Check out the link:

www.vitamindcouncil.org

While I don’t want you to go outside and get burned it is important for you to spend time outside with as much of your skin exposed to the sun as possible for 15-20 minutes per day.  No sunglasses and no sunscreen.

Please explore the vitamin d council website and read about the importance of having adequate levels of vitamin d in your body. It is important to note that very few of us actually have adequate amounts.

Vitamin D is more than just a vitamin it also acts like a hormone. Essential for proper hormone production, cardiovascular health as well as maintaining a state of optimal mental health.

If you have any questions about your levels or vitamin d and its role in anti-aging then please set up some time to discuss your questions with me.

The vitamin d council is the best source for all things related to the amazing health and life-saving vitamin d.

Please check out the AskDrSkip.com store for the premier vitamin d supplement.

New evidence is emerging that Vitamin D levels are too low for optimal health in the majority of us. This can compromise the health of our bones and immune system, which leads to increased need for this nutrient for most of us to maintain healthy prostate, breast, and nerve tissues.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. For more information on maintaining a long and healthy lifestyle, please visit www.askdrskip.com

Suggested Use: Adults age 18 or over – Take one capsule daily or as recommended by a physician.

Helping to identify a stoke can dramatically increase the chances of an effective treatment.  Please read and file in your memory banks for an emergency…and just pray you never have to use it.  But, if you do – then you will be prepared.

The sooner you get a stroke victim to the hospital the chances of saving their lives is increased exponentially.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Symptoms of a stroke can be difficult to identify, especially if you are not a medically trained person.  I don’t treat emergencies, so information like this is always helpful to have in the ole’ memory banks…just in case.  It is a good reminder.

Educating yourself on the symptoms will help minimize the amount of fear and chaos present in a situation where there is lack of awareness…which could lead to disaster.

The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

You can recognize a stroke by asking three very simple questions:

‘When you think someone is having a stoke…just remember the first 3 letters of the word stroke…S.T.R.’

“S” — Smile. If there is any drooping in the face or mouth – this may be a positive sign of a stoke.  You can also have them stick out their tongue.  If it is crooked or at an angle, then this can also be a sign of a stoke.

“T” — Talk.  Have them say the sentence, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”…If it is slurred or incoherent – there is a problem.  If they have had  a stroke they will not be able to say this sentence correctly.  Go to the hospital.

“R” — Raise arms.  Have them raise both of their arms with their eyes closed.  If there is an imbalance with their arms raised – call or get  them medical attention.

You can also have symptoms of dizziness, confusion, headache, sudden numbness on one side of body or in arms or legs and trouble seeing out of one eye.

There are many additional signs, symptoms and tests that would be performed at the hospital by a physician.  I am including a very abbreviated version here to help educate and keep you prepared in case of an emergency.  The sooner you can get to the hospital, the better the chances for an effective treatment. 

If there is difficulty with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher and/or take them to the hospital.  Tell them the signs you have seen and that way they will know to direct you to the nearest center that can deal most effectively with the issue at hand.

What is Stroke…

A stroke is a loss of the blood being supplied to brain by a thrombus (a clot of blood which forms at the blockage), embolus (an object that moves from one part of the body and causes a blockage) or an injury (such as a head trauma).

There can be risk factors that can put one at a greater risk for having a stroke.

1. Obesity
2. Heart disease and/or High Blood Pressure
3. Diabetes
4. Cigarette Smoking
5. Elevations in Cholesterol
6. Gender (more common in men, sorry guys)
7. Family history of strokes and cardiovascular disease
8. Poor Diet

There is nothing that makes me happier than working with a healthy patient to setup a protocol to work on preventing isssues such as this.  This same individualized protocol can also be used to help prevent heart attacks as well.

Preventing a stroke is far easier than treating one.  If you have a stroke, then there is nothing more crucial than getting to the hospital as soon as possible.  The conventional medical profession excels in emergency situtations of this nature.

This article could really be a book – on the information regarding strokes alone, not to mention the vast amount of information that could be included pertaining to the wellness prevention of strokes.  So…that being said…I am not going to try to cram too much information in here for you too read.

However, for our time here there are several things that I recommend right off the bat!

• Wobenzym

This product has been used for years in Europe (for treatment of as well as prevention of…strokes and heart attacks, not to mention that this is one of the best things I have even seen for inflammation and pain).

When you first start using wobenzym, especially for a man or woman that is 40 years or old is a dose of 10 (ten) pills, 3 (three) times per day on an empty stomach for about 4-6 months. After that time the dosage can be decreased, but if you are at risk, I would continue to take this product at a lower dose, indefinantly.  These are systemic enzymes that are most effective when there is nothing for them to do in the stomach.  By that, I mean that there is nothing for them to try and digest there.  They are most effective when they can go systemic (other parts of the body) and do there work of digesting.

Inflammation is a primary underlying cause of many issues from a more holistic standpoint.

• Beyond Chelation-Improved – which is a fantastic all-inclusive vitamin supplement, formulated by Dr. Garry Gordon, a physician in Arizona that pioneered chelation therapy.  The dosge is 1 (one) packet, 2 (twice) daily with food.  Vitamins must be taken with food for the most part as they can upset your stomach and they need the food to be properly absorbed and utlized by your body.

This is a very basic protocol – please get with a practitioner that is well versed in holistic wellness that can assist you with your goals. Additionally it is paramount that your hormones are balanced and at optimal levels – this includes both men and women.  Yes guys that means you!!  Get your levels checked too!!

This includes, thyroid, testosterone, progesterone, dhea-s, homocystine, fibrinogen and CRP C-reactive protein levels – just to mention a few.  Let’s chat!!

Make sure that you get adequate rest, drink plently of water, exercise and practice effective stress managment, such as meditation.

I am available to help you on your path and with your goals of wellness…schedule an appointment with me today for your wellness education.

Be Well!!

Dr. Skip

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products/services/therapies/education information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before any products/services/therapies.

Self-Test: Assess your hormone deficiency

There is a wide gamut of symptoms that can be indicative of imbalances and deficiencies to your hormonal system. There is a quick document that you can print out and answer the questions and get a determination if delving more deeply into the issue is warranted. If so, a simple, non invasive saliva test can be run to make determinations as to exactly where the imbalance stems.

With the results from your questionnaire and your saliva results we can formulate a wellness balance to help assist your body to get back into balance.

The questionnaire was designed by the international hormone therapy expert, Thierry Hertoghe. I recommend him and his research highly and have been following him for many years. He lectures frequently with the American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine.

Hormone Assessment – Print out and answer the questions. If your results show that you have an imbalance please contact us for a consultation. Click here for the self assessment: Hormone Questionaire

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Here is some great information on interpretation of hormone results from your labs pertaining to anti-aging and longevity medicine. This information will help you optimize your treatment plan with your doctor so that you will get maximum benefit from your health protocol.

It can be easily determined if you need testosterone replacement or estrogen suppression by utilizing the following guidelines.

Free Testosterone. Free testosterone blood levels should be at the high-normal of the reference range. We define high-normal range as the upper one third of the reference range. Under no circumstances should free or total testosterone be above the high end of the normal range.

What can happen is that a standard laboratory “reference range” can deceive a physician into believing that proper hormone balance exists because the results of a free testosterone test fall within the “normal” range. The following charts show a wide range of so-called “normal” ranges of testosterone for men of various ages. While these normal ranges may reflect population “averages,” the objective for most men over age 40 is to be in the upper one-third testosterone range of the 21- to 29-year-old’s. Based on the following reference range chart from LabCorp, this means that optimal free testosterone levels should be between 21-26.5 nanogram/dL in aging men.

Reference Intervals for Free Testosterone from LabCorp

* 20-29 years 9.3-26.5 picogram/mL
* 30-39 years 8.7-25.1 picogram/mL
* 40-49 years 6.8-21.5 picogram/mL
* 50-59 years 7.2-24.0 picogram/mL
* 60+ years 6.6-18.1 picogram/mL

An example of how this chart can be deceptive would be if a 50-year-old man presented symptoms of testosterone deficiency (depression, low energy, abdominal obesity, angina, etc.), but his blood test revealed his free testosterone to be 9 picogram/mL. His doctor might tell him he is fine because he falls within the normal “reference range”. The reality may be that to achieve optimal benefits, testosterone levels should be between 21-26.5 picogram/mL. That means a man could have less than half the amount of testosterone needed to overcome symptoms of a testosterone deficiency, but his doctor will not prescribe testosterone replacement because the man falls within the “average” parameters. That is why it is so important to differentiate between “average” and “optimal.” Average 50-year-old men often have the symptoms of having too little testosterone. Yet since so many 50-year-old men have lower than desired testosterone levels, this is considered to be “normal” when it comes to standard laboratory reference ranges.

The reference values for measuring free testosterone from Quest Diagnostics:

Adult Male (20-60+ years): 1.0-2.7% 50-210 pg/mL

Optimal Range: 150-210 pg/mLfor aging men without prostate cancer.

From what I have seen clinically, direct testing for free testosterone is the best way to assess testosterone activity, as free testosterone is active testosterone and consists of only 1-2% of total testosterone. Total testosterone values should only be used for general testing. Regardless of methods used to determine your free testosterone status, the optimal level in the upper third of normal for a 20-29 year old male.

Estrogen

Estrogen (measured as estradiol) should be in the mid- to lower-normal range. If estradiol levels are in the upper one-third of the normal reference range, or above the normal reference range, this excessive level of estrogen should be reduced. For optimal health, estradiol should be in the range of 10-30 picogram/mL for a man of any age.

It is not uncommon for most aging men to have elevated estrogen, but that does not mean it is acceptable for a man to have estrogen that is too low. Estrogen is used by men to maintain bone density, and low estrogen levels may increase the risk for prostate cancer and other diseases like osteoporosis. It is best to achieve hormone balance, not to create excessivly high levels of testosterone without enough estrogen. The problem is, if we do nothing, most men will have too much estrogen and not nearly enough testosterone. Testosterone is extremly important for the health of the prostate. We want to do as much to help prevent males from getting prostate cancer as we do to prevent females from getting breast cancer.

Total Testosterone

Some men have their total testosterone measured. Reference ranges are between 241-827 nanograms/dL for most laboratories. Many older men are below 241. Optimal levels of total testosterone for males are between 500-827 nanograms/dL. If your levels are lower than 500 nanograms/dL or even a little higher and you still have symptoms, you should check your free testosterone. I prefer using the method of testing the total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin and doing the conversion on a special graph that gives the results of free testosterone. As we have said, free testosterone is the free bioavailable (money in the bank as it were) hormone available for active use by the body.

For other hormone tests, the following are considered to be optimal:

Optimal Results

PSA Under 2.6 ng/mL – (optimal range) Standard reference range is up to 4, but if your level is persistently 2.6 or above, have a blood test to measure the percentage of free vs. bound PSA and a digital rectal exam to help rule out prostate cancer. Do not rely on this result alone. Please seek other advice before beginning agressive treatment on the prostate. There are many effective non-invasive methods in which to treat prostate issues. Please also don’t wait for symptoms to become present before you make choice for the health of your prostate. T here is something that I recommend over and over and that is Wobenzym. It is extremly effective to remove the inflammation that cause prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate gland. This can cause many issues like difficult urinating, getting up several times during the night to urinate, etc. Please contact me or a knowledgeable integrative physician that can help you manage this issue. I am available to help if you have any questions!

DHEA 400-560 mcg/dL – (optimal range) For older men, standard DHEA ranges are very low. It is important for men without prostate cancer to restore them to the youthful range (400-560).

DHT 20-50 nanogram/dL – (optimal range) Reference range is 30-85. DHT is 10 times more androgenic than testosterone and has been implicated in prostate problems and hair loss. This is a result that we monitor for hormone conversion. For example if this is elevated then it is possible that your extra testosterone is converting to another hormone, like estrogen.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) Age 20-70: 1.5-9.3 mIU/mL 70+: 3.1-34.6 mIU/mL (reference ranges) – Under 9.3 mIU/mL- (optimal range) If these levels are high, it is an indication of testicular testosterone production deficiency. LH tells the testes to produce testosterone. I f there is too little testosterone present, the pituitary gland secretes more LH in a futile effort to stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone. Testosterone replacement therapy should suppress excess LH levels. Low LH can also be a sign of estrogen overload, since too much estrogen can suppress LH activity. This could mean using an estrogen blocker like Arimidex or other aromatse inhibitors to help solve a testosterone deficiency problem.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) – Under 30 nanomoles/L – (optimal range) Reference range is 13-71 nanomole/L. Excessive binding inactivates testosterone.

There are several possible explanations as to why free testosterone levels may be low-normal:

* Too much testosterone is being converted to estradiol by excess aromatase enzyme and/or the liver is failing to adequately detoxify surplus estrogen. Excess aromatase enzyme and/or liver dysfunction is likely the cause if estradiol levels are over 30.

* Don’t forget, aromatase converts testosterone into estradiol, which can cause an estrogen overload and subsequently a testosterone deficiency.

* Too much free testosterone is being bound up by the SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). This would be obvious if total testosterone levels were in the high normal range, while free testosterone was below the optimal range.

* The pituitary gland may be failing to secrete adequate amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) to stimulate testicular production of testosterone. Total testosterone in manner would be in the bottom one-third to one-half range. (If we were looking at results from LabCorp’s ranges, the results would be below 241-500 ng/dL.)

* The testes have lost their ability to produce testosterone, despite adequate amounts of the testicular-stimulating luteinizing hormone. Here, LH would be above normal, and total testosterone would in very low normal or below normal ranges.

* Inadequate amounts of DHEA are being produced in the body. (DHEA is a precursor hormone to testosterone and estrogen).

I realize that is a tremendous amount of information in relation to hormones. My whole purpose for including this informatinon here is so that you are armed with enough information to make an educated choice in regards to your health and health care. There are so many issues that can easily be corrected with proper hormone supplementation.

If you are a male or female experiencing any sypmptoms related to hormone imbalances, please don’t hesitate to contact me. This symptoms can range from hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular disease…the list goes on and on. We are here for you!!

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