Hormone – Page 9 – New Leaf Wellness

Declining Hormones

Imagine moving around and being able to do the things that you love to do. Perhaps, you are already feeling vital and strong, but perhaps you are like the majority of people out there who yearn for a body that serves them better. Are you feeling tired, achy, moody, flabby or just feel that you have passed your peak?? Declining hormones? Men and women both can feel this way and it is not the way that you have to age. Having a slow decline in your health is not your destiny—you can live with vitality and when it is your time to go, leave this earth quickly and not after a slow deterioration over 30, or more years.

Improving the Quality of Life As We Age

With modern sanitation, medicine, and an abundance of food we are living longer lives. Unfortunately with longer lives we are seeing a marked increase in the number of chronic illnesses and the number of years that an individual is alive but is in a deteriorating state. We can not avoid dying but we can shorten the dying process and increase the number of years that we live feeling younger. If you are all about the quality of life then continue reading.

Declining hormones, along with poor lifestyle choices, are largely responsible for the slow deterioration that we are seeing all around us. The good news is that we have the capability to prevent this slow deterioration, and even reverse some of it . This gives us the ability to live long AND vital lives, not just long lives.

What You Need To Know About Reversing The Years

Decreased levels of Testosterone, Thyroid, Estrogen (women only), Progesterone, and Growth Hormone are often experienced for years before a person seeks medical attention. The decline can be subtle, especially for men, and is often misdiagnosed as depression, anxiety, the normal aging process, or simply that nothing is wrong with the person. The problem lies in the fact that the majority of doctors are not specially trained in detecting hormone imbalances as they are taught to look at normal values and they are not allowed the proper time to get to know you and your unique needs. Let’s face it–you do not want to be average, you want to be above average, right?? The “normal” values do not represent optimal.

Symptoms of Declining Hormones can Include:

Emotional changes
Depression
Anxiety
Loss of muscle strength
Loss of skin elasticity
Increased wrinkles
Loss of focus
Increased body fat
Decreased muscle mass
Loss of vitality
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Osteoporosis
Brain fog or decreased memory
Increase in body aches/pains
Loss of sex drive
Decrease in morning erections for men

Can You Replace What’s Lost?

Replacing your declining hormones with bio-identical hormones is the best form of hormone replacement since it replaces your hormones with a man made bio-equivalent hormone. This means that your body sees these replacement hormones as if your body made it on its own. There is no chemical difference between what your body makes and the bio-identical hormones given to you. This is different than man made “synthetic” hormones that have chemical differences from the hormones that your body makes. These differences are so that the “synthetic” hormone can be patented. These chemical differences can result in dangerous side effects. Doesn’t it make sense to replace your hormones with bio-identical hormones that are exactly the same chemically as the ones that your body naturally makes?

Bio-Identical Hormones Explained

Pellets, capsules, creams, and gels are different ways that you may get your bio-identical hormones. Which form you use depends on the hormone(s) that you need as well as your personal preference. You can only decide this after an informed discussion about the pros and cons of each form.

Taking bio-identical hormones are an important piece of the optimal wellness pie, it is also important to make lifestyle changes that enable your body to function optimally. A healthy organic whole food based diet that is low in sugar, devoid of gluten (as much as possible), and with no (or very little) processed food is also an important piece. Regular exercise and regular sleep are two other very important pieces. Living a full and vital life is within your reach. You first have to decide that you wish to go down that path and then obtain the personalized guidance that you require. You can reach your goals one step at a time with the right guidance.

If you’re ready to add some quality back to your years, and you want to do it with bio-identical hormone therapy, call us!

Testosterone and Fatigue

Learn More about Testosterone and Fatigue

“Mark”, a 48 year old gentleman came to my office complaining of fatigue, an increase in aches/pains, an increase in irritability, and a decreased ability to build muscle. He still has a good libido but had noticed a decrease in morning erections. “Mark” had seen his regular doctor who told him his labs were normal and that he needed to exercise more but he was too tired to do that. He knew there was something else going on. When NLW doctor reviewed his symptoms and lab results, we both agreed that he suffered from low Testosterone. At first, “Mark” was concerned about the risks associated with replacing Testosterone based on recent news releases. We went over the study that the news was citing. The news reports were telling men that Testosterone replacement increased heart disease risk.

However, the study being cited had tested older, high heart disease risk men whose Testosterone level was never in an optimal range and they were treated for too short a time to even show a benefit. Optimal Testosterone levels are around 600-1400 depending on the male, men in this study were averaging levels in the 300 range. This was a poorly done study, and it is a shame that it was used to scare men away from seeking help.

More on Testosterone Studies

In fact, there are many studies showing that when Testosterone levels are optimized and given enough time to work, that Testosterone actually is protective for the heart as well as the brain. Remember that the normal Testosterone lab values are not optimal–they are simply the expected values based on testing the male population—both ill and healthy. You want optimal levels if you want a life of vitality.

Optimizing a man’s Testosterone level involves replacing his Testosterone along with starting healthy lifestyle changes. Testosterone is best replaced with bio-identical Testosterone–biologically identical to what your body is designed to respond to. Mark was given the choices on replacing his Testosterone. Creams which are applied twice a day. There are synthetic gels and patches on the market but they are not bio-identical-using them can cause unforeseen complications since they are chemically different from what your body is designed to work with. A compounding pharmacy makes the bio-identical Testosterone. You can not buy it at a regular pharmacy. A quality compounding pharmacy offers safe and effective bio-identical creams.

What Are Other Options?

Creams are painless but you do need to remember to apply them daily and there can be a pulse like absorption after application. In addition, you do need to be careful about getting the Testosterone cream on others. Testosterone injections are another possible form of Testosterone replacement, and they tend to be more effective than creams but your liver has to process it into a bio-identical Testosterone. There is also a pulse like absorption, and you need an injection once to twice a week. This mode of replacement requires the most monitoring by lab work.

Testosterone pellets are bio-identical and are absorbed on a more constant level with a natural increase when your cardiac input increases–similar to your natural physiology. They work very effectively. Testosterone pellets have been well documented to protect the heart, bones, and brain as well as resolve symptoms. It does involve an in office procedure where the pellets are inserted in the fatty tissue of your buttocks and it is the more costly of the three choices. Which form of Testosterone replacement a man chooses depends on the individual.

What about “Mark”?

“Mark” chose Testosterone pellets, and after about 2-3 weeks he felt better- he has energy, is able to build muscle, feels mentally balanced and can pole vault out of bed again. He also has the focus to get back into the gym and fine tune his diet to include more vegetables (organic) and less processed foods.

Do you have symptoms similar to Mark? Take our hormone health quiz for a quick, overall checkup! Click here > Hormone Health Test for Men

We also offer a Hormone Health Test for Women!

Sleep without Medication

Want to know how to sleep without medication?

Do you ever have trouble sleeping?? Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?? You are not alone! Lack of quality sleep is a big problem and it is a cause of many other problems.

There are prescription medications that can help you, but they can be addictive and have side effects. If you want to avoid prescription medications and still get good sleep, you can!

What first…

First, you want to try to figure out why you are not sleeping. If it is something that is on your mind then you will want to seek the help of a counselor. Daily journaling and regular exercise has proven to help calm your mind. If you are drinking caffeine limit your intake to 1 or 2 cups a day and no later than 1 pm. Be sure that you are eating small meals throughout the day and keeping your blood sugar balanced. If it is hot flashes or night sweats that wake you up, then get your hormones checked. Balancing your progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen definitely help hormonal symptoms.

Take a quick Hormone Health Quiz to check!

For WOMEN

For MEN

Please note: If you think that you have any underlying medical concern affecting your sleep, you should get a medical evaluation.

What’s safe?

There are several natural supplements that can help you to sleep. Melatonin, kava, and valerian are the most effective. It also helps to take slow deep breaths when lying in bed and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet. With a little effort on your part, you can get great sleep without medication!

We offer a free consultation to discuss these symptoms and figure out if you are in need of hormone balancing. Contact us to get started!

MIC Injection for Weight Loss

What is in MIC Injections?
It can be said that MIC Injections will reteach the body how to function. MIC Injections can give weight loss efforts a boost and the benefits of weight loss will be seen sooner.

What is in MIC Injections? The name stands for the MIC injection’s ingredients:

Methionine: This is one of the ten essential amino acids. Methionine is considered a lipotropic amino acid, so it is responsible for reducing fat and cholesterol levels. It is the M in MIC injections.
Inositol: This is a co-factor that works with Vitamin E, C, and B vitamins to also metabolize fats and cholesterol, but also does the extra work of transporting and redistributing fat in the body so that it can be used where it is actually needed (not around the belly or in the thighs, for example). It is the I in MIC injections.
Choline: This is a co-factor that works beautifully with Methionine because it also is responsible for metabolizing lipids. It is the C in MIC injections.

Exactly How Can MIC Injections Benefit People Who Are Overweight?

As a team, the combined work of the three ingredients in MIC injections help your body learn to use fat properly, breakdown fats, and prevent the body from storing extra fat. Combining MIC injections with Vitamin B12 shots can also will get even better results. The Vitamin B12 shot makes a great compliment to the MIC injections for weight loss as it speeds up the metabolism, boosts energy and mood, and reduces stress. MIC injections and the Vitamin B12 shot make a powerful combination of nutrients that conquer not only the causes of excessive weight gain (fat utilization) but also the effects (weight gain, low energy, and depression). Together, the MIC injection and Vitamin B12 shot reteach your body how to lose weight, and keep you motivated in your new diet and exercise lifestyle through increased mood and energy, without giving you the jitters or stress that often come from taking pharmaceutical drugs or caffeine as a metabolism booster. MIC and Vitamin B12 injections help your body naturally learn how to lose the weight and feel great, until it is ready to do it completely on its own through diet and exercise.

Do MIC Injections Replace The Need For A Change In Diet Or Lifestyle?

MIC injections do not replace the body’s need to change a diet or lifestyle. It helps the body learn what to do with the fat that the body is still ingesting in the new diet and combined with exercise, will help burn the fat better. Changing the diet and increasing exercise is essential to losing weight. MIC injections will help see the effects faster and help the body maintain the weight loss longer because it helps reprogram the metabolism.

To learn more, talk to one of our NLW team members to get your questions answered. Contact us today!

Slow the Effects of Menopause and Andropause Naturally

We often hear about menopause, and it is frustrating symptoms for women, but did you know that it can happen to men too? Male menopause, or andropause is real, and like in women, it can cause symptoms that range from uncomfortable to life-altering, even increasing your risk for diseases and other serious health issues. We are sharing 5 helpful tips to slow the effects of menopause and andropause naturally to better help you live your best life.

Did You Know?

Both types of menopause can cause the person to stop feeling like themselves. In women, these symptoms can start in the 30’s and 40’s and/or last until the 60’s. In men, by the age of 60 most will have hormone deficiencies, particularly in testosterone.

5 Natural Weapons to Fight Male and Female Menopause Symptoms:

1. Bio-identical Hormone Therapy
Natural Hormone Therapy is the most effective treatment for relieving symptoms and preventing age-related diseases. Individualized testing by a hormone therapy expert is necessary to safely and effectively restore the proper balance of all your hormones.

2. Remove Inflammatory Foods
We all know we should eat healthy to get healthy. But you may be eating “healthy” yet consuming foods that cause inflammation in your body. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods, or even better, take a food sensitivity test to know for sure.

3. Exercise
Regular strength exercises can help both men and women alleviate certain symptoms, build muscle and bone strength and reduce stress.

“They help me get my life back- play, work, sex and to feel great again! I feel young again!”

– Rodney W., New Leaf Wellness Patient

4. Try Meditation
The slow movements, focus on breath, and meditative nature of practices like yoga, tai chi and qi gong can help relieve symptoms like hot flashes and improve mental focus.

5. Reduce Stress
Everyday, chronic stress is toxic and leads to elevated cortisol levels and in turn, serious health issues and symptoms. Slow down, don’t sweat the small stuff, and make changes to remove stress-inducing triggers from your life.

Find out how you can take control of your menopause and andropause symptoms and what your personalized treatment might be at New Leaf Wellness, West Des Moines, IA!

Do you know where your hormone levels are now? Know more about your hormone health with our simple quiz that provides immediate results.

Hormone Health Checker- for Women

Hormone Health Checker- for Men

Bio-identical Hormone Pellets

When replacing your hormones with bio-identical hormones you have several options: capsules, creams, troches, and pellets. Pellet therapy is not well known but has been around for decades. It is a safe and effective way to get Testosterone (for men and women) and Estrogen (for women). The dosage that you receive is customized based on your age, sex, weight, activity level, symptoms and lab work. Bio-identical hormone pellets are not a one size fit all solution.

Personalized Medicine

Bio-identical pellets are about the size of a tic-tac (but thinner)and are placed in the fat in the upper outer quadrant of your buttocks. This is done in an office setting after local anesthesia is applied. The procedure takes a mere minutes and is very well tolerated. The area is slightly sore for a few days for women and about a week for men. It is easily tolerated and the incision site is so small no sutures (stitches) are needed.

Message for Women…

For women, it is advised that for four days to avoid exercise that works the buttocks muscles and avoid baths and jacuzzi tubs. Basically, you are not to immerse your incision site in water or heavily work your buttocks for four days after the procedure. Walking and showering is fine.

For Men…

For men, we advise the same restrictions but for seven days. Men get more Testosterone pellets than women do which can be a little bit larger incision for additional pellets. So again, you are not to immerse your incision site in water or heavily work your buttocks for seven days after the procedure.

Could your hormone levels be off? Is that what is causing YOUR SYMPTOMS?

Find out now with our Hormone Health Test that provides immediate results!

Hormone Health Test- for Men

Hormone Health Test- for Women

For Everyone

The hormones in the pellets are released over time and most closely resemble the body’s natural hormone production. With initial pellet therapy, it may take one to three weeks to feel the effect of the hormones and then the results are maintained over a period of three to six months. If there is no effect four weeks after the initial pellet insertion then consult with your physician. Most individuals can start to feel a difference in a week. **Lab work and a possible booster may be in order if you are not seeing bodily changes after a month.

We have had the pleasure of working with thousands of individuals who like you are just searching to find something to feel better or on the verge of accepting these aging symptoms as the new quality of life, and we are here to share with you the thousands of people have chosen not to accept this as good as it gets. To read our testimonials from our patients, click here!

Testimonials from Men

Testimonials from Women

Once your hormones balance, your physician will work with you individually to come up with an optimal time for you to re-pellet. This is dependent on your body’s needs and usage of Testosterone and/or Estrogen. Bio-identical hormone replacement is a customized therapy that is individualized to you! To schedule a complimentary consultation, please contact us today and start living a better life!

Sleep is a Critical Component of Health

You should get enough sleep where you wake up refreshed and are able to go about your day without any stimulants- coffee or other caffeine drinks. Wait, what?! Did that just blow your mind? Maybe you need this post more than you realize. Sleep health explained….

Balanced Hormones + Sleep

With good sleep and balanced hormones, your body is able to better regulate weight, and it enhances your immune system, among other things. Sleep is a critical component of healthy living.

Many people have trouble sleeping at night and it is important to get this resolved. Simple things like a warm shower before bed, avoiding computer/tv screens before bed, keeping a regular bed time, deep breathing exercises, and avoiding caffeine after 2pm can go a long way to helping you to sleep better. A common cause of sleep disturbance is also hormonal imbalance.

“Almost immediately the hot flashes and night sweats stopped. I am now sleeping better at night. My mood has improved. I would recommend this as a way to control menopausal signs and symptoms.”

– Marcy G., NLW Patient

Sleep Health

Many women (and men) have a lack of certain hormones as they age and this can affect many things, including sleep. If you are between 35 and 55 years old with a new onset of sleep issues then you may need bioidentical hormones to help you regain your balance.

Whatever the cause of your sleep issue is, the important thing is to get to the root of it and get yourself a good night’s sleep without the use of prescription sleep medication.

We have formulated a quick evaluation online completely free with quick results emailed right to your inbox to check for basic hormone imbalances. Click the link below for to take our quick quiz!

Hormone Check for MEN

Hormone Check for WOMEN

Want to learn more, give us a call at 888-728-7555 or contact us and we will have a NLW provider contact you!

Overview of Intravenous Therapy

If you have been experiencing symptoms over a prolonged period of time and have tried many different treatment methods but nothing seems to be helping, then intravenous therapy might be the answer you have been looking for.

Overview of Intravenous Therapy

Intravenous therapy is a much more powerful treatment option than oral methods and works much faster. It bypasses the intestinal tract, which is often not functioning well in those who have been symptomatic for a long time, and delivers nutrients directly to the cells where they are needed most.

Often a remarkable improvement is seen after only 4 to 5 weekly treatments. It can also be used to boost the immune system during an acute infection, to speed recovery time dramatically.

Quick Results for a Quick Recovery

Intravenous (IV) therapy can deliver needed vitamins, minerals and nutrients directly into a patients’ circulatory system for quick absorption into the body. IV therapies can be used to treat nutritional deficiencies, introduce potent antioxidants into the body, rid the body of harmful toxins and boost immune function. It is extremely powerful and often succeeds where other treatment methods have failed.

Why use IV therapy?

IV therapy can be useful in situations where oral nutrients are not working. Sometimes a particular nutrient is not adequately absorbed orally due to poor functioning in the digestive tract. In other cases, the nutrient doses needed to achieve a therapeutic effect are so high they would cause side effects if they were taken orally. In these situations, IV therapy can deliver the needed nutrients directly to the cells more quickly and effectively than pills.

What types of IV therapy are offered?

New Leaf Wellness offers several different types of IV therapy including:

Meyer’s Cocktail
Immunity (High Dose Vitamin C)
Total Health
Weight Loss IV
Serenity Serum
and they can all come with a Boost of Glutathione!

What conditions can be improved through IV therapy?

Angina
Allergic Rhinitis
Anxiety and depression
Asthma
Cancer
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Congestive heart failure
Epstein-Barr virus
Fibromyalgia
Hepatitis C
High blood pressure
Influenza – Viral Infections
Low energy and fatigue
Macular Degeneration
Migraine or tension headaches
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s Disease
PMS
Recurrent Infections

What can patients expect?

A physician consultation will be necessary to determine if IV therapy is appropriate, and to determine which nutrients are needed. Upon approval, a series of treatments is scheduled for one or more times per week. The infusion is generally given through an IV catheter in the patient’s arm, over a period of 15 to 90 minutes. Patients sit comfortably in a reclining chair and are monitored closely by a registered nurse.

Are there any side effects?

Potential side effects vary depending on the IV treatment given, but are minimal with most therapies. The most common side effect is pain at the injection site (easily relieved with heat or cold compresses). Occasionally patients will experience lightheadedness or hypoglycemia symptoms. Eating and being well hydrated before IV treatments will limit the potential of experiencing side effects. Patients should bring a snack if the treatment is expected to last longer than an hour.

More on IV Therapy at New Leaf Wellness >>>

Yes, I would like to schedule a consultation!

Be A Food Detective

Many people try keeping a food diary or cutting out certain foods, but it can be hard to ascertain what the culprits are and a diet suitable for one person may not help another as every individual has his or her own food triggers.

What does it mean to be a food detective?

Understanding your personal food and drink intolerances or ‘food fingerprint’ can help you identify what you are reacting to. The Biotrinetix Food Sensitivity blood testing program can pinpoint precisely which foods are causing elevated levels of IgG antibodies in your blood, as it tests reactions to foods, and shows degree of reaction through a ‘traffic light’ system – red for high, amber borderline and green for no reaction. It is also important to get expert nutritional advice, so you can replace your trigger foods with balanced alternatives.

A lot of people now are self-diagnosing, the fad being gluten-free and dairy-free. People are doing that without any support and sometimes without replacing eliminated foods with something equally nutritious. They are doing that on their own and starting an elimination diet with no knowledge at all. What Biotrinetix Test provides is a starting point for an elimination diet, with results that reflect the body’s needs. The IgG antibodies are there in your blood, we measure them accurately and let you know about the foods your body is fighting. “ – NLW Provider

We encourage anyone who experiences negative symptoms after eating and drinking that they think may be attributable to food or drink ingredients to find out what’s personally holding them back from being the healthiest they can be. We’ve learned from our customers’ feedback that a diet personalized not only holds the key to good health but losing weight too.

“One man’s meat is another man’s poison.”

– Titus Lucretius Carus, Roman poet and philosopher

Want to know more what all our food sensitivity test can pinpoint? Call us today so, we can answer your questions!

Learn more about our Food Sensitivity Testing

Taking the Mystery Out of GAC Injections

GAC injections – what are they?

GAC stands for “Glutamine–Arginine–Carinitine”. It may sound like Latin, but these are actually three separate amino acids contained in a single high performance injection. It’s a key supplement for anyone looking to lose weight, keep it off and maintain strong energy levels.

Weightloss in 1-2-3!

The first step in weight loss is burning fat. To help give the body a kickstart it can often be helpful to get a boost of Carinitine. As a supplement to the amount already produced by the liver and kidneys, it can help a body pick up the pace by converting more fat to energy. More energy means more fuel to burn the fat, and the process just keeps going!

The next step is Glutamine which is the most plentiful of the amino acids. If Carinitine helps break down parts of the body, Glutamine helps put them back together stronger and better than before. It makes exercise recovery more efficient which leads to better response times and endurance. Not only that, but it also converts energy stores to glycogen instead of fat, making energy much more accessible for immediate use and preventing weight gain due to fat.

The last step is Arginine. This is a speed booster for your system, assisting in increasing blood flow and affecting performance in a number of positive ways. And if you think it’ll help your exercise regime, just wait – it also gives a welcome boost to sexual performance. By raising hormone levels and facilitating blood flow, it can result in a higher sex drive and better ability to meet it.

Weightloss for YOU!

So that’s GAC, a little acronym with big benefits. If you’re interested in weight loss, higher energy and better performance in more ways than one, GAC could be a big help.

Call New Leaf Wellness. We’ll schedule a time that works for you to share your goals and hopefully start you on the path to achieving them.