Blog Archives - Geometric Health

Testosterone & Cardiovascular Health

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Tanya Escobedo

Is testosterone good for our cardiovascular health? And why should I care about my cardiovascular health? Every 40 seconds an American has a heart attack! About 1 in 3 deaths in the US is caused from cardiovascular disease, it is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Over half of the deaths from heart disease are men with an average age of 65yo. This includes deaths from coronary heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, heart failure, arterial diseases and strokes. (facts from CDC & American Heart Association).

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

Increased age
Decrease testosterone levels
Diabetes
Inactivity
High blood pressure
Smoking & drinking
Poor diet
Obesity
Certain genetic or SNP mutations

Testosterone & Common Sense

Let’s look at the basics of testosterone and it’s effects in the body, from this you can see how having healthy levels contribute to a healthier cardiovascular system and a better quality of life.

Role of Testosterone in the body

Body Hair– Promotes growth of hair growth on face, chest, pubic area, and umbilical line.
Bone & Muscle– Stimulation and maintenance of muscle and bone strength.
Healthy joints– stimulation of growth and repair of ligaments and cartilage.
Sex Organs- stimulates the development of the testes, scrotum and causes sperm production.
Healthy erections– helps maintain healthy erectile function. Boost sex drive.
Energy & Fat Burning– Increases metabolism to promote energy production, fat burning and maintenance of a healthy weight.
Improves Mood– boost mood, confidence and drive
Improves Sleep quality.
Cardiovascular Health– Maintains good cholesterol called HDLs, while preventing arteriosclerosis, and maintaing a healthy blood pressure. All important markers for cardiovascular health

We know as testosterone declines prostate cancers, other cancers, and cardiovascular disease all increase. As men hit andropause they get fatter, muscle mass declines, activity and mood declines. Men who have healthy testosterone levels have more muscle which helps burn sugar and fat, their mood is better and they are more motivation to get out exercise and be healthy. They have better recovery time and less joint pain which keep you mobile longer. With health erections, and a healthy libido they are likely more sexually active, which means more cardio! This alone would improve your cardiovascular health and overall well being. But lets look at the research and see what it says!

What does the Research Say

Overall the research indicates that men with low testosterone levels have higher mortality rate and higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Men who normalized their testosterone with testosterone replacement therapy had lower rates of stroke, heart attacks and overall mortality.

The Research indicates that testosterone has the following effects on our cardiovascular system :

Improves exercise induced ST depression and myocardial ischemia
Dilates the coronary arteries -increase blood flow to the heart muscle
Improves body composition, insulin resistance and reduces risks for metabolic syndrome
Improves inflammation, CRP and inflammatory cytokins
Improves congestive heart failure
Lowers risks for heart attacks and overall mortality
May slow the progression of artherosclerosis
Reduces risks of type 2 diabetes
Mixed results on lipid profiles, however lower testosterone is related to dyslipidemia (poor lipid levels), and testosterone replacement has been shown in improve lipid ratios.

In summary having healthy levels of testosterone helps to improve your cardiovascular health in a variety of ways, improving metabolism, reducing blood sugar, improving fat burning, reducing inflammation, increasing circulation to the heart, and lowering other risks factor for cardiovascular disease. Conversely, having low levels is associated with increased mortality, strokes and heart attacks. So why not choose to have your testosterone levels tested, improve your quality of life and your longevity! If you want o learn more about low testosterone and what you can do to boost it read more here!

Dr.Escobedo has extensive experience working with men to balance, replace and restore healthy hormones including testosterone as well as improve cardiovascular health. She utilizes a wide range of testosterone replacement therapies, supplements, diet, exercise and herbs to help restore the bodies natural hormone levels and restore cardiovascular health. To find out if she can help book your free 15 minute phone consult today.

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References

Sharma, R et al. Normalization of testosterone level is associated with reduced incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality in men. Eur Heart J. 2015 Aug 6

Shores MM, Moceri VM, Gruenewald DA, et al. Low testosterone is
associated with decreased function and increased mortality risk: a
preliminary study of men ina geriatric rehabilitation unit. J Am
Geriatr Soc 2004;52:2077e81.

Khaw KT, Dowsett M, Folkerd E, et al. Endogenous testosterone
and mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer
in men: European prospective investigation into cancer in Norfolk
(EPIC-Norfolk) Prospective Population Study. Circulation
2007;116:2694e701.

Shores MM, Matsumoto AM, Sloan KL, et al. Low serum
testosterone and mortality in male veterans. Arch Intern Med
2006;166:1660e5.

Laughlin GA, Barrett-Connor E, Bergstrom J. Low serum
testosterone and mortality in older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab
2008;93:68e75

Basaria S et al. Effects of Testosterone Administration for 3 Years on Subclinical Atherosclerosis Progression in Older Men with Low or Low-normal Testosterone Levels. JAMA.2015; 314(6):570-581.

Cheetham TC et al. Association of Testosterone Replacement With Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Men With Androgen Deficiency. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Apr 1;177(4):491-499

Berg G. et al. Impact on lipoprotein profile after long-term testosterone replacement in hypogonadal men. Horm Metab Res. 2002 Feb;34(2):87-92.

Hormones & Your Cardiovascular Health

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Tanya Escobedo

Find Out if You Are at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in north america, so yeah, it’s important part of your health! You have probably been to your Primary Healthcare Provider and had your lipids tested. If you have elevated cholesterol they probably told you you need to start a statin like Lipitor. But did you know that 50% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels? Or that taking a statin reduces your risks of having a cardiovascular event by 1% over 10 years? Did you know that statins deplete CoQ10, an essential nutrient your heart muscles need to operate? Did you know that taking CoQ10 with Selenium has been shown to cut yours risks down by 50% (read more here). It’s time to rethink the statin strategy, and get the whole picture. So what does it mean to really asses your risks for cardiovascular disease? It’s alot more involved then just looking at your cholesterol and lower it. There are four main areas to focus on in testing when assessing your cardiovascular health:

Inflammation & Plaque stability: hs-CRP, Homocystein, Fibrinogen, MPA, LpPLA
Genetics: Lp(a), MTHFR, Clotting factors
Lipid profile: HDL, ApoA, LDL, sdLDLs, Cholesterol, Apo B, TG
Metabolics: HbA1C, insulin, C-peptide, fasting glucose

*More information on these tests here.

External factors that play a big role at influencing the above internal factors are of course: (see info-graph here.)

Smoking
Weight- more over weight a person is the higher the risk.
Activity level: minimum 30 minutes daily.
Stress
Diet: can drastically change your lipid profile alone.
Alcohol intake: 3 drinks or less per week.
Blood pressure: ideal is 120/60

Besides eating healthy, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly there is lots you can do maximize your cardiovascular health. Maintaining healthy hormones is a big part of that. For women estrogen play an important role, and for men testosterone does. (See my blog here for more on Testosterone role in cardiovascular health).

Estrogen is Cardio-protective in Women

Before menopause women have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease then men the same age, after menopause we have an increased risk. Estrogen replacement therapy has been shown in numerous studies to reduce cardiovascular mortality by 40-50% in post-menopausal women. Seem how women are much more likely to die of cardiovascular disease then breast cancer (read about estrogen and cancer risks here) that is something to consider. Here is how estrogen can prevent cardiovascular disease:

Improved lipid profile (lower LDL, Lp(a) & TG, increases HDLs by 10-15%)
Lower accumulation of lipids in the arteries
Stimulates endothelial NO production = vasodilation (less pressure in system)
Increase mitochondrial efficiency and reduces oxidative stress
Reduces vascular oxidative stress (less inflammation = better health of vessels)
Limits the progression of fibrofatty and atherosclerotic plaques formation
Improves endothelial growth and repair, and reduces thickening of the intima
Lowers blood pressure (ACE inhibiting, down regulates constriction and increase vasodilaiton)
Transdermally it acts as an anti-inflammatory

Oral Estrogen & Clotting

The form of estrogens make a big difference in their safety, oral synthetic estrogens like birth control pills and Premarin increase clotting. In the Womens Health Initiative study they found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, mostly relating to clot formation- strokes, embolism, and other forms of clots, in this study they used Conjugated Equine Estrogens (CEE). These are a from of oral estrogens and oral (Bio-identical or not) have a long list of side effects that are very hard on your health and cardiovascular system including:

Increase blood pressure
Increased 4-OH estrone production (the “bad” estrogen)
Hard on the liver
Increases clotting factors
Increases inflammatory marker CRP
Increases cravings for carbs (which usually results in eating more carbs and sugar, which creates more inflammation).

When a hormone is taken orally it is metabolized through the first pass in the liver, during this process they are broken down into metabolites that can increase clotting and inflammation resulting in many of the above concerns. This is why doctors always ask you before taking the birth control pill if you have a family history of blood clots or if you are a smoker. We know oral estrogens have this risk, so it’s no surprise in the WHI study they saw an increase in cardiovascular events like clots, strokes and embolism. When estrogen is taken topically in a cream or vaginally this first pass metabolism doesn’t happen and many of the above risks are negated. I don’t recommend women take any kind of estrogen orally! This includes the oral birth control pill. Endogenously produced, topical and vaginal estrogens are very safe and are cardio-protective. Here for more information on the cardio-protective effects of estrogen.

Naturally Reduce your Risks for Cardiovascular Disease

Enjoy a Mediterranean style diet- avoiding saturated fats, trans fast, refined sugars, processed foods, fried foods. Inlcude more salmon, olive oil, olives, coconut, plant based fats, colorful fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, turmeric, garlic and ginger.
CoQ10, Selenium and Vitamin E
Maintain healthy levels of vitamin D (50-90 in blood)
Methylation factors to keep homocysteindown: B12, methyl-folate, B6, TMG
Magnesium
Mitochondrial support: L-Carnitine, CoQ10, D-Ribose, Niacinamide (niacin, NAD).

Overall

When estrogens are produced naturally in the body, or taken as a bio-identical topical cream, or vaginal suppository they have a very beneficial and protect effect on the cardiovascular system, and your heart. It’s important to be informed about the form of estrogen your taking, the mode of delivery, and have your estrogen metabolites measured. Estrogen metabolites will let you know how you’re breaking down your estrogens, as some estrogen metabolites are not good for you (for more info on estrogen metabolism click here)

If you are wanting to have your hormones tested or want to have your cardiovascular health assessed, Dr. Escobedo can help. We work with Boston Heart and Cleveland Heart labs- two of the leading cardiovascular labs in the country, with some of the most sensitive markers for assessing cardiovascular health. Book your free 15 minute phone consult today.

The autoimmune thyroid, post-partum & hormone connection

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Tanya Escobedo

As a Naturopathic Doctor and functional medical practitioner with a passion for thyroid health I diagnose and treat a lot of thyroid imbalances in my practice. The thyroid plays an important role in fertility and pregnancy, and is often overlooked. Ninty percent of thyroid conditions are caused by autoimmunity ¹ and the immune system is influenced by hormones. Immune cells have hormone receptors on them, and hormones can up regulate or down regulate the immune system. Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and the stress hormone cortisol all interact with the immune system. Overall testosterone and estrogen are anti-inflammatory which means they are going to calm the immune system down. Cortisol has immune calming and suppressing action. For example, we often get sick after a stressful time, our immune systems have been suppressed and vulnerable to exposure but unable to mount a response. Once you finally get that holiday at the end of exam time, your immune system comes back to life and mounts a response resulting in you feeling sick.

Why are women more likely to get autoimmune conditions?

Women are more likely to get autoimmune conditions then men, in fact women make up 75% of those with autoimmunity ². Women have more estrogen then men, and estrogen is suppose to be anti-inflammatory so what the heck? Well, we often see autoimmunity rear it’s ugly head when estrogen and cortisol are low. For example estrogen soars during pregnancy and autoimmune symptoms generally improve, and many women are diagnosed with autoimmune conditions after pregnancy. That post-partum time when our adrenals are burnt out, our estrogen is low, the immune system flares up, attacks the thyroid and causes hypothyroidism or other autoimmune conditions. Similarly autoimmune symptoms can be worse on mensuration when estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest.

Another very common time to see the onset of an autoimmune condition is after a period of stress. The stress system, regulated by the hormone cortisol, plays an integral role in hormone production in the body. When men and women go through prolonged periods of stress the adrenals burns out. During burn out we don’t have enough cortisol to help calm the immune system when it acts in an abnormal way, like attacking its own tissues as seen in autoimmunity. Low cortisol also drains our sex hormones, when cortisol is low the body shunts all the its hormone making resources towards restoring cortisol, leaving very little resources for making the anti-inflammatory hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Ever wonder why your libido drops when your stressed out? Cortisol is draining your sex hormone testosterone.

What does this mean for Post-Partum women?

It means post-partum can be a very difficult time! If an autoimmune thyroid condition like Hashimotos kicks in after pregnancy, you are more likely to gain weight, feel depressed and have low energy. Layer this on top of sleep deprivation and huge fluctuation in hormones, and life is going to be a challenge. It can take months even years to recover with out the proper support.

What type of screening test can be done to find out if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition?

Most doctors only run TSH, this is not sufficient!! This is why many autoimmune and thyroid conditions go undiagnosed until you are feeling really sick. If you want to get an idea of what your thyroid is doing or if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition you need to see more then TSH. You want to evaluate how your thyroid is producing thyroid hormones, how your body is activating inactive T4 into active T3 and you want to see if the immune system is producing anti-bodies against your thyroid. To evaluate this you need the following tests:

TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Reverse T3
Thyroperoxidase antibodies (Anti-TPOs)
Thyroglobulin antibodies (Anti-TG’s)
Oral temperature
Testosterone
Estradiol
Day 21 Progesterone
Salivary Cortisol

Take 12 temperature readings with a digital or shake down thermometer at 11am, 3pm, and 6pm. If your average oral tempurature is below 98.6F, your not getting enough T3 into your cells. And this can have you feeling terrible.

As we have seen the immune system is dynamic, interacting with other hormones, and your body is a complex and interconnected web of beauty. Evaluating other hormones is, in my opinion, a must to get the bigger picture of what’s going on. Evaluating your adrenal stress system with a four point salivary test, and looking at your sex hormones can be done in urine or blood.

What are the treatment options?

As a Naturopathic doctor, we take all these pieces and put it together for you, stress, diet, hormones, and even your spirituality. As I mentioned we are beautiful dynamic beings, our bodies are the most amazing and complicated things. You can’t just throw a drug like Synthroid at everyone with hypothyroidism or corticosteroid at all autoimmune conditions and expect them to feel great, not alone heal themselves. You can heal yourself, you can heal your thyroid and your immune system. The sooner you catch it the better. Don’t wait until the immune system has damaged your thyroid beyond repair. Remember Hashimoto’s and Grave thyroid conditions are not primarily a thyroid problem. They are an immune problem!

We take an integrative approach, balance your thyroid so you can start feeling energized and healthy. We balance your immune system so your thyroid can start to repair itself. We correct the diet and improve the gut so the immune system isn’t being fueled in the wrong way. We balance your hormones so your immune system responds and regulates in a healthy way, and help your stress system come back to life. If you are considering getting pregnant, then you will want to get your adrenal and immune health in order first so you can feel vital and healthy through and beyond pregnancy.

Sounds like a lot? Yes, healing yourself is a journey. With the right support you get through, you feel better, and you can be vibrant for your family.

Diet recommendations for a healthy immune system:

Avoid the major allergens until you know which ones are problems for you- corn, gluten, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and shellfish are the biggest ones.

Increase anti-oxidant rich foods, berries, dark leafy greens, Try including a green juice daily, or adding super-greens powder to your smoothie.

Get enough iodine and selenium, Brazil’s nuts are rich in selenium, seaweed is rich in iodine.

Cut out gluten! If you do nothing else with an autoimmune condition this one is crucial.

Fasting. Fasting has been shown to turn around autoimmune flare ups. Water fasting, the Fasting Mimicking Diet, and juice fasting (low sugar juice only) for 3-5 days. Best done under supervision of a qualified Naturopathic Doctor and not during pregnancy.

Cut back on the sugar! Sugar is fuel for all things bad in the body. Seriously do it!

References:

1. Amino N., (1988). Autoimmunity and Hypothyroidism. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab. Aug;2(3):591-617.

2. Franco JS, Amaya-Amaya J, Anaya JM., (2013). Thyroid Disease and Autoimmune DiseaseFrom Bench to Bedside [Internet]. Bogota (Colombia): El Rosario University Press; Jul 18. Chapter 30.

3. Fairweather, D., Frisancho-Kiss, S., & Rose, N. R. (2008). Sex Differences in Autoimmune Disease from a Pathological Perspective. The American Journal of Pathology, 173(3), 600–609.

You Are What You Eat: Mindful Eating

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Tanya Escobedo

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As 2018 progresses, New Year’s Resolutions have either flourished or fallen flat. For those who made personal goals on bettering your health and creating a new and improved lifestyle, it can be challenging to create a fitness routine that works with your crazy schedule. But, that’s only half the challenge- the food that you consume plays a huge part in weight loss, overall well-being, and skincare. While you may be thinking, “there’s so much to know… where do I start?” Lucky for you, mindful eating could be the first step to changing your life!

What Is Mindful Eating?

Basically, mindful eating is a perspective change on how, and why, you eat the way you do. With training, individuals become more aware of their hunger and satiety cues from their bodies, which in turn helps them to gauge how much to eat during a meal. Mindful eating focuses on bringing attention to the present moment of eating, using all of your senses, and observing your mental and emotional responses to different foods. It’s all about savoring your food, slowing down and enjoying your meal, which in turn can help you assess your level of fullness easier.

Why Is This Important?

For some, their eating habits are tied to emotional responses in their lives. Mindful eating teaches discipline, but is different than calorie-counting. Some individuals suffer from binge-eating habits, or eating when stressed or bored. Mindful eating aids in creating positive, healthy, and strategic ways to enjoy food without overindulging. When you are aware of poor eating behaviors, it is easier to correct them and replace them with nourishing ones.

Does It Actually Work?

Yes. There are several benefits to mindful eating. Besides a greater awareness of hunger and fullness, there is typically less weight regain that follows after dieting. There is also a higher level of self-esteem, and can act as a healthy coping mechanism for obesity and binge eating disorder. There can also be spiritual benefits to mindful eating, which is typically a Buddhist spiritual practice.

If you want to make a change in your life, mindful eating is a great place to start. When you change your perspective about your eating habits, there will be real-life changes that are tangible and will show results. We, at Wild Women Wellness, believe in you. For more information on our services, you can visit our website or give us a call at (650)-271-9453.

Feel the Benefits of Infrared Saunas

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Tanya Escobedo

At the start of the New Year, many people put their health as a priority. It’s a new beginning for many, and we at Wild Women Wellness always support decisions to better a person’s health. A very underrated form of wellness is the infrared sauna, which has proven benefits to help you relax, relieve pain, and lose weight- among many other perks! Listed below are the beneficial ways that infrared saunas can better your life:

First off, what is an infrared sauna?

Glad you asked. To start off, we must understand that sunlight is a combination of visible and invisible light. Infrared light is an invisible light, and is one of the healthiest forms of light that can infiltrate the deep layers of our skin. Infrared saunas use infrared wavelengths, at all different levels, to help dissolve toxins in your skin, vitalize your metabolism, and have your body feeling balanced.

Relaxation

One of the most beneficial aspects of the infrared sauna is the way it allows your body to relax. The infrared wavelengths affect your body’s primary stress hormone, cortisol, which helps to make you feel more balanced. The heat generated in the sauna works to relax your muscles and relieve tension where you hold stress in your body.

Pain Relief

One of the more popular uses for infrared saunas is the ability to help with pain relief. As the heat from the infrared sauna increases, so does your core body temperature, which will then increase your body’s circulation. When your body’s blood flow is stimulated, it allows for inflammation to be relieved and for muscle aches or joint pain to decrease.

Detoxification

Another benefit that infrared saunas provide can be seen physically. Because you are sweating in the sauna, you’re eliminating toxins deep within your body, which can lead to many perks. One of them is purified skin; as you sweat out the toxins, you increase your circulation, which results in your skin becomes clearer and softer.

Weight Loss

Finally, infrared saunas are known for their ability to aid in weight loss. Because your core temperature increases, so does your heart rate to try to keep your core temperature at a manageable degree. When your body has to work hard at maintaining your body temperature, your body will burn more calories, which results in weight loss. Burning calories while relaxing- sign us up!

We at Wild Women Wellness believe in the natural powers of health and wellness. To learn more about our services, you can visit our website or give us a call at (650)-271-9453 today!

Floating for Fun: Sensory Deprivation Tanks

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Tanya Escobedo

“Floating on air” always seemed impossible, but as we all know, nothing is impossible when it comes to science and new-age technology. Sensory deprivation tanks offer many positive health benefits to individuals, and can make for great holiday gift ideas. Interested in learning more? Let’s continue.

What are Sensory Deprivation Tanks?

The sensory deprivation tanks, or float tanks, specialize in isolating the individual inside from all the senses. That’s right- sight, sound, smell, and touch all melt away in these tanks. The water in the tanks is made to match the individual’s body temperature as close as possible, mixed with 700-800lbs of Epsom salts. This mixture allows for the individual to stay afloat easily on the water’s surface.

How Do They Work?

So, what’s the science behind these float tanks? Our body’s “fight or flight” stress response is lowered by inducing a deep state of relaxation. For those who struggle with stress, anxiety, and depression, this is a natural way of evoking a natural relaxation response because it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. So while you float (no swimming required!), your cortisol levels are lowered and your nervous system is calmed, helping to bring your hormones and immune system back into balance.

The epsom salts are high in magnesium which helps with muscle relaxation! Not only does the peaceful environment of the tank help you to relax, the water itself is very relaxing and healing. It’s also a great place to integrate, meditate, and float into an altered state.

What are the Health Benefits?

Now that we understand what the sensory deprivation tanks are, we can dive into the actual therapy and the health benefits. There are physical and mental benefits to float tanks, while some claim a sort of spiritual awakeness. Deprivation tanks can help reduce your stress levels and is considered to be a non-invasive treatment method for certain pains and illnesses. Here’s a list that contains (but is not limited to) ailments that float tanks have been shown to aid:

Depression and Anxiety
Headaches
Low energy
Addiction or Withdrawal symptoms
Low immune function
Chronic fatigue
Sleep Trouble
Athletic performance
Peace
Relaxation

If you’re looking for a gift idea this holiday season, we highly suggest a trip to Balance Float in Redwood City. Deprivation therapy is a great resource to gift to someone, and we believe in its healing powers at Wild Women Wellness. For more float tank locations, click the link here. For more information on our services offered at Wild Women Wellness, you can visit our website or give us a call at (650)-271-9453.

Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Tanya Escobedo

Healthy fats can be found in avocado, lean proteins from eggs.

With Type 2 Diabetes, your body becomes inefficient at burning sugar for energy. The hormone insulin, that shuttles sugar from your blood into your cells to be used as energy, stops working. Either your body resists the effects of insulin, or the pancreas doesn’t produce enough. It all starts at the pancreas, in the beta cells that produce insulin, something causes damage here, and insulin dysregulation begins. While many see this as a roadblock in life, we at Wild Women Wellness know you can reverse your insulin resistance.

The First Step is to Uncover the Underlying Cause:

What caused the damage to the pancreas and insulin producing cells to start with? What else contributed to blood sugar dysregulation? There are a number of causes that can trigger the onset of insulin dysregulation such as:

Food allergies/sensitivities
Dysbiosis, leaky gut and gut microbiota
Food additives – like aspartame or high fructose corn syrup
Oxidative stress – from inflammation
Mitochondrial dysfunction – dysfunction in the energy centres of the cells
Toxins- like pesticides on your veggies or plastics in from your water bottle, heavy metal in your teeth and seafood.
Obesity
Stress or adrenal fatigue
Lack of sleep
Hormone imbalances
Infections – such as residual viral infections
Nutrient deficiencies
Rx Drugs (Statins and DM)
Genetic predispositions/SNP defects
High sugar/carbohydrate diet

Insulin resistance and diabetes are also linked to a host of other health conditions such as PCOS, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypothyroidism, elevated liver enzymes (ALT/AST), and obesity. The insulin resistance often starts before the weight gain and lab results indicate HbA1C above 6.0. If your fasting blood sugar is above 90 or HbA1C is above 5.5, you will want to dig deeper to investigate if you are having early blood sugar dysregulation. Other clues are weight gain, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, weight around the midsection. You should know however, 60% of people at risk of diabetes are not overweight! If you feel sleepy after meals or irritable between meals this can be an indicator of blood sugar dysregulation. If you believe that you may be suffering from insulin resistance, you need to consult a functional medical or naturopathic doctor and work towards a diagnosis.

Diagnose Appropriately

In order to be diagnosed appropriately, I suggest an initial laboratory evaluation, which can include:

Adiponectin
Pro-insulin, C-Peptide
Glucose tolerance test
HbA1C
NMR lipoprotein profile
Fasting Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
GGTP
Uric acid
Methane breath test
Comprehensive stool test looking at the microbiome/flora

Choose Individualized Treatment Plan

Where we see the most success in treatment plans are changing dietary habits. The Westernized Standard American Diet is high in saturated and trans fats, salt, refined grains, and sugars, which can cause imbalances in our bodies and more specifically our gut microbiota. Implementing whole food, which is fresh, unprocessed, organic, colorful, and high in fiber will help work towards decreasing insulin release, modifying the gut microbiota, and increasing your cellular responsiveness to insulin. If it doesn’t look like a plant or piece of meat, then don’t eat it!

Foods to Avoid:

Fruit juice and dried fruit
High fructose corn syrup
Gluten
Refined foods – pasta, bread, cereal, baked goods, pastries, packaged food
White foods – white rice, white bread, white potatoes, white sugar

Foods to Enjoy:

All vegetables (except white potatoes)
Free range chicken, fish- salmon, grass fed lean meats 1-3x week, eggs.
Fresh or frozen Berries, bananas, apples.
Good fats: olives, olive oil, avocados, coconut, nuts and seeds, nut butters like almond butter.
Fermented foods- like Kimchi

Meal Structure:

Make breakfast and lunch your largest meal
Keep dinner light
Intermittent fasting: 12-16hrs of fasting in 5 days per week, this can be done by not eating after dinner, and keeping dinner 12hrs before breakfast.
Avoid snacking
Eat protein and good fat with every meal

A structured sleep schedule is very beneficial in your treatment plan. Get your sleep, with a regular bedtime and wake time. Ideally to bed before midnight and getting 8hrs/night. Your body repairs itself in your sleep, so it’s important to make sleep a priority to help maintain your health.

Come work with us at Wild Women Wellness and we will help you establish a healthy foundation through your diet, address the underlying cause, set you up with a targeted supplement program and rebalance your microbiota so you can rely less on medications, feel better, and prevent serious complications down the road.

Take charge of your health, book your free 15 minute phone consultation here or give us a call at (650)-271-9453

Causes & Treatments For Tension Headaches

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Tanya Escobedo

Everyone can agree that headaches are awful. There are a number of different types of headaches, and tension-type headaches are some of the most common. They feel like a gradual onset of steady pressure or a dull ache in your head, where the pain is usually bilateral, and can be debilitating. It can feel as though your head’s in a vice. Western medicine has taught us that our first line of therapy should be over the counter pain medication, like ibuprofen, and they do work! However, we should be asking ourselves, why am I experiencing these tension headaches, and what can I do to fix the underlying issue? Know there are safe, effective, natural treatments for tension headaches.

Causes

Before you can effectively treat your headache, you must uncover the triggers. Contributing factors include stress, depression, poor posture (slumped at your desk? Riding your motorcycle to work everyday at 60+mph?). Your face, neck and erector muscle that run all the way up your back and attach to your head start to tighten, in which they lock down and create a tension headache. While these are the most common causes of tension headaches, reactions to drugs or foods, magnesium deficiency, and low neurotransmitters are also common causes for tension headaches. Luckily, tension headaches can be improved with a number of natural therapies.

Physical Medicine

One of the most common and beneficial treatments is to invest in physical medicine to help relieve tension or postural problems that are causing the headaches. We suggest massages, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and yoga as ways to improve body tension and posture. Finding a good physiotherapist that can retrain your body movements and postures to reduce postural triggers is a great place to start. The right registered massage therapist (RMT) can help loosen up and relieve tension in muscles. Foam rolling at home can also significantly loosen up fascia and muscles, relieving pain and tension. Everything is connected in your body: it’s important to consider a holistic approach.

Relaxation Techniques

Stress is one of the leading causes for tension headaches, and a great practice to help alleviate the pain is learning how to relax tight muscles. The first step is breathing into tension when you feel it coming up, and then focusing on relaxing those muscles. Getting up and moving around to get some fresh air or exercise can also help. Learning some relaxation techniques are effective, and can save you from the side effects of drugs. It validates the mantra behind natural therapies: that rather seeking relief from a drug, there are ways to control the headache naturally. This is not to say that using over-the-counter medications are not effective – we simply urge those who suffer from headaches and other ailments to not become dependent on a drug to relieve their symptoms.

Nutritional Supplements

Another piece to consider is your diet and nutritional status. Some headaches can be caused by food sensitivities or allergies, low magnesium levels, low vitamin D and other vitamins. A study conducted on Italian students showed that “supplementation with 180 mg magnesium twice per day produced a symptom reduction of 87.5%, with 100% of the patients experiencing at least a 50% reduction in symptoms,” (Murray and Pizzorno 641). Supplements to consider include:

Vitamin D 5000IUs daily
Magnesium 300-400mg/daily
Fish oil, 3gms daily of combined DHA/EPA
Grape seed extract or pine bark extract

For more information on how to treat tension headaches or other ailments naturally, you can visit our website or give Wild Women Wellness a call at (650)-271-9453.

Sources:

Murray, Michael T, and Joseph E Pizzorno. The Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine. 3rd ed. New York: Atria Books, 2012. Print.

Hair Loss in Women: Top Causes and Treatments

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Tanya Escobedo

Did you know on average women lose between 50-100 hairs per day? For women, hair loss, or alopecia, can occur and become a concern for those who don’t understand why it’s happening. There are two different types of hair loss, focal (small patches) or diffuse (all over). It’s extremely important for women, and men, to understand what their body is telling them, and what they can do to help restore their body balances.

Hormone Imbalances

Hormone imbalances in both women and men can cause hair loss. If you suffer from female-pattern hair loss, it’s more diffuse than characteristic male-pattern baldness. Factors that can contribute to hair loss are testosterone excess, insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and low antioxidant status. There are ways to put your body back in its natural orbit, such as improving blood sugar regulations with diet and lifestyle changes, increasing antioxidant intake, and considering a saw palmetto extract (Murray and Pizzorno 361).

Hypothyroidism

One of the most common signs of hypothyroidism is hair loss, this can include the outer edges of the eyebrows, and can be worsened by stress. Getting your thyroid back into balance is easy with the right help, and can restore your hair back to a healthy place.

Nutritional Deficiencies

A wide variety of nutritional deficiencies can be linked to hair loss. The most common ones are zinc, vitamin A, essential fatty acids, and iron. Low iron can cause anemia, fatigue, especially worse with your cycle, and hair loss. A simple blood test for ferritin and a CBC can tell you if you are anemic, and iron pills can help restore healthy levels. “There is a very strong association between low body iron stores and diffuse hair loss in women,” (Murray and Pizzorno 632).

Drugs and Medications

Certain types of drugs and medications can cause hair loss, be sure to check the list of side effects of all your medications if you suspect this may be the a factor. Medications that have chemotherapy agents, such as fluorouracil, are a prime example of medications that are easily identifiable as the cause of hair loss. It’s extremely important to know the side effects, and how some of your medication may deplete other nutrients. If you are unsure, ask your doctor, and for a good online resource check out Mytavin.com. If you are on medications you can minimize side effects with proper supplementation, or even find safe effective alternative treatments. For more information find a Naturopathic

Celiac Disease

Celiac is a commonly missed and very problematic dis-ease in the body. It’s when the body can not absorb or tolerate gluten, an intolerance to gluten. The side effects can range from joint pain to fatigue, to hair loss to long standing digestive discomfort. Because individuals react differently to their gluten intolerance, they may not have apparent gastrointestinal symptoms. Hair loss is a common, less obvious symptom of Celiac disease. It is recommended that the test for human anti tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA anti-tTG) is done and in some cases a tissue biopsy of the small intestine is done.

At Wild Women Wellness, Dr. Tanya Escobedo specializes treating hormone imbalances, including thyroid, we do testing for iron, zinc and other nutritional deficiencies, CBCs, celiac testing, and many more tests. Dr. Escobedo is knowledgeable about prescription medications and safe natural alternative to help you choose the right therapy for you. If you are interested in learning more about Wild Women Wellness, you can visit our website or give us a call today at (650)-271-9453 to set up your appointment!

Sources:

Murray, Michael T, and Joseph E Pizzorno. The Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine. 3rd ed. New York: Atria Books, 2012. Print.

Treating Seasonal Allergies Naturally

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Tanya Escobedo

As spring continues to move into summer, the weather change bringing the seasonal allergies we all dread. Runny nose, sore throat, red and itchy eyes – the list of symptoms can go on and on. Your first move has always been to go straight towards over-the-counter medicine to treat your symptoms, but have you ever thought of a natural approach to treating your seasonal allergies?

Understanding Allergies: What Are They?

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, an allergy is “when the body’s immune system sees a substance as harmful and overreacts to it.” Some of the most common allergies are to mold, pollen, dust mites, animal hair, food, and the environment. Seasonal allergy symptoms typically include “sneezing, itchy eyes, nose, or roof of the mouth, runny or stuffy nose, and watery, red, or swollen eyes.” However, many find themselves experiencing seasonal allergies for longer periods of time and at a more intense rate.

Why Treat Allergies Naturopathically?

Instead of trying to suppress the symptoms with pharmaceutical medicine, our holistic approach of treating allergic symptoms goes deeper to the cause as to why a person’s immune system is overreacting. Using herbs, homeopathy, and nutrients, naturopathic doctors aim to find and treat the root of your problem, instead of prescribing our patient’s medicine that will only temporarily treat the symptom.

Holistic Approaches to Treating Allergies

Improve your diet – identify and take out food sensitivities and food allergies. This lowers the burden on the immune system reducing the allergic threshold of the immune system, thus making you more resilient to the allergy season. Avoiding trans fats can help as well.
Integrate nutrients to stabilize the immune system, such as magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin B5 and B1.
Support the stress system- when stress is high, the immune system is taxed and allergies can get worse. Adrenal support can help make you and your immune system more resilient.
Hesperidin, a nutrient from citrus fruits, has been shown to reduce symptoms of allergies.
A good quality probiotic is essential to supporting healthy immune system and allergy resilience.
Try correcting hypothyroidism- balancing the thyroid has shown to improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Quercetin in high dose has been shown to be effective at stabilizing mast cells- 100mg twice daily.

Dr. Escobedo has had great success helping her patients improve their immune health, reduce allergy symptoms and identify and eliminate food triggers. If you are suffering from allergies, or think you may have food or environmental allergies, come in and get your blood test today. If you’re interested in learning more about the services provided at Wild Women Wellness, you can visit our website or give us a call at (650)-271-9453 today!