It had been a solution that seemed easy; I was having physical symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, night sweats, etc.); mental-emotional symptoms too (feeling stressed, flying ‘off the handle’ at insignificant things, etc.). Bio-identicals, I reasoned, should be less dangerous than commercial preparations, should have less side-effects, should keep me more even-keeled and handle the physical symptoms as well. A local M.D. who is into “Anti-Aging Medicine” concurred that this was a good choice. 

But truth be told, I hadn’t done the research I now recommend my clients routinely do (or hire me to do) to get all the facts on the table before making a decision about medications or procedures. When I later DID the research I found that (1) There is some limited information that suggests bio-identical hormone creams MAY be less hazardous but there are no large research studies proving it is so. (2) There is little or no science to support what is considered to be a ‘therapeutic level.’ (The levels are really only a guess, based on blood tests. However, there is NO level that could be considered correct since  peri-menopausal and menopausal women have naturally occurring hormone levels that are far lower than what doctors are trying to achieve to control symptoms.). Thus the amount I was getting MAY have been too high but there was no way to know if lowering it would make a difference or if I’d maybe even continue to gain weight and have the symptoms return too! (3) Research indicates that many of the “minor side effects,” such as the 20 lb. weight gain I experienced, also happen with bio-identical hormone creams.

Long story short, I stopped the therapy. It was also during this time that I made the decision to stop eating poultry and dairy and convert to the whole-food plant-based eating I now recommend to others. Over the next several weeks, my symptoms initially returned when I went off the hormones but then abated, for the most part and I began losing the weight I had gained and my hormone balance began to return.

I also had more “side-effects” of my new diet: (1) My cholesterol level decreased from 205 to 137 in just about 6 weeks. (2) Chronic congestion & post-nasal drip was eliminated when I went off of dairy. (3) The natural hormone balancing effects of being off of dairy and almost all animal feeds (all of which have naturally occurring estrogens) also helped relieve some of the mental-emotional symptoms I was having. (A large portion of this was also related to family & business stressors. This needed to be, and was addressed in other ways.)

I can’t say that losing the weight was easy but I can say it worked. Here are the bullet points of what got me through and what I now recommend and coach others in:

1. Whole food plant-based eating with emphasis of minimal fats.
2. Increasing exercise.
3. Working to restore gut microbiome (thus the hormone balance it brings).
4. Working on the causes of mental-emotional stress along with the use of meditation or mindfulness strategies.
5. Eating some specific foods to naturally balance hormones.
6. Specific tweaks to the diet to keep it low calorie, high energy.

The great thing about all this is that this way of eating is far easier to maintain than a diet like Keto or ultra-low calorie where you’re either starving yourself or changing your diet so much that you can never maintain it. People typically can only sustain keto or other diets over a finite period and often regain the weight afterward. In contrast, this way of eating can become a way of life that is far easier to maintain. At this point, I’ve been eating this way for more than 8 years and have not regained significant weight.

Intrigued about all this? Would you jump in & try it for just 5 DAYS?? NOW; before the holidays & get yourself set up to look FABULOUS this holiday season?! Join my FREE “Jumpstart Your Weight Loss & Hormone Balance” 5 day program October 7-11! You can do ANYTHING for 5 days. Give it a try. Watch for more upcoming info here on my blog and on social media SOON!

The post “How Did THAT Happen?” A Story of Weight-Control appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

She dreads seeing her doctor; who she dutifully visits yearly. She understands the inherent dangers of the medications they prescribe. Medications that she has, thus far avoided. She wanted some diet & lifestyle advice.

“Did you know that the ‘big breakthrough study’ of the Mediterranean Diet from a few years ago has been retracted?” I inquired. I got a blank stare.

Yes, the study, originally published in 2013, was retracted in June of 2018 because it came out that the randomization process was not random at all! Couples who signed up were put on the same diet as was a full village of people! So now they can only say there appears to be a correlation between the diet and less strokes or heart attacks; not that the diet diminishes the likelihood of either.

“And further, did you know that the study REALLY only showed a 1% difference in outcome; not a 30% as reported in the media?” Another blank stare.

A total of 288 primary-outcome events occurred: 96 in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (3.8%), 83 in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (3.4%), and 109 in the control group (4.4%). (NEJM)

“How do they get away with saying that was 30%?” She asked.

 It has to do with “relative difference” (3.8 vs.4.4) rather than absolute difference (less than 1%). This is a slight-of-hand used in medicine all the time. The relative risk of something can be 2% and a drug lowers it to 1%; the actual difference is only 1%, yet it is usually reported as 50%! This is a key consideration for almost all procedures & drugs; a consideration YOU, as the patient never hear about!

“So, what can you tell me about the diet you recommend and how that’s likely to change things for me?” She asked.

Well, there are no guarantees. What we can say is that people, world-wide who eat a whole food plant-based diet with little to no added fat (Blue zones areas of the world) have extremely low rates of heart disease, cancer and most of the other diseases that plague Western societies. We can also say that studies of these people show they DO eat animal flesh but eat less than 10% calories from protein daily (they use small amounts of meat for flavoring). The majority of their diet is made up of complex carbohydrate (sweet potatoes, yams, quinoa, millet, brown rice, beans, etc.) and lots of fruits & veggies.

The other things that I assured my client: (1) When you eat low fat plant-based, you’ll likely lose weight without counting calories as long as you limit nuts & seeds and move your body regularly. (2) When you cut out dairy, eat enough fiber and add a little minimally processed (organic) soy (Edamame, tofu or tempe) you’ll help your body better process and balance your hormones and the hot flashes are more likely to subside naturally. (And if not, there is far more we can do that doesn’t require hormones, even if they are called ‘natural.’)

She left with a commitment to make the changes I recommended. One more small victory.  

(Note: The above is a compilation of several women; not one specific person.) 

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