ADRENAL FATIGUE

ADRENAL GLAND BASICS, CORTISOL & ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

The adrenal glands are two small glands about the size of a large grape and are situated on top of the kidneys. The adrenal glands help the body cope with stress.

The adrenal glands have 2 compartments:

Medulla or inner portion – modulate the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) through secretion of two hormones called epinephrine and nor epinephrine

Outer adrenal cortex – comprises 80% of the adrenal gland and is responsible for producing over 50 different types of hormones in three major classes – glucocorticoids, mineralcorticoids and androgens.

The most important glucocorticoid is cortisol. When this is lowered, the body will be less effective in dealing with stress.

Mineral corticoids such as aldosterone modulate the delicate balance of minerals in the cell, especially sodium and potassium. This in turn, helps regulate our blood pressure. Stress increases the release of aldosterone, causing sodium retention (leading to water retention and high blood pressure) and loss of potassium and magnesium. When the body lacks magnesium, it will suffer from a variety of pathological conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias (palpitations), uterine fibroids, and osteoporosis.

The adrenal cortex is responsible for producing all sex hormones, although in small amounts. However, there is one hormone called DHEA that is made in large amounts in both sexes.

CORTISOL

The most important anti-stress hormone in the body is cortisol. Cortisol protects the body from excessive stress by:

Normalizing Blood Sugar – cortisol increases blood sugar levels in the body, thus providing the energy for the body to physically escape the threat. Cortisol works with insulin from the pancreas to provide adequate glucose to the cells for energy. In adrenal fatigue, more cortisol is secreted in the early stages. In later stages (when the adrenal glands become exhausted), cortisol output is reduced, and blood sugar balance becomes a problem.

Anti-Inflammatory Response – cortisol is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Its objective is to remove and prevent swelling and redness of nearly all tissues. These anti-inflammatory responses prevent mosquito bites from enlarging, bronchial tubes and eyes from swelling shut from allergies, and swelling from becoming too intense.

Immune System Suppression – people with high cortisol levels are much weaker from the immunological point of view. Cortisol suppresses white blood cells, natural killer cells, monocytes, macrophages and mast cells. It also suppresses the autoimmune system response to foreign insult.

Vasoconstriction – Cortisol contracts mid-size arteries. People with low cortisol (as in advance stages of adrenal fatigue) have low blood pressure. Cortisol tends to increase blood pressure.

Physiology of Stress – people with adrenal fatigue cannot tolerate stress and will then succumb to severe stress. As their stress increases, progressively higher levels of cortisol are required. When the cortisol level cannot rise in response to stress, it is impossible to maintain the body in optimum stress response.


COMMON CAUSES OF ADRENAL FATIGUE

Chronic stress is very common in western society. The most common cause of stress are work pressures, death of a love one, moving house, changing jobs, illness and marital disruptions. Adrenal fatigue occurs when the amount of stress overextends the capacity of the body to compensate and recover from stress.

Stressors that can lead to adrenal fatigue include:

Anger
Chronic fatigue
Chronic illness
Chronic pain
Depression
Excessive exercise
Fear and guilt
Gluten intolerance
Low blood sugar
Chronic or severe infection
Malabsorbtion
Excessive sugar in the diet
Excessive caffeine intake
Toxic exposure
Severe or chronic stress
Surgery
Late hours
Sleep deprivation

HOW STRESSORS AFFECT THE BODY

When a person is stressed, the body reacts by mounting a stress response – fight or flight! When a person experiences chronic stress, the cortisol levels may rise to such a high level that its production reduces as the adrenals become exhausted.

When cortisol is at extremely high levels another hormone called DHEA, starts to drop. The result is a high cortisol to DHEA ratio resulting in:

Reduced insulin sensitivity, reduced glucose utilization and increased blood sugar (can lead to weight gain and diabetes)
Increased chances of getting infections such as Herpes, yeast overgrowth, and viral infections
Increased loss in bone mass as calcium absorption is blocked and demineralization of bone occurs – leading to osteoporosis
Increased fat accumulation around the waist and protein breakdown, leading to muscle wasting and an inability to reduce weight
Increased water and salt retention leading to high blood pressure
Estrogen dominance, leading to PMS, uterine fibroids, and breast cancer

ADRENAL FATIGUE PROGRESSION

As the adrenals are constantly being signaled to produce more epinephrine, cortisol output is increasing in response. After some time, the adrenals will experience difficulties in meeting the body’s increasing demand for cortisol. The adrenals which make other hormones such as pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen, are too busy trying to make cortisol and the production of these other hormones decline.

Usually over a few years of constant stress, the cortisol production is reduced as the adrenals are too exhausted. Severe sex hormone imbalances (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) occur at this point.

The adrenal glands are responsible for producing about 35% of female hormones premenopausal and about 50% in menopause. Today, women often have exhausted adrenal glands by the time they reach their mid-thirties or early forties due to a stressful lifestyle.

ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

When too much cortisol is being produced, it will have multiple undesirable effects. For example, cortisol blocks progesterone receptors, making them less responsive to progesterone. Progesterone normally produced by the adrenal glands comes to a halt in favour of cortisol. Insufficient progesterone production leads to an imbalance of estrogen to progesterone. With reduced progesterone to offset estrogen, the body may experience undesirable effects. It is no coincidence that we see a proliferation of conditions associated with excessive estrogen (see estrogen dominance symptoms on website). Balancing hormones is much easier once adrenal function is improved.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are not always clear and can often be confused with many other problems. But by far the most common symptom is exertional fatigue. People often say, “I’m tired, I’m weak, I don’t have the energy I used to have, or I have to nap in the afternoon”.

There are other symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

Weakness after not eating for a while
Dizziness
Headaches of different kinds
Trouble thinking clearly
Dizziness when you get up too quickly
Low blood pressure (more common in women)
Heart palpitations (irregular heart beat)
Trouble getting out of bed in the morning
Tender spots in muscles, particularly the neck and lower back
Generalized aches and pains
Cravings for sugar, carbohydrates, and/or coffee
Weight gain in the waist
Nervousness / Anxiety
Cold extremities
Vertical nail ridges

Why Saliva Testing?

How accurate is saliva testing compared to blood and urine testing?

Saliva testing has been used in scientific testing for decades and has been shown to be highly accurate. It is the most reliable way to measure free, bio-available hormone activity (Hormones actually doing their job at the cell level). Standard blood and urine tests do not measure bio-available hormone levels. Numerous scientific studies have shown a strong correlation between the levels of steroid hormones in the blood stream and the bio-available levels of steroid hormones in saliva. The World Health Organization has used this method of hormone testing in worldwide comparisons of hormone levels among women living in industrialized vs. non-industrialized countries. In addition, saliva hormone testing more accurately reflects tissue uptake and response of hormones delivered through the skin in creams, gels, or patches than blood or urine tests. http://www.zrtlab.com/Page.aspx?hid=490

In Dr. John Lee’s book, “Hormone Balance Made Simple”, he states that, “At any given time most of the hormones in your body are unusable—tightly bound to proteins in the bloodstream. Only 1 to 2 percent of hormones escape the binding proteins and are free, or bio-available, to enter tissues throughout the body.” He goes on to say, “conventional blood tests measure only the total level of hormones in the blood stream. This is like trying to balance your cheque book without knowing what cheques have been paid out”. By collecting saliva (one of the tissues that bio-available hormones enter is the saliva gland), and measuring its level of hormones, it is possible to determine how much hormone is available to other tissues.

Saliva testing is an easy and non-invasive way of assessing hormone status and balancing needs and is proving to be the most reliable medium for measuring hormone levels.

Appreciating the reliability of saliva testing is based on understanding the difference between steroid hormones in saliva and serum. This difference is based on whether or not the hormones are bound to proteins in the medium used for testing. The majority of hormones exist in one of two forms: free (5%) or protein bound (95%). It is only the free hormones that are biologically active, or bio-available, and available for delivery to receptors in the body. Those which are protein bound do not fit those receptors and are considered non-bioavailable. When blood is filtered through the salivary glands, the bound hormone components are too large to pass through the cell membranes. Only the unbound hormones pass through and into the saliva. What is measured in the saliva is the bioavailable hormone, the clinically relevant portion which will be delivered to the receptors in the tissues of the body.

Salivary hormone levels are expected to be much lower than serum levels, as only the unbound hormones are being measured. When health care providers measure serum hormone levels and prescribe hormone replacement therapy based on those results, patients are often overdosed. If the patients are then tested using saliva, the results are extraordinarily high, and confusion results from a lack of correlation between the two methods.

This discrepancy becomes especially important when monitoring topical, or transdermal, hormone therapy. Studies show that this method of delivery results in increased tissue hormone levels (thus measurable in saliva), but no parallel increase in serum levels. Therefore, serum testing cannot be used to monitor topical hormone therapy.

Hormone Balance Made Simple: The Essential How-to Guide to Symptoms, Dosage, Timing and More, John R. Lee, M.D. and Virginia Hopkins, Aug. 2006

Saliva Measures the “Unbound" Biologically Active or Free Hormone Levels in the Body:

When blood is filtered through the salivary glands, the bound hormone components are too large to pass through the cell membranes of the salivary glands. Only the unbound hormones pass through and into the saliva. What is measured in the saliva is considered the “free", or bioavailable hormone, that which will be delivered to the receptors in the tissues of the body.

Serum Measures the “Protein Bound" Biologically Inactive Hormone Levels in the Body:
In order for steroid hormones to be detected in serum, they must be bound to circulating proteins. In this bound state, they are unable to fit into receptors in the body, and therefore will not be delivered to tissues. They are considered inactive, or non-bioavailable.

Only Saliva Testing Measures Topically Dosed Hormones:
The discrepancy between free and protein bound hormones becomes especially important when monitoring topical, or transdermal, hormone therapy. Studies show that this method of delivery results in increased tissue hormone levels (thus measurable in saliva), but no parallel increase in serum levels. Therefore, serum testing cannot be used to monitor topical hormone therapy.
https://www.labrix.com/reporting

Vitamin D: Making the Most of the Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D: Making the Most of The Sunshine Vitamin by Debbie Williams
note: the full version can be found on our website at www.alternativehormonesolutions.ca

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin, but a more accurate nickname might be the bone-enhancer vitamin. That’s because its primary function is to assist with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which ultimately helps build healthy bones and teeth and maintain bone density. It also has hormonal-like effects on mineral absorption, bone mineralization, and secretion.

But like most other vitamins, this one offers plenty of other benefits. Most recently The Globe and Mail had a front page article that recited recent medical research, “Vitamin D Casts Cancer Prevention in New Light”. It goes on to say that for decades, researchers have puzzled over why rich northern countries have cancer rates many times higher than those in developing countries – and had laid the blame on dangerous pollutants spewed out be industry.

But research into vitamin D is refuting this belief and is now pointing the finger towards a vitamin deficiency known to be less acute or even non-existent in poor nations. Those trying to brand contaminants as the key factor behind cancer in the West are “looking for a bogeyman that doesn’t exist,” argues Reinhold Vieth, professor at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and one of the world’s top vitamin D experts. Instead, he says, the critical factor “is more likely a lack of vitamin D.”

In June, 2007, U.S. researchers will announced the first direct link between cancer prevention and the sunshine vitamin. Their results are nothing short of astounding!

A four-year clinical trial involving 1,200 women found those taking the vitamin had about a 60-per-cent reduction in cancer incidence, compared with those who didn't take it, a drop so large — twice the impact on cancer attributed to smoking — it almost looks like a typographical error.
What’s more, researchers are linking low vitamin D status to a host of other serious ailments, including multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes, influenza, depression, osteoporosis and bone fractures among the elderly.

Other Research:

The Institute of Medicine brought experts together recently to explore the question of whether the recommended daily allowance, of vitamin D has been set too low. The impetus for the occasion was the mounting evidence for this vitamin's role in preventing common cancers, autoimmune diseases, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Furthermore, studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is common in the U.S. Because the typical symptoms are aching bones and muscle discomfort, vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, according to Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Research with mice at Pennsylvania State University has demonstrated a connection between vitamin D deficiency and two bowel diseases that occur in one out of every 1,000 people in North America and Europe. Margherita T. Cantorna, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition and director of the research project, says, "Our experiments show that vitamin D deficiency worsens the symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Treatment with vitamin D for as little as 2 weeks lessens the symptoms of these inflammatory bowel diseases in mice."

"Vitamin D deficiency is more common in people who have inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, the anti-inflammatory drugs often used to treat IBD can cause bone loss as a side effect," Dr. Cantorna says. "Vitamin D taken in combination with these drugs may be able to reduce the effective dose of anti-inflammatory needed to treat the disease and decrease bone loss as well as treat the vitamin deficiency."

Why the Deficiencies?

Vitamin D levels in Canada are also being compromised by a lifestyle change. One survey published in 2001 estimated office and homebound Canadians and Americans spend 93 per cent of waking time in buildings or cars, both of which block ultraviolet light. Unlike previous generations that farmed or otherwise worked outside, most people now spend little time outdoors.

Consequently, by mid-winter most Canadians have depleted vitamin D status. "We're all a bit abnormal in terms of our vitamin D," said Dr. Vieth, who has tested scores of Canadians, something done with a simple blood test.

Canadians have drawn the short straw on the world's latitude lottery: From October to March, sunlight is too feeble for vitamin D production. During this time, our bodies draw down stores built by summer sunshine, and whatever is acquired from supplements or diet. To achieve the vitamin D doses used for cancer prevention through foods, people would need to drink about three litres of milk a day, which is unrealistic.

If health authorities accept the new research, they would have to order a substantial increase in food fortification or supplement-taking to affect disease trends. As it is, the 400 IU dosage included in most multivitamins is too low to be an effective cancer fighter.

Dr. Vieth said any new recommendations will also have to reflect the racial and cultural factors connected to vitamin D. Blacks, South Asians and women who wear veils are at far higher risks of vitamin D deficiencies than are whites. Those with very dark skin, whose ancestors originated in tropical, light-rich environments, have pigmentation that filters out more of the sunshine responsible for vitamin D; in northern latitudes, they need more sun exposure — often 10 times as much — to produce the same amount of the vitamin as whites. Dr. Vieth says it is urgent to provide information about the need for extra vitamin D in Canada's growing non-white population to avoid a future of high illness rates in this group.

In the body, vitamin D is converted into a steroid hormone, and genes responding to it play a crucial role in fixing damaged cells and maintaining good cell health. "There is no better anti-cancer agent than activated vitamin D. I mean, it does everything you'd want," said Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council.

Some may view the sunshine-vitamin story as too good to be true, particularly given that the number of previous claims of vitamin cure-alls that subsequently flopped. "The floor of modern medicine is littered with the claims of vitamins that didn't turn out," Dr. Cannell allowed.
But the big difference is that vitamin D, unlike other vitamins, is turned into a hormone, making it far more biologically active. As well, it is "operating independently in hundreds of tissues in your body," Dr. Cannell said. Referring to Linus Pauling, the famous U.S. advocate of vitamin C use as a cure for many illnesses, he said: "Basically, Linus Pauling was right, but he was off by one letter."

What to Do?
Our bodies are remarkably efficient. During the summer months, even as little as 15 minutes in the sun (without sunblock!) in the early morning and late afternoon is enough for most light-skinned individuals to create an ample supply of vitamin D. Skin with more pigment (melanin) may require up to 40 minutes. When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light, your body responds by manufacturing vitamin D.

The best dietary sources of vitamin D are eggs, liver, fish liver oils, and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna. But by far, the best source of vitamin D is through sunexposure.
Take a top-quality multivitamin every day to fill in any nutritional gaps, preferably one that includes fish oil.

In June 2007, the Canadian Cancer Society said that based on current research adults should consider increasing their daily dosage of vitamin D. The society said Canadians should now consume 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily during the fall and winter months, in consultation with a health-care provider.

Progesterone: The Feel Good Hormone

How Progesterone is Made

Progesterone is made in the ovaries of menstruating women and by the placenta during pregnancy. About 20-25 mg of progesterone are produced per day during a woman’s monthly cycle and up to 300-400 mg are produced daily during pregnancy. If an egg is not fertilized, progesterone production (as well as that of estrogen) falls quickly and this initiates the menstrual flow. Progesterone is necessary for the survival of a fertilized egg, the resulting embryo, and the fetus throughout gestation. It is also the precursor of other steroid hormones including cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen, and testosterone and performs a myriad of different functions.

When a woman fails to ovulate, her ovaries do not produce progesterone. This is called an anovulatory cycle. Women can begin to skip ovulations as early as the mid 30s, with the missed ovulations becoming more frequent as perimenopause approaches.

Progesterone, while primarily made by the ovaries, is also manufactured by the adrenal glands. It can be converted by the adrenals into cortisol, the stress response hormone. Since stress is a survival mechanism, it has a higher priority in the body than sex. What this means in practical terms is that when you are stressed, your body will use your supply of progesterone to create cortisol rather than using it to do progesterone work.

Dr Lee, in his publication 'What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause' maintained that women, by the time they reached their mid-to late 30s or early 40s had so stressed their adrenal glands that they had nothing left to give.

He argued that when Western women stop making progesterone in their ovaries and their adrenal cortex and brain need to pick up 100 percent of that function to produce corticosteroids, there isn't much progesterone left over for other functions, such as balancing estrogen levels.
The adrenals of many women in Western cultures are so depleted they can't even make enough progesterone to make the corticosteroids. This may be an important factor in chronic fatigue syndrome, which is so common in women in their mid-30s and early 40s.

The Benefits of Progesterone

Progesterone is known as the “Feel-Good” hormone and has many beneficial actions throughout the body.
Progesterone protects against the undesirable side effects of unopposed estrogen, a condition termed “estrogen dominance”. Remember, estrogen dominance can occur as a consequence of taking birth control pills at sometime in your life, synthetic hormone replacement, stress and exposure to xenoestrogens (substances in our environment that mimic estrogen).
It is important to note that when a woman enters menopause estrogen levels drop only about 35% whereas progesterone levels can plummet 95% or more!

• Progesterone is essential for bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis in a manner that complements estrogen. While estrogen prevents bone breakdown, progesterone actually promotes bone rebuilding by stimulating the osteoblasts (the cells that create the bone fabric itself).
• It has a number of metabolic and nutritional effects. It promotes the use of fat for energy, thus opposing the estrogenic tendency to fat storage.
• It normalizes blood sugar levels
• It has a thermogenic effect—it makes you warmer by increasing blood flow to the skin.
• It counters estrogenic binding of zinc and copper, thus normalizing those levels.
• Progesterone exerts a diuretic effect, helping to get rid of the fluid bloating that estrogen can cause.
• Progesterone has a soothing effect; a natural antidepressant
• It can promote sleep and counteract edginess, anxiety and panic
• Progesterone is beneficial to thyroid function. It helps keep zinc and potassium in cells, which allows thyroid hormone to enter and be converted into the active form (T3).
• Decreases symptoms of PMS
• Helps restore libido
• Helps protect against breast fibrocysts

Progesterone vs. Progestins

What is the difference? Progesterone is natural. While still man-made, it is extracted from wild yam or soybeans in a laboratory. The resulting molecule is bio-identical which means it is the exact molecular structure to that which is found in the human body.

Progestins are synthetic – a substance that is not found in nature. These drugs are created not because they work better than natural hormones but rather because they can be patented and patented drugs have a much higher price tag than natural supplements. Progestins are made from the same substances that natural progesterone is made from but the molecular configuration of it is changed in the laboratory so that it is not identical to anything found in nature. By changing the molecular structure only slightly can create major ill effects on the body. Many physicians still believe that the synthetic progestins such as Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) are the same as natural progesterone.
When women take Progestins in birth control pills (BCP) or synthetic hormone replacement, it blocks receptor sites in cells from natural progesterone. Women who take the BCP are stopping ovulation therefore stopping the natural production of progesterone!


Supplementing with Bio-Identical Progesterone

It is very helpful to know the ratio of estrogen to progesterone prior to supplementing with bioidentical progesterone. This is why we suggest saliva hormone testing. Saliva testing reflects tissue levels of sex hormones.

Most women are finding that progesterone levels are extremely low in comparison to estrogen levels (estrogen dominance) however women all differ in their physiology. This is why it is so important to use the guidelines provided by a knowledgeable medical professional in regards to dosing with progesterone supplementation. More is not better! Although progesterone is deemed to be very safe, too much can cause untoward symptoms such as feeling tired, water retention, candida, bloating, mild depression, and symptoms of estrogen deficiency.

The Healing Properties of Magnesium (Mg)

Whether you consume it in your daily food, take a supplement or soak in it (magnesium is the active ingredient in Epsom Salts) magnesium is vital to good health! Magnesium, taken internally, helps every organ in the body- particularly the heart, muscles and kidneys.
Magnesium deficiency is relatively common particularly in women during the premenstrual period. Deficiency is secondary to factors that reduce absorption or increase secretion of magnesium, such as high calcium intake, alcohol, surgery, diuretics, liver disease, kidney disease and oral contraceptive use, food growing techniques, food processing and poor food choices.
Low levels increase susceptibility to a variety of diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney stones, cancer, insomnia, PMS and menstrual cramps.

What Magnesium Does
Magnesium assists metabolic processes throughout the body. These processes include:
o energy production
o muscle function
o digestion
o creation of new cells
o bone formation
o relaxation of muscles
o functioning of your heart, kidneys
o activation of B vitamins, adrenals, brain and nervous system.


Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

FATIGUE & LOW ENERGY Magnesium has a key role in the energy process within each cell, and our overall energy level. Magnesium accomplishes this by assisting several vital enzymes to covert carbohydrates, protein, and fats into energy. In addition, magnesium is essential to regulating potassium levels as well as adequate function of the adrenal glands, both are important to maintaining high energy levels.
NERVOUSNESS, INSOMNIA & STRESS Deficiency in magnesium can cause insomnia, wake us up with muscle spasms, cramps, tension and feeling uncomfortable. The proper functioning of the nervous system requires magnesium and without sufficient quantity the nerve cells cannot give or receive messages and tend to become excitable and highly reactive. Noises will seem excessively loud and the person will jump at sudden sound and be generally nervous and on edge. Light can appear to be too bright and the person can become highly sensitive and nervous. Chronic emotional and mental stress is associated with magnesium deficiency because the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline release magnesium from the cells; eventually it is excreted in the urine.
PMS & OSTEOPOROSISBecause magnesium plays such an integral part in normal cell function, mg deficiency may account for the wide range of PMS symptoms. A clinical study of mg in PMS showed a reduction of nervousness in 89%, decreased breast tenderness in 96%, and decreased weight gain in 95% of the women tested after magnesium supplementation. Piesse JW, Nutritional Factors in the premenstrual syndrome. Int Clin Nutr Rev 4, 54-81, 1984.
When it comes to OSTEOPOROSIS, magnesium is crucial in regulating bone density, as it is magnesium which allows calcium to assimilate. Magnesium deficiency is as much a problem in bone health as inadequate calcium, and because they work in balance, they should always be taken together. In fact, too much unbalanced calcium can actually decrease the body’s ability to absorb mg from food.
Dr. John Lee says magnesium is necessary to utilize calcium for bone building and milk has poor calcium to mg ratio. Without adequate magnesium, the milk-derived calcium tends to form calcium deposits in joints, ligaments, and tendons rather than in bones. Furthermore, dairy cows are forced to exist in intolerably unhealthy conditions and are loaded up with antibiotics and other drugs to compensate. When you drink milk or eat other dairy products, you are getting dosed with these drugs. The amount in any given glass of milk may be miniscule, but added to other sources the effect can be cumulative.
Dr. Lee also says that supplementing with magnesium at 400-1000mg daily can increase your bone density by up to 11% in one year.
THE HEART CONNECTIONWithout sufficient magnesium you would actually die as your heart will stop beating and the doctors will call it "a heart attack". Early signs of heart problems are unusual changes in heart rates (beats), angina pain, collapsing from exhaustion after heavy physical exercise or sports related activities. With low magnesium the heart muscle develops a spasm or cramp and stops beating because there is insufficient magnesium to relax the heart ready for the next contraction.
HEADACHES, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & Misc.Asthma, headaches, migraines, seizures, depression, fibromyalgia, anxiety, ADHD, arthritis and kidney stones get worse when sufficient magnesium is not consumed. Magnesium has been found to improve insulin's response to dietary sugar and improve the action of insulin in regulating blood sugar levels. Magnesium is needed by those with high blood pressure and it proved to be vital and highly effective in many cases.

FOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is contained in many foods, but usually in extremely small amounts.
The soil in which food is grown may be depleted of many minerals including magnesium, so that its levels in such foods are lower than they should be.
Eating the following foods can help you to incorporate magnesium in your diet:
· almonds, peanuts
· cocoa and bitter chocolate
· dates, dried figs
· Dried seaweed, shellfish
· Green leafy vegetables
· Wheat germ and whole grains
References:
http://nucellcanada.ca/store/moreinfoMagnesium.html
What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, by Dr. John Lee


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PARTNERS IN NATURAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
We all know that health and wellness is not achieved by focusing on one facet of our body or our lifestyle. At AHS, we focus on hormone health, but we also believe that achieving wellness is a balance of many things including hormones, nutrition, exercise, supplementation and stress reduction.

This is a new effort to share with you those other health and wellness services in our community that share and support our interest in empowering women to make health choices and begin to feel healthy and full of renewed energy.
Personal Trainer
Elisabeth Chamberlain, Mission, BC
www.winfit.ca 604-619-9471
Nasty Free Naturals
100% All Natural Chemical-Free, House, Home & Beauty Products nastyfreenaturals@shaw.ca
Balance Your Immune System www.balance-your-immune-system.com
Organic Grocer, Surrey, BC www.organicgrocerweb.ca
Balanced Weight
Allan Lawry, Program Director, Vancouver, BC
Programs to keep fat, muscle and bone within healthy ranges
www.balancemyweight.com 604-730-5550
Breakthrough Hypnotherapy and Wellness Centre
Alison L. Longley, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist, , Burnaby, BC
www.breakthrough-hypnotherapy.com 604-616-6400
Espiritu Healing Arts Centre
Physiotherapy, massage therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation exercise/core training, Pilates and yoga in North Vancouver.
www.espiritu.ca 604-982-0366



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Promotions & Events...
As always, we are scheduling seminars for the upcoming months. If you are interested in having the Nurses of Alternative Hormone Solutions speak on hormonal imbalances, please give us a call. All we ask is that you provide the venue and gather a group of eight or more, and we’ll be there.
Please bring a friend and join us to find out “WHERE HAVE MY HORMONES GONE?” at the Port Moody Recreation Centre on October 10th from 7-9pm.
Admission: $10 ---- pre-registration, $15 at the door
Location: Port Moody Rec Centre, 300 Ioco Road, Port Moody
Contact: 604-936-1156 (after Sept 29) or 604-738-3999 or shauna@ahsolutions.ca or debbie@ahsolutions.ca
Debbie Williams, RN, President and Founder of Alternative Hormone Solutions will provide a one hour informative seminar on the topic of hormone balance including saliva testing, bio-identical progesterone, adrenal fatigue and tips on how to feel great, naturally!
Guests will include:
Saliva Tests & Supplements will be available for purchase prior to and following the seminar.
Door Prizes will be raffled!



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THE BIG MOVE TO PORT MOODY, BC!
As of October 1, 2008, Shauna will be moving the Surrey location to Port Moody! The office will be located within St. Johns Health and Wellness Centre at:
2226 St. Johns Street
Port Moody, BC V3H 2A7

Tel: (604) 936-1156
Fax: (604) 936-1666
Although the location is changing all services including saliva testing, flexible scheduling of in-office & telephone consultations and supplement shipping will remain consistent.
If you are ready for your follow-up consultation come check out the new space!



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It's All About ME!!!

If any of you have a success story to share and would permit us to use it, anonymously on our website or in a newsletter, we'd love to hear from you!
Don’t Forget…. If it has been a while since your last visit, please call us for a follow-up visit to re-evaluate your symptoms &/or check your hormone levels.

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Case Studies & Recent Testimonials
“Thank you for all the time you have spent with me. So often it helps a lot to talk to someone who understands.”
J.M., Surrey, BC“I can tell you that I feel MUCH better!! It took a couple of weeks for the foggy mind, confusion and frustration to go, but am sleeping better and have more energy. Am trying to follow the sleeping routine as best as possible (this definitely make a big difference), made a number of dietary changes (no sugar, white flour or rice, more grains, veggies, whole foods, etc and taken up biking).D. Abbotsford, BC

Humour of the Month
There will be no nursing home in my future….
Nope…I’m going to live on a Cruise Ship year round! The average cost for a nursing home is$200 per day. I have checked on reservations, and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for gratuities which I estimate at only $10 per day.
I will have as many meals a day as I want, as I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service. The best part is that they’re good meals. None of that cardboard stuff I’ve seen my old friends eating.
Breakfast in bed every day of the week, hmmmmm....
Cruise ships have as many as 3 or 4 swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, a casino, movies, and shows every night.
They often have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
They even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5.00 worth of tips should have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
I will get to meet new people every 7 to 14 days.
TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No problem! They will fix everything and apologize for the inconvenience!
Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don’t even have to ask for them.
AND THE BEST FOR LAST!
I get to see Alaska, South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc., etc. Don’t look for me in a nursing home, just call the ship.

P.S. And don’t forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge!

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Contact Us
Alternative Hormone Solutions

VANCOUVER CLINIC
Suite 300B – 2150 West Broadway St. Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604.738.3999 Fax: 604.738.8117

PORT MOODY CLINIC
2226 St. Johns Street, Port Moody, BC V3H 2A7
Phone: 604.936.1156 Fax: 604.936.1666

E-mail: info@alternativehormonesolutions.ca
We’re on the Web... www.alternativehormonesolutions.ca



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Copyright 2006 Alternative Hormone Solutions Newsletter Design by MediaPower New Media Communications

HELP FOR YOUR HORMONES!

At Alternative Hormone Solutions, located in Vancouver and Port Moody, British Columbia, Debbie Williams and Shauna Hill are RN’s are dedicated to talking and listening to women experiencing symptoms of PMS, Perimenopause, and Menopause. We advocate a natural approach to hormone therapy that considers nutrition, exercise, supplementation, stress reduction and frequently bio-identical hormones.

In our Vancouver and Port Moody based clinics, we understand from personal experience with hormone imbalance and from our many clients, that lifestyle and the extraordinary physical and emotional demands experienced by women in today’s society are causing many women to notice unsettling changes both physically and mentally.

We hear everyday that women are interested in a natural approach but do not know where to go. Many women have come to us already frustrated and often feel that no one understands or truly listens to them. They have been dismissed and/or prescribed medications that they don’t really want, and often are not as effective as they had hoped. Many women become overwhelmed with the vast amount of information and products available and just want someone to help them.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, wt gain, heavy or missed periods, depression, decreased libido or lack of energy, we understand and will take the time to listen.

At Alternative Hormone Solutions, we provide ongoing information and support via FACE-TO-FACE consultation in either of the Vancouver or Port Moody clinics, saliva hormone testing, telephone/electronic communications, newsletters and free seminars.

www.alternativehormonesolutions.ca or info@alternativehormonesolutions.ca