What do you do when you just received your results back from the lab, and your morning cortisol is elevated? The explanation on the ZRT Laboratory report read as follows:

“Morning cortisol is high, but levels drop to normal the remainder of the day. The high morning cortisol seen in these test results may indicate a situational stressor (emotional, physical) or low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia), which often occurs in the morning after overnight fasting.

Acute situational stressors (e.g., anxiety over unresolved situations, travel, work-related problems, wedding, holiday season, etc.) can raise cortisol levels, which is a normal response to the stressor.

Symptoms commonly associated with high cortisol include sugar craving, fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression.

If cortisol remains elevated throughout the day (usually associated with high night cortisol) and over a prolonged period of time (months/years), excessive breakdown of normal tissues (muscle wasting, thinning of skin, bone loss) and immune suppression can eventually result.

For additional information about strategies for supporting adrenal health and reducing stress(ors), the following books are worth reading: Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.; The Cortisol Connection by Shawn Talbott, Ph.D.; The End of Stress As We Know It by Bruce McEwen; and Awakening Athena by Kenna Stephenson. M.D.”

Who today cannot relate to “Acute situational stressors (e.g., anxiety over unresolved situations, travel, work-related problems, wedding, holiday season, etc.)”?

Perhaps a series of articles summarizing strategies to support adrenal health and decrease stressors would be of benefit. If you have any tips to share, please feel free to do so. Together we can help each other!

This morning I went to www.technorati.com to register my blog in an effort to reach more men and women. The goal? To stop the inexcusable needless suffering brought about by hormone imbalance. The “claim code” I am to post is 82WD9YSBB5XQ.

After years of hormone imbalance leading to a hysterectomy and synthetic drugs, I finally learned about natural hormone balancing in 2004. A nurse for 30 years, I became passionate about raising awareness to stop the inexcusable hormone imbalance suffering. My seminars and my blog led to the writing and publishing of my book, Stop the Needless Suffering, The Complete Woman’s Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally.

It is a myth that hormone imbalance starts in our 40s and 50s. Hormone imbalance starts in our youth and affects men as well as women. It is also a myth that you must subject yourself to synthetic hormones, antidepressants, and hysterectomies.

My blog contains countless free articles that raise awareness of what is happening in your body, why it is happening, and what you can do about it. Isn’t it about time you live the life you deserve – full of vibrance and vitality, no matter your age?

My passion is to create a wealth of information to help men and women worldwide raise awareness of ways to invigorate your mind, body, and spirit – naturally.

You have a lot of life to live. Go ahead and start now! Please reach out to help teach others. Together we CAN stop the needless suffering!

“Pessimistic, grouchy, bored, blue? Chronic low-grade depression can feel so familiar you don’t even know you’ve got it. But it’s rampant among women and underdiagnosed. The good news is that with treatment you can be better than ever.”

Since depression is often a symptom of hormone imbalance, these words caught my eye this morning in an article found on http://www.oprah.com/health/Diagnosing-Low-Grade-Depression-Dysthymia-and-Women

The article explains:

“Low-grade depression (dysthymia) is one of the most common ailments on the planet and one of the least likely to be diagnosed. Like its cousin, clinical depression, low-grade depression hits women roughly twice as often as men (though some researchers believe mood disorders in men are underreported because of social stigmas). Clinical depression is a kind of mental hurricane: Symptoms include debilitating insomnia, weight loss, anxiety or a mental fog so dense that people forget what they’ve read as soon as they’ve read it. The pain is so awful that suicide can seem an acceptable solution.

Low-grade depression is more like a year of drizzly weather. It is, by definition, chronic. A diagnosis requires the presence of symptoms on more days than not for a period of at least two years, which is what makes it so hard to pin down. Any given day might be okay, even happy. Yet in the general run of days, there are more gray ones than not, more unhappiness than joy. Most people afflicted with this kind of chronic malaise instinctively blame themselves: They would rather believe they can solve the problem—if they could just find the right job or the right man or lose weight—than admit they have a psychiatric disorder.”

The article explains that a healthy person might take action, or simply look around for a fun distraction. “A person with low-grade depression broods and gets stuck. Caught in that drizzly mental weather, she doesn’t seek shelter or buy an umbrella; she goes on slogging through puddles.”

Certain types of depression have a strong hereditary or hormonal component.

A family history of depression is a strong indicator of risk. Is the root cause genetic or environmental? Who knows for sure without an in-depth look into the individual’s life circumstances. We also know that many women who suffer from hormonal imbalance also have a family history of hormone imbalance.

The article states that not everyone who suffers from low-grade depression looks back on an unhappy childhood; for some, the problem begins in adolescence or early adulthood—the result, perhaps, of the inevitable stresses that accompany such rites of passage as moving into a first apartment, graduating from college or losing a first love. Someone who is vulnerable might slip into low-grade illness without even realizing it.

Some additional points of interest contained in the article:

• Low-grade depression and poor eating habits frequently go hand in hand. Scientists aren’t sure of the exact biological mechanism, but there is evidence that eating carbohydrates temporarily boosts a person’s mood by altering the brain’s level and use of serotonin. People with low-grade depression quite often binge on high-carbohydrate foods—pasta, crackers, popcorn—in what some doctors see as an unconscious effort to self-medicate.
• Depression is a whole-self illness. It’s hard to separate the biological from the situational factors. Regaining health often requires attacking the problem on all fronts: spiritual, physical, social and intellectual.
• Signs of low-grade depression

1. You feel sad, dissatisfied or pessimistic most of the time, although you still have days when you feel normal.
2. Your appetite changes.
3. You’re tired most of the time.
4. You have insomnia or you’re sleeping too much.
5. You’re harder on yourself than you should be.
6. You’re not working at your peak, and you’re having trouble concentrating.
7. Simple decisions somehow take forever.
8. You feel that every day is more or less a struggle.

• If you have at least two symptoms—especially the first one—see your doctor for a checkup, and if you’re physically healthy, ask for a referral to a mental-health professional. If you have five or more symptoms and are also experiencing anxiety, feelings of helplessness and loss of interest in sex, your depression may be more serious. Seek medical help immediately.

The important factor to keep in mind is that to remedy the situation, one must peel down to the root cause. An important factor to not overlook is hormone imbalance. Go back and look at your family history. Has anyone else in your family suffered from depression? Likewise, could there be some residual unhealed emotional trauma that you are unknowingly carrying around with you?

Notice if you have any of the above symptoms. Peel down to the root cause and take the appropriate action. Know that you too CAN feel happy, alive, and rejuvenated.

How do you judge success or failure of an event? By the number of products sold? Or by the one life that you touch?

That was the question I asked myself after participating in a Women’s Expo in a small town this weekend. I sold six of my books, Stop the Needless Suffering, The Complete Woman’s Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally, with promises of selling two more. It was a two hour drive and seven hours of my time. Six ladies were in my first breakout session, and one man and one woman were in my afternoon session.

One of the ladies in my morning session asked me if I would talk with her daughter who was working a booth across the hall from me at the Expo…for breast cancer prevention. The irony of that fact was soon to be revealed.

The mother had had a mastectomy for breast cancer. The cancer was estrogen receptor-positive. Please understand the significance of this fact prior to hearing the rest of the story regarding her daughter.

Unlike normal breast cells, cancer cells arising in the breast do not always have receptors for estrogen.

Breast cancers that DO have estrogen receptors are said to be “estrogen receptor-positive,” while those breast cancers that DO NOT possess estrogen receptors are called “estrogen receptor-negative.” In women with estrogen receptor-positive cancers, cancer cell growth is under the control of estrogen.

This woman’s daughter was 40 years old and had recently had a complete hysterectomy. The doctor ordered no saliva testing to assess her baseline hormone levels following surgery. He simply ordered triest for her to use daily postoperatively. Triest is the combination of the three main estrogens: estrone, estradiol, and estriol.

It is well established that there is a significant hereditary tendency for breast cancer. The mother was estrogen receptor-positive for breast cancer. The daughter is taking three different kinds of estrogen – “unopposed” by progesterone.

The doctor told the daughter she “didn’t need progesterone” because she had had a hysterectomy – a common misunderstanding among the traditional medical community. In fact, if you read the work of Dr. John Lee, M.D., you will see that he believed prescribing women “unopposed estrogen” to be a case of medical malpractice.

This lady was grossly overweight. Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer. The commonly held theory is that fat cells are estrogen producing. Estrogen makes fat cells bigger. It is a vicious cycle. All this going on in a daughter whose mother is estrogen receptor-positive.

Let’s summarize what is going on here:

1. The mother has a history of breast cancer, estrogen receptor-positive.
2. Breast cancer is hereditary.
3. The daughter is taking triest, a combination of three estrogens following her hysterectomy.
4. The daughter has had no baseline testing to determine her hormone levels.
5. The daughter is receiving no progesterone.
6. The daughter is grossly overweight.
7. The daughter is working a booth for breast cancer prevention, totally unaware of her own significant risk factors.

All of the above constitutes a train wreck just waiting to happen.

Education is the key. Please help me to increase awareness. Please become your own health care advocate so that you can protect yourself as well as help to educate the lay and medical community.

Your life and the lives of those you love depend upon it.

“What do you mean hormone imbalance symptoms may happen so insidiously that women might not even know they are suffering needlessly? What kind of symptoms do they have? When does it happen?”

When I was asked these questions this morning, I took pause and really reflected on the ones that tend to sneak up on you – the ones that might leave you totally unaware. The ones that when finally addressed give you such energy and enthusiasm that many women simply become euphoric. Women who lost a part of themselves and didn’t even know when it showed up missing.

It happens oh, so slowly that you just assume it is because you are getting older. It is not until the neon light-life halting problems strike that you seek help in desperation.

What happens so subtly, so slowly over time?

One of the most subtle of symptoms is the feeling of being tired, fatigued, worn out, no energy, exhausted, just not as much enthusiasm as you once had. You feel old and flat. It takes so much more energy to trudge up those stairs. You don’t feel like playing with the kids or grandkids. You’d rather put on that comfy robe and sit in your chair.

The second is a feeling of depression. There is a feeling of sadness that invades your life. The zest for living is just not there. You shuffle through your days in the hope that things might be better tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and it is more of the same. You know it’s not right, but you may feel too embarrassed to talk to your doctor about it. If you do, you can pretty much count on a prescription for an antidepressant. But why do you feel this way? When did this happen?

The third is the infernal inability to sleep – night after night. You are so exhausted. Surely you will sleep tonight. It has been so many nights since you last slept. In fact, how long has it been since you’ve had a good night’s rest? Can you remember? You might lay there, totally exhausted, but not able to fall asleep. You might fall asleep, but sure enough, there you are awake once again in the middle of the night. You do all the things the books say to make you sleep – and nothing works.

What if I told you that all these effects might be happening to you not because you are getting older? What if I told you there’s a very good chance you can invigorate your life, sleep at night, and feel fabulous and energized?

Well you can. It all starts with what I call the LOVE Method that can be found in my book Stop the Needless Suffering, The Complete Woman’s Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally. See www.RosieBrownRN.com.

Stop the Needless Suffering tells you exactly how to:

L – Learn All You Can

O – Obtain Help (From a health care practitioner knowledgeable in bioidentical hormone balancing – which includes the sex hormones, the adrenal glands, and the thyroid)

V – Validate with Data (how and where to obtain testing to see what your lab values are)

E – Engage in an Action Plan that is Right for You

The bottom line to this discussion?

Oh, yes, you can feel better!

Prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men. Prostate enlargement is a major cause of problems in elderly men. It appears that a simple, safe inexpensive solution to prevent and treat prostate problems is the use of progesterone replacement.

Research has demonstrated that progesterone has the ability to prevent and reverse many cancers. The research also shows that estrogen, specifically estradiol, actually causes breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Men also make estrogen and estradiol, but in smaller amounts than women. Males also produce progesterone, although about half as much as females do.

The male hormone, testosterone, is antagonist to estradiol. Testosterone prevents estradiol from causing prostate cancer by destroying the prostate cancer cells it stimulates.

There appears to be some confusion about the role of testosterone. Testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. If this were the case, young males would be stricken with cancer as they have the highest testosterone levels.

Embryologically, the prostate is similar to the female uterus. When we think of “hormone imbalance, we tend to think of women. However, hormone balance in the male is just as important as in females. In the males, the prostate gland is affected by hormone imbalance.

How does hormone balance work in the male? Per Dr. Mercola’s explanation:

“As a male ages, his progesterone level decreases just like it does in women. In women this decease occurs about the age of 35 and men about ten years later. When progesterone levels decrease, the male’s 5 alpha reductase converts the testosterone to di-hydro testosterone which is useless at removing the prostate cancer cells that estradiol stimulates. Estradiol also stimulates the enlargement of the prostate. This allows the prostate gland to swell and enlarge and in many cases transform into prostate cancer.”

More simply stated, estradiol “turns on the cancer gene” and progesterone “turns on the anti-cancer gene.” In women, studies have demonstrated that breast cancer cells do not multiply when women are on progesterone.

Dr. Mercola further states, “I now believe that nearly all men should seriously consider natural progesterone replacement sometime in their 40s, or even earlier if they have a family history of prostate cancer. There is also a reasonable likelihood that this will decrease male balding. So, all the men who wish to retain what is left of their hair, I would start this immediately.”

My personal thought is that both men and women would be well served to have hormone testing prior to use of any hormones. In order to hit a target, one has to see what they are aiming for.

Progesterone can be purchased over the counter. It is important to recognize that progesterone is a hormone, and its indiscriminate use is not a wise or safe choice.

Home hormone test kits can be obtained from compounding pharmacies, some doctors’ offices, and various internet sites. The kits do not require a doctor’s order. I have found the most cost effec tive hormone test kit can be purchased from www.canaryclub.org.

For women, the usual dose of natural progesterone is about 20 mg per day from day 12 to 26. The dose of natural progesterone for men is about half that, or 10 to 12 mg per day. Unlike women, men can use progesterone without taking any days off.

Even though the above are customary doses, care needs to be individualized since people vary in the amount their body requires for effective treatment. Seek the advice of a health care practitioner knowledgeable in the field of bioidentical hormone balance.

I invite you to share the information in this article with all the men you know… and the women who love them.

It is no new news that we begin to lose our edge by the time we turn forty. The literature all seems to sing the same song. What is new news to me is the impact of biochemical deficiencies that creep up over time, deficiencies which can be prevented, according to the work of Eric R. Braverman, MD.

As we age, we learn to live with minor biochemical deficiencies. Braverman states, “If you notice you are losing your edge, you are probably experiencing deficiencies in your biochemistry. However, you can regain your edge by mastering your brain chemistry and putting yourself on the path back to health.”

What an empowering message: no, we don’t have to learn to live with problems related to biochemical deficiencies.

In reviewing the list of physical illness that can be avoided, there appear many that are commonly listed as symptoms of hormone imbalance:

• Arthritis
• Cholesterol elevation
• Cognitive thinking difficulty
• Depression
• Memory Loss
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Sexual dysfunction

Why do these deficiencies happen?

1)      As we age, our bodies produce fewer of the hormones that regulate neurotransmitter production, throwing off a balance so delicate it can easily be upset simply by changing the output of one hormone.

2)      Imbalances are affected by the day-to-day stressors of life.

3)      Imbalances are affected by the choices we make regarding what we eat.

Per Dr. Braverman, “Over time, our brain will not be able to compensate for these consistent, seemingly minor assaults, and we develop what I refer to as a sprained brain.”

The body is an amazing machine. It will work tirelessly to compensate for mistreatment. However, over time if the problems are not corrected, the body will show wear, similar to the analogy Braverman uses of unbalanced tires. Eventually, the car will become harder to steer, and the brakes will wear out faster. “Ignored, what would normally be just a simple matter of adjusting the wheel balance can lead to major expenses for new tires, brakes, shocks, and steering alignment.”

In this age of pharmaceutical dominance, when a symptom pops up, we tend to go to the doctor and something is given to relieve the symptom. But what about the root cause?

 If not addressed, it won’t be long before another symptom pops up. The quick fix is not a fix at all. Instead of quick fixes, Braverman teaches us that there are effective treatments that can reverse the symptoms of what he calls the “sprained brain.” More about that tomorrow.

The day I have long been awaiting is finally here. Suddenly it all seems so surreal. How did this all happen?

I know it has to be real. I mean the books were personally delivered to me yesterday, so I know it is real.  Oh, the magic of tearing that first box open, seeing the book and holding it for the very first time.

I think back to the physical despair I felt when I first found that flyer in the health food store five years ago announcing a seminar on natural hormone balancing by Dr. Celia Church Goodson on September 18, 2004.

She forever changed my life on that day.

I think back to the day I decided to write a book on the content of my hormone balancing classes. It’s a good thing I didn’t have an idea of what was ahead for me. I am not sure I would have undertaken the journey.

Today with deep gratitude I think of the people who have propped me up and encouraged me when the days seemed so overwhelming and full of despair.

I just finished writing personal notes of appreciation in the inside cover for all my story contributors who helped to make Stop the Needless Suffering a reality. I am overcome with emotion as I think about each person, their special uniqueness, and yet the identical characteristic that unites them all as one – their desire to reach out and help other people by sharing their personal stories.

Stop the Needless Suffering, The Complete Woman’s Guide to Balancing Your Hormones Naturally will soon be available on my web site that is being created at this very moment: www.RosieBrownRN.com.

Now it is time to get ready for my very first book signing/seminar this evening. It feels sorta like my wedding day. What an odd feeling. A celebration of love, that’s what it will be.

As I reflect back over this past year, the one ingredient that holds everything together is love. I do believe that love is the answer. May all who read this book be touched by the love and care that went into it by so many.

Love to you always. May we work together to stop the needless suffering.

The thyroid epidemic has been the focus of this week’s articles:

9-21: FDA Taking Natural Thyroid off the Market?

9-22: How Do You Know if You Have a Thyroid Problem?

9-23: Why Are Thyroid Lab Tests Inadequate?

9-24: Why is Hypothyroidism Growing at Epidemic Proportions?

 Today I would like to focus on what to do if you suspect you may have a thyroid problem.

 The approach I teach and explain in my book that will be released in October, Stop the Needless Suffering, is the LOVE Method. What is the LOVE METHOD, and how can it help you?

L: Learn all you can.

O: Obtain help.

V: Validate with lab data.

E: Engage in a plan of action that’s right for you.

 For the “L,” Learn all you can – this week’s articles and references have been designed to assist with creating awareness of the thyroid epidemic that is upon us. If you suspect that you or someone you love may have a thyroid problem, please consult the references given in the articles so that you can become your own health care advocate.

 For the “O,” Obtain help – it is very important to locate a health care provider who is knowledgeable about the proper diagnosis, care, and treatment of thyroid disorders. Two resources I recommend are www.canaryclub.org and the ZRT Laboratory, and Dr. Whitney Gabhart, N.D., www.whitneygabhartnd.com .

For the “V,” Validate with lab data – it is important, if thyroid disorder is suspected, to have lab work done, but most importantly, to be cared for by a practitioner who understands the  proper tests to order and the proper interpretation of the results.

 For the “E,” Engage in a plan that’s right for you – next week I will share information and resources to assist you in helping to support thyroid health and wellness.

 Remember, one the best things you can do for your adrenals, and consequently your thyroid, is to decrease stress. We are just about ready to begin a weekend – find something fun and relaxing to do – just for you…because you deserve it! :  )

“Never in the history of modern medicine has there been an epidemic of such proportion that has gone unrecognized,” begins the Introduction of Hypothyroidism Type 2 by Dr. Mark Starr, M.D.

“Proper recognition and treatment of hypothyroidism would prevent much of our illness and suffering. Many millions of lives can be changed for the better and astronomical medical expenses spared if the proposals put forth in this book are accepted.”

 Two major causes seem to be at the root of this growing thyroid epidemic:

     1.       Adrenal stress

     2.       Environmental toxins

Regarding adrenal stress, Dr.  Mercola (www.mercola.com) in his September 19, 2009 newsletter article stated:

“The vast majority of people’s thyroid glands become impaired as a result of weak adrenal glands. The thyroid gland tries to compensate for this and eventually just gives up and stops working.

Adrenal impairment is frequently due to emotional stress, and unless you have these previous emotional challenges resolved, there is little likelihood of recovering your thyroid function without hormonal replacement.”

In today’s fast-paced, noise-polluted society, we are forever on the go. We pride ourselves in multi-tasking. We have more than full time careers. “Full time” used to equate to forty hours per week. Now with all the budget cuts and the need to “do more with less,” full time equates to fifty, sixty, or more hours per week. In addition, we take work home with us, and, thanks to technology, we are connected to our work at home.

The flurry of activity all around us causes us to continuously push bedtime later and later into the evening. With less and less hours of sleep, we compromise the natural restorative powers of our body. We wake up feeling exhausted, and grab a caffeinated drink or cup(s) of coffee to help us make it through the day.

It used to be that women didn’t work outside the home. Today, women have full time careers, and they rear their children. It used to be that families lived near each other so that grandparents, aunts, and uncles were available to assist with caring for the children. In our mobile society today, relatives may reside on the other side of the globe.

Today, working moms and dads transport their children to and from piano lessons, scouts, dance, cheer, ball, and play practice. After sitting on the bleachers all evening, parents go home to help with homework and bake cookies for tomorrow’s PTA classroom party. Today, parents are also caught in the sandwich generation between their children and their elderly parents. To top it off, the cost of living and financial concerns are on the increase, causing people to lie awake at night worrying about how they will survive the bills.

Mark Twain also captures a major root cause of much of our stress…

“I have been through some terrible times in my life, some of which actually happened.”

Wow, is there any reason our adrenals are tired?

The second major cause of the thyroid epidemic is our exposure to environmental toxins.

Per Dr. Shames in Thyroid Power:

“We believe the thyroid epidemic is due in large part to excess chemicals in food, air, and water, confusing and stressing our immune system.

As the number of immune-sensitizing chemicals proliferates in our environment, we are seeing an increased incidence of autoimmune illness.”

In Hypothyroidism Type 2, the chapter title, “Environmental Toxins = Hormone Havoc,” tells it all. Dr. Starr devotes thirty-nine pages to the topic of environmental toxins. He states:

“About 70,000 new synthetic chemicals were introduced into our environment during the twentieth century. Three-quarters of the 20 most toxic chemical pollutants are known to be poisonous to our nervous systems.”

Dr. Starr explains that the most disturbing aspect of chemical toxins may be their ability to disrupt the function of thyroid hormones. Thyroid metabolism is one of the most frequent targets of synthetic chemicals. Recall that the thyroid gland affects every cell in the body. 

In tomorrow’s article, I will focus on what we can do offset the hazards of  today’s environment in order to build healthy thyroid and adrenal glands.