companies? The compounded hormones have been used for many years, but no one said anything about them until the traditional hrt drugs were forced off the market because they were proven to cause cancer, etc. THEN the pharm companies started demanding that the compounding pharmacies not be allowed to do what they've been doing all along--creating prescribed, individualized doses of hormones for women.

I actually tend to trust what Suzanne Somers says because I can see that she has done the research and does use everything herself. She clearly states that her regimen is not for everyone, but she is proof that she's doing something right if she feels as good as she says she does. She certainly looks good at 62. And so does Dr. Northrup, but I'm pretty sure both have had some kind of cosmetic enhancements.

Although I do appreciate that Oprah is about the only one who can get the world focused on menopause, I wonder sometimes why she brings certain people as an example of one side of an issue? At least Northrup is a doctor, but even she has used cosmetic surgery to enhance her looks. The other guests (McGraw and Somers) have also had "some work done" and yet, are we supposed to see them as examples of what bioidentical hormones can do for us? All three of them have the money to get whatever it takes to look good.

The bioidentical hormones are very expensive and most insurance companies don't cover them yet. Of course, for the millions of women who don't have insurance, ANY of hormones are expensive! Just going to the doctor and getting the prescription is out of their reach.

What I'm seeing now after 12 years of talking to women on my website is that we are much more informed these days and we're taking control of our healthcare. We're making decisions based on our own research and family history and we're possibly taking on the risks for a chance at a better quality of life.

I continue to refrain from taking any hormones based on the continuing confusion offered by our medical advisors. If they cannot come to some kind of reliable, cohesive conclusion about what women should do, then we just have to make the decision for ourselves. The sad part is there doesn't seem to be any organization willing to study ALL of us to find out if it was all a bunch of hype or if bioidentical hormones are any better. We continue to be "guinea pigs" for society when it comes to keeping women safe.

What do YOU think?