Isn’t it normal to have my hormones decline with age?

As a physician specializing in bio-identical hormones I have heard this question often and I even wondered it myself. Yes, there are changes that naturally occur as we age. The issue is that we live in an environment that has drastically changed in the past century that accelerates the hormonal decline.

Think about all of the things that we are exposed to today that were not a concern a century ago. The cows are given hormones to help them mature faster and those hormones get into the meat and dairy products. Our diet is full of processed and packaged foods. We use personal care and household products (cleansers, lotions, shave cream, shampoos, make up, house cleaning products, etc) that are full of chemicals. Plastic is prevalent–in water bottles, toys, food containers, etc. Stress levels seem to be higher than ever as we live in a faster paced world each year. The list goes on.

Our hormones are chemically specific and chemicals can disrupt that balance. Stress and the types of food we eat can also affect the hormone balance. Testosterone, Progesterone, Estrogen, Cortisol, and Thyroid hormones are especially disrupted in today’s world. This results in fatigue, poor sleep, increased aches & pains, a decreased libido, weight gain, brain fog, depression, anxiety, etc. Over time, hormonal disruption can lead to an increased risk of dementia, certain cancers, osteoporosis, etc.

Attaining hormonal balance is critical for optimizing your health. We no longer live in a world in which this is accomplished without some intervention. Replacing your deficient hormones with bio-identical hormones is a way to live optimally in today’s toxic world.

On a weekly basis I have patients saying “I wish that I had come in to see you sooner”. Often they did not recognize the early signs of hormone deficiencies. If they did recognize the signs, they have usually attempted to get answers by utilizing their insurance and seeing their regular doctor. Either way, they have suffered longer than they had to and are happy that they now feel better.

Men and women both suffer from hormonal imbalances at around 30 to 50 years old due to many reasons: hormone disrupting chemicals (in products we use on ourselves and our house, in our food, in our water), stress, poor overall diet, poor sleep, etc. We age poorly when our hormones decline. Signs of hormonal decline are irritability, depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor muscle tone, inability to lose weight, increased aches/pain, brain fog, decreased memory, decreased vitality, etc. Men may get a decrease in morning erections and women may get hot flashes and/or night sweats. There are a lot of symptoms of hormone imbalance that get ignored because they often come on gradually.

It is not normal aging for you to feel “old”. When you optimize your Testosterone, Progesterone, Estrogen, Thyroid, and Growth hormone it enables you to live your life fully and do the things that you enjoy doing. Replacing your missing hormones with bio-identical hormones is a piece of the wellness puzzle. The first step is recognizing that you may have a hormonal imbalance and not waiting to get it evaluated. The second step is realizing that health insurance is focused on disease and not wellness. In order to have proper treatment you must seek the care of a physician specially trained in hormone balancing. This is customized care that is not covered by insurance. Put your health and well being first and don’t be a person who regrets waiting.

Aging is inevitable but aging well is not. The good news is that you have more control over that than your genetics does. It is also never too late to do something about how you age. Living full of vitality until the end of your life is much more preferable than lingering for 10-20 years—getting sick and frail. There are some fairly simple things that you can do in order to enhance the quality of your life.

Everyone knows that they need to exercise in order to lose weight but you may not think about it as helping you to age more gracefully. When you get regular exercise it helps your heart and lungs while also helping your musculoskeletal system. When you strengthen your bones and muscles this helps to prevent falls and fractures plus it enhances your overall mobility. You are able to get up and move around much easier. Regular exercise also helps your brain to stay younger and your cardiovascular system to stay in shape. Many people give up on exercise if they don’t lose weight fast enough. Refocus your goal of exercise as a way to live a vital life not just as a means to lose weight. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week–that is easy for the majority of people.

A healthy diet is another thing people thing about as a means to lose weight. A healthy diet gives your body the nutrients that it needs in order to build healthy bones and muscles, to keep your heart functioning well, to improve your mental clarity, and to give you energy; among other things. A healthy diet is one that focuses on protein and vegetables. Fruit is ok but limit your intake to one or two per day. Live by the 90/10 rule: 90% of what you eat should be for your health and it is ok to have 10% of what you eat be a little more “fun”. Whole foods that are organic are the best source of nutrition in your 90%.

Getting adequate sleep is critical to feeling energetic and rejuvenating your body. You should get enough sleep that you wake up refreshed. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Turn off the TV and computer at least an hour before your bedtime. If you have trouble falling asleep melatonin, yoga stretches, and Epsom salt baths are wonderful natural things you can do to help you sleep better. Better sleep means better aging.

There are people who say that your hormones should decline as you age but there is also a school of thought that believes you age because your hormones decline. Both men and women can benefit from bio-identical hormone balancing to help them live optimally and age more gracefully. Balancing your hormones (this includes Progesterone, Estrogen, Testosterone, and Thyroid) helps you to feel stronger and more vital, think clearer, and prevents overall deterioration of your health. Bio-identical hlormone balancing is not just for women with hot flashes–it is for men and women who want to age well.

Take control of your aging process and control the things that you can. There are other things that you can do but the four things I mentioned above are often overlooked and yet fairly easy to do. The little things you do each day do add up. If you want to live a full and vital life it starts with a decision to make some changes towards that goal.