Free Report: How Your Hormones Can Make You Overweight and Miserable 39111 Six Mile Road Suite 160 Livonia, MI 48152 (734) 769-1650
HOW YOUR HORMONES CAN MAKE YOU OVERWEIGHT AND MISERABLE This report explains how hormones work to maintain health and outlines the common imbalances of the hormone system. You will also learn why conventional medical treatments have failed and how integrative natural treatments are more beneficial than any medication or surgery. Are you feeling tired during the day? not able to lose weight? developing dry or flaky skin? feeling weak or fatigued? experiencing increased appetite? having excessive food cravings? feeling a loss of sex drive? noticing hair loss? experiencing hot flashes and night sweats? suffering from depression and mood swings? feeling sudden and uncontrollable moodiness, anger or anxiety?
Page 3 having irregular, heavy or absent periods? having painful menstrual cycles? experiencing an increase in acne? If you re experiencing any of the above, you may have one of the following conditions; a hormone deficiency, excessive amount of a particular hormone, an imbalance of hormones or an inadequate response to a hormone despite normal levels. What Roles do Hormones Play? Hormones are substances secreted into the blood that stimulate various bodily functions and organs. Hormones control metabolism, energy levels, hunger, mood, sleep cycles, and temperature regulation. Hormones also regulate growth, tissue development and sexuality. Sexrelated changes like puberty and menopause are the result of hormonal activity. The glands that secrete hormones make up what is known as the endocrine system. Endocrine means secreting into the blood, unlike the saliva glands that secrete fluid into your mouth, or your sweat glands, that secrete water onto the skin surface. Hormones effect and are affected by various systems, organs and even other hormones of the body. It is important to evaluate more than your estrogen, progesterone, or thyroid levels when seeking help for hormone related conditions.
Page 4 In our clinic we evaluate several organs, systems and hormones of the body to develop a deeper understanding of how the body is functioning. We look at you as a whole person and not a collection of independent organs like in traditional medicine. Using science-based Functional Medicine, we uncover the root cause of your hormonal imbalance and weight issues. With traditional medicine, most doctors fail to look beyond your symptoms or disease. They simply provide what they believe to be the fix for your symptoms and that s often a prescription drug. As you probably already realize, merely treating the symptoms doesn t fix the problem. And many times it makes the problem worse. When the systems of the body are functioning properly and working in harmony good health will be a result. But when there is disharmony and the systems of the body are not functioning properly it will allow for disease and illness. In this report you will discover several of the systems and factors involved in the creation of hormonal imbalance and why it can be so hard for so many to lose weight. An example of how the systems of the body work together is how the hormone system is linked to the digestive system. After eating, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin which allows the liver, muscles and fat to store sugar to be used when the body requires it. But if a woman s estrogen levels are low this can block the function of insulin leading to insulin resistance. When the body becomes insulin resistant it
Page 5 secretes more insulin to compensate. Unfortunately, insulin is a growth hormone and it leads to the creation of fat. This connection is a great example of how looking at more than one system, organ and hormone can help us detect the causes of hormonal imbalance and weight gain. Hormone activity is also linked to the nervous system. An example of this connection is the fight or flight response someone experiences when they encounter a stressful situation. The fight or flight response is characterized as an increase in the body s blood pressure and temperature while blood flow is shunted from the stomach and digestive system to the arms and legs. These changes are made to help the body prepare for a fight or to flee from a situation. The body s endocrine system, primarily the adrenal glands which are situated on top of the kidneys, are responsible for the majority of the physical changes that occur from stress. In the primitive human state, sufficient rest and recuperation would allow the adrenal glands to recover from exhaustion. However, people in modern society are often in a constant state of stress, whether from a job, children, unhealthy foods, physical pain or emotional stress, this leaves them susceptible to adrenal exhaustion. Once the adrenals are exhausted, poor sugar regulation, hormonal imbalance and feelings of anxiety or fatigue usually set in as well as a host of other symptoms like: Increase in bodily pain, especially across the upper back Dizziness when going from sitting to standing
Page 6 Feelings of faintness, irritability or unreasonable anxiety (hypoglycemia) Increase in cravings for caffeine, chocolate, stimulants and salty foods. Suffer from chronic sinus problems Develop a sagging belly, with excess weight gain in your midsection Find it difficult to get to sleep at night or turn off your mind Absent menstrual cycles Another good example of how the hormone (endocrine) system does not work in isolation is the effects of menopause. As a woman ages the ovaries start secreting less estrogen and progesterone, the adrenal glands try to compensate by secreting estrogen. If the adrenals are functioning normally and are healthy the common discomforts of menopause are diminished greatly. Because the adrenals glands are so vital in the balance of hormones it is imperative to evaluate the adrenal glands when trying to find a solution for menopause or for any patient suffering from hormonal dysfunction. Having Trouble Losing Weight? Anyone who has not had success in losing weight should consider help from a doctor who is experienced in detecting hormonal imbalances and organ
Page 7 dysfunction. Unless these underlying issues are addressed your weight loss efforts may be doomed. The most common hormonal conditions interfering with weight loss are excessive cortisol and hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss When it comes to hypothyroidism many people are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all as having a thyroid problem. The problem is most doctors only perform the standard thyroid panel and don t test for a thyroid condition called Hashimoto s. Hashimoto s is an autoimmune condition of the thyroid that disrupts the function of the thyroid. Many times medical practitioners fail to test for Hashimoto s because even if they do discover a patient has Hashimoto s the medications that are given for Hashimoto s are the same that are given for hypothyroidism. The lack of proper treatment and diagnosis for Hashimoto s causes thousands of people to suffer from hypothyroidism or from hypothyroid-like symptoms even when they have normal thyroid levels on their test. If Hashimoto s is not addressed and left untreated the autoimmune response will continue and the damaging effects can cause irreversible damage to the thyroid and immune system without you even knowing it.
Page 8 Some of the symptoms experienced from faulty thyroid function are: Inability to lose weight Unexplained weight gain Dry, flaky skin Constipation Chronic infections Depression Hair loss or thinning of hair, especially the outer third of the eyebrow Brain Fog Fatigue Craving of carbohydrates and sweets At our office, if we suspect a faulty thyroid function we run the test necessary to detect if Hashimoto s is at fault for unexplained weight gain, difficult weight loss and symptoms of hypothyroidism. Once we discover Hashimoto s is the cause, we can actually help people overcome their struggle with thyroid related symptoms and regain their health, naturally and safely.
Page 9 Cortisol, Bacteria and Food Sensitivities Another common condition making weight loss difficult is inflammation in the intestines. Eating unhealthy foods or foods that you may have sensitivities to can cause undesirable bacteria, or bad bugs, to multiply more rapidly, displacing the good intestinal bacteria. These bad bugs release toxins that inflame the gut lining, causing the toxins to leak into the blood circulation and cause a generalized inflammatory reaction. Once these toxins get into the blood system they trigger a fight or flight situation in your body and cause the release of stress hormones, in particular cortisol, from your adrenal glands. When cortisol is elevated for long periods of time it can slow thyroid function and increase abdominal fat in an effort to protect your organs from the damaging effects of cortisol. A complete evaluation of cortisol, inflammation, food allergies, and intestinal bacteria are important considerations when evaluating patients who have difficulty losing weight. Depression and Mood Swings People with chronic depression, especially those who have no known social or environmental factors, should be evaluated for hormone dysfunction or imbalance. Depression is a form of stress causing the adrenals to produce more cortisol. If the cause of depression isn t corrected, over time the risk of adrenal exhaustion will lead to greater fatigue, difficulty sleeping, increase perception of pain and ultimately weight gain.
Page 10 Many of our patients experience positive effects on their mood, sleep, energy levels, and weight when we address the cause of their hormone dysfunction or imbalance. If you are a woman in menopause or are experiencing what are known as menopause symptoms, it is important to remember that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may not lead to long-term remission of your symptoms. Medical treatment of menopause is usually in the form of hormone replacement therapy. The popular hormone replacements are Premarin a synthetic estrogen, Provera a form of progesterone, and Prempro- an estrogen/progesterone combo. Research has found that long-term HRT increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and some forms of cancer. Women taking these HRTs can experience relief but for many it can lose it effectiveness over time. The ineffectiveness of the medication can result from excessive estrogen levels or grossly exaggerated estrogen/ progesterone ratios, in short, a hormone imbalance. This is why it is so important to understand the unique factors for every woman s condition instead of providing a cookie cutter treatment method like HRT.
Page 11 Introducing Real Health Care! We actually take time to listen to you, we do a thorough history, discuss your challenges, treat you as an individual with unique problems and concerns. We evaluate your lifestyle and environment, look at and test the various systems of your body that might be involved and actually create a program of care designed to help regain your health and live the life you deserve. You might not be aware of some critical information that could change the course of your health like: What types of foods you may have a sensitivity to, making it difficult to lose weight Which foods have been shown to improve hormonal imbalances What foods you should definitely avoid What are the signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances How to select the laboratory tests that provide the big picture approach to proper treatment How you can manage to eliminate the need for most medications you may be taking What a good exercise program consist of How to rid your body of toxins that might hinder progress towards wellness Other therapies proven effective in weight loss and overall better health
Page 12 Take action today and reclaim your life because you deserve to have balanced hormones... which will allow you to achieve a healthy weight.. sleep soundly and have more energy.. have good health for the rest of your life.. to live the life of your dreams. Contact us today to schedule your FREE Hormones Consultation. We have limited space available, call us today at (734) 769-1650 and start your journey to getting and staying well.