As I wake to hear about the stoic decision that iconic Hollywood goddess Angelina Jolie has decided to have an elective double mastectomy and is now considering having her ovaries removed as well I can’t help but wonder how many other women will be lead to make similar decisions.

The story and a bit more about genetic information is covered well by this LA times article. 

The decision to elective remove two very defining aspects of your femininity, your breasts, is never a decision taken lightly by women.

My comments today are to encourage women to have faith in themselves. If you chose to have a double mastectomy I support you. I applaud you and my heart goes out to you. It’s not an easy decision.

My comments in this blog are to encourage women to have faith in their BODIES and regardless of your BRAC status these are some other things that you can do to protect yourself! Discuss further with your doctor, naturopath or someone qualified.

Breast cancer is on the increase and when you look at the contributing factors, many are modifiable, although genetic mutations are not. Embrace what is in your control and do everything you can to protect yourself and your body.

Here are a few issues surrounding the current breast cancer endemic and some things you can try to protect yourself from this disease.

1. Vitamin D status

Find out what your Vitamin D status is.

Deficiency in this vital vitamin/hormone is implicated in not only breast cancer, but MS, osteoporosis, allergies, depression and anxiety. The evidence is overwhelming! I am disappointed and enraged when doctors refuse to do this basic blood test. With campaigns encouraging people to AVOID the sun (which is the easiest way for non-melanoma risk patients to obtain vitamin D) we have seen a massive rise not only in breast cancer but other diseases. Studies are showing that office workers, children and every day people are at risk of this deficiency.

Depending on the testing method used, you should aim to have your vitamin D level above 100. And if there is a cancer risk, bone issue, allergy or any other disease caused by deficiency, then aim for 150-200. It’s important to be retested 3 months after starting Vitamin D to make sure you are utilising it. I have more on Vitamin D here.

If you are a high meloma risk, then you need to eat foods rich in Vitamin D (cods, oily fish, yolks, alfalfa) or supplement.

2. Estrogen status

Estrogen (oestrogen) is the female hormone that kicks in at puberty and is responsible for the growth and development of breast tissue, ovary, uterine and cervical tissue. It is what defines us hormonally as women. Men have estrogen (and overall male levels are increasing hence breast cancer rates in men are rising too) but women have a lot more (hence their much higher risk of developing breast cancer).

Blood tests are very arbitrary and the WHO recommends saliva testing for estrogen to be the golden measuring stick. I do these in my clinic, or can post a kit to you that you do from home. Alternatively google someone in your area that does the testing.

3. Optimal Health

I know, two words that encapsulate ALOT!

I am serious. Don’t live in denial. Having a healthy body protects you not just from breast cancer but all sorts of other conditions and diseases. Take the step to make your health as FABULOUS as possible. Lose weight, eat well, moderate alcohol, exercise, have a healthy mind, end negative relationships. DO IT! I will back you, help you, read other blogs, find the mojo to make yourself healthy.

Be proactive on the breast cancer front, not reactive.

I would love to hear your stories as I know this disease affects so many women. Let me know your concerns and experiences good and bad.

The energy and mental state that is required by most work environments are driven by outputs and time frames. This is very different to the energy and hormone status you require to be a calm, nurturing mother. We need to switch hormones when we switch roles and if we try to do both roles (work and parent) at the same time, or forget to transition, BOOM you will end up with a  hormone EXPLOSION!

Your hormone explosion might be a surge in cortisol which will make you anxious, jittery, agitated, crave a release (maybe chocolate or food). Adrenaline can make you do similar things but your heart will race and you will feel a surge of anger or irritability – which is good old Mr Testosterone (our male hormone) surging forth like a monster. And unfortunately it is often the testosterone that leads us to yelling, grunting, getting impatient, stressed and lashing out.

Left unchecked the Hormone Explosion ultimately leads to the Hormone Collapse and the inevitable words;  ”I can’t do this any longer!!”

I must admit that I struggle with the transition from business woman to mum. I genuinely struggle to do it seamlessly and I know I am not on my own.

Which makes me wonder whether we (mums) should be working in the first place. I love my work immensely and if I didn’t have to do it for money, I would still be doing it. However the reality is as a sole parent, is that I need to work not only for enjoyment and sanity but in order to make money to survive.

Many of you may feel the same. Whilst working less could be an option, not working at all really isn’t. And so as mums (or dads) we do have obligations to keep the family afloat and provide in  a financial sense or by making food etc (which can also represent work).

Some activities, such as work, just need to be done.

In a desperate attempt to squeeze all our roles and obligations in our day, we can  impose some serious time frames. Also known as DEADLINES.

Rationally we believe deadlines will help us with time and energy allocation, so we can so work out budgets, time allocation, whether we can afford holidays etc. A business plan at work based on time management with measurably outcomes makes sense, but unfortunately the same strategy isn’t as easy to roll out on the home front. Trying to get children to confirm to strict schedules can knock out the only opportunity in their day to have unstructured spontaneous fun. Which is very important for their imaginations and development.

Children are very much in the now, while planning and timed expectations makes us stress forward. Transitioning from work mentality to home mentality is so important to change this way of responding to our changing roles as it affects our hormones too and can lead to a rise in our stress hormones (cortisol, testosterone and suppression of our lovie-dovie hormone oxytocin).

If we come from an environment of time pressures, KPIs, deadlines, reports and strict adherence to policy straight into a random, children driven environment it can feel like  a rough ride in a car like when the gear box crunches together or you bunny hop.

Being a working woman requires testosterone (so we can be fearless, strong and powerful) while being a mother requires more oestrogen and oxytocin (so we can be nurturing and caring). By recognising the different hormones required by your body for certain roles, you can make adjustments.

If you don’t make these adjustments and transitions either consciously or unconsciously, we can end up in having a few hours of almost hell until we get the children to bed. Ugly for our children, as we may sound stressed, agitated, or yell and ugly for us as we feel annoyed, pressured, tired and guilty. No fun for anyone!

Here are some things that I have tired to help switch my brain (and hormones) from work (head) to home (heart).

I know this tip doesn’t work…

1. Turning up late after school or after school care and getting home when they should be eating dinner. You are tired, they are tired and this is a recipe for disaster. Red light activity folks!

What has helped me…

1. Having a sign or sticky note on my steering wheel saying “mummy hat now”

2. Mentally resigning to the fact that thinking about work will only stress me and to switch off before getting the kids

3. Have a walk or exercise (i.e. dropping testosterone, increasing oxytocin)  before collecting the kids

4. Finishing work 1 hour before collecting kids

5. Prioritising family ahead of work and if I feel like I am slipping behind either critic the deadlines I have in place and how achievable they are (and what is the worst case scenario if I extend the deadline to ease pressure).

6. Try to prioritise the kids ahead of unpaid work. Ask “Am I being paid to do this activity” (i.e. have you worked your quota of hours for the week and are doing stuff in your own time and putting pressure on your family and mothering, or are you doing something for good will, or even a work related activity that doesn’t generate income directly like face book).

7. I guess the other part to the equation is your partner. They also need attention and time and if their needs are being met then you are half one on the way to getting yours met too.

8. Consider a demi pair or an au pair. I had a nanny for the first few years of my children’s lives so that I could work and not disturb their routines too much. It seems to work out well

9. Look at other ways to support yourself in your home. Often coming home can mean more work especially when you have children to cook for, wash and clean up after. Consider cooking with slow cookers so the meal cooks over the day, cook every second night and have left overs, encourage the children to cook when they are old enough, consider a cleaner once a week, assign the children chore lists, make cleaning and helping you out fun and a game.

10. If you work from home, try not to look at the computer while with the children. This will only lead to frustration! Get into the healthy hormone habit of turning your computer off at 8pm, no more checking emails etc., just turn it off and have a break.

11. Make sure you are not hungry and have eaten something healthy an hour or two before picking the children up. You want a balanced blood sugar.

This working mum role can be a dilemma for sure!

If you have clear transition periods, signs and shifts in hormones you will be fine. Try some of the above and please leave any success techniques you have. If you would like more help on structuring your perfect work/life balance, have a look at the Happy Female Formulae. It is a culmination of years of watching successful people and how their hormones respond to their lifestyle. This downloadable workbook brings it all together so you can work through at your own pace and create your most perfect day.

I don’t think pregnant women should not have protein shakes unless indicated by a supervising health care professional. I am pretty adamant for a few reasons. Let me explain why.

I am not a big fan of protein shakes at the best of times. And in pregnant women one needs to know the ingredients and potential side effects so the mum is not affected and just as important, the baby is not harmed.

Protein shakes and meal replacements fall under food jurisdiction and regulatory bodies.

This can mean freer rules regarding ingredients and quality control and the ability to make claims about the product is much freer too!

Pharmaceuticals in both the USA and Australia (and other parts of the world) are governed by drugs administration bodies (usually run by pharmacists/scientists and administrators).

Let’s take the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Their role is to:

- Make sure the drugs and pharma products contain what they claim on the label

- Make sure that there is adequate evidence and risk/benefit has been established and researched

- That marketing claims are substantiated by research and proof.

Companies who bring a new product to the market place in Australia can try to get a product registered or listed y the TGA (indicated by a L or R on the label) otherwise products can be launched as foods.

This creates other avenues for exploitation if the company goes down that route. For example, foods are governed by the food regulations of the sate/country they were manufactured in. This  means a company can chose a country to make their goods (i.e. one with lesser requirements and supervision) and then they can import the product into Australia (or where ever they chose).

A classic example of this are energy drinks. If these products were launched as supplements or pharmaceuticals, they would struggle to get approval (i.e. safety data etc or if it did it would come with multiple warnings). So instead of launching as a supplements the companies can bypass these rules by launching as a food/drinks. Protein powders are another point in case.

The additives, colours, flavours and stimulants in commercial protein powders (i.e. the ones you by at a sports shop, gym or on-line) often contain potentially harmful ingredients.

Some of these potentially harmful ingredients include:

- Guarana or caffeine

- Green tea extract

- Any metabolism booster (most of these work by stimulating your thyroid, liver or kidney clearance, gut evacuation or adrenal stimulation). IE They stimulate you and your baby! Many of these can become addicted (like getting hooked on caffeine in coffee) and your baby will get hooked too. So when baby is born it will go through withdrawals just like when you stop caffeine. Is this desirable – NO!

- Hormone balances or promoters (eg DIM, indol-3-carbinol, broccoli extract, test boosters)

- Adrenal or direct thyroid stimulants as these can affect your babies hormone and metabolism development (e.g. iodine, selenium in high dose, ginsengs, tyrosine, taurine)

- Some herbs are used in protein powders and many have not been researched in pregnant women or come with a warning. There are too many to list but check them out individually if you are not sure . Is it relevant – for sure. An extract of a product (i.e. refined source) can be quite potent and act very differently to a garden picked herb

- Most protein shakes/replacements use whey (or whey isolate) or soy for the basis of the protein. I am not a fan of dairy at the best of times (which is what whey is). This has been linked to allergies in new borns, and behavioural disorders.

- Fillers and sugar can be quite high in these products so while you maybe getting 20grams of protein, you may also be getting 40 grams (8 teaspoons ) of sugar per serve. This may lead to gestational diabetes or altered energy levels in the mum and baby.

Final word:

Try to eat a balanced eating plan when you are pregnant. Go crazy with organic green leafy vegetables, hormone free meats and occasional fruit. For additional protein eat nuts, seeds, meats, legumes and whole grains such as quinoa. The only time I would

recommend protein or meal replacements are professional brands and under supervision.

Today On Hop Into Health, I interviewed Jack Hammond, compounding pharmacist from Broadbeach Amcal Compounding Pharmacy and the HOT topic today was men’s hormones and steroid use and abuse!

Podcast from the show. (The tick sound stops after 2 minutes).

TEMPTED? I do get some of it.. Feel dweebie and want to feel like Arnie – just take some steroids. BUT…

Steroid use before and afters

Tracks: Macho tracks – shared on Health Queen Face Book Page

Q: What hormones do guys have

Both: Guys make lots of hormones, but in the context of ageing, muscle mass and increasing performance the main ones are Growth Hormone, DHEA and Testosterone. Men can make adequate levels of all given rest, a good diet, exercise and low stress. Change these or don’t do these things and hormone changes occur.

Typically guys increase their testosterone production as teen agers hence all the changes associated with testosterone: hair develops, voice changes, muscle develop, long bones grow, erections, libido and sperm production increase as well as feelings of anger and competitiveness.

As men age and typically around 40 they can decrease their testosterone. This is known as andropause, or manopause.

Men can gain weight, become indecisive, have erection issues and develop moons (male breasts).

Q: How can men find out what their testosterone levels are?

Both: Men can see the doctor for a blood test, or a naturopath (like me) for a saliva hormone  test. I normally use saliva testing and measure testosterone, DHEA, cortisol and oestrogen. People can order this on-line and it includes a 30 minute consultation explaining their results with me.

Q: What options do guys have to increase their testosterone levels if found to be low?

Sam: Naturally I support the normal glands that make testosterone (adrenal glands) and help with lifestyle balancing. Often guys with  low testosterone have high oestrogen so that needs to be addressed as well. I use broccoli extracts and liver herbs to help with high oestrogen (and diet and lifestyle).

Jack: If guys go through a doctor they may be recommended to have a troche (pastel for the mouth) or a depo injection. An oral tablet has just been approved by the Australian TGA

Q: Let’s talk about steroid abuse.

A: Obviously if someone has low testosterone and is symptomatic with it, help them make more (or give them an approved testosterone formulae). But if guys are producing ok amounts, and wish to boost their muscle mass I think it is deemed “abusive”. And in Australia steroid use for sports gain, or enhancement is illegal.

The drugs are available very easily to anyone who wants to risk the gauntlet run. You can buy them on line

And just because you can buy injectable steroids on-line does not mean it is LEGAL!

So if you order in any peptide for “research use” which all claim is what they are for not their sites and “not for human consumption” you are truly going to have to defend a lot of questions if you get caught with the stuff.

Arnie is infamous for his life story but in particular how he wanted to prove himself in Austria and moving to the USA and subsequent steroid use. I am sure he started the idea of big is BETTER…. somewhere we ALL started linking big blokes = nice guys, protective guys. Those who drive in on a bike, boom boom, and zip off Hasta La Vista Baby!

I have heard of guys injected insulin simultaneously as their testosterone booster. This is playing with your life. Insulin has the capacity

to kill someone very quickly!

Q: What are common side effects of steroid abuse?

A: These range from symptoms of too much oestrogen (as the body can only excrete a certain amount without help) so high oestrogen in men will give them breasts, shrunk testes, moobs, depression, anxiety, impotence and tummy fat.

High testosterone can cause aggression (roid rage), pimples, skin problems and muscle splitting.

Some guys (and girls) go so far as to put silicon fillers (as you would buy from a ware house) into their muscle layers so they can inject into it for slow release.

Something like Growth Hormone (which costs from $80-$120 according to my research on-line) would need to be used 2-3 daily and injected.

This is a picture of what can happen when your muscles split.

I found this while looking for pictures

Wrap up: Using hormone replacements under ethical supervision is fine. DYI or back yard lab use of steroids can lead to all sorts of issues and needs to be really thought out.

If you want to get off juice but don’t know how see a doctor or professional health provider. I am happy to assist as are many other naturopaths/nutritionist. This website might help too. 

I will have my new book for guys “Keeping up” available for purchase next week. In it I discuss natural ways to keep your testosterone up.

Tune in next Wednesday when we discuss Sports Enhancing products with dietician Mark Robinson.

Both of us agreed that food is preferable but understand why people want to use enhancement products. They can help with fat loss, muscle can and sports performance. But the area has blown out and is worth millions of dollars.  Not all products are necessary and all they cracked up to be.

Podcast from the show. Fast forward the first minute as the sound is dodgey!

Answers are from Sam and Mark.

Q:

Firstly – what is a calorie and how does the body use calories?

A: A calorie is how we measure energy. And to sustain life a person(being) needs a certain amount of calories a day to do the normal functions of life. If they eat too many these can be stored as fat. The body uses calories through 3 ways (exercise approx 60%, digestion approx 15% and thermagenesis 25%).

Thermagenesis is the heat that muscles create  - which burns an incredible amount of energy.

Most sports supplements help with increasing metabolism (and calorie burning) and can assist with fat loss, others give the body proteins that help with recovery or building new tissue and others boost naturally occurring bio active elements that can lead to improved hormones, function and energy supply.

Q: Who may benefit from taking a sports supplement?

A: Anyone really but the most common are athletes trying to improve their performance, people trying to lose weight and those seeking optimal health.

Q: Let’s talk about protein powders – what are the most common ingredients and what are they designed to do?

1. Whey isolate is the protein extracted from dairy and is considered a complete protein source. Isonizing it means it is quicker for the body to break down and is best taken 20 minutes after finishing a work out. It may help with recovery.

2. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

These are three amino acids that you need to ingest in order to make them. They include isoleucine, leucine and valine. They help with muscle repair.

3. Caffeine and Carnitine

Both of these can stimulate your metabolism, delay fatigue and open up fat channels so good for general work out and increasing fat burning. Ideally these would be taken before a work out.

Q: What are other key ingredients to have in work out products?

A: Creatine (once again another amino acid) is important for muscle recovery and strength. It sits inside the muscle cells and helps them recruit water which makes the muscle stronger. It also helps with recovery. People normally load with creatine 20g a day for 5 days, then go onto a maintenance of 5g a day. It is recommended to have breaks from creatine so your body still makes it (and doesn’t switch off supply).

Glutamine is another amino acid that helps with muscle repair and is useful after training sessions. 1-5 grams a day can help with recovery and many protein powders have glutamine in their formulas.

Q: Are there things to be avoided in sports supplements and protein powders?

A: Yes there are a few undesirable things in sports products. Ones to be aware of are fructose (readily available sugar), sodium (try to limit this to 1200mg per 100g), artificial flavours and additives.

Stimulants can accumulate over your day so take into account all the stimulants and fat metabolisers you are having as too many can make you jittery, anxious, change your cortisol levels and possibly inhibit fat loss!

Stimulants include caffeine, black and green tea, black pepper, guarana, taurine and are included in many products.

If you have issues sleeping, losing weight, relaxing and feel jittery, you could be over stimulated.

Consult a nutritionist or dietician if you would like more information.

Supplements, food replacements and work out enhancers can all help but often they are not needed if you have a healthy balanced diet.

I (Health Queen here) prefer people eat foods in the first instance and follow a few key exercising rules such as:

a. Eating a small amount of carb 30 mins prior to exercise (e.g. fruit, rice cake) so the body has small amount of energy to draw from and not use muscle

b. Replace glycogen within 30 mins of stopping exercise (another small piece of carb)

c. Next main meal should include a healthy chunk of protein (animal or plant source)

d. Drink plenty of water

e. Have more carbs for prolonged activity and if doing extreme activities consider replacing BCAAs during.

Eat a balance of fats, proteins and limit carbs to vegetables and whole grains (brown rice) only.

Mark Robinson runs a clinic at Kudos Health Club and privately.

This is the podcast from the show (I think the sound drops out briefly)

In my Health Queen Clinic I have found working women and in particular mums, have heightened stress levels, anxiety and this in turns pushes up their testosterone levels and cortisol.

These two hormones can make a women feel out of sorts. Typical symptoms of high testosterone are facial hair, acne, tummy fat, irritability, anger, aggression, oil hair, PCOS and infertility. You may only have one symptom that indicates that your testosterone or  are high.

Increased levels of cortisol can make us jittery, anxious, wound up or irritable. It can lead to tummy fat, poor sleep and long term high levels lead to inflammation (joint stiffness, aches, pains) and burn out.

It is common for working mums to struggle to find the fine, happy balance between time, energy and making sure everyone’s needs are being attended to, including themselves.

Working mums feel guilty because they often feel they are putting their work ahead of their family, or spouses. Mentally they want to achieve all the things a stay at home supported mum can achieve and get angry/frustrated or feel a failure with themselves when they don’t.

Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, getting children ready for school, homework, etc etc  take ALOT of time. If you are preparing lunches, meals, cleaning etc. expect to spend 4-6 hours a day doing these chores.

Add this time commitment onto sleep (6-8 hours), work (6-8 hours), driving to and from work (1-2 hours) and you are already up to 24 hours. That is not taking into consideration exercise, friends, showering and other bathroom deeds and sex!

It’s no wonder working mums drop exercise and sex off their “must do”lists. And yet, I find these two things are really important for balance and happiness (and hormone happiness).

Things that can make a planned day (or career) come crushing down are sick children, husbands flying in and out (mines), sick extended family members, you being sick. There is so much at stake. And when one thing falls apart, often the delicate balance holding it all together dissolves too.

Interview with Mel and discussion:

Q: What are common challenges that working mums experience?

A: These were taken from a Face book post on the Health Queen page in response to this question.

Soon to be back at work. My greatest stress is knowing my boys are home safe from school & how they cope with me not being there. Over coming that feeling this time by having a nanny with bubba & taking care of the older boys in the afternoons

 Trying to win the battle in my head that says that every aspect of my life must be ‘perfect’. Unrealistic, unachievable and de-motivating . I am slowly learning to be ok with imperfection

Being a perfectionist – trying to ensure I do the best in all aspects of my life – family, work, sport, friends…and learning the art of relaxation!

Trying to keep everyone happy!

 Other people!

I’m completely baffled how other mums juggle work and preschool hours! I’m clearly doing something wrong.

Balance & taking the time to be with the family not just in the same home.

Dealing with the constant feeling of missing the mark in every aspect of my life – “jack of all trades, master of none”.

I feel the exact same way you’re not alone!!

The feeling of having to be always “productive”

Balance. Perfectionism. Rejuvenation. Giving myself permission to take time out.

Comments:

There is no such thing as a perfect mother! We are all doing the best we can with the tools we have. Aiming for perfection is a hard line to take. Aim for adequate, love and support is a better measuring stick.

Q: What are some strategies to lighten the burden of working and being a mum?

Mel: Allocating chores to children from a young age, asking for helping, hanging with like minded people (ie other working mums), sharing dropping off and collecting kids, sharing baby sitting .

Sam: Green light activities (things that make you feel relaxed, lost in thought and revive you), vent with other parents when you can (school drop offs), priorities your list

Q: What other tools can working mums utilize?

A: Demi Pairs, nannies, cleaners

Q: Any other tips?

Make sure your internal chatter/coach is positive. If the voice or thoughts start being negative axe the thoughts.

Focus on the positives in your day. Most peoples’ days are filled with lots of negative, draining aspects. Manage these as best you can and expand on the good things so that you day feels like it is full of these positive interactions and outcomes.

When planning your day leave a little bit of slough time. This will help cater for traffic jams, sick childrens and other curl balls that can come from no where.

Less if very often MORE!

Q: What things can working mums weave into their lives that assist with sex?

A: Sex is one aspect of a working mum’s life that often gets put on the back burner and can lead to resentment between the couple. John Gray, (author Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) suggests the following: average sex 3 times a week, one big session a month (roses, bath, massages etc) once a month and maybe a quick interlude once a week.

Many women are over whelmed with this expectation. Don’t feel guilty if having sex once a month seems unrealistic. Let’s just get the wheels in motion…

You may need to allocate time in your day to make it happen.

The positives of sex are: reconnection with your partner, it can be fun, it burns calories and it balances hormones.

Thanks Mel from coming into the show. Mel runs a women’s network group called Mums in Business Australia. For a very small membership fee you can come along to weekly meetings, be inspired and educated and connect with other working women. Men are welcome too.

Sam Beau Patrick in the studio with Mel Groom

What are your greatest challenges at home or work or being a working mum? Add your comments below.

Next week I will be interviewing Kate Filmer , author of Hidden Path (Author, Counsellor and Intuitive Life Guide).

This is an interview I did this morning with Nicole Dyer from ABC coast FM (Podcast)

What is the low down on this OIL?

Coconut Oil is a newly discovered old traditional YOU BEAUT OIL!

It’s only recently that coconut oil has been deemed ok. This is because it is a saturated oil.  Saturated oils are historically “BAD” for us! These oils are hard for the body to break down, can lead to inflammation, heart disease and fat gain.

HOWEVER plant saturated fats have benefits. They are stable at high temperatures so perfect for cooking.

Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid which increase the absorption of other omega threes. So eat coconut oil with flax, krill, fish oils.  It also has the capacity to block starches. So potentially eating potatoes fried with coconut oil will be ok (the fat should block the rapid absorption of starches in the potato).

I have also read about other health benefits including:

- may boost your energy

- may increases antioxidant and anti inflammatory actions of omega 3s

- may increases metabolic rate and increases weight loss

- may boost your immune system

- can be anti fungal and anti bacterial

- may reverse free radical damage

- might be good for hair and skin care

- may drop your cholesterol

The Health Queen’s Wrap UP

Coconut oil is here to stay. It is the new you-beaut super food with reason. I highly recommend experimenting with it.

Try it with chips and cooking (sweet potato chips pan friend in coconut oil) – not that I am recommending you go crazy on hot chips!

Try oil Pulling Oil pulling is the ritual of holding 1-2 Tbs of coconut oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes a day will draw out bacteria and then you can discard

Try on your skin or hair

Try internally. Consume 1 Tbs a day on salads or in smoothies, or cooking

Leave your feedback below as I would love to hear about it.

Sam

This the podcast (skip first 2 mins and recording of Rose Tattoo quite bad)

Tracks: Macho tracks – shared on Health Queen Face Book Page

Q: What hormones do guys have

Both: Guys make lots of hormones, but in the context of ageing, muscle mass and increasing performance the main ones are Growth Hormone, DHEA and Testosterone. Men can make adequate levels of all given rest, a good diet, exercise and low stress. Change these or don’t do these things and hormone changes occur.

Typically guys increase their testosterone production as teen agers hence all the changes associated with testosterone: hair develops, voice changes, muscle develop, long bones grow, erections, libido and sperm production increase as well as feelings of anger and competitiveness.

As men age and typically around 40 they can decrease their testosterone. This is known as andropause, or manopause.

Men can gain weight, become indecisive, have erection issues and develop moons (male breasts).

Q: How can men find out what their testosterone levels are?

Both: Men can see the doctor for a blood test, or a naturopath (like me) for a saliva hormone  test. I normally use saliva testing and measure testosterone, DHEA, cortisol and oestrogen. People can order this on-line and it includes a 30 minute consultation explaining their results with me.

Q: What options do guys have to increase their testosterone levels if found to be low?

Sam: Naturally I support the normal glands that make testosterone (adrenal glands) and help with lifestyle balancing. Often guys with  low testosterone have high oestrogen so that needs to be addressed as well. I use broccoli extracts and liver herbs to help with high oestrogen (and diet and lifestyle).

Jack: If guys go through a doctor they may be recommended to have a troche (pastel for the mouth) or a depo injection. An oral tablet has just been approved by the Australian TGA

Q: Let’s talk about steroid abuse.

A: Obviously if someone has low testosterone and is symptomatic with it, help them make more (or give them an approved testosterone formulae). But if guys are producing ok amounts, and wish to boost their muscle mass I think it is deemed “abusive”. And in Australia steroid use for sports gain, or enhancement is illegal.

The drugs are available very easily to anyone who wants to risk the gauntlet run. You can buy them on line

And just because you can buy injectable steroids on-line does not mean it is LEGAL!

So if you order in any peptide for “research use” which all claim is what they are for not their sites and “not for human consumption” you are truly going to have to defend a lot of questions if you get caught with the stuff.

I have heard of guys injected insulin simultaneously as their testosterone booster. This is playing with your life. Insulin has the capacity to kill someone very quickly!

Q: What are common side effects of steroid abuse?

A: These range from symptoms of too much oestrogen (as the body can only excrete a certain amount without help) so high oestrogen in men will give them

breasts, shrunk testes, moobs, depression, anxiety, impotence and tummy fat.

High testosterone can cause aggression (roid rage), pimples, skin problems and muscle splitting.

Some guys go so far as to put silicon fillers (as you would buy from a ware house) into their muscle layers so they can inject into it for slow release.

Something like Growth Hormone (which costs from $80-$120 according to my research on-line) would need to be used 2-3 daily and injected.

This is a picture of what can happen when your muscles split.

I found this while looking for pictures

Wrap up: Using hormone replacements under ethical supervision is fine. DYI or back yard lab use of steroids can lead to all sorts of issues and needs to be really thought out.

If you want to get off juice but don’t know how see a doctor or professional health provider. I am happy to assist as are many other naturopaths/nutritionist. This website might help too. 

I will have my new book for guys “Keeping up” available for purchase next week. In it I discuss natural ways to keep your testosterone up.

Tune in next Wednesday when we discuss Sports Enhancing products with dietician Mark Robinson.

Maybe you have no (or low) inclination for sex, low libido or low enjoyment.

In consultations I often find that a person’s sex desire/urge/libido and enjoyment all fall by the way side as a sad side effect from the stress they are feeling in their lives. 

These are other common reasons that women have low/no sex drive:

- stress

- a lack of connection with their partner

- fatigue, tiredness or exhaustion

- no time 

- hormone changes so it may be painful or there simply is no sex drive (low progesterone or low testosterone)

Most women often DO NOT feel sexually inclined

when their stress levels are high.

Why?

Usually because stress hormones impede our ability to relax and our parasympathetic hormones (acetylcholine ) and oxytocin are only released when we are relaxed. They are switched off when we are busy, racing around or feeling under threat (i.e. stressed).

So if you want to pick your sex life up, you need to address your stress levels.

Interestingly you can switch off your stress hormone by engaging in sex (especially loving sex) as it can drop your testosterone and lead to a surge in oxytocin. Oxytocin makes us feel all warm and mushy inside and less stressed.

There are a small percentage of women who have amazing sex drives and this often correlates with high testosterone levels (or the honey moon)!

The other hormones in women that switch off libido are:

- high oestrogen

- low progesterone

- low testosterone

Remember from the previous blog, that non essential activities go on the back burner when we are stressed. Your body considers sex, procreation, digestion and eliminating non-essential, or non life saving.

If you want to increase your sex drive then decrease your stress.

GUYS if you want your partner to have a stronger libido, then maybe assist her work out why she is stressed and help her manage it (this may mean going on dates to yoga, listening to mediation audios with her) etc…

Men can suffer with low sex drive too but usually from different causes:

- stress

- low testosterone

- candida

- psychological issues (impotence, image issues, weight)

I discuss more male sex issues in my latest

book for men due late March.

Have you recognised that your life with stress may be out of whack. Are you stressing too much. Is it sucking up your sex life?

Personally and professionally that the stress endemic is escalating not decreasing. Get ahead of the pack. Find out what your stress hormones are doing with a hormone test or the Happy Female Formulae is designed for women, and incorporates many of the tips I know on stress management and increasing bedroom play!

stress consuming you?

Revisiting the first blog on stress, it is a normal life saving reptilian response we go through when we perceive that our life is under threat. It switches off the non essential physiological processes in our body (e.g. digestion, sex desires, elimination) and switches on our alert state (e.g. no sleeping, everything fastens up – your heart rate, your blood sugar, your brain).

It is life saving in some instances (e.g. if a bear escapes from a zoo and is chasing you down) but can be overwhelming and crippling when every day events are stressing us (for example work, relationships, time pressures, expectations, bank balances).

I spend a large percentage of my speaking career and consultation time discussing stress and how to manage it.

Here are some ideas.

1. Recognise stress – are you addicted or ignorant . Did you recognise any of the symptoms from the first blog on stress?

2. Work out your priorities in life.

Sounds so simple I know but this step requires reflection time out of the fish bowl that you call your life. Reflect on your life about the following: what is really important to you, what are your values and if you were to die tomorrow what would you like people to say about you. These are the things that are important to you. Start moulding your time and life to fulfil these things!

3. Daily commitment to manage stress as you would do daily exercise . This means doing a green light activity every day.

4. Breathing correctly. We actually change our breathing patterns for different activities. WHen we are relaxed we should breathe like babies – using our bellies. And invariably when we are stressed we only use our lungs (and top half) to breathe with. This creates a pH shift in our body which can lead to anxiety and the stress cascade.

Try to breathe using a belly breathe. It takes practise so try doing it a few times before getting out of bed and then when you lie down at night. It you practice it you will find you can draw on it and use it when you need it most. A few deep breathes when you are feeling anxious or stressed will circuit break the stress respsonse

5. Activity and exercise.

Just like letting the lid off a steam pot so that the lid doesnt explode off, it is important to

do exercise to permit stress hormones to be used up. Some people find boxing, high intensity activities are great, others prefer down activities such as yoga and pilates.

I believe a combination of “up” and “down” activities are needed for a good balance. Try water sports, bush walking, golf, gym classes, tai chi, hobbies, journally, reading, blogging, painting, scrap booking , cooking, chilling out to music, gardening etc… All of these down activities result in your body secreting relaxing hormones (that’s right the opposite to stress hormones).

BONUS TIP from John Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus series)

When testosterone is up in women we are quite unapproachable. A quick way to drop our stress hormone testosterone is to release the hormone oxytocin. This can be done through the activities I have highlighted above or via  a big fat HUG! That’s right a hug.

So find someone, something to hug and that will help circuit break your stress response.

For more step by step ideas consider the Happy Female Formulae. You can buy the downloads only or you can order the hormone test kit and consultation package to really help yourself find balance in your life.