Sex Drive – New Leaf Wellness

The Truth About Your Night Sweats

Waking Up Drenched in Sweat?

If you wake up drenched in sweat, think of your armpits as evidence. You do not have to do sleuthing to figure out what is prompting your perspiration. Night Sweats. Therefore, we are uncovering the truth about your night sweats and what your body is really telling you.

Firstly, night sweats are common. In a study published in Annals of Family Medicine, one-third of primary care patients reported night sweats during the past month. Your body is signaling to you, are you listening?

“However, no one knows exactly how common the condition is, because most sufferers of night sweats never report the symptom to their doctor”, says study author James Mold, M.D., a professor of family medicine at the University of Oklahoma. Think of night sweats as smoke detector going off in the home, it means time find the root of the alarm.

Could Night Sweats Be Hormonal?

In a literature review published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Mold and his colleagues revealed that several factors increase the likelihood of night sweats including: panic attacks, sleep problems, fever, numbness in hands and feet, anxiety and stress, and trouble breathing at night. Night sweats may also be a symptom of unbalanced hormones.

Much like hot flashes, low estrogen effects the hypothalamus is often specifically what causes night sweats in women. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls appetite, body temperature, sleep and sex hormones.

“No night sweats or hot flashes anymore. More energy!”

– Rhonda S., New Leaf Wellness Patient, see more testimonials >>

So, it’s important to us to live your best life. We provide a variety of health and wellness services personalized to your body’s deficiencies.

Not Just Women Experience Night Sweats…

It is a common misconception that only women experience night sweats. When men experience low testosterone levels like andropausal, it commonly causes false signals to the hypothalamus producing night sweats. Additionally, men with high cortisol (stress) levels, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle which can contribute to night sweats.

“It is putting me in balance, and I am becoming active again.”

– David B., New Leaf Wellness Patient, see more testimonials >>

Conclusively, if you wake up in a pool of sweat almost every night, you should give us a call at New Leaf Wellness to get your hormones checked.

Try our free assessment to check for your own hormonal balance. Click the appropriate link below to take the assessment and your results will be shown immediately!

Hormone Health Assessment For WOMEN

Hormone Health Assessment For MEN

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!

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

Sugar and Memory Connection

We should all be able to live a long time and with a good memory. Losing your brain function is not normal, nor should it be accepted. It is time that we all realized that we are meant to live vibrantly and not slowly deteriorate for many years. So, let’s talk about the relationship of sugar and memory.

Sugar and Memory

In today’s society, many people lose brain functioning as they age and there are many causes. Of course we all know about Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease but did you know that stress, nutrition, and hormonal imbalance all can cause a bit of brain fog? I have seen a lot of patients get evaluated for memory loss, only to find out that it was one of those three things.

Sugar and Gluten

Sugar and gluten are two of the big culprits I see in a person’s diet that can affect memory. Excess alcohol/caffeine and artificial sweeteners are other things that can impact memory. Also a lack of certain nutrient can cause you to have an issue with memory. Low testosterone is often a cause and rarely checked for by doctors. If you are having memory issues that no one can figure out for you, then I advise a full nutritional evaluation, hormonal evaluation, and an evaluation of how you can manage your stress. You will be surprised how easy it can be to fix your brain when you appropriately find the problem.

Tired of Being Tired?

A common symptom we see in first-time visitors is brain fog or fatigue. Most patients say something to the tune of, “I am tired all the time” or “I am so tired of being tired“. Feeling energetic is also one of the first after effects of being a NLW patient. Like Kim and other NLW patients, they enjoying life much better!

“More energy, weight control, better sex drive, sleep better, no hot flashes or night sweats anymore.”

– Kim S., NLW Patient

More Testimonials from Women >

“Before [NLW] therapy, I was always tired and lethargic, not much get up and go, not much interest in sex, low exercise tolerance, irritability and mood swings. lack of sleep. All around not too happy. Now since [treatment], sex drive sky rocketed, more energy, better nights sleep, much much happier person and happy wife.”

– Dan H., NLW Patient

More Testimonials from Men >

To learn more about NLW services, visit our service page:

NLW services for MEN

NLW services for WOMEN

How To Naturally Better Your Sex Life

Increase Your Sex Drive

A decreased sex drive can arise for many reasons and it can affect both women and men. A healthy sexual relationship with someone that you love is important. It is sometimes too easy to ignore this fact and let this part of your life slip away. But we want to help you learn how to naturally better your sex life!

Balancing your hormones is one part of having a healthy libido. Without a proper balance of Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone it is difficult to have a healthy sex drive. Our hormones get out of balance for many reasons and utilizing bio-identical hormones helps to fix that problem. Balancing your hormones is like putting gas into your car.

Just like there are many other parts to your car to make it run, there are also other things that affect your libido. Stress can greatly diminish your desire. Being unhappy in your relationship or being unhappy with yourself has a definite impact with sex drive. Medications can also have an affect.

I love New Leaf because it gives me more energy, my sex life is so much better. I could tell my joint pain in my shoulders does not hurt like it has before. All is so much better now. – Joyce D., Patient of New Leaf Wellness

Yoga + Your Partner

It is important to take time out to unplug and relax. Yoga is a great way to learn to relax and keep your body limber. Turn off the phone, TV, and computer and breathe deeply and clear your mind. Transformational breathing is a perfect to aide you in any relationship issues–with your partner and with yourself.

1. Get comfortable.

2. Let go of negativity.

3. Keep your mouth open at all times.

4. Don’t hold your breath.

5. Practice often.

6. Change positions…Once you’ve mastered lying down, try sitting up

7. Perfect the technique

Yoga alone and even with your partner can relax your body enough to deeper connect with your partner. The deeper connection allows for growth in your closeness and increasing your sex life.

No more hot flashes, enjoying making love to my husband what could be better. – Becky S., Patient of New Leaf Wellness

Having a healthy sex drive can make you feel better about yourself and can enhance your relationship. With a balanced Natural Hormone Program at New Leaf Wellness and a desire on your part to increase your libido, you should be able to regain your libido!

To learn more about our Natural Hormone services, contact us today at 888-728-7555 or email us.

DHEA Facts

DHEA is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands.

This hormone is a precursor to other sex hormones.

In addition to having its own hormone effect, it results in a shift to an anabolic or protein building state.

It reduces cardiovascular risk by increasing lipolysis or breakdown of fat.

It also stimulates the immune system, restores sexual vitality, improves mood, decreases cholesterol and body fat.

Recent studies point to DHEA as an anti-stress hormone, reversing the effects of stress on the immune system.

[infusion_form id=”1239″]

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