This seems to be the conventional medical solution to many female hormone issues... ...It is the 2nd most common surgical procedure after C-section. In fact, by age 60, OVER 1/3 OF ALL WOMEN HAVE HAD A HYSTERECTOMY! Certainly in certain situations, like cancer, bleeding that cannot be managed with properly dosed and balanced hormones, unmanageable infection, or uterine rupture, this may be the only option... ...However, numerous conditions can be corrected in other ways. One key example is ENDOMETRIOSIS, which is one of the main reasons why women undergo complete removal of their female sex organs...However, studies have found that 15% OF WOMEN WHO'VE HAD A COMPLETE HYSTERECTOMY FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DISEASE, mainly on the small and large intestine.... Moreover, research has also shown that women who undergo surgical menopause, especially those who were not yet in menopause, have an increased risk of developing every chronic disease, including heart disease. ...If you have a condition for which your doctor is recommending a complete hysterectomy, get at least 2 other opinions and ask about ALL of the other treatment options available....because there ARE other options!

This is a very complex topic which I cannot possibly do justice to with just one post. This post will provide a basic overview for your information so you are at least aware that it exists and what you can do about it if you have it. Here are some facts: 1. Candida is yeast which is a normal inhabitant of the vagina and intestinal tract. 2. When something disrupts the balance of growth between bacteria and yeast, an overgrowth of either can occur. Yeast overgrowth typically occurs as a consequence of antibiotics, oral steroids, hormone replacement therapy (mainly if not done properly), anti-inflammatory medications, and stress. Many women are very aware when they have a vaginal yeast infection because of the very obvious symptoms they experience. When it comes to intestinal Candida overgrowth...the symptoms can be more subtle and resemble other GI conditions. Here are the main ways that Candida can become a problem: 1. If it overgrows in the intestinal tract 2. If it is present in normal amounts but enters the blood stream because of leaky gut 3. Both of the above SYMPTOMS of Candida are extensive but mainly include the following: 1. Candida overgrowth only in the gut: bloating and gas (especially after eating sugar and carbs), sugar cravings, rectal itching, heartburn, bad breath, white coating on the tongue. 2. Candida that has entered the bloodstream: The above, plus sensitivity to smell, itching anywhere, nasal congestion, inability to lose weight, foggy thinking, fatigue, and issues with mood. TREATMENT of Candida is typically multidimensional and long because yeast has three growth stages, and many of the supplements and prescription medications only kill the adult form. Consequently, treatment needs to last at least 8 weeks. While each individual's case may differ in severity, the overall treatment involves elimination of food allergens, avoidance of medications that cause Candida overgrowth, proper hormone balance, avoidance of foods that fuel Candida overgrowth (such as sugar, alcohol, dried fruit, etc), and anti-Candida supplements (such as Kandex and others). In some rare cases, the infection requires the use of prescription anti-fungal medications such as Itraconazole. Remember, the goal is never to completely eliminate Candida but rather to rebalance the intestinal microbiome, and in cases of systemic Candida infection, repair leaky gut.

It seems like we are constantly bombarded with yet another new fad diet or miracle supplement that promises to help us bust belly fat, trim or rims, or melt the muffin top.... I'm human...and so, like many of my patients, I've tried numerous diets from Weight Watchers, to the Atkins Diet, the HCG diet, the Paleo diet, and the list goes on....I've weighed as little as 120 pounds and as much as 205 pounds (Pizza kept me awake at 1 am in medical school!) Here's a fact: The dieting industry is a $4.5 BILLION a year industry for a reason...radical lifestyle changes are very hard to sustain! So what's the right answer? Here are more FACTS: 1. Each of us has a unique set of genetic, physical, hormonal, and metabolic factors that affect our body composition. 2. In women, body weight is determined by hormone status, sleep patterns, bowel health, stress levels, activity levels, food intake, food sensitivities, prescription medications, and underlying health conditions....that is the SHORT list! 3. Much of the food we eat today contains GMO's, artificial colors, preservatives, dyes, hormones, and other unnatural ingredients which contribute not only to weight gain but also a variety of adverse health effects. 4. Many of us have underlying food sensitivities, often to the foods we eat frequently, which are sabotaging our attempts at losing weight. 5. And then there's GI health....Do you have the right gut bacteria? Leaky gut? Candida? Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth? Health gall bladder? Proper liver detoxification? So, I'm often asked the question, "What about LOW CARB DIETS?" More FACTS for you: 1. Research has shown that low carb (or in some cases ketogenic) diets can be of benefit in diabetics and in patients with heart disease. 2. Much of the benefit from low carb diets comes more from the increased protein and fat intake rather than simply a decreased intake of carbs. You tend to eat less because you feel full longer. 3. Low carb diets work well for short term weight loss, but research has shown that at 12 months and beyond, these diets aren't that great because people typically don't stick with them. 4. Much of the weight loss occurs as a result of cutting out refined carbohydrates, which we should restrict our intake of anyway. 5. Many people have an intolerance to grains, either because of intestinal dysbiosis, food sensitivities, or issues with processing or the source...So, giving them up helps for other reasons. HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS: Your weight is a function of many things, including the things I listed above. Just modifying your diet, regardless of how, will fail if other issues are not addressed... For example, when I work with patients, I also look at their hormone profiles to help direct them on what to eat and what to avoid I personally follow a lower carb diet...I eat lean protein and nuts, vegetables, and some fruit. However, this is mainly because I have issues with food sensitivities and dysbiosis. If I eat an apple, I swell to 4 months pregnant in 1 hour or less...But I also can't eat celery, broccoli, or cauliflower... Do I keep my weight down? YES...but I also have to take 8 different supplements every day to prevent nutrient depletion from the things I can't eat. And also remember...if you want something to work, regardless of what it is....it has to be a LIFESTYLE CHANGE....If you aren't willing to do it forever, then don't do it!

Today is Valentine's Day...a day dedicated to the celebration of romance and romantic love. Sexual intimacy is an important aspect of many relationships, and regular sexual activity has been shown to improve immune system function, lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and burn calories 📷:) So, we all know that sexual intimacy is important, and some of us may even remember how fun it used to be... ...As women get older, their desire for sexual intimacy often declines for a variety of different reasons...some of which are based upon Mother Nature's plan... ...Females reach their hormonal peak around age 30. Thereafter, hormone levels begin to decline fairly rapidly (compared to men's) so by age 50, we make a fraction of the sex hormones we made in her late 20's.... ...This is because Mother Nature has designed females to dedicate their lives to the pursuit of reproduction and child rearing. Males, on the other hand, are bestowed with the task of doing whatever they can to preserve their species....reproduce, reproduce, reproduce...which is why their testosterone levels stay higher for a longer period of time...(i.e. Mick Jagger and Hugh Hefner)... ...So, yes...many of us are more focused on our good book or SLEEP as we lie in bed next to our partner...and on occasion, I will remind my husband to "blame Mother Nature"... (which isn't as effective an excuse as it used to be, so now I blame the kids). There are OTHER REASONS, however, for female lack of sexual desire. Here are a few of them: 1. Stress 2. Kids 3. Stress 4. Concerns about weight or body image 5. Relationship issues 6. Prescription medications (very common cause! especially anti-depressants, sleeping pills, and birth control) 7. Genitourinary or vaginal conditions which make sexual intercourse difficult or uncomfortable There are solutions to all of these causes, well...except maybe the kids part...I am still working on a solution for that! I haven't found any doctor or colleague good enough to make my kids disappear! 📷:) ...IMPORTANT NOTE: Sexual intimacy is not a necessary part of a happy relationship. Many people are mutually satisfied with other aspects of their relationship without the need for sexual intimacy. So the acceptable frequency of sexual activity between partners really depends on their mutual feelings, needs, and desires....

DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THESE WOMEN SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME TREATMENT FOR THEIR HEALTH CHALLENGES?? We are unique individuals...and while our gender and anatomical parts are the same, our internal physiology, hormone imbalances, genetic predispositions, diet, stress levels, exercise patterns, sleep, and chronic illness are VERY DIFFERENT!..... ...and this gets even more complex as we get older! So, I continue to be puzzled by the ever growing number of "Anti-Aging/Hormone/Weight Loss" clinics popping up all over the country that provide the SAME treatment for ALL women! Most of these places are run the same way....They are usually owned by a non-physician (someone who is much smarter in the business world). They employ nurses or physician extenders, and they hire a physician to provide 'oversight', sign off on charts, and sign off on prescriptions. Most patients NEVER see the doctor, they all get the SAME lab results, and they all get the SAME treatments (hormones, supplements, etc)...Because these places function on PROTOCOLS (and I have no idea where their protocols even come from!) HERE ARE THE ISSUES: 1. Do you REALLY think that you and your best friend, your mother, and your daughter all have the same hormone issues? 2. If the 'one size fits all' approach isn't working in the conventional medical world, why in the word should it be replicated in the 'anti-aging' world?? 3. Your hormones control everything....and, EVEN IF HORMONES ARE BIOIDENTICAL, they can still cause CANCER AND OTHER PROBLEMS if they are not PROPERLY prescribed and monitored by an experienced clinician! 4. Do you really need $1000 worth of supplements and 15 pill bottles?? 5. Do you really want to be treated by one protocol that is applied to thousands of other women who are NOTHING LIKE YOU?? 6. Do you really want an inexperienced clinician who you may NEVER actually see or speak to deciding if things are being done properly and you are not being harmed? I have seen THOUSANDS of patients with horrible outcomes from going to places like these! Patients who developed breast and endometrial cancer, diabetes, obesity....many patients even had to have hysterectomies because of the inappropriate treatment they received! Some of you may have gone to these types of clinics and had decent outcomes...BUT THIS IS not the story for many, many others! Here is my preliminary short list on the "buyer beware" places to avoid: Be Balanced Weight Loss and Hormone Clinics, BodiLogic, ReVital, 25 Again, and In Shape MD. Plan to visit this group page tomorrow afternoon where I will be posting my interview with Christine....saved in the nick of time!!

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