Dr. Jan Seibert
Medical Director
Hormone Rejuvenation Center
2187 SW Main Street #103
Portland, OR 97205
503-477-9340
As we age, both men and women struggle to maintain a healthy weight. We try to tell ourselves that it's OK to gain a pound here and there.
Increasing one or two pounds a year can result in a serious weight gain of 10 to 20 pounds in a decade!
In August, Dr. Virend Somers, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, published his research study stating that gaining as little as nine pounds of fat around the abdominal area puts healthy people at risk for cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and even heart attacks.
What is our number one enemy in gaining that midlife belly fat? Too much stress.
Our daily schedules tend to be overcrowded with so many commitments, leaving very little time for exercise, relaxation and restoration. We have become what I call a "sedentary society that stares at screens."
Whether it's sitting in your car ordering off the restaurant menu boards, working at a computer, texting from mobile devices or staring at your favorite program on that 42 inch led television, our brains are overworked from visual information, leaving our bodies out of shape.
From 1982 to 2003, a University of South Carolina research study followed 7,744 men age 20 and older without any cardiovascular problems at the start of the study to document the number of hours they watched television and drove their cars. Those reporting spending over 10 hours a week driving in a car and 13-plus hours watching television eventually developed 64 percent greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
The average American spends 1.5 hours a day driving and three-plus hours staring at television and computer screens daily!
If we have become a sedentary society, then what keeps our minds and bodies moving from one task to another? The stress hormone cortisol, a steroid hormone made from cholesterol.
Getting older, cortisol continues to rise and increases our need for glucose (sugar/carbs) to fuel our bodies and brains. Whenever glucose levels rise in the body, the pancreas goes to work to make enough insulin to carry this fuel to our brains and muscles.
In order to wake up and be ready to "drive your cars and stare at screens," many start their mornings drinking sweetened caffeinated energy drinks and hi-carb breakfast treats, which force insulin levels to rise very quickly. Later in the afternoon, you may notice yourself "crashing" - needing another boost of caffeine, chocolate or your favorite carb treats.
Repeating this daily pattern of high-sugar / caffeine intake puts the body in a constant battle of raising insulin / cortisol levels.
Under this constant stress, the body and brain insulin receptors become resistant. Once resistance happens, insulin receptor sites start to reject the insulin.
So the excess glucose carried on the insulin molecule returns to your liver. The liver transforms the excess glucose into fat, and this newly created fat gets stored in existing visceral fat cells around the belly and is referred to as "stubborn fat."
Making more cortisol lowers other steroid sex hormones in both men and women, including testosterone, estradiol and progesterone - all needed to keep you sane, sexy and slim.
Balancing hormones and stress is an important part of maintaining healthy weight as we age. Get your health practitioner to measure your hormone levels.
Bio-identical hormones can be safely prescribed and monitored.
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Dr. Jan Seibert is an award-winning natural hormone researcher and a diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine Health Practitioners. Her specialties are hormone balancing (thyroid, adrenal, growth and sex hormones.) The above article is an excerpt from Dr. Seibert's new book, "Balance your Hormones, Balance your Life!" which will be published later this year. The Pharmacists, Interns, and Technicians at Pacific Compounds Pharmacy work with Dr. Seibert and hundreds of other healthcare practitioners in all areas of medicine to ensure that patients receive the best medications, therapies and supplements for their individual needs. Pacific Compounds Pharmacy is fully computerized with the newest safety technologies and is out-fitted with precision compounding equipment. We work with the finest pure, FDA inspected and approved powders and all of our natural hormone powders are micronized. Our friendly and helpful staff has received specialized training in compounding and laboratory protocols.
If you have any medicinal questions, concerns or problems, please call or email to speak to a compounding Pharmacist today. We are available during business hours (or you can leave us a message after business hours and we will return your call.) We are happy to help.
We look forward to working with you and your healthcare provider to help you achieve your goal of optimum health!
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