Five things no woman wants to hear from a man:

 The female brain is quite logical. We know how things should be done, when they should be done and whose job it is to do so. This, is why there are so many jokes about “my mom was right after all”. “Try, try and try again, then do it the way your mom told you in the first place”.  We take pride in our organizational skills, our ability to run a household while raising kids, managing finances, shopping for healthy food, ordering pizza, finding all things important including lost socks, favorite hair accessories, phone chargers and the spicy mustard in the back, left corner of the fridge behind the milk and yogurt.

Someday's I’ve felt like a Rockette in perfect sync; step kick, shuffle ball kick. Other days, I’ve felt like Lucielle Ball in a dance class ever going the opposite direction, bumping into the other dancers no matter how hard I try.

Disjointed and in a fog, even the dog can’t decide if she wants to come and cuddle or if she should hide under the bed until the storm passes.

The last thing any woman needs on a; let’s just call it a “foggy day” are any of these five ill-advised comments from our “significant other”.

•          “Just calm down”!
•           “Are you crazy”?
•          “What is wrong with you”?
•          “Are you on your period”?
•          “You need to get over it”!

Honestly, to what end?

I’ve considered manufacturing stickers that I can sell on Amazon; bright orange, with WARNING in bold letters that I can place on my forehead. Included in the fine print would be a request for a twenty-four-hour reprieve. Anyone who see this pretty orange sticker will be smart and just walk away and provide twenty-four hours of peace……. please….  

I’ve already thought of including a transdermal anti-aging product to the adhesive side. How practical is that?

I’ve felt like I was in the twilight zone, while having an out of body experience. Who knew it was my progesterone that had gone south. I feel bad for those around me when I feel like this. It’s not their fault and I know I am in the no-fun zone.

Progesterone is our happy hormone! Progesterone affects the quality of our bones and skin, helps us to handle stress, get a good night’s sleep and maintain healthy brain and memory. Having our progesterone balanced helps to keep us youthful. To look and feel our best and regulate our menstrual cycle.

Progesterone is produced in the ovaries and the adrenals and is a natural anti-depressant. Reduced levels of progesterone can bring on a full-blown anxiety attack in someone who has never suffered anxiety in the past.

Our bodies production of progesterone naturally declines with age. Fortunately, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy may be an excellent solution for you.

If you are feeling unhappy or anxious, your periods are irregular or non-stop and the last time you blew out candles on a cake, someone called the fire department. It may be time to get a comprehensive hormone panel done by a physician who has specialized training in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Progesterone replacement can be just one of many things that can contribute to feeling like yourself again.  Of course, your progesterone doesn’t have to be low to experience the dreaded “foggy brain”. It can even be a sensitivity to certain foods…like gluten.

My mom is in her eighties and will likely never read my blog, so I will go ahead and talk about her. She is highly gluten sensitive. She lives a few hours away and doesn’t see my husband for medical care. No HIPPA laws are being broken here – just a bit of mother/daughter sharing being used as an example. She is diagnosis shopping right now having back to back brain and belly scans looking for a diagnosis that will have a long Latin name that comes with a magic pill to fix her brain fog. I am hoping she will get on the gluten-free train soon, so she will again occasionally call me by my own name, and not that of my sister.

Mom…if you do read this, I hope you remember to call and be mad that I talked about you! That will mean you gave up bread, crackers and cookies, read my blog and remembered to call! I love you mom!

Something I love and appreciate about the community of women is our ability to share our personal experiences. With this, we gain a renewed sense of “our problems are not unique” most of us go through “this or that”. We are the communicators, the nurturers and the care takers.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can provide restoration and normalcy to hormone levels at any stage of life. I’ve known women who were having hot flashes in their early 30’s or who have struggled with their weight in-spite of a clean diet and consistent exercise. What I did not know was how hormones can affect mood, ability to lose weight and a good nights sleep. Because, if you cannot sleep, your cortisol levels rise. If your cortisol rises, you gain weight. If you gain weight you are stressed and unhappy. If you are stressed and unhappy, your cortisol rises. It is important to know that hormonal imbalances related to post child bearing and perimenopause years including weight gain and other health issues, can be addressed and resolved. Just like we get our first period at an age different from our friends, our bodies begin to change, our hormone levels decline at different ages.

I always have my head in a book, attending a conference or listening to a podcast about hormones, nutrition, fitness, and the importance of where our food comes from and what foods to eat. Currently, I am immersed in “Whitewash” a book written by Carey Gilliam. She is a bright investigative reporter who recently published the book chronicling the story of a weed killer (Round-Up) and its connection to health problems and the corruption involved between the manufacturer (Monsanto) and various government agencies.

Specifically, about Monsanto and their product glyphosate sold under the commercial name Roundup. Glyphosate is an endocrine disrupter and has been sold to farmers world-wide. It is in our soil, food, livestock, produce and honey, even some of the organics. What is not known is how the prevalence of this product will affect our lives and that of our children for generations to come.

Why does this matter in a blog about bioidentical hormone replacement? When absorbed in the body, an endocrine disruptor can make the hormones in our body become unhealthy and alter the natural production of hormones. I am forever concerned about how the chemicals in our food and environment are playing a role in our health.

Love + Lunges, and more to come,

Suzette Campbell

P.S. for more educational information about hormone testing and optimization, go to www.bestlifemedicalcenter.com