Posts Tagged ‘Tired’

SOBs (stressed out bitches)

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Are you an SOB (stressed out bitch)? Well, are you a mother? Are you a wife? Do you work your ass off all day to come home to another “job”? Are you ALIVE? Then you are an SOB. Woman today do so much, we run around like a squirrel on crack from sun-up to sun-down and then we want to curl up a die. But wait, you crawl into bed (finally) and then your spouse whispers “do you want to get it on?” Jesus Christ. Literally, we pray he either dies a sudden death or we do.

Well, SOBS, we all have stress in our life, no matter how perfect your little universe is. Stress affects us at a cellular level and changes our internal chemistry. After awhile, all these changes cause our adrenal glands to give up on us. I am not going to bore you with the science of it all…instead I am going to tell you the signs of adrenal fatigue and then what we can do about it. You might always be a SOB but you will feel good doing it!

The symptoms of adrenal fatigue or stress-induced-exhaustion are as follows: 

Weight gain around the middle or hip area

Fatigue

Sleep disturbances

Depression/Anxiety

Low blood pressure

Low blood sugar

Changes in skin pigment

NO libido (sex drive)

Menstrual irregularities

Sensitivity to caffeine or other chemicals

Allergies

Basically, you just feel like shit and you don’t know why!  If you go into any doctors office in the world and complain about the above they might test your thyroid, check for anemia, and then probably suggest an anti-depressant as treatment. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! That really cracks me up and pisses me off. Treat the cause not the symptoms people.

So let’s talk treatment…SOBs have to take charge of their own health to change it!  We can’t get rid of stress but we can make our body tougher and more resilient to it.  The results of treatment are slow but over time you will feel better and your body chemistry will change.  Here are the treatment options I lay out for my SOBs:

1.  Lower your cortisol (stress hormone) whenever you can.  Whether that means breathing for 5 minutes, a massage, exercise, reading after the kids are in bed, drinking (no, just kidding), just relax and take some ME time.

2.B-Stress Complex–one or two per day with food.  I give a liquid B-Stress formula that is like rocket fuel…it works! I have it as a product for sale on the site.

3.B5–I recommend an extra B5 per day.

4.Adrenal glandulars/herbal combination–I like a combo product that is POTENT. I use ADR and do 2-4 caps/day

5.Omega 3 oils–2000-3000mg/day (fish is best)

6. If testing (saliva is what I use) reveals a high cortisol at night—Seriphos (phosphatidyl serine) 2 caps/bedtime

7.If testing reveals low cortisol all day, I do prescriptive cortisol 2-4 times per day. This has to be prescribed by a qualified physician….

8. DHEA– 10-25mg/day if testing reveals low levels

9. Anti-oxidant support–resveratrol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

10. Diet–Whole foods (which means no crappy processed food–lean proteins, fruits, veg, whole grains)

11. Magnesium citrate–500-800 mg/day

I promise that if all you SOBs make a committment to change by doing some of the above your body will love you for it. You will age slower, you will feel better, you will lose weight, you will SURVIVE!  I, personally, treat my adrenals every day with my basic supplementation/wellness guidelines and then do more aggressive treatment once or twice per year to keep my stress in check. I may still be a SOB but atleast my body is reacting healthfully to the stress.

rgds

dr.gb

Tags: Add new tag, adrenal exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, adrenals, DHEA, hormone imbalance, stress, Tired, Weight Loss, Wellness
Posted in Adrenal Health, Soapbox, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Wellness | 2 Comments »

Weight Loss success…rewarding for you and the physician.

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

What is the single most important thing that determines health? Well, I will tell you it is not genetics, best doctors, luck, or anything other than…………..A HEALTHY WEIGHT.  What does that mean?  If you believe in BMI’s then it means a healthy BMI for your height…If you are like me, I think it depends on how you feel and percentage of fat on your frame! I know some curvaceous gals that love their bodies and their labwork is perfect….their BMI is a bit high but who gives a rip….self-confidence is also key to good health. 

I have been doing weight loss stuff for 10 years in my practice. I have recommended everything from anti-candida diets, to liver detox, to low carb, to low acid, to you name it…I have done it. I get so sick of people not losing weight or losing then gaining it back!!  How frustrating! 

It truly is physics…calories in and calories burned. I can’t watch what each client puts in their mouth and monitor exercise through a nanny cam….I have wanted to at times.  For example, I had a gal that wanted (and needed) to lose 15 pounds. It would help her blood pressure and her ability to fit into her wardrobe. She did a diet diary for me and I found several interesting things. First, skipped meals…Second, a smoothie for breakfast that was atleast 600+ calories (that was half her calories for the day and she didn’t even eat anything yet). After fine tuning her “I eat healthy” diet, she lost 15 pounds and thought it was miraculous. I do believe some people just don’t have a clue what they are actually putting in their mouths. She also said she exercised 6 days per week….I learned that she did yoga, walked a few miles here and there, and worked in the yard (none of these are true cardio exercise to burn calories or fat). Yes, any activity burns calories but if you are trying to lose weight you need to up the “burn factor” .

I have been prescribing HCG to my clients for the last 2 years. It is a strict diet with hormone injections. Sounds crazy but it is based on research from the 1940’s….It is a detox, a hypoallergy diet, and best of all it fricking works. It lasts 6 weeks so it isn’t overwhelming to commit to, it is very cut and dry, and  it is a heck of a jump start! I have had several people lose over 100 pounds (in multiple sessions) and many others lose 25-40 pounds the first session.

What amazes me is that peoples personalities change after losing weight and feeling empowered. My formerly frumpy fat moms are now sassy hot bitches! My chubby men clients are now masculine chic magnets. (All of this of course is in the head of the beholder…again self confidence ROCKS!)   This weight loss stuff, no matter the diet, is the most rewarding thing for me as a physician…..I bet for YOU as a patient too!

Please check out my weight loss section on the site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tags: cleanse, detox, hcg, hcg diet, obesity, Tired, Weight Loss, Wellness
Posted in Weight Loss, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

WIRED but TIRED

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Are you someone “who thrives on stress” and is considered Type A? Or maybe you just have been through some stressful times in the last year or more?  Your adrenal glands could be crying for help. Stress is NOT just an emotion it is a set of chemical chain reactions that starts in our adrenal glands. If we over-stress then our adrenals suffer…eventually your body does too!

I see patients everyday that have this “stress syndrome”…In fact, almost all of us have some degree of adrenal fatigue. The good news is that they are fairly easy to treat with natural medicine.  It can take 3 months to 2 years for full function to return but you will feel better  the entire time.

I saw a gal yesterday who said she was WIRED but TIRED. This is the adrenal fatigue syndrome in 3 easy words! She was a career driven woman who at 46 was beginning to slow down. She had kids, a husband, a house, a job…need I say more. Her mom had died this past year and she hadn’t been able to rebound since then.  She was dragging herself out of bed in the morning, had low energy all day, weight gain around her tummy, dizziness, headaches, and then insomnia at bedtime….She had burnt out all her reserves and now her body could not deal with stress (chemically that is).

So how do we fix this stress syndrome and adrenal fatigue? Good nutrition is the first step. Protein and hydration are the most important. I put my patient on atleast one protein shake per day to ensure some good quality protein. A diet rich in fruits and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains is best! (I think this is the best for all of us no matter what the issue!)

Next, I may prescribe some herbal combinations and vitamins. I recommend B5, selenium, vitamin C, omega fatty acids, D3, magnesium glycinate (citrate if you are constipated).  I also like adrenal glandulars with herbs. I use a product called ADR with my clients…it works great!  I may also prescribe DHEA to aid the adrenals.  To help the insomnia I use melatonin or seriphos (phos. serine) before bed.

There are lab tests to help make the picture more clear. I do a saliva test for cortisol, a test for DHEA-SO4, and use basic blood work as well. I spend 60-90 minutes with clients so what they tell me is more important than any lab tests but I do use them.

To reduce stress or make your body more resilient to stress is the goal!  I can help your body  but you have to reduce your own stress! Gentle exercise, baths, meditation, smelling the roses, riding your horse, whatever helps you relax will help your body! 

RGDS

dr.greenbean

Tags: Tired, Wired
Posted in Adrenal Health, Wellness | 3 Comments »