7 Steps to Healthy Hormones - Step 4: Supplement with Vitamin D3

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Vitamin D is more than a vitamin. It really is a prohormone, a substance that the body converts to a hormone. The skin makes vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is absorbed from certain foods, such as dairy products and certain oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Vitamin D has its effects by binding to a protein (called the vitamin D receptor). This receptor is present in nearly every cell in the body and affects many different body processes.

In the past decade, medical researchers have learned that vitamin D plays a much greater role in maintaining our overall health than previously thought.  Until recently, it was believed that vitamin D’s primary role was to maintain the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus needed to build and maintain healthy bones, and that it was activated only by the kidneys. However, research by Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, revealed that nearly all cells in the body contain vitamin D receptors, which allow them to convert circulating (inactive) vitamin D3 into the active hormone. With enough vitamin D in the bloodstream to regulate calcium, the “extra” vitamin D is recruited and activated by cells all over the body.

According to an article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vitamin D3’s role in promoting human life is more profound than previously suspected.

“These physiologic arenas are the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system, insulin secretion by the pancreatic β cell, multifactorial heart functioning and blood pressure regulation, and brain and fetal development.”

This is why people who live in dark areas suffer from significant depression and health disorders unless they supplement. For many people, optimal vitamin D levels may require a combination of sun exposure, dietary sources of vitamin D, and supplements as needed.

Many people who are deficient in vitamin D exhibit symptoms that are easily confused with other conditions.  For example, chronic pain in muscles, joints, and bones is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue or myalgia. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is another potential sign of vitamin D deficiency. SAD can be misdiagnosed as depression or bipolar disorder. It is often remedied by exposure to sunshine, UVB rays, or vitamin D. Chronic diseases, such as periodontal disease, loose teeth, and high blood pressure, can also be signs of vitamin D deficiency.  A compromised resistance to infection is also sometimes associated with inadequate vitamin D, which we now know is critical for immune system function.

Women who breastfeed can deplete their vitamin D reserves. Subsequently, their breastfed infants also tend to be vitamin D deficient. Several studies have also shown that vitamin D deficiency is common among postmenopausal women, probably due to age related decline in vitamin D production, as well as changes in body composition. Of particular interest to women of childbearing age is a report from Dr. Ellie Campbell, who noted that many of her female patients who were struggling with infertility also tested remarkably low in vitamin D.  When these women were given supplements to restore their vitamin D levels, they were able to get pregnant. Polycystic ovary syndrome, another prevalent cause of infertility, is also associated with low vitamin D levels, Dr. Campbell reports.  In addition, PMS and dysfunctional bleeding may also be associated with a vitamin D deficiency.

Smaller trials and observational studies suggest that optimizing vitamin D levels may help prevent a wide range of diseases associated with low levels of vitamin D. Optimizing your vitamin D levels with adequate and sensible sun exposure, dietary sources, and supplements as needed offers real health benefits. Vitamin D contributes significantly to overall health, throughout your life stages. Most people should supplement with around 2,000IU to 5,000IU daily of vitamin D3 on days they’re not in the sun. I recommend you work with your healthcare provider to make sure that your Vitamin D levels are optimal.

7 Steps to Healthy Hormones - Step 2: Fix Your Gut

Creating Healthy Hormonal Balance is a series of steps. After we have looked at LifeStyle Habits (see last week's post), we then want to look at our guts.

The digestive system is really the corner stone of our wellbeing, as it is involved in so many processes. New research is showing that your gut health plays a significant role in hormone regulation so if you have leaky gut or a lack of probiotics lining your intestinal wall it can also cause hormone imbalance.

If your gut health is poor, you can end up with impaired immune and nervous systems, and it can also wreak havoc with hormonal function throughout the body. This is because our gastrointestinal tract is loaded with neurons that release the same neurotransmitters found in the brain. This is why you have "gut feelings" and any upset to this equilibrium can throw your body and mood into chaos.

To adopt a new approach to the eating for hormonal balance, this can be done by starting with the "Four Rs" - Remove, Repair, Restore, and Replace.

          Step 1: Remove

 In this first step, remove the offending foods and toxins from your diet that could be acting as stressors on your system. This means caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, bad fats, and any other foods you think may be causing issues, like gluten and dairy. All of these all irritate the gut in some form and create an inflammatory response.

Step 2: Repair

 The next step is to begin to repair the gut and heal the damaged intestinal lining. You do this by consuming an unprocessed diet and giving your body time to rest by providing it with substances that are known to heal the gut, like L-glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, antioxidants (in the form of vitamins A, C, and E), quercitin, aloe vera, and turmeric.

Step 3: Restore

 This involves the restoration of your gut's optimal bacterial flora population. This is done with the introduction of probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus andBifidobacterium lactis. A probiotic is a good bacteria and is ingested to help reinforce and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract and to help fight illness. In general a healthy lower intestinal tract should contain around 85% good bacteria. This helps to combat any overgrowth of bad bacteria. Unfortunately in most people these percentages are skewed and this allows for the gut health to drastically decline. The human gut is home to bad bacteria like salmonella and clostridium, which is fine as long as they are kept in order and don't get out of control.

Step 4: Replace

 This involves getting your bile salts, digestive enzymes, and hydrochloric acid levels to optimal levels to maintain and promote healthy digestion. This can be done by supplementing with digestive enzymes and organic salt to help make sure you have enough hydrochloric acid.

NAET Overview

What is NAET?

OVERVIEW

NAET® was discovered by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad in November of 1983. Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques, also known as NAET, are a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to alleviate allergies of all types and intensities using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine.

One allergen is treated at a time. If you are not severely immune deficient, you may need just one treatment to desensitize one allergen. A person with mild to moderate amount of allergies may take about 15-20 office visits to desensitize 15-20 food and environmental allergens.
Basic essential nutrients are treated during the first few visits. Chemicals, environmental allergens, vaccinations, immunizations, etc. are treated after completing about ten basic essential nutrients. NAET can successfully alleviate adverse reactions to egg, milk, peanuts, penicillin, aspirin, mushrooms, shellfish, latex, grass, ragweed, flowers, perfume, animal dander, animal epithelial, make-up, chemicals, cigarette smoke, pathogens, heat, cold, other environmental agents. It may take several office visits to desensitize a severe allergen.

Holistic Family Nurse Practitioner, Martha Bray, received her training directly by Dr. Nambudripad and has taken many andvanced training courses offered by Dr. Nambudripad. Please continue reading the following explanation of NAET by Dr. Nambudripad herself:

Allopathy & Western Sciences

Knowledge of the brain, cranial nerves, spinal nerves and autonomic nervous system from Western medicine enlightens us about the body’s efficient multilevel communication network. Through this network of nerves, vital energy circulates through the body carrying negative and positive messages from the brain to each and every cell in the body and back to the brain. Knowledge of the nervous system, its origin, travel pathway, the organs and tissues that will benefit from its nerve energy supplies (target organs and tissues) and its destination, helps us to understand the energy distribution of particular spinal nerves that emerge from the 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the art and science of movement of the human body. Kinesiology is used in NAET to compare the strength and weakness of any muscle (also known as neuromuscular sensitivity testing (NST)) of the body in the presence and absence of any substance. A measured weakness in the presence of a substance is due to the effect of an allergy to the item the person is touching. This simple method can be used to detect your allergens.

Acupuncture /Oriental Medicine
Yin-Yang theory from Oriental medical principles teaches the importance of maintaining homeostasis in the body. According to Oriental medical principles, “when the body is in perfect balance, no disease is possible.” Any disturbance in the homeostasis can cause disease. Any allergen capable of producing a weakening muscular effect in the body can cause disturbance in homeostasis. Hence, diseases can be prevented and cured by maintaining homeostasis. According to acupuncture theory, acupuncture and/or Acupressure at certain acupuncture points is capable of bringing the body to a state of homeostasis by removing the energy blockages from the energy pathways known as meridians. When the blockages are removed, energy can flow freely through the energy meridians, thus bringing the body in perfect balance.

Nutrition

You are what you eat! The secret to good health is achieved through right nutrition. What is right nutrition? And how do you get it? When you can eat nutritious foods without discomfort and assimilate their nutrients, that food is said to be the right food. When you get indigestion, bloating, or other digestive troubles upon eating the food, that food is not helping you function normally. This is due to an allergy to the food. Different foods react differently in different people. What is food for some may be poison for others. You've probably heard the expression, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” So it is very important to clear the allergy to the nutrients. Allergic people can tolerate food that is low in nutrition better than nutritious food. But upon clearing the allergy, you should try to eat more wholesome, nutritious foods. You should avoid refined, bleached food that is devoid of nutrients. Many people who are feeling poorly due to undiagnosed food allergies, may take vitamins or other supplements to increase their vitality after they get treated for the specific allergy. If they happen to be allergic to the nutritional supplements they are taking, this can actually make them feel worse. Only after clearing those allergies, can their bodies properly assimilate them. So nutritional assessment should be done periodically and if needed, appropriate supplements should be taken to receive faster results.

Disclaimer
NAET does NOT claim to cure allergies or food, chemical and environmental sensitivities. NAET does not support the use of lasers in lieu of acupressure and acupuncture modalities. Do-it-yourself, at-home type kits can be extremely dangerous or harmful. Laser devices to treat allergies are currently being investigated by the FDA for inappropriate activities and claims. NAET is not responsible for any damage that is done by the use of such devices attempting to mimic NAET techniques. Any and all allergy treatment must be supervised by an approved and licensed health professional. Practitioners and programs that use words such as “distance treatments”, “JMT”, “BioSet”, “ByeBye Allergies”, “Berg technique”, “Advanced Allergy Elimination Technique”, “Allergy Pathways”, “Allergy Elimination Technique”, “the allergy kit”, and “A/SERT” do not perform Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) and are not sanctioned by NAET. NAET cannot be held responsible for any harm that may come from receiving such treatments or techniques that mimic or try to copy NAET.

Build a Stronger Immune Defense During the Cold & Flu Season

A healthy immune system provides multiple response layers against seasonal changes. The strength of this barrier can be weakened by lifestyle habits that can deplete the bodies reserves, such as stress, fast foods, and lack of exercise. Replenishing nutrients essential to healthy immune function can help, as well as ensuring adequate rest and relaxation.

Get more powerful immune-supportive nutrition. The following nutrients help you build a healthy "core" defense on a daily basis, or provide more intensive support when you feel you need it most:

*High potency vitamin C Look for a clinically tested vitamin C complex that is buffered (to prevent stomach upset) and shown to have greater absorption to enhance the body s natural defense system.

*Health-enhancing mushrooms shiitake, reishi, fu-ling, turkey tail, oyster, cordyceps, and maitake. Mushrooms all offer a time-tested approach to a healthy defense system.

*Essential zinc- Helps keep your mucosal membrane healthy and supports the production of white blood cells and natural killer cells.

*Oleanolic acid- Shown in preliminary studies to enhance total white blood count for a stronger immune defense.

*Selenium- This antioxidant mineral also plays a role in immune function, including white blood cell activity.

Don't delay. Call to schedule a visit to learn more about how you can bolster your body's ability to stay well during colder months and all year long!