Probably not.

Would you prefer to have average sex or fantastic sex? Do you want to perform average at work compared to your peers – or superior?  You want to excel, right?  So why would you settle for “normal” hormone levels when you can have fantastic, or optimal, hormone levels?

Many patients come to me and say their doctor told them everything in their lab work is “normal” or “looks great.” But the truth is, most physicians are not educated in hormonal optimization or the importance of hormone levels in maintaining optimal health.  Many doctors don’t even check hormone levels – or they check the wrong ones.

Would you see a dermatologist if you had a heart problem?  No way.  You’d see a cardiologist because he or she is trained in cardiology.   So when it comes to optimizing hormones and healthy aging, the best type of doctor to see is one who specializes in Hormonal Optimization and Age Management.

What are Optimal Lab Ranges?

If your doctor has told you that your hormone levels are “normal” what he or she most likely means is that they fall within the normal lab range.  Normal ranges are determined by sampling a large number of average “healthy” Americans and creating a range of numbers from the high end to the low end.  Anything within this range is then called “normal.”  But “normal” is not necessarily optimal.  If fact, in most cases, it isn’t.  With chronic disease rates on the rise and obesity approaching 50% in the United States, I certainly don’t want to be considered an “average” or “normal” American when it comes to my health. Do you?

Let’s take testosterone in males, for example.  When you look at a copy of your blood work, “normal” free testosterone ranges from approxiamtely 5 pg/mL to 30 pg/mL, depending upon which lab you use.  This is a huge variation!  But if your level was at  30 pg/mL last year and it’s at 5 pg/mL this year, your doctor would tell you that your testosterone is “normal” even though it has fallen about 80% from a year ago!  Does that sound normal to you?

Why is Optimal Better? 

The truth is your hormones should be in the top 1/3 of the normal range for your age group for the hormones you want high and the lower 1/3 for the hormones you want low.  Because when it comes to hormones, men and women who have optimal hormone levels typically feel better, perform better, have less body fat, better libidos and are generally stronger and more fit. Not to mention they’re at a significantly lower risk for virtually all the chronic degenerative diseases of aging.

So, again, why would you settle for “normal” if being optimal means you can look and feel better than ever and at the same time be at lower risk for heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, insomnia, and depression?

I encourage you to get your hormone levels checked by a physician specializing in Age Management and Hormonal Optimization.

Let’s make optimal your new normal!

Please continue to follow our updates and make THE BODY WELL your go-to source for information on Age Management and Hormone Optimization.

Are you losing your edge? Feeling less energetic? Gaining weight around the middle despite your best efforts? Is your skin less supple and smooth, becoming more wrinkled? Are your libido and sexual performance declining? Do you wish you could look and feel vibrant, active and youthful again?

Beginning as early as your late 20s, the hormones you want low typically begin to rise (e.g. insulin, cortisol) and the ones you want high begin to decline (e.g. testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, pregnenolone, human growth hormone (HGH), DHEA, thyroid). As a result, men and women begin to experience changes in attitudes and moods, mild depression, fatigue, loss of mental sharpness and memory, lower sex drive, skin wrinkling, muscle loss, belly fat, loss of energy, and reduction in physical agility.

It’s commonly a result of these hormone changes. And there is a solution.

Comprehensive Age Management Medicine is a medical specialty that involves evaluating you for symptoms and signs of degenerative aging and decline and slowing down that process through hormone optimization, proper nutrition, and exercise. It’s not just about living longer, it’s about living better.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of hormonal decline, I encourage you to make an appointment with a physician who specializes in Age Management.  It may just be the best decision you ever make.

Please continue to follow our updates and make THE BODY WELL your go-to source for information on Age Management and Hormone Optimization.

In the spirit of celebrating the 2012 Olympic games, here are 10 Interesting Facts About the Olympics:

1. The early Olympic Games were celebrated as a religious festival from 776 B.C. until 393 A.D., when they were banned for being a pagan festival (the Olympics celebrated the Greek god Zeus). In 1894, a French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin, proposed a revival of the ancient tradition, and thus the modern-day Olympic Summer Games were born.
2. The United States has won more medals (2,189) at the Summer Games than any other country.
3. Norway has won the most medals (263) at the Winter Games.
4. No country in the Southern Hemisphere has ever hosted a Winter Games.
5. Nobody has won more medals at the Winter Games than cross-country skier Bjorn Dählie of Norway, who has 12.
6. In 1921, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, borrowed a Latin phrase from his friend for the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (“Swifter, Higher, Stronger”).
7. Gandhi once covered the Olympics as a newspaper reporter: The 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles.
8. China’s first Olympic medal was not until 1984.
9. 1912 the last year gold medals were made entirely out of gold. They are now silver with gold plating.
10. The oldest Olympic medalist was Oscar Swahn, a Swedish shooter.  He won his last medal at the age of 72.

 The Body Well salutes all the Olympic athletes.

 They inspire all of us to be “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.”

]]> http://www.thebodywellusa.com/blog/swifter-higher-stronger/feed/ 0 http://www.thebodywellusa.com/blog/dhea-your-bodys-most-abundant-androgen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dhea-your-bodys-most-abundant-androgen http://www.thebodywellusa.com/blog/dhea-your-bodys-most-abundant-androgen/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:58:42 +0000 drmike http://www.thebodywellusa.com/blog/?p=427 Continue reading →]]> DHEA (de-hydro-epi-androsterone) is the most abundant androgen in the human body. It is, importantly, a precursor of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones. Most of your body’s DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, although small amounts are synthesized in the gonads, skin and brain. After production, DHEA is released into the bloodstream, where it can be converted into either estrogen or testosterone as needed.

DHEA levels peak at around age 20, then decline by approximately 10 percent per decade, with great individual-to-individual variability. By age 70, DHEA levels reach a level of 10 percent to 20 percent of young adult levels.

Low DHEA levels can cause:

• Fatigue
• Low sex drive
• Loss of strength and muscle mass
• Depression
• Impaired immune function
• Joint pain

Optimal DHEA levels can help:

• Increase endurance
• Increase testosterone levels
• Increase lean muscle mass
• Decrease body fat %
• Improve memory
• Boost immune function
• Promote flexibility

Some studies show DHEA may help improve energy and libido, eliminate abdominal fat, increase muscle tone, improve immune function, regenerate tissue (bones, muscles and skin), improve cholesterol levels, maintain emotional well-being and improve the body’s ability to cope with stress.

Optimizing DHEA levels, as part of a complete Age Management Program, helps restore youthful amounts of this and other crucial hormones, resulting in more energy, improved immune function, enhanced well-being and better cognitive (brain) function.

If you’re in the West Hollywood, Orange County, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher.  If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

A large percentage of men who have been told their testosterone is fine actually have low testosterone. Often the total amount of testosterone is read as adequate, but the amount of usable testosterone is low. 

Testosterone levels gradually decline at a rate of about 1-2% per year starting your late 20′s. Because this happens so slow, men often do not notice these symptoms and do not realize how low their testosterone actually is until years later. Most men in their late 30 and older are operating at about 50% of your optimal range. We usually treat males who are over 35 years of age but there are some exceptions.

Many men suffer needlessly because their testosterone is never checked, they are in the “range” or the wrong test is ordered. Men as young as 25 to 30 years in age are presenting with low levels of testosterone, which was not the case 10 or 20 years ago. This is possibly a result of environmental toxins, plastics, pesticides, pollutants and/or xenoestrogens in the environment.

Men with low testosterone may have subtle to profound symptoms, ranging form poor motivation, anxiety, weight gain, and loss sense of well being to profound depression, and loss of sex drive. Men with low testosterone cannot only enjoy an improved quality of life with testosterone supplementation, but it will also provide a significant decreased risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and death.

Testosterone optimization can result in: 

• Decreased aging of heart and better circulation
• Protects against heart disease
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Decreased risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Decreased risk of diabetes
• Decreased body fat
• Increased lean muscle
• Decreased brain aging
• Improved memory, mental functioning and ability
• Improved concentration and focus
• Decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Increased sense of well being and mood
• Increased energy, stamina and endurance
• Increased sexual potency and frequency
• Decreased osteoporosis
• Decreased risk of prostate cancer

If you’re in the West Hollywood, Orange County, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher.  If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

As the 2012 Summer Olympic Games draw near, I am especially excited!

Over the past year I’ve had the unique opportunity to work with a number of Olympic athletes as they prepare for the upcoming London Games.  In fact, The Body Well team has been working with athletes from several countries including the United States, Japan, Austria, Colombia and Israel.  I was interviewed with one of the athletes, swimmer and Olympic medalist Marcus Rogan, for a segment that aired recently on Austrian National Television, and I am pleased to share this interview with you [see video link below].

It has been a fun and rewarding year!

As is the case with many of my patients, I performed baseline lab testing, including comprehensive hormonal panels, intracellular vitamin, mineral and nutrient analysis, physical exams as well as baseline fitness testing including VO2 max.  Based upon these results as well as personal goals and type of competition, I have created customized programs for each athlete to optimize individual performance.

One of the more challenging problems I encountered was decreased hormone levels from overtraining and stress.  And how to best optimize those levels while working within strict World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Guidelines.

I have approached this through custom nutrition and nutraceutical prescription, lifestyle counseling including adequate sleep and stress managment, and Intelligent Exercise counseling so the athletes can work with their coaches for optimal performance.  I have also been able to offer personalized meal planning, preparation and high quality food delivery through The Body Well’s partners, Eat Naked and Wholesome2Go.

Our results have been amazing, as our athletes have excelled in their respective Olympic Trials and are in their best forms as they begin to leave over the coming week for London.

We wish all the athletes well and will be cheering loudly from Los Angeles!

There is hope!

Research shows a strong connection between weight gain in men and hormonal imbalances.  Low testosterone and high cortisol levels are related to increased body fat, especially in the midsection, as well as decreased lean muscle mass in men.  This excess body fat furthers the hormonal imbalance by converting more testosterone into estrogen.  Increased body fat and lean muscle loss means more fat and less muscle to carry around, resulting in fatigue and low energy levels.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Weight gain in men is also affected by high stress.  Stress leads to increased cortisol levels in the body, and prolonged stress and heightened levels of cortisol increase the production of fat cells and a slowed metabolic rate. Elevated cortisol also increases appetite, causing men to eat more and male weight gain naturally follows.  Making matters worse still, high cortisol levels diminish testosterone levels, which are already decreasing as men age.  Low testosterone causes low energy and fatigue, meaning less physical activity and still more weight gain in men.

Another vicious cycle!

To boot, as men age, thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism, and low levels of the human growth hormone (HGH) also cause weight gain by decreasing the body’s metabolic rate.

So what’s the solution?

A Comprehensive Age Management Evaluation and Program allows us to measure and appropriately optimize hormone levels as an integral part of an overall care plan.  With the help of Age Management and Hormonal Optimization, we can bring your testosterone, cortisol, estrogen, HGH and thyroid hormones, among others, into optimal ranges. This balance will best position you for maximal body fat loss, an increased metabolic rate, better energy and a more vigorous life.

If you’re in the West Hollywood, Orange County, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher.  If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Through enzymatic action, testosterone can convert to two other hormones: dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estrogen. The enzyme 5-alpha reductase (found in high concentrations in the prostate gland and skin) converts testosterone into DHT. Aromatase (found in skin, brain, fat and bone) transforms the hormone into estrogen (estradiol).

As years pass, increasingly more testosterone converts to estradiol, increasing a man’s risk for prostate cancer, heart disease and stroke.

One report compared estrogen levels of both genders, showing an average 54-year-old man’s to be higher than an average 59-year-old woman’s.

Since estrogen levels increase with age, men never need estrogen therapy. Actually, aging men often suffer the effects of too little testosterone and too much estrogen. The resulting imbalance directly causes many debilitating health and performance problems associated with “normal” aging.

Since testosterone increasingly converts to estrogen as men age, taking testosterone by itself, without monitoring other hormones, is not judicious. Testosterone may convert into even more estrogen, a process called aromatization.

Aromatization potentially worsens the already existing hormone imbalance. Too much estrogen and not enough testosterone can increase risk of a heart attack or stroke. High levels of estrogen also have been implicated as a cause of benign prostate hyperplasia (noncancerous enlargement of prostate) and even prostate cancer.

A Comprehensive Age Management Evaluation and Program allows us to appropriately optimize and follow estrogen as well as your other hormone levels as an integral part of your overall care plan. If you’re in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Your body’s adrenal glands produce hydrocortisone (cortisol), a hormone known as a glucocorticoid. Glucocorticoids are critical for life and the key to your body’s physical and emotional stress response. The “glu-“ in glucocorticoid comes from glucose, as these steroids play a vital role in blood sugar metabolism.

Among its functions, cortisol stimulates bodily activities on awakening: It influences carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism, helps regulate blood pressure, and improves the stability of blood vessels. Cortisol is also vital for immune function (it fends off bacteria and viruses) and helps mobilize against inflammation. However, escalated levels of cortisol can actually suppress immune function.

Symptoms of high cortisol include the following:

• High blood pressure
• Hyperglycemia
• Obesity
• Weakened immune response

A cortisol imbalance may result in:

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Bone and muscle loss
• Foggy thinking
• Anxiety
• Irritability

Often called the “stress hormone,” cortisol protects your body when emotional stressors or emergencies arise. When the stress subsides, the brain sends a message to stop cortisol production to normalize levels. But if you’re under chronic pressure and stress, elevated cortisol levels may saturate your body. Over time, these elevated cortisol levels lead to fat accumulation, blood sugar problems, fatigue, bone loss and immune system impairment. Chronic stress (physical or emotional) can also eventually exhaust the adrenal glands, resulting in abnormally low cortisol production – an insidious cycle that can cause premature aging of tissues and total body burnout.

High stress levels and poor nutrition may both contribute to an imbalance in the levels of cortisol. As elevated or lowered levels of cortisol may lead to a host of health problems, it is imperative to have lab work completed to determine your levels. Corrective measures for high cortisol levels include balanced hormones, Relaxation Response Training (RRT), eating an appropriate, anti-inflammatory diet, and the correct physical activity.

So how do you know if you have a cortisol imbalance? If you’re in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Age Management / Hormonal Optimization expert Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com

However, by increasing HGH production or with prescription HGH, you can burn unwanted body fat. HGH is converted to insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in your liver. IGF-1 competes with the same receptor sites as insulin on your cell’s surfaces. When it does this, less glucose in transported into your cells to burn as energy, so your body will burn fat instead.

Normally, a person’s body uses all of their glucose as energy before burning energy from their fat reserves. Human growth hormone (HGH) forces your body to obtain more energy from its fat reserves. Significant fat loss is the result.

Because human growth hormone (HGH) triggers your body to burn fat for energy, you will lose weight even during inactive periods. Energy is required for all aspects of living. HGH can even cause your body to burn fat while you are sleeping! Additionally, it allows you to eat a normal low-glycemic diet without excess weight gain. It is important that you eat a low-glycemic diet while taking HGH so that you don’t have too much excess glucose in your blood stream, as this can lead to insulin resistance and increase diabetes risk.

Human growth hormone (HGH) also causes heightened energy levels and metabolism. Naturally produced HGH creates these effects when you’re young. An increased metabolism means increased fat loss. In fact, HGH has been shown to cause weight loss even when you don’t exercise.

So how do you know if you are HGH deficient and if HGH hormonal therapy is right for you? If you’re in the West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Los Angeles area, schedule an evaluation with Dr. Mike Carragher. If you live out of the area, we can take care of you as well, requiring only an annual visit to The Body Well for your anti-aging Age Management Program. Dr. Carragher will request a blood panel, schedule a comprehensive evaluation, and discuss the best individual treatment options for you.

Call (323) 874-9355 to book an evaluation, or for more information e-mail drmike@thebodywellusa.com