Transcript Women `s Health Workshop #1 - Back In Action Chiropratic

Women’s Health Series…
Workshop #1
The Basics of
Female Hormone Health…
PMS
Fatigue
Peri-menopause
The Basics…
In this Workshop, we will look at the basics of
female hormone health… We’ll take a closer
look at some of the possible causes of
endocrine imbalances and more importantly,
how to naturally help regain balance
through dietary changes, nutritional and
herbal approaches and lifestyle/activity.
Areas we’ll cover today…
PMS and common menstrual conditions…
Fatigue…
Peri-menopause…
We’ll discuss menopause and approaches in more
detail in Workshop #2… We’ll discuss
endometriosis, poly-cystic ovary disease, uterine
fibroids, and other hormone-related health concerns
in Workshop #3, while Workshop #4 focuses on
reducing the risk of breast cancer…
PMS…
Many times, PMS is caused by an imbalance
between estrogen and progesterone, also
known as “estrogen dominance”, although
other hormonal imbalances can exist…
Estrogen is usually normal or slightly
elevated, while progesterone is slightly
below normal or low…
PMS…
Pre-menstrual syndrome happens in the latter
½ of the menstrual cycle, usually within 7 –
12 days of menses…
Symptoms are varied, and can include…
Mood swings, anxiety, depression, breast
tenderness, bloating, headaches, cramps, the
list goes on…
PMS…
How do I know if I’m estrogen-dominant ? ? ?
Most women with PMS tend to be estrogendominant… There are natural approaches for this
and can help gently set the balance back to a more
favorable E/P ratio…
There are also simple salivary lab tests that can plot
your menstrual cycle and adrenal health, allowing
for a more accurate assessment of your hormone
health…
PMS…
Should I have a Lab Test done ? ? ?
Lab testing is not always necessary to achieve
good results with natural approaches to
PMS… In fact, most of the time, based on
symptoms, you can experience relief with
simple, yet very effective natural
treatments…
PMS…
What is a good general approach for PMS ?
I recommend starting with the herb Chaste tree…
Chaste tree works very well to help re-balance
estrogen/progesterone to a more favorable
balance. Sometimes, this herb alone can correct
many PMS-related symptoms ! However, it’s
more important to improve over-all health to gain
the best, long-lasting results with PMS, or ANY
illness for that matter !
PMS…
But… There’s more to it than just an herb…
Many times, there will be sluggishness in the
liver/gallbladder, and GI tract which will not allow
toxins and hormones to be properly removed from
the body once they’re used…
Improving liver/gallbladder function is an important
part of hormone balance and over-all health…
Cleansing the liver/gallbladder and GI tract can
also help long-term with improved health…
PMS…
But… There’s more to it than just an herb…
Diet and lifestyle also play an important part in
endocrine health and over-all health and wellbeing…
PMS…
Important Note !…
If you have imbalances in the liver/gallbladder
or Digestion/GI tract, you will have
marginal results with hormone balancing
and your health in general !
PMS…
Determining the need for cleansing the
liver/gallbladder and GI tract…
There are several ways to determine if the
liver/gallbladder and GI tract are not
working up to par… Symptoms are part of
the picture… Also, there are questionnaires
that can point to areas needing attention…
PMS…
Determining the need for cleansing the
liver/gallbladder and GI tract…
Toxicity Questionnaire :
1-page quick assessment of over-all toxicity by
organ/body systems…
Symptom Survey Questionnaire :
Thorough assessment of general health by
organ/body system…
PMS…
OK… Now what do I do ? ? ?
Good News !… You can start on the path to getting
healthier as you improve your PMS symptoms…
Your healthcare practitioner can assess your
specific needs and recommend approaches using
herbs, supplements along with dietary/lifestyle
changes… Some simple approaches are listed as
we proceed…
PMS…
Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that
it may take 2 cycles for full effect…
General Approach :
Chaste Tree 1 – 2 tablets AM throughout the cycle...
Also will help with mastalgia…
Symplex F 1 tablet 3X/day throughout the cycle…
With depression/anxiety add in Nevaton 2 tablets 2X
daily…
With cramping add in Cramplex 3 – 6/day during
cramping time…
PMS…
Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that
it may take 2 cycles for full effect…
For heavy bleeding… There may be a tendency to
have fragile capillaries that tear easily and bleed
profusely. Also, there may be a history of subclinical anemia. Usually, if a person bruises
easily, they may have capillary fragility. Both
conditions can be helped with nutrition…
PMS…
Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that it may
take 2 cycles for full effect…
Cyruta Plus 3 tablets 2X/day for 30 days, then lower dose to 2
tablets 2X/day on-going. This will help over time to
strengthen capillaries and help reduce bruising and lighten
bleeding…
Ferrofood 1 capsule 2X/day for 30 days, then 1 capsule/day
for 60 – 90 days.
Folic Acid/B12 1 tablet 2X/day ongoing. These two products
can help improve anemic conditions over time.
PMS…
Approaches for PMS Symptoms… Note that
it may take 2 cycles for full effect…
For digestive, GI, constipation, and
liver/gallbladder sluggishness work with
your healthcare practitioner for specifics
based on your symptoms and present
health…
PMS…
Role of chronic stress and hormone imbalances…
Chronic stress places the body in a catabolic
(breaking-down) state. When under stress, the
body doesn’t take the time to heal and the whole
body suffers, including the immune and endocrine
system… Coupled with poor dietary choices, this
leads to a depletion of energy reserves and a wide
variety of symptoms…
PMS…
Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve over-all
health…
Reducing stress is key to long-term health. While many of
the daily stresses we face cannot be eliminated, we can do
things to better cope with the stress. Regular exercise and
hobbies can help reduce stress. Tai Chi, brisk walking,
low-impact aerobics, meditation, reading, really anything
that you enjoy as a hobby can help reduce the effects of
stress on your body…
PMS…
Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve
over-all health…
Diet can have a profound effect on your over-all
health and vitality… Diets containing high simple
carbs put stress on the endocrine system,
especially the pancreas and adrenal glands. This
not only contributes to hormone imbalances, it
also affects weight-gain, mood, energy/fatigue,
and over-all resistance to disease…
PMS…
Lifestyle and dietary recommendations to improve
over-all health…
Eliminating the simple carbs… Breads, white rice,
pasta, cereals, potatoes and other starchy
vegetables are a big step in lowering simple carbs.
Eating fresh, raw or partially cooked vegetables
and salads along with healthy protein foods are the
best way to improve health through diet… They
will also contribute to better weight management !
PMS…
For more information on improving diet,
weight management, and whole-body
cleansing, attend the Purification and
Weight-loss Workshop.
PMS…
Final PMS Notes…
If within 2 cycles you are not feeling
appreciably better, or if you experience
fatigue along with your PMS symptoms,
you may need attention to your adrenals,
digestion/GI tract or liver/gallbladder.
Fatigue…
Our definition of fatigue is more of a
persistent lack of energy or inability to
perform daily tasks without undue effort…
It is not an occasional over-tired feeling
from lack of sleep…
Our definition stems from consistent physical,
mental or emotional stresses and other
factors preventing recovery and health…
Fatigue…
Lifestyle and diet are major contributors to fatigue.
Many of us are faced with the stresses of work, traffic,
school, family, and and a host of demands others or we
place on ourselves on a consistent basis…
Poor dietary choices add to this stress and don’t provide the
basic healing nutrients needed to allow rest and recovery…
These choices actually add physical stress to the emotional
stresses and wear us down.
We keep running on “empty”.
Fatigue…
Most Americans would say that they deal
with stress daily…
You’re not alone… Most Americans, including our
children, deal with stresses on a daily basis.
Proper sleep, at least 3 healthy meals per day and
key nutritional supplementation can reduce the
negative effects of stress…
Fatigue…
How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ?
Skipping Breakfast is one habit many of us have. Right when
your body needs nourishment to get the day started, we
grab a cup of coffee, maybe some HIGH carb junk food
and hit the road. Our bodies need protein and whole-foods
that can provide energy and nutrition we need for the
day… Not getting this in the AM already sets our day up
for failure ! This is why we seem to run out of gas late in
the morning, or have food cravings before lunch time…
Fatigue…
How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ?
The foods we consume have a lot to do with energy and
fatigue… When our diets consist of a lot of simple carbs,
sugars and starches, these provide nearly instant energy,
since they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar… However, the
body tries to keep blood sugar in balance, by increasing
insulin production to force the sugar into the tissues. We
can’t use up all the sugar, so much of it is converted to fat
and stored. Blood sugar goes down rapidly and we are
tired and hungry again… A vicious cycle !
Fatigue…
How do dietary choices play a role ? ? ?
So what happens ? ? ? Well, cortisol, our stress hormone also
stimulates increasing our blood sugar and with a high
simple carb diet, insulin and cortisol chase each other
around our metabolism… We end up feeling stressed and
fatigued. We have little energy reserves and our ability to
recover and replenish diminishes… We’re fatigued most
of the time… If we continue on this path of catabolism or
constant breakdown, we can’t heal…
Fatigue…
So, now what can I do ? ? ?
There are three things that should be done to get
back on the path to recovering energy and health.
1. Reduce stress or find ways to properly deal
with it…
2. Improve diet, and lifestyle choices…
3. Use targeted nutritional supplements to help
replenish organ/gland reserves and energy…
Fatigue…
What are some smart dietary choices ? ? ?
Increase the amount of fresh vegetable intake daily.
While fruit is great, eat 4 – 5 pieces of vegetables to every
piece of fruit to keep simple sugar intake down.
Make sure you’re getting enough protein with each meal…
Don’t skip Breakfast !
For snack food, use nuts instead of chips or candies.
Keep “white” foods (pastas, breads, rice, potatoes, corn,
cereals, etc…) to a MINIMUM or eliminate entirely !
Fatigue…
What are some smart dietary choices ? ? ?
When grocery shopping, keep to the outer perimeter
of the store… Stay away from going inside aisles
for food items !
Frozen foods are a distant 2nd choice over fresh, and
canned foods are basically void of nutrients…
Fatigue…
What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ?
Proper food choices are part of lifestyle choices that can
affect health to a great degree ! Getting the whole family
to change their diet over time will result in everyone being
healthier !
Regular activity/exercise is an important part of getting
healthy. As you begin to heal and regain energy, exercise
will help build stamina, improve metabolism, and build
endurance reserves. It will also help deal with stress.
Walking is a great way to start an exercise regimen.
Fatigue…
What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ?
Find ways that work for you to relieve stress…
Hobbies…Exercise…Meditation…Reading…
There are countless things you can do to help relieve
stress…
If work-related stresses really take a toll on you on a daily
basis, then you may want to consider changing your job or
company !
Nothing is more important to you and your family than your
health and well being !
Fatigue…
What lifestyle choices should I consider ? ? ?
What exercises are good ? ? ?
Any activity/exercise that you enjoy, that doesn’t cause
physical pain/harm and that you will do on a consistent
basis is good… Remember to take it slowly at first if you
have health conditions or haven’t exercised in a while. If
you’re over 40 or have a health condition, seek the
advice of your doctor before entering into an exercise
program…
Fatigue…
What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ?
There are a number of nutritional supplements and
herbs that can help regain energy, organ and gland
reserve, and improve stamina and endurance. The
Symptom Survey Questionnaire and your present
health conditions will help your healthcare
practitioner determine the best supplements and/or
herbs to help improve your health…
Fatigue…
What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ?
Drenamin is a supplement that works well for nearly
everyone with fatigue. 3 tablets 2X/day 60 days
Licorice High Grade 2.5ml. in the AM Caution :
do not use if hypertensive or on hypertension
medications !
Withania Complex 1 tablet AM and 1 tablet at noon
Use same caution as above with Licorice…
Fatigue…
What nutritional supplements can help ? ? ?
Rehmannia Complex 1 – 3 tablets daily for those
who are hypertensive…
Cataplex B or G 2 tablets 2 X/day with meals.
These products provide B-complex in whole-food
form. B-vitamins are important in energy
production. Your healthcare practitioner will
determine which of the two is best for you.
Fatigue…
Final Notes on Fatigue…
While everyone is different, you should begin to feel
the effects of improved energy within a 2-week
period… Some folks take longer. One important
thing to remember is that just because you’re
feeling more energetic, that doesn’t mean that you
can discontinue the supplements. It takes months
to recover organ/gland reserves…
Peri-menopause…
What is Peri-menopause ? ? ?
Peri-menopause is the timeframe prior to
menopause, where fluctuations in estrogen and
progesterone lead to menopausal symptoms, such
as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes…etc…
Fatigue, stress, adrenal reserves, and a host of other
health-related conditions can increase or decrease
the severity of peri-menopausal symptoms…
Peri-menopause…
What causes these symptoms ? ? ?
Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone cause
these symptoms. Estrogen for example keeps
vascular tone, and when estrogen levels fluctuate,
vascular tone also fluctuates causing the small
peripheral capillaries to spasm… Blood rushes in
and then the “hot flash”…
Peri-menopause…
How Adrenal health, Stress and Fatigue affect
Peri-menopausal symptoms…
Since a normal, healthy woman produces about 20% of her
circulating estrogens via the adrenal glands, any stress,
fatigue and weakened adrenals may lower normal estrogen
levels in some women. When ovarian estrogens fluctuate,
in some of these women, this causes undue perimenopausal symptoms !
Peri-menopause…
What steps can I take to reduce these perimenopausal symptoms ?
If you remember back in our Fatigue section, we discussed
how reducing stress, improving diet/lifestyle and using
targeted supplements can improve adrenal health and
reduce fatigue. This process indirectly helps to improve
hormone health and can help reduce peri-menopausal
symptoms. That’s why it’s important to treat these
symptoms as not only normal “change of life” but as
possible lack of adrenal/organ reserves…
Peri-menopause…
What can I do now to help with these symptoms
while I get healthier ? ? ?
The natural approach to peri-menopausal symptoms is twofold…
Use targeted nutritional and herbal formulas that may help
reduce symptoms now…
Work diet, lifestyle, and supplementation to help improve
over-all health and strengthen adrenal/organ reserve.
Peri-menopause…
Targeted nutritional and herbal supplements
for peri-menopause…
Wild Yam Complex 2 tablets AM and 2 tablets PM
for 30 days or until symptoms diminish. Then
lower the dose until symptoms begin to worsen…
Tribulus 1 tablet 3X/day in addition to the Wild Yam
Complex for those who are not experiencing
relief. Then lower dosage as needed.
Peri-menopause…
Targeted nutritional and herbal supplements
for peri-menopause…
Ovex 1 tablet 3X/day with meals. This helps the
ovaries to continue to produce adequate hormone
levels.
Symplex F 1 tablet 3X/day with meals. This helps
the ovaries and other organs/glands improve
function.
Peri-menopause…
What about Hormone Replacement Therapy
for these symptoms ? ? ?
HRT is normally recommended as the first choice for
menopause. Unfortunately, this doesn’t take into
consideration improving over-all health, especially
the health of the Adrenal Glands, which play a
major role in hormone health. This is especially
true in peri and post menopause…
Peri-menopause…
Why the natural approach instead of HRT ?
Helping the body heal and allow it to do it’s job should be the
first and foremost position to take.
The use of HRT should be the last resort, not the first step…
This includes the use of Progesterone creams (HRT) ! ! !
In essence, it’s much better to improve over-all health than to
force symptom reduction through the use of drugs if at all
possible… The long-term outcome is so much better !
Thank You for your time !
Questions ? ? ?
Comments ? ? ?