Progress Your Health Podcast

In this episode, we respond to Karen.  Karen read an article of ours on BHRT and sent these concerns about her menopause and hormone dosages.  We love Karen’s question because it shows how technical BHRT can be. As you will see from Karen’s question, there are multiple aspects to consider when treating a woman with hormones.   Karen’s Concerns:  Her symptoms of weight gain, h ot flashes, and n igh...

In this episode, we answer a reader question.  This question is from Jen, responding to one of our articles. Jen’s question is important because hormone treatment can often come as a prescription.  And it is important to understand our prescriptions and if they are actually going to be beneficial. Jen’s question relates to her current BHRT prescription that her doctor has recently put her on.  She...

When we started this podcast and writing articles, we were very naive about who would want to read this stuff. Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would want to listen to a husband/wife couple-docs that only dealt with hormone balancing. Being an introvert, I am really pushing myself outside of my comfort zone with these articles and podcasts. I cannot believe how many readers and responses we have go...

  Question:  Hello, I am an almost 41 yr old female and I just read an article about cortisol levels ( vampire, ghost, and zombie ) that you wrote, and I’m curious to know more. I think that I’m like the vampire the most, but not exactly. I had a saliva test done recently and the results said that my levels were extremely low in the morning, then went to normal around noon but then by 4-5 they wer...

We have have been getting a lot of questions regarding Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. We thought a good way to respond to these questions would be to answer them on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss a woman’s situation regarding her experience with testosterone pellets. Below is her exact email. Listener Question: Nina  Hello there,  I have loved reading all your info with regard...

In this episode, we talk about how to lose belly fat.  Belly fat is one of the most common complaints we hear from our patients and listeners.  Weight loss, especially in the stomach is very common and more of a consequence of hormones rather than food.   This episode is an extension from our article, 11 Tips on How to Lose Belly Fat in Perimenopause’ . Because of the popularity of the article we...

This episode of the Progress Your Health Podcast is a continuation to a recent blog post: 7 Tips on How to Cope with PMS . Most women have some PMS symptoms, but there is certainly a spectrum of symptom severity. For one woman, it might just be mild bloating, but for another woman, her cramps are so bad that she has to miss work due to the pain. Unfortunately, when you go see your primary care doc...

When it comes to hair loss, the first question women ask is, “can thyroid problems cause hair to fall out?” The answer to this question is an obvious yes. The next question women will ask is, “can hair loss from thyroid problems be reversed? Again, the answer is yes, your hair will grow back, but the underlying hormone issue needs to be addressed. Something to keep in mind, hair loss is not always...

Uterine Fibroids are benign growths inside the uterus.  Some people do not know they even have fibroids and others have significant symptoms that can impact their quality of life. For more information, you can read our blog post about Uterine Fibroids . This podcast discusses: What are uterine fibroids? Typical physical and mental symptoms of fibroids. Causes of uterine fibroids What causes uterin...

Endometriosis can be very painful. It can have a significant effect on a woman’s quality of life. Below are few of the common symptoms of Endometriosis. Painful periods Pain with intercourse Heavy period Mid Cycle spotting Endometriosis occurs when the uterine tissue gets seeded outside the uterus. Removing the uterus can help tremendously with the following symptoms: Heavy periods lead to anemia...

Endometriosis is a condition that affects many women.  It is estimated that about 10% of females ages 15 to 49 are affected.  I think this percentage of women with endometriosis is much higher than 10%.  That is because the only sure way to be diagnosed with endometriosis is to have laparoscopic surgery. There are many signs and symptoms of endometriosis, but they tend to overlap with other hormon...

What Are Liver Enzymes? Liver Enzymes are made by cells throughout the body but are found in highest concentrations in liver cells. These enzymes are found inside liver cells, so when the concentration is elevated in the blood, usually indicates liver cells (hepatocytes) are inflamed, damaged for dying. Below is a list of the four common liver enzymes that are routinely tested on an annual basis o...

Does progesterone make you tired? It is a lot more complicated than a yes or no answer.  In this episode, we are going to explain this question in full detail. We are going to talk about: Types of progesterone replacement: creams, capsules, sublingual, troche Why progesterone is used to balance hormones When you usually take progesterone How much progesterone is a typical dose for treatment Proges...

It may not always be obvious, but hormones have a significant influence on how we feel and our behavior on a daily basis. It is not something that is given enough thought to in medicine; however, it is something we pay a great deal of attention to because we understand the connections.   Hormones dictate everything from eating to sleeping and just about anything else in between.  When hormones are...

Triiodothyronine also is known as T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone.  T4 also known as thyroxine is made in the thyroid gland.  T4 is then sent peripherally through the system, and mainly the liver will convert T4 to T3.  You can have all the T4 in your body, but if your T3 is low, then you will have symptoms of low thyroid.     If suspecting a case of low thyroid, thyroid disease, hypo or...

Here is a typical scenario: I don’t know what to do I have all the symptoms of low thyroid.  My hair is falling out.  I am exhausted, no energy whatsoever.  I have gained weight, even though I try to eat well and exercise.  But honestly, I am too tired to exercise.  Sorry for the TMI, but I am constipated, bloated and fiber makes it worse.  I am feeling pretty low mood wise and so tired.  My skin...

Our bodies make three different forms estrogens: Estrone (E1) Estradiol (E2) Estriol (E3) Estrone is usually considered an unhealthy estrogen.  It is still bioidentical, but you do not want loads of estrone around when you are balancing the hormones.  Estrone is common in young girls when they first get their periods and after menopause.  Estrone metabolites can raise the risk for cancer.  This is...

What is pregnenolone? It is a steroid hormone but is not a reproductive hormone like estrogen or testosterone.  Pregnenolone is also made from cholesterol, which makes it a steroid hormone.  It is also considered to be a pro-hormone,’ because it can convert into other hormones depending on the needs of the body. Recently, it has been discovered that pregnenolone is also produced in the brain and s...

Painful intercourse is a very common complaint I get from patients going through or have gone through menopause.  They do feel awkward speaking of vaginal dryness, especially with their male gynecologists.  This is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, second to hot flashes and night sweats. Menopause is an inevitable course of life that all women will go through.  In menopause, the ovarie...

As discussed before, fatigue is a broad topic with many multifaceted causes.  I wish there were a magic pill that would help fatigue and was free from side effects or dependency, but there is not.  Fatigue is commonplace, but a complicated symptom to address due to the many contributing factors.   In our practice, the majority patients complaining about fatigue are relatively healthy and have no d...

Fatigue and feeling tired is such a big topic.  This episode is the second part of our podcast of ‘ Why Am I so Tired All The Time .’ As we discussed, there are many reasons causing fatigue ranging from medication to having too much caffeine.  Below is a list that with many (not all) of the causes of fatigue.   Medications: such as antidepressant meds, anti-anxiety, heart meds. Liver – sugar, alco...

One of the most common complaints we hear from patients is fatigue or feeling tired all the time. Unfortunately, fatigue is common, but a complicated symptom to treat.  There are many possible reasons someone can be fatigued.   Conventionally, when you go to your doctor, fatigue is all the same.  There is no differentiation made; however, we see three different patterns of fatigue.   Snooze Button...

In our practice, one of the most common complaints we hear is about sugar cravings.  Carb cravings are not only common but an obvious obstacle to our weight loss goals.   How many of you have woken up in the morning and said, today is the day that I am going to eat healthy.’  You start the day perfect. Breakfast is a good source of protein like eggs with some spinach and onions. Or maybe a smoothi...

The new year is here! And I am sure everyone has their new year’s resolutions.  The most common, eating better and losing weight.  With the holiday season (speaking for myself), there has been way too much sugar, treats, alcohol and just too much food in general.   It has also been wonderful to spend quality time with family and loved ones, but too much wine, dessert and too little/no exercise (ag...

Welcome to the new year, 2018! It is going to be a great year.  With the start of any new year, everyone is ready to eat better and lose weight. Since when did my fat jeans’ become my regular jeans lol!  With the holiday festivities behind us, it is time to get back on track with our eating and get back into our skinny jeans!   Over the years there have been numerous diet’ programs for weight loss...