on
Hormones
A Patients Journey to a Healthy Life
Written by Jennie Reynolds
Jennie Before
I had been exercising on and off over the years and eating what I thought was a healthy diet. But, the weight just stuck with me. It wouldn’t come off… no matter how hard I tried. Or if I lost a pound or two, I would take a break, and it would come right back on.
I saw a friend of mine and he looked great! I asked what he was doing and he told me about SanTan Natural Medicine and the HCG diet. I was a bit skeptical at first, but saw the results in him. So, after some initial research online, I finally contacted Dr. Matt. I will never forget the first day I met him and Denise… they have changed my life.
Not only did I do several rounds of the HCG diet, Dr. Matt also reviewed my hormones via labwork and has helped to get my thyroid straightened out. He also discovered I was severely deficient in testosterone (yes, not progesterone) and recommended hormone replacement therapy. They helped me find what I can and can’t eat, based on returning to a Paleolithic diet.
Jennie Now
Two years after meeting the SanTan Natural Medicine staff, I realized my goal of 135lbs. Though I have days of being in a ‘funk’ or ‘falling off the wagon’, it doesn’t take long to get back on track. I do still weigh every day. I eat as best as I can and have continued my exercise regimen. I ran my first ½ Marathon in January and have 2 more planned.
Dr. Mitchell and his staff truly care about their patients. They want people to live their lives as healthy as possible. They spend time with their patients talking and discussing what’s going on, not only with their health, but also in their lives. I learned so much about how what happens in our daily lives can affect our health. Not only have I have turned my life around since meeting them, but it has changed my family and the outlook we have on health, our well-being and our eating. Thanks, Dr. Matt and Denise, you truly do make a difference in people’s lives.
Jennie Reynolds
Mesa, AZ
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How Old Do You Want To Feel?
Aging is a process that cannot be prevented…but can it be slowed?
Aging has long been viewed as the cause of many of the diseases of aging, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia, osteoporosis, and cancer. There are many people who experience these diseases and even more who suffer from the initial onset symptoms of these diseases.
We know we are aging prematurely because our energy begins to decline, our memory becomes foggy, our moods begin to wax and wane, out bodies become flabby and overweight, and out skin, hair and nails become wrinkled, thin and weak.
We are too often taught that little can be done to prevent the aging process and the onset of these diseases associated with aging. Fortunately, with the introduction of natural and alternative therapies, aging can be slowed and to some degree, even reversed. Additionally, many of the diseases of aging can frequently be prevented altogether. These natural and alternative therapies that are used to prevent and reverse the aging process are referred to as Anti-Aging Medicine.
Anti-Aging medicine encompasses the use of various natural therapies that differ for every individual, depending on their needs. Most people over the age of 40 have experienced their fair share of stress and poor dietary choices; these choices combine to play havoc on healthy hormone production. Natural hormones that are depleted in the body can be supplemented to stimulate weight loss, mental clarity, energy, libido, and emotional stability. In many circumstances, the hands of time are turned back to a time when we felt the vitality for life. Without these hormones, the aging process accelerates. Without these hormones, the aging process accelerates. BioIdentical hormones present a safe and effective approach to boosting normal hormone levels.
Naturopathic physicians like myself, take a fresh approach to health and aging. We are educated to help patients identify their health obstacles. By removing these obstacles, patients will experience health on a new level. The symptoms of aging are the body’s signals that something needs to change. An improved diet, regular exercise, and balanced hormones will help return to us a quality of life that we should all enjoy no matter what our age.
Ask yourself, “If you didn’t know how old you were, how old would you be?”
If you have more questions visit the Bioidentical Hormone section on our website or contact me, Dr. Matt Mitchell.
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Manage Stress and Manage Health
Stress has become probably the greatest adversary to wellness. Most of us experience it every day of our lives, finding it unavoidable. Primitive cultures experienced it while hunting or facing life-threatening situations, like running from a bear. In the modern age, even though we rarely find ourselves hunting for our meals or running from bears, we still experience stress. It is a part of our jobs, our home lives and our relationships. We experience it when watching the news, when driving in heavy traffic or even when reading a frightening book. Stress is the natural way in which the body deals with demanding situations. It is the way the body rebalances itself when the world around us places obstacles in our path. The body was designed to deal with stress on an infrequent basis. But, the demands of our modern society place us in stressful situations continually and this stress can reap havoc on an otherwise healthy body. Stress has become the catalyst to many diseases. It is the main cause of premature aging and a major factor contributing to weight gain.
Stress causes the release of certain hormones (called adrenalin – also referred to as epinephrine and norepinephrine) into the blood stream. Adrenalin enhances the bodies’ performance; increasing heart rate and breathing, elevating blood pressure, improving eyesight, directing more blood to the muscles and releasing stored sugar into the blood for quick energy. Adrenalin prepares the body for the “fight or flight response”. In addition to adrenalin, the body releases cortisol into the blood. Cortisol is a hormone that is released from the adrenal glands on a daily basis, even when there is no “fight or flight response”. However, in times of excess stress, the adrenal glands release additional cortisol. Like adrenalin, cortisol helps the body deal with stress, but more on a long-term basis. Adrenalin only lasts for a short period of time. These hormones are often referred to as the “stress hormones”.
Cortisol, the Stress Hormone
Cortisol is a steroid hormone very similar to cortisone. It is different than the anabolic steroids that many bodybuilders use. It is essential to the normal function and development of the body. Cortisol is one of the hormones that help to wake you up in the morning. It assists in regulating the blood pressure. It is responsible for maintaining the glucose (sugar) level in the blood so you have the necessary energy between meals and during exercise. In times of injury or disease, cortisol helps to control inflammation and immunity – keeping the body from over-reacting. It is a normal and necessary hormone that without it, we could not survive.
During the continual stress that most people deal with on a daily basis, the adrenals are hard at work, pumping out excessive amounts of cortisol. While this cortisol helps the body deal with the stress, the long-term effects are detrimental, causing or leading to a multitude of physical and psychological disorders including:
* Ulcers
* Osteoporosis
* High blood pressure
* Insomnia
* Acne
* Headaches (migraines)
* Menstrual irregularities
* Cataracts
* Decreased growth in kids
* Digestive problems
* Weight gain
* Loss of muscle mass
* Slow healing of wounds
* Easy bruising
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Type 2 diabetes
* Thinning of the skin
* Continual infections
* High cholesterol and triglycerides
Aging
I find it disheartening that so many people see aging as a natural transition of a healthy body into a deteriorating body; one that is wrinkled, overweight, with weak bones and muscles and plagued with aches and pains, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This process is not aging; it is simply the poor management of health. And, much of it is attributed to long-term high stress resulting in high cortisol. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down the body. High amounts of it in the blood over long periods of time deplete muscles and bones, thin the skin, and weaken the linings of the lungs and gut. High cortisol robs and steals from virtually every part of the body leaving it in a diminished and fragile state. Additionally, because cortisol suppresses the immune system, the weakened body is now a prime target for an infectious and/or life-threatening disease. It is not aging that makes us look and feel old, it is the long term result of too much stress in our lives.
Lose the Stress and Lose the Fat
It was mentioned above that cortisol helps maintain the glucose (sugar) level in the blood for a constant source of energy to the cells of the body. Sugar is stored primarily in three places; the liver (as glycogen), the muscles (as amino acids) and the fat (as triglycerides). Normally the liver supplies a sufficient amount of sugar to maintain blood levels. However, under excess stress, more than the usual amount of cortisol is pumped into the blood causing blood sugar to rise. In this case, cortisol is forcing the body to produce so much sugar that the liver is not able to keep up with this demand for sugar. Therefore, the body is forced to breakdown muscle and fat to be converted to sugar. This sounds really good – breaking down fat. However, unlike our ancestors who used all that newly converted blood sugar hunting for food or running from a bear, we stay sitting at our desks, in our cars or on the couch. All of this inactivity means our bodies have no need for the sugar in the blood. As a result, much of it is converted back to triglycerides to be stored as body fat. So, even though stress does cause the breakdown of fat, it produces even more in the end – leaving most people with more fat and less muscle.
In an attempt to lose body fat, some people do aerobic exercises (like running, biking, swimming, aerobics, etc.) after getting home from a stressful day at work. For many, this type of exercise does not decrease body fat, especially if the diet remains unchanged. Exercise is a form of stress. And, as with all other types of stress, cortisol is pumped into the blood in an effort to increase blood sugar for energy. The only problem is that after that long day at work, the blood already has high quantities of cortisol and sugar. Exercising aerobically only further increases the amount of cortisol and sugar in the blood without creating enough demand by the muscles for the circulating blood sugar. So, again, that excess sugar is converted into fat and it’s back to square one. The better exercise for a high stress, over weight individual would be to engage in an activity that would lower cortisol output and raise the demand by the muscles for sugar. Weight lifting (anaerobic exercise) and some forms of yoga are two activities that accomplish both – reducing cortisol output and utilizing a greater amount of blood sugar. The end result is less fat storage and more muscle production. The ultimate goal, however, is relaxation. Relaxation substantially reduces cortisol levels and that alone can have a profound effect on weight loss.
Adrenal Deficiency
There is a point when the adrenals can no longer sustain the output of cortisol under conditions of long-term excess stress. As with every organ that is subjected to long periods of overwork, the adrenals begin to fail and cortisol levels drop below the normal. Excessive cortisol causes a series of symptoms and diseases (listed above) that can dramatically decrease the quality of life. But, adrenal failure or the lack of cortisol can be life threatening. Fortunately, for most, the adrenal glands are very hardy organs and will usually show signs of deficiency long before they fail entirely. A person experiencing adrenal deficiency will usually experience at least one or more of the following:
* Loss of energy (fatigue)
* Dizziness
* Weight loss
* Loss of appetite
* Difficulty waking up in the morning
* Inability to concentrate* Low blood pressure
* Light-headedness when standing up from sitting or laying down
* Abdominal pain
* Muscle weakness
There are lab tests available that can test cortisol levels to determine the degree of adrenal deficiency. Be leery although, there are many tests available that do a poor job evaluating cortisol. Typically, the better tests will require urine or saliva samples over an extended period, around 12 to 24 hours.
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Aging, a Natural Process
It is interesting that many people and even physicians see aging as a disease. Some of the most respected medical references denote aging as the cause or risk for certain diseases. Take for example osteoporosis and cataracts. Both are referenced as being caused by, among other things, aging. Differently from what most people are lead to believe, aging is not a disease, nor is it the cause of any disease. The diseases associated with aging are not the result of aging itself, but instead the result of years of exposure to unhealthy living. Poor diet, stress and lack of activity are the primary factors that have made aging look like a disease. All three factors have a negative effect on health and are major contributors to the diseases associated with old age.
Growth hormone is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain). Its main purpose is the regulation of growth. The amount of growth hormone production is highest during puberty and slowly declines until it levels out at around age 50 to 60. In a normal and healthy aging person, growth hormone remains somewhat steady after age 50 or 60. Growth hormone acts on basically every part of the body, encouraging it to grow. This fact is obviously important in kids, but it is also important in adults. Just like kids, adults are constantly growing, only not quite as fast. Cells are continually dying and need to be replaced. In a person with a poor diet, high stress and lack of activity or exercise, growth hormone steadily declines after age 50. As a result, dying cells aren’t as readily replaced and the bones, muscles, and organs slowly become weak and more vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis, dementia, cataracts, arthritis, hypothyroidism, constipation, and lung and heart diseases.
Lack of Activity
Driving by a park you will usually see numerous children running, jumping or swinging from the monkey bars. Typically, the adults are sitting on a park bench. We begin to establish habits of inactivity shortly after elementary school. Starting with high school, going into college and/or getting a job; more time is spent sitting and less time being active. Activity is necessary for the development and maintenance of healthy muscles and bones. As people age, they become more and more inactive. As a result of the inactivity, muscles and bones begin to atrophy. This atrophy creates serious obstacles to health. Healthy muscles and bones are essential to the body. Without them there is a decrease in the circulation and production of blood. The muscles and bones are also an important part of our immune system. When they are weak or atrophied, the immune system is compromised and our bodies are more susceptible to diseases.
Osteoporosis
Diseases like osteoporosis were virtually non-existent 100 years ago. Reports of people falling as a result of spontaneous bone breaks was unheard of. People were much more active. There were fewer desk jobs. Instead, they were outside hunting, farming, riding horses, chopping wood, or playing. And, televisions did not exist. Osteoporosis is a disease of the late 20th and early 21st century. It is a new disease and a direct result of our lack of activity and exercise as we age. Activity and exercise, especially weight bearing exercise, influence bone health.
The bones are adaptable and change as our living habits change. The bones of an astronaut are a perfect example. After spending numerous days in space, the bones of an astronaut become soft and weak. This condition arises because the lack of gravity places little demand on the bones. Upon returning to earth and to full gravity, an astronaut has to be cautious for several days not to fall, as their bones are softer and more likely to break. The opposite is true of most body builders and power lifters. Their bone densities are markedly higher than the average person. Weight bearing exercises encourage the production and release of growth hormone, even in older people. The growth hormone indirectly acts upon the bones causing them to grow and strengthen. This result is why staying active is so important to bone health.
Another important part of bone health is diet. Long standing diets high in red meat and refined sugars act to acidify the body. In response, the body borrows calcium from its main stores – the bones. The calcium helps to neutralize the acid state of the body attempting to bring it back to a more balanced pH or less acidic state. If the body were allowed to remain in an acidic state it would become more vulnerable to various infectious illnesses and chronic diseases (including cancer). Unless the diet is changed, the bones eventually become deficient in calcium. Without calcium, the bones grow weak and brittle.
Supplements and foods high in calcium are usually taken to help increase the amount of calcium available to rebuild the bones. But, these supplements are essentially useless to a person with much stress in their lives. Excess stress causes the body to release cortisol, which is a steroid hormone that decreases the absorption of calcium. Simply taking supplements without a change in diet or lifestyle does not correct the problem. These supplements basically just pass through the digestive system unabsorbed and unused until stress is reduced.
Stress
The high cortisol produced from high stress not only affects bone health, but it also suppresses the immune system. This makes people more susceptible to “infectious” and chronic diseases. Cortisol additionally thins the skin and linings of the respiratory and digestive tract. The skin, respiratory and digestive linings serve as a barrier to separate the body from the outside world. Without this healthy barrier, foreign particles can get into the blood and cause problems such as allergies. These linings also serve as organs of elimination (in fact the skin is the largest organ of elimination). When these linings are not healthy, then waste is not being adequately eliminated from the body. Waste build up in the body is the precursor to a plethora of disorders, including cancer. Other affects of thinning of these linings include the appearance of premature wrinkling on the outside. Inside, the reduced linings of the digestive tract create digestive problems (which lead to nutritional deficiencies) and predispose people to ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and colon cancer. Compromised respiratory linings often result in allergies, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung cancer. The list of complications and diseases created by long-term high cortisol is continuous. Stress is a major component influencing health and aging.
Diet
You are what you eat…you really are. Food is the building blocks for the body. The most appropriate diet is the one that is tailored to the needs of the individual. It depends on the body type, blood type and goals of each person. As a general rule, diets high in refined sugar and processed and overcooked foods build an unstable and weak foundation. Like building a house out of straw. These kinds of foods also acidify the body. It was mentioned above that high acidity weakens the bones but it also weakens the body as a whole. High acidity means low oxygen. Low oxygen means body cells have to undergo fermentation (breakdown of sugar without the use of oxygen) to produce energy. Fermentation produces more waste than regular metabolism. This method of processing increases waste buildup in the body. The buildup of excess amounts of waste is yet another precursor to premature aging and diseases.
After eating, blood sugar rises and insulin is released. Release of insulin is a normal and necessary process. It allows body cells to make energy. However, excess amounts of insulin in the blood can create many problems. The body releases an excess amount of insulin when subjected to a diet of refined sugar and a stressful lifestyle. Elevated insulin is now considered one of the main hormones responsible for “aging”. In other words, it is causing premature aging and the diseases associated with aging. Elevated insulin causes premature aging and age-related diseases by suppressing the release of growth hormone. Remember, growth hormone is one of the youth hormones, encouraging the growth of new cells, even in older people. Growth hormone also stimulates the immune system. Another way elevated insulin causes premature aging is by causing inflammation throughout the body. Initially, inflammation may show up as arthritis or gastritis or some other form of …itis. Prolonged inflammation not only results in chronic pain but it wears and tears the body down sending it into a downward spiral of rapid aging, disease, and death.
Calorie restriction is another important aspect of health and aging. Americans simply eat too much. This overeating is a major contributor to the increasing incidence of age-related chronic diseases. Animal research has long shown that reduced calorie diets extend lives and grant better health. Recently, a major research study called CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy) began in an effort to substantiate that the claims are also true for people.
Centenarians
Centenarians are the population of people 100+ years old. Scientists at Boston University School of Medicine started a large-scale research study called the New England Centenarian Study. The goal of this study was to discover how centenarians are able to live past 100 years of age. Centenarians have baffled doctors by markedly delaying and even completely escaping all of the diseases associated with old age, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. So, what do these centenarians have in common? What are they doing that helps them live so long?
Many people believe it is just good genetics that grant longevity. However, the New England study revealed that genetics is only a small part. The greatest factor is lifestyle. Centenarians usually have no history of smoking and no history of obesity. The main contributor, according to the study, was the ability to handle stress. Centenarians almost always have personalities that allow them to deal with stressful situations better than the average person. Things just seem to role off their backs more easily. For some, managing stress is just a natural trait, but for others, it has to be learned…and it can be learned.
Probably the most impressive population of centenarians is on a Japanese island called Okinawa. Okinawa has one of the highest percentages of centenarians of any place in the world. These people are not only living longer, but they are healthier.
For these centenarians, it is largely due to lifestyle. Okinawans consume up to 60% fewer calories than Japanese on the main island. Japanese already consume far fewer calories than Americans. Okinawans eat almost no refined sugar and consume high quantities of fiber, fresh, and raw foods. These people remain extremely active throughout their lives, avoid alcohol and smoking and have a stress-reducing psycho-spiritual outlook. Apparently, “moderation” is a key cultural value among Okinawans. The treatment of illnesses is another key factor contributing to the longevity of the Okinawa centenarians. Okinawans still maintain the use of herbs and acupuncture as their primary modalities of medicine.
Many scientists and physicians claim that the organs of the body begin to fail after age 60. This may be the case for a typical American on a typical American diet, with limited amounts of activity, taking regular medications and overwhelmed with stress. However, for the truly healthy individual, this simply is not true. There is no doubt that the body begins to slow down with age, but this is a normal and healthy process. Other than that, there are no diseases or symptoms associated with healthy aging. Death for centenarians is not a slow degenerative process. Most of these people enjoy their full health until the end. It was observed in the centenarian studies that most centenarians experience rapid terminal declines. In other words, they die quickly. And they die old.
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