Saturday, August 3, 2013

Treating Stress With Alternative Medicine With Quantum Brain Healing


How can I recognize stress?

Stress can be recognized by many changes in your body including pain, forgetfulness, memory loss, concentration problems, anger, changes in sleep patterns, fatigue, dietary changes, and increases in consumption of alcohol and tobacco, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

What causes stress?

Stress may be caused by job loss, bankruptcy, loss of a close friendship, betrayal of a husband or family member, home foreclosure, line of credit pull-back, physical injury, disease, car wreck, near death experience, illness of a spouse of child, malnutrition, drug and alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, side effect of a medical drug, and failure to receive a promotion or raise. Athletic or sports injuries which result in broken legs or torn rotator cuff injuries can seriously alter daily routines and cause stress. Training one year for an ironman challenge or the Olympics and failing to complete this goal will result in stress or depression for many athletes.

How to prevent stress from impairing your memory?

Quantum Brain Healing uses amino acid therapy for healing stress including phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, L-lysine, L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, Theanine, Melatonin, and DHEA. Amino acid use is required for about three to six weeks before its success may be understood. It should be supported with vitamins and minerals in therapeutic amounts. Vitamin B and Vitamin C supplements are always needed during times of severe stress. The body's metabolism uses far more of many vitamins during periods of extreme stress. Another good additions for people undergoing stress is the addition os a daily whole food based multivitamin. Many people eat poorly during times of stress and this action further deteriorates their health.

How to feel better quickly without medicine?

Exercise is a cure for treating mild to moderate depression in many people. Exercise for treating or preventing depression should be done four or five times per week. The exercise can be yoga, qi gong, walking, dancing, biking, and gardening. People with depression should be outside and exposed to sunlight at least thirty minutes per day. A good strategy for treating stress associated with athletic injury is watching comedies.

Which herbs can treat stress?

Quantum Brain Healing relies on many herbs to heal depression which include Gotu kola, St John's Wort, Valerian, Kava Kava, Roasea Rhodiola, Passion Flower, Ginseng, Ashwaganda, Lemon balm, Green Tea, and Panax Ginseng.

Quantum Brain Healing relies on managing stress to prevent other health issues. Stress can go untreated and affect the brain in many serious ways. When stress is allowed go untreated, it progresses into depression, insomnia, anxiety, concentration issues, and memory problems. It kills brain cells and alters neural pathways in the brain.

What other alternative medicine might be used to help treat stress?

Bio-identical hormones may help treat and prevent stress if you are about age forty to fifty. Bio-identical progesterone and pregnenolone may help balance the hormones for women in or nearing menopause. Men can also use androgen and testosterone bio-identical hormones to help them prevent memory loss and concentration issues. Amino acids, vitamins and herbs are used in alternative medicine and Quantum Brain Healing to stimulate neurotransmitters can positively or repair this damage. Saliva hormone tests can be used to determine the exact amount of bio-identical hormones that you need. Quantum Brain Healing protocol takes approximately one month of bio-identical hormones to have a significant impact for the patient.

How does stress affect your brain and change it?

Stress has devastating impact on the brain. Uncontrollable stress is a major factor for brain disorders. Cellular changes in the hippocampus may lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and Alzheimer's. Extended or repetitive stress leads to of the part of the brain controlling and influencing cognitive function by affecting memory and learning. Chronic stress may accelerate neurological structural changes, as well as cellular and molecular. Uncontrollable stress also leads to negative changes in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal system. Long-term stress can also permanently change the personality type.

穢 Dr R Stone, MD Alternative Medicine-India

Why You Have Fibroids - How to Shrink Them on Your Own


The incidence of uterine fibroids could be as high 80% of all women in the U.S. While the majority of women usually have no symptoms, 1 in 4 will have symptoms severe enough to require treatment. Fibroids can cause problems in pregnancy, create chronic pain, make intercourse intolerable, cause excessive bleeding and in extreme cases dramatically enlarge the abdomen.

While surgery can attack the fibroids in different ways, each procedure has its drawbacks. However, the main problem is that surgery does not address the common reason a woman has fibroid tumors to begin with.

The growth of fibrotic tissue is driven by one of two things: trauma (such as an injury that formed scar tissue) and excessive ESTROGEN. Many post-menopausal women will ask, "How can this be? I don't produce estrogen as I used to." This is a good question. The answer is that there has to be a balance between PROGESTERONE and estrogen. Without adequate levels of progesterone, whatever amount of estrogen present dominates the receptor sites of cells and drives the growth of fibrotic tissue. Our modern environment, diet and pharmaceuticals have created a crisis of hormone imbalance in both men and women, girls and boys that can be traced to excessive levels of estrogen.

Therefore, the treatment for uterine fibroid tumors must address the problem of estrogen dominance. If this underlying cause is ignored, fibroids will simply return, even after being surgically removed. Returning the body to a more balanced hormone profile is not very difficult. Women must avoid all hormone drugs such as oral or implanted contraception, Women must avoid hormone replacement therapy that involves estrogen in any amount. Bio-identical hormone replacement may be acceptable depending upon where a woman is in the process of treating fibroids.

Estrogen is everywhere! Balancing the progesterone-estrogen balance means avoiding foods high in estrogen (yes, even phyto-estrogen). The top offenders are flax and soy. Food and oil products from these two are the biggest food sources of estrogen.

Forget all you have heard about the miracles of soy and flax. Both foods have good things to offer, however the bad thing - estrogen - outweighs any positive benefit derived from having them in your diet. Most of what we have learned about flax and soy has been part of a campaign by the big agribusinesses seeking markets for their top product. Avoid exposure to chemicals that mimic estrogen (xenoestrogens) such as pesticides, herbicides, and fumes from solvents.

Supplement progesterone by using only pure, natural progesterone cream without additives. Be aware that many creams contain soy! Taking an herbal formula called Myomin has been shown to metabolize unhealthy estrogen and inhibit aromatase, a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of estrogen. For women and men, this action prevents the conversion of testosterone into unhealthy estrogens (estradiol and estrone), and leads to the unhindered production of more good estrogen (estriol) from progesterone, DHEA, and other hormones.

The best approach to shrinking uterine fibroids involves adding a professional systemic enzyme supplement that will lyse away (dissolve) the fibrin in the fibroid tumor.

Do You Need Bio-Identical Hormones?


Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) refers to the replacement of hormones with molecules that are precisely identical to the hormone molecules our bodies made in greater quantities when we were younger. These include the three main types of estrogen (estrone, estradiol, and estriol), progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Bio-identical hormones are manufactured in the lab from a plant chemical extracted from wild yam or soy. The aim of BHRT is to increase hormone levels to a place where we can reduce risks of specific health problems as well as relieve menopausal symptoms.

Bear in mind that bio-identical hormones are very different from synthetic hormones, such as Premarin, Prempro, and Provera. Synthetic hormones were invented and patented by drug companies, whereas bio-identical hormones, being the same as those produced by our bodies, are not patentable.

Synthetic hormones, though effective in addressing menopausal symptoms and lowering the risk of fractures and colon cancer, are not natural and are not necessarily safe. In fact, in 2002, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial using Prempro (which contains estrogen from horse urine and progestin, a synthetic relative of the hormone progesterone) shocked the world when it had to be terminated early because hormone users were found to have a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. As a consequence, many women who were using synthetic hormones abandoned them in droves.

Significance Of BHRT

Bio-identical hormones have been around for decades but many conventional doctors do not know about them as American medical schools only teach synthetic hormone therapy. Not coincidentally, these schools also receive major funding from the pharmaceutical companies that profit from these patented drugs. Doctors who offer BHRT generally learn about this option through independent research and studies.

Over the years, many aspects of BHRT safety have been researched in depth and numerous studies have found that it has many advantages over the synthetic hormones. The great appeal of bio-identical hormones is that they are natural and our bodies can metabolize them as they were designed to do, minimizing side effects. Moreover, the dosage of bio-identical hormones can be matched individually based on the person's needs, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all, mass-produced, synthetic hormone product.


  • There is solid evidence that BHRT helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. According to a report from the National Institute on Aging, 45 percent of people who live to be 65 years old will have Alzheimer's by the time they are 85.

  • BHRT offers protection and risk reduction against cardiovascular disease.

  • BHRT reduces the risk of bone loss in both men and women.

  • BHRT helps relieve menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, depression, mood swings, irritability, inability to sleep, and forgetfulness.

  • BHRT helps men feel better as they age too. When men go into their 50s and 60s, due to a gradual decline in testosterone, many men may begin to notice changes such as a decline in sex drive, muscle mass and tone (even with considerable exercise), memory and cognitive function, worsening mood, and loss of enthusiasm about many things that used to be of considerable interest.

Factors That Precipitate The Need For BHRT

Why is BHRT often necessary today when our ancestors did not need it?

1. Our Modern Day Diet

In the last century, with the advent of commercial agriculture and factory farming of animals, western civilizations no longer adhere to the dietary patterns of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Today, fewer and fewer people follow a traditional diet of foods that are unprocessed, unrefined, natural, and pesticide- and hormone-free. Instead, what most of us eat - pizza, donuts, cakes, and commercial meats - is either highly processed, refined, full of chemicals and preservatives, or sub-par in nutrients.

Believe it or not, human genome has hardly changed in the past 40,000 years. Our nutritional requirements remain almost identical to the indigenous populations living in different parts of the world before the advent of modern agriculture. Therefore, if we are not providing proper nutritional balance to the body, literally every aspect of our lives, be it mental, emotional, physical, and biochemical, can be adversely affected.

A study was done comparing testosterone levels among Danish organic farmers and Danish university students. It observed men in their 40s who practiced organic farming, ate their own produce, and followed an organic way of life for at least 20 years, versus male university students in their early twenties who ate the average Danish diet, which is probably still better than the standard American diet. Guess who had higher testosterone levels? The organic farmers!

Additionally, it is well known that Asian women who follow a traditional diet do not get menopausal symptoms. In the event that they do, the symptoms are rather mild.

If you want your diet to resemble more of your early ancestors, you need to:


  • Avoid foods made with refined carbohydrates (white flour and white rice) and sugar. With the exception of berries, watch out for most fruits and fruit juices as they contain rather high sugar content.

  • Cut out caffeine.

  • Avoid processed foods and fast foods.

  • Avoid all foods made with soy and soybean oil, except fermented soy products such as soy sauce, miso, tempeh, and natto. Soy contains phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that may disrupt our own hormonal balance, however, fermented soy has substantially lower phytoestrogen content.

  • Eat enough protein and good fats, such as free-range eggs, grass-fed animals, pasture butter, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, and palm oil. Stay away from bad fats including hydrogenated oils, canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and vegetable oil.

  • Eat a variety of organic vegetables.

2. Prevalence Of Type 2 Diabetes

One third of Americans have a genetic tendency to develop type 2 diabetes. These people have gone through decades of increasing insulin resistance before getting the disease. The increase in insulin resistance means the body has to make more and more insulin to overcome the resistance so that sugar can be efficiently taken into the cells where it gets burned for energy.

The problem with increasing insulin production is that it converts more testosterone into estrogen. In men, this imbalance can create problems like prostate enlargement and even prostate cancer. In spite of this, men should not take a medication to reduce estrogen because it can often drive the estrogen too low, which affects bone density. The best thing to do is to regain insulin sensitivity by:


  • Going on a special diet that is low glycemic and does not affect blood sugar.

  • Losing weight as abdominal fat tissue results in higher conversion of testosterone to estrogen.

  • Doing high intensity interval exercise several times a week to reduce body fat.

  • Incorporating supplements such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Sleep Habits

Studies show that female night shift workers are more prone to breast cancer largely due to the disruption of melatonin (the sleep hormone) production. Melatonin rises from early evening until the middle of the night, then it gradually declines. Evening production of melatonin is dependent upon being able to sleep in a dark room and is negatively impacted by bright light, such as TV or computer screen. Without melatonin coming in at the right time, you will be missing out on this powerful antioxidant that helps inhibit cancer cell growth.

That means, if your work or social schedule keeps you caught in a perpetual jet lag and you are constantly sleeping less than 7-8 hours, don't be surprised that your estrogen and testosterone levels may decline too. Best bed time is between 10 to 11 pm and it is always a good habit to go to bed at around the same time every day.

4. Lack Of Exercise

As we age, we produce less testosterone and estrogen. That's why men and women over 40 may begin to experience unpleasant symptoms from reduced hormones. However, when we exercise, in particular, high intensity intervals as well as resistance training, the body produces more human growth hormone, estrogen, and testosterone. These are anti-aging hormones that increase muscle mass and bone density, and reduce body fat. Hence, if you are inactive or if you are not engaging in these sorts of exercises several times a week, you are missing out on their amazing benefits to keep you young and healthy.

5. Stress

High levels of stress increase the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) by the adrenal glands. After all, there is nothing wrong with a little stress here and there as the human body is superbly built to handle the occasional stress.

Unfortunately, modern hectic lifestyles often dictate prolonged, chronic stress. This results in the adrenals becoming over worked as they have to constantly crank out more and more cortisol. Over time, elevated cortisol leads to decreased levels of DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen. It also leads to increased blood sugar and insulin production, a precursor to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

6. Environmental Toxins

About 70,000 new synthetic chemicals were introduced into our environment during the 20th century. Although 80 percent of these new chemicals have never been screened for their effects on human health, numerous studies confirm that toxins such as bisphenol-A, DDT, dioxins, formaldehyde, PCB's, PDBE's, parabens, phthalates, pesticides, and heavy metals have a wide range of detrimental effects on our bodies.

Few people are aware that these chemicals are particularly disruptive to our hormonal system. They have similar molecular structures as our own hormones and can mimic the body's own natural chemical messengers, elevate the levels of estrogen, jam signals, spread disinformation, damage DNA, and alter gene expression. Once they have been inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin, they settle into the body's fat tissues and remain there.

Excess estrogen caused by environmental toxins increases the risk of developing hormone-related cancers in breasts, ovaries, prostate, and testes. In women, it can lead to weight gain, endometriosis, fibrocystic breast, and infertility. In men it can lower testosterone levels, lead to lower sperm counts, infertility, impotency, prostate enlargement, loss of muscle strength, and weight gain.

Additionally, more and more research shows that environmental toxins suppress the thyroid gland too. This gland is the body's master control of metabolism. When your thyroid is underactive, you may gain weight, become fatigued and sluggish, and feel depressed.

Everyone is vulnerable from environmental toxins, particularly the developing human fetus. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid or limit exposure to evnironmental toxins in your daily life. Watch out for toxic chemicals in cosmetics, lipsticks, perfumes, nail polishes, lotions, shampoos, hair products and treatments, toothpastes, mouthwashes, deooderants, birth control pills, household cleaners, bleaches, dry cleaning solvents, air fresheners, pesticides, herbicides, paints, plastics, new carpets, and dental amalgam fillings, to name a few.

Do You Need BHRT?

Starting at about age 35, almost all women experience a natural falling off of hormone production. Progesterone declines first - at a rate approximately 120 times faster than estrogen decline, resulting in a prominent symptom of hormone imbalance known as estrogen dominance. This is most noticeable among peri-menopausal women and can lead to a wide range of symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and insomnia as well as fibroids, endometriosis, hypothyroidism, and breast cancer. On the other hand, some women may instead have low levels of estrogen production or an imbalance of the different types of estrogen.

In men, testosterone levels begin to gradually decline in the late 30s or early 40s. A deficit in testosterone can manifest in the form of depression, reduced sexual desire, and a loss of sense of well-being. Studies show that it is also associated with increased risk of heart disease and prostate cancer.

If some of these symptoms sound familiar to you, you may be a candidate for BHRT. However, before you opt for it, you should consider making some lifestyle changes by cleaning up your diet, incorporating regular exercise, improving your sleep habits, finding better ways to manage or reduce stress, and avoiding environmental toxins. Many times, your symptoms will simply diminish.

Using BHRT Safely And Effectively

The greatest success with BHRT is an individualized approach. Find a healthcare practitioner who is knowledgeable with BHRT.


  • You first begin with a lab test of your hormone levels as it is never wise to prescribe without testing. Although a blood serum test is considered the "gold standard" by conventional doctors, saliva testing is far more accurate than blood when measuring bioavailable or "free" hormones. 24-hour urine testing, however, has an added advantage over saliva of being able to keep track of the metabolites, which are by-products of our hormone metabolism.

  • Based on the test result and your symptoms, your healthcare practitioner will prescribe bioidentical hormones that are prepared at a registered compounding pharmacy. The most effective routes of delivery are either sublingual (under the tongue) or through the mucous epithelial membranes (vagina or anus). Oral supplementation is the worst option as the hormones have to be first transported to the liver instead of where they should go to.

  • You will be monitored closely by your healthcare practitioner through periodic follow-up hormone lab tests to ensure you get symptom relief and that all your hormones are in optimal balance.

Bio-Identical Hormones


Along with the biochemical and mental/emotional states, there are nine major systems that control your life and health. In order of priority, they are as follows: nervous system, immune system, hormonal system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, eliminative system, reproductive system, and structural system.

Acting like a symphony of music when each organ and gland are playing their instruments to perfection, all these nine systems along with balanced biochemistry and mental/emotional states produce beautiful music when functioning normally.

It's important to understand that hormonal health is the same as neurological or digestive health. All are interconnected and what you do to one, you do to all. In order to balance your estrogen and progesterone levels involves balancing your nervous system (brain, hypothalamus, brainstem) along with taking potentially safe bioidentical hormones. The order or priority to this balance starts with the pituitary gland or the master hormone regulator. The thyroid gland, which controls metabolism, temperature, and weight is next in line. Next comes your thymus gland for immune function followed by your pancreas for digestion and blood sugar stabilization. Finally your adrenals for stress reduction and ovaries which produce estrogen and progesterone are last.
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The hormonal system is controlled by your brain and nervous system. This system is strongly influenced by all the other eight system that control what hormones are secreted and when. The revelation from how these system work together is that the ovaries are last in the totem pole of importance for the hormonal system.

Can you see that balancing your systems in order or priority is much more effective than taking a hormone to feel better? When you do this first, then taking bio-identical hormones will be safe and produce cancer because you will need much smaller doses due to your body being in balance and needed very little help in the hormonal area.

If you do not balance the nine systems and two state first, then you will take too high a dosage of bio-identical hormones which increase your risk of getting cancer even though they are made of natural substances. The time you go to sleep and what you eat, along with how much exercise you get, how much water you drink, and how much you fully live in the moment are all extremely important to balance your hormone levels. If you balance the whole, the individual parts will also balance naturally as God intended them to.

Hormone Showdown - You're in Charge


A woman faces many phases of hormonal change over the course of her life: puberty, menstruation, PMS, pregnancy, infertility, pre-menopause, and menopause. A woman can experience hormone imbalance at each stage; however, she need not be at the mercy of her hormones. Instead, she can take charge of her condition and work towards well-being and optimal health - without drugs that have dangerous side effects, or suffering the consequences of non-treatment.

Understanding hormone imbalance is an important aspect of women empowering themselves toward well-being. To identify hormone imbalance, its causes, and alternative treatments, it is helpful to ask and answer the following questions.

What are hormones?

Hormones are the messengers of the body, a kind of wireless communication system that carries the messages of emotions and physical well-being or stress. Stress hormones are adrenalin and cortisol. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are the so-called sex hormones. Cholesterol and vitamins A and D are the main ingredients needed to make hormones, also called the building blocks. Stress hormones and sex hormones work in balance with each other, and the body works diligently to create hormone reserves, a well to draw from when it encounters stress.

What is hormone imbalance?

Hormone imbalance occurs when the body does not have enough of the right building blocks to create both stress hormones and sex hormones. When the body is under stress, it extracts hormones from the hormone reserves. The body tries to make hormones to replace the ones it takes from the reserves, but if stress is overwhelming or a woman is nutritionally deprived, hormone imbalance will exact its toll and symptoms will appear.

What are the symptoms of hormone imbalance?

To make a diagnosis of hormone imbalance, a woman would have five or more of these symptoms:

* water retention and bloating

* weight gain

* hot flashes

* low sex drive

* memory loss or confusion

* night sweats

* dry skin

* hair loss

* anxiety

* depression

* irritability

* breast tenderness

* poor concentration

* pre-menstrual syndrome

* fibroids

* vaginal dryness

* fibrocystic breasts

* endometriosis

* breast and uterine cancer

When these symptoms exist, what are the next steps toward treatment?

If a woman identifies with these symptoms, it is essential to seek out treatment. The most healthful treatments are improvements in nutrition and emotional stability, which lead the body toward hormonal restoration and physical and mental well-being.

How does good nutrition help to balance hormones?

For a woman's body to manufacture the right balance of hormones she must eat healthy foods that supply her with the necessary building blocks. Nutrition knowledge is a necessary step in the healing process and essential for the long-term maintenance of well being. A woman must learn about the foods that will help restore hormonal balance and which ones will not. For example:

* Healthy fats are an essential building block required to make all hormones. Diets low in fat are harmful to hormone production. Fats from natural sources are best and can help the body regain hormonal balance. Excellent sources of fat, rich in natural minerals and vitamins, include whole milk, beef or chicken broth, and butter.

* Processed foods, nontraditional soy foods, or those containing trans fats or hydrogenated oils block hormone production. Savvy marketers have successfully convinced people to eat a diet that lacks nutrients necessary to maintain hormonal balance. Most foods introduced in the last few decades fall into this category. While it is worthwhile to read nutrition labels, some will not list trans fats.

* Eggs are an excellent source of cholesterol for hormone production. Our healthy ancestors consumed eggs in great quantities. Reintroducing eggs into a woman's diet is occasionally all that is necessary to restore hormone balance.

* Fish oils are an excellent source of vitamins A and D and essential for hormone production. Look for the brands that are mercury and heavy metal free.

* A woman will receive the highest levels of essential vitamins, minerals, and fats from natural and organic foods.

* Establish healthy eating habits with young girls. This helps to set a woman on the right road to healthy hormonal balance. If girls eat poorly at a young age, they may not build up sufficient hormone reserves to handle physiological or emotional stress.

What is an example of a treatment to help with emotional stability?

Homeopathy is an excellent treatment that provides relief and helps the body to heal using its own resources. Homeopathy is the safe and natural administration of minute doses of medicines derived from plants, animals, minerals, or chemicals that stimulate the body's own defenses. Once a woman is able to gain control over her emotional state, she feels empowered to take on long-term changes such as addressing her relationship to food and improving her nutrition.

What is the holistic approach to hormonal restoration and continued balance?

The holistic approach to helping a woman attain a state of hormonal balance is to look at the whole person: emotions, nutrition, relationships, lifestyle, work habits, and temperament. This approach offers a higher likelihood of optimal results and effective treatment. Often women may need a stepping stone treatment such as hormone replacement therapy or bioidentical hormone therapy to restore hormones to their proper balance. Once achieved, the woman can move toward natural methods to restore balance with homeopathy and nutritional changes.

Soy Milk Baby Formula May Affect Future Fertility


The debate over whether to give a baby formula or mother's milk, and what kind of formula is best, has been going on since infant feeding options became popular in the 1950's. Worldwide, and certainly endorsed by the World Health Organisation, is the general agreement that breast milk is the best possible start in life. But many women due to their personal circumstance, or individual choice, prefer formulas based on dairy or soy milk. It is the latter that is causing concern as new research has been reported in a paper published at the beginning of May in Biology of Reproduction. The research is in the early stages and is based on a study with mice, but does throw up a worrying possibility of soy products are a regular part of a woman's diet.

Soy is oestrogenic in nature and the results suggest that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to affect a woman's fertility as an adult and possibly providing insight into some cases of unexplained female infertility.

We are already aware that neonatal exposure to plant estrogens or other environmental estrogens may have long- term effects on adult female reproductive health. Wendy N. Jefferson, at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), has previously demonstrated that neonatal exposure to plant estrogens results in complete infertility in female adult mice.

Causes of infertility included failure to ovulate, a reduced ability to support embryo development before implantation, and failure of the uterus to support effective implantation. The new research indicates that changes can be seen that led to harmfully altered immune responses which would likely contribute to infertility.

What Can You Do?

If you are a soy milk fan, and for health reasons cannot switch, there are other milks available such as goat or sheep and rice and almond milks can be found in health stores.

However, the most important thing when dealing with fertility is to ensure hormone balance, and in particular that good levels of progesterone are present. To ensure a viable pregnancy has the best possible start supplementation with bioidentical natural progesterone cream is recommended before conception.

It is suggested you continue to use it up until the end of the first trimester - unless you have a history of miscarriage in which case it is recommended you continue up to week 36 when your own body's progesterone levels will be well established.

Women in Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy - What Should They Do?


Hormones are chemicals produced in your body. The hormones role is to influence tissue or organs within the body. Some hormones we produce are Thyroid, Insulin, Growth Hormone and the sex hormones Testosterone, Estrogen and Progesterone. In the last 20 years the list has grown to over 100 different known hormones.

Menopause is the cessation of the menstrual cycle for one year. The estrogen that had been abundantly produced previously, is now at a much lower level. Symptoms occur as the hormone ratios change. Women who have experienced this know that they can experience:


  • liability of emotions

  • sleep disturbances

  • temperature regulation problems like hot flashes, sweats and chills

  • change in sexual desire

  • loss of the ability to orgasm

  • inability lubricate enough to enjoy sexual activity

Some women complain of word finding difficulty they sometimes call "Foggy Brain". These symptoms are a great source of discomfort and anxiety for many women.

Not that many years ago it was recommended that women take hormones to "replace" those they no longer produced. Over time it was discovered that these pharmaceutical grade hormones predisposed the individual prescribed them to some serious problems. These problems seem to be related to the


  • dose,

  • ratio,

  • length of time taken,

  • age of the patient and

  • smoking habits

  • as well as hereditary risk factors.

Bottom line, they made symptoms go away but caused blood clots, breast and uterine cancer. They did not prevent many of the diseases for which they were being taken. The pendulum swung completely away from hormone therapy. Then women began taking hormones from plants but those plant estrogens might cause some of the same problems.

Now enter "bio-identical hormones". These are hormones derived from plants and chemically altered to "exactly" resemble human estrogen and progesterone. Also, about the time these bio-identical hormones became available, new studies indicated that topical use and use up to age sixty probably solved some of the symptom problems but did not cause the side effects.

Some studies suggest nonidentical progesterone actually predisposed a woman to greater inflammation and possibly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Discover How to Lose Weight After Menopause


Weight gain after menopause is a subject that seems to come up more and more with some of my contemporaries, generally when contemplating dessert after a salad lunch [with no dressing, please!] It is not as if we really mention the words: "menopause" or "weight gain" goodness no! We talk of trimming down a little, just to fit into those new jeans. The reality is harsh enough, we gain weight after menopause, and unless we work a little harder at keeping fit and staying healthy, we will see our middle expanding. Mostly the gain is on the stomach, butt and chest; my bra size went from a C cup to a double E! As I look at my friends passed their menopause I would say that the average weight gain is 15 to 30 pounds, I am closest to the 30 pound mark.

Yet my cupboard is bare of sugar or sweet treats like chocolate cookies; butter on my toast is just a distant memory. As for carbs, I can only dream.

When I was younger and in the full arrogance of youth I would look at those matronly dowagers and wonder why they couldn't just stop eating and start exercising, I would see their excess weight as the direct result of indulgence in rich foods and easy living. As if it was so easy!

As we begin the early stages of menopause, avoiding weight gain becomes more difficult.

Middle aged spread is a result of many factors:
o Heredity
o Hormonal changes Hormones have a direct influence on our appetite, metabolism, and body fat storage. We also then develop insulin resistance and this in turn is encouraging our bodies to store fat, rather than burn calories
o Stress levels
o Health and fitness
o Diet
o A more sedentary lifestyle
o Insulin resistance. "Insulin resistance" is why our body changes how it metabolizes the food we eat.
o Thyroid function
o Digestive health
o Allergies and food intolerance

All those elements are linked; it would be very hard to pinpoint one particular reason for gaining weight after menopause. Women often have greater stress during this period in their life, children growing up [those teenage years], job difficulties, marital problems and just the stress of growing older in an ever increasing youth oriented culture. Stress cause adrenal fatigue and this will frequently lead to reliance on stimulants like caffeine and/or over consumption of sugar snacks and carbohydrates, thus creating a vicious cycle.

Losing weight after menopause is a lot harder as our metabolism slows down.

Of a 1,000 calories ingested as food before menopause, 700 of them would be used and around 300 of would be stored. After menopause, 700 will be stored and only 300 will be used! This is a huge difference, and the outcome is weight gain!

I am pleased to say that since I started going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week I feel a lot more energetic and I watch my diet: no sugar where ever possible, no carbs after lunch and I snack on fruit, vegetables and natural unsweetened yogurt. I think the hardest part was starting, I felt ridiculous at first in my oversize t-shirt and baggy track pants, but really who would I kid, I am middle aged and overweight but at least I am doing something about it.

The Many Faces of Breast Cancer


The Many Faces of Breast Cancer
By LoRayne Haye M.S. C.C.N.
Nutrition Program Director
Eating-4-Energy.com
Copyright E-4-E 2010 All rights reserved

Introduction
Each fall as Breast Cancer awareness month approaches, my phone begins to ring incessantly with requests for the current list of every Cancer protective food & supplement known to woman kind. Although, research indicates that a 1/3 of all cancers are diet related and that women who do consume more whole foods that are vegetarian based are at lower risk for all chronic diseases. It by no means guarantees immunity.

As a practitioner, I have listened to women's stories that have been all too well acquainted with breast cancer, the common thread being, unyielding layers of stress. Some of you might resonate with these 'stress layers', emotional being the one at the top. Think death, divorce, moving, job loss, an unstable economy and single parenting to name a few. All of the aforementioned would toss even the heartiest of souls into a 'fight or flight' response. Certainly, age, gender, and ones DNA code are Breast Cancer Risk Factors that we cannot change. What we can change are the "Lifestyle Risk Factors". These are modifiable such as choosing to be physically active, consuming alcohol in moderation, watching what we put over our lips---so it doesn't go to our hips and developing a set of coping skills to deal with stress.

Another stresser that is largely ignored is 'Nutritional Stress'. It's a term I came up with a few years ago and a topic that I cover as well. Think carb craving here. In an effort to gain a better understanding of what's taking place underneath the surface, I tracked down nationally recognized experts, all of whom have had extensive experience in working with women and breast cancer. I got more than I bargained for and with that being said, gained new insight on the many faces that breast cancer holds.

The Landscape of Labs & Female Hormones
It's unfortunate but most women have more knowledge about the designers who make their shoes and jeans than about what hormones rule (or run amok) within their bodies. "Women need to have their hormones assessed on an annual basis from age 35 on. Or, if there's any suspected abnormalities in the menstrual cycle such as PMS & PCOS, stated Dr. Andrea Cole D.O. a leading edge practitioner who owns The Center for Age Management and Wellness located in Encinitas, California. "One of the top items a woman can do is get her hormones tested via, blood draw, saliva and urine. If you leave any one of those labs out, the puzzle will be incomplete and you'll spend years not understanding why whatever said hormone therapy is not working. Be it a Bio-Identical formulation or the standard fare HRT". She further stated that continued hormone imbalance is "defiantly stressful on a woman's body both physically and emotionally". The take away; get your hormones tested which include the thyroid free T3 & T4, reverse T3 & T4 along with thyroid antibodies.

Vitamin D: Making the Connection
If you've been on the stress roller coaster get your adrenals assessed and do the follow up on a semi- annual basis or whatever time frame your practitioner recommends. Including assessing vitamin D levels which act more like a hormone, relaying messages throughout the body. A recent study conducted by UCSD La Jolla, found that over 600,000 cases of breast cancer each year could be thwarted by boosting vitamin D levels. "The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels," said epidemiologist Cedric Garland, DrPH, professor of family and preventive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. He is the one responsible for overseeing the large body of new vitamin D studies including the tandem study doen between Harvard and UCSD on Vitamin D and Breast Cancer risk. "In this new model, we propose that this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over." The take away: get the Vitamin D lab run. All you need to do is request it from your practitioner.

Nutritional Stress
One of the biggest nutritional de-railers of hormone balance is unstable blood sugar and is considered by this author and leading edge nutritional researchers to be a 'nutritional stressor'. These highs and lows that come with regular consumption of simple carbs and processed food, play a major role in driving Insulin a 'storage hormone' up. When this takes place, the 'flight or fight' response is activated with the Adrenal Glands pushing out all manner of stress hormones including cortisol, adrenaline and norepinepharine. "Now the terrain is ripe for a number of health issues to take place and a women's risk for breast cancer can go up" stated Dr. Cole.

The Crash Crave Cycle
One of the most common complaints I hear from women is 'how can I stop these carb cravings'? My standard answer is 'you're amongst friends and yes it can be controlled". The scenarios I see play out, on a daily/weekly basis are women telling me what they start their day off with and it's all too often a high glycemic index carb. Which takes your blood sugar from 0 to 90 miles per hour and going along for this hormonal joy ride is Insulin a storage hormone. In essence what women are doing is teaching their bodies (daily) to store instead of burn fat via what their putting over their lips. Repeating this day in and day out can lead to exhaustion, fatigue and further one's chronic carb cravings.

However, when we put food in the 'good category' such as oatmeal (don't get me wrong I love oatmeal) and consume it by itself this too, can be problematic as well. Primarily, because most of us are not creating a 'need' for the amount of carbs we're consuming. Be it good or bad carbs. Keep in mind carbs fuel energy and if your over 35 chances are you're not spending enough energy to warrant the amount of carbs you're consuming. After we eat where do we go? Well most of us head out the door to work and become one with our office chairs. Additionally, how many of you actually measure out what you'll eat? Not many do. We manage to fill our bowls that are now the size of flying saucers, to the brim. After all we don't want ourselves to starve. No one bothered to send us the e mail telling us that we have a greater need to eat balanced ratios of Protein, Carbs, good Fats and Fiber as we age. When we do, blood sugar, mood swings and energy levels stabilize. Constant carb cravings subside along with the hormonal side having a better chance at achieving balance.

Look for ways to 'marry' foods together. For example, ½ a slice of whole grain toast with 1tsp. almond butter, 1 hardboiled egg and ½ a cup of Soy, Almond or Organic Skim Milk. If your taste buds are married to yogurt, take a look at the quality, as not all are created equal. Opt for the Greek plain non fat. It has a higher amount of protein, lower amount of carbs. You can add in 1 tablespoon of berries and ¼ tsp. of ground flax seed and Stevia if you need a sweetener. The Flax seed provides Omega-3's and the fiber will cover several bases, including slowing the breakdown and absorption rate of the food along with creating a feeling of 'fullness'. Please keep in mind these are general recommendations so you may need to adjust up or down to meet your needs.

The Estrogen & Weight connection
Metabolically speaking if a woman continues to have wide blood sugar swings she'll have a tough time losing gained weight, let alone maintaining her weight. For the majority of women over 40, weight gain is a major source of aggravation, as the older you get the tougher weight loss becomes. The take away here; balance your protein, carbs, fats and fiber. Extra fat weight is responsible for producing excess amounts of the detrimental estrogen that is responsible for growth of cancer cells. Another reason to find a form of movement that agrees with you. It's all well and good to head off to the gym. But let's think outside the weight room here. What about dance classes, salsa or joining a hiking club? For many women exercise is a dirty word. So find something you enjoy doing and will be consistent with it.

Emotional Stress: The Landscape of Female Energy
"Remember, thoughts and feelings have physical effects. Open yourself to receiving help, nourishment, and compassion from yourself and others. When you experience events that cause you sorrow, resentment, or pain, allow yourself to quite literally get these feelings off your chest by experiencing your emotions fully, grieving fully, and then letting go so that you can "make a clean breast of it." Dr. Christine Northup M.D.

On an energetic level I wanted to find out where women stood in relation to the energetic landscape of unprocessed emotions such as grief and loss. The following is an interview with noted energy psychologist Paula Shaw who is the author of "Chakras-The Magnificent Seven" and a resident of San Diego.The Book
Chakras, The Magnificent Seven

LH: From an energetic point of view what's going on with women and breast cancer?
PS: Underneath everything is un- reconciled grief- it all comes back to this. Everybody has a loss or grief. Most people don't have an opportunity to process and heal the grief and it comes down to this; with every illness and every emotional disorder there is a disruption in the energy system 90% of the time that is caused by a trauma. For example if we had an earthquake -we would probably process the physical end of it. However, if we lost a loved one or friend, that's where we generally 'stall out' emotionally. Most people stuff down the emotional traumas or experiences and don't deal with them. So they end up manifesting themselves in various diseases. Heart chakra is the breast area i.e. breast cancer. So collectively women are not nurturing themselves and the energy is congested or gets depleted. We are a nation that has since the 60's seen women trying to fill every hole in the proverbal 'dike' by being mother -father the leaders of the pack along with being in the work force and being everything to everyone. It was bound to manifest itself in some diseased way. Trying to have the perfect bodies - be ultra intelligent and it's just not working. Where do women connect---women are connected to the heart-Women are wearing themselves out!
LH: When a woman comes to you who has breast cancer what can you do for her?
PS: "Balance the energy she has, which generally is vastly depleted and teach her how to keep it high. I give them some simple processes to keep the energy more balanced via breath work. It's akin to balanced blood sugar. It's like putting deposits in the Bliss bank. When you are in the present you aren't concerned about what took place in the past or what's going to happen in the future. I teach them to just 'be in the moment'. And certainly it's a difficult thing for many of us to do as we've been taught in this society to be everywhere but in the present.

LH: I've noticed a lot of articles lately on breath work. How useful is deep breathing?
P.S. Teaching a woman how to breathe deeply can work wonders for lowering stress hormones such as cortisol. After all what do we do when we're stressed out? We hold our breath and tense our muscles up. Stress is a very contracted state, as such we end up holding onto and holding in our emotions. So, deep breathing can also open a door long closed off to processing emotional traumas and be a very effective tool for women to help manage many forms of stress".

The Take Away Tools
Understanding the role balanced nutrition can play in the quality of a woman's health and therefore life is a valuable 'health tool' to have on board. Dr. Andrea Cole D.O. had this to add, "Women who take a proactive role in educating themselves on current nutrition, exercise, lifestyle style and mind body work have a much better track record with off setting serious health conditions, be it cancer or other degenerative diseases. And do have an open dialogue with your doctor. If you can't speak with your doctor freely, go find one you can talk with in an open manner". With this advice and the health tools outlined above you'll be headed down proactive path to health and well being.

LoRayne Haye M.S. C.C.N. is the Founder and Director of Eating-4-Energy a leading edge nutrition consulting company that specializes in corporate and private nutrition programs for weight loss, hormonal balance, IBS, and digestive issues. LoRayne has over 25 years as a nutritionist working alongside renown integrative physicians such as Dr. Mark Stengler N.D., Dr. Dan Harper M.D. Dr. Andrea Cole D.O. She resides in Encinitas, California.

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Type 2 Diabetes - Is There A Relationship Between Diabetes and Thyroid Problems?


Continued research all over the world is bringing us closer every day to the causes of Type 2 diabetes. Thyroid hormones are generally normal in the majority of diabetic patients, but a group of researchers in Athens, Greece wondered if sight variations in normal levels of thyroid hormones could have something to do with insulin sensitivity.

Insulin resistance is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, so anything that might be associated with decreased insulin sensitivity is of interest. Most people with Type 2 diabetes still produce insulin; the problem is their cells resist it.

In an article published in the journal Endocrine, November 2010, researchers in the Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, Athens University Medical School, reported the results of their study of thyroid hormones and insulin sensitivity in seventy-eight volunteers made up of:

  • seventeen healthy participants served as controls

  • twenty-two first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) of Type 2 diabetics

  • fifteen volunteers with impaired ability to handle sugar, and

  • twenty-four people with full-blown Type 2 diabetes.

Thyroid hormones were measured via blood samples and their insulin sensitivity was also tested. The hormones were found to be lower in the control group than in the other three groups. Insulin resistance was found to be highest in those with the highest thyroid hormonal levels. The researchers concluded, therefore, that increases of thyroid hormones, although still normal, were associated with insulin resistance and suggested such increases could be at least be partly responsible for causing Type 2 diabetes.

The thyroid is a small gland is located in the front of the windpipe that plays a part in metabolism... the hormones the thyroid makes regulate how the body uses energy. When thyroid hormones are abnormally low, people can:

  • gain weight

  • feel fatigued

  • feel cold at room temperature, and

  • have coarse, dry hair

When thyroid hormones are abnormally high, people can

  • feel excessive nervousness

  • lose weight

  • sweat abnormally

  • have really fine hair

  • suffer fast heartbeats and

  • bulging eyes

Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, in which an under-active gland causes weight gain, develop over time and disturb efforts to control blood sugar. Thyroid problems should be treated by an endocrinologist doctor who specializes in the endocrine system, which includes the pancreas and the thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism, or having too little thyroid hormone, is treated with a thyroid pill taken once a day. Hyperthyroidism is treated with medications such as beta blockers or radioactive iodine. The thyroid hormone levels measured in the study above were not considered abnormally high, but, with more study, what is considered a normal level might someday be reclassified as slightly too high for good health. A blood test called a thyroid panel is given when diabetes is diagnosed or when thyroid problems are suspected.

For the time being, we will have to await further developments as more and more parts of the puzzle of what causes Type 2 diabetes are put into place.

Is There A Natural Cure For Endometriosis?


Endometriosis is a condition which affects many women, leading to symptoms such as severe pain during menstruation, sexual intercourse, pain while ovulating, abdominal bloating, fatigue, and heavy bleeding. Infertility is also very common for women who have this condition. Endometriosis is a condition where there is uterine-like tissue growing on areas of the body other than the uterus. The goal of this article is to discuss whether there is a natural cure for this condition.

But before I discuss this, what is the cause of endometriosis? The exact cause of this condition is unknown, although it does seem to be more common in women who have a hormone imbalance. Because of this, many doctors will try to treat endometriosis through the use of estrogen injections. While this can be effective when the woman has an excess in estrogen, it is more common for a woman to have a progesterone deficiency. And if this is the case, then the estrogen injections administered by medical doctors won't be effective. And then what frequently will happen is that the medical doctor will attempt to treat the condition through pain medication, or the doctor might even perform surgery to remove the endometriotic lesions.

A Female Hormone Panel Can Be Very Valuable

To determine whether or not a woman with endometriosis has a hormone imbalance, it's best to have them obtain a female hormone panel. Such a panel will reveal the levels of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. An expanded hormone panel will also give the levels of the pituitary hormones FSH and LH, which also can be very useful. While the hormones estrogen and progesterone are probably the most important ones to evaluate, one needs to keep in mind that hormones interact with one another. As a result, it's a good idea to look at some of the other hormones, as they can also be contributing to the problem.

Besides giving hormone injections for an estrogen problem, what else can be done if the person is found to have a hormone imbalance? Well, if the panel reveals a deficiency in one or more of the hormones, then many medical doctors will recommend for the woman to take bioidentical hormones. For example, natural progesterone is commonly given to a woman who has a progesterone deficiency. Similarly, bioidentical testosterone or DHEA can also be taken to address a deficiency with either of these hormones.

While bioidentical hormones can be beneficial to use in some situations, the problem is that they usually don't do anything to correct the underlying cause of the condition. So when one of my patients presents with a hormone imbalance, I will try to correct this without recommending natural hormones, if at all possible. Many hormone imbalances can be corrected through a natural treatment protocol. In situations where the person has a severe hormone deficiency, bioidentical hormones might be necessary to take, although in most cases it should only be on a temporary basis, until the actual cause is found and then addressed.

Why Don't Medical Doctors Look For The Underlying Cause?

The reason why most medical doctors don't look for the underlying cause of endometriosis is because they simply haven't been trained to do so. Most medical doctors are trained to administer medication or perform surgery, and not actually look for the root cause of the problem. This isn't meant to suggest that it's easy to find the cause of endometriosis, as the cause is not always due to a hormone imbalance. But why most doctors don't perform a female hormone panel to at least look at the levels is something I don't understand. And many holistic medical doctors who do recommend these hormone panels do nothing more than administer bioidentical hormones. Once again, this might be necessary at times, but giving natural hormones alone doesn't correct such a problem.

Once again, there is a time and place to use natural hormones, and so I am definitely not opposed to recommending them to my patients when they are absolutely necessary. However, as I mentioned before, most of the times a hormone imbalance can be corrected without the person needing to take bioidentical hormones. And when they do need to take them, this shouldn't be permanent, yet some medical doctors recommend that their patients continuously take natural progesterone, when many times this isn't necessary.

Dealing With Infertility Issues

As I mentioned earlier, many women with endometriosis have fertility issues. And when the endometriotic lesions are caused by an existing hormone imbalance, which once again is a frequent cause, then correcting this hormone imbalance will usually cure endometriosis. This in turn will correct many infertility issues that have medical doctors puzzled. So thousands of women who are unable to become pregnant can potentially conceive if their doctors were to detect and then correct such a hormone imbalance.

In summary, endometriosis has no known cause, but many women can overcome this condition when they have a hormone imbalance. Receiving an expanded female hormone panel can provide a lot of useful information to help detect the cause of the problem, and can help the doctor come up with a treatment plan to cure endometriosis. So while conventional medicine is still an option for some women, because a natural treatment protocol is non-invasive and frequently effective it makes sense to at least try following such a protocol first.

Are There Side Effects From Bio Identical Hormones?


Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) has been discussed frequently in recent years with the publicity from Suzanne Somers and other celebrities. However, even with the media attention most people still don't fully understand this medical treatment and what the therapy entails. Historically, BHRT has been around for almost 40 years and doctors from Europe and Australia and other countries have been treating their patients with BHRT for decades. On the safety point of view, BHRT mimics our body's natural hormones and is generally safe to use.

Research on Bio Identical Hormones

A recent article published in Maturitas studied thousands of French women who were using bio identical hormones. The study claims that women who used bioidentical hormones had NO elevated risks of cancer. Furthermore, a review published in August 2008 concludes: "hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women is a safe and effective tool to counteract climacteric symptoms and to prevent long-term degenerative diseases, such as osteoporotic fractures, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and possibly cognitive impairment." This paper reviews the role of the non-oral route of administration of sex steroids in the clinical management of menopausal symptoms, and states that non-orally administered estrogens (ie. cream, gel) minimize the hepatic first-pass effect, and are associated with potential advantages on the cardiovascular system. In addition, recent indications suggest potential advantages for blood pressure control with non-oral estrogens. To the same extent, a growing literature suggests that natural progesterone has a favorable action on the vessels and on the brain, while this might not be true for some synthetic progestins. Compelling indications also exist that differences might also be present for the risk of developing breast cancer, with recent trials indicating that the association of natural progesterone with estrogens confers less or even no risk of breast cancer as opposed to the use of other synthetic progestins.

Synthetic vs. Bio Identical Hormones

Previously, most women who received hormone replacement therapy are prescribed drugs like Premarin or Prempro, which come from the urine of pregnant mares. The synthetic forms of hormones may cause more harm than benefit since their molecular structure is not the same as the hormones naturally made by the body. Bioidentical hormones, in contrary, are derived from soy, wild yam and other plant extracts. Advocates say their molecular structure is similar to that of the hormones they are replacing and can serve the same purpose.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is generally safe to use. However, there are a few contraindications to consider when deciding on bioidentical hormones. For male, benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) might be a relative contraindication. For female, breast cancer, uterine or ovarian cancer, or history of deep vein thrombosis might be a contraindication for BHRT. As always, exercise, weight training, calcium and vitamin D are a few good options in your anti aging regimen. The risk for heart disease, stroke, and mental decline can be reduced through diet, exercise, low stress, yoga, deep sleep, and by taking certain natural herbs and supplements.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Why Estrogen Can Cause Uterine Cancer?


Until now, despite of information age environment we are now in, many are still uninformed about cancer and its causes. One of the many causes of female cancer is the estrogen. It is a female hormone produced by the ovaries in women and testes in men. There are also the so-called hormone pills taken by women who are at menopausal stage of their life or the change of life.

Many research reports have shown the relationship between uterine cancer and the use of female hormones. There is probability that menopausal women taking estrogen treatment are likely to develop cancer of the lining of the uterus. Estrogen was lists as a confirmed cause of cancer of the uterus. Scientific studies have consistently and clearly shown that prolonged estrogen exposure increases the risk of endometrial (uterine) cancer. Research led by Dr. Noel Weiss stated that the incidence of cancer of the uterus had generally increased but depending also on the geographical location of the middle-aged women surveyed.

He add that "the important point is that it is unlikely that the disease is due to some characteristic of the women rather than the medicine they are taking."

On the other hand, Dr. Mack report on the study among women at a retirement community near Los Angeles, showed that no drug other than estrogen was significantly associated with cancer of the lining of the uterus. He found that women who take estrogen during menopause have about eight times as much chances of getting the disease as those who do not.

Increase Bone Density and Treat Osteoporosis Naturally


A simple mineral called strontium has been shown in repeated studies to be 170% as effective as Fosamax! And, you won't have the side effects that the "wonder drug" Fosamax causes. Fosamax is far too expensive when there is such a proven and safe alternative.

Now to the other methods of improving your bone density:

Nutrition: Vitamin D, Boron, and magnesium are in fact more important than calcium is when it comes to strong healthy bones.

Hormones: in men, low testosterone levels are a major cause of osteoporosis. Estrogen needs to be improved in women. The problem is that the estrogen that has been traditionally used is toxic. It was only used because they could patent the process of making it from horse urine and could make money off of it.

Bio-identical hormones are the natural alternatively and can reduce not only osteoporosis but breast cancer also.

Lifestyle: weight bearing exercise has markedly improved bone density. Go for walks, and walk in the sunshine so your body can make its vitamin D that it needs for bone strength.

Don't drink alcohol in excess, as this can cause bone loss. Acid blockers used for indigestion also cause osteoporosis, so it's good to learn to treat indigestion naturally.

These natural treatments can be used while you are taking prescription medications. Once your bone density is improved and you no longer can be diagnosed with osteoporosis you should stop the prescriptions drugs.

When your condition improves and you stop taking the drugs, you should continue taking the natural treatments to continue fending off the original causes so that you do not redevelop this condition.

Being Familiar With Hormonal Imbalance


Many individuals experience hormonal imbalance without realising it. It is important to visit a doctor and go through a blood or saliva hormone test to see whether you've got this problem. It helps your doctor build a more potent and targeted treatment.

It's easy to blame unpredictable conduct on attitude problems. You can point to genes, stress, and also other factors for those who have health and body-related issues. Something you may well not realise is the trouble may lie deeper than the surface. Your hormone levels could be far from normal.

Understanding Imbalance

Hormones come from endocrine glands scattered throughout your whole body. Men and women have the same set of glands, excluding sexual endocrine glands. Women's ovaries produce oestrogen, while men's testes produce testosterone. There is a wide array of these chemicals that control different functions and procedures. It only needs a little bit of hormones in making significant changes to your body.

Hormonal imbalance happens when your endocrine glands begin to make an excessive amount of or inadequate hormones. This brings about approximately six thousand endocrine disorders. There are occasions in your lifetime when you will experience imbalance naturally, like puberty, post-childbirth, and during menopause or andropause.

What causes hormone imbalance?

Various factors cause hormonal imbalance. Majority of the existing cases are because of increased oestrogen levels. Genetics, obesity, and tumours are among the natural reasons your endocrine glands come to malfunction. Obesity is the leading medical reason behind imbalance. The milestones in your lifetime mentioned earlier also cause endocrine disorders.

External factors may also cause this problem. Scarcity of physical activity, living an inactive lifestyle, using oral contraceptives, stress, non-organic animal products and even overuse of cosmetics may boost your odds of developing this problem.

What symptoms must you look for?

Detecting hormonal imbalance is tough, especially since many of its symptoms coincide with many other physical and psychological disorders. Fatigue, moodiness, low memory retention, and diminished sexual libido are just some of the psychological effects. Unhealthy weight and skin problems like acne will also be common indications of hormonal imbalance that doctors could misdiagnose.

More serious cases can have worse symptoms. You may develop chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and panic attacks to name a few. Menopause-induced imbalance might lead to bladder infections, increased dryness in different lubricated parts of the body, hot flushes and abnormal heartbeat.

The ultimate way to know you've got this disorder will be conducting a hormone test. A blood hormone test measures your hormone levels within the blood. A saliva hormone test, on the other hand, measures these levels from the inside of your cells. This makes a saliva hormone test more exact, although both tests show abnormalities effectively.

How will you treat hormone imbalance?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most commonly-known solution for this problem. It requires taking either stimulants for the endocrine glands or low doses of the lacking hormones. Its goal is to return your whole body to a balanced state. HRT is very effective, but you ought to follow your physician's instructions strictly. A number of these chemicals could be dangerous in large doses. Keep in mind that you merely need a bit to help with making necessary changes to your system.

You could also select non-chemical treatments, like natural supplements. Exercise and diet can be effective for obese folks and those going through menopause or andropause. Consult a doctor before you begin any therapy or exercise program to ensure success.

Are You Still Afraid of Taking Hormones for Menopause?


Ever since the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study in 2002 claimed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk of breast cancer many menopausal and postmenopausal women have been living in fear, depriving themselves of all hormones, and suffering from an estrogen and progesterone deficiency. The passing years revealed that the WHI results were grossly misrepresented and irresponsibly exaggerated, but in spite of this, in October 2010, the WHI published another analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which reported that HRT not only increases the risk of breast cancer, but also increases the risk of death from breast cancer. (1) Whichever stand you take regarding the results of the WHI, one thing is for sure, the WHI only studied the effects of the hormones Premarin and Provera (in a combined form called Prempro) on postmenopausal women with an intact uterus.

Premarin (a mixture of horse estrogens) and Provera (the synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone) are foreign and synthetic hormones which are different in molecular structure from estradiol and progesterone that are naturally found in the human body. That means they don't properly fit in human hormone receptors, aren't metabolized well by the human body, and in turn don't work optimally and cause problems. Bioidentical estradiol and progesterone are identical in structure to estradiol and progesterone which are naturally produced by woman's ovaries, and are used in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). BHRT has better efficacy and is not associated with the same risks as conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT).(2)

Again, Premarin and Provera are hormones which are not naturally found in the human body. Furthermore, they are administered together (Prempro) in the same dose every day... which is not physiological. That is, it is never natural or normal for a reproductive woman to have the same levels of hormones in her body each and every day.

Specifically, the Provera component of Prempro is a synthetic progestin taken every day, which is supposed to mimic the actions of natural progesterone. However progesterone is naturally released in a reproductive woman only after ovulation and only for 2 weeks of her cycle (unless she becomes pregnant), not every day.

The culprit causing the increased risk of breast cancer when using Prempro is probably the Provera since other studies using only Premarin have not shown an increase in breast cancer. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that the effects of hormone therapy likely depend not only on the molecular structure of the hormones being administered, but also on whether the hormones are taken in a manner which mimics a reproductive cycle.

In my practice I use BHRT2 to treat peri-menopause, menopause and postmenopause, in a way which best replicates a reproductive woman's hormone cycles.

Copyright Shira Miller, M.D. Inc.

1 Reference
2 Reference

Natural Treatment For PMDD


Natural treatment for PMDD and severe PMS can be administered by a holistic or medical doctor. The exact cause of PMDD and severe PMS is not known, however, several theories have been proposed. One theory states that women with PMDD react to the normal fluctuations of hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone with a decreased level of serotonin levels in the brain. Evaluating the levels of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and GABA levels to gain data of what levels are. Doctors taking a medical history try to identify if the following symptoms are present, indicating PMDD or severe PMS:

during a year's time, during most menstrual cycles, five or more of the following symptoms must be present:

- depressed mood
- anger or irritability
- moodiness
- difficulty in concentrating
- increased appetite
- insomnia or hypersomnia
- feeling overwhelmed or out of control
- symptoms that inhibit occupational, social or physical functioning

Natural Treatment for PMDD and severe PMS - Natural Treatments

To successfully achieve relief with natural treatment for PMDD and severe PMS it is necessary to understand some things about the menstrual cycle. The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle begins on Day 14, after ovulation occurs and continues until Day 1 of your next period. A small study done at UCLA (Rasgon et al, 1999) tested L-tryptophan in women who suffered from PMS and found that even at high levels of tryptophan in the blood stream a the uptake of L-tryptophan decreased during the luteal phase. L-tryptophan is the precursor (needed to produce the calming hormone, serotonin). Women who suffer from PMDD and severe PMS seem to have a more difficult time processing certain amino acids (animal proteins) at that time.

This is the reasoning behind limiting animal protein during the highest levels of estrogen and progesterone. Researchers point to the possibility of enzymatic differences between women with PMDD and PMS and those who don't suffer.

The saturated fat and cholesterol in meat and fatty dairy products tend to raise blood levels of all sex hormones, in particular estrogen, adversely affecting symptoms of PMS. These bad fats contribute to the production of the pain hormone prostaglandin. Prostaglandins are known to increase menstrual cramps and pain. Another important reason to avoid saturated and trans-fats. Read all labels of packaged foods, avoid any food that contains hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils. There are "good" fats that should be consummed

The good fats:

- Canola Oil
- Olive Oil
- Flaxseed oil and Flaxseed meal
- Fatty Fish and Fish oil

Natural Treatment for PMDD and severe PMS - Medicinal Treatments

PMDD and severe PMS is sometimes treated with bioidentical natural progesterone in suppository or tablet form. You can choose between brand name formulas, such as Prometrium, or custom-compounded USP (bioidentical) progesterone from specialty pharmacies. Women taking progesterone should have their hormone levels checked every three to six months to ensure that the progesterone is not being converted into estrogen. Other women find that they respond well to different birth control pills.

Certain antidepression medication can also alleviate the symptoms of PMDD and severe PMS or at least lessen them. The latest trend in PMDD treatment is prescribed selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's). Research does show relief from many symptoms but if the causes of PMS symptoms are nutritionally related, the nutrient deficiency could be masked. If drug therapy loses effectiveness, nutritional factors could be the reason.

The eBook offered below gives all the facts and information you should know to relieve your PMDD. See the link below to access the book; Womens Health - PMDD & PMS Treatment/Advice Ebook.

Natural Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy


For many men and women who are undergoing menopause or andropause, treatments have been fairly limited in the past. Today, with the availability of bioidentical hormones Pandora's Box has been opened. There are a lot of women who have gone through menopause and suffered through a variety of physical and emotional problems during this period. Symptoms like headaches, flushing, weight gain, night sweats, dry skin or loss of libido are common and very unpleasant. These symptoms may last anywhere from 2-5 years.

Now, there is no need to go through this agony. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is widely used in Europe to treat women and men who have declining levels of the sex hormones. There are many testimonials and clinical reports which reveal that short term use of bioidentical hormones is safe and effective.

Bioidentical hormones are similar to the natural hormones produced in the body- the only difference is that the bioidentical hormones are extracted from certain plants. Unlike many of the synthetic sex hormones, bioidentical hormones contain no chemicals or preservatives.

Whether to take bioidentical hormones is a personal decision. There are some easy saliva and blood tests which can quickly tell if the sex hormones are low. If one has symptoms of menopause or andropause, then a visit to a physician who deals with bioidentical hormone therapy is recommended.

The great thing about these hormones is that they can be tailor made for each individual. Once the diminished sex hormone deficiency is identified, the physician can write a prescription for the exact dosage required. The pharmacist can then mix the bioidentical hormones in the right dosages.

Todate, most experts agree that bioidentical hormones for the short term are safe. The may even help protect against osteoporosis and heart attacks. Unopposed estrogens in post menopausal women can induce breast and uterine cancers. All women who do intend to take bioidentical hormone replacement therapy should have a thorough discussion of this topic with their health care provider. There is also ample information on the internet about this topic.

While these hormones can be bought without a prescription in other parts of the world (i.e. Mexico), this should be avoided. The quality and quantity of the bioidentical hormones is questionable and can not always be verified.

In the USA, the bioidentical hormones are fairly easily available but require a prescription. Many alternative health care practitioners do recommend these products. In the end, it is a question of safety. As more studies become available, more physicians will come to know that bioidentical hormones are just as safe as any other drug, as long as they are not abused or taken for prolonged periods.

Bio Identical Hormone Therapy V HRT - Which Is Best?


I've written before about bio-identical hormones - which would be used instead of traditional HRT to help alleviate menopausal symptoms - and are considered a 'natural' alternative as they're plant based. That is, as opposed to being derived from the urine of horse's as is the case with traditional HRT.

However, a number of women have contacted me as they had never heard of bio identical hormones before and were keen to try it. I just wanted to make a couple of things clear.

Firstly, rather than jump into hormone therapy as the first treatment you try, make sure that you have a good diet and exercise routine in place. It's no good taking hormones to re-balance your body, when you aren't giving it enough vitamins and nutrients to function properly in the first place. Likewise with exercise, your body needs daily movement to keep it at it's peak and to perform at it's best. So once you know that you're giving it what it needs, if symptoms of menopause still persist, that's the time to seek advice as to what other therapies are available.

Secondly, all medications carry risks. And as tempting as it is to believe that plant extracts therapy is completely risk free, this may not always be the case.

While it is certainly true that the botanical hormones are absorbed by the body easier than the synthetic type (as in HRT), the decision to start on a course of treatment should not be taken lightly.

As many practitioners do not offer this alternative to the traditional hormone therapy - in fact many are not aware that it is available - it may be that you have to do your own research to find a medical professional who is able to advise you.

You should be tested initially and a questionnaire filled in so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. Diet, lifestyle, age etc., will be taken into consideration and a recommendation made as to whether the therapy is right for you and if it is, what hormones are needed. The best course is one that is made up for the individual patient as "one size fits all" therapy certainly is not true in the case of the menopausal women. Every woman has different requirements and the beauty of this treatment, is that it is tailored made to suit each person. This is one reason that bio-identical hormone therapy cannot be patented, because each formulation will vary, according to the individual.

The initial formulation may need tweaking and you will need to be re-tested to make sure that it is right for you. But if you do go down this route, you should notice a difference in your well being within a few weeks.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Understanding Initial Insomnia and How to Deal With It


When people hear chronic insomnia, they may think that all cases of chronic insomnia are the same or at last very similar. This is not the case. There are three different types of insomnia: initial insomnia, middle insomnia, and terminal insomnia. Each has its differences.

With "initial insomnia," people go to bed but cannot get to sleep for hours. Sometimes they don't get to sleep at all.

With "middle insomnia," although you will fall asleep fairly fast initially, you wake up in the middle of the night and then find it difficult to get back to sleep. The initial awakening is often caused by the need to go to the bathroom, pain, or a child waking up a parent.

Those with "terminal insomnia" also find themselves getting to sleep fairly quickly. These people, though, wake up early in the morning and never really get enough sleep.

Although all types of chronic insomnia can be tiring and annoying, initial insomnia can be the most annoying, because with this condition, there is no guarantee that you will ever get to sleep. The best way to treat initial insomnia is to realize why you are unable to sleep. What is keeping you awake?

While there can be various reasons why you can't fall asleep, in many cases, the inability to sleep comes because you have "unfinished business" from the day that is now worrying you either consciously or unconsciously.

This unfinished business is something that you ignored throughout your day.

One way to deal with the unfinished business of the day is to schedule "thinking appointments." The idea might sound a little strange, but it is important that you feel like your activities of the day are complete and that you are ready to release your day and get some rest.

Having a "thinking appointment" that is actually written into your schedule can help you to resolve the problems of your day. During this time, you can go over the problems of your day and think about possible solutions. If needed, you can even schedule in a couple of these sessions in a day.

This way, you can feel more like your day is complete when you go to bed.

If part of the reason that you deal with initial insomnia is due to thoughts being on your day, focusing on having those thoughts during other parts of your day can help to reduce your chances of suffering from chronic insomnia during the earlier hours of the night.

Here are other things you also might find helpful when you are dealing with initial insomnia:

Find a way to get rid of your stress before you head to bed. You might attempt relaxation technique or try different stress relief methods.

Exercising and eating properly can also be beneficial ways to help you get to sleep better and to sleep longer.

If you have a caffeine addiction, eliminating these from your diet may also be helpful. If you are not ready to completely eliminate caffeine, at least attempt to reduce it in your diet, and you may find getting to sleep is easier.

Going to sleep and getting up at the same time on a daily basis can also help you to establish a sleep schedule.

Male Hormone Replacement Therapy: Andropause


Testosterone is a major player in the complex mielu of hormones (cellular messengers) that direct our bodies to function. In men who are over the age of 40, there is a significant drop in this level of this hormone. Until recently it was considered taboo to replace this important hormone. But today forward thinking anti-aging specialists realize what scientific studies over the past decade have taught us.

As with women who have gone through the change of life, replacement of their sexual hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) enact major health benefits such as osteoporosis prevention, heart disease prevention and increases in cognitive function. Likewise for older male subjects the benefits of the addition of testosterone under careful physician management is a crucial aspect of maintaining good health. I wish in this article to dispel some misconceptions about Testosterone Replacement Therapy and provide a list to readers of the benefits of this simple and safe treatment.

First of all there is overwhelming evidence in the scientific literature that testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. In actuality it is the unbalanced estrogen excess in man that is implicated in prostate cancer.

The caveat here is that once there is prostate cancer, testosterone which is an anabolic (building) hormone can promote cancer growth, but contrary to the popular belief, even within the medical field, it does not cause cancer. With advancing age Testosterone levels drop while estrogen levels rise and compete for binding sites on the prostate gland as well as other cells in the body causing a hormonal havoc.

Such problems as an increase in adipose tissue with midsection obesity, a decrease in muscle mass, generalized hormonal imbalances (growth hormone, estrogen, thyroid), depression, increased cholesterol and lipid dysfunction, glucose and insulin imbalance, decreased coronary artery elasticity, elevated blood pressure and loss of a feeling of well being result from low testosterone levels. Supplementing Testosterone in the appropriate candidates reverses these unwanted outcomes, but it is not as simple as taking a pill. There are enzymes in our body that can change exogenous testosterone into other undesirable hormones such as Estrodiol and DHT. Therefore, a physician that understands the balancing act and has the ability to monitor these other hormones is best to treat such a disorder.

Along with the correct replacement modality (cream, gel or patch) there are other considerations which halt the trend of testosterone conversion and these are usually supplemented along with testosterone. Such supplements are Saw palmetto, Zinc and Nettle extract to name a few. In a recent study of the Androderm patch after a 12-month period a depression score dropped by nearly one half with testosterone replacement alone. Again men with complaints of fatigue receiving testosterone in one study had symptoms of fatigue drop for 79% to 10%. A Medline medical literature search reveals many more positive outcomes of testosterone replacement. For those interested in finding out more about their bodies, there is a non-invasive home testing kit available at the Saleeby Longevity Institute which allows men to evaluate the levels of testosterone in circulation.

Andropause the male menopause

by J.P. Saleeby, MD

Urinary Tract Infections - Natural Treatments for Chronic UTI's


Urinary tract infections can occur in any part of your urinary system, though most often they will happen in the bladder and urethra. They are more common in women, and while mild infections can cause pain and be a nuisance, more severe infections can become a serious health condition, especially if the infection spreads upwards to the ureters and kidneys. For this reason, it is important to treat UTI's as soon as you start having symptoms.

The common symptoms of a UTI include:


  • Increased urge to urinate, with increased frequency

  • Pain and burning with urination

  • Cloudy or pink urine

  • Strong smelling urine

  • Pelvic pain, or abdominal pain

  • With more severe infections that have reached the kidney - upper back pain, fever, chills, nausea or vomiting

UTI's are usually caused by the bacteria E. Coli transmitted from the digestive tract, though they can also be caused by other infectious agents. Because certain STD's can have symptoms similar to a UTI, it is important to see a physician to be tested if you have you are at risk for any sexually transmitted disease.

The urinary system has a natural defense mechanism against infection, but certain risk factors will increase your likelihood of getting a UTI. These include being female, being sexually active, using diaphragms or spermicides, having a weak immune system, having an enlarged prostate, or having kidney stones. Women going through menopause are also at a higher risk because decreased estrogen levels make the urinary tract more vulnerable to infection.

It is especially important to receive immediate treatment for a UTI if you are pregnant, as untreated infections are associated with low birth weight in infants. Also, young children with UTI's are more susceptible to kidney infection, so immediate treatment is important in these cases as well.

The conventional method for treating a common UTI is the use of antibiotics. There are a number of antibiotics used for treating UTI's, and generally symptoms will begin to clear within a few days of starting the medication. It is important to continue taking the antibiotic even if all symptoms are gone to be sure the infection is fully cleared.

Even with the use of antibiotics, some people will continue to have recurring UTI's. Usually it is women who experience this, and in these cases it is helpful to look to other areas of health that are leaving you more susceptible to infection, as repeated courses of antibiotics can lead to resistant strains of bacteria and make your immune system weaker. If you are suffering from chronic recurring urinary tract infections, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk and improve the health of your urinary tract.

Tips for Reducing Urinary Tract Infections


  • For women, wiping from front to back after urination reduces the risk of infection.

  • Urinating and washing soon after sexual intercourse helps flush bacteria that may have been acquired during sex.

  • Drink a lot of water. This will help flush out the urinary system.

  • Avoid food or drink in your diet which contain a lot of refined sugar. This weakens your immune response and provides food for bacterial growth

  • Cranberry juice can be taken in supplement or juice form, and helps increase the acidity of your urinary tract and prevent bacteria of sticking to the cell walls. The best form of cranberry juice to drink is in pure, non-sweetened form, as the cranberry juice "cocktails" usually have sugar added to them.

  • Vitamin C, and vitamin-C rich foods such as citrus fruits can increase the acidity of your urinary tract and boost immunity, which makes it more resistant to bacteria.

  • Avoid intake of alcohol as this weakens the immune system.

  • Caffeine, dairy, and processed foods may also trigger infections in certain people. If you notice UTI's tend to come on after certain things in your diet, avoid these foods or beverages.

  • Feminine hygiene sprays and douches may cause irritation of the urethra and increase susceptibility to infection.

For recurring mild urinary tract infections, there are a number of natural medicines in addition to cranberry that may help reduce infection.


  • Uva-Ursi: This is a herb with anti-bacterial properties that has an affinity for the urinary tract.

  • D-Mannose: This is a simple sugar that helps to prevent bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract.

  • Other remedies: Herbs such as Echinacea, goldenseal, and Oregon grape have immune boosting and anti-bacterial properties. Other herbs such as dandelion, stinging nettle or corn silk have diuretic properties which can soothe help flush out bacteria.

  • Probiotics: Healthy bacteria are a normal component of the urinary and reproductive systems, and if these are decreased or out of balance it can lead to increased infection. Taking a probiotic supplement with acidophilus can help prevent and decrease infection. Probiotics are also important to take after any course of antibiotics, as antibiotics decrease the amount of healthy bacteria in our bodies. This will decrease the risk of recurring infection.

  • Hormone Replacement: For women who are undergoing menopause, decreased estrogen levels can increase the incidence of UTI's. Hormone replacement with bio-identical hormones can help raise estrogen levels and reduce infections.

Many natural supplements are combination formulas which contain a number of the natural remedies listed here. If you looking for a natural route in treating a UTI, these can be helpful, along with following the other health tips, in clearing an infection.

Stress and Recurring UTI's

Stress is not just in your mind - it is really a physical thing and affects your health. Too much stress in the body can make pretty much any health condition worse, and UTI's are no exception. Many people will find that their UTI's occur much more commonly during times of stress. The hormones released by having too much stress can lead to a weakened immune system, leaving you much more susceptible to any type of infection. Stress hormones also raise blood sugar levels, which will causes bacteria to replicate and make infections worse.

Especially in dealing with chronic UTI's, it is important to address any areas in your life that may be increasing stress levels, as well as to examine behaviors caused by stress that may increase risk for an infection. For example, some people may eat more junk food or drink alcohol when stressed, and this will only make matters worse. Doing what you can to reduce stress in your life can go a long way in preventing chronic UTI's from happening.

In general, a UTI is more a nuisance than a serious health condition, though in serious cases it is important to receive immediate medical attention. In preventing chronic mild cases, rather than accept them as an inevitable and annoying part of life, it is possible to greatly reduce or even completely prevent them by following simple health care tips, reducing stress, and taking natural medicines.

Can Uterine Fibroid Tumors Be Treated Without Surgery? - Herbal Remedy For Uterine Fibroid Treatment


Uterine fibroid tumors tend to usually grow during the peri-menopausal stage. Treatment for uterine fibroids entirely depends upon how severe your tumors are. Are there multiple tumors? What is the individual size of each one? How severe are the symptoms? You must find answers to all these questions before selecting the type of fibroid treatment which will suit your requirements the best.

Most doctors recommend the wait and watch approach in case

a)the tumors are small in numbers and size

b)the symptoms are not severe

c)you are approaching menopause, with the onset of which uterine fibroid tumors usually shrink by itself

One of the serious symptoms of fibroids can be heavy bleeding. At times it can lead to anemia also. Although medical research is yet to identify the exact cause of fibroids, experts agree that excess estrogen in the body is the most common cause of fibroids. For balancing estrogen, herbal remedies are especially very useful. Herbal remedies for uterine fibroids treatment can also be combined with conventional treatment for uterine fibroids.

In this article I am going to list one herb which is very useful to correct the hormonal imbalance, the primary cause of fibroids in most women.

Research has established that the herb Chaste berry or Vitex agnus castus contains precursors to progesterone. It has been termed as bioidentical progesterone and is being increasingly used in fibroid treatment by alternate medicine practitioners. However this herb will not produce instant results.

In fact when you decide to go in for herbal cure for any ailment, you must be prepared to try out the remedies for a few weeks if not months. Normally this herbal supplement will help in enhancing the progesterone levels within eight weeks of use.

While taking chaste berry ensure that you stay away from herbs and other products which can cause the estrogen level to rise in the body. Some of these items include soy based products, licorice root and red clover. These are known to enhance the estrogen levels in the body and hence must be avoided while undergoing treatment for uterine fibroids.

Try to reduce or eliminate your intake of sugar, alcohol and saturated fats. Consumption of these items makes it difficult for the body to regulate hormones. These can also increase the severity of your cramps and bloating.

Research has also indicated a connection between red meat and incidence of fibroids. Hence it is best if you stay away from red meat at least during your treatment period.

Never rush in while deciding on your method of treatment for uterine fibroids. Take into consideration the severity of your uterine fibroid tumors, the inconvenience you are experiencing and your age before arriving at your decision.