Sermorelin, HGH And Anti Aging

Sermorelin has generated a lot of buzz recently within the scientific community as a safe and effective way to increase growth hormone production naturally.  Sermorelin is an FDA approved prescription drug, first developed in the 1970’s, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce and release human growth hormone (HGH).  Unlike HGH therapy, which directly replaces declining levels of HGH from genetically engineered growth hormone, Sermorelin stimulates the pituitary gland to produce and secrete HGH naturally.  As such, Sermorelin is known as a ‘secretagogue’ which means it causes the pituitary gland to produce and secrete HGH.

The amount of HGH produced in the body declines with age. The body’s HGH output tends to be highest in our mid 20’s, however, declines anywhere from 30% to 50% by the time we reach our 40’s; this steep drop off leads to many of the signs and symptoms associated with aging, such as: loss of vitality, increased body fat, reduced muscle mass, reduced bone mineral content, insomnia, and a weakened immune, to name a few.  These changes can eventually lead to an increased risk for heart disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Health benefits that have been reported with Sermorelin use include: increased energy and vitality, increased skin elasticity, improved bone density (strengthening of the bones), increased development of lean muscle mass, decrease in fat tissue, improved memory, improved sexual function, improved cardiovascular strength, lower blood pressure, higher HDL and improved immunity.

Sermorelin is usually taken as a subcutaneous injection for best results.  The cost of Sermorelin therapy is significantly less expensive than the cost of HGH therapy, making it a widely sought after treatment. To learn more about Semorelin and if could be right for you, call New Leaf Centers at 888-728-7555 for a FREE consult today!

Raspberry Could Ride Anti-pollution

Looking for a natural therapy for great skin you can implement today? Check out these recent findings that explain why raspberries can truly benefit your skin!

New work published online in advance of the January 2017 International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences suggests raspberries are good for more than just pie. Here, a raspberry fruit extract formulated in an emulsion-gel was shown to improve erythema and melanin levels in skin.

This corroborates work presented a few years ago in Cosmetics & Toiletries by a different group of researchers. In that study, a hydrosoluble stem cell culture extract from Rubus idaeus (American red raspberry) was found to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity, mainly due to the presence of high levels of flavonoids and anthocyanins.

In addition, it provided antioxidant power due to the presence of natural phenolic components, and induced genes responsible for DNA protection and repair—more so than resveratrol.

While it’s not a new ingredient, interest in raspberry is. Could become the next super fruit for natural skin care? It’s in the perfect position to ride the anti-pollution trend to the top.

 

Sources: International Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cosmetics & Toiletries

 

What You Need To Know About Melatonin

Melatonin has commonly been used as an over-the counter remedy to sleep better. But it is so much more! Here’s what you need to know about Melatonin:

Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland. It is a circadian rhythm hormone- thereby affecting the patterns of sleep. Research has shown that the cells of the body rejuvenate and repair during the deeper stages of sleep. It is during the deeper stages of sleep that the body produces natural killer cells or CD4 cells.

Melatonin increases the deep stage of sleep and stage IV sleep, thereby increasing and enhancing immunity.

Improved sleep patterns serve to energize the body and improve mood.

Melatonin has powerful antioxidant effects which accounts for disease prevention qualities.

Melatonin has tremendous cancer prevention effects due to its enhancement of the immune system.

Melatonin deficiency results in poor sleep, jet lag, irritability, hypersensitivity and premature aging.

5 Easy Tips for a Healthy Skincare Lifestyle

It is easy to overlook the importance of healthy skin when you are younger and your skin is glowing and vibrantly youthful. However, as soon as the first telltale signs of aging appear, you may begin to grow concerned. Unfortunately, for most people, those first few wrinkles, spots or other age-related skin-blemishes are often followed by many others.

The best way to care for your skin is to start taking of its health earlier in life. This can ideally delay the onset of wrinkles, spots and other issues.

However, even if you have already noticed a few signs of aging on your skin, rest assured that any steps you take now may delay future wrinkles and spots from developing so quickly. AND – We have services that will reverse aging, wrinkles, sagging, and many other items you’d like to address!

1. Wear Sunscreen

Damage from the sun can be difficult to reverse, and exposure to both UVA and UVB rays can lead to everything from sun spots to cancer. The sun can be harmful to skin on cloudy days and in the middle of winter when you rarely would think about wearing sunscreen. With this in mind, it is important to apply sunscreen daily throughout the year.

2. Drink Plenty of Water

Hydrating your skin is equally as important as wearing sunscreen. This is because your skin is actually an organ, and both superficial and deep tissue layers need water to rid the body of toxins and to promote healthy skin. Drinking extra water can also help your products that contain hyaluronic acid to work more effectively.

3. Eat a Healthy Diet

Because your skin is an organ, the nutrients that you take into your body are also important. If your diet is not currently rich in fruits and vegetables, making a change now is a smart idea for optimal skin health. Taking a multi-vitamin is also a smart idea.

4. Get Plenty of Rest

Getting plenty of sleep each night can do wonders for preventing wrinkles, but stress should also be considered as a cause of wrinkles. Taking steps to de-stress regularly, such as through yoga or meditation, can be beneficial.

5. Pamper Your Skin

You may not think about skin facials improving your skin, but these are incredibly beneficial to the superficial layers of your skin as well as the deep tissues. This is because a facial gives you a deep tissue massage on the face and neck, and this can work to tighten skin naturally.

As you can see, there are many steps you can take to improve the health of your skin. Even if you have already noticed a few signs of aging, it is never too late to start caring for your skin and to prevent more wrinkles and spots from appearing. Contact us today for more customized tips to help you improve the health of your skin.

Receive a FREE Skin Analysis!

The Benefits of Testosterone

Modern science has taught us much about the benefits and importance of the body’s hormones. Scientists and doctors now understand how important the balance of hormones in our bodies is, and how critical it is to maintain that balance.

Imbalance Side Effects

The side effects of a testosterone imbalance can be dangerous, and this is true for both men and women. In men, low testosterone is most commonly linked to a low sex drive, causing disruptions in romantic partnerships, as well as self-esteem issues. Clearly, the issue goes far beyond sexual performance.

Pros of Testosterone in Men

Properly balanced testosterone in a man results in decreased fat and increased muscle mass, impacting cardiovascular and muscular health. Recent studies have also found an interesting link between low testosterone and life expectancy. Men with less testosterone are statistically more likely to have shorter lives than men with high testosterone.

Women too?

Women also feel the effects of testosterone imbalance. Common knowledge holds that testosterone is just for men, but that’s not true. Low testosterone in women results in a wide variety of hard to diagnose symptoms: fatigue, anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, and weight gain are some common symptoms. These effects are commonly seen after menopause, but hormone imbalances can happen at any age. Properly balancing the body’s natural testosterone and estrogen levels prevents these symptoms.

Men + Women

In both men and women, imbalances in testosterone result in health issues like diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis. So testosterone is important for more than just men’s health issues; it crosses gender boundaries and affects all areas of the body. The Providers at New Leaf Wellness are aware of the risks and inconveniences that imbalanced hormone levels bring to the human body, and we are pleased to offer Natural Hormone Therapy to our clients.

NHT works to reach a targeted level of hormones in your body, restoring your body’s natural ability to keep healthy and fit. Hormones are beneficial at any age, but most commonly we administer the therapy to people in their 40’s, when your body naturally begins to slow production of certain hormones. Supplementing these declining hormones can keep your body fit and active for much longer. Bio-identical hormones are made from plants and are identical to the hormones naturally produced by your own body. We never use synthetic hormones, which have been shown to increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Benefits of Natural Hormone Therapy include:

  • Increased bone density
  • Weight loss
  • Sleep improvement
  • Increased vitality and energy
  • Higher libido
  • More muscle mass

Our clients love the results and energy they’ve get once their hormonal levels are fully balanced. Because hormones are so important, we’re proud to lend our medical expertise to ensure all our hormonal treatments are tailored to your specific needs. If you’re curious about NHT, you can take a short quiz to see if NHT would be a good fit for your body.

For MEN

For WOMEN

Why Men Should Consider Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

NHT (Natural Hormone Therapy) is not just for the ladies, so guys pay attention! Why? Because your hormones have been on a decline since your 20’s (sad but true), and if you are approaching middle-age, are currently there, or have surpassed it, there’s a good chance you are experiencing hormone imbalance or even andropause (the unofficial medical term for “male menopause” and the result of a gradual drop in testosterone).

Certain signs of andropause and other related hormone imbalance issues:

  • Memory loss
  • Muscle loss
  • Weight gain
  • Sleep problems
  • Lower sex drive
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Hair loss
  • Urinary problems
  • Memory loss
  • Night sweats
  • Erectile dysfunction

While hormone imbalance and replacement treatments tend to be a hot topic amongst women, men seem to have a harder time discussing their own issues with hormone imbalance and the symptoms causing them discomfort. However, many men (the ones that want to talk about it) can attest to the many benefits to hormone restoration and treatments such as NHT. Therefore, not only should men start to feel more comfortable with the conversation of hormone issues, they should be open to the idea of fixing them. Here are a few reasons why…

Testosterone Balance May Reduce Risk for Disease

Several studies have linked low testosterone levels to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, prostate cancer, and other chronic diseases. By choosing hormone restoration treatments such as BHRT, you not only feel better, you also take drastic measures to protecting your health.

Balanced Hormones Help Men Feel Younger

We all want to know the secret to feeling younger, and NHT might just be the answer. Results of hormone imbalance such as memory and muscle loss, fatigue, depression, lower sex drive, and other symptoms listed above can improve or even be reversed with hormone restoration treatments.

Why should you live everyday life with the discomfort of hormone imbalance?

With NHT, you can live the active lifestyle that you desire, and there’s no better time than now to take action! For more information on our Natural Hormone Therapy, please give us a call.

Why Should I Use Bio-identical Hormone?

The best answer is because they “do your body good”.

What in the world does that mean?

As both men and women age (grow older, for us non politically correct) the production of hormones decreases and with the decrease, “symptoms” begin to appear. We relate the obvious to the decrease: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and decreased libido for women and decreased sexual performance for men.

However, some symptoms experienced, but infrequently realized to be hormonally related, are decreased energy, muscle mass, focus and mental clarity. In addition, mood changes and lack of motivation can be related to hormonal decline.

The development of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, bone loss and cancer are also increased with hormonal decline. Restoring hormonal balance not only alleviates the above detailed symptoms, but also helps to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes and decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s for women by 50% and 70% for men. Cancer risks are actually decreased by bio-identical hormone balance rather than the increase noted in studies using synthetic hormones and bone density and strength is dramatically improved.

Enough reasons?

Hormone Replacement Therapy

 Many people are turning toward hormone therapy due to its many benefits and long lasting healthy effects on the human body. These hormone replacement therapy methods are mostly required as a person gets older, probably in their thirties or after. People turn towards NHT because there must have been changes in his or her body and life that could be interfering with productivity, healthfulness, pleasure, vitality, and enjoyment. Hormone treatments are not just taken up by everyone, blood analysis is used to determine what will best suit for that specific individual.

Estrogen/testosterone therapy:

Women go for estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy. Mostly, men think about testosterone hormone replacement therapy to aid them in proper erectile function and improve their muscle tone. NHT also improves immunity and recovery, enhances cognitive abilities, stimulates production of thicker and fuller hair, enhances memory and concentration, improves sexual functioning, desire and also is known to lower cholesterol levels.

Anti-aging benefits:

For some people HT is a lot about the anti-aging benefits that you can get with it. The list of physiological enhancements talks about the inner working of the body like improved regeneration of new cells of skin, hair, muscles, nails, bones. All this along with improved lean muscle mass of a physically toned body and a lot more. Keep in mind that each of the main types of hormone replacement therapy that are used in adults has a particular purpose. It is not just a treatment that will help you age gracefully without putting your lives basic functions at rest. Detailed blood testing is what will show if any of these vital levels has declined in the body, and if you are in need of a hormone treatment or not, if so, which ones and to what extent.

Take our Hormone Health Quiz!

For WOMEN

For MEN

A Closer Look At Natural Hormone Therapy (NHT)

Hormone balance is essential for optimal health and wellness, but as we age, our body’s hormone levels naturally decrease. Other factors can also contribute to hormone loss such as menopause, disease, or trauma. Without these important hormones, our physical and mental health begins to deteriorate, thus starting an accelerated aging process. Typically, by the age of 40 (sometimes earlier), we begin to lose hormones, which is why starting treatments such as Natural Hormone Therapy (NHT) is important to achieving the long-term protective benefits of hormone balance. Let’s take a closer look at the process…

Who needs NHT?

Anyone experiencing hormone imbalance, typically starting over the age of 40 and in some cases in the 30’s. As we age, we experience a natural decline of hormones due to environmental and dietary toxins. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, you may be a good candidate for NHT.

  • Weight gain
  • Limited Energy
  • Hair Loss
  • Low Sex Drive
  • Mood Swings
  • Sleeplessness
  • Poor Concentration
  • Memory Loss
  • Fatigue

What is the difference between bio identical hormones and synthetic hormones?

Bio-identical hormones come from natural sources, such as yams, and are designed to replicate the same chemical structure as the hormones naturally produced by the human body. Synthetic hormones are manufactured hormones produced in a lab.

There are many advantages to using bio-identical over synthetic. Because bio-identical hormones are derived naturally, our bodies can metabolize them properly. On the flip side, because synthetic hormones are produced in a lab, they cannot metabolize correctly in our bodies. This often leads to side effects such as bloating, bleeding, and mood swings, and in some cases have been linked to both breast and uterine cancers.

Pharmaceutical companies cannot patent bio-identical hormones because each regimen is specifically formulated to treat patients on an individual basis. Synthetic hormones use a “one size fits all approach”, and are therefore patentable.

How does the process work?

First you will meet with one of our highly trained physicians that will provide comprehensive lab testing and an in depth questionnaire to determine your specific needs. You will then be given a personalized treatment plan often including pharmaceutical grade supplements.   Based on your hormone levels, a specialized compounding pharmacy will individually tailor a bio identical hormone specifically designed for you.

For additional information on our Natural Hormone Therapy or to schedule a consultation, please give us a call at 888-728-7555, we have 4 convenient locations to serve you.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine has slowly moved towards mainstream medicine and on many accounts has arrived! Recently, on The Dr. Oz Show, functional medicine was discussed and, more specifically, why it’s a critically important development in medical science and how it promises to revolutionize medicine.

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach,

Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.  The Practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.​

Get a Biological Tune Up!​  As we learn more about how everything is connected it is clear that looking at the underlying patterns of disease is the wave of the future–it’s the way all future chronic illness will be treated.​  At New Leaf, we can test for hormone levels, food sensitivity and overall health of a patient.  All tests, health history, symptoms and concerns are reviewed with the patient by the provider and a treatment plan is discussed.​​

Call New Leaf and begin your “whole person” treatment today!​​