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Treating Sex Hormone Imbalances

Sex hormones are that are involved in the regulation of sexual development and reproduction. The primary sex hormones are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Men and women have all of these, just in different amounts and ratios...

When men and women have low energy caused by an imbalance in their sex hormones, it is usually from different hormones. For men, it is usually due to a testosterone deficiency. For women, it is usually due to estrogen and/or progesterone imbalances.

Sex Hormones & Low Energy

The symptoms of menopause are no joke. They are incredibly uncomfortable and can change the quality of your life significantly. When a woman comes to me with menopausal symptoms, she is usually pretty desperate for relief. I use both natural and pharmaceutical therapies to get her that relief.

Treating Thyroid Disease

I am a big believer in natural medicine. It can be very powerful and work very well. I prefer to use it as long as the natural treatment is safe and strong. Unfortunately, when treating low thyroid, we usually need both the natural and the prescription treatments. In college, I learned from playing the card game euchre not to “send a boy to do a man’s job.” In medicine, this means using the treatment that you know will work. If I think a natural treatment will work, but I know that a medication will work, I should use the medication as long as there are no significant side effects. This is because I want to make sure you get results right away so that you can get your life back

Treating Thyroid Disease

Thyroid disease is one of the most common health problems we face today. The majority of people with thyroid dysfunction have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism (“hypo” means low) is a condition where the amount of thyroid hormone in your body is less than what is needed for optimal function. According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12 percent of the US population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetimes, and more than half will be unaware that they have a problem. Women are five to eight times as likely as men to develop thyroid problems.

Advanced Adrenal Recommendations

Last week, I went over the recommended supplements to treat Adrenal Fatigue. This week I’ll go over adrenal recommendations as well as a plan to reduce stressors.

Treating the physical symptoms is only the first step. Once you start to feel better, it’s important to begin addressing the causes of the problem: the sources of stress that compromised your adrenals in the first place.

Testing & Supplement Options for Adrenal Fatigue

Last week we discussed the main symptoms as well as the causes of adrenal fatigue. This week, I will focus on testing and supplement options for treatment.

If you have most of the symptoms listed last week, you probably have adrenal fatigue. However, how do we test for adrenal dysfunction?

How Adrenal Fatigue Causes Chronic Fatigue

This week I will discuss how adrenal fatigue is a primary cause of chronic fatigue.

It's estimated that up to 80% of adults experience adrenal fatigue during their lifetimes, yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses in the United States. Conventional medicine does not yet recognize adrenal fatigue as a distinct syndrome

Food Allergies & Low Energy

Food allergies can cause almost any symptom the body can manifest, including low energy. The gastrointestinal tract maintains a delicate balance of good bacteria, specialized immune cells, and various neurological and hormonal activities. In fact, 80% of your immune system resides in your gut, so anything you put in your mouth can trigger a reaction. Once your digestive system detects what it considers a “foreign particle,” your immune system reacts, and the inflammation that follows creates pain and dysfunction.

Food and Your Energy

Food is a touchy subject, especially if you’re not feeling well. We have a lot of emotional attachments to it, and it can give us joy at times when nothing else can. However, food allergies play a significant role as a cause and contributor to fatigue and, as a doctor, I have seen amazing improvements in the health of my patients when they change their food choices.

Why Could Heavy Metals Be Making You Tired?

EnergyMD Resources & Blog

November 29, 2023•3 min read

Margaret was a recent 39-year-old patient who ate a clean diet, drank plenty of bottled water, and as she described it, "did everything right." But despite these (and other) healthy efforts, she struggled with fatigue and arrived in my office looking haggard and frustrated that her efforts were yielding such dismal results.

As a medical doctor who focuses in fatigue, I immediately pinpointed Margaret's problem as she sipped on a liter bottle of designer water and casually described the amazing salmon she'd had last night at her favorite restaurant. A urine challenge test confirmed what I suspected: Margaret had heavy metal and chemical toxicity.

As a fatigue specialist, this is how I treat chemical and heavy metal toxicity
I treated Margaret with zeolites, specifically nano-zeolites that come in liquid form. Sometimes referred to as "molecular sieves," zeolites work to trap heavy metals and remove toxic compounds through the urine. I also used the antioxidant glutathione to open up Margaret's detoxification pathways and boost her mitochondrial function. I have had a lot of success with this protocol and have used it on hundreds of fatigue and heavy metal/chemical toxicity patients over the years.

Unfortunately, Margaret's situation isn't unique. Modern industrial practices mean you're exposed to numerous heavy metals and toxic chemicals that contribute to problems like neuropathy, inflammation, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and, yes, fatigue. Mercury, lead, aluminum, bisphenol A, perfluorochemicals (PFCs), and other heavy metals and chemicals hide in everything from last night's salmon dinner to the water you picked up at the gas station. Even the most health-focused person becomes inundated with these chemicals, which stealthily find their way into your body, where they linger and accumulate.

Learn how to downsize your toxic burden
And while you can't completely avoid these toxins, you can definitely limit your exposure to reduce fatigue and other problems. Besides focusing on the essentials like proper sleep and reducing chronic stress, I helped Margaret reduce her toxic burden with these five strategies:

1. Limit fish consumption
Smaller fish like anchovies and sardines contain less mercury and other toxins than larger fish. If you regularly eat fish, purchase those that have undergone third-party testing to ensure they are free of heavy metals or take zeolites when you do consume them.

2. Become aware of sneaky toxin sources
Toxins lurk everywhere, including household cleaning products, cosmetics, food containers, and water bottles. Visit the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) website to learn more about how to minimize these ubiquitous toxins in your home and beauty products.

3. Mind your mitochondria
These little powerhouses, located inside your body's cells, produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is your main energy source, and insufficient ATP means you will become fatigued more quickly. Heavy metals and other toxins can damage mitochondrial membranes, making them unable to produce sufficient ATP and keep you energized throughout the day.

4. Consider a professional detox
Although you can't completely avoid toxins, supporting your body's detoxification process is an extremely important part of healing from the toxins you are exposed to. A trained nutritionist or physician can guide you through an effective, fatigue-reducing detox protocol.

5. Supplement the smart way
Nutrients like d-ribose, acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, acetylcysteine, caffeine (half a cup in the morning), taurine, tyrosine, and glutathione can remove biotoxins, provide intracellular mitochondrial energy optimizers, and reduce fatigue.

Consider seeing a functional medicine practitioner
These simple measures can help greatly reduce your toxic load, but if you suspect heavy metal toxicity is one of your major fatigue culprits, I recommend visiting a functional medicine practitioner.

A functional medicine doctor can conduct a health inventory and perform lab testing to determine how many—and what kind of—toxins most accumulate in your specific body. Based on your lab results, symptomatology and medical history, he or she can determine whether or not you will benefit from a heavy metal detoxification protocol.

Read This Article at MindBodyGreen

Evan H. Hirsch, MD

Evan H. Hirsch, MD, (also known as the EnergyMD) is a world-renowned Energy expert, best-selling author and professional speaker. He is the creator of the EnergyMD Method, the science-backed and clinically proven 4 step process to increase energy naturally. Through his best-selling book, podcast, and international online telehealth programs that can be accessed from everywhere, he has helped thousands of people around the world increase their energy and happiness. He has been featured on TV, podcasts, and summits, and when he’s not at the office, you can find him singing musicals, dancing hip-hop, and playing basketball with his family.

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