Symptoms common to both ADD and FMS

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· Low stress tolerance · Concentration or memory problems · Mood swings, depression, anxiety · [...]]]>

Is there a connection between what I have been told is Fibromyalgia and ADD? According to Glenda H. Davis, MD, and Patricia Stephens, CNC, the answer is yes. Following is a list from their site:

Symptoms common to both ADD and FMS

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· Low stress tolerance
· Concentration or memory problems
· Mood swings, depression, anxiety
· Poor organizational skills
· Low energy
· Difficulty relaxing
· Sleep disturbances
· Poor regulation of body temperature
· Skin rashes, itching
· Urinary frequency
· Reflux, gastritis, ulcers, constipation or diarrhea
· Aches and pains
· Low or high blood pressure
· Yeast or fungal infections
· Allergies, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis
· Sexual over- or under-arousal
· Numbness and tingling (carpal tunnel symptoms, legs “going to sleep,” etc.)
· Heart-related symptoms (chest tightness, palpitations, etc )
· Poor coordination, other gross motor skills
· Poor handwriting, other fine motor skills
· Impulsive eating or spending

Is Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction to blame?

First of all, what is your Autonomic Nervous System?   It is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary actions, such as the beating of your heart and the narrowing and the widening or the blood vessels. It can affect your blood pressure, breathing and swallowing and erectile disfunction in men. The disfunction can occur alone and be only temporary or it can occur with other issues and get worse over time. Sometimes the problem will go away if the underlying cause, such as diabetes, is treated.

Now, of course, I have been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erthematosus, Fibromyalgia, Restless Leg Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis.  The fibromyalgia and the RLS both mimic quite a few things, such as overactive nerves, pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. They can cause depression, which in turn can has it’s own issues so exactly which comes first, the chicken or the egg? And, what now?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for ANSD, however, with pain medication and exercise (including physical therapy), the pain is manageable. I have also been told that taking pure fish oil everyday helps. Finding alternate causes that have the same systems, such as an intolerance to gluten, can also help. A lot of the things on that list above have been linked to wheat and gluten or other food allergies. Contact your physician for further testing on food allergies and/or try eating Gluten-Free for a few weeks and see if you feel better.

Work with a trainer and your doctor and find a way to make your systems more manageable. Knowing what’s wrong is usually the best way to first understand the why so that you can find the how (to make yourself feel better). What do you do to make your fibromyalgia (or ADD) issues better?

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We have talked about hormone replacements but what if you are someone like me who may want another option. We are in luck because there is another choice and that’s through diet.

You may not have been aware however, the foods that you can eat can affect many different ways [...]]]>

Working on the best information for you. Coming soon!

We have talked about hormone replacements but what if you are someone like me who may want another option. We are in luck because there is another choice and that’s through diet.

You may not have been aware however, the foods that you can eat can affect many different ways that your body functions. Eat too little of certain types of food and you can become malnourished in one way or another. Eat too much of others, such as saturated fats and high sugar and you will not only risk putting on extra weight but raise the possibility of heart problems.

Just as food can cause good or bad health, it can also help or hurt your chances of a healthy sex life. The hormones that are most responsible for affecting your sex drive and performance are estrogen and testosterone. Unfortunately though, these hormones can lead to so much more including death as a result of such a problem.

I have been researching hormones and how they affect the body for a few weeks now and until recently I was not totally convinced myself. I know it’s possible but how can I truly help the situation myself without a doctor’s prescription? That is the thing to do these days isn’t it? Making an appointment to see one’s physician has become more a sport over the last few years when we should be visiting our local farmers market!

About a week ago, I began thanks to some friends a 14 day Green Smoothie Challenge. I am only on Day 4 due to my schedule and yet I can already tell the difference and the amazing part is that is perfectly relates to what I have been reading. Part of an Australian group, the premise of the smoothies are citrus, berries and cruciferous vegetables, mostly including leafy greens. Whoa! Are you kidding me? Maybe there’s something to this hormone thing after all. With each email that I receive [that includes that day’s smoothie], also included is information on how are body receives what we are about to drink and why. By the way, this group has no idea that I am even writing this and has in no way asked me to do so. I simply love the connection.

Day one’s smoothie was a little bland consisting of only bananas, Romaine lettuce and water, so on day two I took it a little further and l added some flax seed oil to the blueberry and spinach concoction. Fantastic! Day three was kale, apple and lemon. I have actually made this combination in my juicer and although not my favorite, I could drink it again. In a blender though…disgusting. Of course, it could be the ginger that I added because I read that it’s good for your joints and I really hurt that day. I am not sure if I will ever make that one again. But what do these things have to do with hormones?

According to Genie James, M.M.SC., and Dr. C.W. Randolph, Jr., the way to balance your hormones with food is to eat natural healthy foods, including those greens. Do you see where I am going with this? The spinach and kale are part of the list of cruciferous vegetables which can lower bad estrogen levels therefore controlling estrogen dominance. They are also shown to lower chances of developing breast cancer. Estrogen is the hormone that builds cells. If your body has too much estrogen, or estrogen dominance, then your bodies supply of progesterone cannot keep that growth under control. Cancer is an overgrowth of cells that mutate.

NOTE: Do not eat too may raw cruciferous veggies a day to avoid pseudohypothoyroidism. Although extremely good food, they also contain thyroid inhibitors know as goitrogens. So, lightly steam, blanch or stir fry as alternatives.

Too much estrogen for instance can cause [...]]]>

Hormones affect the body in ways that you may not expect. Since the book that I am currently reading and referencing (among other sources) is called In The Mood, I joke around saying that I am writing about sex. In a way, I am but it is so much more.

Too much estrogen for instance can cause even bigger problems than an affected libido. It can cause cancer, diabetes and more. It is the biggest culprit for menopausal syptoms best known as hot flashes, moodiness and weight gain. Gain too much weight or sometimes as little as 10 pounds and your body can produce even more estrogen.  So what’s a gal to do? What if you’re a man?

Hormone replacement is one option. First, you would need to find out exactly what your hormones levels are. I just had my hormone panel run to find out what it is. I will call tomorrow and prepare for any changes that I will be able to make to improve the way that I feel. I plan on using food to equal out my hormones and will discuss that in more detail later.

Two types of hormone replacement include Synthetic and Bio-identical. Synthetic hormones are made by scientists in a lab to be slightly different than what your own body makes (or made) on its own. They may work for some however, they are made slightly off from your own bodies molecular engineering so that they can be patented. This type of hormone replacment is not necessarily safe and can cause bad side effects.

Bio-identical hormones are made by scientist in a lab to be exactly like what your body makes. By using the same molecular structure, they do not trigger side effects and they have a 100% RBA (relative binding affinity). That means they allow your body to work perfectly like it should as if it were producing those hormones itself.

Hormone replacement therapy must be prescribed by a doctor based on your individual bodies needs. What works for one person may not work for another. If over the counter (OTC) replacement therapies do not work, the physician will send the prescription to a compounding pharmacist who can mix just the right cocktail for your specific body. BHRT can be very expensive and must be used under a doctor’s care.

The other way and my favorite by far is through your diet. This is not the type of diet you start to lose weight although you may do just that. It’s more of a way of life that includes leafy greens, bananas and berries, nuts and seeds and more. Supplements, vitamins and herbs also help and can stabilize the hormone’s.

Replacing/equalizing imbalanced hormones is more than just improving your sex life. It is necessary for cardiovascular health, nervous system functions and bone health. Keeping too much estrogen at bay can save you from cancer and heart disease. 

Plant based hormones can help restore hormone balance naturally through food. These foods contain phytoestrogens and can mimic estrogen once produced by the ovaries. They work with your bodies natural hormone level adapting to what your body needs so you can never get too much ro too little.  While they take longer to show effects over that o BYRT, plant based hormones have shown wonderful results and are much safer in contrast to synthetic HRT. Because they are so adaptive, estrogen dominance can be lowered and a need for estrogen filled.

Just like BHRT, everyone does not need the same amount and you should start with the lowest does and work with your doctor. If after a couple of weeks symptoms persist, gradually up the dose toward the higher dose. Remember that certain vitamins work to stabilize optimum hormone balance.

 More on the foods and vitamins, minerals and herbs that can work in place of man made hormone replacement.

Women’s bodies produce actually three main hormones as well as a variety of others. The three main ones, that are all produced in the ovaries, are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The last two are also produced by the adrenal glands and progesterone is produced by [...]]]>

Did you know that a woman’s body actually produces testosterone? YES! Testosterone.

Women’s bodies produce actually three main hormones as well as a variety of others. The three main ones, that are all produced in the ovaries, are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The last two are also produced by the adrenal glands and progesterone is produced by the placenta when an egg is fertilized. This is to allow growth and nutrition for the placenta to care for the egg until the placenta grows large enough to take over for itself.

Starting in puberty, estrogen levels begin to increase gradually, which allows the girls body to grow into a woman. The menstrual cycle will begin along with the development of other female features, such as breasts and fatty tissue in the hips, thighs and upper arms. The vaginal wall thickens and pinkens to allow for .

During the first half of a woman’s cycle, the estrogen levels produce slowly until a rapid increase right before her period starts. Progesterone will increase rapidly right after ovulation and then drops off right before the period as well. If an egg is fertilized, even more progesterone is produced by the placenta to change the lining of the uterus to provide nutrition to the embryo. If the egg is not fertilized, both hormones decline, which causes the lining of the uterus to shed with the blood, also know as the period.

Progesterone does more than help with pregnancy. It is also responsible for for calming and positive effect on  moods and feelings of well-being. It’s relaxing effect helps us sleep better and also works as a natural diuretic. The hormone stimulates bone growth and is extremely important in balancing the effects of estrogen, which promotes cell growth by neutralizing overgrowth which can lead to cancer.

But, what about this testosterone? Women’s bodies only produce about 10% of what a male’s body produces of that hormone. It is produced between puberty and menopause. It’s why there is such a rapid growth spurt during puberty and is thought to help regulate the function of the reproductive tract, kidneys, liver and muscles. in sexual growth and function, it is known best as the hormone of desire because it fuels the libido and causes the female areas to be sensitive to the touch.

In the mid 30′s to early 40′s is when the female body can still be producing enough estrogen for regular periods yet be declining in progesterone. This is when an issue of estrogen dominance can come in to play. It is also when PMS symptoms (fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, headaches and back pain) can get worse and desire for sex can get lower. In fact, according to the book, In The Mood Again, by Genie James, M.M.SC., and C.W.Randolph, Jr., M.D., loss of libido is one of the first things to go. Another problem seems to be that even if your body is still producing enough testosterone, it is also producing yet another hormone called SHBG (sexual hormone binding globulin), that binds itself to the testosterone floating around, minding it’s own business thus still zapping your desires! Don’t worry though, I have been reading more and I think those people I mentioned before along with the right doctors can help. Let’s finish this stuff first.

As you get a little older, the estrogen starts to decline more and more causing a problems with the period I already thought was a problem. It sounds like you may have it for three weeks straight or you may not have it all for months. This is the time when you are starting to go through or heading in to menopause, also called perimenopause.

Please repeat after me: This does not mean that you cannot get pregnant!

Now, ladies, this is often misdiagnosed by both physician and husbands. Doctor’s might prescribe an antidepressant and husbands, some new lingerie. Neither of these may be the answer but failing hormones may be. Too much estrogen and too little testosterone and your desire for sex goes out the window. If you have 20-30 pounds of extra weight and too little testosterone, symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness can be expected.

Once you begin menopause, which means that you have not had a menstrual cycle for at least 12 months, your progesterone will decline even more but your ovaries still produce estrogen and testosterone. Hormone balance is crucial though. If your testosterone doesn’t decline equally then you can become testosterone dominant. This is where I mentioned the whiskers. Other symptoms include male pattern baldness and a chronically low voice. I have seen commercials that are for hair replacement for women and now wonder if the underlying cause could be a dominance of testosterone?

Some major issues that affect women in menopause regarding sex are relative to hormones. Sex can become something that is dreaded and actually painful including vaginal spasms during intercourse.

No matter what stage in life you are in, it sounds to me that even though what you have read so far may sound depressing it can be helped and doesn’t mean that life is over. Have hope and keep reading!

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Come with me on this journey and feel free to chime in at any time to give your own experiences and/or needs. What do you [...]]]>

Starting off the weekend, I will be researching how healthy hormones can change the way we live. This idea is said to increase energy, lower your weight and improve your sexual desire.

Come with me on this journey and feel free to chime in at any time to give your own experiences and/or needs. What do you know about the topic?