3 Amazingly Simple Ways to Avoid the Devastating Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause

1. KNOW YOUR HORMONE LEVELS!

If you're like most women experiencing Peri-Menopause, Menopause and/or Post-Menopause in our society, you probably don't know where to turn for help. With all the potential health risks associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and the controversy surrounding BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) it's no wonder we're at a loss and suffering needlessly. I understand first-hand the challenges faced by women entering peri-menopause all the way to post-menopause. I know the frustrations of watching your body change right before your very eyes. Gaining weight while still exercising and dieting, experiencing unrelenting hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, & apathy are just a few of the symptoms that can be experienced at this time of life.

After searching for answers for myself, I, like many, have discovered that you can stop and reverse the degenerative changes that most women think are natural or normal as we grow older.

Hormones are extremely powerful substances in very tiny amounts and because of this they are precisely and carefully monitored and controlled in your body. They are chemical messengers that are regulated by your nervous system and your nervous system is working overtime to assure that everything is going as planned to keep you at your optimal health. Hormones are so tiny they are measured in nano and pico-grams. If you are constantly stressing your body and nervous system by poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle and modern-day stressors your hormones are going to react. That reaction will be an imbalance in the steroid hormone family tree and play havoc on your body. The most important thing for you to realize is that symptoms are your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. Take heed! If you ignore these symptoms and put a band-aid on them (medication) you will temporarily feel better but you will pay the consequences with poor health including, but not limited to, weight gain, menopausal depression, anxiety, hot flashes, insomnia, loss of sex drive, decreased energy, increased pain. I am listing only symptoms here, remember, symptoms are your body's way of communicating a larger problem. The more devastating effects are; high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, uterine and breast cancer, accelerated aging, auto-immune disease, and more.

Your hormone levels can be determined from a simple saliva test with a reputable laboratory. Once you know your levels you can begin to make the appropriate changes with whole food supplementation, stress reduction, dietary and lifestyle changes.

To clear up a bit of confusion about blood and saliva testing I will briefly explain the differences. For a more thorough explanation visit Diagnostechs website (see below). When hormones are tested in the blood they are testing the inactive form of the hormone, although good information it does not tell you what hormones are active and functioning in your body. These hormones are attached to proteins and not active until they are called upon. Testing the free hormones in the blood is a better alternative but very costly and most insurance companies will not pay for them. Saliva Testing will give you the free and active form of the hormones, telling you what is and isn't happening in your body and giving you a roadmap to what needs to be done to rebalance your hormone family, and you don't have to go to a lab.

The next 2 most important steps that you can take right now is to acknowledge and address the stressors in your life and diet. Both will put undue stress on your adrenal glands and over time change the function and balance of your hormones causing you to experience the dreaded symptoms of menopause and ultimately your declining health.

2. BE CONSCIOUS OF WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH!

What does your diet consist of? What's for breakfast? Bagels, toast, donuts, pastry, egg McMuffin, OMG pop-ups, cereal, processed bread, non-organic eggs, coffee, tea? We are constantly being assaulted with this garbage in the grocery stores, commercials and fast food restaurants. They are fast, easy, taste good and relatively cheap, but at what expense? Do you even eat breakfast at all? What gets you through the day? What's for lunch, dinner, night-time snack? Do you drink soda, alcohol, fruit juices, eat sugars, sweets?

Why is it we are able to eat this way all of our lives until one day you just don't feel good anymore? Are young bodies better able to digest? Are they immune to these poisons? Is it just because you're getting older? The truth is the human body is not designed to ingest processed, non-nutrient food products. The body will rid itself of these toxins for as long as it can but there will come a time when it will fatigue and can no longer handle the stress and much of the time it is when our body building steroid hormones are on the decline. These anti-nutrient, so-called foods will repeatedly tax all the body's organs and systems, including the endocrine system throwing off the hormonal regulation needed for overall health and vitality, creating disease and ultimately, burn out.

So what's the answer? What are you going to eat? The answer is, keep it simple; whole foods, organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains (if you are not gluten sensitive), organic eggs, organic free range poultry, grass-fed beef, wild salmon and more. You can be very creative and there are many cookbooks for healthy living that are available to us today. Be careful, stay away from fad diets and stick to the basics. A good plan to follow is the Lower Carb Mediterranean Diet consisting mainly of protein and fat, with a small amount of complex carbohydrates.

LOWER CARB MEDITERRANEAN DIET

• Eat every 2 to 3 hours to maintain blood sugar levels


• Do not eat carbohydrates alone, always add protein and healthy fat to your meals and snacks


• Avoid stimulants - caffeine, sugar, alcohol etc.


• Avoid dead, de-vitalized and junk foods


• Avoid trans-fats and rancid fats


• Eat real, whole, fresh fruits (organic is best)


• Salt your food liberally with Celtic Sea Salt


• Drink plenty of water, half of your body weight in fluid ounces is recommended


• Eat foods rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids such as cold water (not farm-raised) fish, including salmon, tuna (not recommended due to its high level of mercury), trout, herring and mackerel. Eat walnuts, flaxseeds and green leafy vegetables. If you prefer, take an Omega 3 supplement such as Tuna Omega-3 Oil from Standard Process.


• Use monounsaturated oils, especially extra virgin olive oil as your primary oil or fat source. Do not use canola oil (rapeseed oil) as it is highly processed to take away the offensive taste and smell. Other oils that are good for you, contrary to popular belief, are saturated fats such as coconut oil, lard and butter.


• Eat seven or more servings of vegetables and fruits every day (fresh, frozen, not canned). More vegetables to fruit if you are trying to lose weight.


• Eat natural sources of protein, (not man-made deli meats), and preferably organic meats (grass-fed, no hormones or antibiotics).


• Eat only organic whole grains (noncommercial). No refined carbohydrates (white flour, white pasta, white rice, white sugar).


• The best breads are found in the frozen section of the health food store. Look for organic sprouted grain breads.


• Minimize oils that are high in Omega 6 fatty acids, including corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed oils.


• Reduce or eliminate your intake of trans-fatty acids (all hydrogenated oils), which are prevalent in margarine, vegetable shortening, and almost all commercially prepared packaged foods.


• Make complex carbohydrates, such as breads, pasta, and grains, your smallest food group.

The Mediterranean-Type Diet, also known as the Crete Diet and Omega Diet, was compared to the Standard American Heart Association Diet in the Lyon Diet Heart Study in 1994. "Compared to those on the AHA diet, patients on the Mediterranean Type Diet had an unprecedented 76% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or suffering heart failure, heart attack, or stroke! Remarkably, the new diet had proven more effective at saving lives than any other heart diet, drugs, lifestyle, program, or any combination of these elements." (see The Omega Diet: The Lifesaving Nutritional Program Bases on the Diet of the Island of Crete, by Simopoulos, Artemis, P., M.D., and Jo Robinson, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., 199. p9)

3. DECREASE YOUR STRESS!

Are you allowing the stressors of everyday life to ruin yours? Limit the stress in your life. Living in today's society brings many stressors into our daily lives. Add on an unexpected loss or trauma and our bodies must and will react. We are brilliantly designed to handle short-term stress then return to a state of ease. Prolonged and unrelenting stress, real or imagined, will create chaos within. Hormonal imbalance, blood sugar dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, diseases, depression all can be created from a prolonged stress response. Identify your stressors! What does stress mean to you and why? Ask yourself if you believe you have any control over it and if you do, what can be done to eliminate or reduce it? For the stressors that you have no control over ask yourself; what is the worst case scenario? Can you change the way you perceive this event or situation?

There are a multitude of stress reducing techniques that you have available to help you better understand and deal with stressful situations including and not limited to; yoga, tai chi, meditation, walking, exercise, gardening and square breathing, MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress/index.aspx. Decide which works best for you and incorporate this into your daily routine. Surround yourself with positive, happy people. Remember, we may not be able to control the stress in our lives but we can control how we perceive it.

Don't let circumstances run your life or your health - You are the boss - Take control of you!

No matter how long you have been suffering with poor health, low energy and/or other symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause, it's not too late to restore your body's natural balance. The good news is: You can begin to incorporate the 3 Simple Steps to Optimal Health and avoid the devastating effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Visit http://www.diagnostechs.com for more information about saliva testing.

Hormones Within the Act of Bodybuilding

In terms of muscle increment and a concurrent reduction of the body fat a bodybuilder must adhere literally to all aspects that calculate to a perfect bodybuilding lifestyle. In essence, the best bodybuilding lifestyle can easily be described in better words as a complete complex act of weighing and balancing aspects of exercise and discipline. This is also what translates to the fact that what would work for an individual might be impossible to accomplish by another human being.

Other factors that are also of exclusive importance include hormonal releases which underpin a lot of the physiological controlled reactions which do cause most changes in terms of muscle density which every bodybuilder really desires. In addition, diet plus intense training happens to be the two single most variables that are mostly in discussion when any debate on building of muscles and the loss of body fat is at the forefront.

As much as they are fundamentally of greater importance, in any bodybuilding instance many factors are at play. For instance, testosterone that is so much the most familiar from a bodybuilder's perspective, and is released courtesy series characterized by hormonal processes which begin around the organ pituitary gland. Testosterone is a steroidal compound that is important mostly because it has the ability to increase the protein synthesis in the muscles which is in essence the desire of every bodybuilder.

Other important steroidal hormones include insulin and also the growth hormone. The growth hormone processed by the hypothalamus, is situated in the area above pituitary gland as well as being responsible for making sure the human body is always youthful in look and appearance which takes place through the revitalization of the body's immune system, enhancement of sexual activities and importantly to the bodybuilder it stimulates the repair of the body muscles. Insulin is another hormone that assists the amino acids as well as glucose of transport into the muscle cells. These three steroidal hormones are briefly mentioned as being called anabolic since they have properties that build muscles as well as being important in bodybuilding.

Apart from these there exists another hormone that is of importance to the life of an individual in bodybuilding. This steroidal hormone is commonly known as Cortisol, a perfect paradigm of a steroidal hormone as well as being the one most underrated in a group comprising the four afore mentioned hormones. The steroidal hormone Cortisol is literally called catabolic since it works in a manner the opposite of testosterone, growth hormone as well as insulin meaning that it works by braking down body tissues.

Cortisol is released via the glands of the adrenal organ in conditions physical stress, and also mental depressions plus high temperature inside the body. Cortisol has a couple of important functions in the media. This includes the reduction of the synthesis of proteins, synthesis of protein into glucose and also halting of the growth of body tissues. Thus Cortisol must always be controlled for every bodybuilding exercise to really facilitate the growth of muscles.

2 Hormones That Helps You to Sleep and How to Produce Them

It doesn't matter what kind of a problem you are having, it is always a better idea if you can find a natural cure than trying to find one that is produced by a pharmaceutical pill. The reason why this is the case is because medical cures tend to attack the symptoms of the problem rather than attacking the problem itself. A good example of this is if you are suffering from insomnia. If you take a sleeping pill that is given to you by the doctor, all that it is really going to do is to put you into an unconscious state. It will not get to the root of the problem that is causing the insomnia, a problem that often has to do with the hormones in the body.

Our bodies are amazingly balanced and whenever we are firstborn, we rarely experience problems with insomnia because the balance in our body allows us to sleep good when we need it. As we get older, however, the environment around us creates problems that we are dealing with tend to throw our bodies out of balance along with making it difficult for us to sleep. Some of the things that tend to get out of balance during these years are the hormones within our body. Here are two hormones that tend to cause us to lose some sleep.

The first of these is serotonin. Although this hormone does not necessarily help you to sleep it does have a lot to do with the mood that you are feeling. Serotonin is a hormone that is usually released whenever we exercise or do something good for our body. It helps us to feel good on the inside and does a lot to relieve the stress within us. If our insomnia is stress related, the hormone serotonin can go a long way in helping us to get a good nights sleep.

The other hormone that we may be lacking is melatonin. This is a hormone that is put out by our body that does many different things but for one, it helps to put us to sleep. Many people take natural forms of melatonin in order to overcome problems such as jetlag and insomnia. If you find that you are suffering from occasional sleeplessness, a little bit of melatonin in the form of a pill may go a long way in helping you to get the sleep that you need.

Fat Loss - Fat Burning Hormones Can Help You Lose Weight

For most people, losing weight can be a hit or miss affair, with many losing hope with the dietary plans they have. The problem is that there are no cut and dried dietary plan that fits all. Every one has a unique body chemistry and constitution that require customizing any weight loss regimen. You need to understand the body's metabolic processes and how your hormones react to what we eat. This can help guide you design your weight loss program.

One of the things to remember is that two types of hormones released into the blood every time we eat. Both act to control burning and storage of fat. These hormonal releases are controlled by the foods we eat. In other words, your diet determines the hormones to be released in losing or storing fat. A well-planned eating regimen can release a large amount of fat-burning hormones while reducing the fat-storing hormones.

The implication is clear. The more frequent your food intake in a day is, the larger amounts of fat burning hormones are produced. Knowing this, you can manipulate your fat burning hormones by eating more than 3 meals a day but with total calories conserved.

Fat loss is never easy. But a willingness to learn as much as you can about the human body and how it works is a basic step to understanding what a diet can and cannot do so that your expectations become realistic. Forget about many dieting claims thus far bannered. There's a new diet regimen unlike any other.

Designed to take advantage of how our hormones react to the food we eat, the program imposes nothing more that asking the dieter to eat more frequently in a day but with lower servings. You can enjoy all the foods you want while ensuring that the fat-burning hormones keep you from gaining weight.

So do some research about your body, how it works and how it reacts to what we eat, the better to understand how we can counter weight gain.

Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle

The feminine cycle has a direct effect on a woman's moods, creativity,
and energy levels. Recognizing the phases of her cycle and
the hormones that are active during each phase gives a woman a
sensitive relationship with herself. It enables her to keep her own life
goals in focus, and enjoy her connection to all the cycles of Nature.

The hormone estrogen, which is active during the days before
ovulation, causes a woman to feel more active, out-going, and creative.
Adrenalin is also higher in a woman's body at this time, and she will
probably need to sleep less. In addition to the increase in energy, a
woman can recognize the estrogen time by the wet, slippery feeling
outside the vagina. Because of the increase of active energy, it is a great
time to begin new projects, or finish up old ones. It is a real power time
for a woman, power that can be harnessed to fulfill her personal goals.

The hormone progesterone, which begins to rise after ovulation, can
cause a feeling of deflation compared to the high of the estrogen time. In
addition to the quieting of emotions and energy, a woman knows she
has entered the progesterone phase of her cycle because the wet
slippery feeling disappears completely. As progesterone continues to
rise and the time for menstruation nears, a woman may begin to feel
more and more inward. This is another kind of creative energy. Taking
advantage of the inward flow of energy at this time opens the inner
doors of intuition, connecting a woman to her inner guidance.

The time of menstrual bleeding, when both estrogen and progesterone
are low, is a natural time of solitude. Honoring the inner stillness at this
time may invite the connection to soul and Spirit. A woman who honors
the inward and outward flow of energy that is a natural part of her
menstrual cycle has the potential to be more productive in her life,
healthier in her physiology, and contented in her spirit.

Hormone Imbalance - Shift In Production Of Female Hormones To Male Hormones Cause Premature Aging

Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system that ensure effective functioning of our body through an intricate communication system among the trillions of cells. Hormones are important modulators of cellular activity. Insulin for example is a hormone, manufactured by the pancreas,. Insulin controls the level of glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin is required in order to get glucose into the cells, where it is burned as fuel. Diabetes is a disease in which the energy-metabolizing system of the body has become impaired.

Insulin has profound effects on aging. Foods that are digested enter the bloodstream as the simple sugar glucose, which the body uses as an energy source. Under the direction of insulin, glucose is able to pass from the bloodstream, through the cell membrane, and into the cell, where it is burned as fuel. Poor regulation of glucose in the bloodstream can result from insufficient insulin secretion by the pancreas or through the body's inability to properly make use of glucose. This causes high levels of glucose to remain in the blood. The body then triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin. Elevated insulin sets off a cascade of disturbances at the cellular level and increases the rate of biological aging. Insulin is a hormone with global actions and can cause high blood pressure, blood fat abnormalities, abnormal immune system function, and accelerated biological aging.

In women, high insulin levels cause the body to change hormone production away from female hormone estrogen to the production of the male hormone testosterone. Low estrogen and high insulin also alters body composition and shape, causing unhealthy weight gain and increased deposits of abdominal fat. Estrogen has a protective effect against osteoporosis, heart disease, and Alzheimer's and with low estrogen production the rate of occurrence of these diseases increase.

Hormonal Acne Treatment

Hormones play a major role in the occurrence of acne outbreaks. While it's normal to experience such breakouts during puberty, there are cases where the outbreaks persist into adulthood. Hormonal acne can affect both genders. However, it seems to affect women more than men. This type acne is caused by hormonal imbalance which comes as a result of excess androgen production. Androgens are hormones which play a role in the secretion of sebum in the oil glands. Excess sebum in the skin pores can cause clogging and hence acne breakouts. Some of the hormonal acne treatment methods available include the following.

Antibiotics

There are different types of antibiotics which can be used to treat hormonal acne. These can be grouped according to their functions as follows.

Anti androgens

These drugs are administered to control the release of androgens in the body. They work by slowing down androgen production or blocking the production altogether. Such antibiotics include birth control pills. Anti androgens can have side effects which include irregular menstrual periods and stomach upset in women.

Topical antibiotics

Although hormonal acne is caused by hormonal fluctuations in the body, their formation is more like that of other acne types. Since excessive sebum and bacterial action leads to the clogging of skin pores, topical antibiotics can be used to unclog the pores as well as kill acne causing bacteria. Some of the commonly prescribed topical acne antibiotics include clindamycin. Apart from antibiotics, topical applications of lotions containing acne fighting ingredients an also be used.

Oral antibiotics

As with the topical antibiotics these can also be used to help unclog the skin pores and reduce inflammation. Commonly prescribed antibiotics include tetracycline and erythromycin. Something worth noting about the topical and oral antibiotics is that they usually don't help restore hormonal balance in the body. They can also have possible side effects such as irritation to the skin, dryness and stomach upset.

Anti inflammatories

These drugs help to control the inflammation caused by breakouts. They are taken orally and have possible side effects including weight gain and loss of bone mass.

Although the antibiotics used to treat hormonal acne have been grouped according to their functions, it isn't uncommon to find antibiotics which combine more than one of these functions. In addition, for the best results, it is recommended that you use a combination of both oral and topical antibiotics in order to get the best results.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps the body maintain a healthy hormone balance. In addition, it helps to keep skin pores active as they remove toxins from the body. Also, exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise also helps the body burn off excess body fat. Excess at in the body has been found to play a role in the development of acne. Some daily exercise will help you get rid of hormonal acne.

Stress management

Studies show that women who experience high amounts of stress daily are more vulnerable to hormonal acne than those with less stress. Stress plays a big role in the disruption of the body's hormone balance. If you find that you are constantly stressed, it might be the cause of your breakouts. Finding stress management activities such as exercise will help you treat your acne.

Rest

During the day, the body is actively secreting hormones to enable proper functioning. However, the body requires periods of rest where it regains hormonal balance. Androgens are responsible for keeping the body active. If the body doesn't get enough rest daily, this might trigger excessive production of this hormone. This can lead to the development of hormonal acne.

Hormonal acne can be hard to get rid of. The condition can suddenly affect you even if you managed to get through puberty without and acne breakouts. Since it's primarily caused by hormone imbalance in the body, treatment methods should be geared towards maintaining a healthy hormonal balance. I have compiled a short report detailing 5 easy steps to help you get rid of acne. The five steps mentioned will help you manage your hormone levels allowing you to treat acne and reduce chances of recurrence. They are quite simple to implement but have guaranteed results.

Eat to Balance Hormones - Women Over 40 - Get the Exact Tips to a Slim Body Anyone Likes to See

Are you a woman over 40? Do you wonder what to eat to balance hormones? The female hormone system changes after age 40 and many women experience fat building up on their bodies much more easily compared to 20 years ago. After reading this short article you will know what to eat to balance hormones, especially estrogen, insulin and stress hormones.

Estrogen is the female hormone- and over 40 its levels are declining. This has a lot of consequences: from mood swings to hot flashes and even higher risk of heart diseases. There are some plants containing substances very similar to estrogen- if you eat those, you can balance your declining estrogen levels.

This is first and foremost most beans, especially soy bean. Protein from soy is a very lean protein, so it's good to have and will help you to lose weight. Soy milk is a great substitute for regular milk. Another food to include in your daily diet is flax seed. You might have breakfast with soy milk, oats and flax seed. A super-food is broccoli in many ways. It's not only full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins; it helps to regulate your estrogen levels too.

High Insulin levels and insulin resistance are becoming more and more common. You need to stay away from foods high in starch, especially white flour, white bread and white rice. Sugar is also not good for you- this includes corn syrup often found in processed foods. Be careful with fruit sugar: It enters the blood very fast and might lead to cravings.

Stress hormones will make it impossible to lose weight. You need to find enough time for yourself, and enjoy a relaxing hobby. If you want to combine relaxation and physical activity, Yoga will help a lot- or having a nice stroll in the evening. You need to get enough sleep as well- the risk of obesity is heightened for people not getting enough sleep.

What to eat to balance hormones is of great concern for many women over 40. If you want to lose weight permanently, look for a program that addresses your specific situation.

Abnormally Large Breasts in Men - What Are The Causes

Gynecomastia is the development of abnormally large breasts in men. This condition although not life threatening can affect the lives of men in ways that you cannot imagine. Living and facing the world with man boobs is not easy and it can damage one's self-esteem and manhood. They feel shame, less masculine and their self-image is severely damaged. Men are not supposed to have female-like breasts and for being different they tend to hate their bodies and the way they look. Gynecomastia can lead to a number of social and psychological issues.

What causes abnormally large breasts in men?

Heredity. One factor that affects the occurrence of gynecomastia is heredity. Gynecomastia can run in families. There are men with gynecomastia whose parents, grandparents and uncles also have enlarged breasts.

Hormonal imbalance. This is a condition where the levels of female hormones (estrogen) are higher than the levels of male hormones (testosterone). All people have both female and male hormones. Men usually have small amount of estrogen. If hormonal imbalance occurs, where the levels of estrogen became higher than the levels of testosterone, men may develop abnormally large breasts. Gynecomastia often occurs during puberty stage where male hormone usually fluctuates. Gynecomastia in teenage boys usually resolve on its own after a period of 6 to 24 months but there are men who continue to suffer from gynecomastia even after adolescent years. Gynecomastia in adulthood may need to be treated to get rid of abnormally large breasts in men.

Medical conditions. Liver problems like cirrhosis can disrupt the normal hormone processing or metabolism and may result to the occurrence of gynecomastia. Men with Klinefelter Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder may also have breast enlargement. Other medical or health conditions that may lead to abnormally large breasts in men or gynecomastia are hyperthyroidism, breast tumors, malnutrition, testicular trauma and chronic renal failure.

Medications. Gynecomastia or the development of abnormally enlarged breasts in men can be a side effect of certain medications. Generally, drugs with estrogen-like activity or drugs that disrupt the normal hormones activity can influence the development of abnormally large breasts in men. Talk to your doctor about the side effects of drugs you are taking and the noticeable changes in your body.

Excessive weight gain. It is obvious that if a person becomes fat or obese, the breasts will also grow bigger because of fat deposits. The breasts are made mainly of adipose or fat tissues. Fat tissues can trigger the production of female hormone estrogen leading to breast development. Pseudogynecomastia is enlarged male breasts caused by fat deposits on the breast area.

Gynecomastia can greatly affect the lives of men and if you are one of them, you do not have to suffer in silence. You have to know that you are not alone and approximately 30% of the male population have enlarged male breasts problem. Abnormally large breasts in men is a treatable condition and it is important to seek professional help to get rid of gynecomastia and its negative effect in your life. Discover how to naturally resolve gynecomastia problem visit Gynecomastia Natural Solution

Women Hormones - The Effects of Oestradiol

When a woman has the presence of a specific hormone in her, she will appear more attractive than other women who don't have it. According to studies, however, these same hormones can also create a desire for women to cheat on their partner.

A University of Texas phychologist named Kritina Durante and her fellow psychologist Norman Li found that women with a larger amount of the hormone oestradiol present in them will have a greater desire to flirt, exchange kisses, and even possibly be involved in an affair.

Biology Letters

A British journal entitled the Biology Letters published a study in which the same psychologists said that this type of behavior was not the same as a one-night stand, but rather a kind of opportunist and serial monogamy. Certain hormones in women, according to Durante and Li, can result in women wanting to look for a relationship that is better than the one they have currently.

When searching for that relationship, these women are willing to leave the person they are with to be in one that will be more beneficial for them.

Physical Characteristics

Other studies about the hormone oestradiol show that women with higher levels of it are more fertile, have larger breasts, have more attractive facial features, and a lower waist to hip ratio. All of these characteristics enhance the appearance of women, which will bring them more attention from men.

Both Durante and Li went further and calculated the oestradiol levels at various points in the menstrual cycle of women, specifically women who were not on birth control between the ages of 17-30, as well as those over the age of fifty. Women with greater levels of oestradiol also were considered more attractive and more willing to participate in an affair outside their marriage.

Therefore, one can draw a conclusion that whether a woman decides to cheat on her partner or not is influenced quite a bit by her hormone level. Since women with higher levels of oestradiol are considered more attractive, this means that they will probably be presented with more opportunities to explore new relationships with different men.

Earliest Signs of Pregnancy - The Shocking Truth

Whether you're planning on a baby or not, there are a few early pregnant symptoms that will answer the question, "Am I Pregnant?" These earliest signs of pregnancy can be easy to spot. If not, you can always take a pregnancy test.

The most common indication that you could possibly be pregnant is a missed period. Keeping track of your menstrual cycles can cut down on all the guess work but, you still may not know for sure. Besides missing a period, there are a few symptoms to look for.

If you have nausea and or vomiting, you may be experiencing one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. While this symptom can add stress & possibly embarrassing moments to your everyday life, it should only last during the first trimester. If you're still experiencing nausea and/or vomiting further into your second and third trimesters you should talk to your doctor about possible medications.

Your changing hormone levels are the main culprit for most of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Breast tenderness or swollen breasts may begin to be a bother. What can you do to relieve pain? The best thing to do is buy a more supportive bra. Keep in mind that your breasts will become larger throughout pregnancy so, buy a larger size to accommodate for this change during your nine months of pregnancy.

The once pleasant smell of a candle or perfume may now seem like toxic gas. Your sensitivity to smell is most likely caused by the rising levels of HCG hormones in your body. Your sense of smell, taste may seem quite strange and unfamiliar because of the sensitivity from the hormones, this is indeed an experience that some mothers will notice when pregnant.

Are you suddenly sleepy all the time? Fatigue is a common sign of pregnancy. While the cause is not entirely known, most signs point to hormones. Remember, your body is creating life. Growing a baby is exhausting work. While you may still have all your normal responsibilities of life it is important to listen to your body. Don't over-exhaust yourself and stress with the daily chores, let your husband and family help out whenever they can to ease the work load.

Due to your bodies rising blood flow, you will need to use the bathroom more often. Frequent urination will be one of the first signs of pregnancy and last until the very end. You may be getting up several times during the night to urinate losing even more sleep.

Many women may not experience any of these symptoms. If you're still wondering, "Am I pregnant?" after reviewing these early pregnant symptoms, a pregnancy test is a relativity easy way to find out or a visit to your doctor.

How Human Growth Hormones Pills Slow Down the Aging Process

You know how it is looking back at old photographs of yourself when you were in your roaring twenties; full of youth, vigor, energy and generally an animal. Now when you look in the mirror (if you dare to that is) what looks back at you is an older, wiser and somewhat wrinkled replica of your past youth. Help is at hand though if you know what to look for... Human growth hormones (HGH) pills can aid in stopping these ravages of time and help you to regain a little of the looks you once had.

Human growth hormones pills are supplement that are made from naturally found ingredients and can be purchased without a doctor's prescription from the internet, now some pharmacies also are beginning to stock these therapies. How they work is that the pills when taken, act as a trigger mechanism causing the pituitary gland to release greater amounts of the growth hormone. It has been in use by bodybuilders for many years to help increase muscle mass and keep fatty cells from gaining a foothold.

Now people are beginning to recognize the value of using these HGH pills to help stop the signs of aging that seem to hit harder from the age of 40 onwards. When used by older people as a regular supplement, these pills have increased the elasticity of skin and given them increased energy, as well as helped them to regain their sexual appetite again. Human growth hormones pills are not made from growth hormones though and any pill that claims to have this is either breaking the law or pure hogwash.

When a course of human growth hormones pills are being thought about as a therapy, it will be better to do two things; one is to have a consultation with your doctor to ascertain if the pills are right for your particular circumstances, and two, to thoroughly research the topic online to find the best possible product. Many companies have sprouted up now and are advertising these pills as the new wonder cure to fight aging, unfortunately not all of them have the same ingredients and these will have little or no effect on the overall condition of the user. So you have to be extra careful but fret not because you can find valuable information in the author box below this article.

Growth hormones are produces in an area of the brain called the pituitary gland this gland becomes active at birth and remains active throughout the whole life span however when it reaches a certain age it starts to decrease the amount of growth hormone produced and this reduction increases slowly year on year. Human growth hormones pills when taken send a message to this gland and trigger an increase in production again, the overall effect being a general improvement in health, the ability to fight illness better, and less wrinkling of the skin has been reported too.

So in conclusion, human growth hormones or HGH pills will help you to slow down some of the depressing effects of aging but they will not stop it completely. If taken regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle the benefits will be reaped.

If you need to know which are the best human growth hormones pills to get, you can always Google for them. But that, in itself, may present another problem - fake info and false reviews. So you really need to do your own due diligence when it comes to finding the brands. Yet that is often too time consuming and tedious. That's why we have done some detective work and found the best ones for you in our resource box below. Do check it out now.

Lack of Concentration - How Hormonal Imbalance at Menopause Causes Confusion

Menopause can adversely affect your ability to concentrate. It may become even more difficult to focus than before, you may also feel disorientated and experience a general state of mental confusion that is all-too-common at this mid-life transition.

These symptoms can be further exacerbated for women who have undergone a hysterectomy. Women find themselves often worrying whether or not they have forgotten to turn the iron off, or maybe they frequently forget to turn off the television before departing for work.

Menopause closely correlates with some decline in mental functions such as memory loss and the ability to clearly concentrate. Your ability to recall certain events and the ability to focus is often affected due to crucial hormonal imbalances in your system.

Estrogen regulates many female processes and plays a role in working with the neurotransmitters in the brain, sending signals to and from; in effect estrogen is responsible for maintaining healthy memory. Lost levels of this vital female hormone will quite simply affect your brain's ability to function.

Couple this with the fact that menopausal woman are already undergoing stressful situations with numerous midlife transitions such as aging parents and children leaving home, and often women find themselves in very challenging situations.

Excessive stress can cause forgetfulness and you might feel distracted by the new range of responsibilities you have to face as you move into this next phase of life. Depression and fear over facing issues such as long-term illness, death and living alone can also result in difficulty in focusing, feelings of disorientation and mental confusion.

Remember, your concentration may be affected, but it is not as a result of getting older. It is the result of the hormonal imbalance and that can be helped significantly with natural, bioidentical hormones.

Refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol -- both of these can significantly increase menopause symptoms. Consume hormones that speed up bodily processes, like the over-the-counter drug DHEA. DHEA is short for dehydroepiandrosterone and is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands as well as by the brain and the skin, and is the most abundant steroid in the human body.

It has been reported that by the time we reach the age of 80 our DHEA level is only 15% of what it was when we were 25. Researchers say DHEA may prove to protect against cancer and heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol and preventing blood clots.

Recent studies also demonstrate that DHEA improves memory, strengthens the immune system, prevents bone loss and may even protect us from diabetes and autoimmune disease. It has been shown to fight fatigue and depression as well as enhance feelings of well being and increase strength. If all this sounds too good to e true, DHEA has also been reported to alleviate symptoms of menopause, reduce body fat and even enhance libido.

Perimenopause and Why Topical Bioidentical Hormones May Help You Stay Young and Cancer Free

Wheel of Fortune Fascinates Me. What's Wrong?

The onset of menopause can be a difficult and confusing time for a woman. Symptoms can be as vague as weight gain, sleeplessness, memory loss, dry eyes, low libido, depressed mood, or irritability. Or they can be more characteristic like hot flashes, night sweats, and amenorrhea. A profound sense of "loss of self" can be seriously disconcerting. A feeling of being "in a fog" may interfere with your life considerably.

Menopause is a constellation of signs and symptoms associated with decreased production by the ovaries of three variants of estrogen and progesterone. It seems modern menopause tends to be more symptomatic than in the past when women tended to be serially pregnant during their fertile years rather than delaying pregnancy and averaging just over two kids. Complicating matters are big studies that have shown long term hormone replacement therapy with premarin and provera seem to increase the risk of cancer.

Guess what? Premarin is made by big pharma from horse urine. The patented semisynthetic estrogen we know as premarin is not human estrogen at all! And provera is a patented drug as well, it's not progesterone. In fact the cardio protective effects of estrogen are well known to be neutralized with synthetic progestins but not by human progesterone. In fact your body is designed to have many babies over your lifetime and to encounter a veritable flood of natural hormones in a periodic way. I have never heard that having many kids causes cancer, indeed women with no children are at increased risk.

Why pregnant mare urine? It's plentiful and therefore cheaper to produce. Why don't the drug companies just focus on natural human hormones? I don't know all the details but I do know you cannot patent estrogen. Oral hormones also pass first to the liver where they raise the levels of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which is bad. More on that in a later blog.

So many doctors have abandoned HRT altogether, and therefore many women assume that only cancer and death lurk in trying to outfox mother nature. Other physicians myself included agree that synthetic horse urine taken orally may not be a good idea. But BIOIDENTICAL hormones administered in a far more gentle way with some thought to the individual patient not only help treat symptoms of menopause but protect women from heart attacks, bone loss, and premature aging.

Next time I'm going to tell you about the three kinds of human estrogen and why we should use them all, how progesterone balances estrogen, and how testosterone isn't just for "Manopause" anymore.

To your health,

Dr Z

Controlling Your Menstrual Cycle With Follicle Stimulating Hormones

Follicle stimulating hormone is a hormone that plays an important role in sexual development. It is made in the pituitary gland. It also is relative to the menstrual cycle. It helps to regulate women's periods and also helps the ovaries to produce eggs. For this reason, it is important when it comes to fertility.

FSH levels will vary from one woman to the next, and will also vary throughout the month. When ovulation occurs, these levels are at their highest. If the levels are too high or too low, it may mean that there are fertility issues going on.

When Levels are Too High

If FSH levels are too high, it can actually lead to issues with ovulation. It can also be a cause for polycystic ovarian syndrome. Some women experience high levels of follicle stimulating hormone during menopause and just after menopause. When this happens, it can really affect fertility.

When Levels are Too Low

If the levels are too low, there can be issues when it comes to egg production. Generally, this is caused by an issue with the pituitary gland. Another reason that women may have low FSH levels is due to stress. Low FSH levels can also lead to fertility issues.

The Effects of the FSH Levels

Hormones affect both female fertility and male fertility. Men and women both have FSH levels in their system. This is because it also helps with sperm production. With higher levels of FSH, the testicles may not work the way they are supposed to. With lower levels of FSH, there may be an issue with sperm production. With this in mind, it is important to realize that the levels are important to men and women.

FSH Testing

If a couple is having issues with fertility, it may be a good idea for them to go to the doctor and have their FSH levels tested. The testing can really help when it comes to determining causes for infertility. In order to do the testing, it is important to plan it for just the right time of month for women. The best time to do this test is around the fifth day of the menstrual cycle. Many women hesitate when it comes time to actually have the test done, but it can really help to solve a lot of issues when it comes to overall health and fertility in women and men.

What Are The Main Reasons For Late Period

Wondering on the possible reasons for late period and why it has not arrived on your expected date? If you are trying to conceive a baby, then you would be looking at this positively. However, if you are not, then you should start exploring the probable causes why you missed your period. There are many reasons for a delayed period. By reading this article, you will be able to go over them one by one.

First and foremost, you might be pregnant! Use pregnancy test kits to determine the reasons for your late period. Try different brands to countercheck results. If you are pregnant, then take the necessary steps like consulting an obstetrician. If not, then you need to search for other reasons.

Stress and Anxiety

One of the most common reasons for late period is stress and anxiety. Emotional and psychological concerns can manifest physically and can potentially disrupt your normal menstrual cycle. Typical reasons for late period are situations when you are stressed out and in a high-anxiety mode for long periods of time. Your hormones can go out of control and could be one of the contributing reasons for your late menstruation. Take time out to relax. Get some rest and chill out in comfortable surroundings. You need to acquire the inner balance and to give your hormones a jumpstart to get the rhythm back.

Medication or treatments can also be reasons for late period. Some medication may actually cause delay in your cycle. If you are on the pill, this is usually one of the side effects. Certain types of contraception can also be one of the reasons for missed period. Carefully check out the medicines that you have been taking and see if they have any hormonally related side effects. Just remember not to self-medicate for this can be dangerous.

As stated above, the common reasons for a delayed period are conceiving a child, stress and medications. But when all these are not the cause, then you'd better get your doctor's opinion. Perhaps the cause for your late menstruation is related to hormonal or physical changes that have occurred. These can range from menopause to hormonal problems. Other possible reasons can also be brought about by age or triggered by some pathogens in your body. It is important to get checked for any physical or medical conditions in order to recognize the exact reasons for late period. Either way, it is best to get the opinion from your doctor.

Main Reasons For Late Period

Moreover, reasons for a delayed menstruation are quite diverse other than pregnancy. Missed periods can be observed when taking oral contraceptives, during climate changes, under stress, and having a poor diet. To establish the reasons for missed period, the woman's age (puberty, sexual maturity, pre-menopause) should be considered. Here are the main reasons:

• Pregnancy: It is the first thing you should think of among all reasons for missed period, especially if you are sexually active. Such reasons for a dealyed period cannot be disregarded. There are cases when you become pregnant even if sexual intercourse was done during the time of menstruation. Pregnancy can also occur if you missed taking your pills regularly.


• Abortion: This is one of the reasons for a delayed menstruation when hormonal imbalance happens after a miscarriage. The removal of internal tissues inside the uterus during miscarriage or instrumental curettage causes a temporary disruption on the reproductive organs and could potentially be one of the reasons for a delayed period. To restore these tissues, it will take some time, usually a month or 40 days after the abortion or miscarriage. Such situations call for medical supervision.

If none of the above mentioned are the reasons for late period and you still have not gotten your period for three months, it is time for you to see a health care professional. However, it is advisable to practice birth control measures if you are not planning on having a child.

Perimenopause Pregnancy - What Are the Odds and Risks When You Are Over 35?

A woman's body undergoes so many changes in a woman's lifetime. Oftentimes, these changes and symptoms indicate the age of a woman or the transition stages that she goes through to wit: when a girl hits her teens-she experiences menstruation -indicating that her body is ready for childbearing. When a woman hits her late 30's onwards-she experiences the first signs of perimenopause which is defined as the process of change a woman feels leading to menopause. Perimenopause lasts no less than two years to over eight years. Then in her 50's a woman goes through her menopause-which is the end of her menstrual period. So, the various phases a woman's body goes through cannot belie her real age.

Perimenopause is the period when a woman's body experiences a decline in the production of ovum (egg supply) both in quantity and quality. This results in a change in hormones and premenstrual syndrome symptoms (PMS) that are more intense or of a different nature than previously felt. Perimenopause marks the beginning of the end-beginning of the decline of a woman's child bearing stage.

What are the odds of a woman getting pregnant when she is over 35?

The woman's ovulation and menstruation becomes irregular when a woman's supply of ova or egg continues to decline. The decline in a woman's egg supply results in diminished fertility and is most noticeable after the mid 30s.

In their 40's, the menstrual cycle of a woman becomes increasingly irregular and may do so until menopause and this also compromises fertility. Often, health-conscious women in this age group do not seek prenatal care when they become pregnant; they often assume that the skipped period which is the first sign of pregnancy is instead the first sign of menopause.

What are the risks of a woman getting pregnant when she is over 35?

As an outcome of irregular production of hormones Perimenopausal pregnancy becomes high risk-officially, pregnancies at age 35 are high risks. However, if a woman is fit and healthy, she may enjoy the energy usually associated with a younger woman, if and when she becomes pregnant at age 35 and over. Doctors say that a woman's physical well-being during pregnancy depends more on who she is than how old she is. Nevertheless, a woman should be aware of chronic conditions that complicate pregnancy where it first becomes evident. These chronic conditions can be diabetes or high blood pressure. Also, even if one is in tip top shape, starting at the age of 35, there is an increasing risk for pregnancy-specific conditions including gestational diabetes.

Pregnancies at 35 and over, have the odds of giving birth to a baby with a chromosomal problem such as Down syndrome where a baby is born with an extra chromosome. Getting pregnant during perimenopause also gives the risk of miscarriage from amniocentesis, which is a diagnostic test given to look for chromosomal defects by examining the amniotic fluid. This test calls for the fluid being removed through a needle inserted in the mother's abdomen. Although the risk is still minimal, the risk is significantly higher when compared to a woman in her twenties. Other risk a woman may encounter at perimenopause pregnancy is Placenta Previa, where the placenta grows near the cervix and causes bleeding.

Perimenopausal pregnancy when over 35 and over 40, medically speaking, is the most difficult age for pregnancy. At this decade, a woman has used up the highest-quality ova, slowing down conception. The ova that are now left in the body are those that take the longest to respond to the body's cues for release, and which also don't function well during fertilization. This condition or state of the ova further raises the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage.

It is with interest to note however that while is now at this age that is hardest, to get pregnant, the likelihood to carry multiples - in itself another high-risk pregnancy -- even without medical intervention is not far-off. A possible reason could be that the shift in hormone levels during menopause stimulates the release of more than one egg at ovulation -- like a natural fertility drug.

Standard tests on pregnancies become risky when given to pregnant women over 35 since it entails the removal of tissue from the placenta risking a miscarriage albeit a low level.

Pregnancy after the age of 35 may worsen chronic conditions as well as early signs of aging, such as stiff, sore joints. Varicose veins may multiply and worsen. A slower metabolism may result in much weight gain, lethargy and sluggishness.

So, would you dare defy the odds and face the risks and get pregnant when you are over 35?
Later pregnancies have physical downsides as doctors are quick to point out but a list of other advantages balance the risks. For starters, greater financial stability, may enable one to focus more on motherhood. Having proven themselves professionally, women in their mid-thirties and over, may be more flexible and patient having faced more challenges in their lifetime.

Bleeding After Menopause is Actually Quite Common - But What Are the Causes?

Okay, you are having all of the symptoms, mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, memory lapses, loss of libido, weight gain and more and you think 'wow, I'm definitely in menopause' and boom, you have another period after months of having no periods at all. Perhaps there is something wrong, or perhaps this is perfectly normal, but the bottom line is that no woman wants to see Bleeding After Menopause because it is typically proof positive that they are going to have to start counting the days again until they are officially post menopausal.

Bleeding After Menopause is actually quite common and there is usually no reason to get overly worried if this happens. In most cases bleeding will occur because of the hormonal imbalance that is going on in the body, even if you are taking HRTs or natural supplements to help you manage your hormone levels. The bottom line is that your body is changing and some spotting or even a full blown period is perfectly natural during this time. It can be frustrating, especially if you have gone several months without a period, but there is no reason, generally, to get too worked up over this common occurrence.

However, if you are experiencing Bleeding After Menopause and it has been more than four months since your last period, then you will want to visit your doctor as soon as possible (you should see your doctor regardless of the time between periods, but after four months it can be indicative of a more serious health problem). If you are taking HRTs and your body is also producing estrogen you could be endangering your future health because of the flood of estrogen in your body. Also, it could be an indicator of false menopause and your doctor will need to check you for other medical issues that could have caused your period to initially cease.

While there many reasons that you could experience Bleeding After Menopause, the most common reason is hormonal imbalance, which can typically be corrected with a change in your medication, whether it is an HRT or a natural remedy. A trip to your doctor is always a good idea in these cases to ensure that you are in your best possible health and that there are no underlying causes for this to happen.

Disadvantages of Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone (HGH) is secreted by the pituitary gland that is located in the brain. This hormone is extremely important as it regulates growth and development. In children, HGH facilitates normal growth, while in adults it plays an important role in metabolism.

Today, after a lot of studies and research, it has been found HGH can also reverse muscle wasting common in AIDS patients. In addition, doctors claim that it can slow down the aging process. However, this claim has not been proven scientifically.

Earlier, artificial HGH was made by removing the pituitary gland from cadavers. However, as science advanced, genetic engineering was used to produce artificial or synthetic HGH using live cell culture. This manufacturing process is extremely complex and expensive and that is why HGH injections available today are very costly.

Artificial HGH is given to children whose pituitary gland does not produce sufficient amounts of growth hormone. Even adults can have pituitary problems and the hormone is prescribed to them. Athletes take the hormone to facilitate muscle growth and build stamina.

The use of human growth hormone has increased dramatically because the manufacturers claim that it can cure just about every ailment. Many of these claims are false and misleading, and if HGH is taken without proper medical supervision, it can have harmful side effects.

Human Growth Hormone Side Effects:
Here are the side effects of HGH if not supervised by a qualified doctor:

o Acromegaly
o Permanent heart enlargement
o Low blood sugar and this can increase the chances of slipping into a diabetic coma
o Unusual and excessive hair growth on the body
o Liver damage
o Thyroid damage
o Water retention

Acromegaly is condition that is characterized by overgrown facial bone and connective tissue. A person with acromegaly has protruding jaw and eyebrow bones, suffers from abnormal growth of hands and feet, and has excessive hair growth all over the body. The condition can lead to premature death.

How Do Hormones Affect Bone And Muscle Recovery?

When bones and muscles are damaged, your body usually has the ability to recover by itself. It does this through the help of certain hormones. Below is a list of some hormones that help in bone and muscle recovery and their effect on the muscles and bones.

Let us first discuss the hormones affecting muscle recovery.

The first one in the list is testosterone. This hormone aids in muscle recovery by improving the protein synthesis in the body. Your muscles need protein in order to function well therefore protein synthesis is very important. This is the reason why a lot of experts recommend taking supplements before and after doing exercise routines. Supplements that provide amino acids to the body will help a lot in improving the effects of testosterones on muscle recovery.

The second one in the lust is insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is very important for people who have diabetes. It regulates the sugar level in the body. However, insulin does not only help in regulating the blood sugar level but it also helps in muscle recovery. When you exercise, your body produces more insulin. This way, your muscles get enough glucose and energy when doing your workout routines. Insulin also helps the body in transporting and absorbing amino acids in order to improve the protein synthesis. This is also the reason why experts do not recommend exercising with an empty stomach. You need carbs for energy.

The third one in the list is the growth hormone. This hormone also helps protein synthesis in the body. It also helps in increasing the production of insulin-like hormones that help in feeding the muscles during workouts. Both of them are helpful in the development of muscle and muscle fibers. There are some supplements available in the market to increase the production of the growth hormones.

Now that you know the hormones that are mainly responsible for muscle recovery, let us now discuss the hormones that affect bone recovery.

The first one in the list is the parathyroid hormone. This hormone is produced by the thyroid glands and is helpful in increasing the amount of calcium in your bloodstream. It is also responsible in bone resorption in your body.

The second one is calcitonin. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormones have opposite effects. Calcitonin works by lowering the amount of calcium in your bloodstream. As a result, this hormone aids in the formation of the bone tissues in your body and helps in treating different degenerative bone disorders such as osteoporosis.

The last one in the list is Vitamin D3. This hormone is mainly responsible in the calcium absorption in the bloodstream. This hormone helps the body absorb calcium from food more effectively. The process mainly happens in the small intestines. It is very important to have sufficient amount of Vitamin D3 to prevent bone problems such as rickets.

These are just some of the hormones that affect the muscle and bone recovery in your body. They are important in ensuring that you have strong and healthy bones and muscles.

Should You Try Bioidentical Hormones?

Bioidentical hormones are extracted from animals or plants. The hormones are then changed to make them molecularly the same or identical to the hormones you find in the body. Bio hormones are sometimes used for hormone replacement therapy. Women who are experiencing premenopausal or menopausal symptoms are typically the candidates for bio hormone therapy. This occurs when they are no longer producing adequate amounts of estrogen and / or progesterone. Bioidentical hormone replacement is similar to conventional hormone replacement. Unfortunately bioidentical hormones are not widely studied in the United States. This is because pharmacy manufactures have little interest in bioidentical hormones because they cannot be patented. The reason for this is the FDA considers them natural and a natural substance cannot have a patent. The pharmacy companies instead turn to synthetic compounds to produce hormones that they can patent. Bio hormones have been studied in Europe and have been found to be safer then synthetic hormones.

There are risk and benefits associated with synthetic hormones and bio hormones. Unfortunately more long term studies need to be done on bioidentical hormones.

Some of the risk associated with synthetic hormones are increased risk of endometrial cancer and a slightly high risk of breast cancer. Some other side effects include increased breast density, slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer, blood clots, gallbladder disease and heart attacks.

With synthetic hormones women may also experience breast pain, nausea, bloating, water retention and negative mood swings. Most of these side effects, but not all are contributed to oral estrogen, not estrogen that is delivered transdermal.

Women who suffer from the following conditions are more likely to experience side effects from synthetic hormones.

Unknown cause of vaginal bleeding
Liver disease
Women who have had breast cancer
Women who have had uterus cancer
Women who have had blood clots

Some of the advantages of bioidentical hormones include all the same benefits as synthetic hormones. Often times bio hormones offer the benefits without some of the unwanted side effects. Bioidentical hormones are now being used by some doctors to eliminate problems that women have as they age and go through different periods of their life. These include the following.

PMS
Symptoms of post and premenopausal
Menstrual periods that are not regular
Osteoporosis
Hot flashes
To reduce the risk of heart disease
Insomnia and night sweats
Help with weight loss through burning of fat
Increase sex drive
Improves mental clarity
Reduces depression
Helps to increase physical energy
Helps maintain youthful skin
Helps with blood flow

If you decide that you are interested in bioidentical hormones, it is recommended that you find a doctor who is familiar with bioidentical hormones. Not all doctors are familiar with bioidentical hormones and some only use the synthetic form.

Human Growth Hormones: An Introduction

Human growth hormone is a naturally occurring complex peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Human growth hormones are considered key hormones as they are responsible for many basic processes of the human body such as organ function, cell generation and many other vital functions.

In children, HGH are responsible for growth and development and in adults they are also critical for tissue repair and healing, cell regeneration, enzyme function, muscle growth, brain function, bone strength, energy and metabolism.

As we age the body produces less human growth hormones until we reach 30 when it starts to significantly drop off and so begins all of the symptoms that we associate with ageing such as, decreased muscle mass, slowing metabolism, decreased energy levels, loss of skin elasticity, decreased libido and more difficulty to lose weight.

Fortunately it's possible to slow down and even 'reverse' this ageing process by naturally stimulating the body's production and release of HGH. The best way to achieve this is through a healthy diet, exercise and nutritional supplements.

Benefits of Increased Growth Hormone

There haven't been many clinical studies that show the effects of increased HGH carried out on healthy adults but those people who have taken HGH supplements have suggested a general increase in well-being and a reverse of some of the side effects of ageing.

Here are some of the reported benefits that people have experienced:

- An increase in energy

- Increased muscle tone and development

- Stronger immune system

- More youthful looking skin

- Boosted metabolism

- Increased sex drive

- Increased ability to quickly lose weight

HGH Supplements

Hormone injections - These are synthetic laboratory produced hormones which are directly injected into the body to increase HGH levels. These have mostly been associated in the past with high performance athletes and people who wish to dramatically increase their muscle mass.

Human growth hormone releasers - Natural herbal supplements designed to stimulate the pituitary gland to release more naturally occurring HGH.

Side Effects of Synthetic HGH

According to the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.com) synthetic Human growth hormones may cause a number of negative side effects in healthy adults including:

- Joint and muscle pain

- Male gynecomastia (enlargement of the breast tissue)

- Swelling in the arms and legs

And it has even been suggested that synthetic HGH injections may contribute to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Hormones And Your Acne

Your hormones play a great role in the outbreak of acne, a skin disease that is characterized by zits, inflamed follicles, and oily skin. Any change in the levels of your hormones can easily lead to the production of excess oils, triggering the growth of pimples. Unfortunately, hormonal changes are unavoidable and some instances or stages in life can have a great impact on your hormones.

As you well know, these are the times when changes in your hormone levels usually happen, resulting in more breakouts:

Adolescence - As your body begins to grow and develop, your body releases certain kinds of hormones. One of these hormones is androgen, a substance that can make your oil glands overactive, leading to excess oil production. These changes help explain why many teens experience acne.

Monthly period - If you notice zits suddenly appearing days just before your menstruation, don't fret since this type of acne is very common among females. The monthly ovulation process triggers a woman's body to release certain hormones. And yes, this hormonal change can also lead to more acne breakouts.

Pregnancy - When you get pregnant, your body prepares itself for the growing fetus by releasing certain amounts of hormones. And of course, these hormones can also trigger your oil glands to become overactive, producing more oils and causing more zits.

Menopause - This is the time when women experience the effects of estrogen deficiency. The levels of male hormones in females also start to decline but since estrogen is completely lost, an imbalance between the female and male hormones may result into adult acne. The skin also loses its elasticity during this phase, making it more prone to acne scars and lesions.

Stress - When you're under stress, your body responds by producing hormones. This hormonal change can then lead to more breakouts. The specific hormone produced during stress is cortisol, an internal element that can make your oil glands create more oil.

Aside from these factors, medications such as birth pills, some kinds of anti-depressants, and steroids can also alter your hormonal levels. If you wish to take these medicines, be sure to consult a doctor first since they could make you more vulnerable to acne breakouts.

A sudden change in your hormone levels can never be prevented since this is part of your body's natural responses. What you and your dermatologist can do is to try to control it so as to avoid excess oil production and breakouts.

There are plenty of treatments that can help prevent hormonal acne and some acne medications can help regulate your hormonal levels. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these hormone-regulating medicines such as birth pills is only temporary. Once you stop taking them, symptoms of acne such as zits and blackheads may reappear.

Dealing with hormone-caused acne can require more than one kind of treatment. If you think your acne breakouts are due to changes in your hormone levels, talk to a dermatologist about the most appropriate treatment.

Kat Daez is an in-house writer for an online media company, Intelligraph Corporation. She currently writes articles about acne and its various medications.

Natural Hormone Replacement With Bioidentical Hormones

Most of us know that we are supposed to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and take supplements. However, most of us do not know that even a healthy lifestyle cannot prevent our body's deterioration from unhealthy levels of hormones.

Few of us realize that our hormones decline with age - irrespective of our lifestyle -and that many of our diseases and daily aches and pains are in fact caused by hormonal deficiencies.

Most of us do not realize that hormonal deficiencies are often the cause of many illnesses

and misery that are either:

(1) unrecognized and untreated by conventional (pharmacological) medicine;

(2) treated incorrectly with dangerous drugs that address symptoms not causes; or

(3) diagnosed as depression, bi-polar disorder, add.

As we age, our hormones decline. This is a fact that can be shown with lab testing. With that decline comes reduced energy, increased body fat, lower sex drive, increased risk of heart disease, cancer, PMS for many ladies, disabilities, aches and pains, etc. Conventional medicine considers this progression a normal part of aging. Wellness medicine, sometimes referred to as Anti-aging medicine or preventive medicine, offers bioidentical hormones to prevent and treat these conditions.

Current worldwide medical research has shown that bioidentical hormone replacement slows both the deterioration and symptoms associated with aging, and enhances the immune system. This field of medicine is becoming popular among individuals who seek answers not found in conventional medicine.

Through research journals, scientific studies, clinical experience, conferences and personal experience, our professional staff stays current in biodentical hormone therapy and preventive medicine. Almost daily, researchers are making breakthroughs, which we evaluate and make available to our clients.

What Are Bioidentical Hormones?

Natural hormones are identical in structure to the hormones naturally found in the body. For this reason, they are called bioidentical. They are compounded in a special type of pharmacy known as a compounding pharmacy. These are regular licensed pharmaceutical companies. They acquire the pure pharmaceutical grade hormone and compound it into the form ordered by the treating physician. This makes your program very customized and personalized.

Aren't health food store products "natural"? Products in health food stores provide people with a variety of natural options, usually from an herb or plant source. Folk medicine, naturopathy, and herbalists have evolved such that there is more substantiation and better acceptance of these alternative, herbal products.

However, the products from compounding pharmacies are different in several ways. First, the dose provided by a pharmacy requires a prescription. Health food store products (and over the counter products sold at pharmacies) are most often of a dose that is insufficient to produce a measurable difference in the body based on actual laboratory tests. They do sometimes help to relieve symptoms.

Second, the products from the compounding pharmacy utilize ingredients of pure pharmaceutical grade that are micronized. Micronized means that the product is a fine grain that will be well absorbed. This results in less waste as it processes through your digestive system.

In our bioidentical hormone clinics, prescribing natural hormones to women for 10 years, we have never seen the problems and side effects as we have seen with the synthetic hormones. Why not replace the body with natural biologically identical hormones. Anything else, as we have seen with the recent discontinuation of the WHI Trials, is dangerous to a woman's health.

What Are the Side Effects of BHRT Testosterone in Men?

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a term that describes compounded hormones derived from plants that mimic those present in the body naturally. This therapy is used to treat symptoms of menopause and andropause, or male menopause. As males age, their levels of testosterone will decrease gradually. In a typical male, the level at age seventy is about half what it was at age twenty. Testosterone is the primary male hormone. Symptoms of this decrease may be erectile dysfunction, low libido, weight gain, thin skin, loss of muscle mass, depression, joint pain. BHRT is sometimes used to restore the levels of testosterone and relieve those symptoms.

One possible side-effect of hormone replacement is an increased risk of prostate cancer. Other side effects are a rise in cholesterol levels and an aggravation of sleep apnea. Careful monitoring by a health professional is always recommended.

Some of the reported benefits of BHRT for men are an increase in libido, and general energy levels. The therapy may stimulate the growth of some organs, and an increased production of the proteins that build skin, bone and muscle. BHRT may slow the breakdown of proteins. It stimulates sperm production, and nourishes the tissues of the male urinary tract. Low testosterone levels have been linked to insulin resistance, leading to diabetes and other complications. Bringing these levels into line could be a major preventative in curbing the incidence of diabetes in an aging population.

A recent study has found that BHRT therapy in men improves liver function and lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease. Improvement was also found in fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic liver disease. Over a two-year period, the men in the study found that their weight, waistline, and body mass index all decreased. These results combined will increase the quality of life of men as they age, and reduce the risks associated with obesity.

A doctor prescribing BHRT therapy will first take a sample of saliva, blood or urine and analyze the levels of testosterone, along with DHEA and other normally occurring hormones. From those results, a compound will be prescribed which will most closely match those hormones produced by that individual. Since bioidentical hormones are derived from plants, there is not the likelihood of side effects that can occur with synthetic hormones. BHRT is not a one-size-fits all therapy. The physician will closely monitor the formulation to ensure that the dosage is most effective, without excess hormone being introduced into the system. Part of the therapy will include diet and exercise recommendations, to maximize the benefits to overall health and anti-aging.

There is some controversy surrounding the use of BHRT therapies. The US Federal Drug Agency has not approved any for use in humans. The controversy arises because the drugs are compounded - made up of multiple agents that vary by prescription. The questions are the purity of the compounds and trial data from long-term studies. However, there are many physicians that do prescribe BHRT therapies, and licensed pharmacies that fill those prescriptions. Those who favor natural therapies argue that the large pharmaceutical companies cannot patent these compounds and have blocked widespread use of them.

The negative impacts of BHRT are very minimal. Whether you are a man or woman, you should consult with your physician before taking bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Early Signs of Infertility in Women

What are the early signs of infertility in women? If you are a woman and you regularly have unprotected sex with your male partner for about 12 months without getting pregnant, this is the time to act fast. You or your partner may be having some fertility issues you need to deal with. Here are some early signs of infertility to help you decide your next line of action.

Before then, you need to check out for the following before you create undue panic and anxiety. Do you regularly monitor when you ovulate to ensure you have the best of unprotected sex? It may surprise you to know that many women do not know when they are ovulating or they avoid having sex whenever they are experiencing the changes in their body before and during ovulation. As you are trying to get pregnant, you should understand that the time of ovulation is the key factor that will determine if you will get pregnant or not. This is one thing you must understand in your own body.

Ovulation takes place when a mature, ready to be fertilized egg is released from the ovary, sent through the fallopian tube to be fertilized by sperm. During this period, hormonal changes will cause the lining of the uterus to thickened ready for the fertilized egg. If you do not conceive at this time, the uterine lining as well as blood will be shed. This shedding of an unfertilized egg and the uterine wall is what is normally called menstruation.

Early Signs of Infertility in Women

Now ask yourself: "Do you have your monthly menstrual period regularly or you are not having any?" If you are not having any menstrual period, you may be experiencing a condition called amenorrhea. Every woman within the child-bearing age is supposed to have menstruation. If you are not or your menstrual cycle is irregular, these are early signs of infertility in women or maybe some other medical condition which can easily be treated naturally and safely.

Other early sign of infertility in women is miscarriage. This is the loss of a fetus before the twentieth week of gestation. It may surprise you to know that a lot of women experience early miscarriages without even knowing they may have been pregnant for sometime. They may just shrug it off believing that they may only have been a few days late or that a cycle may just have been rather unusual than others. Even though miscarriage is not a major tell-tale sign of infertility in women, it can present an indication of some genetic or hormonal problems you need to deal with fast. If you experience repeated miscarriages, you need to see a medical doctor to test if there are issues with your reproductive system.

Other early signs of infertility in women which your doctor may not tell you or know are a deficiency problem which can prevent your hormones from properly activating your reproductive system; a stagnation of your blood; and a heat problem which can be as a result of infection or inflammatory problem.

Very high levels of stress are another signs of infertility which you must deal with as quickly as possible. Eliminating the cause can have significant impact in helping you get pregnant.

If you are not eating healthy food and engaging in physical activities, you may be sabotaging your chances of getting pregnant. If you crave certain fast foods instead of well prepared healthy foods, this may be an early sign of infertility in women. Changes to your diet and the right exercise may just be what you need to become pregnant.

Fat Loss For Idiots - Unlock Your Fat Loss Hormones With These Fat Burning Tips

Most people are overweight due to a slow unproductive metabolism. One of the most common mistakes overweight people make a habit of is eating badly like including high sugar junk foods into your diet and eating them at the wrong times. While eating badly your body will go into a fat storing mode storing as much as it can. When you eating the wrong foods your energy levels will drop and you will become unhealthy.

Here are a few simple tips to unlock the greatest fat burning hormones that will turn your body into a fat burning machine.

You should not include high fat process foods this will lead to spike in your sugar levels turning your body into a storing machine. You diet should contain high fibre complex carbohydrate that release energy throughout the day. Complex carbohydrate are very unlikely to be stored as fat. These good carbs will provide the correct blood sugar levels to produce fat burning hormones that with increase your metabolism

Eat more often. This will make your body adapt to more foods helping you burn fat more effectively. Your body burns as much as it can so providing it with small highly nutritional meals will help you to drop fat faster. Try to avoid processed sugars and processed foods this will slow down your fat loss rate and metabolism.

Understanding how your body works and stores fat can be essential for you to lose weight effectively. If you eat the correct foods at the correct times you will have fat burning hormones all day. It's just what kind of diet will include that kind of information? You should understand how stress can affect your body's hormones changing your hormones into fat storing mode. You need to reduce stress levels it will help your hormones to balance.

What Are the Causes of PMS? Part 2

In PMS Part 1, we saw the general classification of the four 'types' of PMS which showed some promise that we might be able to identify a cause for each set of symptoms. But it turns out that trying to work out the causes of PMS from even an organised list of the possible symptoms is rather like watching a blockbuster 3D movie without the special glasses; you have a general idea of what is going on, but the details are blurred, the colours run into each other, and clarity is tantalisingly out of reach!

However, a glance at the PMS-A/C/D/H categories outlined in the previous article do suggest different factors and the influence of different hormones being involved in each type. For example:

(A) anxiety/hyperarousal (raised adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla)

(C) stress symptoms with secondary disturbance of sugar metabolism (raised adrenal cortical steroids, eg cortisol)

(D) depression, sadness and diminished mental function (increased oestrogen, reduced progesterone, raised cortisol)

(H) fluid retention and related signs and symptoms (increased oestrogen, aldosterone).

Although these categories seem relatively well defined, in practice there is considerable overlap between them. It becomes obvious that to pinpoint the complete hormonal state of affairs within an individual woman through laboratory tests would be very difficult in both practical and financial terms. Taking into account the other hormones in the hormonal cascade, each with their different functions and subtle effects on mood and physical symptoms, and the scale of the problem becomes clear. No wonder we can still read in many publications that "PMS is a condition of unknown (or uncertain) origin"!

The Hormone Confusion

In her thoughtful book 'The Truth about Hormones', the science editor Vivienne Parry says "PMS is a classic model of the way hormones affect mood and emotion; it is also a fascinating model of fluctuating medical beliefs, swayed by prevailing medical dogma."

Here she is referring to theories of the cause of PMS which have tended to focus on hormone excess or deficiency, with either oestrogen or progesterone being given main responsibility. It is clear by now that this is a much too simplistic approach, and that part of the answer must lie in the balance and fluctuation of the various hormones, fluctuations which of course have their own causes. Dr John Lee's work on the syndrome of oestrogen dominance, with its 'excess' of oestrogen in relation to progesterone, is very much to the point here.

Much has been written in the psyche-soma debate in relation to PMS, just as it has about conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, prompting questions like "PMS - is it all in the mind?", which have contributed to it not being given the importance it has deserved.

The Role Of The Mind and Emotions

This bias has been based on the curious attitude that psychological and emotional disturbances somehow rate lower on the scale of things than physical ones. But the study of cellular biology, cell receptors and their informational substances, (which include neurotransmitters and hormones too), has already shown us that our ideas of a separate mind and body are completely artificial, born of a polarised way of looking at the world.

There is only a bodymind, the different systems of which are in health completely integrated and communicating with each other at the cellular level through their extraordinary array of hormones, neurotransmitters and receptors. Because of a tendency to think in a compartmented, linear, cause-and-effect, 'either-or' sort of way, we often have difficulty in seeing the whole picture in complex conditions like PMS; whereas the truth is more likely to be glimpsed by a holistic, 'both-and' overview. For all its strengths, evidence-based medicine, with its emphasis on a reductionist approach, can contribute to this particular problem.

The Role of Ovulation in PMS

Taking this further, we know that, in the extreme, removal of the ovaries stops the symptoms of PMS. Symptoms also disappear in anovular cycles, where ovulation has, for whatever reason, not taken place. It has also been observed that if ovulation is artificially shut down with drugs the symptoms of PMS no longer arise. If these women are then given oestrogen and progesterone to restore previous levels, only the women who previously experienced symptoms do so again, showing that some women are especially sensitive to hormones, probably due to enhanced cell receptor sensitivity.

Another interesting fact: for women with mild PMS, the contraceptive pill, by stopping ovulation, eases symptoms; for those with more severe forms, their symptoms are made worse, probably due to the effect of the synthetic progestogens on women whose biochemistry is more severely disrupted by stress or previous emotional trauma. Exactly the same effect occurs in post-natal depression (PND), while bioidentical progesterone has been seen to have a markedly beneficial effect in both conditions.

As if this is not enough to consider, there is the matter of the neurosteroids, steroids that are synthesized in the brain, and have marked effects on some of its own chemical systems. It is known that receptors on cell membranes in the brain that respond to oestrogen affect learning, memory and pain reception. In addition, low levels of the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin are associated with violence and aggression; and of serotonin alone, with depression. Interestingly, breakdown products of progesterone such as pregnenelone act as a calming influence, acting preferentially on the same receptors as do tranquillizers and barbiturates.

We also know that low levels of the aminoacid tryptophan, a serotonin precursor, make PMS symptoms worse; that oestrogen tends to increase serotonin levels when given to menopausal women, as do drugs that promote serotonin release or prevent its reuptake, improving PMS. Then there are the effects of diet, nutritional deficiencies, alcohol and obesity: a large subject in itself, and one to be explored in PMS-Part 3.

The Emotional Aspects

Finally this brings us to the emotional aspect of PMS. The 3-5% of menstruating women who suffer from the severest symptoms find their day-to-day functioning significantly affected, with consequent problems for their families. The main symptoms in this group are primarily emotional, which is why psychiatrists have claimed it for their own and labelled it 'Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder' or PMDD, the word 'dysphoric' meaning feelings at the opposite end of the spectrum from 'euphoric'.

The emotional symptoms that stand out in this form of PMS are those that already described at the severe end of postnatal depression (PND); -

Anxiety - Irritability - Agitation - Sudden panics - Anger and aggressive outbursts - Volcanic rages and violent behaviour - Feelings of murderous intent.

Another early advocate of natural progesterone supplementation, Dr Katherina Dalton, used to regularly visit Holloway women's prison and found that very nearly half of all newly sentenced prisoners had committed their crimes during the four days before the start of menstruation and the first four days of the period itself. Bipolar swings similar to those in manic depression, and disconnection of thought and emotion as found in schizo-affective states, can also occur in the most extreme forms.

It's Not The Hormones - It's Their Fluctuating Levels

As we have seen, hormones do have their own direct effects on mood, but rather than taking the easy route and attributing these symptoms to a particular combination of hormones, I think that it is much more likely that, as in PND and puerperal psychosis, it is the fluctuation of the hormonal picture that allows the release of feelings that are already there, repressed and stored away within the body in response to previous traumas, sometimes physical or sexual, often emotional, that could not be expressed at the time, or resolved since. The majority of these are from childhood, but their repression seems to attract in later life the very situations which will trigger the same feelings, leading to the recurring negative 'patterns' of experience with which all too many of us are familiar.

The positive aspect of this suffering, however, is that it sooner or later forces us to explore or confront the hidden emotional issues that underlie PMS, which itself may act both as a reminder and as a pressure-release valve. There is a saying I like:- 'Give me the courage to meet the Devil in his lair, and make of him a friend'. The process of healing these emotional and psychological stresses means that these energies are then no longer present to 'break through' when hormonal fluctuations occur.

Dr Christiane Northrup in her comprehensive guide to women's health 'Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom' writes well on this sensitive subject. She also describes a strong correlation between PMS and growing up in a family system in which parents or even grandparents were alcoholic. "The relationship between PMS and relationship addiction - giving your life away to meet other people's needs - is very high" she says. It is not difficult to see here the seeds of co-dependency. The intense, confusing and contradictory emotions of love, hate, anger, guilt, despair, shame, fear and defeat experienced in response by many children in this situation cannot be borne consciously for long. The result is a cutting off from their feelings, which resurface later in life at particularly vulnerable times. These may be times of severe or cumulative stress, emotional or physical exhaustion; or at times of hormonal imbalance or fluctuation, such as in the postnatal and premenstrual phases, and to a lesser degree at the menopause.

Conclusion

It is not always easy, and sometimes not possible, to explore the underlying issues in these situations, but in my own experience, if a woman has the willingness and the courage to do so, the results are almost always beneficial. In PMS-Part 3 we will explore the different levels of approach available to help resolve this condition, and offer a coherent and comprehensive way of looking at the problem.

Weight Loss Hormones Ghrelin and Leptin - The Truth About the Ghreleptin Diet Pill

Losing weight is always the dream of many. It is probably everyone's New Year resolution. However, most people cannot get started in their routine. They say that you need to be in that same routine for 21 days to even call it a "routine". Some people also would simply like to do it the easier way-the shortcut way. If you are one of these people why not try weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin?

Before learning what involves this weight loss treatment, you might ask yourself what ghrelin and leptin are. Are these hormones? Yes, both are hormones.

Ghrelin is a hormone that lines the cell of the stomach. The purpose of this hormone is that it makes you hungry. It arouses your appetite. Before you eat, the ghrelin levels are high and after you eat, the level of these hormones reduces. When the ghrelin levels are up, so does your fat mass and the food you eat.

Leptin, on the other hand, came from the Greek term "leptos" which means thin. It is also a hormone but its purpose is to regulate the flow of energy inside and out. This also includes the reducing of the appetite and the boost of metabolism.

So what does weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin do? The truth is that these weight-related hormones were combined into just one diet pill which is called the Ghreleptin diet pill. Studies show that this is the first diet pill to use this kind of concept which is again the weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin. Since ghrelin is responsible for the appetite-craves and hungriness-this diet pill helps to decrease this hormone. How does this diet pill do it? They blend about 770mg of extractions from 10 fruits namely the raspberry ketones, guarana fruit, bitter orange, to name a few.

On the other end, weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin adds up the leptin levels by using about 710 mg of vegetable extracts namely garlic (100:1), spinach, carrot, broccoli, tomato, asparagus, wheat grass, mustard seed and shiitake mushroom. According to studies, mustard seed, celery seed and extracts from the shiitake mushroom have diuretic effects that cause individuals to pee and therefore remove anti-oxidants in their body.

So what can users of weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin expect? Well, users of the weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin should have a faster metabolism, downgrade in their cravings and appetite, not retaining excess water, feeling full at a longer time after meals and it can also make your skin look fresher, hydrated and looking young.

Most of those people who have used weight loss hormones ghrelin and leptin claimed that they have lose about 6 to 8 pounds in 30 days. Some people did not lose much weight (approximately only 3 pounds) but have claimed that they lost about 2-3 inches from their prior original waist line.

The best thing about this diet pill is that it uses only fruits and vegetables that can guarantee that it is safe and not hazardous to anybody's health.

Menopause and Pregnancy - Just What Are The Chances?

Imagine the scene if you will.

Marjorie and her husband Ken (not their real names), were settling down for a romantic night in front of the television, when Marjorie quietly leaned over and informed her husband that they were expecting the pitter patter of tiny feet! Apparently Ken almost fell off his chair.

Now normally, this would be a cause for celebration, but what if I told you that Marjorie and Ken were both in their early fifties and they had brought up three children, prior to taking early retirement? This was supposed to be 'their' time, when they had no-one to please but themselves.

You would probably be shocked and then surprised at this story, I know I was when my friends told me. You see, I didn't realise that a woman could become pregnant once she had started menopause. Unfortunately, neither did Marjorie. She had taken birth control right up until she began suffering from hot flashes and 'spotting' and then she stopped. You see Marjorie, as many women do, had wrongly assumed that because she was displaying menopausal symptoms, that she was now infertile.

Many of us believe that menopause is an event with a start and a finish that signals the end of fertility from day one. But, that is incorrect and it is a process that could potentially last for ten years (yikes) usually beginning somewhere in our early fifties. Although some women do suffer from premature menopause and they can go through it many years earlier than this. All that the symptoms mean is that our hormone levels are becoming unbalanced, but this does not mean that we are unable to conceive.

It's true that as a woman ages, her fertility decreases and so it becomes less likely that she will fall pregnant naturally - but it is not impossible. In fact there are many stories available to read online of ladies over fifty giving birth naturally.

That's all well and good, providing you are ready to welcome a new born baby into your life, but this article is for those menopausal women who are looking forward to the freedom from child rearing that age and maturity usually brings.

So, how can it happen that a woman is going through menopause and yet she is still fertile? Easy, while eggs are still being released and there is an adequate supply of the necessary hormones, she can still become pregnant.

It doesn't matter that her periods may be all over the place or she is so bloated that she resembles a small planet, providing that she is still having her monthly period, pregnancy is possible. In fact, it is wise to continue with birth control until there has been no show of blood for twelve consecutive months. After this time, it is impossible to become pregnant naturally as there would not be an adequate supply of estrogen to facilitate the process.

Apart from the psychological aspects of a late pregnancy, there are of course health considerations to think about for those women who become pregnant in menopause.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it will give you an idea of the dangers.

There is an increased risk of infection, miscarriage, bleeding and several other potentially dangerous medical conditions. Furthermore, medical research has proven that the risk grows even higher with every passing year over the age of forty.

So, if you are coming up to an age where night sweats and hot flashes beckon and you don't fancy the idea of early morning feeds and dirty diapers - don't take a chance and hope for the best. Make sure that you continue with the birth control.