Nutrition and Hormone Balance
Posted on December 12, 2011 | Healthy Nutrition.
As bioidentical hormones and the problem of hormone imbalance become mainstream knowledge, younger women are wondering what they can do to keep progesterone and estrogen within the normal range for as long as possible using diet and exercise. It’s true that bioidentical hormone doctors often prescribe a series of lifestyle changes to their patients. Nutritional supplements, a specialized diet, and tailored exercise programs that are designed to create balance and help maintain it is common fare for menopausal women who seek the help of a bioidentical hormone specialist. If you’re young, hormone imbalance brought on by menopause may not be a big concern for you, but hormonal balance can affect all kinds of things like weight loss and energy levels for example. If you’re concerned about these things, then it might help to know a little bit about how nutrition affects your body’s hormone balance.
High or low estrogen levels can be responsible for wreaking all kinds of havoc on your body. If your estrogen levels are high, you can eat a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage to encourage your body to metabolize that estrogen. In contrast, if you want to add estrogen to your body’s hormonal make-up, you may want to drink soy or almond milk.
Progesterone levels in the body can be affected by drinking a lot of milk or eating egg yolks. It isn’t known how the progesterone in milk and egg yolks is utilized by a woman’s body, but some people believe that consuming a healthy amount of milk or egg yolks can your body produce more progesterone. Zinc is an important part of a diet that promotes healthy progesterone production. Meats like chicken, turkey, and shellfish, and red meat can all contribute zinc to the diet to help your body produce progesterone in adequate quantities.
To strike a balance in your estrogen and progesterone levels, experts recommend adding a lot of whole grains, fortified cereals, or walnuts to your diet. These food items are rich in vitamin B-6, which is supposed to play an important role in balancing estrogen and progesterone.
A healthy diet is an important part of maintaining a healthy hormone balance no matter what your age. A variety of health problems can be remedied by following a diet that is rich in substances that the body needs and uses for hormone production and the hormone metabolism. Women young and old are just starting to realize the importance and the benefits of healthy hormone balance throughout life. By following a healthy diet and thinking about keeping your hormones balanced now, you’ll be able to enjoy good health when you’re young and as you age.
Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System
Posted on November 7, 2011 | Healthy Nutrition.
We are nearing the time of the year that people are becoming worried and concerned about colds, the flu and other viruses that attack our immune systems. Our advice from the medical profession is to get vaccinations for the flu and often people are confused as to the best avenue to take to protect themselves from our seasonal illnesses. Sometimes the remedy can be much less expensive and much easier to accomplish.
What exactly are we experiencing when we have the flu or a cold? A person does not “catch” a virus or a cold through the air. Our bodies are actually trying to eliminate toxic build-up inside the system. Possibly the immune system is suppressed because of vitamin D deficiencies, or sugar or alcohol consumption. At this point symptoms of fever, stuffy nose, fatigue or lethargy can become evident. All of these signs typically point to a flu.
The basis of all these short-term, acute conditions could be toxicity, stress and nutritional deficiencies. If you are worried about how to protect yourself from viruses such as the flu or colds and it is in the winter, you absolutely should take a vitamin D in the form of a vitamin D-3 supplement. This can help because of the lack of sunlight in the winter. This vitamin is essential for the immune system to work.
Are you eating a lot of sugar or drinking a lot of alcohol? In many instances this can be a contributor to the problem. If so, this should be eliminated or cut down on. These two items, along with processed foods should be replaced with fresh juices or broths.
What is the reason for the build-up of toxins at this time of the year? Part of the reason is that we are not outdoors as much as at other times of the year. We are not sweating with exercise as much. We are suffering from a lack of sunlight. The holiday season can be a stressful time of the year, and stress or depression can tend to suppress the immune system.
Trying to be as positive as you can be at this time of the year and setting goals for the future can be hard for some people. Companionship and love can help to boost the immune system Everyone’s system is different, so consult a professional to find out what is best for you to provide the essentials for a healthy immune system.