Our Bio-identical Hormone Balancing methods helped Robin become “the healthiest she has been in a long time”. Listen to this podcast to learn more about her experience…
21st Century Breakthroughs in Integrative and Age Management Medicine
Often I am asked why I began the study of Age Management and Integrative Medicine. The truth is, initially it was out of self-preservation. Over fifteen years ago, I looked in the mirror, not liking what I saw: thinning hair, bulging tummy, and weight gain. I felt sluggish with low energy; my sexuality was in the dump. My doctor told me my blood pressure was up, my cholesterol was elevated, and if I didn’t change something I was heading for diabetes. My wife was worried. She also said I was becoming a curmudgeon. I was beyond frustrated with my deteriorating health, but thought there was nothing that could be done about it, that it was simply a natural part of the aging process. Interestingly, at the same time, many of my patients and friends were asking the same question! ‘We’re getting older, and don’t like how we look or feel – What can we do about it?’
On a quest to find the answer, I attended my first meeting of The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. There my eyes were opened. At this worldwide congress, scientists and physicians met to study how to slow down, stop or reverse the aging process. From their vast knowledge, I quickly learned three things: the good news, the bad news, and the worst news.
The worst news: We are all going to grow old and to die – Sorry. The bad news: Along the way, we are likely to have disabilities – Sorry again. Now, for the good news: We have a lot of control over how many years we have to live and the quality of health we have within those years.
Yes – For the most part, much of our overall health, the way we look and feel, is determined by the choices we make every day. Of course, most people realize if they eat right, keep their body composition in the optimal range, and exercise, they will look and feel better. But what about other leading indicators of health that are not so obvious: nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, toxic burden, functional analysis, food sensitivities, neurotransmitters, genomics, telomere lengthening, oxidation, and immune health. These stealth indicators reveal imbalances in our body’s function. Until they are corrected, they will steal our health and years.
But, to correct these imbalances you will need a doctor that understands how to inter – pret the test results. This specialized testing is what we do at The Renewal Point. Here, our practitioners and staff are experts in helping you stay on track at your optimal best.
It’s been fifteen years now since I began my journey and have continued to follow the process recommended by The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Today, I feel much better than I did years ago. I have more energy, more vitality, and more libido. I dropped my weight and belt size, no longer needed statin medication and lowered my blood pressure. My wife no longer calls me a curmudgeon, although she tells me I still have “a few faults.” Ha!
Here are Some of the 21st Century breakthroughs we use every day at The Renewal Point:
• Natural Hormone Balancing: Vitality, sexuality, and a firm, fit body are difficult to maintain as we age without proper hormone balance.
• Spectrox Testing: Seventy-five percent of people taking supplements have nutritional deficiencies. This diagnostic allows us to determine the individualized needs of each patient. Heavy Metal Provocation: An overburden of lead, mercury or aluminum can steal our health.
• Telomere Lengthening: As telomeres shorten, so does the length of our life. We can measure telomeres and slow down the shortening.
• Genomics: We are learning how to turn on or off ‘bad’ genes!
• Stem Cells: These cells can add youth and vitality to the heart, brain, joints and im – mune system.
To Your Good Health!
SOURCE: Dr. Dan Watts, Medical Director of The Renewal Point. Dr. Watts, MD, ND, MSNM, has been practicing surgery, family medicine and gynecology for over 35 years. He has been practicing Integrative Medicine for over 15 years and holds a Post-doctoral Master’s degree in Nutritional and Metabolic Medicine, a fellowship in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine, and a Post-doctoral Certification in Metabolic Endocrinology.
“Losing weight can be a challenge,” so says Deborah L. Oleynik, ND. While this sounds more like a fact of life than a profound statement, anyone who has ever tried the simple formula of exercise more/eat less and failed, needs to also understand the symphony of hormones that are involved in metabolism. These metabolic hormones make up a complex resonance in which the absence or over-abundance of just one can make or break the outcome. Some of the better known players included in this orchestra are: growth hormone, insulin, thyroid, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen and a lesser known hormone, Leptin.
While you never want fat hanging around your waist, for many people it’s the first place it goes and the last place it leaves. Believe it or not, love handles aren’t just unattractive. Carrying weight around your abdomen is bad for your health, worse than carrying weight on your hips or thighs, and is a key indicator of a hormonal imbalance. If you have struggled to lose weight or keep it off, I guarantee that your hormones are at play. Your hormones control every aspect of weight loss including your metabolism, where you store your fat, your appetite and even your cravings! This means any form of hormonal imbalance will sabotage your efforts, regardless of your diet and exercise habits.¹
Leptin: A 2004 study at the University of Chicago and Stanford showed that Leptin is a major regulator of appetite suppression. Leptin tells you to put down the fork. At The Renewal Point, we find many overweight people with Leptin resistance. They simply stay overly hungry all day long, until Leptin is balanced.²
Estrogen: Women, at certain phases of their lives and men in andropause, may experience estrogen imbalances with symptoms of: low libido, memory loss, poor motivation, depression, loss of muscle mass, and increased belly fat.
Low Testosterone: Testosterone levels decrease with age for both men and women. This is quite an alarming finding, considering those with low testosterone are more likely to develop a potbelly and other body fat. Scientists have found that testosterone may prompt the loss of body fat when deficient levels are replaced. Other signs of low testosterone levels include a loss of muscle tissue, depression, decreased strength, stamina, sex drive and a desire for love and affection.
Low Growth Hormone: This omnipotent hormone affects just about every cell in the body and has a major impact on our feelings, actions and appearance. Unfortunately, everyone will notice a decline in growth hormone as they age. I say this is unfortunate because growth hormone is essential for tissue repair, muscle building, bone density, and healthy body composition. A 2007 study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism linked abdominal obesity in postmenopausal women with low growth hormone secretion, elevated inflammatory markers and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.³
High Insulin: Insulin is an essential substance whose main function is to process sugar in the bloodstream and carry it into cells to be used as fuel or stored as fat. A primary cause of hyperinsulinemia is excess intake of sugar or carbohydrates typical of many diets today. Insulin resistance may also be attributed to lack of exercise, overindulging in alcohol, stress, a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and excess body fat, especially around the abdomen.
High Cortisol: Persistently elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, are very detrimental to your health as well as to your body composition. Not only does it increase your appetite and cravings, it causes a loss of muscle mass, libido and bone density, and also contributes to depression and memory loss. In other words, chronic stress makes us soft, flabby and much older than we truly are! Results published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine in 2000 established a link between cortisol and increased storage of abdominal fat.4
At The Renewal Point weight loss program, we specialize in balancing all the metabolic hormones. If this article sounds like you, let our expert and friendly staff help with these ‘pesky little trouble-makers.’ Without proper hormone balance, trying to maintain long-term results and long-term health is like trying to stop a freight train with your little finger – you will lose. To Your Good Health!
Source: Dr. Dan Watts, MD, ND, Post-doctoral Masters in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Post-Doctoral Certification Metabolic Endocrinology; FELLOWSHIPS The American College of Surgeons, American Academy of AntiAging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine.
REFERENCES: 1. Dr. Natasha Turner-The Oz Show 2. Universities of Chicago University & Stanford 2004 3. Journal Psychosomatic Medicine 2000 4. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2007
Helena Williams, ARNP, MSN describes our metabolic weight loss program and also gives tips for how to stay healthy through the holidays. Learn about her 3/4 strategy to help enjoy your holiday favorites without going overboard!
CoQ10 is an essential fat soluble nutrient and key to maintaining healthy mitochondria, the main source of the body’s cellular energy. Specifically, CoQ10 is one of the most powerful intracellular antioxidants, protecting DNA, membrane proteins, and mitochondrial phospholipids from oxidative damage (Molecular Biotechnology, 2007). The levels of this essential nutrient are decreased through the aging process, as well as with certain medication use. Statins, the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs, have been found to decrease levels by as much as 40% (Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 1993). The good news, is that CoQ10 can be obtained through diet, supplementation, as well as tissue synthesis. CoQ10 supplementation has been found to increase CoQ10 levels in the platlets, white blood cells, and plasma, which, in turn, was found to effectively decrease signs of damaged DNA, even up to 12 weeks after discontinuing the supplementation (International Journal of Biological Sciences, 2007). CoQ10 is also proving to be a valuable tool in dealing with cardiovascular disease processes, such as endothelial dysfunction. In a recent meta-analysis, supplementation with CoQ10 was found to effectively improve endothelial function (Atherosclerosis, 2012). This is one powerful nutrient!
Imagine you’re trying out personal trainers. One is very aggressive and harsh, screaming at you to “Get on the ground and do push-ups NOW!” The other is firm but encouraging, “I know you can do this, I believe in you!” We don’t know about you, but we’d probably perform better with the encouraging trainer! Similarly, the skin responds more optimally when given the best possible treatment and respect. Our skin absolutely has the capacity to heal itself, stop the clock on aging, and reverse past damage; we just have to nurture it the right way. Every skin condition has a root cause, so we need to investigate why the skin may be resistant. So, how do we do that? First, let’s examine what the “norm” has been in the skincare world to really understand what makes our Skin Clinic different.
We know that as the years go by, the integrity of our skin changes and we experience the outward signs of aging. Fine lines and deeper wrinkles start to sneak up almost overnight, the jaw line slackens, and we lose that vitality and glow. This is when we often turn to aggressive treatments and products. The last 30 years of the skincare industry have drummed into us that strong chemical peels, “sandblasting”, and prescription-strength retinoic acid are the only effective modalities in the anti-aging effort. These overly aggressive treatments provide instant, yet short-lived, results at the hefty cost of INFLAMMATION. Inflammation stresses and thins the skin causing premature aging and a host of other issues. We know how bad inflammation is for our joints and gut, so why are we inflaming the largest organ of the body?
Luckily, at The Renewal Point, the paradigm has shifted! Let’s choose to empower the skin to function optimally by delivering ingredients to the most vulnerable layer of the skin ~ the basal layer ~ where our skin cells are essentially “born”. If we target these young, healthy cells before they start their journey upwards to “die” and create the epidermal level, our skin will look healthier for sure! We have a wide variety of different services, from healthy peels and facials to microcurrent technology. The types of products and services are tailored based on your skin, age, and a number of other factors…so the best way to get on board is to come see us at The Renewal Point Skin Health Programs! Consultations with our Advanced Medical Aestheticians are always complimentary and very thorough.
Here are some specific things you can start today:
- Discontinue the use of harsh facial scrubs like apricot kernel and walnut shell that create micro tears in the skin; while they might feel refreshing at the time, in the long run they break down skin and can even lead to infection!
- Put down the brush! Those name brand rotary brushes are luxurious (and expensive), but even the “sensitive” heads are too exfoliating for daily use. If you already own one, use it sparingly or on rough elbows and knees.
- Put that fire out! Avoid glycolic acid that literally burns itself into the skin and destroys the microflora on our skin. Microflora plays such an important role in our immune system.
- Temper the sweet tooth. Avoid white refined sugar which attaches itself to our elastin fibers making them crystallized and hard, called glycation. If you’re having trouble giving up sugar, then you might be addicted and may want to consider our neuroadrenal or hormone balancing services.
- Avoid tretinoin cream. It’s very tempting to fill that prescription, but this is that aggressive trainer we spoke of earlier personified in cream form. This quickly thins the dermis and fast!
- Say “goodbye” to sulfates. Avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate facial cleansers at all costs – SLS is the ingredient that allows cleansers to foam. It makes us feel “squeaky” clean but is incredibly drying and stripping for the skin. Double check that your body wash and shampoo are also SLS free.
- Call The Renewal Point’s Skin Health Programs at 926-4905 and make an appointment for a complimentary consultation!
For a list of our Skin Health Programs & Services, please visit our Menu of Services.
To the health of your skin!
Jenny and Gosia
Our country seems to be obsessed with fad diets ~ are they okay to follow? Which metabolic functions are the keys to weight loss success? Can hormone balancing also help guys lose weight? We hear a lot about adrenal glands but how do they relate to weight? Listen to this podcast to find out!
One of our favorite Osmosis videos! A 5 minute video clip ~ Dr. Ben Johnson provides insight into how Osmosis MD creates a “paradigm shift in the way we approach aging and damaged skin”! Click this link to watch the video:
The heart gets its energy from the mitochondria ~ find out which foods and supplements keep your mitochondria healthy!
Everything that we do requires protein ~ how much do we really need? What are good sources other than meat? Older adults need more, but how much is enough? Also, Dr. Watts and Heidi share stories on how lack of protein affected those close to them.