Hormonal Balance

During menopause, our bodies hormones are unbalanced. They are always shifting, sometimes on a daily basis. Our bodies perform optimally when our hormones are in balance. Finding that perfect balance is challenging. It can be a daunting task to learn the many functions of all the hormones that drive our daily activities. All of my reading led me to find that many "ads" claiming to relieve menopausal symptoms were all "one size fits all" preparations. Reading the fine print about possible side effects seemed daunting at best. I turned to my personal physician and was told time and again that when I reached post menopause, she would talk to me about hormones. That just wasn't good enough. I had done enough reading to know that I could be helped right now! So I continued to read and I will admit that I was quite tempted to reach for one of the "one size fits all" preparations. That's how desperate I was. And then I came across a paragraph that really jumped out at me. Balanced hormones prevent disease. Young people do not get the diseases of aging, because aging is the loss of hormones. As we lose our hormones in the aging process, we continue to look and feel good but eventually, without our hormones, which provide nourishment to our organs, we start to have problems. A disease here, a medical problem there; and eventually we die because we are no longer being nurtured and nourished by our hormones. It is then that our bodies give out on us.

Menopause!?!?

And then there came menopause! Actually, it came out of nowhere. Here I was living my life, going about my business and all of a sudden I was having a hot flash. A really bad hot flash! What was wrong with me and then it hit me like a ton of bricks - MENOPAUSE. That was my rude awakening. I started reading about menopause, everything I could get my hands on - books, searches on the internet - if it had the word menopause in it, I read it! The light bulb finally came on...I had been in menopause for quite a few years. Sure, I was forgetful, but I had become very forgetful. That's one sign! For a period of time, every night one spot on my leg itched. I scratched it so much that I'm surprised it didn't bleed. There's another sign. Moody, crabby...who me? One more sign. And what is up with night sweats! I'm talking about being so sweaty that your sheets are wet. Really!?! And why was I so tired and sleepy all the time. Maybe because when I did go to bed, I couldn't sleep. I mean, how can you when you wake up every hour? Oh, and did I mention being bloated. It used to be just once a month, but now it seemed like every day. And last but not least, where did my sex drive go? Wow! I was so unprepared for menopause. My mother certainly never talked about it. So what now? All my reading pointed to the fact that my hormones were all out of whack. Okay. I can learn about hormones! I can ask questions of my doctor and once again, I can read. Reading made me dangerous - there are synthetic hormones and bioidentical hormones. How on earth does one decide? So I kept reading...and reading...

Older in Age - Younger at Heart!

Why is it that hindsight is always 20/20? Why do we find out late in life the things that we really needed to know much earlier? I spent my teens, 20's, 30's and even early 40's in great misery from my monthly cycle and horrendous migraines. I knew there had to be a better way, but with working 50+ hours a week and taking care of three boys (I am divorced), there wasn't much extra time. Going without sleep wasn't an option!

I have at different times throughout my life implemented great exercise programs and have always tried to eat healthy. But I always fall off the wagon, so to speak. And then a few weeks or even months later, I try again. But as you get older, that just isn't enough. I've always been a very active person and feel that I am in great shape for my age. I'm almost 55! For the past 6 years, I have been searching for that elusive quest. How can I feel better and stay healthy as I age?

Well, this is what my blog is going to be about. My search for good health and somewhere along the way learning about and using bioidentical hormones!