Hormone Balance is so Much Important to our Lady

Our female body has two main hormones, Estrogen and Progesterone, that interactive with their menstrual cycle. The body will regular them naturally. Due to our diet and our environment, we consume actually small amount of man-made hormones day by day and they accumulate inside our blood so that our hormones in our body turn into out of balance.  In this article, I’ll address the issues that are happening on most of our females.

Estrogens and Progesterone

All hormones are chemical messengers that act much like a switchboard operator, directing the body to do one thing or another. Hormone balance is essential to nearly all functions in the body, including growth and development, sex and reproduction, mood, sleep, and how the body uses food (or stores it as fat), just to name a few. When your hormones are in balance, you feel great, look great, have sustainable energy, a healthy appetite and a healthy sex drive.

When hormones become out of balance, however, we often experience a wide variety of symptoms that can affect mood and energy, and may also lead to more serious conditions like the development of uterine fibroid tumors, fibrocystic breasts or hormone positive cancers, among others.

Estrogen and progesterone are two of the primary sex hormones involved in the many everyday biological functions that occur in our bodies. Estrogen dominance occurs when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone sways too much one way or another. One of the most common patterns with estrogen dominance is to see excess estrogen in relation to progesterone, which is often too low.

Estrogen and progesterone work in synchronization with each other like a system of checks and balances to achieve hormonal harmony in both men and women. Estrogen is an active hormone that is actually able to increase the production of its own receptors. It stimulates tissue to grow. When left unchecked (due to inadequate progesterone levels), it can stimulate tissue to grow inappropriately. Progesterone works to balance estrogen. It is able to decrease the production of estrogen receptors, thus protecting the body from estrogen induced tissue growth like uterine fibroids and estrogen positive cancers. Estrogen and progesterone need the presence of each other in order to correctly perform their individual functions. When estrogen and progesterone become out of balance, often estrogen dominance is the result.

Extreme Sex Hormone Imbalance

Extreme hormonal imbalance is created when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone sways too much one way or another. The most common extreme imbalance is “Estrogen Dominance.” Estrogen Dominance means that there is either too much estrogen in the body, or not enough progesterone, or both.

Estrogen Dominance can contribute to symptoms and conditions including: 

Impaired thyroid function Adrenal exhaustion Uterine fibroid tumors Irregular and/or heavy bleeding Endometriosis Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Fibrocystic breasts Systemic inflammation A suppressed immune function Autoimmune disorders Impaired mood/moodiness Accelerated aging Increased risk of disease Prostate problems Hair loss Low libido PMS Environmental Estrogens We are constantly assaulted by estrogens in our environment from the food we eat and the chemicals we use.  Estrogen mimickers in the form of chemicals (xenoestrogens), and foods and plants (phytoestrogens), mimic the action of estrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity. Xenoestrogens Xeno literally means foreign, therefore xenoestrogens means foreign estrogens. Some of the 70,000 registered chemicals for use in the United States have hormonal effects in addition to toxic effects. The synergistic effects of exposure to many xenoestrogens are well documented, but largely unknown.  These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body over time, and are difficult to detoxify through the liver. This further compounds the problem of estrogen dominance . These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body. Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Wash your food well to rid the pesticides. Bathe the washed food in a produce wash or ozonated water for 20 minutes before cooking. Have a good water filter for your source of water. Use only organic based whole foods when you can. Buy hormone free meats and dairy products where possible. Avoid plastic goods - they leach into the environment. Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for microwaving. Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food. Do not leave plastic containers, especially your drinking water, in the sun. If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away - do not drink the water either. Don't use fabric softeners as it puts petrochemicals right on your skin. Use a simple laundry and dish detergent with less chemicals. Use organic soaps and toothpastes. Avoid fluoride. Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride. Switch to nature products. Cheap brands usually have more toxic ingredients. Avoid nail polish and nail polish removers. Use only naturally based perfumes. Most perfumes are petrochemically based. Avoid surfactants found in many condoms and diaphragm gels. Avoid new carpet - it can give off noxious fumes. Avoid X-rays as much as possible. Be aware of noxious gas such as that from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, etc. Computer monitors can emit a high level of electromagnetic force (EMF).

 Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens (phyto meaning plant) are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds that are found in a variety of plant foods such as beans, seeds, and grains.  Their chemical structure resembles estrogen. Phytoestrogens acting as estrogen mimics may affect the production and/or the breakdown of estrogen by the body, as well as the levels of estrogen carried in the bloodstream. These mimics can either have the same effects as estrogen or block estrogen's effects.  These compounds are generally weak estrogens, in comparison to real estrogen, synthetic estrogen (HRT), and xenoestrogens.

How to balance our hormone?

Estrogen dominance is becoming an all too common condition today; one that if left unaddressed can bring about serious health challenges. Bringing your hormones into balance is the key to feeling great, looking great, and living well. Remember to keep the following things in mind when working to balance estrogen dominance:

·         Avoid xenoestrogens and strong phytoestrogens

·         Address and manage stress in your life

·         Eat a balanced diet free of hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics

·         Supplement as needed

·         Exercise to promote detoxification and circulation

·         Stay positive and find support when you need it

·         Back off birth control pills, Hormone Replacement therapy (HRT), hormone medication.

·         Avoid caffeine

·         Avoid daily products, milk, meats.

·         Read the ingredients of the products that you are going to buy, avoid estrogen ingredient.

·         Avoid foods that contains preservative.

A discovery that two commonly used food additives are estrogenic has led scientists to suspect that many ingredients added to the food supply may be capable of altering hormones. More than 3,000 preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients are added to food in the United States, and none of them are required to undergo testing for estrogenic activity, according to the Food and Drug Administration. “Food may contain environmental estrogens” By: Jessica A. Knoblauch, Environmental Health News,March 27, 2009

Supplements recommend

HealthPak, Fish Oil(OMege 3), Fibergy@ Plus, Vitamin D
find out more by clicking each name above.

The Hormone Harmony Diet

1.      1. Eat at least 4 servings of soya products a week and include other phyto-estrogen-rich foods in your diet.

2.      2. Include foods rich in essential fatty acids in your diet – seeds, nuts, fish.

3.      3. Include plenty of foods which are naturally rich in fibre – beans, lentils, oats, brown rice, vegetables and fruits.

4.      4. Eat organic foods as much as possible.

5.      5. Increase your intake of cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts.

6.      6. Drink filtered water.

7.      7. Minimise your intake of sugar and sugary foods or drinks.

8.      8. Reduce your intake of animal fats – milk, cheese, cream, meat.

9.      9. Limit your alcohol intake to no more than three units, three times a week, and have some weeks completely alcohol-free.

Which seeds should be used in what part of the cycle?

From Day 1 to Day 15 (or the middle of the cycle), we need more estrogen in order to build up our endometrium (uterus lining). This is called the follicular phase. With seeds such as flaxseed and pumpkin seeds, we can naturally increase our estrogen levels.

From Day 15 to Day 30, or the second part of the cycle (also known as the luteal phase), the corpus luteum begins to release progesterone. This sex hormone will help thicken the uterus lining and prepare it for implantation.

The high contents of zinc in sesame seeds and vitamin E in sunflower seeds have been shown to stimulate progesterone production. By adding two tablespoons of sesame and sunflower seeds per day in the luteal phase, we can naturally support the body to produce more progesterone, a sex hormone of which many women experience low levels.

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Source:

Hormone Balance, PatrickHolford, HypothyroidMom

Sodium Sulfite – Food Preservative

Sodium Sulfite – Food Preservative

I love snacks especially I have eaten it since I was a child in Taipei Taiwan. Every time, I see the snack (Crisp Broad Bean) on the shelf. I’ll buy it without questioning it because I remember the taste. One evening, my friends came to visit us. I ate a lots of the Broad Bean. After late evening, my friend left. I felt uncomfortable about my stomach. Then I recalled what I had eaten in that evening. The one I suspected was Broad Bean. I looked at the ingredients of the product. I found a chemical component that I was not familiar with it. It says it contains “Sodium Sulfite”. It could be the culprit that caused my stomach uncomfortable. Usually, our intestines move regular but we are not aware them moving unless it is too much and cause our digestion tract agitation.

Sulfites are food additives that help preserve freshness. Sodium sulfites in particular were commonly added to fresh produce and meats to help retain color. Sulfites in processed foods help to maintain color, prolong shelf life and prevent microorganism growth. Sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite and sodium metabisulfite are part of a family of sulfites that have antioxidant properties that manufacturers add to foods and beverages to prevent oxidation -- a chemical process that spoils food.

Meat & Seafood

Deli meats, hot dogs and sausages contain sulfites. Fish and seafood with sulfites include canned clams, all types of shrimp, frozen lobster, scallops and dried cod.

Fruits

Dried fruits often contain sulfites to preserve their color. Fruit products that contain sulfites include canned, bottled and frozen fruit juices, glazed fruits, fruit toppings and maraschino cherries.

Vegetables

Vegetable juice, canned and dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, frozen potatoes and canned tomato products often contain sulfites.

Beverages

Most alcohols have sulfites, which are produced during the fermentation process. Instant tea, tea concentrates and cider also contain sulfites.

Population at Risk

Most sulfite reactions occur in people with asthma, according to a 1995 study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." Reactions in people without asthma are "extremely rare."

Foods to Avoid

Always read food labels to make sure the food is free of sulfites -- if the food item is sold in bulk, ask the seller to check the stock package for sulfite listings. Pay special attention to dried fruits and wines -- these are the most common foods preserved with sulfites. Asthmatics should always have their inhalers at hand when at restaurants. Because sulfites are still used on cut potatoes, don't order French fries or hash browns. A baked potato is a safer option, because it isn't cut until after cooking, eliminating the need for a sodium sulfite preservative.

Homemade foods prepared by a housewife are always your best choice! Don’t eat something that is not good for your body and your health especially foods with preservative that might cause cancer.

Simple Inexpensive Way to Reduce the Size of Uterine Fibroids with Green Tea

I ran across a lady in our church. She is a dedicated Christian. She looks pale on her face. She asked for a good food sources that contains iron. I emailed her a couple of option foods that are rich of iron. I think she has anemia but it doesn’t happen on a normal woman. She told me she has uterine fibroids. The uterine fibroids cause her bleeding. I’ll introduce what are uterine fibroids briefly.

Possible Causes

There are various factors that underlie the real cause of uterine fibroids. There are primary causes that contribute to the development of the fibroids in the uterus, and then there are secondary causes that contribute to the aggravation of these present fibroids. There might even be external factors like, emotional upheavals, which disrupt the normal balance of the body and make you vulnerable to such diseases. 

Cause Of Uterine Fibroids
Some of the primary factors that can be said to be the real causes of uterine fibroids are listed below: 

Cause Of Uterine Fibroids
1. Genetic Predisposition- The genetic construction in certain women makes them predisposed to abnormal metabolic cell activity. Women suffering from dysfunctional metabolisms are therefore more susceptible to conditions like uterine fibroids than others. Fortunately, such genetic predisposition can be changed. Genetic research shows that genetic constructions can be altered and influenced to one's advantage. By taking control of the internal and external environments that affect your body, you can reform your actual genetic tendencies and thereby overcome the disease. 

2. Poor Dietary Practices- A healthy, complete diet is essential for a fit and active life. This is especially vital for women, as the slightest negligence can greatly affect the body's internal balance. Thus, low intake of fruits and vegetables and excessive intake of refined carbohydrates and toxic foods create problems like hormonal imbalance, lowered immunity and poor digestion. Under such conditions, uterine fibroids can develop more easily. 

3. Weakened Immune System- Poor diet, inadequate rest, stress, toxic accumulation, excessive use of medications- all contribute in lowering the immunity of the body. This makes the body highly vulnerable to the condition as the body cannot work towards balancing the hormones or eliminating the toxic waste within the body. 

4. Accumulation of Toxins - In our daily life, we are constantly exposed to toxins- in the food we eat, the water we drink or even the air we breathe. This leads to the accretion of toxins in our blood, lymph, kidneys and colon. These toxins then cause ovary damage, infertility and dysfunctional hormones. Some environmental toxins can even lower one's progesterone levels. All of these factors greatly increase the body's susceptibility and make one prone to uterine fibroids. 

5. Insulin Resistance- When the cells in one's body are less responsive towards the insulin hormone, insulin resistance is caused. This negatively impacts the insulin dependent mechanisms in the body. To counter the impassivity of the cells, the pancreas starts producing more and more insulin. Chronically high levels of insulin in the body cause production of male hormones like testosterone and thus stimulate the development of uterine fibroids. 

6. Hormones- Uterine fibroids have been known to thrive on hormones like estrogen and progesterone. In fact, the fibroids contain higher levels of estrogen than their surroundings. During pregnancy and menstruation, estrogen levels are at their highest. This is usually the time when the fibroid condition is at its worst. A lot of women have discovered that upon reaching menopause, the fibroids shrink, or sometimes, even disappear. 

A Clinic Trial Article as follow: 

Shrink fibroids by 33 percent with soothing tea

December 19, 2013 • Dr. Micozzi

Each month, millions of women go to their gynecologists complaining of excessive bleeding, cramping, and pain. Their gynecologists have been more than happy to cut out the problem–literally. And they’ve made small fortunes performing hysterectomies (removal of the uterus). But you don’t have to go to such drastic lengths to experience significant relief. You just need to try out two safe, natural, and effective treatments. And I’ll tell you all about those in a moment. But first, a little background.

More than half of all women ages 35 to 49 have uterine fibroids, or leiomyomata. These benign tumors feed off estrogen. And they grow on the smooth muscle walls of the uterus. Although they do not turn cancerous, they do cause a lot of problems. Including acute and chronic pelvic pain, excessive vaginal bleeding, anemia, infertility, miscarriage, and painful intercourse. The fibroids generally get better once a woman passes through menopause, but waiting for that to happen can feel miserable.

Unfortunately, no effective medical treatment exists for the disease. So many gynecologists now perform a uterine ablation (removal of the uterine lining) to ease the problem. But these procedures have mixed results.

Which is why, as I mentioned above, many doctors still take the direct route to remove the uterus altogether. In fact, the United States has the highest rate of hysterectomy in the industrialized world, with gynecologists performing 600,000 of them each year! And there are roughly 20 million women now living in the U.S. who’ve had a hysterectomy. So, you see, the old motto from my surgical rotation still holds true…when in doubt, take it out.

But some experts argue that up to 90 percent of all hysterectomies are not medically necessary. And I completely agree. Especially since two safe, natural, and effective treatments can significantly help.

First off, have your vitamin D levels checked.

Earlier this year I told you about a great study that looked at women with fibroids and their vitamin D levels. They found that women who had vitamin D levels above 20 ng/mL had a one-third lower rate of fibroid tumors. Also, the researchers found that women exposed to sunlight for just one hour per day had a 40 percent reduction in the rate of fibroid tumors.

So, if you have fibroid tumors, make sure to spend more time in the sun. Of course, at this time of the year, no one who lives north of Atlanta gets enough vitamin D from the sun alone. You also need a vitamin D supplement. Many experts now recommend taking up to 5,000 IU of vitamin D each day.

This dosage should definitely help alleviate fibroid symptoms. And it will also help protect you against a slew of other problems. Including osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

In addition to vitamin D, every woman with fibroid tumors should drink green tea. Or take a green tea supplement.

We already know that drinking green tea helps regulate your immune system. It tames unwanted immune response. It also thwarts the proliferation of rogue cells. And acts as an antioxidant. This is why green tea appears so protective against cancer.

Knowing this, Egyptian researchers recently decided to try green tea therapy on women with uterine fibroid tumors. For the study, they recruited pre-menopausal women 19 years or older who had at least moderately severe fibroids.

At the study’s outset, the women underwent ultrasound studies to assess the number and size of their tumors. Then, the researchers randomly divided the women into two groups. The first group took 800 mg of green tea extract each day for four months. The extract contained 45 percent epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the active ingredient in green tea. The other group received a placebo each day for four months.

After 4 months, the women received another ultrasound. The women in the green tea group reduced the size of their tumors by an average of 32.6 percent. On the other hand, the placebo group tumors increased in size by an average of 24.2 percent.

The green tea group of women also experienced significant improvements in their menstrual bleeding pattern. Their average blood loss decreased. And they increased their red blood cell count. Not surprisingly, their overall quality of life measures also improved.

The researchers attribute these fantastic results to two things. First, they say EGCG inhibits tumor cell proliferation. In other words, it stops the spread of tumor cells. Second, they say EGCG induces “apoptosis” (programmed cell death) in tumors  This means it causes the tumor cells to die off.

As I mentioned earlier, this also explains why green tea protects you against cancer. It stops the spread and growth of cancer cells.

In the study, the women took supplements that contained 800 mg of green tea extract with 45 percent EGCG to reduce their fibroids. You can always just drink the tea, if you prefer. But one cup of green tea contains, roughly, 25 to 60 mg of EGCG. So, you’d have to drink nearly 10 cups of green tea each day to get the same benefits. Taking the green tea extract may be the simpler route if you suffer from fibroids.

Sources:

1. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology Feb 2013; 208: 137 e 131-113.

2. Epidemiology 2013; 24: 447-453.

3. The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition For A New Era. New York: Touchstone, 2005.

4. “Treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids with green tea extract: a pilot randomized controlled clinical study,” Int J Womens Health 2013; 5: 477–486.

http://www.drmicozzi.com/shrink-fibroids-by-33-percent-with-soothing-tea

Supplements (Suggestion)

USANA Essentials, Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Proflavanol C100, Drink 8-10 cups of green tea every day.A balanced and right ratio of supplementation is essential to our body. Listen and watch and interactive with your body is important when you are taking supplements. Be patient and see the improvement of your health.

What's the value you buy on vitamins/supplements ?

What' the value you buy on vitamins? You may do a test on your vitamin purchased and see the result. I have conducted a test on Usana fish oil and see the pictures. A drop of Usana fish oil causes styrofoam melt.

Why does the oil in BiOmega (fish oil) dissolve Styrofoam?

The fish oil and Styrofoam observation is merely a natural reaction between long-chain fatty acids in the fish oil and Styrofoam. Styrofoam is a very non-polar polymer and, due to this chemical property, can easily be dissolved in other non-polar solvents including fish oil and other fats. It is not due to any other ingredient or contaminant in the fish oil, but it is the fish oil fatty acids themselves that react with the Styrofoam. It is basically the principle of "like dissolves like" with reference to polar and non-polar compounds. Our product is not unique in this characteristic, the reason it dissolves Styrofoam quicker than some of the other fish oils is because it is in the ethyl ester form rather than the triglyceride form. The observation that the ethyl ester form of omega-3 fish oil is able to dissolve Styrofoam more quickly compared to the triglyceride form simply reflects the fact the ethyl ester form is more non-polar than the triglyceride form. This does not indicate a health risk, nor does it indicate a benefit, it is simply a matter of chemistry.

Source: Ask the Scientists of Usana

Cut apple soaked on a vitamin for 48 hours shows effective of anti-oxidation on the products. The less oxidized is, the less likable of the color of the apple changes. It is an indication of our body cells getting less oxidation after taking vitamins that contains anti-oxidant.

Aging is the result of our cells contains less anti-oxidant produced naturally. Young people has lots of nature anti-oxidant such as, Coenzyme Q10, Glutathione, produced by our body naturally but as humans age, Glutathione levels drop, and the ability to detoxify free radicals decreases. That is why we need to take high quality supplements to protect our body from free radicals. The foods we consumed are not enough to recover our billions of cells in a short period of time. Many people complain   without feeling improvement after taking supplements for weeks. The quality and quantity of supplements are also important. The easy way to take supplements is to choose a good quality of brand. There are 3rd party books tell you how to choose.

Be nice your body and take best care of your body because it is God's creation. The more you care your body, the less chance you will get degenerative diseases and live happy every day.

My Body RESET Program Experience

I have being used the RESET program for almost 3 months. Before taking the product, my weight was 72 kilograms. In three months, I reached my goal of 63 kilograms. I followed the instructions of the RESET program and opted-in on the Reset Nation Challenge website. At first, I wasn’t anticipating any benefits of weight loss till my weight drops to 63 kilograms.  My previous sagging belly and inactive, old-looking man had been transformed into a slim with visible three-pack abdomen and a vigor-looking old gentleman. It has changed my physical body appearance. Besides, it changes my eating habits and food selection and lifestyle that I was accustomed to for my past many years that I had ever never thought of.

In the beginning, I have never thought of losing weight as I was a vegetarian for 15 years and I thought of a healthy middle-age man.  As we grow after the age of 40 and older, our body starts build extra fat gradually and your functionality of your body starts degrading significantly. At 56 years old, I didn’t have sickness up until now but I started to experience backaches, feelings of stiffness in joints and spine for many years, fatigue much more easily and gout attack on my foot angle sometime. I didn’t have any clue what went wrong with my body. My diets have never changed.  I was feeling skeptical of the RESET program in the beginning, but I’m glad I took the initiative for my weight-loss journey.

During the first five days without any food, I envied people who could eat and enjoy food. I noticed my strength and energy towards physical activities such as running or swimming didn’t weaken even though I didn’t eat any regular food but according to the RESET program. My impression of getting nutrition and energy from normal food started to change.  Alternatively, eating a nutritional meal doesn’t reduce our strength or energy at all. Eating a healthy nutritional food is ultimately essential. The supplements and Nutrimeal do, in fact, provide the necessary nutrients needed for daily cell metabolism. The quality of the food you eat is most important than the quantity of the food. The healthier foods eaten with additional supplements provide more energy to sustain our body. I then started to research the nutritional components of foods I had eaten daily online and found that those foods that can sustain our body longer are low glycemic. The sweet, salty, and tasty food we enjoy/love are actually not healthy. It’s hard to believe that fast foods actually build more oxidative stress and fat on our body than we realize. I felt thrilled about the product that just consuming a highly nutritious powder mix could provide me energy the whole day without any feelings of nausea or weakness.

During my transformation phase, I replaced my eating habits with two Nutrimeal twice a day and one regular meal. I still had an internal conflict with hunger. The sight and thought of food kept luring me back but I persisted and measured my weight every day. On some days, I would gain weight by eating foods, high glycemic and calories, I like. Therefore, I would do more exercise on next day in order to reduce weight I gained. On other days, I noticed my weight kept, and then I knew I had eaten something that would not gain weight.  The longer I ate Nutrimeal, the stronger the desire I wanted to eat whatever food I liked. But every day, I just fought the struggle between my mind and food that I saw and smell. My weight dropped and increased back and forth for about a month.

During my maintenance phase, I shifted from one Nutrimeal at noon and ate a regular meal twice a day. By now, I was getting used to eating Nutrimeal daily. The desire for food started to diminish and I began to enjoy Nutrimeal with fruit at lunch times and took USANA supplements daily. I was still consistently monitoring my weight to see if changes in weight were due to certain foods or not. Some days I would attend a party, and for that whole week, I would do more exercise to burn out those extra calories. The extra effort to exercise was not intriguing to me. I wasn’t hopeless because my weight slowly dropped. By deciding to double my exercise and maintaining a positive mindset of change, this strong desire sparked me towards my goal. My life had been completely changed through this challenge.

On the last week, I was finally able to reach my goal. Not only had I reached my preferred target weight, I had gone beyond that. In these three months, I went through the process of weight loss. Through my experience of the RESET program, it is not just a simple weight loss program but a learning and developing experience of yourself to live healthier and a better lifestyle becomes only USANA can help us love life and live it. 

Goal: 72kg(BMi=25) to 63kg(BMi=23)

10 weeks (72kg to 66kg)

12 weeks (72kg to 63kg)