Holiday Survival Guide: 5 tips to stay healthy and slim between feasts
It’s that time of the year again and while the cooler weather and your Auntie Flora’s fried turkey might be enticing you to overindulge, it’s best to be cautious when participating in holiday feasts, where the pain and regret of the consequences often outweigh the short-term pleasures and splurges.
Sure, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed with our families, but the average American gains 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to Medical News Today. Taking this into account, we’ve made a list of tips that can help you get through this season without adding on the extra weight.
1. First and foremost: be realistic – Don’t try to lose weight during the holidays. Friends and family will most likely invite you to events and they will most likely try to stuff you to the brim. Instead try to maintain your current weight.
2. Eat what you like (and yes that includes some fat) – Eating moderate amounts of fat during the holidays will satisfy your appetite and prevent you from overeating other heavy foods such as potatoes or breads. That said, practice moderation and don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Enjoy them fully and then back away from the table.
3. Don’t stop exercising – Many people tend to lay off exercise routines during the holidays and this is a mistake. Not only are you consuming more calories than normal, but you’re body is using less energy and storing all that excess food as fat: a recipe for disaster. A moderate and daily exercise routine can help offset increased holiday eating. Keep up that running!
4. Wait before grabbing seconds – The stomach needs 20 minutes or more to realize it is full. Often, we eat until the point of fullness, only to have the actual feeling of fullness kick in a little later. Give your body time to fill up before choosing to indulge on seconds.
5. Focus on family, friends and conversation, not on food – Probably the biggest point to take home on holiday feasts: it’s about the company, not the turkey gravy. Share, love, talk and take notice of all the food you consume while standing near the snack table. That carrot dip can be dangerous. Whether you’re sitting at the table or not, every item you eat will add up in your stomach so try having conversations away from snack items and, yes, focus on the people around you – they probably care about you should give them your full attention this holiday season.
To learn more about weight management and medical weight loss, call the Southern California Center For Anti Aging today!
Like Girls, American Boys Reaching Puberty Earlie
Research has shown young girls in the United States have been reaching puberty earlier than they used to and now the same appears to be true for boys. According to a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), boys are entering puberty between six months and two years earlier than boys in past generations.
The study, published in Pediatrics, included data from more than 4,000 boys between the ages of 6 and 16. The boys were of different races and came from 41 states where statistics were collected from just under 150 pediatric offices.
Doctors observed patterns in genital development, testicle formation and pubic hair growth, finding African American boys were more likely to reach puberty early (at 9.14 years) when compared to white boys (10.14 years) or Hispanic boys (10.4 years).
The study does not point out any single cause for the early onset of puberty, but researchers mention it could be a combination of modern diet, lack of physical exercise, and a variety of environmental factors including pollution, contaminates in water, and the ingestion of plastic – which has been found to mimic hormones like estrogen in the human body.
Researchers said the public health implications of premature puberty in boys remain unclear and called for more research on the matter in a variety of medical fields.
About 30 percent of adults around the world report one or more of the symptoms of insomnia: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, waking up too early, and in some cases, non-restorative or poor quality of sleep. Sleep is involved in the optimal health of many bodily systems, including the digestive, immune and cardiovascular systems. Yet, in the hectic pace of modern-day society, where we feel as if we don’t have enough hours in the day, many people have come to consider sleep almost optional. Others suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia—difficulty in falling or staying asleep—and sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by the cessation of breathing or in some cases under breathing during periods throughout sleep.
Scientists and researchers are now linking sleep loss to weight gain and disrupted levels of the hormones that control appetite and weight gain. Insulin resistance and blood sugar disturbances are also linked to lack of sleep.
Without enough quality sleep, the natural restorative cycles of the human body are disrupted, along with levels of several regulatory hormones—namely leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and melatonin. Lack of sleep may down-regulate the satiety hormone leptin and up-regulate the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, thus increasing hunger and food intake. Another hormone, adiponectin, is essential for normal weight, blood sugar and cholesterol control.
Research indicates that melatonin plays a similar role, responsible for maintaining both a healthy weight and a healthy lipid profile—not to mention proper glucose metabolism. The bottom line: Cutting back on sleep, may set your body up for metabolic imbalance and eventual weight gain.
For more information about our hormone-based medical diet, call Southern California Center for Anti-Aging today for you preferred appointment at 424.247.4962.
A hot flash is a feeling of warmth that usually begins in the head neck area and spreads over the body. Hot flashes are a characteristic symptom of perimenopause and menopause but they can result from other medical conditions. Not all women experience hot flashes and many normally menstruating women experience hot flashes years prior to the cessation of menstrual periods. While it is true that hot flashes are more common in women, hot flashes can occur in men too.
About 3 out of 4 women experience hot flashes as they go through menopause. Hot flashes are brief, lasting from about 30 seconds to a few minutes. The frequency of hot flashes can vary from only a few times each week to constantly throughout a day. Hot flashes are commonly associated with other symptoms including redness of the skin known as flushing, excessive perspiration, chills, rapid heartbeat, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation. Hot flashes at night accompanied by sweating are referred to as “night sweats” and frequently prevent restful sleep.
In women, hot flashes are thought to be the result of hormonal imbalance, usually low estrogen. However, they can also be due to “relative estrogen deficiency” a condition in which the estrogen level appears low because of other factors, such as excessive progesterone.
In men, hot flashes are due to declining levels of testosterone.
Factors which increase the likelihood of experiencing hot flashes:
· Lack of circulating air or poor air quality
· Intense exercise
· Hot or spicy food
· Refined carbohydrates and sugar
· Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants
· Alcohol
· Hot drinks
· Smoking
· Being overweight
· Anxiety or stress
· Saunas, hot tubs and showers
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can help replace the hormones lost during menopause and andropause and help alleviate hot flashes, call today for a comprehensive consultation at 424.247.4962.
Menopause is a natural transition in a woman’s life, which typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 55. When the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone, menstruation ceases and fertility is no longer possible. Menopause is typically confirmed when there is no period for 12 consecutive months. For some women menopause can occur as early as the late 30s, or as late as 60s, however, the average age of onset is 52 years of age. When menopause occurs before 40, it is considered premature menopause. Medically induced menopause refers to menopause brought on suddenly as a result of surgery (removal of the ovaries), chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. For most women menopausal symptoms diminish during the initial two to five years, although for some it may take more than ten.
Women’s hormone levels begin to change in their middle to late 30’s. Perimenopause is the process of change that leads up to menopause and usually occurs 2- 10 years prior to the onset of menopause. During perimenopause, progesterone and estrogen levels (as well as other sex hormone levels) decline, however, progesterone declines more rapidly than estrogen. These fluctuating and declining hormone levels cause menstrual cycle changes, such as irregularity, or heavier or lighter cycles.
Eventually progesterone and estrogen levels drop enough that the menstrual cycle stops and menopause begins. The decline in hormones causes many of the well-known physical and emotional symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. Excessive or chronic stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and exposure to environmental toxins all contribute to the decline in hormone levels.
Most common physical signs and symptoms of menopause and perimenopause:
· Heart pounding (heart palpitations)
· Rapid, irregular heartbeats
· Vaginal dryness
· Dry eyes
· Painful intercourse
· Sleep disturbances & insomnia
· Hot flashes and/or night sweats
· Abdominal weight gain
· Urine leakage
· Cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
· Brain fog (difficulty concentrating, memory problems)
· Weight gain, especially around the middle
· Stiffness and joint fatigue
Emotional symptoms:
· Depression
· Mood swings
· Irritability
· Anxiety
Optimizing and balancing hormones with Bio-identical hormones not only helps ease menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, but may also decrease the risk of osteoporosis, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
If you are suffering from menopause or perimenopause, call Southern California Center for Anti-Aging today at 424.247.4962 for a comprehensive appointment.
Estrogen is not just a single hormone, but rather a group of related hormones produced in the body. The three most important of this group are Estrone, Estradiol and Estriol. Estrogen is manufactured primary in the ovaries, but can also be made in fat cells, muscles cell and the skin.
Estriol (E3)
This is the most abundant of all the estrogens. It makes up approximately 80 percent of the estrogen present in the system and is produced by the ovaries. It is made in large amounts during pregnancy and is necessary for a carrying to full term. It also works on protecting the bones from losing density, protects the urogential health of a woman and has many valuable antioxidant properties. It is generally considered to be the weakest of the estrogens in terms of stimulating tissue growth and many see it as the safest form of all. It works well to combat vaginal dryness and vaginal atrophy as well.
· Considerable evidence exists to show that it protects against breast cancer
· Is used in Europe to treat breast cancer instead of Tamoxifen
· It does not have the bone, heart, or brain protection of estradiol
Estradiol (E2)
This estrogen is considered to be the most active of all the estrogens. Estradiol makes up 10 percent of the body’s estrogen supply. It is a powerful hormone and is used most widely for controlling hot flashes and general menopausal symptoms. It may offer bone protection, improve lipid profile, enhance blood clotting, improve memory and clarity, increase serotonin and endorphin levels, enhance intestinal absorption of vital nutrients and is associated with eye lens health.
· Increases HDL
· Decreases LDL and total cholesterol
· Decreases triglycerides
· Helps maintain bone structure
· Increases serotonin
· Decreases fatigue
· Works as an antioxidant
· Helps maintain memory
· Helps absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc
Estrone (E1)
Is the main estrogen the body makes post menopausally. High levels many researchers believe may increase a women’s risk of breast cancer.
· Estronehas very similar properties as Estradiol
· It composes the last 10 percent of estrogen present in the body
· It is usually converted from body fat
Call Southern California Center For Anti-Aging today for your preferred appointment at 424.247.4962.
