Top Hormone Test Suggestions by Dr. Sara Gottfried

I love this and I love cutting the 'fat!'  DR. SARA GOTTFRIED has provided very useful information below on understanding steps every woman can start to understand and take in testing their personal hormonal levels.  Each woman truly is unique with their own set of stressors that are both internal and external.   Now beware, this can still be confusing, but the provided information from Sarah starts to unwind the confusion!

You can’t start improving something until you understand your baseline.   Here are some tests I 
commonly recommend. Once you get the test results, you’ll know a starting point and which “fire” needs to be put out first.

Top Hormone Test Suggestions 

1. Blood Panel

Blood tests are most commonly used by conventional physicians, so starting with blood is a good starting bridge for those who rely on insurance dollars, as well as commonality with your doctor.

Ask your doctor to order:

• VAP cholesterol [This is extensive and includes subtypes of LDL and HDL plus lipo(a), VLDL

• Ferritin

• TSH

• Free T3

• Reverse T3

• Cortisol

• DHEA

If you’re overweight: leptin, insulin. IGF-1 (growth hormone)

2. DIY: Your doctor will not run the tests or you’d like to pursue on your own.

I recommend the Canary Club or ZRT Labs.

http://www.zrtlab.com Comprehensive Female Profile I (Saliva/Blood) Comprehensive Female Profile II (Saliva/Blood)

3.  http://www.canaryclub.org/ Recommended: Advanced Plus Hormone Profile

4. Complete Hormone Profile

If your doctor is the more open-minded type, check this Genova test. It will tell you about your adrenals, both short-and long-term, and inform you of your estrogen metabolism – that is, do you have a modifiable tendency toward breast cancer or not?

5. Let NutrEval Rock Your World

For those of you who really love to measure everything, and want to know where your nutritional deficiencies are...consider your prayers answered: http://www.gdx.net/product/10051. The cost is reasonable for people with insurance who qualify for Genova’s Pay Assured program at $169. Add on Vitamin D for $5.

6.  Mercury Rising?

I commonly see women with fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, low sex drive and underperforming thyroids. I encourage them to test for mercury from Mercout.com.

7.  Telomeres, My Telomeres

For those soul sisters who delight in quantifying biological age, the best marker is your telomeres, the cute little caps on your chromosomes that keep your chromes from unraveling and are similar to shoelace caps. Get those telomeres tested at Spectracell.com

8.  Neuroendocrine Fun and Games

Finally, for women in perimenopause with the usual suspects of more stress/irritability/waning libido & focus, one of my favorite tests is the Neuroendocrine 3 panel (9505) from Neuroscience. This tests looks 
at the intersection of your hormones with your neurotransmitters. It’s very satisfying, and it generates a personalized amino-acid balancing protocol.

This test is excellent for women trying to get off antidepressants, sleeping pills or anxiety medication.

https://www.neurorelief.com/?p=testing

9. Pathway Fit

The Pathway Fit test gives you a personalized look into your genetic code. It analyzes your metabolism, eating habits, and the way your body responds to exercise. The test, along with a lifestyle questionnaire, tells you how to optimize your diet, workouts and lifestyle for a strong metabolism. Talk about a tailored weight loss plan!

https://www.pathway.com/dna-reports/pathway-fit

10. Genova - Menopause

The Menopause Plus test by Genova Diagnostics will test your melatonin and cortisol levels, as well as your estrogen and progesterone.

BIG Step – Baby Steps

This may seem like a overwhelming list. Step 1 of an important process: figuring out the root cause of your health issues. Once you know the area that is causing the most harm and start to treat it, you’ll be amazed at how the rest of your body starts to return to balance too.

Blind Spots and How to Proceed

It is highly recommended you work with a partnered functional medicine practicioner, Doctor, DO, etc.

The key here is to measure, manage, and improve your hormonal equilibrium with objective tests – combined with a honest assessment of your values, genetic tendencies, current health, lifestyle and blind spots.

Congratulations on your commitment to optimal “beautiful health.”

THANK YOU to DR. SARA GOTTFRIED, M.D. on your written resource of: “Top Ten Hormone Tests”

Top 10 Reasons to do Laser Hair Treatment

 Top 10 for Laser Therapy for Healthier Hair and Optimal Growth

You know the drill. You get up, take a shower, and watch your hair swirl in the drain. You check your hair out in the mirror and find a little less than you had the day before. Your hairline is receding and youve tried the shampoos and the Rogaine with minimal success. Youve done the hair system thing, but thats just not you. So whats a person to do? Live with hair loss? Maybe not. Here are top ten reasons to try a new laser hair treatment program.

1. The use of low level lasers in the treatment of hair loss is one of the latest technological breakthroughs in hair restoration therapy. This low level laser hair treatment has been used with great success in Europe for the past ten years, but is only recently coming into use here in the states. Use of hand-held laser combs have been approved by the FDA for home use.

2. Low light lasers use cool red light to stimulate blood flow up to 54% better to the hair folicle. There are many factors involved in male and female pattern hair loss - genetics, hormones, age. When hair follicles begin to fail because of an overabundance of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body (a hormone that comes with aging) and lack of blood flow to that area of the scalp, hair follicles shrink and eventually miniaturize and fail to thrive. Finally, hair follicles disappear altogether. Once follicles die, nothing can be done to help them. Thats why its important to start laser hair treatment when your hair is in the thinning stage, before its gone altogether. Cool laser hair treatment stimulates this blood flow and restores vitality to the root, encouraging regrowth.

3. Laser hair treatment can be used in conjunction with your current mode of hair loss treatment. If youve taking Rogaine or Propecia and seeing minimal results, laser hair treatment can boost the effectiveness of medications. By stimulating regrowth of hair follicles with the use of red, low light lasers, it helps the medications work more effectively. In clinical studies, 45% of patients saw noticeable results in 6 - 8 weeks, and within 4 - 6 months, another 45% saw definite improvement in the quality of the hair that was regrowing and in the thickness of their hair. For best results talk to a hair loss consultant for a free hair loss consultation, which are normally free

4. Laser hair treatment is pain-free and has virtually no side effects. For those fearful or reluctant to use drugs and prescription medication treatments such as Rogaine or Propecia, a laser hair treatment program offers a safe, effective and risk-free way to treat hair loss. Lasers stimulate blood flow to the scalp, and energized the hair follicles, but do not damage skin. 5. Laser hair treatment will not bust your budget. Compared to other hair loss treatments, laser hair treatments are affordable; the cost is much cheaper than alternatives like surgical hair restoration, or a high-end hair system that will require maintenance.

6. Laser hair treatment vs. hair systems  Hair systems require some kind of glue or adhesive to stay on. There is always the risk that an edge will come up or that even the best hair system will be detectable. With laser hair treatment, youre only dealing with your own natural hair. No glue, no hoping people dont notice youre wearing a hair system.

7. No surgery  There is no surgery involved with laser hair treatment, and more importantly, no anesthesia required. Hair restoration surgery (or follicular hair transplantation surgery) is very expensive and requires 10 days of downtime following surgery. Laser hair treatments can be done on your lunch break or in front of the TV at night and require no down time. And there is no risk of infection involved as there is with any surgery.

8. Laser Hair Treatments are natural  Many people simply dont believe in taking medication or in doing surgery to restore hair. They want a more natural approach. Nothing is more natural than using light to regrow your hair. The kind of red light used in laser hair treatments is not the kind that will give you sunburn or encourage skin problems. On the contrary, it can even help flaky, itchy scalps to heal and naturally stimulate the health and vitality of the scalp and hair.

9. No need to be self-conscious by visiting a hair replacement clinic. If you dread the idea of walking into a hair restoration clinic to be measured, prodded and evaluated, or if you're simply too shy to be bothered with it, a laser hair treatment program with an in-home hand-held laser comb may be your best solution.

10. Hand-held laser combs for home use - If you choose the hand-held laser comb that is now on the market, it's an even more cost effective option. Use of the laser comb two-three times a week at home for 10 to 15 minutes is all you need to do. No need to drive in to a clinic for laser hair treatments. And it's yours forever. As your hair regrows after using laser hair therapy, your confidence will grow as well. A thick head of healthy hair means a more vital, healthy, happy you.

Resource:  http://www.hlcconline.com/top-10-reasons-for-laser-hair-growth-treatment.html

Estrogen Induced Cancer: Get on the RIGHT PATHWAY! (details inside)

New research pinpoints how nutrition may prevent estrogen's carcinogenic activity by directing metabolites down favorable pathways.

Guest Article By Dan Lukaczer, N.D.

The continuing controversy over the health benefits and risks of estrogen is a complex and evolving story. Part of the reason is because estrogen is a much more complicated substance than originally believed. Although most people think of estrogen as a single entity, these hormones are actually three biochemically distinct molecules the body produces naturally—estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). These three estrogen molecules have different activities that make them more or less "estrogenic." The estrogenic activity often determines the mutagenic or carcinogenic potential of an estrogen.

It is widely believed that cumulative estrogen exposure is the most critical breast cancer risk factor. Breast cancer risk increases with early menarche, late menopause, long-term use of birth control pills, and estrogen replacement therapy. [1] When women gain weight, grow taller, have fewer children (and have them later in life), they increase their lifetime exposure to estrogen, and its associated risks.

Researchers are gaining new insights into the processes through which E1, E2, and E3 are metabolized, detoxified, and excreted. These estrogens break down or are detoxified into estrogen metabolites—daughter compounds—called 2-hydroxyestrone, 4-hydroxyestrone, and 16-hydroxyestrone. These metabolites can have stronger or weaker estrogenic activity—and thus increase a woman's risk of breast, uterine, and other cancers—depending on how they are metabolized.

We know estrogen metabolism depends on three factors: a woman's genetic makeup, lifestyle and diet, and environment. Therefore, understanding estrogen metabolism, and the things we can do to affect it, offers significant opportunities to reduce cancer risks, particularly of breast and uterine cancers.

Estrogen Metabolism 

In premenopausal women, the ovaries produce the estrogen estradiol (E2), which converts into estrone (E1), both of which must eventually be broken down and excreted from the body. This breakdown occurs primarily in the liver, and the excreted metabolites flow out in the bile or urine. Estradiol and estrone undergo this breakdown through a process called hydroxylation, an enzymatic activity in which the parent estrogen is transformed by the addition of a hydroxyl (OH) group at specific positions on estrogen's molecular ring.

Estrogen molecules are composed of carbon ring structures that are named numerically. Estradiol has 17 carbon atoms and can be hydroxylated at particular points on that ring. Considerable research has shown that major metabolites of estradiol and estrone are those hydroxylated at either the C-2 or the C-16 positions. Hydroxylated metabolites at the C-4 position also are present, but in lesser amounts. We might think of this process as parent estrogens (estradiol and estrone) begetting daughter estrogens (C-2, C-4, and C-16 hydroxyestrones and hydroxyestradiols). The problem is, some of these are the proverbial good daughters and some are bad daughters. I'll describe how the "bad" daughters can cause significant trouble.

What makes an estrogen good or bad? That has to do with the biological activity, or potency, of that estrogen. Estrogens are important in a host of cellular activities that affect growth and differentiation in various target cells. This is normal and beneficial, but too much estrogenic stimulation can have a negative effect. Therefore, properly metabolizing and excreting estrogens is crucial. This is how the daughter compounds differ substantially. If these estrogens are metabolized into the 2-hydroxylated estrone and estradiol, they lose much of their cell proliferative and estrogenic activity and are termed "good" estrogen metabolites. Studies show that when 2-hydroxylation increases, the body resists cancer, and that when 2-hydroxylation decreases, cancer risk increases.

However, the C-4 and C-16 hydroxylated estrone and estradiol metabolites are different from C-2 because these metabolites have more estrogenic activity than their mother compound. [3] Research strongly suggests that women who metabolize a larger proportion of their estrogens down the C-16 pathway, as opposed to the C-2 pathway, have elevated breast cancer risk, [4] and that the daughter estrogens metabolized down the C-16 route may be associated with direct genotoxic effects and carcinogenicity. [5]

Predicting Cancer Risks 

In one recent large trial of 10,786 premenopausal women at the State University of New York at Buffalo, researchers found that those who went on to develop breast cancer had significantly less 2-hydroxyestrone and more 16-alphahydroxyestrone metabolites than women who did not. Following women for 5.5 years, they found that participants with increased levels of 2-hydroxyestrone had a 40 percent decrease in the occurrence of breast cancer. [6]

In a longer-term study on postmenopausal women, women with the highest C-2:C-16 ratio (a higher ratio means more C-2 and less C-16, proportionally) had 30 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than women with lower ratios. [7] With this information, it would seem useful to discover what, if any, dietary or lifestyle modifications could guide estrogens down the C-2 pathway.

Estrogens are metabolized by a series of oxidizing enzymes in the cytochrome P450 family. These are the detoxification enzymes that break down all manner of drugs, hormones, and environmental toxins into generally less harmful metabolites. By closely studying this family of 30 or so enzymes, scientists have discovered how the parent estrogen compounds are modified in the C-2, C-4, or C-16 pathways. Researchers found that if particular enzymes within this family, namely cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1A2, are activated or stimulated, then more parent estrogens are metabolized into C-2-hydroxylated compounds. [8] However, if cytochrome P450 3A4 and 1B1 are activated, then more C-4 and C-16 are produced [9]. The C-16-alpha version tends to damage DNA and cause abnormal cellular proliferation, while the C-2 metabolite has less estrogenic activity. [2-4] If the proportion of C-16-alpha-hydroxyestrone can be decreased while the C-2-hydroxyestrone is increased—changing the ratio between the two—cancer risk could be reduced.

Nutrition And Estrogen 

Epidemiological studies suggest the protective effects of soy protein on breast cancer rates in Asian countries where soy is a dietary mainstay. [10] While soy protein is a complex mixture of nutrients and phytochemicals, it appears that part of its benefit is related to the isoflavones genistein and daidzein. Studies suggest that they change the way estrogens are metabolized, therefore changing the C-2:C-16 ratio. In studies on both pre- and postmenopausal women, it has been shown that isoflavones increase the beneficial C-2-hydroxyestrone at the expense of the C-16-hydroxyestrone, therefore increasing the C-2:C-16 ratio. [11,12]

It appears that isoflavones found in other plants might also have beneficial effects. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata), a vine found in the southern United States, contains unique isoflavones. It was found that one of kudzu's isoflavones—puerarin—induced cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A1 and 1A2, among others, which pushed estrogen through the beneficial C-2-hydroxylation metabolic pathway. [13 ]

Lignans found in fiber-rich foods such as seeds and grains, and in particularly high concentrations in flaxseeds, contain phytochemicals that, when acted upon by bacteria in the gut, are converted to the metabolites called enterolactone and enterodiol, which appear to have similar effects as isoflavones. Researchers have demonstrated in animal and cell studies that lignans have chemoprotective effects, and they may influence estrogen production and metabolism. [14,15] Studies also have shown that women with breast cancer, or at risk for breast cancer, have low excretion levels of urinary lignans. In cell-culture studies, lignans have been shown to inhibit estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cell proliferation. [14] When flax was supplemented at five and 10 grams per day for three seven-week periods in a group of 28 postmenopausal women, the levels of C-2 hydroxyestrone increased in the urine, which increased the ratio of C-2:C-16. [15 ] This suggests that flax may have a beneficial effect on estrogen metabolism.

The Phytonutrient I3C 

The results of epidemiological studies on cruciferous and mustard family vegetables (Brassica genus)—including bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, and turnip—suggest that diets high in these vegetables lower the breast cancer rate. Increasing the amount of cruciferous vegetables in the diet can increase the C-2: C-16-estrogen ratio. [16] The vegetables' phytochemicals seem to have a specific estrogen-modulating effect, and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) may be the most important phytonutrient in this regard.

Eating broccoli, kale, or other crucifers releases I3C, which is transported to the stomach. I3C is not the only indole formed [17] but is probably the most important and well studied.

In the stomach, I3C is converted into many active compounds, one of which is diindolylmethane (DIM). Although DIM appears to be one important metabolite of I3C, most of the past and ongoing studies are performed on I3C itself. This is because I3C breaks down into a number of indole products, aside from DIM, which also may have estrogen-modulating activity. [18,19] Cell-culture studies and human clinical trials have shown that I3C at doses of 200­400 mg/day can influence estrogen metabolism and promote formation of 2-OH-estrone, and therefore may be useful in breast cancer prevention. [20,21 ] Current U.S. research studies are under way on I3C and women at increased risk for breast cancer. [22]

There is some controversy with I3C and when it should be administered. Most studies with I3C suggest it is best used as a preventive agent for women at high risk. Supplementing with I3C after cancer is present is less clear as far as benefit, as animal studies have been conflicting on this issue. [23,24]

Environmental Effects 

Researchers who completed a large study last year concluded that the environment plays a much larger role in cancer development than most people realize. For example, more than 44,000 pairs of twins were assessed for a possible cancer connection in each pair. If inheritance played a major role, there would have been a strong health and disease correlation in both twins, but inherited factors for breast cancer were estimated at 30 percent, at most. Researchers concluded that inherited genetic factors make a minor contribution to cancer susceptibility, and that environmental factors play the principal role. [25]

Genes and the environment work together, and if a person has high genetic risk factors, greater attention should be focused on environment.

The World Health Organization recently reported that breast cancer has become the most common cancer in women throughout the world. [26] D. Lindsay Berkson, in Hormone Deception (Contemporary Books, 2000), reports on the accumulation of synthetic molecules in the environment from pesticides, plastics, and a variety of other sources that mimic the effects of the "bad" estrogens and add to cancer risk. Even if a woman doesn't have cancer in her family, with this ever-increasing environmental burden of estrogen-mimicking molecules, she needs to think about cutting her risk: what to do about internal and external environments. There is credible scientific evidence to suggest that consuming certain foods and phytonutrients may have a favorable effect on the risk of estrogen-related cancers.

The Estrogen Dilemma

Dan Lukaczer, N.D., is director of clinical research at the Functional Medicine Research Center, a division of Metagenics International Inc., in Gig Harbor, Wash. Metagenics supplies medical foods and supplements, including those containing lignans, isoflavones, and I3C, to health care practitioners.

References:

1. Yager JD. Endogenous estrogens as carcinogens through metabolic activation. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2000;27: 67-73.

2. Bradlow HL, et al. 2-hydroxyestrone: the 'good' estrogen. J Endocrinol 1996;150 Suppl:S259-65.

3. Gupta M, et al. Estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of 16 alpha- and 2-hydroxy metabolites of 17 beta-estradiol in MCF-7 and T47D human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1998;67(5-6):413-9.

4. Kabat GC, et al. Urinary estrogen metabolites and breast cancer: a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1997;6(7):505-9.

5. Bolton JL, et al. Role of quinoids in estrogen carcinogenesis. Chem Res Toxicol 1998;11(10):1113-27.

6. Muti P, et al. Estrogen metabolism and risk of breast cancer: a prospective study of the 2:16 alpha-hydroxyestrone ratio in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Epidemiology 2000;11(6):635-40.

7. Meilahn EN, et al. Do urinary oestrogen metabolites predict breast cancer? Guernsey III cohort follow-up. Br J Cancer 1998;78(9):1250-5.

8. Bradlow HL, et al. Multifunctional aspects of the action of indole-3-carbinol as an antitumor agent. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999;889:204-13.

9. Huang Z, et al. 16-alpha-hydroxylation of estrone by human cytochrome P4503A4/5. Carcinogenesis 1998;19(5):867-72.

10. Vincent A, Fitzpatrick LA. Soy isoflavones: are they useful in menopause? Mayo Clin Proc 2000;75(11):1174-84.

11. Xu X, et al. Effects of soy isoflavones on estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism in premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998;7(12):1101-8.

12. Xu X, et al. Soy consumption alters endogenous estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(8):781-6.

13. Guerra MC, et al. Comparison between Chinese medical herb Pueraria lobata crude extract and its main isoflavone puerarin antioxidant properties and effects on rat liver CYP-cataly-sed drug metabolism. Life Sci 2000;67(24):2997-3006.

14. Mousavi Y, Adlercreutz H. Enterolactone and estradiol inhibit each other's proliferative effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells in culture. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1992;41(3-8):615-9.

15. Haggans CJ, et al. Effect of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in postmenopausal women. Nutr Cancer 1999;33(2):188-95.

16. Fowke JH, et al. Brassica vegetable consumption shifts estrogen metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(8):773-9.

17. Stephenson PU, et al. Modulation of cytochrome P4501A1 activity by ascorbigen in murine hepatoma cells. Biochem Pharmacol 1999;58(7):1145-53.

18. Liu H, et al. Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole: a dietary-derived factor that exhibits both antiestrogenic and estrogenic activity. J Natl Cancer Inst 1994;1758-65.

19. Wong GY, et al. Dose-ranging study of indole-3-carbinol for breast cancer prevention. J Cell Biochem Suppl 1997;29:111-6.

20. Telang NT, et al. Inhibition of proliferation and modulation of estradiol metabolism: novel mechanisms for breast cancer prevention by the phytochemical indole-3-carbinol. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1997;216(2):246-52.

21. Michnovicz JJ, et al. Changes in levels of urinary estrogen metabolites after oral indole-3- carbinol treatment in humans. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89(10):718-23.

22. Osborne MP. Chemoprevention of breast cancer. Surg Clin North Am 1999;79(5):1207-21. 23. Bailey GS, et al. Enhancement of carcinogenesis by the natural anticarcinogen indole-3-carbinol. J Natl Canc Inst 1987 May;78(5):931-4.

24. Xu M, et al. Post-initiation effects of chlorophyllin and indole-3-carbinol in rats given 1,2-dimethylhydrazine or 2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline. Carcinogenesis 2001;22:309-14.

25. Lichtenstein P, et al. Environmental and heritable factors in the causation of cancer—analyses of cohorts of twins from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. N Engl J Med 2000;343(2):78-85.

26. Davis DL, et al. Rethinking breast cancer risk and the environment: the case for the precautionary principle. Environ Health Perspect 1998;106(9):523-9

Spring Kidney Cleansing Smoothie and Juice Recipes!

Hello Informed Beauty - I truly believe the winter curse has broken!  It's perfect time to hit the reset button in our internal + external beauty regime.  Check out these GREAT SMOOTHIES that help to clear and support your oh-so-important  kidneys.  

Being that our kidneys are an important detoxification organ, it’s important that we learn to nourish them with the right foods. There are many beneficial herbs and foods we can include to support kidney health, and what better way to cleanse and support our kidneys than by juicing!

Here are 6 simple and delicious juice recipes that will help support the health of your kidneys and provide mild diuretic properties to help flush the kidneys of unwanted wastes.

Let’s get juicing…

Watermelon Flush

• 4 cups fresh watermelon, roughly chopped

• Handful of fresh basil leaves

*Note: This recipes works well in a juicer or blender.

Parsley Purifier

• ½ cup fresh parsley

• 2 celery ribs

• 1 carrot

• 1 cucumber

Dandy-love

• 3 dandelion leaves

• 1/2 green apple

• 2 celery stalks

• 1/2 lemon

• Chunk of broccoli stalk

Radiant-Radish

• 2 cups radishes, chopped

• 1 celery rib

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 lemon

Mean & Green

• Handful of spinach

• Handful of kale

• 1/2 green apple

• 1/2 lemon

• 1-inch piece fresh ginger

• ½ cup fresh parsley

Cruciferous Goodness

• 1/2 head red cabbage

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 cucumber

• Chunk of broccoli stalk

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro

All these recipes can be pressed through your juicer and enjoyed any time of day to cleanse and rejuvenate your kidneys and support overall health.

Thank you Guest Post: Young and Raw - http://www.youngandraw.com/6-kidney-cleansing-juice-recipes/

Is your hair thinning? Thyroid Function - look no further!

 Our team views our guests  multi-dimensionally.  Through the focal point of functional medicine and beauty - Justin (guest post) brings light to how your thyroid may be the first place to look if you are experiencing hair loss.

Below are only a few symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism):

• Thinning hair (most common)

• Fatigue

• Weight gain

• Constipation

• Depression

Thinning hair or hair loss is a hallmark sign for low thyroid function.

The hair follicle requires thyroid hormone to produce hair. As thyroid function begins to lower due to stress or an autoimmune condition, it’s possible to see negative changes in your hair quality and or amount. It’s also possible to see hair come off in clumps from your scalp or just see a thinning of the outer third of your eye brows.

Auto-immune hypothyroid patients (Hashimotos) are known to suffer from alopecia or hair loss (1, 2).  There is a higher chance of having allopecia or hair loss if you have a hypothyroid condition.

The systemic inflammation underlying most thyroid conditions can be a driving factor of hair loss by decreasing thyroid hormone. Chronic stress will cause in increase in Reverse T3 which has an effect of decreasing active thyroid hormone at the receptor site level. Reverse T3 can also decrease thyroid conversion from T4 (Inactive) to T3 (Active) (3).

Reverse t3 appeared to inhibit the conversion of t4 to T3 with a potency which is about 100 times more than propylthiouracil (4).

Reverse T3 has also been show to to be an excellent indicator for thyroid function even though it’s ignore by most mainstream endocrinologists.

This study demonstrates that rT3 inversely correlates with physical performance scores and that the T3/rT3 ratio is currently the best indicator of tissue levels of thyroid (5).

It’s important if you are suffering from hair loss that you receive a full thyroid panel (not just TSH and T4) including thyroid antibodies, free and total fractions of T4/T3, reverse T3, and T3 uptake.

Having a complete lab panel will allow your Functional Medicine Doctor more information to assess your overall thyroid function and provide a plan that will provide a lasting solution.

Do You Have An Autoimmune Thyroid? Over 5% of the population has an autoimmune thyroid disorder and conventional medicine is ill equipped to address it.

Did you know most mainstream MD’s don’t measure thyroid antibodies? The reason is, it doesn’t change the medication they would put you on in the first place. Being a holistic physician, knowing a patient has an auto-immune thyroid disease can make all the difference in the world in helping the patient get better.

What You Can Do To Assess Thyroid Function Measuring body temperature is an excellent indicator of thyroid function. It can help assess your thyroid function without lab testing and can be an early indicator that you may have a thyroid problem. I always recommend combining thyroid temperature testing along with a comprehensive thyroid lab panel.

What If My Thyroid Tests Are Normal?

Most patients never get a comprehensive thyroid test to being with. When the are told they are normal it’s usually their Doctor letting them know their TSH is out of the pathological range >4.5. Below is an example of lab work looks to most Doctors.

It’s important to note that 95% of the population comprise the so called “Normal” range. Just go look around and you’ll be hard pressed to find 95% of people you know with normal health. As the population gets sicker, the references get wider, decreasing the chance of conventional labs picking up on your thyroid condition.

Functional Medicine Doctors look at thyroid tests on a functional spectrum of thyroid health. This allows more patient’s with thyroid issues to be detected and not slip through the cracks like they would in the conventional medical world.

It’s possible to have a normal thyroid blood test and still have a low body temperature. It’s always best to look at both temperature, thyroid function and adrenal functional when addressing harder thyroid cases.

Adequate body temperature ranges between: -97.8-98.2 degrees for the axillary area (armpit). -98.2-98.6 degrees for the oral area (mouth).

Healthy thyroid temperature shouldn’t vary more than 0.3 degrees per day. If you see a variance of great than 0.3 degrees per day, this is a sign of adrenal stress. Adrenal fatigue can also contribute to thyroid dysfunction.

Some individuals may need small amounts of natural thyroid hormone to jump start their system, others may need a more comprehensive approach that looks at addressing the adrenal glands and the nutrients required for healthy T4 to T3 conversion. Either way I strongly urge anyone in this situation to get a comprehensive assessment to figure out which approach is best.

From a functional medicine paradigm it’s important to know if you are auto-immune because it changes the overall approach to how the thyroid is treated. Any time any auto-immune condition is present the focus needs to more on the immune system and the gut and less on the thyroid or injured gland.

Most Important Lab Tests

TSH: Pituitary hormones that signals the thyroid to make T4, a poor marker of thyroid status unless elevated. Total T4: 98% of T4 thyroid hormone that is inactive and protein bound. Free T4: 2% of  T4 thyroid hormone that is active and freely bound. Total T3: 98% of T3 thyroid hormone that is inactive and protein bound. Free T3: 2% of T3  thyroid hormone that is active and freely bound. Reverse T3: Sign of a stressed physiology and a slower metabolism. Thyroglobulin:  Increases with BCP’s (birth control pills) and higher levels of estrogen, decreases with elevation in testosterone like in PCOS. T3 Uptake: How much active thyroid hormone is taken up by the receptor site. Elevated upate can be a sign of higher levels of testosterone commonly cause by PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) in females. Low uptake can be caused by elevations in estrogen primarily seen by BCP’s. TPO Antibody: 70% of auto-immune patients are positive for TPO. TBG Antibody: Less likely positive but should still be tested to rule out auto-immunity. TSI Antibody/Thyrotropin receptor antibodies: Auto-immune condition that causes hyperthyroidism or Graves Disease.

Thank you - Guest Post:  Dr. Justin Marchegiani

Learn more about your thyroid, immunity, and getting to the root - here!

90% of all food allergies are caused by 8 common foods! Do you have these symptoms?

Eight common foods are causing 90 percent of all food allergies! Do you have any of these symptoms?

This may surprise you, but eight common foods – milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, soy, wheat and shellfish – cause 90 percent of all food allergies. Chances are, half of those items make common appearances in your daily diet. They could, however, be jacking up your cortisol, decreasing your immune strength, and keeping you from achieving your wellness (and weight loss!) goals.

Allergies versus intolerances While the cause of true food allergies – the kind that produces severe or anaphalatic reactions — involve IgE antibodies in the immune system, food intolerances can arise when we consume the same foods day after day with little variety. This dietary stagnation causes the body to become “sensitized” to the food. In common parlance, the terms “allergy,” “sensitivity” and “food intolerance” are often used interchangeably, but sensitivities and intolerances are not true IgE allergies.

Food sensitivities or intolerances usually involve a different set of immune system antibodies called IgG antibodies. Symptoms are less intense and typically do not appear immediately, but rather within 12–48 hours, after eating the offending foodstuff. Heartburn, headaches, difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, looking tired even after sufficient sleep, an inability to lose weight, bloating and relentless water retention can all be related to food sensitivities or intolerances.

Because the connection between the symptom and a specific food can be difficult to pinpoint, those who suffer these discomforts often go on feeling worse and worse as their immune system takes a constant beating.

Many of us with food sensitivities don’t even realize how bad we feel until the problematic foods are removed from our diet. Then suddenly getting out of bed becomes easier, our energy, mood and concentration improve and joint pain, headaches and sinus congestion disappear. Here’s a handy chart on common symptoms associated with food sensitivities. You may be nodding your head to more than a few of these side effects:

Symptoms commonly associated with food intolerances/sensitivities

Digestive: Gas Bloating Abdominal cramping Loose stools Indigestion or heartburn Constipation GERD (reflux) Blood in the stool Lactose intolerance Inflammatory bowel disease Irritable bowel Syndrome

Skin: Eczema Psoriasis Acne Hives

Mental/Emotional: Irritability Anxiety Depression Food cravings Insomnia

General: Joint pain or stiffness Arthritis (rheumatoid) Fatigue Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning Headaches Migraines Malaise Weight gain Water retention Puffy eyes Dark under-eye circles High blood pressure Cellulite Difficulty losing weight

Nasal/Immune system: Sinus congestion Ear congestion Post-nasal drip Seasonal allergies Hay fever Asthma Chronic ear infections Itching in the ears Itchy mouth Runny nose Watery eyes Sneezing

Identifying your trigger foods To get to the bottom of your symptoms, I recommend that you do a 14-day elimination diet where you remove the most common food allergens from your diet to give your body a break, alleviate stress off your immune system, and detox overall. Slowly re-introducing each food after a 14-day break can allow you to connect particular symptoms with your food choices.

All that experimenting with different foods may sound like a major inconvenience, but the results can be invaluable. I recall one patient who had suffered with headaches for 20 years – they were gone after just two weeks of avoiding wheat. Another woman had bleeding from the bowel for two years – it was gone after one week on a dairy-free diet.

Uncovering food sensitivities is a powerful process to explore. But what you do with the information you gain is up to you. Once you’ve determined the effects of particular foods on your health, you have to decide whether or not you want to continue eating them.

Check out Dr. Oz's Elimination Diet HERE!

Plan B for determining your food allergies If you don’t want to do a 14-day elimination diet you can consider IgG food allergy testing. Although I encourage you to go through the process of food elimination and reintroduction because it’s so effective, you can choose to have a blood test to identify your IgG food allergies instead. This test identifies the presence of IgG antibodies to certain foods. Positive results to certain foods should be followed with the removal of those foods from your diet for a period of two to six months.

Guest Post:  Natasha Turner, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor

The "Connect 4" to Hormone Havoc that Causes Hair Loss

Many of our guests (salon family)  are fast paced - multitasking -super women!    Naturally, this brings on excess stress, fatigue and hormonal challenges over a period of time. Common first experiences of hair loss is after giving birth.  Years later women reach menopause or other hormonal imbalances, and all not uncommon for women to start losing hair. And while hair loss is a normal process  -  it’s also something that can be remedied by addressing underlying health and hormonal problems.

I appreciate the recent post shared by Dr. Sara Gottfried MD.  You may know of her most recent book "The Hormone Cure."   Sara understands the fundamentals of functional medicine and how it relates to women's health and hormones - inside out.  Enjoy the quick read and thank you, Sara!

4 Hormone Horrors that Cause Hair Loss

If hormones can zap your energy and steal your sex drive, it’s probably no surprise that they can also turn your tresses into a mess. Here are just a few ways that hormonal issues can cause hair loss:

1. Excess Estrogen.

Estrogen, the power player in women’s bodies, is your friend when it’s appropriately balanced. It makes you feel energized, helps stabilize your moods and contributes to a healthy sex drive. Yet too much estrogen, which can be caused by weight gain, perimenopause or toxicity from exposure to endocrine disruptors (which are rampant in our food, water and plastic products), can lead to thinning hair. During and after pregnancy, for example, estrogen levels peak and then dip, causing sudden hair loss for many women.

2. Insulin Issues.

Insulin, that helper hormone in charge of regulating blood sugar levels, also affects a number of different body processes, including fat storage, heart health and, you guessed it, hair growth. One study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Risk found that women with some markers of insulin resistance have a greater risk for androgenic alopecia (AGA), or female pattern baldness.

3. Tricky Testosterone.

In men, testosterone is associated with being big, burly and hairy. But too much testosterone in women creates all sorts of unpleasant results. Namely, it can cause hair growth on the face, neck or chest, and hair loss on your head. Not pretty.

4. Thyroid Woes.

Your body is an intelligent system. So when it’s under stress due to hormonal imbalances, like fluctuating thyroid levels, it redirects energy used for noncritical processes (hair growth) to more important matters at hand (balancing your hormones). Low thyroid is often the cause of that thinning scalp some women get as they age.

3 Ways to Maintain your Mane               

If you’re tired of yanking out gobs of hair from the bathroom drain or piling on products to pump up your ponytail, here are three strategies that have helped many of my patients address the root cause of hair loss:  

1. Get tested.

Because there are a number of different factors that can contribute to hair loss, it’s best to ask your doctor for a few different tests. I recommend checking: fasting glucose, iron levels and complete blood count (which can determine if you have anemia), as well as thyroid, estrogen and testosterone levels. These assessments should give you a better understanding of what hormonal issues may be at the root of your problem.

2. Eat clean.

Incorporating more fiber into your diet will help to lower estrogen levels through the process of “elimination” (i.e., excess estrogen will come out in the wash). Focusing on a high-protein,

low-carbohydrate diet with lots of veggies will improve insulin resistance that may be contributing to hair loss.

3. Pop a quality multivitamin. 

Nutrients, or lack thereof, can affect hair growth, too. Vitamin A helps fat synthesis in hair follicles, encouraging growth; vitamin E helps protect your hair cells from damage; and B vitamins also help to restore hair thickness and shine. Vitamin C and zinc also help to repair cellular damage from the inside out, which makes for a healthy mane.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution, pill or product that will correct hair loss entirely. But if you think of your hormones as a cast of characters, knowing which ones are leading the show and which ones are only playing a supporting role can help you get to the bottom of the issue.  Manage your stress levels and get enough sleep. This will help with general hormone balance and can protect your precious locks from any further damage.

Find Sara's article here!

HAIR LOSS AMONG WOMEN IS ON THE INCREASE

Hair loss is common and growing in younger women.   Changes in lifestyle, increased exercise or weight loss, malabsorption, the way we style our hair and also use of birth control pills could be factors.

Lifestyle

Stress typically will increase testosterone levels and trigger and/or worsen hair loss and hair thinning in genetically pre-disposed. Our demanding lifestyles are stressful – and one could argue that this past decade has been an onslaught of failing economies, unemployment and increasingly competitive work environments.  I'll speak for myself, many of us do not take the time we need to relax.

Another fact is that stress can cause or trigger flare-ups of dandruff – and dandruff has been proven to worsen hair loss in some instances.

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives are being used more widely– and also among younger women. While certain birth control pills have the ability to help slow or stop hair loss and thinning, others can cause it.  The latter contains androgens (male hormones), which can trigger hair loss in women with follicle sensitivity.

Diet

Unhealthy and restrictive dieting regimes are, unfortunately, still popular and fashionable – and with every year a new fad crops up; from juice fasts and ’miracle’ shakes, to no-carb or no protein meal plans.  Being low or over weight  can certainly cause hair loss. Note, you can be either of these to be malnourished.

Hair cells are the second fastest growing cells in the body, yet they are not cells needed for survival.

Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are now more popular than ever. Our hair experts use the best on the market that are "tape extensions" and non damaging to the hair.

Average Life-Span

Hair loss may also be on the rise simply because people are living longer. Hair thinning is more common in all individuals as they age, and in women is especially more common after menopause due to falling oestrogen levels. Certain medical conditions and poor health also tend to be more in older age groups – and general health plays an important role in the maintenance of hair growth.

Contact our team today for a consultation - great color or cut suggestions - or women's health questions pertaining to sudden or long-standing hair loss.  

References: Kingsley Hair Center