Hormones control every function in your body, from your metabolism and mood to your sex drive and energy; from your appetite and sleep; to your strength and endurance…
HORMONES keep you alive!
In recent years, hormones have been the subject of bad press. Of course, everything in the media is about getting attention. The truth can be twisted in ways to get attention!
Beware of what you believe.
Most reports are from studies that used synthetic hormones and combinations that are not natural to your body and state of health.
The NIH study caused the biggest upset in medicine which led to millions of women suddenly stopping their hormone therapy in fear of getting heart attacks and cancer.
What emerged later was that the SYNTHETIC (artificial, non natural hormone PROVERA) was the biggest culprit in the adverse findings.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
CELEBRITIES USE THEIR STATUS TO HELP YOU LEARN THE TRUTH
Suzanne Somers has devoted her life to investigating and reporting on bio-identical hormones, the dangers of pharmaceutical drugs and living a healthy lifestyle. Even Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil are all educating their audiences in the field of bio-identical hormones, eating natural foods and living a healthy lifestyle – just as we help you to do at Better Medical Centre (formerly Chronos Apollo).
HORMONES AND HOW THEY WORK
Hormones are created from nutrients. Protein molecules provide the building blocks to making your hormones. Both vitamins and minerals attach to these protein molecules to create different hormones. After they have been created, hormones become great communicators. They are chemical messengers that direct every function in your body. From energy and metabolism, to blood pressure and sugar regulation; from how you gain or lose weight, to your sex drive and vitality – hormones help keep you alive and feeling well.
THE KEY TO HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
A Medical doctor sharing information on bio-identical hormones, compares how they work to a lock and key. Your standard house key is specifically designed to unlock your door. When hormones are being replaced, they should be identical to the specific hormones that have been lost. Otherwise, it is rather like using your house key to open up the house next door – the lock will reject it, because the design cut inside the lock is not identical to the design cut of your key.
WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE?
Several factors have an impact on hormonal balance: inadequate nutrition, digestive system disturbances and the environment, as well as physical and emotional stress.
“I’m in shock. The protein and vitamins worked within 3 days!! My energy level is better so my depression is not that bad. I can’t wait to start the hormones. ”
Pam, Calgary AB, 51 years old.
HORMONE IMBALANCE SYMPTOMS
Since hormones are responsible for every function in the body, when you experience a hormonal imbalance, you may experience a variety of symptoms including:
- Low energy and fatigue
- PMS
- Infertility
- Early or difficult menopause or andropause (male menopause)
- Poor mood and irritability
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Low sex drive or no sex drive
- Reduced interest and enjoyment in activities
- Reduced strength and muscle mass
- Weak bones ( osteopenia / osteoporosis)
- Insomnia and other sleep difficulties
- Anxiety
- Thinning and aging skin
- Inflammation
- Hypoglycemia
Other symptoms can include feeling overwhelmed or incapable of handling stress well, recurrent illness, undiagnosed nausea and digestive issues, IBS, trouble getting up and getting going in the mornings and fatigue that persists even with more rest and more sleep.
CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE IMMEDIATELY.
Hormone balance begins with adequate nutrition. Sufficient protein is really important. Find out what a full serving of protein really looks like. If you don’t know where to begin, an easy way to start your day is to make a smoothie with protein powder, berries and avocados.
If unable to digest and absorb food and supplements, you won’t be able to make or use your hormones well. It is very important to look after your digestive health to ensure you have regular, daily bowel movements.
Pay attention to both your physical and emotional environment. Dr. Iyer believes that your mind and body are equally important to your best health and reaching your SUCCESS ZONES. Unfortunately, we have all encountered individuals who can become as toxic in our lives as chemicals and poisons! The declaration ” You make me sick ” is sometimes, sadly, all too true.
Dr. Deb Heald specializes in environmental toxicities and other toxins that impact your health. Environmental toxins can act as hormonal disruptors in your body and can influence every function in your body. So book your appointment with Dr. Heald as soon as possible.
Some people claim they don’t experience stress, but very few of us live stress free lives. Being very busy and taking on too many projects; escorting children or parents from place to place, confronting heavy traffic, constant multi-tasking with one eye on the clock because there is not enough time to do everything you need to do in the time provided – all of these scenarios can become highly stressful. Personality clashes can also be stressful to the body since they also affect your release of stress hormones.
BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES
Bio-identical hormones are chemically identical to those found in the human body. But determining which bio-identical hormones will be used in treatment requires a method as unique as you are. The treatment is different for every individual. It is customized to specifically remedy your unique symptoms. Dosing is also monitored and adjusted to your individual needs, as measured by laboratory testing. Bio-identical hormone replacement is the mainstay of anti-aging medicine.
ANTI-AGING MEDICINE
Traditionally, we accepted aging as a natural process, so we also accepted that it is normal to have declining hormone levels. But hormones keep you alive! They help keep your mood stable, your energy high and direct every vital function that keeps you going. So why should you simply accept falling levels when we now have the knowledge and ability to return to the higher levels that kept you at your peak physically, mentally and sexually.
Synthetic hormones don’t look like your own hormones so your receptors (the locks) do not recognize them as the correct key.That explains why so many people get poor results from synthetic hormones. It is equally important to understand that hormones do not function by themselves – they all interact with each other to some extent. The hormones that keep you alive are obviously the most important ones – they impact how all the hormones are in balance and whether your body can use them efficiently.
Simply taking one hormone to correct an imbalance without attention to the effects on other hormones can lead to problems – either poor results early or problems later. Sometimes, the problems could be seemingly unrelated: like developing diabetes or developing thyroid problems. That is why having your hormones balanced requires special follow up, testing and education.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q. Why does my family doctor not treat me with bio-identical hormones?
A. Special training and study is needed to safely and effectively prescribe bio-identical hormones. These hormones and the intricate balance of all the different hormones is not taught in medical schools. Special post-graduate training is available for MD’s who wish to learn the safe and effective use of bio-identical hormones. Naturopathic Doctors are trained in the use of bio-identical hormones.
Bio-identical hormones are not made by drug companies. Rather, they are made in a special pharmacy known as a compounding pharmacy. Bio-identical hormones have been used for over 20 years in Europe and several studies and publications have also been available for many years. However, in North America, drug companies have the greatest influence regarding both the selection and funding of medical studies.
NOTE: some pharmacy drugs are actually bio-identical. While neither Premarin nor Provera are bio-identical, both 17-B- estradiol and Prometrium are bio-identical hormones, so the use of these medications could be congenial with your desire for ” natural” hormones.
Q. How often do I have to visit the clinic?
A. After treatment begins, you will need to return for a follow up visit within 3 months. Once we have determined that your cancer risk is not elevated and that your hormones are all balancing well, you can return at less frequent intervals.
Q. Why is nothing prescribed at my first visit?
A. We won’t know enough about you yet. It would not be prudent to prescribe anything until we assess your hormonal health as well as other health concerns.
We also need to look at your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases that are commonly associated with the aging process. We do this because we now have sophisticated testing that can alert us to certain health risks, years before your regular physical examination can detect them.
Depending on what we discover and what needs attention – you will need to come in so we can look after your entire health and find your SUCCESS ZONES. We do not simply recommend a hormone to eliminate one particular symptom. That is like tuning only one key on a piano and leaving all the other keys untuned. It’s not a solution to a problem. We believe in FIXING it, which means paying attention to, and restoring your physical, mental, emotional and hormonal health. Remember that your general health, as well as stress and diseases, will all affect your hormonal health. Dr. Iyer introduces the Triangle of Health and how to reach your SUCCESS ZONES at her seminar ” Health Is Your First Wealth”
“This information will save your life!
Joan S, 53 years old. Oil and Gas Executive.
” I thought I knew everything about hormones. I had already been on them and they helped me for a while. This talk changed my whole perspective on what I need to do and why.”
Nancy F. 48 years old. Calgary, AB. Consultant.
Q. How are bio-identical hormones different from synthetic hormones?
A. In some ways, it is like comparing fraternal twins to identical twins. Synthetic hormones are similar, far more like fraternal twins, while bio-identical hormones are an exact match, much more like identical twins.
Synthetic hormones have a different molecular structure from what your own body makes and knows and you can have side effects to these drugs. But, Bio-identical means that there is no difference at a molecular level to your own hormones. That is why your body recognizes them as familiar and your risk of side effects and cancer is not any different from when your body is making its own hormones.
Q. Is taking hormones dangerous?*
Any hormone can be dangerous when out of balance. We also know that there are numerous factors involved in the creation of cancer cells and the body’s inability to defend against it.
If estrogen and progesterone were the only factors in making cancer grow; then the highest incidence should be seen in the years after pregnancy when the body has its HIGHEST exposure to estrogen; and during the most fertile years when the female body makes the most progesterone.
There are cultures where women are making adequate estrogen and progesterone in their 60′s without an increase in breast cancer – in fact, those populations have a very low incidence of breast cancer.
At Better Medical Centre (formerly Chronos Apollo), we understand all the other reasons that raise a woman’s risk for breast cancer; we do many safety checks and follow-ups. Hormones are not prescribed randomly and our staff are highly educated and in constant learning about bio-identical hormones.
We have women in their 60′s in our clinic who have adequate, endogenous levels of estrogen and progesterone without any breast cancer. These levels in them are the same levels we try to mimic when we are replacing bio-identical hormones.
Current research in Europe is indicating that Estriol could in fact be protective post Breast Cancer. This confirms that hormones alone are not the only reason a person gets breast cancer.
* Study on hormones and cancer.
BHRT Treatment
Your hormones are in a delicate balance. Think of your many different hormones as if they all are like instruments in a symphony. The beautiful melody your body plays when your hormones are in perfect balance would sound dreadful if they became imbalanced and some of the instruments played out of key. That is why you may not get results from taking a single hormone. There may be other hormones that must be tuned up or balanced before your feel normal or feel like yourself again.
It is also important to support your Bio-identical hormone restoration therapy with an overall wellness program. At Better Medical Centre (formerly Chronos Apollo), we will advise you on natural therapies that will support your hormone balance. Holistic nutrition principles, naturopathy, homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine are all used to help you maintain optimal hormone balance!
Embracing a nutritional therapy of vitamins, minerals, herbs and oils will give your body everything it needs to use the hormones it makes in an efficient and optimal manner. Some medications are actually bio-identical as well.
Eating a wholesome diet of organic foods and whole grains, as well as avoiding chemicals and processed foods also helps your body remain healthy and maintain good hormonal balance.
Q. Does every person need hormones?
A. Yes! Every individual needs the right amount of hormones to function at an optimal and healthy level. Some hormones are critical to life. BUT not every patient will actually need a prescription for hormones.
That is why it is so important to test and then treat for hormones, regardless of symptoms. Perhaps you are having symptoms for complete different reasons; in such cases, they can be resolved or remedied without hormones.
Just because “bio-identical” hormones are ‘ natural’ , does not mean they should be used without extreme care and attention. When used incorrectly, bio-identical hormones can lead to an increased cancer risk, as well as other complications including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Bioidentical hormone replacement treatment must therefore be monitored very carefully and closely to ensure that you become healthier and live with vitality, energy and enthusiasm.
Calgary Bio-identical Hormone Expert and Medical Doctor… Dr Natasha Iyer MD has extensive training in Women’s Health and specializes in using Bio-identical Hormones to help you achieve Peak Performance in every area of your life and health. Her collaborative team of doctors help you get exceptional results, by helping address your issues from each dimension of health. Working with clients from across Canada, the USA and abroad, Dr. Iyer’s knowledge and skill has helped improve the quality of life of many hundreds of people.
