Effects of Estrogen on Woman's Health - Angels and Demons

There are things in life that save us from every little danger like a guardian angel looking over us and never letting us feel insecure. But when the angel sets to flicker with the wind the demons don't wait to descend. God made sure there shouldn't exist anything more beautiful than a woman but he also made sure she is tortured through it all and needless to say people around her. But all that can be brought under fair amount of control if females from age 15 to 50 understand what really goes underneath the beauty they behold within. Estrogen can be quite a blessing for a young girl and also the woman but take away a little or fluctuate it in blood stream and hell hath no fury like a troubled woman. So what is the secret of estrogen's effect on women's health and why take away something so blissful ? Let us discover........

Angel Eyed Estrogen - As it can protect a woman's heart from any kind of an attack or disease it can also give her more lean shape around the waist, keep her metabolic rate high, along with androgens keeps her sexual arousal going, and her appetite for food and sex steady. It helps in skin care, prevents the bones to lose calcium into the blood stream. It does however increase fat stores but not allow obesity. It also helps in protein synthesis and especially those that are binding proteins helpful to connect or prohibit excess of hormones or enzymes or cellular agents.It is also responsible to increase your immunity to diseases, increase coagulation agents and decrease antithrombin agent. Estrogen protects your heart in a way that it maintains vascular tissue and increases HDL cholesterol (good) and helps keep under control the LDL cholesterol (bad) and thus you never see a woman suffering from heart problems except for a heartbreaks until menopause hits. Estrogen also helps the female body balance fluid retention and electrolytes thereby you see swollen ankles and hands when there is slight change in the estrogen levels even in younger females. It maintains gastric health by reducing motility and allowing the food to be absorbed well and increasing the cholesterol in bile, the enzyme that breaks down fat in the food we consume.
The most important effect of estrogen is the one that prevents all hell to break loose in the brain and thereby outside. Estrogen is the key factor in the brain function of a woman. It is part of the brain’s signaling system. Studies have shown that estrogen helps direct blood to parts of the brain that are more active. The idea that female hormones are needed for the brain to work well is backed up by reports that some have more memory problems after menopause. Apart from all these it also helps in lung function support its units.

Demons of estrogen dwindling in Menopause - If estrogen is responsible for more than half the female's body function the fact that it is taken away after 45 - 50 years just because reproductive mechanism stops as the ovary stops ovulating. But so much for not ovulating the world around each menopausal woman suffers this estrogen withdrawal and how. Firstly the thermostat of the body is shaky and there are gushes of heat inside that makes the woman feel irritated. Add to that is the misery that tops all miseries the brain gets anxious, obsessive, compulsive and is troubled with fears, doubts, non existent crisis which leads to bouts of depression and agitation. These of course are mildly termed as mood swings but the real life terrors are something we all go through once our mothers or wives or sisters or girlfriends are even near this phase of life. Withdrawals to estrogen was also seen as OCD in some research studies which may exhaust them into mild to severe depression or unprovoked arguments and agitations with loved ones. Aromatase deficiency is ultimately suspected which is involved in the synthesis of estrogen in humans and has therapeutic implications in humans having obsessive-compulsive disorder. Beyond the mental illness women suffer heart disease post 55 years, they lose great amount of bone calcium resulting in osteoporosis and multiple bone fractures of hip, spine and legs. This is very debilitating physically than the mental health. The withdrawal also leads to fat deposition around abdomen and further loss of strength and zest due to slowing down of metabolism. Lethargy is very common in menopausal women and so is water retention and sodium imbalance, vaginal dryness and irritation. Sexual drive is lost and so is uterine muscular tissue.

What can be done to reduce this mess in life ? Firstly all females from the age of 20 should be a great fan of resistance training as it is the only way they can achieve happiness hormonally by endorphin and balance in other hormones plus weight maintainance. Secondly in their 30's females should consume a hormonal balance formula which contains wild oats, netties, ginseng, saw palmetto but from a authorized store only under prescription. These formulas are made up of herbs and have shown great impact in men and women to balance hormones in 30's to lead a normal and healthy life. When menopause is nearing around mid 40's I urge all females to get your estrogen levels checked and get either estrogen replacement therapy or medication for same to replace it. Unless you intend to wreck a havoc in your personal life for no apparent reason or inflame an already sensitive situation which does cause a lot of irrevocable hurt in your loved one's life please get yourself diet and exercise therapy and medical help.


A woman is best known for her smile and her sensibilities why challenge that theory and make a mess of your 10 years in life when you can control it. Make life as easy as it should be to be happy because you deserve it. For menopause & osteoporosis management you can take a free trial consultation by registering your appointment.


Wish you wellness.

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Importance of healthy liver

Very rarely do we keep this one vital organ in our radar of good health and more than any other organ except kidney our entire body thrives on its good health. Liver mostly our source to secrete bile an enzyme that breaks down fat in the food we ingest. But liver has more functions than one can imagine and it is also the grave yard of our blood cells. One of the key functions of our liver is protein metabolism, vitamin metabolism and storage, mineral metabolism and storage, glucose chain synthesis and storage and fat metabolism. Detoxification of the body and blood is one of the results of these functions. Keeping the liver healthy is keeping the entire body healthy. Your liver will always showcase how unhealthy or stressed your body really is even if you don’t see it outwardly or the other blood parameters are masked.

A healthy liver will never have fatty deposits like it’s loaded with blobs of fat neither will it have stocks of clogged toxins like our drug chemicals, food preservatives, additives, coloring agents, food substitutes etc. Liver was designed to breakdown protein and then help body build up its biomolecules, breakdown fat into fatty acids and further into triglycerides and lipoproteins. It is well equipped to store fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, D and E while also metabolizing them for the body. Minerals such as zinc, selenium, copper etc are also broken down from food and metabolized by the liver. When the liver isn't receiving organic, fresh and well cooked food it is not going to function in its best way after repeated abuses. Alcohol and smoke are the most common substances that cause problems for the liver functioning as the particulate matter from the smoke and other polluting molecules once pass the lungs can harm the liver by depositing in it. The liver cannot get rid of many such pollutants as it cannot process alcohol beyond a limit. 

To make sure you detoxify your liver you can incorporate herbs, condiments and fresh fruits and vegetables that contain polyphenols, vitamins that can wash out the toxins in the liver and thereby the body. Make sure you ingest raw vegetables everyday as much as raw fruits as it is one of th best medicines to detox your liver and of course nutmeg has also been seen to detoxify liver. Liver is the primary organ which supplies our body the biomolecules it needs to strengthen, repair and discard if our supply and trash can is over loaded with trash itself it won't do us any good now can it ? Get on a diet that will not only help your overall goals for the body but also take care of these minute yet significant details of the body's normal functioning. To do so you may sign up with a customized wellness program or even get your free trial consultation. 

Wish you wellness. 

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Post Exercise Diet – 45 minutes or less

Exercise is such an integral part of our lifestyle and mostly people take it as some burden rather than any other daily activity to have fun. But what becomes criminal for those who do exercise regularly is that they forget to eat the right kinds of nutrients after their workout. Your post workout diet is like a key factor if your body fat would burn and muscles would be energized or your body fat wouldn’t burn fast enough and your muscles wouldn’t be energized. I intend to make this fact crystal clear in your system once and for all.

Mechanism of your workout – When you begin any form of exercise it takes your body 10 – 15 min to warm up and by doing so its circulation speeds up, metabolic rate increases, heart rate increases, depth of breathing increases, vasodilatation occurs to accommodate the increased blood flow. Blood glucose is taken up in the cells much quicker than usual. At the peak of any exercise the body uses the muscle glycogen if the glucose in the blood is exhausted due to poor nutrition pre workout. Glycogen is a chain of glucose molecules which is stored in the body for precisely such situations of energy source depletion or starvation. Nevertheless the body fat although begins to burn only towards the end of the exercise and mostly post workout as the body would always prefer to spare protein and glycogen, but since fat takes a longer time to burn completely it needs to initiate the glycogen breakdown sooner until the stored fat breakdown begins. By the time your workout is through the body muscles have also had depletion of energy and breakdown of some protein while continuous exercise. At this point the body also faces immediate rehydration, fuelling to replenish the worn out muscles by shunting the blood circulation in the areas where the body has had rigorous training.

Why 45 minutes? – Within the first 45 minutes of ending your exercise whatever you eat or drink is directed towards your worked up muscles for repair and rejuvenation. This helps the muscle groups energize and get back to storing their depleted glycogen stores not to mention they also trigger fat catabolism after being energized which helps you shed down stored fat faster post workout. Now if this does not happen for some reason like you miss out on eating or rehydrating within 45 minutes or forget about it completely then the repercussions are well not exactly what you desire. If you eat an hour after ending your exercise you have just let all that energy in your post workout meal diverted all over the body including the parts of the body that weren’t worked up. Your muscles are not given first priority to be energized and thereby even the fat breakdown post workout takes slower time to burn.

What is the ideal post exercise meal? – Your post workout meal will depend on your body’s custom needs and exercise intensity. One needs to know however that meal needs to high in protein (20 – 25 %), high in carbohydrate, both simple (25%) and complex (30 %) and minimum in fat (15 - 20%). The meal needs to be complemented with 500 – 600 ml isotonic solution comprising of slightly cold water, glucose, sodium, potassium and magnesium apart from plain water.

Remember this mantra while you workout and you’ll be sure to never go wrong while staying fit through life. It’s a matter of just 45 minutes and either you’ll make gold out of your exercise efforts or throw it down the drain. Of course now you know better and if you need more in depth empowerment for your aspired lifestyle be it fitness training or diet or positive thinking be sure to discover Wellness & I for personalized wellness.

Wish you wellness. 

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Wellness & I goes live

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Diet during Lactation

Previously I posted about pregnancy diet and busted a few myths about them, this post I will throw in some light over the diet recommendations during lactation and of course the wrong notions about them. Breast feeding is a divine gift only a mother can give her child and it stays on with him/ her for life. It is truly speaking a complete protection and strength for the growing child which will determine the adult growth and immunity. Women who compromise on breast feeding for any reason compromise two most important aspects of motherhood 1. The triggering of motherly gene and hormones that develop the bond between her child and her. 2. Essential building blocks for immunity, nervous system, intelligence, digestion, prevents obesity and diabetes.

Composition of Breast milk - The early milk secreted within first week post delivery is called colostrum and is high in protein like casein, a - lactalbumin, lactoferrin, Immunoglobulin A & G, lysozyme, essential fats like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It is thick and yellowish and helps in preparing the infants digestive system to grow & function. It is also responsible for the immune system of the infant to develop and it is here that the baby receives cancer and infection preventing antibodies Ig A & Ig G that help to stay healthy not just during infancy but also determine the adulthood immune system. In an acidic environment of the stomach, alpha-lactalbumin unfolds into a different form and binds oleic acid of the breast milk to form a complex called HAMLET that kills tumor cells. This is thought to contribute to the protection of breastfed babies against cancer. After 4 days the milk produced is sweeter as it contains higher percentage of carbohydrates in the form of lactose. The nourishment of antibodies in the form of Ig A is seen high upto 7.5 months post delivery. Breastmilk also helps the infant with minerals that are essential for bone health like calcium, phosphorous and the nervous tissue and cardiac tissue like sodium, potassium. Besides these breast milk also contains molecules like nucleotides and hormones and enzymes.

Diet influencing the composition - It is but obvious that the breast milk produced will be the outcome of the diet ingested by the mother and of course the diet doesn't majorly vary from that of the third trimester of pregnancy. The energy requirement during first 6 months of a lactating mother was earlier thought to be an extra 550 kcal/ day but recent studies have suggested that an add on of 400 kcal / day in the first 6 months is what is sufficient. The protein content is around 60 - 70 gm /day and should mainly comprise of high biological value proteins which contain essential amino acids sources like fish, chicken, egg, turkey, lean lamb, cottage cheese, feta cheese, yogurt. Now the most important aspect in a lactating mother's diet is the source of fat. Most women stand on either side of the fence, one is the weight losing side and the other is fat laden side. But either side is wrong as primarily the act of nursing itself stimulates the body to shed out the gained weight during pregnancy and helps the uterus to return back to its size and shape. Thereby a very low fat diet is not recommended during the first 6 months postpartum however low fat options in food can be incorporated like lean meat, low fat butter, low fat dairy products other than milk, when essential fats like nuts, vegetable oil, grains are accounted as per recommendation. The most important aspect of a mother's diet is that she gets her share of nutrients first so as to provide enough nourishment to the baby, unlike common notion the body will never spare the mother her nutrition just so that the baby is developing in the womb or post delivery. The body will always choose self preservation before anything else and therefore the mother should equally be as nourished as the baby. Cultures of various parts of the world incorporate fenugreek seeds as it is known to stimulate increased milk production. These food items are termed 'galactogogues' and cultures like Asia are known to have these practiced like a drill.

Unwanted substances in breast milk - The milk producing cells are most permeable to drugs during the first postpartum week. Drug characteristics that increase excretion in milk are, not plasma protein binding, non-ionized, low molecular weight, lipid solubility rather than water solubility, weakly alkaline rather than weak acid. Drugs are transferred from blood plasma across ductal cells to the milk by diffusion or active transport. The latter may result in higher concentration of the drug in the breast milk than in the plasma of the mother. The amounts of most drugs in milk do not exceed 2% of the total ingested dose. Medications should be screened through the physician for safety levels during lactation. Pollutants that are of most concern are pesticides, organic mercury and lead. DDT and dieldrin are unavoidable, and can also be detected in infant formulas. Pesticides and other toxic substances bio magnify, i.e. creatures higher up the food chain will store more of them in their body fat. This is an issue particularly for theInuit, whose traditional diet is predominantly meat. Studies are looking at the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and persistent organic pollutants in the body; the breast milk of Inuit mothers is extraordinarily high in toxic compounds. Alternatively mothers who suffer from HIV infection can also provide breast milk to their child via milk bank or externally pumped milk that is from an uninfected mother.

Is Formula better ? - Of course like everything else we have tried to play god or nature and create baby formula that could replace breast milk. This had become a trend and in vogue practice in the west and developed countries but research has proven us wrong and there does not exist a better replacement to breast milk and it works well not just for the baby but for the mother too. For planned diets for pregnancy & lactation discover your personal wellness coach. 

Wish you wellness.

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