The adrenal gland is located on top of each kidney–the human body has a total of two adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing a variety of hormones. They produce aldosterone–which helps with blood pressure, epinephrine–the fight or flight hormone, cortisol–affects the immune system and metabolism, and precursors that allow our bodies to make sex hormones–Progesterone, Estrogen, and Testosterone.

In today’s world our adrenal glands are getting overwhelmed and this can lead to what we call adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands are not equipped to handle the constant stress that we have today. They are equipped to deal with intermittent stress and then be given a chance to recover. But, in today’s world of 24/7 emails, texts, negative news, traffic, increasing work demands, decreasing sleep, etc we demand more from the adrenal glands. These glands are not being given the rest that they need.

Adrenal fatigue is the term that we give to overworked adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands are overworked they are unable to keep up with the demand for the hormones that they produce. The result can be one or more of the following: feeling fatigued, having lower sex hormones, a decreased immune system, salt cravings, trouble getting up in the morning, increased energy at night, an increased reliance on caffeine, and an inability to handle stress.

Most people in today’s world have some adrenal fatigue. Treating it takes a multifactorial approach. The first thing to do is unplug and give your body rest. Turn off your phone alerts and check your phone when you want to. Turn off your phone at night and one day a week if you can. Give yourself quiet time to sit and simply breathe. Avoid watching or listening to news since they over dramatize things and cause mental stress. Take yoga or tai chi. Ensure that you get to bed at a reasonable time. Picking one day per week to recharge and completely unplug would be a great goal to have.

Pellets are a great option for men and women who want to optimize their hormones. Sterile pellets are implanted in the soft tissue (fat) of your upper gluteal (buttocks) or abdominal area during a simple office procedure. Each pellet is about the size of a grain of rice. Women typically get 1 to 3 pellets and men typically get 8 to 12 pellets. The dosage and quantity of each pellet depends on your particular needs–it is customized for you.

The pellets contain compressed bio-identical Testosterone (men and women) or Estradiol (women-if needed) that delivers physiologic doses in a steady state–providing consistent delivery of the hormones that your body needs. The sterile pellets dissolve over a period of 3 to 6 months–depending on your body’s needs. At that time, new pellets are inserted. There is no need to remove prior pellets as they dissolve with time. Re-pellets serve to keep your hormone levels optimal.

Bio-identical pellets require a simple office procedure that involves having a small amount of local anesthesia injected. A small incision is then made and the pellets are inserted with specialized sterile equipment. The anesthesia may sting a little but the pellet insertions are typically non painful. After the procedure, it is important to ice the area intermittently over the next 4 to 6 hours. Men are asked to refrain from heavy lifting, bending, squatting or running for 7 days. Women are asked to refrain for 3 days. Your regular daily activities are usually fine during this time. After these time periods you may engage in any activity you desire with no restrictions.

It is best to have no immersion in water for 4 days after a pellet insertion for both men and women. After that, you can swim or use the jacuzzi if desired. Walking, light activity, and showering are fine during the entire time period. Most people find that it is easy to follow these recommendations and they love the freedom that pellets give them. Adhering to these recommendations prevents losing any pellets and eliminates discomfort.

Getting bio-identical hormone pellets can help you to regain your life back–giving you more energy, a better mood, enhanced sleep quality, and usually a better sex drive. The first step is to get your hormones properly evaluated by a bio-identical hormone specialist and then schedule a consultation to discuss your treatment options. Bio-identical pellets are simply one option you may wish to try.

The simple office procedure requires a small local anesthetic injection in the insertion area, then a tiny incision is made in the skin. A device called a trocar, is then inserted into the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin. The needle end of the trocar is removed, the pellets are placed into the trocar device and a blunt obturator is inserted into the trocar to gentle advance the pellets down into the insertion tract. Once pellets are placed, the practitioner will typically close the tiny incision site with a simple sterile strip closure and then cover with an adhesive bandage.*

Are you struggling from health information overload syndrome? Not knowing what to do?? Sometimes it can feel like you are swimming in a vast ocean of wellness information. Each day, a new “miracle” diet or supplement promises to be the answer to your problem. Trying to figure out what you should do can be exhausting and confusing.

The overload of information has not empowered us to be the healthiest society. Instead, quite the opposite is true: people in general are more stressed, overweight and suffering from more chronic stress-related disease than our “less-informed” ancestors.Sometimes more information isn’t what you need.

Too much health and wellness information can lead to anxiety, confusion, and lack of motivation to follow any of the advice, which is often conflicting. Ultimately, this information overload is doing us more harm than good. Work, food, stress, exercise, and yes, even information, are better in smaller packages.

What people really need is customized guidance. We know everyone should eat real food, walk more, get your hormones balanced, manage stress, eliminate known toxins, and get good quality sleep. But what does that look like for you specifically?? And, for those who have specific health complaints, finding the right advice gets more tricky. There are lots of great programs out there, and there is more than one path to ultimate health. The good news is you don’t have to learn them all. All you need is proper guidance to find the path that you need to take to get where you desire.

Bio-identical hormones are effective at helping you feel better, sleep better, and have an overall improved vitality. In addition to getting on the right hormone therapy, there are things that you should do to maximize their effect and improve your overall wellness.

1. Eat a diet that supports a healthy endocrine system. This is a diet based on vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, and nuts. Avoid processed foods, soft drinks, and foods high in sugar.
2. Decrease your toxin exposure–use healthier personal care products , food items, and household products. Ewg.org is a great resource. Many toxins disrupt your hormone balance and can also predispose you to cancer.
3. Minimize stress and create healthy habits to deal with stress. Meditation, yoga, epsom salt baths, massage, and unplugging from electronics are all healthy habits to help you deal with life’s stresses.
4. Keep healthy sleep habits and get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.
5. Get regular physical activity.
6. Utilize quality supplements to replace deficiencies in your diet.

By taking a holistic approach, you can safely restore your Testosterone, Estrogen, Progesterone, Cortisol, Thyroid, and Growth Hormone levels. This will enable you to feel your best.