Systemic Balance Involves More Than Hormones
Hormones are important. Most women would benefit from transdermal natural progesterone to help regulate hormone fluctuations. Women in their 50s and older might consider adding the supplement DHEA to maintain their most youthful balance. There are other herbs and supplements available to address more specific hormone needs. However, women do not live by hormones alone.
Younger and younger women are describing symptoms and chronic conditions once relegated to those of more advanced age. There is one condition that lies at their root, and that condition can be best defined as frustration. This is one of today’s major sources of inflammation, stress and disease, often due to the inability to perform at optimal levels because of chronic fuzzy thinking, aches and pains, impulsiveness, the inability to sort things or to prioritize and memory problems.
There are several nutrients that we need enough in order to better manage our existence. Two very important ones are enough sleep and enough water. If a lack of sleep and water are causing actions that are leading to day-to-day frustrations, then addressing that lack will present solutions.
Enough sleep means enough to awaken feeling physically refreshed and mentally sharp. A sure sign of sleep deprivation is the inability to instantly recall a necessary word or name. This used to be called a “senior moment”, but today it can be everybody’s moment. The importance of sleep cannot be stressed too much. When we sleep, our brain organizes the previous day’s activities and files them away. Without enough sleep, the activities of the day before can really muddle up the following day. It is during sleep that we produce human growth hormone (HGH), without which our cellular reconstruction cannot occur at youthful levels, and we show signs of premature aging. Disturbed or too little sleep disrupts our production of acetylcholine, which is the determinant of the speed at which our brain functions. Low acetylcholine equals slow thinking.
So turn off the TV and keep the bedroom dark at bedtime. Think, meditate or pray before sleep. Seek the help of a natural practitioner that can recommend the right dietary supplements that aid in obtaining a natural sleep pattern. For slow thinking, consider taking supplemental acetylcholine until adequate sleep patterns can be restored. Resistance exercise is the only next best bet to produce enough HGH to stave off premature aging.
Another cause of fuzzy thinking is dehydration. If we feel thirsty, the body already has been dehydrated for some time. In the case of water, we need to be preemptive drinkers. Don’t wait until se are thirsty to drink. Studies show that even a 2 percent drop in hydration can cause fuzzy thinking and short-term memory problems. Studies also show that dehydration slows down the metabolism, leading to weight gain and tight, thin skin that wrinkles easily. A lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
Eight to 10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80 percent of sufferers. Aches and pains account for chronic problems with prospective memory, defined as the ability to “remember to remember”, according to a study at Keele University in the United Kingdom.
Along with adequate water, adequate magnesium can be helpful for aches and pains, especially muscle spasms. Magnesium is a very powerful sleep aid when taken before bed with food. Recent studies show that those with normal to high blood pressure may require at least 500 to 750 milligrams per day.
With memory loss, inability to meet deadlines, slow thinking, weight gain, wrinkled skin, mental blackouts, impatience, irritability, fatigue, impulsive behavior and aches and pains, it’s no wonder women get frustrated. Hormones are not well regulated in a dehydrated, exhausted body. It is hard to attribute the chronic inability to function to two such simple nutrients, but once gaining adequate sleep and water, many women have found that their debilitating symptoms, previously attributed to wayward hormones, simply go away.
Clinical nutritionist Dian Freeman maintains a private nutrition practice in Morristown, NJ, teaches a nutritional certification course, offers Ondamed frequency biofeedback, holds healthbased classes and lectures widely. she may be reached at 973 267-4816, Dian2@wellnesssimplified.com or WellnessSimplified.com .
