How to Naturally Remove Toxins From Your Body

There are various methods to eliminate the toxin levels for the human body. Some of these methods are performed automatically by the systems and other body parts. You should also know that there are numerous advantages in flushing out the toxic wastes. In the long term, you will feel healthier and vibrant. This process will also help you to prevent other infections and diseases.

Where toxin wastes come from:

In the modern era, people are increasingly exposed to toxins because, numerous toxic compounds as well as waste emitted by automobile exhausts, chemical plants as well as in the products such as cleaning product and pesticides. Contamination is reaching its highest point for the people. Environmental toxins are everywhere, even in small amounts. Several thousand products are introduced each year in addition to the millions of chemicals, which are already existing in the market.

Due to constant exposure, people are hanging hundreds of toxins in their bodies and must find ways to eliminate these toxin levels from the body. According to the studies, about four hundred to eight hundred of the toxic metals and chemical waste are stored in the human body and are deposited in some of the organs like brain, lungs and heart. Over time, the presence of toxins in these areas may affect the normal functions and medical conditions that in turn lead to the development of the disease.

Tips to eliminate the body toxins:

The human body will naturally compensate through some important systems. Liver, urinary system, sweat glands and digestive system are the four main parts that will help you in eliminating the toxins, which are present in our body. By keeping these in excellent condition, people will have a better opportunity to prevent disease and stay strong and healthy. There are practices that will help in maintaining normal health functions of these systems.

Water is very important as it helps to wash the byproducts and waste from the body. It also improves the blood circulation to all the parts of the human body to function well. Proper hydration will help the digestive system, to prevent the constipation as well as other gastric problems. In addition, people should eat more healthy foods to improve the gastric motility and prevent the nitrates that can cause cancer.

To help the urinary system, taking vitamin C could be the best option for you. People should eat more carbohydrates, as the kidneys will use it as the kidneys will use it as their fuel. Too much protein and carbohydrates can also lead to the formation of uric acid. Hydration will also help your body to balance everything.

Sweating while exercising is another good way to purge toxins out. If you can afford to train 1 hours each day you will get many benefits. Just make sure you drink plenty of water during your training.

Eliminate the toxins from human body is a lifelong process. Therefore, it is very important to consider the right tips to eliminate the toxin levels.

Menopausal Vaginal Dryness

The Positive Side of Menopause

Menopause is often called "the Curse" or the "Change". Personally I prefer to refer to menopause as "the Change" because not all aspects of leaving the reproductive part of life are negative. There are benefits such as:

• No more messy periods to deal with.
• No more worrying about unwanted pregnancy
• Women who experience heavy or painful periods finally get relief.

The Not So Positive Side of Menopause

There is however, a downside to menopause. You may experience some, or all of the following symptoms:

• Hot flushes
• Irritability
• Vaginal dryness
• Pain during sexual intercourse

The Role of Estrogen

At menopause, less estrogen is being produced in your body compared to the levels that you had when you were fertile. In fact, a post-menopausal woman commonly produces only about 30% of the estrogen that she once produced. Unfortunately, this lack of the female hormone, estrogen causes changes in the vagina - including dryness. Less lubrication being produced by the vagina means more friction in the vagina during penetrative sexual intercourse. This increased friction can quickly become painful.

Some Medical Options for Menopausal Vaginal Dryness

Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Until very recently, most doctors have commonly prescribed oral HRT (hormone replacement therapy in a pill form). Oral HRT dramatically improves menopausal symptoms, but unfortunately oral HRT has been linked to an increased risk of many types of cancer. Breast cancer rates and ovarian cancer rates are significantly greater in HRT users. Many doctors are aware of the increased cancer risk, and advise using the minimum dosage of HRT that can successfully relieve the symptoms and only use it for the shortest period of time.

Estrogen Vaginal Creams

Another medical option is estrogen cream that is applied by smearing in the vagina. Because estrogen creams are applied locally rather swallowed (which then affects the whole body), they are somewhat safer than oral HRT pills. Unfortunately, estrogen creams also increase the risk of endometrial cancer. The common advice is to use them infrequently or as little as possible.

Viagra for Women

Studies have been done by Pfizer, the makers of Viagra that show that taking Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) before sex can help to increase lubrication in women who suffer from vaginal dryness during sexual intercourse.

Please consult your doctor for advice if you are considering any of the above medical options.

Non - Medical and Natural Approaches for Menopausal Vaginal Dryness

Personal Lubricants

The simplest way to treat vaginal dryness is to use a personal lubricant (also known as a sexual lubricant) such as those you find in supermarkets, chemists and pharmacies, adult stores and online. There are even natural ones made from kiwi fruit available.

The Role of Diet

A healthy diet consisting of plenty of fresh foods, vegetables and plenty of good, natural fats is helpful in restoring moisture to skin cells everywhere - including in the vagina.

Natural Herbal Supplements

You may also want to try natural herbal supplements such as Evening Primrose Oil or Black Currant oil, which contain concentrated gamma linoleic acid (GLA) which can help to balance the female hormones.

Bio-Identical Herbal Hormone Replacement Therapy

Consulting a naturopath who specialises in bio-identical (herbal) hormone replacement may bring you amazing relief. Many women have had wonderful results from a naturopathic option such as personalised 'herbal HRT'.

Feeling Unbalanced - This Could Be the Answer!

Hormonal imbalances are normally due to a variety of problems, but mostly it is due to a stress response, therefore lifestyle changes and balancing your hormones will get your system right.

Lifestyle is a major factor in keeping your hormones balanced

Hormones are steroids that are secreted into your blood stream affecting your body's metabolism, the regulation of fluids and also you're sexual and reproductive function, it also helps facilitate your body's responses to stress.

When your hormones are balanced you have energy, you sleep well, and you have a strong sex drive, and your immune and digestive system work well.

If your hormones are unbalanced it can lead to adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and polycyctic ovary syndrome. Your hormones can be unbalanced without any real disorder, when they are unbalanced too long then they can lead to a disorder so it's also important it get them checked and balanced before major issues arise. Hormonal imbalances can start as young as at birth or during adolescents, menopausal problems occur because of an already unbalanced hormonal system. Menopause is meant to be symptom less, if you are heading that way get your hormones checked by a natural therapist such as a nutritionist.

How is your lifestyle affecting your hormones and what can you do about it?

Females hormone imbalance is due to stress responses, the more stress the bigger the stain on your hormonal system, and the more it unbalances your cortisol levels. Cortisol is used for your body to convert food to energy, normalises your blood sugar levels, helps with your immune system's inflammatory response and responds to stress.

What causes your hormonal system to become unbalanced?

Emotional stress
Dietary stress
Pain and/ inflammatory stress

Types of stress include:

Too much work
Job loss
Financial trouble
Relationship or family problems
Eating processed foods, too much junk food
Inflammation form toxins in your environment
Depletion of antioxidants

The underlying issues need to be dealt with in order to have a balanced hormonal system. This also needs to be a whole body approach where lifestyle choices and too much stress have created the imbalance in the first place, these underlying issues need to be addressed.

These changes include:

Strategies to reduce stress- this can range from meditation, relaxation music

So first start to address your hormone problems by making lifestyle changes, including:

• Have powerful tools and strategies to address the current and past emotional traumas in your life. Prayer, meditation and meridian tapping techniques (MTT)can be very helpful here.


• Listen to your body and rest when you feel tired (this includes during the day by taking short naps or just laying down, or sleeping in if you feel like it)


• Exercise regularly using a comprehensive program of strength, aerobic, core, and interval training


• Eat a healthy nutrient-dense diet like the one described in my nutrition plan, according to your Nutritional Type

Then, only after changing your lifestyle and addressing your adrenal function, should you evaluate and balance your female hormones.

At this point you may want to see a physician well versed in bio identical hormone replacement, and get tested to see if you could benefit from the use of DHEA. DHEA is a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenals, and levels are often very low in people with adrenal fatigue and other hormone problems.

Keep in mind, of course, that DHEA is not a quick cure, and should not be used as a sole treatment.

Because your hormonal health is so important to your overall health and well-being, I highly recommend you work with a knowledgeable natural health care practitioner to help you rebalance your system.

Irritability and How Peri-Menopause Brings the First Signs of Change

Many women in the stages of peri-menopause and menopause feel depressed and irritable. Some researchers believe that the decrease in estrogen triggers changes in the brain, causing depression. Others think that supplementary symptoms you are having, such as sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats and fatigue are the causes of these feelings.

Alternatively, it could be a blend of hormonal changes and symptoms. However, these symptoms can also be caused due to reasons unrelated to menopause, though menopause is the main cause of these symptoms in a woman. Mood changes and irritability may also be more common in women who have had difficulty with PMS.

Menopause and Irritability: Symptoms

The other factors that influence mood swings and irritability in menopausal women are difficulty with memory and attention span. Some women report difficulties with concentrating or remembering specific words. These women may stutter and stammer over a certain word, even though the word is on the tip of their tongue. Certain uneasiness resides at the back of the mind, causing thoughts to wander and curtails concentration.

A woman with attention-deficit disorder may first realize this and go for treatment when she reaches menopause. Declining estrogen levels have aggravated her ability to concentrate. Insomnia, better known as sleeplessness, is a common complaint from women in pre-menopause or menopause. Irritability during menopause may increase due to night sweats and disrupted sleep patterns.

This is a relative condition because impaired sleep can cause touchiness and depression and in turn, irritability and depression can impair sleep. Reduced sleep leads to tiredness and irritability during the day.

Menopause and Irritability: Depression

Feeling depressed during or before menopause and feeling negative about menopause and getting older, increases the stress, and can result in more severe menopause symptoms. If you start smoking and are not being physically active, unhappy in your relationship, or unemployed, or feel the biological clock ticking away - making you regretful that you cannot have children anymore- any of these situations could quite naturally lead to irritability when confronted with menopause. Timely and proper treatment can stem the problem, which could get very serious if left untreated.

Menopause and Irritability: How to Get Relief

There are countless ways to alleviate emotional symptoms related to menopause and irritability. Sometimes, talking to friends and family, or doing relaxation exercises eases the problem. However, if symptoms really disrupt your life, talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy or, if you are still menstruating, low-dose birth control pills are an option as are a newer alternative form of therapy called bio-identical hormones. Blues that linger and cause fatigue, sleep problems, trouble concentrating and lack of interest in sex may be a sign of a more serious type of depression.

Menopause and Irritability: Talk to Your Near and Dear Ones

First, speak to a professional about any emotional problems. Discussing your problems with anyone, a doctor, therapist, or friend, can often bring much needed relief. At this critical juncture in a woman's life, supportive family and friends are even more necessary.

In some cases, your doctor might prescribe medication. Hormone Replacement Therapy - usually given to treat hot flashes and protect bones against osteoporosis, may work to relieve symptoms, but don't forget to also explore bio-identical alternatives. Once the hot flashes and night sweats, go away, both sleep and moods are likely to be significantly improved.

Progesterone is Critical During Menopause, Find Out Why

Do women going through menopause have lowered levels of progesterone?

Recent research tells us that women do suffer from decreased levels of progesterone and also experience other symptoms such as unexplained weight gain (particularly in the stomach area), depression, fatigue, hair loss, memory loss, mood swings, migraines and loss of libido. A natural cream can balance estrogens without side effects.

Progesterone and estrogen are the two main hormones made by women's ovaries when they are menstruating. Smaller amounts of these hormones are also secreted by the adrenal glands. It's necessary for the survival of the fertilized ovum, its embryo as well as the fetus during gestation.

Progesterone's primary functions include: acting as a precursor to estrogen and testosterone; it maintains uterine lining and aids in gestation; protects against fibrocystic breasts, endometrial and breast cancer; acts as a natural diuretic, helps use fat for energy; can be a natural antidepressant; aids thyroid hormone action; normalizes blood clotting; restores sex drive; normalizes blood sugar, zinc and copper levels; restores proper cell oxygen levels, has a thermogenic effect; builds bone and helps to protects against osteoporosis.

Some doctors feel that menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and heart disease may not be due to a deficiency of estrogen, but to a relative estrogen excess due to progesterone deficiency.

Synthetic progestins, such as an HRT drug called Provera (a synthetic chemical), do not have the same biological effects as natural progesterone and have been known to cause side effects including: fluid retention, depression, breast tenderness, stroke, jaundice, blood clotting, and cervical erosions.

On the other hand, natural progesterone has no known side effects and has been found to be helpful in alleviating symptoms such as PMS and hot flashes. It has also been credited with helping to prevent osteoporosis.

Many doctors now prescribe for women in menopause the use of a low-dose, natural progesterone cream during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle. The cream is easily absorbed into thin-skin areas such as the breasts, inner arms, neck or belly by the subcutaneous fat and then released into the bloodstream. You should be careful of the dosage level in these products. Some may have none to very little and others provide 20-30 mg in an average application. It's always best to first check with a doctor.

Stay Healthy Over 50 With These Medical Tests!

It's a new year, and many of my patients are coming in for their annual check-ups. Maybe you're scheduled to visit your doctor for your annual physical as well. I always like to remind my patients of the old Ben Franklin adage - "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Nothing could be truer where your health is concerned. Prevention, however, comes in many forms, from making sure you get the optimal nutrition, rest, and exercise to being proactive and getting the right medical tests to screen for any possible issues.

If you're over the age of 50, the following medical tests are smart-thinking health screening:

Complete Physical Exam: This involves the following:

• weight taken
• urine sample
• heart and lungs checked by listening with a stethoscope
• blood pressure taken
• routine EKG and chest x-ray

Important Blood Tests: Routine blood work is almost always done with a physical exam. This is the CBC, or complete blood count, that measures hemoglobin/hematocrit, red blood cell indices which can screen for anemia, and white blood cells which can warn of an infection. The differential in the CBCmeasures different components in your blood to see where abnormalities may lie.

A BUN, or blood, urea, nitrogen, measures how well your kidneys are working. Electrolytes, monitors sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride levels and show if you're dehydrated, deficient in these crucial minerals, or perhaps, retaining water as can happen in heart or kidney disease.

A hemoglobin A1c, test measures glucose levels in your blood. Too high (over 6.0) can mean a possible diabetes or prediabetic condition. Thyroid testing can screen for a too low thyroid which can cause depression, weight gain, fatigue, cold intolerance, and slow heart beat. Too high thyroid can cause palpitations, anxiety, intolerance to heat, arrhythmias and be a risk factor for heart disease. C-reactive protein and/or homocysteine levels are markers for inflammation and possible heart disease. Cholesterol screening can show if you are at high risk for heart disease depending on HDL and LDL levels.

Immunizations: A tetanus toxoid needs to be updated every 7 years. This is important especially if you work around your house or at your job where you might come in contact with rusty nails, metal, dirty conditions etc. Also, if you are at risk for getting the flu and/or pneumonia, you may want to get a Pneumovax vaccine for pneumonia and an influenza vaccine.

Colon Screening: This can include Hemoccult stool cards (especially if you see blood during toileting) and/or a colonoscopy to screen for polyps or possible other colon abnormalities. If you have a family history of colon cancer and/or have been experiencing changes in bowel habits, pain, etc, it is important to have a colonoscopy.

Skin Cancer Screen: Especially if you spend a good deal of time in the sun and/or see age spots or other darkened areas of skin, or changes in moles on your body.

Just For Women: In addition to the above, women over age 50 need these specific tests:

• WC (waist circumference): The cut off is 35". Higher than that and you could be at risk for metabolic syndrome and/or heart disease that may affect women during menopause. Usually, overweight/belly fat is the culprit and risk decreases if you can get below 35".

• HPV with Pap: Also called DNA with Pap. This test screens for HPV, or human papillomavirus, the virus responsible for cervical cancer. This test is routinely negative for over 95% of women who are tested but can find cervical cancer early. If negative, testing every 3 years is acceptable.

• Pelvic Exam: Checks the state of your uterus, ovaries, rectum, and how well your pelvic organs are supported. Generally, a stool blood test is also done. Or, if you prefer, you can be given the Hemoccult cards and take them home and do the sample testing yourself and return the card to your doctor's office to be read for results.

• Breast Exam: Likely you are doing self-exams at home all the time, but a breast exam done by your doctor should be done at least once or twice a year.

• Bone Density Exam. This is a very quick, noninvasive, painless test where you lie on a table and a scan runs slowly over your body and measures the density of your bones. If you are a small boned/framed low weight woman you need closer monitoring for bone health.

• Hormone testing: Should be done to determine if you are menopausal or premenopausal, and/or if hormone replacement therapy may be needed depending on your symptoms. Bioidentical hormone replacement uses natural sources of estrogen to alleviate symptoms.

• Mammogram/Thermography: Women should get a screening mammogram by age 50. If you are not in a high risk group (carry the BRCA gene and/or have a family history of breast cancer) you may be able to wait 2-3 years without getting another one. Thermography is a new breast cancer screening device that uses heat sensing to detect abnormalities. Many health practitioners feel it is safer than traditional mammograms.

• Just For Men: Men over age 50 also need the following specific tests:

• PSA, or Prostate Specific Antigen: This screens for possible prostate cancer. However, not all elevated PSA tests mean prostate cancer. Sometimes a condition called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy can cause the PSA to be elevated yet the tissue is noncancerous.

• Testosterone levels: Should be done especially if you are experiencing fatigue, depression, low libido. If you have low testosterone, or "low T", you can replace with testosterone shots or using natural therapies.

Some of my patients joke that getting older means getting more and more medical tests. I'm not going to sugar coat it; the list is a bit lengthy. The good news is that, if testing is done regularly, you can be sure you are on the right track in your quest to stay healthy long into your old age. The biggest plus, however, is that they allow you to find problems early enough to have a successful outcome in treating them. In fact, some of my patients, after their yearly exam and tests, go out and celebrate or give themselves a special treat! Works for me!

What Are Bioidentical Hormones?

Natural hormones are identical in structure to the hormones naturally found in the body. For this reason, they are called bioidentical. They are compounded in a special type of pharmacy known as a compounding pharmacy. These are regular licensed pharmaceutical companies. They acquire the pure pharmaceutical grade hormone and compound it into the form ordered by the treating physician. This makes your program very customized and personalized.

Aren't health food store products "natural"? Products in health food stores provide people with a variety of natural options, usually from an herb or plant source. Folk medicine, naturopathy, and herbalists have evolved such that there is more substantiation and better acceptance of these alternative, herbal products.

However, the products from compounding pharmacies are different in several ways. First, the dose provided by a pharmacy requires a prescription. Health food store products (and over the counter products sold at pharmacies) are most often of a dose that is insufficient to produce a measurable difference in the body based on actual laboratory tests. They do sometimes help to relieve symptoms.

Second, the products from the compounding pharmacy utilize ingredients of pure pharmaceutical grade that are micronized. Micronized means that the product is a fine grain that will be well absorbed. This results in less waste as it processes through your digestive system.

In our bioidentical hormone clinics, prescribing natural hormones to women for 10 years, we have never seen the problems and side effects as we have seen with the synthetic hormones. Why not replace the body with natural biologically identical hormones. Anything else, as we have seen with the recent discontinuation of the WHI Trials, is dangerous to a woman's health.