Question: Hello, I am an almost 41 yr old female and I just read an article about cortisol levels ( vampire, ghost, and zombie ) that you wrote, and I’m curious to know more. I think that I’m like the vampire the most, but not exactly. I had a saliva test done recently and the results said that my levels were extremely low in the morning, then went to normal around noon but then by 4-5 they were dropping again. My doctor put me on progesterone because my estrogen to testosterone ratio was pretty...
Sep 17, 2018
We have have been getting a lot of questions regarding Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. We thought a good way to respond to these questions would be to answer them on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss a woman’s situation regarding her experience with testosterone pellets. Below is her exact email. Listener Question: Nina Hello there, I have loved reading all your info with regards to BHRT, Hypothyroidism etc. There are two things I would love to get your opinion on. Firstly a qui...
Sep 05, 2018
In this episode, we talk about how to lose belly fat. Belly fat is one of the most common complaints we hear from our patients and listeners. Weight loss, especially in the stomach is very common and more of a consequence of hormones rather than food. This episode is an extension from our article, 11 Tips on How to Lose Belly Fat in Perimenopause’ . Because of the popularity of the article we wanted to expand on belly fat and ways to combat it. This episode focuses on tips to help lose belly fat...
Aug 27, 2018
This episode of the Progress Your Health Podcast is a continuation to a recent blog post: 7 Tips on How to Cope with PMS . Most women have some PMS symptoms, but there is certainly a spectrum of symptom severity. For one woman, it might just be mild bloating, but for another woman, her cramps are so bad that she has to miss work due to the pain. Unfortunately, when you go see your primary care doctor, or even your Gynecologist, the only conventional treatment option is birth control and over the...
Jul 23, 2018
When it comes to hair loss, the first question women ask is, “can thyroid problems cause hair to fall out?” The answer to this question is an obvious yes. The next question women will ask is, “can hair loss from thyroid problems be reversed? Again, the answer is yes, your hair will grow back, but the underlying hormone issue needs to be addressed. Something to keep in mind, hair loss is not always just a thyroid issue. When it comes to hormones, when one is out of balance, other hormones are als...
Jun 25, 2018
Uterine Fibroids are benign growths inside the uterus. Some people do not know they even have fibroids and others have significant symptoms that can impact their quality of life. For more information, you can read our blog post about Uterine Fibroids . This podcast discusses: What are uterine fibroids? Typical physical and mental symptoms of fibroids. Causes of uterine fibroids What causes uterine fibroids to grow larger Uterine fibroids can be genetic, and you seem them run in families. Or it c...
Jun 18, 2018
Endometriosis can be very painful. It can have a significant effect on a woman’s quality of life. Below are few of the common symptoms of Endometriosis. Painful periods Pain with intercourse Heavy period Mid Cycle spotting Endometriosis occurs when the uterine tissue gets seeded outside the uterus. Removing the uterus can help tremendously with the following symptoms: Heavy periods lead to anemia Painful periods Mid Cycle spotting Bleeding outside of sync with your period Bloating As you probabl...
Jun 11, 2018
Endometriosis is a condition that affects many women. It is estimated that about 10% of females ages 15 to 49 are affected. I think this percentage of women with endometriosis is much higher than 10%. That is because the only sure way to be diagnosed with endometriosis is to have laparoscopic surgery. There are many signs and symptoms of endometriosis, but they tend to overlap with other hormonal imbalances. Often it is confused with fibroids, ovarian cysts, and painful, heavy periods to name a ...
Jun 04, 2018
What Are Liver Enzymes? Liver Enzymes are made by cells throughout the body but are found in highest concentrations in liver cells. These enzymes are found inside liver cells, so when the concentration is elevated in the blood, usually indicates liver cells (hepatocytes) are inflamed, damaged for dying. Below is a list of the four common liver enzymes that are routinely tested on an annual basis or monitored due to certain medications, such as Statin drugs and acetaminophen. Liver Enzymes: Alani...
May 28, 2018
Does progesterone make you tired? It is a lot more complicated than a yes or no answer. In this episode, we are going to explain this question in full detail. We are going to talk about: Types of progesterone replacement: creams, capsules, sublingual, troche Why progesterone is used to balance hormones When you usually take progesterone How much progesterone is a typical dose for treatment Progesterone is a common type of hormone replacement and is an excellent treatment for many of the symptoms...
Mar 19, 2018
It may not always be obvious, but hormones have a significant influence on how we feel and our behavior on a daily basis. It is not something that is given enough thought to in medicine; however, it is something we pay a great deal of attention to because we understand the connections. Hormones dictate everything from eating to sleeping and just about anything else in between. When hormones are balanced, then our behavior normal. If hormones are not balanced, then emotions and behavior will suff...
Mar 14, 2018
Triiodothyronine also is known as T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone. T4 also known as thyroxine is made in the thyroid gland. T4 is then sent peripherally through the system, and mainly the liver will convert T4 to T3. You can have all the T4 in your body, but if your T3 is low, then you will have symptoms of low thyroid. If suspecting a case of low thyroid, thyroid disease, hypo or hyperthyroid your conventional doctor is going to run a TSH blood test. The TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormon...
Mar 05, 2018
Here is a typical scenario: I don’t know what to do I have all the symptoms of low thyroid. My hair is falling out. I am exhausted, no energy whatsoever. I have gained weight, even though I try to eat well and exercise. But honestly, I am too tired to exercise. Sorry for the TMI, but I am constipated, bloated and fiber makes it worse. I am feeling pretty low mood wise and so tired. My skin is really dry, and all I want to do is sleep. I went to my general practitioner, and she ran my blood work ...
Feb 23, 2018
Our bodies make three different forms estrogens: Estrone (E1) Estradiol (E2) Estriol (E3) Estrone is usually considered an unhealthy estrogen. It is still bioidentical, but you do not want loads of estrone around when you are balancing the hormones. Estrone is common in young girls when they first get their periods and after menopause. Estrone metabolites can raise the risk for cancer. This is why you do not want a high level of estrone, which can also cause moodiness, feeling munchie, puffy and...
Feb 17, 2018
What is pregnenolone? It is a steroid hormone but is not a reproductive hormone like estrogen or testosterone. Pregnenolone is also made from cholesterol, which makes it a steroid hormone. It is also considered to be a pro-hormone,’ because it can convert into other hormones depending on the needs of the body. Recently, it has been discovered that pregnenolone is also produced in the brain and spinal cord, which makes it very potent on stimulating the central nervous system and having an impact ...
Feb 15, 2018
Painful intercourse is a very common complaint I get from patients going through or have gone through menopause. They do feel awkward speaking of vaginal dryness, especially with their male gynecologists. This is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, second to hot flashes and night sweats. Menopause is an inevitable course of life that all women will go through. In menopause, the ovaries are going to reduce and ultimately stop making estrogen and progesterone. The average age of menopaus...
Jan 17, 2018
As discussed before, fatigue is a broad topic with many multifaceted causes. I wish there were a magic pill that would help fatigue and was free from side effects or dependency, but there is not. Fatigue is commonplace, but a complicated symptom to address due to the many contributing factors. In our practice, the majority patients complaining about fatigue are relatively healthy and have no disease states, which is why their doctor has a hard time treating them. Unfortunately, there is no treat...
Jan 16, 2018
Fatigue and feeling tired is such a big topic. This episode is the second part of our podcast of ‘ Why Am I so Tired All The Time .’ As we discussed, there are many reasons causing fatigue ranging from medication to having too much caffeine. Below is a list that with many (not all) of the causes of fatigue. Medications: such as antidepressant meds, anti-anxiety, heart meds. Liver – sugar, alcohol and overall number of medications Excessive amounts of Caffeine Anemia/low blood iron Insomnia/lack ...
Jan 13, 2018
One of the most common complaints we hear from patients is fatigue or feeling tired all the time. Unfortunately, fatigue is common, but a complicated symptom to treat. There are many possible reasons someone can be fatigued. Conventionally, when you go to your doctor, fatigue is all the same. There is no differentiation made; however, we see three different patterns of fatigue. Snooze Button: Are you one of those people who keeps pressing the snooze button in the morning. You are so tired and yo...
Jan 10, 2018
In our practice, one of the most common complaints we hear is about sugar cravings. Carb cravings are not only common but an obvious obstacle to our weight loss goals. How many of you have woken up in the morning and said, today is the day that I am going to eat healthy.’ You start the day perfect. Breakfast is a good source of protein like eggs with some spinach and onions. Or maybe a smoothie with lots of greens, chia seeds, fruit and healthy protein powder. Lunch is a salad or yogurt. You dri...
Jan 09, 2018
The new year is here! And I am sure everyone has their new year’s resolutions. The most common, eating better and losing weight. With the holiday season (speaking for myself), there has been way too much sugar, treats, alcohol and just too much food in general. It has also been wonderful to spend quality time with family and loved ones, but too much wine, dessert and too little/no exercise (again, speaking for myself). I am more than ready to eat better, exercise and stop wearing yoga pants all ...
Jan 05, 2018
Welcome to the new year, 2018! It is going to be a great year. With the start of any new year, everyone is ready to eat better and lose weight. Since when did my fat jeans’ become my regular jeans lol! With the holiday festivities behind us, it is time to get back on track with our eating and get back into our skinny jeans! Over the years there have been numerous diet’ programs for weight loss. As many of us know, diets are not sustainable, which is why we might lose 15 lbs but gain it back and ...
Jan 03, 2018
Getting rid of stubborn belly fat is one of the main complaints I hear from patients. In particular, the female patients. More specifically, the female patients over 40 years old. Why is it you can eat a cheeseburger, fries and shake when you are 20, but forget it at 40? Why does it seem that the waistline keeps growing regardless of exercise and diet? This is where it becomes an issue of balancing metabolic hormones rather than eating less or exercising more. Our metabolic hormone balance at 20...
Dec 29, 2017
Two common questions we get all the time is: how much does BHRT cost? And will my insurance cover it? If I had a dollar for every time, I have been asked this question I might have a pair of those fancy Christian Louboutin heels. It’s okay because I can’t stand heels anyway, but the cost of Bioidentical Hormones is undoubtedly a significant concern. People have budgets, so they need to know if their BHRT is going to cost them a car payment, nothing or something in between. Considering BHRT can b...
Dec 28, 2017
Traditionally when one thinks of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), they immediately think of menopause. That hormone therapy is used to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. But in the last 10-15 years, hormone replacement has become more than a fix for hot flashes. But did you know that you can use BHRT for memory, energy and even libido? Did you know that men and women of all ages use BHRT? There are many other conditions that BHRT can treat. Below are ...
Dec 22, 2017
As I have always stated before, us ladies are a symphony of hormones. If one hormone is out of tune, it is quite apparent. However, sometimes it is hard to hear what instrument (hormone) is out of tune because when one hormone is out of balance, others seem to follow suit. So remember, it is not a good idea to fixate on one hormone being out of balance. It’s about balancing them as a whole. Patients tell me all the time, they have estrogen dominance.’ They read on the internet, and their symptom...
Dec 20, 2017
You know you have heavy periods when . When you have tampons everywhere. In every single purse, the glove box of your car. In the glove box of your friend’s and spouse’s car. In the kitchen drawers, all bathrooms, in your jacket pockets, even your grocery bags. You never wear white. You don’t own white underwear because at some point they will no longer be white. You know exactly when and how much ibuprofen you can take. You have a whole bunch of the light tampons because you never use them from...
Dec 18, 2017
With all of the recent changes in health insurance, blood testing is more expensive than ever. Below are few questions and situations we get from our patients and thought it would be good to discuss. Do any of the following sound familiar? My Doctor Won’t Order Thyroid Function Test, What Should I Do? We see this often. Patients complain that they have been to many doctors, internists, endocrinologists and all that gets tested is a TSH for thyroid function. With the internet and dissatisfaction ...
Dec 15, 2017
Which thyroid medication is best? This is a question we get from patients quite often. Conventionally for hypothyroidism, there is one medication prescribed. Regardless of your gender, family/personal history, symptoms, goals. If you need thyroid replacement, you will get Synthroid. If you have had your thyroid gland radiated, now it is hypothyroid. If you have had thyroid cancer and your thyroid has been removed. If you have Hashimoto’s disease, or you have a sluggish underactive thyroid. In th...
Dec 11, 2017
Hashimoto Thyroiditis is an autoimmune process where your immune system will attack your thyroid gland. This attack will eventually cause the thyroid function to drop. Inevitably, Hashimoto’s disease causes hypothyroid. There are two primary blood antibodies to test for Hashimoto’s disease. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO) Thyroglobulin Antibody (TgAb). If you have one or both of these antibodies, then you would be positive for Hashimoto’s disease. Some people have these antibodies and do not h...
Dec 09, 2017
