Due to environmental factors, there is an epidemic among women of having too much estrogen in their bodies.  Chemicals which mimic estrogen are in our foods, cosmetics, body care products and so many other things we come in contact with in our everyday lives.  These chemicals inhibit your hormone system and cause you to produce less follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which naturally stimulate the production of both estrogen and progesterone.  In simple terms, it causes hair loss.

When you don’t have enough progesterone in your body, testosterone can take its place.  The result is unwanted facial hair and hair loss on the head in a male pattern from the effect of testosterone, which turns into the hair-blocking hormone DHT.   A word of note, I am not advocating self-diagnosing yourself with progesterone creams or patches.  Your system deserves better than that!

Normally a woman doesn’t have much DHT because it’s blocked by the progesterone. But with all the estrogen women are getting, such as with all the soy products on the market and parabens in their body care products, progesterone is suppressed and hair loss occurs.  As DHT forms in a women’s body due to too much estrogen, it collects in the sebum gland in the scalp and causes damage to your hair follicles. Hair strands may shrink and eventually fall out.

If you are starting to notice hair loss, now is the time to check your hormones before the hair loss becomes irreversible. I offer a simple and accurate saliva test which when analyzed by the lab, produces a clear picture of what’s going on.  If a problem is identified, I work with clients on an individual basis to balance their system, not with drugs, but naturally.

These prescriptions are referred to as Hormone Replacement Therapy but it isn’t truly therapy. What’s being prescribed isn’t a real hormone, and it does nothing to help with the real problems of menopause.  Further more, it could be doing more harm than good.

For most women, too much estrogen is the problem. Not too little. A too much estrogen in the body can lead to cancer.

Women are bombarded with extra estrogen from the food supply, body care products, and the environment. When doctors only address estrogen, it’s only part of the picture.

When menopause starts, progesterone starts to plummet and symptoms that arise are mental fogginess, fatigue, and anxiety. Progesterone plays a roll in how you look and feel. It can:

• Elevate mood
• Use fat better (and not hold on to it)
• Boost libido
• Support bones

Testosterone is another hormone that can contribute to menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and depression. Testosterone also plays a roll in how you look and feel. It can:

• Maintain muscle mass
• Motivate and drive
• Keep blood sugar normal
• Keep the mind sharp

I offer a simple and accurate saliva test that shows exactly what is going on with your hormones. I highly recommend to test, don’t guess.

Let’s start with BPA. BPA is found in products we use everyday such as plastic beverage bottles, food containers, plastic dinnerware, thermal paper receipts (shiny like the ones from your ATM machine), and the lining of many canned foods.  BPA can displace estrogen in the human body, basically taking up space where estrogen is supposed to be working. Side effects include early puberty, reproductive dysfunction, onset of type 2 diabetes, and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancers.

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It’s found in deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, antibacterial hand soaps and lotions, cleaning supplies and shaving cream. Triclosan can cause thyroid disruption (think weight gain!) and can raise testosterone levels in the human body.  Do you know any women who have anger or aggression issues?  This could be part of the cause.  Side effects associated with Triclosan include steroid and thyroid hormone imbalance, and behavioral problems in children such as ADD/ADHD.  Women are frequent users of antibacterial hand wipes and gels, and many carry a small bottle of it on their key chains.  We even use antibacterial agents on our children.  Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.  Are we keeping our children “too clean?”

4-Nonylphenol is another endocrine disruptor that binds to estrogen receptors and affects the immune system and nervous system. It’s commonly found in laundry detergents and pesticides.  There is a very good chance you’re absorbing 4-Nonylphenol through your skin from your clothes and in the produce you eat if it’s not organic.

What to do?

• Download the shopping guide for pesticides in your produce www.foodnews.org
• Drink from stainless steel water bottles and purchase other prepared beverages in a glass bottle
• Switch to a natural and safe hand sanitizers like Clean Well www.cleanwelltoday.com
• When accepting a receipt, fold inward so as not to touch the shiny side
• Switch from commercial brand laundry soaps to safer lines that have no chemicals like Poppy’s Naturally Clean www.poppysnaturallyclean.com or Ecos brand http://www.ecos.com/
• Buy frozen foods over canned foods. Or buy Eden canned foods. They are BPA free with the exception of their tomato products http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=178

It’s common knowledge that Testosterone plays a significant role in both men and women when it comes to a healthy libido.  But one of the more common deficiencies in women is Estrogen, which plays as much a role in a woman’s sex life as Testosterone.

In my practice, I have seen women with optimal levels of both hormones who still suffer with a low sex drive.  Hormones are much more complicated than just pinpointing one symptom to one hormone. You can have optimal levels of both Estrogen and Testosterone, but if your Progesterone is elevated above normal, that also contributes to low libido.

Women today are faced with extremely busy lives; they’re juggling careers with family time, and often dealing with extended families and aging parent issues. Plus, we’re faced with unavoidable hormonal changes that come with monthly menstrual cycles, post pregnancy, or with menopause.

Women are complex sexual beings. Our heads, hearts, and health all play large roles in whether or not we’re interested in sex, never mind capable of actually enjoying it.

If low libido is affecting your quality of life, you do have options.  How are you to know if your hormones are in balance and contributing to this condition?  There is a very simple and accurate saliva test I offer to my clients, which, when analyzed by the lab, produces a clear picture of what’s going on.  If a problem is identified, I then work with my clients on an individual basis to balance their system, not with drugs, but naturally.  Sometimes adjustments are as simple as slight changes in diet.  Other times, it’s a little more involved.  Either way, the end result can be life changing.

An excess of Testosterone may result in intolerance to stress and a tendency to jump to anger, anxiety, irritability or anger.   On the flip side a woman with Testosterone deficiency will experience feelings of fear and social withdrawal.

For many women, these symptoms are straining their personal relationships; interrupting day-to-day life and making them feel like they don’t know who they are anymore. If this is you and you’ve been told by a health care practitioner or close companion “it’s all in your head” or you’re beginning to think that you’re going crazy, well think again.

Testosterone is called the “male hormone” but women have testosterone and when it’s out of balance, it can make her miserable to not only others, but to herself as well.

If you have high testosterone you may experience increased facial hair, acne and increased level of aggression or hostility, you may even begin losing your hair.  Low testosterone can leave a woman feeling timid, depressed, anti-social and fearful of things that others find meaningless. Feelings aside, there are risks associated with testosterone imbalance. High testosterone carries with it risks of breast and endometrial cancer, and especially blood sugar disorders that may lead to diabetes. Low testosterone brings the risks of osteoporosis and cognitive disorders.

Testosterone imbalances can occur at any age, even in young women. One of the most common occurrences in young women that have elevated testosterone is acne on the face, back and chest. They can also see an unusual rapid weight gain and a rise in blood sugar and the inability to tolerate sugars and carbohydrates. This may lead to PCOS and eventually diabetes.

I offer a simple and accurate saliva test to my clients, which, when analyzed by the lab, produces a clear picture of what’s going on.  If a problem is identified, I then work with my clients on an individual basis to balance their system, not with drugs, but naturally.  Sometimes adjustments are as simple as slight changes in diet.  Other times, it’s a little more involved.  Either way, the end result can be life changing.

So you’re having a hard time getting your kids to eat vegetables?  Well, maybe you can set a good example when feeding your dog.

Dry food can be so boring for a dog and many people mix it with wet canned food which can get expensive and, quite honestly, isn’t so healthy for your pet.

Try this.  Feed your dog pureed vegetables along with his/her dry food.  It’s something that will most likely be lapped up and leave your dog licking his/her chops.

Start with steaming some carrots (leftovers are good) and then puree them with a little water in a blender or a Bullet. Pour over dry food and mix. Try doing this, too, with steamed broccoli or cauliflower.  (Just avoid onions and avocado because they don’t set well with dogs.)

Maybe, just maybe, your children will watch the dog gobbling down its veggies and start thinking “maybe I should eat carrots, too!”

Makes him happy because it tastes so good and makes me feel good knowing I’m helping my dog stay healthy!

Carrots are also a great snack for dogs, without the calories of many dog treats!

Click on the photo to view a short video of my beagle, Riley, devouring his carrots and dry food.