HORMONE D…WELL THAT SOUNDS WEIRD

/in , , /by

Vitamin D, Denver, COShocker…Vitamin D is a hormone, not a vitamin. Hormones are substances that interact with target cells to signal the cell’s activity to change. (Most likely you hear “hormones” and think back to your days of “raging hormones” and incessant dreams of sex.) So anyway, this hormone-not-a-vitamin has been found to have far-reaching effects across body systems, from bones, cardiovascular, endocrine, neural function, immune health, and a whole lot more. “Staggeringly crucial” would be a good way to describe it. Strange thing is that Vitamin D is actually pretty useless at first and has to go through all kinds of technical stuff you probably wouldn’t care about. So gratefully, we’ll skip all that and move on.

THE BIG “D”

First thing that comes to mind are bones, right? Well as we mentioned above, Vitamin D (which is what we’ll call it from here) does a boatload more for the body. From serious illnesses-heart, cancer and MS, to illnesses much lower on the horrible scale like carpal tunnel, sleep apnea and horrors…erectile dysfunction. If you can think of it, in one way or another, D does a lot for a lot that keeps you going.

JUST HOW SOAKED SHOULD YOU SOAK UP THOSE RAYS?

Vitamin D is the only vitamin you can make from the sun. Maybe that’s why it’s often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”. While the sun does not provide Vitamin D directly, standing in the ultraviolet rays of it for a couple of minutes every day (worshippers, beware, though…) helps your body meet some of its needs for the vitamin.

The amount of vitamin D made by exposure to sunlight varies from person to person. Some factors that affect vitamin D synthesis include amount of skin exposed to direct sunlight, time spent outdoors in the sun and presence of clouds, smog, haze and dust that block sunlight. Vitamin D production also decreases with age, application of sunscreen and presence of melanin in people with dark skin. Additionally, living in northern geographical locations may reduce your sun exposure, thereby decreasing the amount of vitamin D your body produces. If you live in the tropics you’re in better shape than most. But the further you get from the equator, the less of those must-have rays you get. And because the Earth rotates on a tilted axis, those rays are virtually non-existent in winter months at far northern or southern latitudes. At least two thirds of the US is at a latitude where Vitamin D production from the sun during winter is nearly impossible. The farther north you go, the more months of the year you’re not able to get those rays. Poor Alaska.

STUDIES IN HOPE

Studies of the effects of Vitamin D levels are constantly being conducted around the world and reported in highly respected medical journals. The results of three recent tests are game changers. JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) shared a study which showed that elderly people with the lowest Vitamin D levels are three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Another study was done on autism. This was what is called a meta-analysis which is a combination off multiple studies and the strongest proof in Medical science. This combined study looked at the way Vitamin D is involved in brain function and found low levels of D can cause brain malfunction including malfunctions exhibited in autism. 8 of 11 of the multiple studies found children with autism have much lower vitamin D levels. This happening in random chance is like one in a million.  And lastly, researchers evaluated Vitamin D status over a four-year period to determine if low Vitamin D levels are related to survival in breast cancer patients. They discovered the survival rate was significantly better in women with higher Vitamin D levels. No research is completely definitive, but it does present a brighter horizon.

VITAMIN D IS JUST ONE OF THE 50 TYPES OF HORMONES IN OUR BODIES. SO IF DEFICIENCES IN JUST THIS ONE CAN CAUSE SUCH PROBLEMS, IMAGINE IF ALL OF YOUR OTHER HORMONES ARE DEFICIENT. THIS WOULD CREATE A SIGNIFICANT HORMONAL IMBALANCE THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY THROW OFF YOUR WHOLE SYSTEM. YOU COULD REALLY BE SUFFERING. AND THAT IS THE ONE THING DR. STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH WANTS HIS PATIENTS TO AVOID. ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS THEIR OVERALL GOOD HEALTH. WITH SIMPLE TESTS, HE DETERMINES YOUR HORMONE LEVELS AND CREATES A UNIQUE TREATMENT PLAN TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER THAN EVER.

JUST CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY.

IT’S SOMETHING YOU DON’T HAVE TO HOPE WILL HELP.

Here’s What’s Cooking

/in , , , /by

apr-16Worrying and fixating on your weight incessantly is harmful.

Fast food can deplete necessary vitamins, nutrients and mineral faster than you can say cheese fries.

It’s slim chance that not eating the right amounts of carbohydrates and proteins is going to let you perform at anything.

Crash diets just lead to crash and burn.

Diets try to pedal everything except optimum health.

Energy bars don’t meet anyone’s nutritional standards.

Sports drinks contain as much as two-thirds the sugar as sodas.

Empty stomachs leave your entire body depleted.

It’s hard to fly like an eagle when you eat like a bird.

Great taste doesn’t have to be a fat and calorie disaster.

“But I deserve” doesn’t apply to a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

There are posts and posts of truisms about eating healthy.

You just have to face them.

A LOT ON YOUR PLATE

No one says your life isn’t loaded to the max. But that doesn’t mean your potatoes should be loaded to the hilt. You work like a fiend until you feel whacked. Your energy is totally zapped but calling into work to say you can’t come in isn’t an option. Maybe you’ve got kids that run you ragged running them around everywhere as they do extracurricular everything. If you work and have kids, there are times you want to collapse. And not get up. Your “to do” lists don’t usually have “make healthy meals” on them. But actually, those healthy meals should go right to the top. Take a minute (surely you’ve got time for that) and think. Make a healthy shopping list: chicken, fish, fruit, vegetables…you don’t have to aim to be a master chef. You just have to think about getting vitamins, minerals and nutrients into your body. And water. Lots and lots of water. Hydration is a must. Whether you’re an athlete or not. You’ll feel more like yourself. You’ll feel less fatigued. You’ll feel like you have energy to do more.

WEIGH IN WITH THE BEST

DECLINING HORMONES AND THE IMBALANCES THEY CREATE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EVERYTHING FROM OSTEOPOROSIS TO FIBROMYALGIA AND EVEN HEART DISEASE. STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. FROM DENVER HORMONE HEALTH HAS HAD EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN TREATING HORMONE IMBALANCES IN PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. HIS EXPERTISE IN BIO IDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (BHRT) IS UNPARRALELL. INITIALLY HE LISTENS TO WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU DETERMINE THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF YOUR SYMPTOMS. SIMPLE TESTS SHOW HIM WHERE YOU HAVE HORMONAL DEFECIENCIES OR EXCESSES. THIS ALLOWS HIM TO DEVELOP A UNIQUE TREATMENT PLAN BASED ON YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS. IF YOU WANT TO FEEL RENEWED ENERGY AND OVERALL WELL-BEING, CALL TODAY FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. GOLDSTEIN.

BEFORE LONG, YOU’LL BE A PICTURE OF HEALTH

Here’s the Skinny

/in , /by

apr-16Denver has made it to one of the top healthiest places to live since 2009. And we’re always doing more to make it more so. Despite our abnormally fit populace, however, Denver likes to eat. Quite a bit, actually. So while our minds are on being healthy, they’re also on what’s new on the menu.  What’s interesting to know, is that the big trend in the culinary world these days is using locally grown ingredients, and Denver is way ahead of the curve here with its free-range meats, artisan cheeses and fresher-than-fresh fruits and vegetables. These should be considered great comfort foods, but burgers, fries, beer and anything big and greasy hasn’t gone away. All of which can add on pounds that pound on peoples’ consciences.  Skipping meals, binging then starving, following all kinds of crazy diets can rob you of the nutrient, vitamins and minerals essential to your health.

FEAR OF MIRROR

No matter how healthy the environment, both men and women of all ages still obsess about the numbers on the scale and the size clothes they wish they could fit into but can’t. Besides hating to see our bodies staring accusingly back at us from the mirror, we can’t face reality either. So we do the dangerous “D” word. “Diet”, with its images of depressing, tasteless everything and a long list of “don’t”. Lazy dieters tend to look for the easy way out turning to microwaved answers, which while at times cut calories, easily cut essential vitamins and minerals. Fat isn’t healthy and obesity is dangerous, but the fact is, cardiovascular disease rates are lower than average here and our residents are less likely to be obese, have diabetes or die of heart disease. It’s our much too often weigh ins that scare us to death. Our advice? Get over it. No one’s a model. Except a model. And their eating habits, well, stink. It’s about health, folks. And there is so much you can do about taking control of it.

NO ONE RUNS ON EMPTY

Exercise (which we do a lot of) is really where you have to exercise caution about what you eat. “I’ll just cut out the carbs” is the type of thinking you have to cut out completely. Carbohydrates, which are stored mostly in the muscles and liver are needed to provide energy during exercise. They also provide much needed vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Protein is important for muscle growth and to repair body tissues. Protein can also be used by the body for energy, but only after carbohydrate stores have been used up. Most Americans already eat almost twice as much protein as they need for muscle development. Too much protein in the diet:

  • Will be stored as increased body fat
  • Can increase the chance for dehydration (not enough fluids in the body)
  • Can lead to loss of calcium
  • Can put an added burden on the kidneys

Water is the most important, yet overlooked nutrient for everyone, especially athletes. And yet few people get as much as they need. Actually, most don’t even know how much they need. Whether you’re a triathlete, weekend warrior or just plain worn out, overworked and overstressed, if you don’t eat right, you’re going going to be undernourished and going nowhere fast. 

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU EAT AND EXERCISE, THE FACT IS THAT IF YOUR HORMONES ARE IMBALANCED, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO REAP THE FULL REWARD OF YOUR EFFORTS. SO HOW DO YOU REACH THE OPTIMUM HORMONE BALANCE? YOU NEED TO START BY DETERMINING EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE. FORTUNATELY, YOU CAN GET ANSWERS AND RESULTS WITH DR. STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN, M.D, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH. HIS EXPERTISE IN BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY OR BHRT AS IT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO HAS GIVEN HIM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN HELPING PEOPLE FEEL BETTER AND HAPPIER.  THE FIRST THING HE DOES IS FIND OUT WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU, WHETHER IT’S FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, LOW LIBIDO OR EVEN A HANGOVER. THEN WITH SIMPLE TESTS, HE CAN DETERMINE ANY HORMONAL DEFICIENCIES OR EXCESSES THAT COULD BE EXACERBATING YOUR PROBLEM. FROM THERE HE CREATES A SOLUTION THAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR NEEDS, AN INTEGRATED THERAPY PLAN THAT INCLUDES DIET AND EXERCISE. THE PERFECT INGREDIENTS FOR FEELING LIKE YOU CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD. SO CALL DR. GOLDSTEIN FOR AN APPOINTMENT NOW.

AND GET A TASTE OF THE HEALTHY LIFE.