Hormonal Havoc Harnesses Metabolic Overdrive (Part 2)

Do not trade in your body for a newer model, until you have tried these remedies for hormonal havoc and Metabolic Overdrive (MO).
Last week Part 1 of Hormonal Havoc Harnesses MO focused on two of the three major sex hormones that need to be aligned to achieve good health and weight loss, estrogen and testosterone, http://valeriegoldstein.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/hormonal-havoc-harnesses-metabolic-overdrive-part1/.
Progesterone is the third and equally  important hormone as testosterone and estrogen. It teams up with cholesterol to produce the sex hormones, cortisol and DHEA. It is the primary hormone effecting menstruation, fertility and vaginal dryness for women and has been linked to prostate health for men. You men may be interested in this, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/natural-progesterone2.aspx.
What are normal progesterone levels?
You can look ’em up here, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003714.htm.
Causes of Low Progesterone (Low P)

• Aging
• Hormone Imbalance (insulin, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone)
• Physical Inactivity
• Poor Diet (or a diet high in soy)
• Stress
• Obesity
• Birth Control Pills or Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Liver abnormalities

Symptoms of Low P
As mentioned in last week’s blog, hormone levels can start to decline  as early as age 35. Over a 15 year time frame, estrogen levels can drop by 35% while progesterone levels dip by 75%. Low progesterone is tied to a low toleration to stress, the aging process (including wrinkles, thinning skin and hair loss), aches and pains, osteoporosis, fibroids, high blood pressure and stroke. Higher estrogen (for men and women) typically lowers progesterone too.
Women experience more symptoms than men because progesterone plays a bigger role in their health but either gender experiences devastating side effects.

WOMEN	MEN	BOTH MEN & WOMEN
Hot Flashes & Night sweats	Man Boobs	Decreased Libido
Acne	Impotency	Cravings/Weight Gain
Bloating	Enlarged Prostate	Bone Loss
Insomnia	Heart Disease	Muscle Loss
Hair loss or excess body/facial hair	Male Pattern Baldness	Poor Sleep
Poor Concentration/Memory Loss		Low thyroid
Irritability
Heavy painful or Irregular Periods
Breast  Tenderness
Mood Swings
Anxiety & Depression
polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

If you found many of the hormone disadvantage questions (see part 1, the link is above) similar to the thyroid questions, http://valeriegoldstein.wordpress.com/2013/10/15/the-thyroid-tie-in-to-metabolic-overdrive/, there’s a good reason for that. These conditions generally overlap. Most people who have one condition also have the other. If you answered yes to two or more questions or experience any of the symptoms above, consider making an appointment with your physician to test progesterone and all the hormones that “intermingle”, DHEA, cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and melatonin.
If you have a normal test result but answered yes to any of the starred questions in the quiz, you may be developing a hormone disadvantage that is not yet extreme enough to be detected by medical tests. If you make no changes to your lifestyle, it may eventually show up.
If despite a normal test result you suspect you may have a hormone disadvantage, follow Level 1 eating but do not use the specific hormone disadvantage supplements. These supplements are effective when treating a problem, but they do pose some risks. Don’t take them unless you are definitely sure you need them. With a doctors approval and a confirmed hormone disadvantage, use the supplements described in Chapter 9. You may also want to speak with your doctor and consider a natural “USP progesterone” cream containing 400-500 mg of progesterone per ounce. Women need about a quarter and men need about an eighth of a teaspoon to be applied to the chest, abdomen, inner arms or inner thighs.
Weight loss may not come as easy as someone who does not have a hormone disadvantage, but you will see results and you can meet your goals.
Insulin is last but certainly not least on the MO list to be discussed next week. Until then…