Tag Archives: Hormone imbalance

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Neurotransmitters effects

January 26, 2017
Neurotransmitters effects

Neurotransmitters effects alongside the proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats are the essential nutrients that make up your body.

Neurotransmitters effects: Available support supplement

Proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats are the essential nutrients that make up your body. Proteins are the essential components of muscle tissue, organs, blood, enzymes, antibodies, and neurotransmitters in the brain. Your brain needs the proper nutrients every day in order to manufacture proper levels of the neurotransmitters that regulate your mood. The following are some of the neurotransmitters effects as denoted by the experts from the AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD:

  • Control the appetite center of the brain.
  • Stimulates Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, & Cortisol.
  • Regulate male and female sex hormone.
  • Regulates sleep.
  • Modulate mood and thought processes.
  • Controls ability to focus, concentrate, and remember things.
  • The Mind Body Connection.
  • The chemistry of our bodies can alter, and be altered by our every thought and feeling. Our bodies and our minds are truly interconnected; the health of one depends on the health of the other.

There are many biochemical neurotransmitter imbalances that result in mental health symptoms such as:

  • Adrenal dysfunction
  • Blood sugar imbalance
  • Food and Chemical allergy
  • Heavy Metal Toxicity
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Nutritional Deficiency
  • Serotonin/Dopamine/Noradrenalin imbalance
  • Stimulant and drug intoxication
  • Under or overactive thyroid

Neurotransmitters effects: Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Disrupted communication between the brain and the body can have serious effects on one’s health both physically and mentally. Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders are thought to be directly related to imbalances with neurotransmitters. The four major neurotransmitters that regulate mood are Serotonin, Dopamine, GABA and Norepinephrine.

The Inhibitory System

This is the brain’s braking system, it prevents the signal from continuing. The inhibitory system slows things down. Serotonin and GABA are examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters.

GABA (Gamma amino butyric acid)

GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It helps the neurons recover after transmission, reduces anxiety and stress. It regulates norepinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin; it is a significant mood modulator.

Serotonin imbalance

This is one of the most common contributors to mood problems. Some feel it is a virtual epidemic in the United States. Serotonin is key to our feelings of happiness and very important for our emotions because it helps defend against both anxiety and depression. You may have a shortage of serotonin if you have a sad depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, low energy, migraines, sleeping problems, obsession or compulsions, feel tense and irritable, crave sweets, and have a reduced interest in sex.

Additionally, your hormones and Estrogen levels can affect serotonin levels and this may explain why some women have premenstrual and menopausal mood problems. Moreover, daily stress can greatly reduce your serotonin supplies.

The Excitatory Neurotransmitter System

This can be related to your car’s accelerator. It allows the signal to go. When the excitatory neurotransmitter system is in drive your system gets all raved up for action. Without a functioning inhibitory system to put on the brakes, things (like your mood) can get out of control. Among other things, the following should be in place to restore neurotransmitters in an attempt to achieve weight loss:

  • Epinephrine
  • Dopamine
  • Glutamate
  • Neurotransmitter Levels

Finally, we will be looking at the four in details in our next article but in the meantime, we want to appeal to you to stay on the link and learn more. However for any immediate concerns, you can always call on doctor Akoury with all your questions and they will be addressed professionally.

Neurotransmitters effects: Available support supplement

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Estrogen Dominance and Hormonal Imbalances

February 6, 2015

Estrogen Dominance and Hormonal Imbalances

Estrogen dominance describes a state in which a woman can have insufficient, normal or too much estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to match or balance its effects in the body.

Hormones are very important in the normal body functioning. When the hormones are not working as they should then a hormonal imbalance occurs. Hormonal imbalance is very common especially among women and it’s the leading causes of weight loss difficulties. Hormonal imbalance also increases obesity risks in females especially.

Women more than men, are likely to experience an imbalance in their hormones. In women menopause is the leading causes of hormonal imbalances. However, contrary to popular belief, there are other factors that may throw your hormones off balance. Such include things like medication, lifestyle as well as pregnancy. Stress also among the causes of hormonal imbalances in both men and women.

Underneath this hormonal imbalances are healthy problems that occur as a result. Such imbalances lead to things like moods swings, hot flashes, depression, weight gain, heavy breeding, migraines, and fibroids among others. Weight loss is very difficult when your hormones are not balanced for example, estrogen.

estrogen-dominance

Estrogen Balance

It is an important factor while trying to maintain weight as well also in losing some. It is often associated with belly fat when its levels are not balanced. Estrogen imbalance is common in men and women who are experiencing premenopause. It leads to bloating, water retention, fat gain and other health issues. In women, age and stress lead to the progesterone and testosterone levels decline and this leaves the body with too much estrogen.

Women and men who have an excess of estrogen hormone end up gaining weight with the concentration being around the abdomen and hip. This is generally what leads to belly fat. When the levels of estrogen are not restored back to normal, weight loss is very difficult no matter how much effort you put into it.

You have probably come across people who no matter how much of good diet and exercise they take they just can’t seem to shed off those extra pounds.  This can be a real issue and it ends up affecting the quality of your life. Just like poor diet and lack of enough exercises, high levels of estrogen in the body are a risk factor of obesity. It is common knowledge that obesity leads to health conditions such as heart attack and high blood pressure.

Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance is a sad state for a woman to find herself medically speaking. When estrogen is in excess in the body it will in most cases lead to considerable weight gain. So what brings about excess estrogen in the body? Most often excess estrogen will often arise when the body produces too much of it, when levels of other hormones such as progesterone and testosterone reduce and also through our diets and lifestyles.

Most of the foods we eat contain compounds such as herbicides and pesticides which are toxic and contain growth hormones. Such compounds take the nature of estrogen and when ingested into the body, the result is an increased level of the hormone creating an offset in the balance that normally exists. Most of these toxics have been shown to lead weight gain and promote estrogen dominance to a certain degree.

Age and stress are also factors that lead to an increase in the levels of hormone estrogen. What happens is that as we age especially women the level of other hormones like progesterone decreases but the levels of estrogen do not decline. This leads to an increased level of the estrogen dominance which leads to an imbalance that translates into health issues like obesity. As you gain weight, insulin resistance occurs whereby the body resists the insulin that is produced by the body. Thereby, with insulin resistance, the risk of estrogen dominance increases.

hormonal-imbalance

How to Correct Hormonal Imbalance

As seen, hormonal imbalance is often caused by medications, toxics, poor eating habits and lifestyle choices. So how do we correct this hormonal imbalance?

Avoid Toxics: compounds such as pesticides and herbicides contain toxics and growth hormones. These mess up the hormonal balance that usually exists leading to an increase in the levels of estrogen hormone in the body. To avoid this, always wash vegetables and fruits well before consumption.

Change your lifestyle: almost every medical expert will tell you that the lifestyle you lead may either improve or destroy your health. Change your eating habits by starting to take a well-balanced diet. Also find time to regularly exercise because, weigh gain is a risk factor for estrogen dominance.

Supplements: there are hormone supplements that contain hormones that are meant to restore the balance again. Visit your doctor for more information on the kind of hormones you should take.

Avoid stress:  sometimes you may find yourself going through a stressful situation. Always try to avoid such situations by focusing on the positive side of life. Stress is a factor that can wreak havoc to your hormones throwing them completely out of balance.

Dr. Akoury has years and years of experience in the medical arena. Many patients bear witness to her good work in wellness and awareness tips she offers them. Become a part of this successful journey and join the community at www.awaremednetwork.com today. Both Estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance are well taken care of at Awaremed Health and Wellness Centre.

Estrogen Dominance and Hormonal Imbalances

 

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Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) for Men

January 30, 2015

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) for Men

Are you a man and you are feeling depressed, tired or overweight? You may be a victim of this condition called male hormone imbalance or hormone deficiency.  Hormones are an essential part of us that we cannot do without. They play critical roles in the normal functioning of our bodies.

When the hormones are balanced and in the right levels, they are said to be in harmony. This harmony is very critical in maintaining a healthy body, body shape as well as the general well-being.

Aging is a normal physiological process that we cannot evade. As a man continues aging, the effectiveness of the body to produce critical hormones reduces. The hormone levels fall critically creating a situation of hormonal imbalance. In women this drop in hormones is referred to as menopause while in men the same condition is called andropause.

The common hormone deficiency that occurs in men is the decline testosterone hormone, a condition referred to as low T.  However, this is not the only hormone that declines as a man ages, other hormones include thyroid hormone, human growth hormone, progesterone, cortisol, estradiol and DHEA. This reduced the effectiveness of the hormones to remain balanced.

Bioidentical-Hormones

Symptoms of hormone deficiency in adult males

Hormone deficiency occurs to almost every man as they start aging. They say that aging is a natural biological process that everybody must go through. Hormone deficiency and hormone imbalances lead to a number of conditions in men as they age. The following symptoms are evident in men experiencing hormone deficiency:

  • inability to focus
  • low stamina
  • lack of skin elasticity
  • poor memory
  • loss of bone density
  • low levels of immunity
  • joint pain

In the past these conditions were considered inevitable since they were seen as part of a normal aging process. Contrary to this belief studies now show that some of these conditions can be treated as they are a result of unbalanced levels of the male hormones. When the male hormones begin to decline, it creates a situation of imbalance.

Medical practitioners have spent years trying to understand the condition of hormonal imbalances. This has led to the development of a therapy that can be used to restore male hormone balance. Referred to as Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, the treatment has seen a lot of men recover from some of the conditions that arise from unbalanced levels of hormones.

Restoring Male Hormone Harmony with BHRT

Contrary to what people believed that the conditions men experience as they age are normal and inevitable, some of these conditions only arise as a result of imbalance in the levels of hormones in the body.  Harmony that exists in the body is very crucial in the normal body functioning. When this harmony is offset conditions such as muscle ache, memory loss, depression, weight gain, impaired memory and reduced concentration arise. This affects not only men but also women.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy in men is used to replace hormones that have in the process of aging reduced in levels creating an imbalance. The therapy uses hormones that are similar in molecular properties with the ones that are found naturally in the body. The goal of this procedure is to try restoring the vital balance in hormones that is needed for the body to function well. Hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, DHEA among there are supplemented with artificial hormones.

This hormone restoration has been shown to ease some of the conditions that arise with hormonal imbalances such as joint aches, depression among others. The procedure takes about 15 minutes and requires you to do exercises at least three times in a week in order to enhance the process of hormone replacement in the body.

Benefits of BHRT for Men

With Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy some of the conditions associated with aging and hormone imbalances are restored. Men who undergo this therapy benefit from things like, improvements in their moods, improved sex drive, restoration of muscle tone and mass, improvement in memory, reduced depression, high levels of energy, and great stamina among others. This restoration enables a man to go back to their normal life.

Bioidentical-Hormones

Medical treatment

Always Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy must be performed by an experienced doctor. He or she will evaluate your condition and then run tests to determine the levels of hormones in your body. The hormonal levels as are also checked during and also after the treatment so as to ensure that your health is normal and side effects of the therapy are minimal.

Holistic Approach

The hormone replacement therapy should go hand in hand with modifications of your lifestyle. Change your diet and increase your rates of exercises so as not only to improve your life quality but it will help you look better as well as fell young. A medical approach that is comprehensive is always necessary for optimum health and renewed levels of energy. If you want to slow the aging process down, live longer and remain healthy, combine hormone replacement therapy with a holistic approach.

At AwareMed we believe that your healthy is your greatest treasure. Visit www.awaremednetwork.com  to learn more about hormone replacement therapy and other wellness and awareness tips. Dr. Akoury has experience in health matters and will provide the necessary assistance to various health issues.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) for Men

 

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Food Allergies Causing Weight Gain?

January 8, 2015

Food Allergies and Weight Gain

The digestive system plays an important role in our bodies. When something goes wrong with the digestive system, the whole body is seizes to function normally. When food is digested well, it gives you the energy to continue with day to day activities.

The digestive system and weight gain go hand in hand. Your digestion might be responsible for that additional weight you are experiencing. This is hard to believe but it is true. Food allergies affect your digestive system and this may be causing you to gain extra pounds.

Food allergies vary form one person to another. Some people are allergic to proteins like peanuts or meat. Weight gain comes in when the digestive system is dysfunctional. How? You may wonder.

Normally what you eat determines how your body reacts to it. It is common belief that only fats, sugars and carbohydrates contribute to excessive weight gain. So what do people do? They cut out their intake of these foods.

What you don’t know is maybe your gaining weight is not associated with your intake of carbohydrates or fats. If you have food allergies and you are noticing a change in your weight that may be the cause. Weight gain just like food allergies is very frustrating to live with.

Food Allergies

The Food Allergies Question

The connection between food allergies and weight gain is associated with the functioning of different systems in the body. I am talking about an association of the gut, detoxification system, immune system and hormones. All these are connected and work together for normal body functioning. When it comes to allergies they all play a part in enhancing weight gain.

Food allergies are causatives for inflammation. The relationship between inflammation, food allergies and weight gain is indispensable. Inflammation leads to the hormone that controls weight becoming less effective. This is what causes weight gain.

Not all people with food allergies will become fat. Others tend to lose weight because their food allergies mess up their digestive systems. This has impact on nutrition.

On the other hand people whose food allergies impact on their organs and not the digestive system are likely to be candidates of weight gain as a result of inflammation.

Sometimes inflammation manifests itself clearly. In this case you will experience signs such as pain, redness, sudden warmth among others. Like those people who experience soreness when they eat certain foods such as peanuts. Chronic inflammation on the other hand occurs silently and you can’t notice inflammation.

In case you are already obese, you may not realize that you are having silent inflammation. As we continue adding weight, the body does not reciprocate by adding more fat cells. This is because the fat cells in the body have already increased in size due to deposit of fat in them. The fat then leaks out due to too much stretching.

The body then produces macrophages which are immune related cells to clean up the fat that has leaked out. These cells produce inflammatory chemical substances which have an impact on overweight.

The food you eat may be the source of these inflammations leading to allergic reactions. The inflammation leads to weight gain. Some foods may cause bloating which is also a cause of weight gain. This is caused by the thriving of bad bacteria in the gut which could cause the good bacteria not to function properly to cater for nutrition functions and optimum body functioning.

Food Allergies

The Diet Question

The diet you are taking may contains some food which cause allergies. Silent allergies occur without you knowing. This means you might be taking foods which are causing an allergic reaction in your body but you don’t know. On the other hand some allergic reactions may manifest themselves openly. So what do you do to deal with weight loss when having food allergies?

Cut out the suspects: Some foods automatically cause allergic reactions. Some people react in a certain way to some foods. Health experts advise on cutting out your intake of such foods for at least six weeks. Some common food allergens include peanuts, gluten, eggs, yeast, dairy and corn. Try cutting these out from your diet for some time. Studies show that weight loss will occur if you cut out these foods.

Avoid intake of polished foods: some bacteria survive in the gut. Both good and bad bacteria can affect the gut causing bloating. Eating whole meals and a diet rich in fiber will ensure the good bacteria are able to carry out their functions as they should.

Take a daily dose of probiotics: the work of probiotics is to boost the healthy bacteria thriving in the gut. When this happens they are able to boost nutrition.

At AwareMed we believe that healthy is wealth. The expertise of Dr. Dalal Akouri has led to many patients finding home and consolation in her health and awareness tips that she provides them. She has wide experience on this topic and more. To get her advice just visit www.awaremednetwork.com.

Food Allergies and Weight Gain

 

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Skin Irritants: How to Get that Glowing Look

January 6, 2015

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look – Prevention & Treatment of Irritants

Fighting Common Skin Irritants

Fighting common skin Irritants for a glowing facial look. And once you’re no longer exposed to the irritant or allergen, redness usually vanishes.

The beauty of the skin can easily be affected by a simple skin irritation and the sooner we get to serious business of fighting common skin irritants the better for a glowing and radiant looking skin. It is important to note that individuals with sensitive skin can easily trigger an irritation even by changing the kind of soap they use leading to an outbreak of redness, stinging and itching. Things that cause skin irritations are all around us even in our homes. In fact our homes harbor most of these common skin irritants including triple-antibiotic ointments, bandage adhesives, and jewelry that contains metals such as nickel. When your skin becomes inflamed after coming in contact with one of these substances or many more the condition is called contact dermatitis. People with sensitive skin can get two types of this condition:

Irrespective of the kind of dermatitis you’re suffering from doctor Akoury will be there to help you get well as well as fighting other common skin irritants for a glowing look.

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look: Irritant Contact Dermatitis

This form of skin irritants is the most common one affecting about 80% of all reported cases. Like for instance when your skin get into contact with an irritating substance, you’ll often get a reaction that resembles a burn with red, chapped, and dry skin. This skin reaction tends to be more painful than itchy. Skin irritants contact dermatitis is naturally triggered by common substances we are exposed to in our day today life like:

  • Strong soaps
  • Acetone in nail polish removers
  • Drain cleaners
  • Acids
  • Detergents
  • Plants

How this affects vary depending on the sensitivity of individual patients skin. Individuals with high skin sensitivity can develop irritation from even mild soaps and detergents they use regularly. Besides that doing house activities where your skin can be exposed to cleaning products like detergents and waxes, this can wear down the protective barriers of your skin making your skin to be vulnerable for an attack by all these irritants. Typical irritant contact dermatitis symptoms include:

  • Dry, cracked skin
  • Mild skin swelling
  • Blisters or painful ulcers on the skin
  • Stiff, tight-feeling skin

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look: Allergic Contact Dermatitis

This less common form is a true allergic reaction. In allergic contact dermatitis, the immune system responds to a substance that touches the skin. You can become allergic to the substance after one exposure or many. In fact, people can be exposed to a substance for long periods, even years, before developing an allergy. Common sources of allergic contact dermatitis include:

  • Fragrances
  • Preservatives
  • Cosmetics
  • Poison ivy
  • Topical antibiotics
  • Rubber or latex
  • Metals in jewelry, such as nickel

Some people are also allergic to over-the-counter topical triple-antibiotic ointments. All told, thousands of substances can cause allergic dermatitis. When a person who has become sensitized to an allergen becomes exposed by touching the substance, symptoms, such as itching and skin inflammation, are often delayed. They can show up anywhere from a few hours to as many as four days after contact. Symptoms of allergic contact dermatitis include:

  • Reddened skin
  • Darkened, leathery, cracked skin
  • Dry, scaly patches of skin
  • Burning or intense itching
  • Blisters that ooze
  • Hives
  • Sun sensitivity
  • Swelling in the eyes, face or genital area

In addition, some people get a form called photo allergic contact dermatitis. This type happens only after the skin touches certain substances and then comes in contact with sunlight. These substances may include:

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look: Finding the Source of Skin Irritnts

If you suspect that a certain product or substance is causing your dermatitis, avoid it and watch whether your rash improves.

But it’s not always easy to pinpoint a specific cause. For example, your eyelids may be chronically dry, red and flaky, but what’s to blame: your eye shadow, eyeliner, makeup remover, or overnight eye cream?

Sometimes, people have no clue at all — they get a rash, but they can’t recall the substances that have touched their skin. Or their facial skin becomes inflamed, leading them to suspect a face product. In fact, they might have unwittingly transferred a substance from their hands to their face. The substance doesn’t affect the hands, but the more sensitive facial skin will react.

If you can’t figure out the source of irritation, see a dermatologist. He or she will quiz you about your job, household chores, hobbies, drug and cosmetics use, and other factors in order to gain clues about the root of the problem.

Your doctor may also do testing. No test can be performed for irritant contact dermatitis. But your doctor may do patch testing to see if you’re sensitive to various types of allergens that are known to cause dermatitis. Small patches of these substances are placed on your skin for one to two days so that your doctor can check if a rash develops.

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look: Prevention & Treating Contact Dermatitis

To relieve itching, contact dermatitis is commonly treated with:

  • Oral or topical steroids
  • Oral antihistamines
  • Skin emollients
  • Oatmeal baths

Once you’re no longer exposed to the irritant or allergen, redness usually vanishes after a week. But itching, scaling, and temporary skin thickening may go on for days or weeks. You can also take steps to protect your sensitive skin from developing contact dermatitis. For example:

  • Once you’ve identified an offending substance, avoid it. Wear gloves or protective clothing to prevent exposing your skin to cleansers, weeds, and other substances during housework or yard work. If your skin makes contact, wash the substance off right away with soap and water.
  • Learn to recognize poison ivy and poison oak.
  • Use mild, unscented laundry detergent.
  • If you have sensitive facial skin, consider using gentle, soap-free, liquid cleansers. Or use a moisturizing soap that’s free of fragrance and dyes.
  • Don’t scrub your face vigorously with a rough washcloth or buff puff. Instead, cleanse gently and pat dry.
  • Avoid deodorant or antibacterial soaps.
  • Choose moisturizers, sunscreens, and cosmetics that are fragrance-free and don’t contain acids or botanical ingredients. Physical sun blocks that contain zinc oxide or titanium oxide are less likely to cause skin problems than chemical sunscreens.
  • Test cosmetics and personal care products before using. Apply a small amount of the new product twice a day to a small patch of skin near the inside of your elbow. If no irritation occurs in that spot after a week, you can try using the product.

Protect your skin by applying petroleum jelly or a thick, moisturizing cream two or three times a day. The objective of fighting common skin irritants may not be realized if the experts are not adequately involved. Therefore scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury an expert in skincare with over two decades experience of practice would be the starting point. The beauty of your skin is and must be your number one priority. Call doctor Akoury today for that very important appointment.

Fighting Common Skin Irritants for a Glowing Look – Prevention & Treatment of Irritants

 

 

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