Hormone replacement: Encouraging laziness - Part I
Hormone replacement is so common today that you’d think we can’t live without it. For some, that’s true, but what have we done for thousands of years before we started hormone replacement? Is there truly more of a need for it then there was for thousands of years until now? And if so, why? When you look at some of the risks, we have to question the wisdom of forcing man-created hormones on our delicate bio-feedback network that plays such a critical role in the balance of our endocrine (hormonal) system. Does hormone replacement therapy (HRT) encourage laziness in a system that strives at all costs to be balanced?
Our endocrine system, which entails organs and glands that produce hormones, has a very sensitive bio-feedback mechanism that is at play continually, 24/7. That means that when one organ or gland over-produces a hormone, other organs or glands have to adjust their levels to compensate. Likewise, if one organ or gland under-produces a hormone, other organs or glands have to adjust their hormone levels to compensate. Big swings in hormones can really stress the system.
We have more control over our hormonal balance than what is obvious. Eating sugar, for instance, starts an altered cascade of hormonal responses that then affect many other organs and glands, such as the thyroid and adrenals. Just as we can eventually have insulin resistance, we can also have resistance at hormonal receptor sites belonging to many other hormones. This resistance then affects other organs or glands as they try to compensate. Not only that, but the organs get lazy.
You may be surprised at that. It’s like this: you are frustrated with your 40-year-old son that still lives at home. Every day you encourage him to get off his duff and get a job. As he’s walking out the door, you hand him a $100 bill. After doing this every day for a month he’s made $3,000! He has no motivation to get a job. Why work when you’re given a free hand-out? It’s essentially the same with giving the body hormones. The organs or glands don’t have to work. They get lazier and lazier. What then?
When you are struggling with fatigue, lack of motivation, lack of sex drive or lack of feeling the joy of life, HRT looks like a gift from God. When taking it, you feel like yourself again and life doesn’t look as bleak. But when your receptor sites become more resistant or your organs become lazier, your only choice is to increase the dose. When the resistance continues until you hit your maximum dose or you get any of the associated side effects, such as hypertension, blood clots, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, loss of muscle strength or dementia, or it conflicts with another medication, then what?
There is an answer. We can support the organ so that it works better. How do we do that? This will be discussed in Part II of Hormone Replacement — Encouraging Laziness. Meanwhile, sign up for our upcoming health class, Bio-Identical Hormone Recovery, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 at Vital Health in Coeur d’Alene. Fee: $10. RSVP: 208-765-1994 or register here: http://bit.ly/HormoneRecoveryClass
- • •
Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Carling is a “Health Detective.” She looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’Alene clinic. Visit Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.