Health Beauty & Fitness » Hormones

Breast Cancer – Its Main Culprit is Hormones

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:32:03 +0000

Nowadays, women are scared of breast cancer, since about 212,000 women were diagnosed with it in the USA in 2005. Pink ribbon is a women’s movement to find a cure for it.

As everybody is expecting a cure for it, I think find the most risky factor is more important. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Although doctors will tell you if you have a family history of breast caner, you are at high risk for it, but most women diagnosed with it are without a family history.

After analyzing tumor tissues, medical science classifies breast cancer to three types.

1. Hormone-positive type: About 60 % to 70% of patients are in this type. The tumor growth is driven by excess amounts of estrogen or progesterone. The treatment is tamoxifen which blocks the absorption of estrogen.

2. Her-2 gene mutation type: About 20 to 30 % of patients are in this type.

The aggressive tumors are caused by a mutation in the Her-2 gene. The treatment is Herceptin which blocks the genetic mutation.

3. Triple-negative tumors: About 10 % of patients are in this type. The tumor growth is not sensitive to hormones or Her-2. There is not much we can do about this type except surgery and radiation.

So, the genetic mutation is only counted to about 20 to 30 % of breast cancer. Most people have hormone-positive type.

Bingo! The No. 1 risk factor for breast cancer is excess amounts of hormones.

That makes perfect sense. Women can feel breast tender after taking some hormone pills because breast tissue is hormone sensitive.

No wonder breast cancer is epidemic toady. In fact, we live in the ocean of hormones, such as food produced by growth hormones, birth control pills, and hormone therapy.

The Truth About Weight Loss Pills

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:46:02 +0000

Weight loss is a process wherein the fats in the body are reduced by way of diet, exercise, or surgery. Some people do this for health reasons while some do this to look more pleasing. Due to the health risks brought by obesity, many people are into weight loss. If you are an obese person, there is a high chance for you to develop diabetes and heart problems. The amount of the unhealthy substances in the body is very high that it affects the functioning of the organ systems and the hormones.

The supporters of the natural and artificial weight loss have been arguing about which one is the safer way to lose weight. Natural plans are very common but not all of these are safe. Some plans are bad for the body and they may worsen any health problems that you may have. For those who do not want to exert so much time and effort on losing weight, weight loss pills are taken.

These pills are said to contain extracts from plants as well as different substances that will help a person lose weight. Of course, these pills come with a side effect. The side effects of pills vary depending on the ingredients and on the condition of the person who will take the pills. You should consult a doctor before using any pill because you are not sure about its content. You may develop allergic reactions and other health problems. You should also be sure that it is not a fake one by buying pills only in accredited institutions.

What to Do for Pregnancy Nausea

admin — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 10:36:36 +0000

Pregnancy nausea is more commonly called as ‘morning sickness’, and is prevalent from about the fourth week of pregnancy to about the fourteenth week of pregnancy. A few women have the misfortune of suffering from nausea till almost the end of the pregnancy. Pregnant women are often engrossed about what to do for pregnancy nausea as from the time they wake up in the morning, they feel sick and even vomit whatever they eat.

It is believed that nausea is caused by the action of hormones and imbalances in sugar levels. The best precautions that one could take to reduce nausea is thus to maintain the sugar levels by eating in small quantities, frequently. And as frequent vomiting leads to dehydration, it becomes mandatory to take lots of fluids also. However to drink water during or immediately after eating is not recommended as it triggers a vomiting sensation.

Heightened feeling of sickness is experienced when the pregnant woman wakes up in the morning. The pregnant woman is advised not to get out of the bed in a hurry. It helps further if she has a small intake of some snacks in the bed before stepping out of it. Diet like crackers and toasted bread are prescribed to avoid the morning sickness at the start of the day. Pregnant women are advised to sit after their meals to help the gravitational force take the food down.

Similarly, women wondering what to do for pregnancy nausea have to ensure that they eat before they go to sleep. By ensuring that their bowel is not empty one succeeds in avoiding the morning sickness. They should also be careful in their movements and activities during the period. Drastic activities and fast movements are to be avoided by pregnant women. However doing regular and measured exercises help the pregnant women in keeping the body fit and healthy.

The other precautions that pregnant women have to take include avoiding spicy food as odor is another factor that stimulates the vomiting sensation. Carefully adhering to steps mentioned here help pregnant women to successfully come over the problem of nausea in pregnancy.

Perimenopause Pregnancy – What Are the Odds and Risks When You Are Over 35?

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:38:35 +0000

A woman’s body undergoes so many changes in a woman’s lifetime. Oftentimes, these changes and symptoms indicate the age of a woman or the transition stages that she goes through to wit: when a girl hits her teens-she experiences menstruation -indicating that her body is ready for childbearing. When a woman hits her late 30′s onwards-she experiences the first signs of perimenopause which is defined as the process of change a woman feels leading to menopause. Perimenopause lasts no less than two years to over eight years. Then in her 50′s a woman goes through her menopause-which is the end of her menstrual period. So, the various phases a woman’s body goes through cannot belie her real age.

Perimenopause is the period when a woman’s body experiences a decline in the production of ovum (egg supply) both in quantity and quality. This results in a change in hormones and premenstrual syndrome symptoms (PMS) that are more intense or of a different nature than previously felt. Perimenopause marks the beginning of the end-beginning of the decline of a woman’s child bearing stage.

What are the odds of a woman getting pregnant when she is over 35?

The woman’s ovulation and menstruation becomes irregular when a woman’s supply of ova or egg continues to decline. The decline in a woman’s egg supply results in diminished fertility and is most noticeable after the mid 30s.

In their 40′s, the menstrual cycle of a woman becomes increasingly irregular and may do so until menopause and this also compromises fertility. Often, health-conscious women in this age group do not seek prenatal care when they become pregnant; they often assume that the skipped period which is the first sign of pregnancy is instead the first sign of menopause.

What are the risks of a woman getting pregnant when she is over 35?

As an outcome of irregular production of hormones Perimenopausal pregnancy becomes high risk-officially, pregnancies at age 35 are high risks. However, if a woman is fit and healthy, she may enjoy the energy usually associated with a younger woman, if and when she becomes pregnant at age 35 and over. Doctors say that a woman’s physical well-being during pregnancy depends more on who she is than how old she is. Nevertheless, a woman should be aware of chronic conditions that complicate pregnancy where it first becomes evident. These chronic conditions can be diabetes or high blood pressure. Also, even if one is in tip top shape, starting at the age of 35, there is an increasing risk for pregnancy-specific conditions including gestational diabetes.

Pregnancies at 35 and over, have the odds of giving birth to a baby with a chromosomal problem such as Down syndrome where a baby is born with an extra chromosome. Getting pregnant during perimenopause also gives the risk of miscarriage from amniocentesis, which is a diagnostic test given to look for chromosomal defects by examining the amniotic fluid. This test calls for the fluid being removed through a needle inserted in the mother’s abdomen. Although the risk is still minimal, the risk is significantly higher when compared to a woman in her twenties. Other risk a woman may encounter at perimenopause pregnancy is Placenta Previa, where the placenta grows near the cervix and causes bleeding.

Perimenopausal pregnancy when over 35 and over 40, medically speaking, is the most difficult age for pregnancy. At this decade, a woman has used up the highest-quality ova, slowing down conception. The ova that are now left in the body are those that take the longest to respond to the body’s cues for release, and which also don’t function well during fertilization. This condition or state of the ova further raises the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage.

It is with interest to note however that while is now at this age that is hardest, to get pregnant, the likelihood to carry multiples – in itself another high-risk pregnancy — even without medical intervention is not far-off. A possible reason could be that the shift in hormone levels during menopause stimulates the release of more than one egg at ovulation — like a natural fertility drug.

Standard tests on pregnancies become risky when given to pregnant women over 35 since it entails the removal of tissue from the placenta risking a miscarriage albeit a low level.

Pregnancy after the age of 35 may worsen chronic conditions as well as early signs of aging, such as stiff, sore joints. Varicose veins may multiply and worsen. A slower metabolism may result in much weight gain, lethargy and sluggishness.

So, would you dare defy the odds and face the risks and get pregnant when you are over 35?
Later pregnancies have physical downsides as doctors are quick to point out but a list of other advantages balance the risks. For starters, greater financial stability, may enable one to focus more on motherhood. Having proven themselves professionally, women in their mid-thirties and over, may be more flexible and patient having faced more challenges in their lifetime.

Men’s Health Tips

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:20:07 +0000

Men not only need to work hard, but also need to keep mind your health. Here we give some useful suggestion to you, let’s do it now!.

1. Physically fit: Do you dream of a Schwarzenegger-like robust? If you looks like too old, it is hard to image women will be interested in you. You need to make your muscles more be beautiful, and try to do some strength training like lifting weights, and let the body really strong.
2. Brave: Do not think that physical health is enough. In the pressure of the times, truly healthy man should have do not afraid of anything, to be calm when meeting problems. Use some time to thinking a lot, can increase your stress resistance.
3. Embrace: Huge your lover now. Hug will make appreciate each other’s feelings, your mind will secrete a “OT” hormones, this do a lot to calm your mood and keep away from diseases.
4. Periodic inspection: Some disease will come and you can not feel it, so do not feel good not to check. Go to see a doctor periodical and make your own assessment of the body.
5. Sports: Though we always talked about sporting, you may still not have good execution. Remember your health is of your own, exercise is that you have the most effective way to health. Running with a new pair of running shoes a little while during morning, play hockey in winter with your friends each weekend is also a good choice, remember go there with your new equipment, like hockey jersey, it will make you be more interested in hockey.
6. Food: Nutritionists say that food must come revolution first if a men want to keep fit. Eat something you like very much but not good to health, it will damage yourself in a certain long time. Proper eating habits every day to ensure the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, lean meat and a variety of nuts, rather than excessive drinking.
7. Body language: Posture is a mans recessive healthy indicator, Now please start attach to it. An elegant manner will make you be more attractive virtually. In the opposite, indecent behavior can not hand with health at any time.
8. Release: Keep a little while relax no matter how busy you are. This is one of the best ways to treat you better and release pressure. Do not wait until the body can be due to too much debt, when you feel not so good, then it is too late. Give yourself a relaxing statutory time, every Monday days, or set aside a few hours a day.
9. Memories: Recall good things that happened several years ago, it also will do great to make yourself better.
10. Travel: Must not on the excuse of busy job. With a flying heart, be close to nature like beautiful mountains or clear water. Give some place to totally released, to be health mentally.

Men’s Health – Prostrate Cancer And Men

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:00:19 +0000

Men and women are alike, as they are human beings with a similar physical structure. They are very similar in their outlook, and even biologically too.

However, there are certain things that are just totally conflict, such as the main organs that define their sexes. Males have different gonads and so do women, and this plays a vital role in making them the people that they are. Not only this, but it can be said that their organs and the hormones from them make them prone in different ways as well. As an example of this is the way that women are prone to getting cancer of the breasts and cervix. Men of course, do not suffer this way, except in the case of some men getting breast cancer.

PROSTRATE CANCER – A WIDE-SPREAD AILMENT IN MEN

In contrast to women suffering from cancer of the cervix, there are conditions that affect men, such as Prostrate Cancer. This is a condition that affects men because of the fact that they have a prostrate gland. In many men, the prostrate gland is known to swell up. This condition usually takes place when men reach a certain age, ……………

to read more please visit our site

[http://www.always-health.com/prostratecancer_men.html]

How Propecia Works In Stopping Hair Loss

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:02:12 +0000

If you are suffering from hair loss, you have probably heard of Propecia. It is the only Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved medicine for combating androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness (MPB). The nice thing about Propecia is that it is taken orally, in pill form. What is the history of this drug, how does it help stop hair loss and help re-grow hair? Lets look at some of the answers.

History – Propecia was initially being used to help men deal with an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It helped men with BPH by shrinking the prostate, relieving men of much discomfort. When men took this medicine, they noticed that hair re-grew where they had lost it due to MPB.

After some studies, the FDA approved this for use in treating men who are suffering from MPB.

However women should not use this since it has been proven to cause birth defects in babies.

How It Works – The reason men were taking Propecia for an enlarged prostate, is because it helped to regulate DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which has been determined to be the cause of an enlarged prostate. DHT is the same hormone that causes MPB. It does this by attaching itself to the hair follicle. By attaching itself to the hair follicle, it effectively stops nutrients from getting to the hair strand and to the follicle. Eventually the hair strand falls out and the follicle will soon shrink and die.

DHT is created by the male hormone testosterone and the 5 alpha reductase enzyme combining to create DHT. DHT is one of the more powerful hormones found in both men and women.

Propecia works to lower the levels of DHT in the blood stream. By doing this, the hair follicles remain free of DHT and needed nutrients are allowed to get to the hair strand. The hair will stop falling out and in some cases, hair has actually re-grown in places where hair has already been lost.

Conclusion – Propecia is the only orally taken pill approved by the FDA for stopping male pattern baldness. It does this by reducing the levels of DHT in the blood. Women should not use Propecia since it has been known to cause birth defects in babies.

Women are approved to use Minoxidil for treatment of female pattern baldness. The FDA has approved this drug to help both men and women with androgenetic alopecia.

3 Benefits of Good Nutrition

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:40:49 +0000

The first benefit of good nutrition is giving your body to do the job it was designed to do- which is to be healthy! The easier it is for your body to function normally, the more it can do all of its work without having to ‘put out fires’. This means it is easier for you to think, walk, talk, sleep and do all of the hundreds of things you do daily without even noticing.

How do you know what good nutrition is? Think of foods that are not processed. This means the fewer steps food goes through before it’s on your plate the more nutritional value it carries with it. The fresh peach, or plum or carrot is much easier for your body to break down and digest. Compare to a prepared entree that probably started out fresh, went to a processing factory and has now gone through many chemical processes to get to you. It is older, less fresh, and not quite as alive as that fruit or vegetable is.

The second benefit of good nutrition is that it’s easier to recover from illness or injury. When you are ill, your body goes into overdrive protecting you, and producing many different hormones and chemicals. This puts more ‘stress’ on the system. When the underlying mechanism (your body) is relatively sound, the stress does not last as long, and doesn’t put as much pressure on your body as if you were ill. Think about the healthiest person you know. Someone who eats brightly coloured fresh fruit and vegetables, exercises, etc. Other than a serious illness or injury, notice that they are able to bounce back more quickly from minor, or everyday illnesses.

This doesn’t mean that you have to become someone who is totally into raw food, or running marathons to be healthy. The bottom line is that humans have not evolved from hunters and gatherers to people that get the majority of their food from a box. The many wonderful (and not so wonderful) advances we have made in the areas of technology and food are not always to our advantage. Read the “End of Food” by Paul Roberts if you would like more information in this area.

The third benefit of good nutrition is reducing mind stress. If you are receiving an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals, both through food and supplements, your brain will work better. If your brain is fed, it’s easier to make decisions, ranging from everyday to complex. An excellent book on this subject is by Dr. Mark Hyman “Fix your broken brain by healing your body first”.

Good nutrition is essential to your health, and the good news is it’s in your grocery basket- think easy, simple and fresh!

Men’s Health – Angst, Man Boobs and Strategies

admin — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:11:49 +0000

Why is there so much angst about man boobs. If you truly have Gynecomastia, then boost your testosterone level with a supplement, shot or cream. When you get your hormones back in balance, then your man boobs will go back to looking like a man’s chest. Right? Wrong.

There is no “Easy Button” in life. This includes losing your man boobs. But not just that issue, almost all health issues cannot be solved by simply adding a vitamin, hormone, mineral, whatever… You must go to the root cause and ascertain why your body is lacking that vitamin, hormone, mineral or whatever.

After you find out the why, then it is important that you solve the source problem and not just paint over the rust…

In the opening paragraph I suggested that we just add testosterone to the body thereby tipping the balance in the direction we desire. Unfortunately when we do that we signal our body that we have more than enough testosterone and our very efficient body then shuts down all natural testosterone production. As you can conclude, we now have created an addict. Because if you stop the augmentation of testosterone, there is no natural production to maintain the correct level.

It has been often stated that Gynecomastia symptoms occur when there is a hormone imbalance: too much Estrogen, too little Testosterone. Why is there an imbalance? Either the male body is making too much Estrogen or too little Testosterone. Which is it, or is it both?

A small tangent here, sometimes… the most effective strategy is to trick your body into believing a situation, then your body will respond and fix the issue by itself.

Another tangent – we do not want to disturb the balance of the body because all things relate to all things. If you push in one direction with pharmaceuticals or surgery, then you knock the body out of balance. The body reacts. Often it overreacts and the result is another imbalance now with a different issue. This continues indefinitely because you never addressed the source of the first problem and ‘convinced’ your body to solve it by itself.

Back to man boobs. What we need is something which will do one or all of the following:

Tell the male body that there is too much estrogen, then the male body will depress the production of estrogen. Tell the male body that there is a shortage of testosterone, then the male body will increase the production of testosterone.

The recommended long term solution is a diet and exercise program which creates the environment within the male body which stimulates natural testosterone production.This solution is not an Easy Button as I said earlier. It is certainly not impossible or difficult, but it does require persistence and discipline.

The closest thing to an Easy Button is called a Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The Tribulus Terrestis herb causes the body to increase production of LH which starts the chain of events which ends in more testosterone and a more normal hormone balance in the male body.

This herb actually has beneficial effects for both men and women.

6 Weight Loss Tips The Experts Don’t Tell You About

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:24:43 +0000

Let’s face it, when experts and diet plans go on and on about the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet and getting enough exercise they are not talking rocket science and most of us already know what we need to do to lose weight.

What they don’t often take in to account is how hard it can be to maintain motivation and change the way you eat forever. There are also a number of tricks that you can use to reduce your daily food intake without noticing. Follow these unique weight loss tips below to assist you in your weight loss plan
Smaller Plate: Did you know that as the prosperity of a country increases so does the diameter of the dinner plates? If you compare the average dinner plate today with a dinner plate from 50 years ago there will be a significant difference in the size. When you have such a big plate there is an urge to fill it with food even though the portion size might be twice what you need. Shop around to buy some smaller plates and the amount you eat at meal times will decrease as a result. Keep healthy snacks with you: We all get a craving for food at times and it is so easy to munch on a chocolate bar or some sweets for an instant fix, but a calorie overload isn’t what your body requires, it wants nutrients to carry on its normal functions. By chopping up fruits and veg in the morning you can munch on them all day you can satisfy your hunger and be less tempted to binge on quick fix food like chocolate bars and crisps. Drink water: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps keep hunger at bay as your stomach is kept full. Try not to drink ice cold water as this has a tendency to pass right through you! However, if you find that you are going to the bathroom too much it’s your body’s way of telling you to cut down. Eat slower: Nearly everything in your body is controlled by the release of hormones. When you are hungry it’s because your stomach has released hormones which your brain understands as a feeling of hunger. Similarly when you are full it’s because your stomach releases different hormones informing your brain that it doesn’t need more food. Unfortunately these processes are not instant and if you wolf down your meals your body doesn’t have enough time to tell you to stop before you’ve finished. You can even force yourself to eat slower by using smaller cutlery so you have to take more mouthfuls. Understand calories: If you want to lose weight then you need to understand how calories work. There are a variety of weight loss calculators available that will estimate how many calories you need to maintain your current lifestyle. If you want to lose weight then you need to be consuming less calories than your body wants. So to maintain an average weight loss of 1 pound per week you need to aim to reduce your daily intake by about 500 calories. It is not recommended that you combat weight loss by restricting your intake alone but by doing some form of exercise you don’t need to reduce your calorie intake as much. Keep a food diary: We all have a habit of eating far more than we realize. Many of us will complain that we don’t know where the additional weight is coming from but if we were honest and kept a food diary then it is usually pretty obvious that those additional pounds are the result of a sneaky chocolate bar here and the odd packet of crisps there. Keeping a food diary helps you to not only understand your weaknesses (for example, do you crave a certain fatty food at the same time each day) but also helps to track your calorie intake.

Along with a healthy weight loss plan and taking some form of daily exercise you can use the weight loss tips above to help you achieve your goals. Remember though, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint, so simply skipping meals or drastically reducing your food intake is not the best way to become slim.