Feel, Look, and Live Your BEST!
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Hormone Replacement Therapy with Lindsey
Feel, Look, and Live Your BEST!
Nourish, Move, Sleep
Nourish, Move, Sleep!
In the pursuit of a transformative and fulfilling 2024, our 7-part series continues to illuminate your path of inspiration and action. Today’s focus: Nourish, Move, Sleep—the three pillars that form the foundation of a vibrant and balanced life.
Nourish your body with the essence of vitality by embracing nutrient-rich foods. Consider your diet as more than just sustenance; it is the fuel that powers every aspect of your being. Incorporate a colorful array of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to provide the essential nutrients your body craves. Prioritize hydration to optimize bodily functions and promote overall well-being.
Move with joy and purpose, discovering the transformative power of enjoyable physical activities. Exercise should not be a chore; rather, it is an opportunity to celebrate what your body can achieve. Find activities that resonate with you—whether it’s dancing, hiking, or yoga—and make them a regular part of your routine. Moving your body not only enhances physical health but also uplifts your mood, fosters creativity, and instills a sense of accomplishment.
Prioritize quality sleep as a non-negotiable component of your well-being journey. Sleep is the cornerstone of physical and mental restoration. Establish a consistent sleep schedule, create a calming bedtime routine, and ensure your sleep environment is conducive to rest. Quality sleep not only renews your energy but also fortifies your immune system, supports cognitive function, and contributes to emotional resilience. As you weave these three elements—Nourish, Move, Sleep—into the fabric of your daily life, observe the profound impact on your overall well-being.
These practices are not isolated components but interconnected threads that form a tapestry of health, vitality, and inspiration. Commit to nurturing your body, finding joy in movement, and honoring the importance of restful sleep. Let this triad be your compass in 2024, guiding you toward a life rich in energy, purpose, and fulfillment. The journey continues, and with Nourish, Move, Sleep as your allies; the possibilities for growth and inspiration are boundless.
Get started today with a New Leaf Wellness Coach guiding your nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits.
Make 2024 a Journey of Inspiration and Action!
Test Your Gut Health by Doing the Food Sensitivity Test
All the supplements on the market for gut health nowadays, and did you know we can test your gut health by doing the food sensitivity test with a simple in-office process?
What’s Going On In Your Gut
Changes in the gut microbiome can have a therapeutic response which has led to the use of probiotics in traditional medicine since long before probiotics were identified and acknowledged as the mechanism of this response. Therefore as the use of probiotics grows, so to does the body of knowledge we have about the relationship between the microorganisms that inhabit our gut and our overall health. So now, we are able to realize the delicacy of our gut’s environment. In fact, negative changes to the gut microbiome result in altered activity of neurotransmitter systems and immune function which can be potentially detrimental and contribute to a number of disorders or conditions. Similarly, targeted positive changes to the gut microbiome may reduce the symptoms of and possibly even reverse certain conditions.
More On Gut Health Research
Today, links have been made between gut health and depression, anxiety, stress, even sleep. Actually, a recent study tested this relationship in mice, which provide a very useful model of our own digestive and nervous system. This study found that treatment with a lactic acid producing strain of probiotic may help to reduce stress as well as depression and anxiety. The lactic acid producing bacteria “induced region-dependent alterations in GABAB1b mRNA in the brain with increases in cortical regions (cingulate and prelimbic) and concomitant reductions in expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and locus coeruleus, in comparison with control-fed mice” and more importantly, “reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety- and depression-related behavior” (Bravo, 2011).
You should test your gut health by doing the Food Sensitivity Test if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Stomach Pains
- Gastrointestinal Dysfunction
- Complexion Blotchiness and Acne
- Bloating
- Chronic Pain
- Poor Sleeping Habits
- Slow Problem Solving
- Low Energy & Fatigue
- Impaired Memory
- Joint Pain and Achiness
- Poor Attention and Focus
- Weight Gain
If you would like to learn more, please contact us below!
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STRESS RESET Supplements
STRESS RESET is herbal and nutritional supplements designed to support adrenal function. The adrenal glands assist the body in adjusting to stress as the result of internal and external forces. So, STRESS RESET combines a number of natural ingredients to assist the body in managing the negative effects of stress and maintain health cortisol levels. STRESS RESET Supplements can aid with a variety of symptoms.
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
The state when adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, primarily the glucocorticoid cortisol, due to chronic stress or infections.
Causes of Adrenal Fatigue:
1. Emotional stress (#1 cause)
2. Diet (too much sugar)
3. Insufficient sleep (body requires at least 7-8 hrs.)
4. Chemicals and Pollutants (toxins in our food, pollutants in the air, chlorine in our drinking water, antibiotics in our meat, and pesticides in our vegetables)
5. Chronic Disease (such as fibromyalgia, lyme disease, chronic pain, asthma, arthritis, diabetes.)
6. Trauma (car accident, major surgery, etc.)
Do You Have These Symptoms?
1. Waking up extremely tired and “foggy”, even after getting a long sleep.
2. High levels of fatigue each day.
3. Inability to handle stress
4. Cravings for salty foods
5. Higher energy levels in the evening (insomnia)
6. A weakened immune system (can eventually lead to chronic inflammation, allergies and autoimmune diseases)
So, these symptoms may be clues that you have adrenal fatigue and could benefit from STRESS RESET. For more, click to learn more or purchase a 30-day supply. Stress Reset Cortisol Revival supplements >Most importantly if you have questions or feel you may need something more, we also offer a Hormone Health Quiz to help identify when there’s more personalized hormone health attention needed. So, click below to take our quiz!
Follow Up Treatment:
Lab tests and meeting with the Provider should be done every 3 months. It is also recommend to eliminate hard-to-digest foods and toxins from your diet and to have a Food Sensitivity Test completed. Adrenal Fatigue can take up to 2 years to completely heal so follow all of the Providers recommendations.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Save Your Skin During the Holidays!
Healthy Skin in December
1. Wear Your Sunscreen- Even though the sun is gone, we still need to be aware of the UVA rays that are present year round. These are the rays that can cause skin cancer and premature aging.
2. If you’re stressed out, your skin will show it. I know that being “stress free” isn’t always an option but it’s important to take a time-out every once in a while. Go do some yoga, get a pedicure, a facial (call New Leaf Wellness) or just relax by the fire. We all know these things but we need to be reminded.
3. Manicures- All your running around at the malls and cooking are going to wreak havoc on your hands and nails. Mix any oil (olive, jojoba, grape seed) with a lotion or apply by itself for extra hydration to save your skin for cracking and bleeding.
4. Chapped Lips- This is when you need a Lip BALM, not a chapstick. A balm will heal your lips and a chapstick will protect your lips. Burt’s Bees is my absolute favorite.
Enjoy this post? See 5 Easy Tips for a Healthy Skincare Regimen for more ways to save your skin! >
5. Sore Feet- Peppermint is the answer. You can find it in scrubs and lotions and it will make your feet feel fantastic! Or add peppermint oil to your current favorite lotion!
6. Dry Skin- Did you know that people with dry skin tend to age faster than those with oily skin? Yep, there is an advantage to oily skin. Keep your skin hydrated and not just your face. I’m obsessed with grapeseed oil right now so that is my go-to oil but whatever works for you is good. Just make sure you use it consistently. Those heaters can dry out our skin and make things worse.
7. Makeup- Keep it light and dewy and wash your face every night!
If you’re feeling like these tips are great, but you need more, we hear you! Take our quick assessment to understand what your skin needs!
Yes, I want to take the Free Aesthetics Health Quiz!
The Truth About Your Night Sweats
Waking Up Drenched in Sweat?
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!
Declining Hormones
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,
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!
Dietary supplements: Do They Help or Hurt?
Published by Harvard Health Publishing
Original article: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/dietary-supplements-do-they-help-or-hurt
What you need to know before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.
The average American diet leaves a lot to be desired. Research finds our plates lacking in a number of essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and D. It’s no wonder that more than half of us open a supplement bottle to get the nutrition we need. Many of us take supplements not just to make up for what we’re missing, but also because we hope to give ourselves an extra health boost—a preventive buffer to ward off disease.
Getting our nutrients straight from a pill sounds easy, but supplements don’t necessarily deliver on the promise of better health. Some can even be dangerous, especially when taken in larger-than-recommended amounts.
How Much of Each Nutrient Do You Need?Here are the recommended levels of daily intake for several important nutrients. |
||
| Nutrient | How Much You | Don’t Exceed |
| Calcium | 1,000–1,200 mg | 2,000 mg |
| Folate | 400 mcg | 1,000 mcg |
| Iron | 8 mg | 45 mg |
| Vitamin A | 700 mcg RAE* | 3,000 mcg RAE |
| Vitamin B 6 | 1.5 mg | 100 mg |
| Vitamin B 12 | 2.4 mcg | No established
upper limit |
| Vitamin C | 75 mg | 2,000 mg |
| Vitamin D | 600–800 IU | 4,000 IU |
| Vitamin E | 15 mg | 1,000 mg |
| *Retinol activity equivalents | ||
The Excitement Over Supplements
We’ve heard a lot of encouraging news about supplements. A series of studies hailed vitamin D as a possible defense against a long list of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, depression, and even the common cold. Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted for warding off strokes and other cardiovascular events. And antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and beta carotene were seen as promising silver bullets against heart disease, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Here’s the big caveat: Many of those exciting supplement studies were observational—they didn’t test a particular supplement against a placebo (inactive pill) in a controlled setting. The results of more stringent randomized controlled trials haven’t yielded the same good news.
“Often the enthusiasm for these vitamins and supplements outpaces the evidence. And when the rigorous evidence is available from randomized controlled trials, often the results are at odds with the findings of the observational studies.”
– Dr. JoAnn Manson, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Principal Investigator of a large randomized trial known as VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial).
Because observational studies may not fully control for dietary factors, exercise habits, and other variables, they can’t prove whether the treatment is responsible for the health benefits. “People who take supplements tend to be more health conscious, exercise more, eat healthier diets, and have a whole host of lifestyle factors that can be difficult to control for fully in the statistical models,” Dr. Manson continues.
Diving Deeper
Some supplements that were found to have health benefits in observational studies turned out, with more rigorous testing, to be not only ineffective but also risky. Vitamin E, which was initially thought to protect the heart, was later discovered to increase the risk for bleeding strokes. Folic acid and other B vitamins were once believed to prevent heart disease and strokes—until later studies not only didn’t confirm that benefit but actually raised concerns that high doses of these nutrients might increase cancer risk.
How to Get Your Nutrients
We need a variety of nutrients each day to stay healthy, including calcium and vitamin D to protect our bones, folic acid to produce and maintain new cells, and vitamin A to preserve a healthy immune system and vision.
Yet the source of these nutrients is important. “Usually it is best to try to get these vitamins and minerals and nutrients from food as opposed to supplements,” Dr. Manson says.
What Are The Best Sources?
Fruits, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods contain nutrients and other substances not found in a pill, which work together to keep us healthy. We can’t get the same synergistic effect from a supplement. Taking certain vitamins or minerals in higher-than-recommended doses may even interfere with nutrient absorption or cause side effects.
Food Sources of Nutrients |
|
| Nutrient | Food sources |
| Calcium | Milk, yogurt, sardines, tofu,
fortified orange juice |
| Folic acid | Fortified cereal, spinach,
lentils, beef liver |
| Iron | Oysters, chicken liver, turkey |
| Omega-3
fatty acids |
Salmon, sardines, flaxseed,
walnuts, soybeans |
| Vitamin A | Sweet potato, spinach, carrots,
cantaloupe, tomatoes |
| Vitamin B6 | Chickpeas, salmon,
chicken breast |
| Vitamin B12 | Clams, beef liver, trout,
fortified breakfast cereals |
| Vitamin D | Salmon, tuna, yogurt,
fortified milk |
| Vitamin E | Wheat germ oil, almonds,
sunflower seeds, peanut butter |
How Dr. Manson Weighs Supplements
Before you take any supplements for disease prevention, it’s important to know whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks. To make that conclusion, you need to look at the results of well-designed studies. A recent randomized trial in men suggested multivitamins have possible benefits for cancer prevention. For many of the other popular supplements, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, results from randomized controlled trials should be available within the next five years, according to Dr. Manson.
Until then, be judicious about your use of supplements. If you’re lacking in a particular nutrient, ask your doctor whether you need to look beyond your diet to make up for what you’re missing—but don’t take more than the recommended daily intake for that nutrient unless your health care provider advises it.
Choosing supplements do not have to be hard with New Leaf Wellness‘s compounding pharmacy, New Leaf Rx. Learn more about you can have them delivered directly to your door step and formulated specifically for you!
Testosterone and Fatigue
Learn More about Testosterone and Fatigue
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!
