How do I get started?

It’s important to see your primary care provider for a thorough assessment to ensure that your symptoms are not caused by a medical condition that requires treatment. Even serious diseases, such as cancer, can present with seemingly minor symptoms such as fatigue and back pain. Or, they may only be detected by laboratory tests.

There’s no golden rule about what diet to follow or for how long, but the general theory is to temporarily no more than one month alter your diet in order to strengthen the organs and release stored toxins. This will involve cutting out alcohol and caffeine, two of the biggest culprits, as well as preparing your meals from natural foods free of additives, preservatives, saturated fats and sugar.

Overweight?

If you’re overweight, you have more toxins in your body than a thin person because the body stores excess toxins in fat cells. But don’t despair one of the great additional benefits of detoxing is losing weight!

Sauna Benefits

Heating of the tissues also enhances metabolic processes. Greater cellular energy production facilitates healing. Viruses, tumors and toxin-laden cells are weaker than normal cells. They tolerate heat poorly. Raising the body temperature causes infections to heal more quickly. Hyperthermia, or fever therapy, helps combat infections and even cancer. Our bodies develop fever when ill to enhance metabolism and help kill germs.

The people who support detox diets say that because of emotional stress or dehydration, toxins don’t leave our bodies properly during the elimination of waste. Instead, they believe toxins hang around in our digestive, lymph, and gastrointestinal systems as well as in our skin and hair. According to proponents of detox diets, these toxins can cause all kinds of problems, like tiredness, headaches, nausea, and acne.

We urge you to find out more about Herbal Detox and how it can benefit you today!

Hormones and Vitamins play an important role in the Hair growth. Hair consists of a pigment called “Melanin” which also occurs in the skin of human beings. This pigment is responsible for the dark nature of the skin and hair. In Young people, hair has large number of melanin pigments which leads to Dark nature of the hair and with the increase of the age, the no. of melanin pigments decreases, leading to whitening of the hair in old People. In older poeple, the follicles produce thin and long hair, and also sometimes also do not produce any hair. This is the cause for the Baldness in old people.

Alcohol effects hair growth, i.e. Alcoholics have poor hair growth or they experience hair loss due to malnutrition.
The Essential mineral for the growth hair is – Zinc Zn which is responsible for hair growth and also prevents hair from becoming Greyish in nature. Hormones and vitamins also have an essential role in hair growth –
Androgens are helpful in hair growth and also helps in Strengthening of Hair Shaft but are present in different ratio in men and women.

The Female hormones called Oestrogens decreases the growth of hair during the growth of the induvidual. During Pregnancy there is difference in hair growth as blood cntains more amount of Oestrogens at that time.

The effect of Androgens in male is different in many people, that is the reason some people do not get beard and hair on the chest upto a certain age of above 25 and a few get at an age of near 20.
Vitamin B – Panthenol Helps in maintaing the growth of hair and also contributes to the elastic nature and strength of the hair. Steroids taken by Asthma patients through inhalation does not effect the hair growth, but if taken orally, will slow down the hair growth.

Finally, Hormones are genetically produced and are determined and they help in growth of the hair.

I always advocate self-care as the first step in preventing and treating health challenges. When it comes to breast health, the importance of self-care is a message I can’t share often enough. It is great to see pink ribbons everywhere in October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! If I had my wish, every pink ribbon would carry an additional important message for women.

That message would read “You can improve your breast health and reduce the risk of breast cancer right now with a few simple lifestyle changes.”

We may not be able to control where we live or our genetic risk factors- it’s true. However, a growing body of research is showing us that women really can make a difference in their breast health through diet, exercise, and weight management.

These simple steps can help optimize your body’s hormonal balance and reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, and provide additional health, anti-aging, and disease-prevention benefits.

We need to emphasize that everyone should be focusing on what we can control not what we can’t.

- We can evaluate our hormone levels with a saliva test. The best way for premenopausal and postmenopausal women to know if their bodies have an imbalance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is to do a saliva test. Saliva Testing is the most accurate and easy way to this.
- We can use bio-identical hormones if we need hormone supplementation. Bio Identical means that the molecular structure of the hormones identically match the hormones made by our body as opposed to Pregnant Mare’s Urine which is natural to horses not humans.

- We can change our habits reduce alcohol consumption and quit smoking.

- We can manage our weight and exercise daily. Studies also show that maintaining a healthy, average weight is just as important in favorably influencing the estrogenprogesterone ratio. Regular exercise is equally important. On the other hand, obesity, high insulin levels, alcohol intake, smoking, oral contraceptives, hormones from meat and meat products, pesticides, and herbicides can swing this ratio in the wrong direction.

- We can eat a balanced diet choosing Eat organic to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and estrogens in meat and dairy products. Include one to three servings of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage in your diet each day. Studies show that Indole 3 Carbinol the active ingredient helps balance estrogen levels.

- We Can supplement wisely with EFA’s, essential fatty acids and use a fruit and vegetable concentrate if you do not eat 5 – 8 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

- We can do BSE’s- breast self exams becoming more familiar with our own body

- We can become better informed – read Dr. John Lee’s “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer” as a start.

There is only one drug in the world so well known that it’s called “the Pill.” For more than forty years, more people have taken “the Pill” than any other prescribed medicine in the world.

Sex, pregnancy, and contraception have been hot topics for millennia. It wasn’t until the U.S. government approved the birth control pill in 1960 that possibilities for contraception changed dramatically. The majority of women — and plenty of men — welcomed “the Pill”.

The birth control pill was the first medication ever designed for purely social, rather than therapeutic purposes. At the height of the drugs popularity, U.S. Senate hearings focused the nations attention on potentially deadly health risks posed by the high-dose Pill. As a result of the hearings, pharmaceutical companies lowered the dosages and doctors advised women who were obese, smoked, had high blood pressure or a family history of blood clots against taking the Pill.

In the 1980s, the high dosage 10-milligram pill was removed from the market and biphasic and triphasic oral contraceptives were introduced. Today, women can get a prescription for a Pill containing 1 milligram of progestins, one tenth of the original dose, and containing as little as 20 micrograms of estrogen.

From the very beginning, a significant number of women complained of discomfort from the Pill and switched to other methods. When women wanted to discuss the side effects with their doctors, they often met with frustration. It was common for their complaints to be dismissed as exaggerated. In other cases their ailments were just considered the price that women had to pay in return for such an effective contraceptive. The problem was compounded by that fact that female patients were not always informed about the potential for strokes, heart attacks or blood clots while on the Pill. For the most part sharing “the Pills” risk has become a part of the information provided by health care practitioners who prescribe the Pill.

Today, the safety of the Pill is assumed. However, it is important to remember that the pill contains identical hormones to those found in Hormone Replacement Therapy HRT. HRT has come under question because of the Women’s Health Initiative Study showing an increase in breast cancer and heart disease for those women who were on HRT.

In October 20, 2004 headlines read “Birth Control Pill Cuts Cancer, Heart Disease Risk Study – A new study, yet to be published, suggests women who use oral contraceptives have lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.”

This study has now been denied as accurate by the WHI. Analyses by the WHI have made it clear that the recent findings were not correct?

The low dose pill today although deemed to be safe has never undergone a large government-funded study similar to the WHI study on HRT. According to Dr. John R. Lee in his book “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer” women up to age 21 who use the Pill increase their lifetime risk of Breast Cancer by 600. Caution when considering the use of Birth Control Pill should still be used.

Many postmenopausal women are looking for alternatives to hormone therapy, especially in light of the recent Women’s Health Initiative research findings concerning the risks of combined estrogen and progestin therapy. Of particular interest are phytoestrogens, which have been gaining popularity due to their “natural” status, alleged health claims, and availability in a wide range of foods and supplements.

What are Phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant compounds that have some similarities to estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen. However, phytoestrogens tend to have weaker effects than most estrogens, are not stored in the body, and can be easily broken down and eliminated.

Observational studies have found a lower prevalence of breast cancer, heart disease and hip fracture rates among people living in places like Southeast Asia, where diets are typically high in phytoestrogens. In North America, knowledge of these reported health effects has stimulated great interest in the health benefits of phytoestrogens. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the sale of soy foods, a major source of phytoestrogens, has increased dramatically in the past decade.

Dietary Sources of Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens consist of more than 20 compounds and can be found in more than 300 plants, such as herbs, grains and fruits. The three main classes of dietary phytoestrogens are isoflavones, lignans and coumestans

1. Isoflavones genistein, daidzein, glycitein and equol are primarily found in soy beans and soy products, chickpeas and other legumes.

2. Lignans enterolactone and enterodiol are found in seeds primarily flaxseed, cereal bran, legumes, and alcohol beer and bourbon.

3. Coumestans coumestrol can be found in alfalfa and clover. Most food sources containing these compounds typically include more than one class of phytoestrogens.

The Skeletal Effects of Phytoestrogens

Much of the evidence concerning the potential role of phytoestrogens in bone health is based on animal studies. In fact, soybean protein, soy isoflavones, genistein, daidzein and coumestrol have all been shown to have a protective effect on bone in animals who had their ovaries surgically removed.

In humans, however, the evidence is conflicting. Compared to Caucasian populations, documented hip fracture rates are lower in countries such as Hong Kong, China and Japan where dietary phytoestrogen intakes are high. Yet reports suggest that Japanese women have a greater risk of sustaining a vertebral fracture than Caucasian women.

Several studies have explored the effects of soy isoflavones on bone health, but results have been mixed, ranging from a modest impact to no effect. Most of these studies have serious limitations, including their short duration and small sample size, making it difficult to fully evaluate the impact of these compounds on bone health.

Ipriflavone Supplements

Ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, has shown some promise in its ability to conserve bone in postmenopausal women. Ipriflavone has also been shown to have a protective effect on bone density in pre-menopausal women taking gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH, a treatment for endometriosis that triggers bone loss.

However, a definitive three-year study of more than 400 postmenopausal women concluded that ipriflavone did not prevent bone loss. Additionally, the compound was linked to lymphocytopenia a reduction in lymphocytes in a significant number of study participants. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection.

Risks and Benefits Are Unclear

Some studies suggest that, unlike estrogen, phytoestrogens do not appear to target breast or uterine tissue. This suggests that they may act more like SERMS selective estrogen receptor modulators such as raloxifene and tamoxifen than actual estrogens. However, in other studies high isoflavone levels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Clearly, additional research is needed to further evaluate the effects of phytoestrogens before judgments regarding their safety and usefulness can be made.

Key Points

Based on information available at this time, it is reasonable to make the following conclusions concerning phytoestrogens and bone health in postmenopausal women

1. Moderate amounts of foods containing phytoestrogens can be safely included in the diet but do not expect it to help build bone. Keep to the basic rule – eat the least processed forms.

2. Due to a lack of evidence and concerns about safety, supplementation with synthetic isoflavones ipriflavone is in question.

3. Postmenopausal women are encouraged to view evidence concerning phytoestrogens and bone health as conflicting and incomplete. For women who are estrogen dominant increasing their phytoestrogen intake may not improve their bone position.

Why do we need to detox?

Our bodies are able to detoxify chemicals without help. However, many experts believe that the enormous number of chemicals we ingest daily through food, water, and the environment can accumulate.

The buildup, called the toxic burden or body burden, can overwhelm the body’s capacity to detoxify and may lead to hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiency, and inefficient metabolism

What are the possible side effects of a detox diet?

Some people may experience headache, acne, weight loss, or fatigue during a detox. These symptoms usually diminish after a few days. For this reason, many people take time off work to begin a detox or start the diet on a Friday night.

Remember that your organs will benefit from any kind of rest, so you can always go for an in-between option where you replace your biggest vices with healthier alternatives.

Detox Side Effects

1. Many people experience headaches at the beginning of a detox as their body is coming to terms with the dramatic reduction of its daily poisons. That is why it’s worth cutting down your main vices slowly before you start;

2. Your energy may dip before it rises, so it’s worth starting the programme on a weekend to let your body adjust.

Drink caffeinated beverages?

Most Americans do. And with the stress of our society, it’s hard not to. Even if you’re not ready to quit for good, a spring and fall detox can give your liver a chance to rest from detoxifying all that caffeine every day, and that can have tremendous physical benefits in terms of more energy, better sleep and reduced stress which in turn can also make it possible to cut down significantly on caffeine after your detox.

Fresh Fruit

Enjoy all fresh fruit. Go easy on grapefruit. A compound in grapefruit called naringin can significantly inhibit liver detox enzymes and should be avoided during detox diets.