Free Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones by Suzanne Somers Page B
Authors: Suzanne Somers
treat low thyroid levels without supporting the adrenals can deplete the adrenal glands. At the same time, if your adrenals are weak, symptoms of low thyroid may persist even after your thyroid levels have been restored. Recognizing and treating adrenal exhaustion in conjunction with thyroid treatment can bring the body relief from fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It can stabilize your mood and energy levels and could be a factor in losing the weight you have gained.
USING NATURAL THYROID HORMONE: There is such a thing as natural thyroid hormones, which can be helpful for a sick thyroid gland. Many antiaging doctors prefer to use Armour thyroid, a natural replacement for thyroid hormone obtained from porcine (pig) thyroid glands.
Low thyroid can also be easily corrected by augmenting the body’s own production with bioidentical thyroid hormones. It’s not just your individual hormone levels that matter, but the balance of all the hormones and a healthy lifestyle that helps you achieve optimal health and successful aging.
SAFETY AND SIDE EFFECTS: Natural thyroid hormone should be used with caution if you have cardiovascular disease. It may also increase the symptoms of diabetes. Always report any unusual side effects to your doctor.
C ORTISOL
WHAT IT IS : Cortisol is your stress hormone. It is released by your adrenal glands and is one of the major hormones in the body.
HOW IT WORKS: Cortisol gives you energy, but more in response to stress. When you encounter a stressful situation, your adrenal glands release cortisol. If your child is trapped under a car, for example, your body will mobilize energy so you can lift the car and save your child. Or if you encounter a knife-wielding stranger, your body springs into action, thanks to cortisol, so that you can quickly run away. These are examples of cortisol in action. You cannot live very long without cortisol. It is that important.
However, the problem is that your body will secrete cortisol for whatever stress you encounter, including a bad day at work, stressing over the way your daughter is dressing these days, or a death in the family. Stress raises your blood pressure and uses up your energy reserves without much benefit to you. Using up your biochemicals is a waste because they are being used when there is no threat to your life. Our world is so full of stresses on a daily basis that most of us are running around with high cortisol all the time. It may give us a debilitating stroke, heart attack, or crippling diabetes—or worse, even kill us. Because stress is a wasted emotion that takes its toll on every part of your body, emotionally and physically, it is important to work at eliminating unnecessary stress and save your cortisol reserves for when you really need them, as in life-threatening situations.
There is a cortisol connection to getting fat. As I just explained, stress creates high levels of cortisol. High levels of cortisol, in turn, create insulin resistance, in which the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin and higher levels of insulin are produced by the pancreas. When you are insulin-resistant, your body converts sugars and carbohydrates into fat rather than burning them as fuel.
When your cortisol is chronically elevated because of stress, it creates a devastating cycle of alternating high blood sugar and high insulin. This is why, after a while, your body loses its sensitivity to thiscycle of alternating high blood sugar and high insulin. The dangerous progression from elevated cortisol to elevated blood sugar to insulin resistance is one of the major ways stress contributes to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even death.
Also, chronically elevated levels of high cortisol will eventually degrade your immune system. This is a dangerous place to be, since you will have difficulty fighting off infections, especially viral infections. Stressed-out people are more susceptible to colds and flu, as well as flare-ups of
USING NATURAL THYROID HORMONE: There is such a thing as natural thyroid hormones, which can be helpful for a sick thyroid gland. Many antiaging doctors prefer to use Armour thyroid, a natural replacement for thyroid hormone obtained from porcine (pig) thyroid glands.
Low thyroid can also be easily corrected by augmenting the body’s own production with bioidentical thyroid hormones. It’s not just your individual hormone levels that matter, but the balance of all the hormones and a healthy lifestyle that helps you achieve optimal health and successful aging.
SAFETY AND SIDE EFFECTS: Natural thyroid hormone should be used with caution if you have cardiovascular disease. It may also increase the symptoms of diabetes. Always report any unusual side effects to your doctor.
C ORTISOL
WHAT IT IS : Cortisol is your stress hormone. It is released by your adrenal glands and is one of the major hormones in the body.
HOW IT WORKS: Cortisol gives you energy, but more in response to stress. When you encounter a stressful situation, your adrenal glands release cortisol. If your child is trapped under a car, for example, your body will mobilize energy so you can lift the car and save your child. Or if you encounter a knife-wielding stranger, your body springs into action, thanks to cortisol, so that you can quickly run away. These are examples of cortisol in action. You cannot live very long without cortisol. It is that important.
However, the problem is that your body will secrete cortisol for whatever stress you encounter, including a bad day at work, stressing over the way your daughter is dressing these days, or a death in the family. Stress raises your blood pressure and uses up your energy reserves without much benefit to you. Using up your biochemicals is a waste because they are being used when there is no threat to your life. Our world is so full of stresses on a daily basis that most of us are running around with high cortisol all the time. It may give us a debilitating stroke, heart attack, or crippling diabetes—or worse, even kill us. Because stress is a wasted emotion that takes its toll on every part of your body, emotionally and physically, it is important to work at eliminating unnecessary stress and save your cortisol reserves for when you really need them, as in life-threatening situations.
There is a cortisol connection to getting fat. As I just explained, stress creates high levels of cortisol. High levels of cortisol, in turn, create insulin resistance, in which the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin and higher levels of insulin are produced by the pancreas. When you are insulin-resistant, your body converts sugars and carbohydrates into fat rather than burning them as fuel.
When your cortisol is chronically elevated because of stress, it creates a devastating cycle of alternating high blood sugar and high insulin. This is why, after a while, your body loses its sensitivity to thiscycle of alternating high blood sugar and high insulin. The dangerous progression from elevated cortisol to elevated blood sugar to insulin resistance is one of the major ways stress contributes to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even death.
Also, chronically elevated levels of high cortisol will eventually degrade your immune system. This is a dangerous place to be, since you will have difficulty fighting off infections, especially viral infections. Stressed-out people are more susceptible to colds and flu, as well as flare-ups of
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