Posted by Jeanne M. Schmit, Pharm. D. on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 @ 10:22 AM
Vitamin D is actually a pro-hormone (and not a vitamin) and affects many, many processes in the body. Our position so far from the equator makes us high risk for vitamin D deficiency. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is crucial for good health.
Watch and listen to this 60 minute video on vitamin D from Dr. Mercola. There are 7 parts to this video. Use this link if you're having trouble accessing all 7 parts. You can also cut and paste http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm into your browser to find the video.
BodyBlitzers, take the Vitamin D Quiz after watching the video to earn 10 points.
Posted by Jeanne M. Schmit, Pharm. D. on Sat, Mar 27, 2010 @ 01:20 PM
You've made it through week 2 of the Body Blitz. If you're just starting the book now, or if you've been sick and haven't made it in to your classes, no problem. It's never too late. Start now.
Lots of you have done food diaries this week. Was it helpful? Did it help you make changes or give you information on what you need to do? For those who made significant changes, do you feel better or worse? Let me know!
Let's recap our reading from last week:
Identification of your hormonal phase:
- Normal: estrogen and progesterone normal levels in normal sequence
- PMS: normal estrogen, low progesterone
- Perimenopause: erratic high estrogen not following normal highs and lows, low progesterone
- Menopause/hysterectomy: low estrogen, no progesterone
Knowing your hormonal phase helps you understand changes in mood, energy level, personality, appetite and more. Blood and saliva hormone testing is useful in combination with monitoring your symptoms. If you test, be sure to do it on the correct day of your cycle if you have one. It's best to work with a practitioner on testing and supplementing. Twin Cities resources were given in a prior blog.
Don't forget testosterone and DHEA. If you use testosterone, be aware that high dose testosterone is not a good idea. You may feel great at first, and as time passes, testosterone turns into estrogen, which can bring back negative symptoms. Important for men too. Measure estrogen levels if you supplement with testosterone (men too). Do not supplement DHEA without monitoring your levels. It's sold over the counter and can cause problems if not used correctly.
Identify your Emotional Type
1. Revved up and anxious (useful aminos)
- 5-HPT
- L-theanine
- GABA
- L-tryptophan
- L-taurine
2. I Can't Get Off the Couch- L-phenylalanine
- L-tyrosine
3. Combination
- Start with calming (5-Htp, GABA, etc) for 1-2 weeks
- Once you sleep better and feel more calm, start the L-phenylalanine/L-tyrosine "wake up and alert" formula.
Precautions if you have:
- Hypertension and/or migraines: avoid L-tyrosine/L-phenylalanine
- Overactive thyroid (Graves), PKU or melanoma do NOT take L-tyrosine, DL or L-phenylalanine
- Asthma or severe depression: avoid melatonin
- Bipolar: avoid L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, L-glutamine
- If you have cancer, serious physical illness, severe liver or kidney problems, ulcers, pregnant or nursing, schizophrenia or other mental illness, or you are taking medications for mood problems, especially MAO inhibitors or more than one SSRI, consult a knowledgeable practitioner before taking ANY amino acids on your own.
Lots more information on aminos and neurotransmitters in the books The Diet Cure and The Mood Cure by author Julia Ross.You'll learn more about L-glutamine and food cravings and DL phenylalanine for increasing endorphins and reducing pain. Lots more detail
You can easily start using aminos on your own. You'l need to pay close attention to how you respond to them to learn the proper timing and dosages for you. Take aminos on an empty stomach (30 minutes before eating). They compete with other proteins (in your diet) to get to your brain. You're targeting the brain with these aminos.
Use Mia's troubleshooting on page 111.
Action Plan for Week 3:
- Read pages 113-135 in Female Brain Gone Insane. You'll continue learning about aminos and about how a good diet can improve your neurotransmitters.
- Watch video on Vitamin D by Dr. Mercola (next blog).
- Get your vitamin D level checked and make a plan to increase your level if necessary.
- Stay on track with your exercise and dietary changes. Evaluate how your plan went last week, make adjustments, and plan your week 3.
Posted by Jeanne M. Schmit, Pharm. D. on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 @ 12:12 PM
Watch this video on the importance of what kids eat and are taught in schools, and how this affects not only their personal health but the health of the entire nation. Important information even if YOU don't have kids.
Brain chemicals, neurotransmitters and hormones don't only apply to adults. What children eat and drink (and smoke) directly affects their ability to focus, feel well adjusted, happy and agreeable. It affects their likelihood of obesity, diabetes, ADHD, heart disease, depression and more.
MPR had a program on this same topic this morning. Click here or go to www.minnesota.publicradio.org for the online discussion forum on childhood obesity and school lunches in Minnesota.
Worth 19 minutes of your day. Listen.....
Posted by Jeanne Schmit on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 @ 01:53 PM
Who's going to help you balance your hormones?
You are! You'll get the best results by putting yourself in the driver's seat and learning as much as you can.
Your hormones affect everything in your body. Your thinking, your energy level, your fat to lean ratio, your sleep and your appetite and much more. Hormones are of the sex hormone type (testosterone, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, etc) and the insulin type (cortisol, adrenaline, relaxin, insulin, etc).
If you're not getting the results from exercise and diet, sometimes hormones are the trouble. Remember, hormones include insulin, cortisol, adrenaline and thyroid. Don't think you have to be menopausal to have hormone problems.
The best way to learn about hormones is to read. The information is out there and you CAN learn on your own. A book list is included at the bottom.
First, keep in mind that hormone therapy is not necessarily the first step. Work with your diet, supportive supplements and lifestyle before diving into hormones.
However, if you're unable to sleep and/or you're having severe symptoms, starting with hormones can certainly make sense. Just know that it's not wise to use hormone therapy in place of a healthy lifestyle. Not everyone needs hormones.
Once you have a working knowledge of hormones, find a health care practitioner you can work with. This isn't necessarily easy. Not many doctors work with bioidentical hormones. Don't expect your doctor to have all the answers. You must form a successful partnership with your provider and do your part. No one can do it all for you.
When choosing a provider, be sure he/she works with adrenals and thyroid, in addition to the sex hormones.
It's important you first understand how your body works and a good understanding of hormones before you go to your first appointment. You'll learn more as you start your therapy and see how your body responds.
Here is a short list of Twin Cities health care providers who work with bioidentical hormones:
Noelle Radcliffe M.D at Edina Sports Health and Wellness
Rob Bruley, MD, DC at the Bruley Center in Linden Hills
612 455 0444
www.bruleycenter.com
Sandi Greenquist at the Minnesota Menopause Center
Nancy Gossard NP at Park Nicollet 952 993 3282
________________________________________________________
Book List:
For men: The Testosterone Syndrome by Eugene Shippen, M.D.
Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel Amen M.D. (also good for men)
Female Brain Gone Insane by Mia Lundin, R.N.C., N.P.
The Schwartzbein Principle II, by Diana Schwartzbein, M.D.
The Miracle of Bioidentical Hormones by Michael Platt, M.D.
Before the Change, Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause, by Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S
Perimenopaue the Natural Way, by Deborah Gordon, M.D.
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Perimenopause, by John Lee, M.D.
Posted by Jeanne Schmit on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 @ 05:18 PM
Bioidentical hormones are composed of the exact hormone molecule your own body makes. Bioidentical hormones are the ones your body easily recognizes. Sometimes called "natural" hormones, a more accurate term is "bioidentical."
Synthetic hormones (premarin, Provera, etc) are not composed of the hormone molecule your body makes, thus creating unwanted side effects.
The conclusions that hormones cause cancer are from studies using synthetic drugs (Premarin and Provera). No studies have shown that bioidentical hormone replacement causes cancer. Instead, literature supports the claim that bioidentical hormones have distinctly different and often opposite physiological effects to those of their synthetic counterparts.
In terms of breast cancer risk, heart disease, heart attack and stroke, sunstantial scientific and medical evidence shows that bioidentical hormones are safer and more effective than synthetic versions.
The rest of the points refer to bioidentical hormones:
They ARE hormones and can cause problems if taken incorrectly.
Should only be used if you have a deficiency. More is not better.
The right hormone balance keeps you brain focused. Hormones affect neurotransmitters.
Bioidentical hormones are maufactured by traditional pharmaceutical companies and are FDA approved. Upjohn has been manufacturing bioidentical hormones for over 70 years. The product is sent as a powder to compounding pharmacies where they make the hormones into the preparation you need, sublingual, cream, suppository, etc.
Progesterone is the first hormone that declines with age. The decline starts about age 35. It can start earlier. Deficiency shows up as PMS, irritability, belly fat, weight gain, agitation, insomnia, anxiety.
While most women (and men too) produce estrogen their entire lives (from fat cells and elsewhere), progesterone production can get close to zero.
Estrogen is a brain booster, a natural antidepressant and mood stabilizer. Estrogen works closely with serotonin, your "feel good" neurotransmitter.
Progesterone helps estrogen work better by assuring the estrogen receptor sites are able to receive estrogen.
Many people never need to take additional estrogen.
Most people benefit from taking additional progesterone.
Progesterone cream is available over the counter. Other hormones and progesterone in other dosage forms require a prescription.
It's best to measure hormone levels and get help from a health care practitioner if you use hormone therapy. You usually won't get the full benefit from hormone therapy by using over the counter progesterone cream on your own.
Depending on the stage of life you are in, your hormones can be a moving target. Just because the hormone therapy is working today, doesn't mean it will work in 6 months. you need to pay close attentions to your symptoms, keep charts for each month, learn about how the hormones affect you, and make changes along with your care provider.
Why do we need to replace hormones? Our ancestors didn't need that. We now have an excess of estrogen-like substances (xenohormones) in our environment...in plastics, car exhaust, pesticides, solvents and adhesives, industrial waste, estrogenic drugs in the livestock we eat, preservatives and emulsifiers in lotions and cosmetics, nail polish and much more.
Exposure to xenohormones mimicks estrogen (in a bad way) and affects the balance of all other hormones. It's impossible to avoid all xenohormones in our environment.
You CAN limit your exposure by avoiding foods containing hormones (meat, eggs, milk...buy these foods without hormones), using cosmetics without xenohormones, avoiding as much plastic as possible (avoid microwaving food in plastic), avoid food sprayed with pesticides.
Tomorrow you'll get a book list for further hormone education and a short list of Twin Cities health care providers who work with bioidentical hormones.
Posted by Jeanne Schmit on Sat, Mar 20, 2010 @ 06:22 PM
Week 2 starts today.
The second shipment of the book Female Brain Gone Insane should be in tomorrow. You'll have a bit of extra reading this week if you're just now getting the book. It will still be doable. I've heard people tell me they can't put the book down. It's easy to read and understand.
I went to Santa Barbara and met with Mia Lundin, the author of the book, last Wednesday. She was very kind to come in and see me on her day off. My daughter Maddi (19 years old) has an initial appointment with her. She took 2 hours with us that day and we left feeling confident we were headed in the right direction with Maddi's health. I told Mia what we're doing here in the studio and how many of you are involved. She was extremely happy to hear we're putting her book to use. She's a very kind and compassionate person. She told me her mission was to write an easy to understand book people could use to help themselves. Maybe she'll pop in on the blog and leave us some comments or words of wisdom!
Here's a recap of what we've learned up to page 44:
- There IS hope and you're learning you can take charge and move forward.
- Your brain chemistry makes you feel the way you do.
- Hormones and neurotransmitters are chemical messengers relaying vital instructions throughout your body.
- Inhibitory neurotransmitters (serotonin and GABA) calm the mind and body and induce sleep.
- Excitatory neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and dopamine) provide energy, motivation, mental cognition and other activities that require brain/body activity.
- Serotonin imbalance is one of the most common contributors to mood problems.
- Depression can occur because of low serotonin in combination with fluctuating estrogen levels, common during postpartum, premenstrual and menopausal times.
- 95% of serotonin is housed in the gut. Very important if you have digestive issues, food allergies, leaky gut, irritable bowel, etc.
- Estrogen serves as a brain booster, an antidepressant and mood stabilizer. Estrogen affects serotonin functioning. Estrogen drop results in serotonin drop.
- Too much estrogen can cause irritability and anxiety.
- Progesterone has a tranquilizing effect and increases GABA in the brain. Too much progesterone can cause sedation.
Why do We Have Neurotransmitter Imbalance?
- Chronic stress
- Hormone fluctuation and depletion
- Poor dietary habits (lack of amino acids, vitamins and minerals needed to make neurotransmitters).
- Lack of omega 3 fatty acids to stabilize the brain cell membranes. Low fat diets don't provide this.
- Poor digestion. If you're not absorbing your nutrients you can't effectively make neurotransmitters.
- Neurotoxins such as heavy metals, drug and alcohol abuse, pesticides can cause permanent damage to nerve cells that make neurotransmitters.
- Genetics
- Ongoing neurotransmitter support (from amino acids and other supplementation over and above food) will be necessary if the cause is neurotoxins or genetics. If the cause is poor diet and stress, once addressed and corrected, you may not need ongoing supplementation.
This is great news because it gives us a reason for why we feel the way we do. Our task will be to understand how diet, sleep, exercise, supplemental amino acids and hormones, lifestyle and stress affects the way we feel...and link it to our brain chemistry.
We'll need to become experts on ourselves and pay close attention to how we feel so we can make the best decisions on what to eat, what kind of exercise is best for us, when to go to bed and when to get up. We'll need to seriously look at our stress level and determine if we're living in a chronic stress situation and make changes if necessary.
Action Steps for week 2:
1. Use the monthly symptom tracker on page 13,14 to see how your monthly cycle of hormones affects your feelings and moods. You will start to get clues about how your hormone levels affect your neurotransmitters, mood, appetite, and much more.
2. Start on Mia's basic supplement program on page 17. Vitamins and minerals are needed to make neurotransmitters. Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid are critical in the making of serotonin. Vitamin B12 should be taken sublingually or via injection. It's not absorbed well orally. Try to get the vitamin A in your multivite as beta carotene.
3. Pay close attention to how the food you eat affects how you feel. Do you feel energized, foggy, sad, bloated, tired or anxious after eating or drinking? Notice the content of your food in terms of protein, carbs and fat. Notice how you feel when you don't eat or skip meals. Get to be an expert on knowing how food affects you. This information will help you once you start using amino acids to balance your neurotransmitters. Soon you'll be able to see how food affects you the same way. Notice also how your exercise affects you. Notice if you feel energized or tired after exercise. Notice how different types of exercise make you feel different. This info will be useful when we learn about adrenal function later.
4. Read pages 45-112. You''l learn about bioidentical hormones, you'll identify your hormonal phase and discover your emotional type.
Posted by Jeanne Schmit on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 @ 05:48 PM
You are now entering into a 6 week journey for better health. You can do as much or as little as you like. Even making one tiny change in your lifestyle can make a huge difference. Don't get overwhelmed by all the information. If it's too much, put it away and concentrate on one thing only. Some of you are ready to dive in and change your entire life. Others aren't ready or are not interested in that. Do what works for you, in this stage of your life.
If you're not in the Body Blitz, you too are welcome to participate in this blog and get all the information you can. If it fits for you, try it.
Let's make this 6 weeks an interactive time to learn from each other. Share resources if you have them, and share your experience if you think it would be helpful for others. Ask questions.
Most everyone wishes or thinks they should be doing something differently for their health....."I know I shouldn't drink 3 sodas per day, I know I should be exercising more, I wish I didn't have these chocolate cravings, I know I should eat more fresh fruits and veggies, etc."
If we know what we should be doing for better health, why don't we do it? I'm learning that it's often because our brains are not in the position to support us. I don't mean your thoughts, I mean your physical brain and the chemicals that affect it......the neurotransmitters seratonin, acetylcholine, dopamine, GABA, and others.
To simplify, your brain has receptor sites that need to be filled for you to feel well. They're meant to be filled with the neurotransmitters.....at that point everything in your world feels right.
When your body is out of balance and the neurotransmitters are not there, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, chocolate and a host of other substances take the place of the neurotransmitters and fill those receptor sites and satisfy you. You use those substances because they make you feel better. For some people skipping meals or starving, lack of sleep, excessive exercise and a highly busy and stressful life create chemicals that make you feel better. After years of that, your body breaks down.
Once you get the proper neurotransmitters to fill those receptor sites in your brain, you lose the desire for those substances. It's not about willpower.
If your brain is not supported and functioning optimally, it's nearly impossible to make the choices you need and want for a healthy life.
Lifestyle, sleep, stress, nutrition, hormones, toxins, supplements all affect our brain chemicals.
Come with me for 6 weeks. Plan to carve out time each day for your education. You'll be reading, watching videos and/or reading this blog. You may be writing, you may be visiting your doctor, you may be getting labs done. You might be spending extra time cooking and grocery shopping. Maybe shopping for supplements. Maybe attending classes and workshops. Maybe meditating.
Whatever you choose, it WILL take time in your day, so plan it in right now whether it's 5 extra minutes or 2 hours.
Step # 1
Get the book "Female Brain Gone Insane" by Mia Lundin. Read up to page 44. You'll learn about the symptoms of brain chemistry imbalance (you may recognize yourself...or someone close to you), the causes of brain chemistry imbalance and how your hormones and brain chemistry interact together. Get your own copy and mark it up. It's a book you'll return to often and you'll need the charts in the book. Men will appreciate this book as well. Brain chemistry applies to you too.
We have a shipment of books coming to the studio in a few days. Get one at the studio or get one online or at a bookstore.
Page 17 lists Mia's Basic Supplement Program. Get yourself started on these basic supplements if you're not doing it already. The first step is to get your basic nutrition in order. Just doing that will alter your brain chemistry if you've been deficient.
Make a copy of the chart on page 13 and start tracking your symptoms. Your symptoms vary depending on your cycle and will change as you alter your exercise, sleep, supplements, diet, hormones, etc. Your symptom chart will help you see what's making a difference.
If you're not ready to read the book and put the time in, do this. Every time you eat, pay close attention to how you feel. What you eat affects your brain. Do you feel energized, foggy, tired, bloated, satisfied, etc. Make a connection with what and how much you eat to how you feel. As you learn how food affects you, make changes to eat meals that improve your brain functioning.
Posted by Jeanne Schmit on Thu, Mar 11, 2010 @ 01:52 PM
It's what you've been looking for! A reason to get excited about your diet and where you get your food. What you eat makes a total difference in your health and how you feel. It also greatly affects your environment.
Our Body Blitz program starts Saturday and this movie screening of FRESH is a great way to start your next 6 weeks. It will set a good tone and get you going.
The movie will help you make better decisions on where you get your food and what you choose to eat. It's also a way fun way to spend your Sunday evening.
If you need a kick in the pants or extra motivation and inspiration to make better food choices, this is it.
It's free, it's local and it's Sunday evening....a time most everyone is available. BodyBlitz participants earn 10 points for showing up.
Everyone is welcome to see this movie (not only people in the Blitz!).
Click here for more info or go to www.freshthemovie.com.
Hosted by Edina Community Lutheran Church. 2 blocks west of France Ave S on 54th Street.
Sunday March 14, 7-8:30pm.
Synopsis:
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.
Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur's 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.
Total running time: 72 minutes
Production Year: 2009