Sources:
----Excerpted from Time for Health - Your Menopause Type: Testosterone www.time4health.com
----www.johnsondrugs.com/docs/MENOPAUSE3
----www.Diagnose-Me
Testosterone is a male hormone that is usually linked to male sexuality. What you may not know is that it is made in the ovaries of women and in the adrenal glands of both men and women. Besides its reproductive function, it has a direct affect on blood sugar levels, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the skeletal system, and other tissues.
Normal testosterone levels are critical for the prevention of depression and osteoporosis. Symptoms and indicators of high female testosterone levels are a hard-driving personality (type A), adult acne, male pattern hair loss/ baldness, and excess perspiration. Conditions that suggest high female testosterone levels: malignant breast cancer tumors, ovarian cancer, PCOS, heart disease, and diabetes.
Normal levels of testosterone directly stimulates bone growth, mineralization and repair of damaged bone. Excessive testosterone results in osteoporosis.
Excessive testosterone can cause vaginal atrophy as well as inflammation. The risk here is yeast infections and endometrial cancer.
Normal levels of testosterone have a relaxing effect on coronary arteries. Excessive testosterone increases the risk of heart disease.
Menopause in women is usually when the troubles start. The average age of menopause in Western societies today is 51 years. When a complete cessation of menses has stopped for one year, the menopausal transition can be said to have occurred. Premature menopause occurs before age 40 and is often a result of a genetic condition or autoimmune disorder. There is also surgical menopause (hysterectomy) or chemotherapy induced menopause.
For menopausal women who have high testosterone, these changes in diet are recommended:
Eliminate: (blog's author: all the good stuff!)
----Sugar, candy, soda. Luncheon meats.
----Alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated beverages.
----White flour, bread.
----Artificial sweeteners.
----Pork. Margarine and Canola oil.
Consume:
----Organic fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. Raw fruits and vegetables. Adequate amounts of fiber. Whole grains (bulgar, brown rice, bran, oats.)
----Stevia for sweetening.
----Foods high in phytoestrogens (green vegies).
----Apples. Nuts. Olive oil, coconut and rice bran oils for cooking.
----Drink a log of water - 1/2 of one's weight in ounces daily. Butter. Soy. (Reliv!) Celery.
----Skinless turkey and cold-water fish.
Lifestyle changes:
----Limit stress and obtain adequate rest, regular exercise. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, yoga.
----Drink good quality filtered water only. Avoid exposure to chemicals as they promote free radical activity and burden the immune system.
----Use stainless steel or glass cookware. Not aluminum.
----Use supplements to support the immune system if immune system issues are present.
Suggested lab testing:
----Hair metal mineral analysis. Adrenal Stress Index. Female Hormone Panel. (Saliva test!)
Friday, February 1, 2008
May 4: Thursday: Adrenal Fatigue
Sources:
----Excerpted mainly from Adrenal fatigue - the effects of stress and high cortisol at Women to Women, www.WomenToWwomen.com:
----Some interwoven excerpts are from: Adrenal Hormone Imbalance - A Signal of Deeper Stress by Kurt N. Woeller, D.O. as found at www.stillpointhealth.com/Adrenals
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, autoimmune disorders and dozens of other symptoms. Severe adrenal fatigue is a direct factor in the acquiring of diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be relieved.
How do you know if you have adrenal fatigue? If you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, than your adrenals are probably doing well. (Author’s note: If the foregoing describes you, you are probably not over 40 yet!) On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can't lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbs as 'pcik-me-ups' - these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney and are the control center for many of the body's hormones. The outer layer of the gland, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adreneline. The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body's resources into 'fight or flight' mode by increasing production of adrenaline (epinephrine, norepinephrine) and cortisol. They also regulate sodium and potassium absorption and distribution through the kidneys, which has an effect on electrolyte balance and blood pressure. When you are healthy and your body has an instantaneous need to produce adrenaline, your adrenals increase your heart rate and blood pressure, releasing energy and sharpening your senses. This is the stress response. The catch is, it wasn't designed to last very long.
In our world today, we're constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, and worrying about other - with no let up. The list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present and more. The result is our adrenal glands are constantly on high alert: too much adrenaline; too much cortisol.
Cortisol, like adrenaline, helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen, and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that's ok but at sustained levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down. Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, and weaken your immune system. Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions that include fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others.
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) in sufficient amounts. This hormone is a precursor to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. (See my chart, "Steroid Hormone Cascade.") It is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function.
The ratio of DHEA to cortisol should be approximately 5:1. Deviations from this range could indicate poor blood sugar control, digestive inflammation, chronic infections, poor diet and environmental toxins. Adrenal imbalance examples can also be: irregular menses, PMS, and infertility. The reason for these problems is lack of adequate sex hormone production (i.e. estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) due to the need to keep up with the increased demand of adrenal hormones.
Conventional medicine treats early-stage symptoms rather than their underlying causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed. In the conventional standard of care, any cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal. Anything outside of that indicates disease. Measuring cortisol via saliva tests several times during the day tells the story. Ideally, it's elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but steady throughout the day to sustain energy, and then falls in the evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, levels are too high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is called "hyperadrenia." In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not normal and typically too high at night. In advanced stages, when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will never reach normal levels. This is called "hypoadrenia." Eventaully, the stimulus on our adrenal gland for stress hormone production is so great that our adrenal gland begins to weaken. Among the wide variety of symptoms of adrenal gland dysfunction are osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
It's important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems. Your past and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create.
Women with moderate symptoms can see improvement through dietary changes and stress reduction. More severe symptoms usually need greater intervention.
----Excerpted mainly from Adrenal fatigue - the effects of stress and high cortisol at Women to Women, www.WomenToWwomen.com:
----Some interwoven excerpts are from: Adrenal Hormone Imbalance - A Signal of Deeper Stress by Kurt N. Woeller, D.O. as found at www.stillpointhealth.com/Adrenals
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, autoimmune disorders and dozens of other symptoms. Severe adrenal fatigue is a direct factor in the acquiring of diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be relieved.
How do you know if you have adrenal fatigue? If you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, than your adrenals are probably doing well. (Author’s note: If the foregoing describes you, you are probably not over 40 yet!) On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can't lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbs as 'pcik-me-ups' - these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney and are the control center for many of the body's hormones. The outer layer of the gland, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adreneline. The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body's resources into 'fight or flight' mode by increasing production of adrenaline (epinephrine, norepinephrine) and cortisol. They also regulate sodium and potassium absorption and distribution through the kidneys, which has an effect on electrolyte balance and blood pressure. When you are healthy and your body has an instantaneous need to produce adrenaline, your adrenals increase your heart rate and blood pressure, releasing energy and sharpening your senses. This is the stress response. The catch is, it wasn't designed to last very long.
In our world today, we're constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, and worrying about other - with no let up. The list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present and more. The result is our adrenal glands are constantly on high alert: too much adrenaline; too much cortisol.
Cortisol, like adrenaline, helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen, and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that's ok but at sustained levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down. Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, and weaken your immune system. Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions that include fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others.
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) in sufficient amounts. This hormone is a precursor to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. (See my chart, "Steroid Hormone Cascade.") It is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function.
The ratio of DHEA to cortisol should be approximately 5:1. Deviations from this range could indicate poor blood sugar control, digestive inflammation, chronic infections, poor diet and environmental toxins. Adrenal imbalance examples can also be: irregular menses, PMS, and infertility. The reason for these problems is lack of adequate sex hormone production (i.e. estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) due to the need to keep up with the increased demand of adrenal hormones.
Conventional medicine treats early-stage symptoms rather than their underlying causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed. In the conventional standard of care, any cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal. Anything outside of that indicates disease. Measuring cortisol via saliva tests several times during the day tells the story. Ideally, it's elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but steady throughout the day to sustain energy, and then falls in the evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, levels are too high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is called "hyperadrenia." In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not normal and typically too high at night. In advanced stages, when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will never reach normal levels. This is called "hypoadrenia." Eventaully, the stimulus on our adrenal gland for stress hormone production is so great that our adrenal gland begins to weaken. Among the wide variety of symptoms of adrenal gland dysfunction are osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
It's important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems. Your past and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create.
Women with moderate symptoms can see improvement through dietary changes and stress reduction. More severe symptoms usually need greater intervention.
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