What You Need to Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Magazines worldwide are talking about women in menopause and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). But the same question keeps popping up. What is bioidentical hormones replacement?

Bioidentical hormones are made in a lab from plants, and they are comprised of molecules that are the same as the endogenous hormones made in a person's body. These are not 'exactly' the same, but the molecules are "identical" - which is how we got the name bio-bidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones are often referred to as natural hormones.

There are still a number of women who are afraid of taking hormones, and some doctors are leary as well. This is because everyone remembers the news that came out surrounding the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). This government sponsored study that ended up with overly emphasized negative results released in May 2002, caused women and doctors to discontinue the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Some researchers and medical experts believe this initiative was oddly monitored and incompetently analyzed. This historic report was in fact on synthetic drugs with hormone-like effects, PremPro and Premarin, substances that were donated by the pharmaceutical company that had sold them since 1942. Unfortunately, the assumption was that the drugs would be found safe and effective, but in essence, nothing could have been further from the truth.

People can take bioidentical hormones in several ways: gels, drops under the tongue, pills, or via topical creams. of course there are a number of approaches to the dosing and blood levels and these have all been clumped together as "natural," but the reality is that none of them are truly natural if they don't mimic a rhythm that your body can recognize as natural. There is only one bioidentical hormone therapy protocol that is biomimetic - meaning it offers a standardized rhythmic, cycling of the hormones, estrogen and progersterone, and it does mimic the body's rhythm.

Many women have been experiencing great results from this rhythmically dosed bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, and have happily given their personal accounts of the menopause experiences and testimonials on the Wiley Protocol website. In fact, some of them have also made comments or provided video testimonials on the Bioidenticals Channel on YouTube.

Gels, pills and drops do not pulse in our bodies, like endogenous hormones pulse. A healthy young woman's endogenous hormones go way up and way down low and trigger different genes; genes that grow cells, stop cells from growing, and tell cells to die.

Women go through various hormone states in life; 1) young and cycling 2) pregnant, 3) breastfeeding or 4) declining hormones. Doesn't it make sense that number 1 -- young and cycling - seems to replicate that state of hormonal health the best? Why? Because the other two templates are too hard to recreate physically and experimentally.

What this means is that women cycle up to a peak of estrogen and then the body lets it fall and then brings it down again for a second smaller peak. Progesterone peaks on day 21. Healthy women have a period that lasts for five days with a heavier flow on day two and three. Therefore,one concludes bio-identical hormones can only be truly bio-identical if the hormones for replacement mimic not only those chemically found in the body, but also mimic the natural biological process as well.

What's more, new research is focusing on healthy hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and suggests that women must cycle their hormones and have a menstrual bleed to be truly safe from cardiovascular events. In one study a combined cyclic regimen with monthly bleeding creates a lower cardiovascular risk for women than continuous-combined estrogen/progesterone/progestin therapy, which does not cause a menstrual bleed. The study also found that overall there was no increased risk of heart attacks in current users of HRT compared to women who had never taken hormones. The principal investigator of this research, Dr. Ellen Løkkegaard, is a gynecologist at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. She said, "The main message is that when hormone therapy is indicated for a woman, then a cyclic combined regimen should be preferred, and that application via the skin or the vagina is associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction."

The observational study, the largest to look at the effects of HRT since the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial in 1991, followed 698,098 healthy 51-69 year-old Danish women. There is rhythm to the way hormones work, and there is a beat like music. Pills, gels, drops and static dosing do not honor the music. But the Wiley Protocol biomimetic, rhythmic bioidentical hormone therapy does. When a woman has enough hormones she feels good, and some women even feel better than they did during their entire lives.

Type 2 Diabetes - Can Ozone Therapy Help Diabetics?

Ozone therapy is where a person receives an increased amount of oxygen into their body via various methods, including Ozone therapy booths, cream applications and topical gels.

Strictly speaking Ozone therapy is considered a form of alternative medicine, and its benefits have been noted for many diseases such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis - as well as for Type 2 diabetes.

The Director of the Nevada Centre of Alternative and Anti-Aging Medicine in Carson City, Nevada, Dr. Frank Shallenberger, MD, HMD, has treated many cases of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes as well as other serious diseases - all of whom have improved in health once undergoing Ozone therapy.

Dr. Shallenberger feels the connection between the Ozone therapy and Type 2 diabetes is all in the improved blood circulation this therapy can create.

One case of high importance for all to know about as it shows a strong argument that ozone therapy can work for diabetics, is from one of Dr. Shallenbergers patients called Virginia age 51. Virginia came for treatment for recurrent breast cancer as she unfortunately had a tumor that would periodically grow and then diminish in size.

Dr. Shallenberger decided to ozonate Virginia's blood as ozone has been used to treat many cancer patients world-wide. So, he started by drawing 150 cc of her blood and then injected it with ozone gas. This process took 40 minutes and after the process was completed, the treated blood was then re-infused back into her body. This was carried out daily to treat Virginia's cancer.

To Dr. Shallenbergers surprise, not only did the breast cancer respond and start to dissolve through ozonation - but Virginia's Type 2 diabetes responded as well. Her blood sugar levels started to drop very low indeed, in fact, so low Virginia became hypoglycemic.

So, to ensure her levels stayed within the preferred healthy range but still not so high that she was considered a diabetic, Dr. Shallenberger slowly reduced her blood sugar lowering drug Glucotrol that was given to treat her high blood sugar level - eventually eliminating the drug altogether.

At the end of this particular treatment Virginia didn't have Type 2 diabetes any longer as her blood sugar was lower than when she started treatment with Ozone therapy and was now sitting in the healthy normal range.

The Glucotrol diabetes drug Virginia was taking also started to work a little too well, meaning her body responded exceptionally well to ozone treatment as it reversed her diabetes diagnosis. Thankfully, it also shrank her breast cancer tumor.

One of the ways Ozone therapy appears to help diabetics is by delivering much-needed oxygen to tissues that have become severely oxygen depleted. Diabetics commonly suffer from gangrene and are also often unable to resist infections - both conditions can result from poor oxygen uptake which results from poor blood circulation.

Colored Light Therapy

We are living in a world full of colors to brighten our days. Colors not only give us a beautiful world but good health and wellness, too. How so? The advent of technology brought medical advancement to man. Various machines have been used to induce health upon the sick person in hospitals and clinics all over the world. Colored light therapy is also known as chromotherapy. These are the terms used to mean therapy using a particular wavelength or spectrum of color for a particular period. Color light energy draws its principles from the ancient belief that energy fields comprise the human body. Correct amounts and proper circulation of energies ensure that the body is healthy. However, imbalances in the amounts of these energies, coupled with problems in energy circulation, offset the natural balance in the body and trigger illnesses. To replenish the deficient energy, another form of energy is needed. Since energy from color is accessible and easy to obtain, this is considered as one of the best ways to recharge the body's energy supply to regain the balance of the person's physical state.

Colored light therapy is used to treat common skin problems: acne, psoriasis and eczema. This is also used to counteract seasonal depression and other psychological and psychiatric illnesses. Jet lags and insomnia are also treated by this therapy. For years, neonatal jaundice has been treated by colored light therapy.

The wide range of conditions that colored light therapy can cure dictates the kind of light used for treatment. A certain wavelength may be good for acne but would not treat depression. Each wavelength of light has its own vibration on a specific frequency necessary for healing. One of the safest to use is the full spectrum colored light therapy, which uses all the vibrations in the full spectrum.

Each wavelength targets a specific condition. Red light, the coolest of all the lights in the spectrum, encourages circulation and is therefore good for the heart and muscles. The next in the cool series, orange light encourages cheerfulness and promotes good health. Yellow light eliminates a variety of toxins and stimulates the mind. Like all things green, green light induces relaxation, which is why it is best for reducing inflammation and swelling; it also promotes wound healing. Blue light heals the whole imbalanced energy system. Violet light brings spiritual wellness and proper body system functioning. It is not unusual that the treatment using the full spectrum of light provides the best healing effect on the body.

The light frequencies are potent enough to provide physical and emotional healing, as well as pain reduction, that their effects are almost immediate. As the particular type of light energy vibrates to re-energize the body, healing is promoted and the body goes back to being well balance and adequately nourished. Each wavelength works well with the other wavelengths to allow the body to rejuvenate properly and prevent pain from coming back to bother the person.

Too much sunlight may cause carcinogenesis, but controlled color light therapy does not induce cancer and is generally safe to use.

The Importance of Sports Massage Therapy For All Athletes

The Winter Olympics finished earlier this year in Vancouver, and one thing prevalent at the games - besides terrific performances by the world's best athletes - was massage therapists, and a lot of them. And this prevalence of sports trainers and professional therapists was not unique to just this year's Games. Indeed, a study in The British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 45 percent of the treatment athletes receive at major, international and national, sporting events comes in the form of sports massage therapy.

The reason for this abundance of sports therapy is clear. In the journal of Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, an article published in 2008 demonstrated sports therapy's extensive benefit for athletes, with therapy being credited in reducing levels of swelling while increasing levels of muscle strength after periods of strenuous exercise. In the same study, sports therapy also was shown to decrease the amount of energy the body must expend to heal damaged muscle groups.

What does all this mean?

It means that the world's best professional athletes will continue to use massage therapy at competitions of the highest level, which means that athletes at all levels may want to consider therapy to aid themselves and their teams in training and competitions.

What, specifically, can massage do for athletes?

- It can improve training, with therapy easing muscle pain and potential injury during strenuous days. Therapy can also keep muscles flexible and healthy during lighter days or periods of training.

- It can improve performance. Sports massage before competitions can energize muscles and aid in stretching and warm-up exercises. It can also help limit the amount of pain and potential injury after grueling events.

- It can improve health. Therapy has been proven to improve the body's circulation, essential for the removal of metabolic waste, but also important in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Massage therapy has benefits for athletes of all sports. Be it basketball, hockey, lacrosse, swimming, running, bicycling, football, golf, basketball, soccer, tennis or any of the many other athletic pursuits out there, sports therapy can be a great way to ensure the best possible health and condition of athletes, during training and at competitions. There's a reason why almost half of all professional therapists practice sports therapy, and why nearly half of all treatment given to athletes at major, international competitions comes in the form of sports therapy. Quite simply: It works.

How To Get Your Vibes Up With Vibrational Sound Therapy

Doctors and therapists have been using vibrations to treat a variety of ailments and injuries. But what exactly is vibrational medicine?

Vibrational therapy medicine is an approach that endeavors to heal illnesses using a subtle manipulation of energy fields through directing energy into the body. And sound therapy is actually a method of applying vibration therapy. Such facilitates positive change in one's energetic fields by leading the body towards healthy vibrations.

Still don't get it? You see, everything in this world and even in this universe is energy - and all energy vibrates. Even one's thoughts and emotions are energy, and have vibrations as well.

So if you feel stressed out, angry, or scared, these feelings are unhealthy vibrations. On the other hand, when you feel good about something you are having harmonious and healthy vibrations.

And just for a little background, the story of vibration therapy actually started in the Russian Space Program. Originally, Russian scientists and physical fitness professionals specializing in outer space living found out that cosmonauts have significantly loss in bone density and muscle tissue after they came back from a lengthy period of space travel.

These results were associated to the lack of gravity in space. Eventually, the experts felt experimented more about vibration therapy technology.

And after a lot of research, theory development and further experimentation, they discovered that vibration technology considerably brought lot of positive effects like strengthened muscle tissues, improved one's flexibility and balance, increased bone density, burned up moderate amounts of fat, eliminated fatigue, speed up metabolism and more.

Going back to today's vibrational therapy. Nowadays, there are various vibration machines and equipment that people use to revitalize and other health purposes, such as the singing bowls.

Conventionally, singing bowls are made from a combination of seven metals. However, most singing bowls on today's market are made from just three to five metals. These bowls work wonders as they produce tones that can relax you deeply - creating a harmony between your body and soul.

Sound waves from the ringing bowls can reach every cell in your body as vibrations massage the cells as they pass through. Just like any other vibrational machines, such method will take you to a state of complete relaxation.

Actually, sound therapy and cellular massages have been known to provide healing results to damaged bodies.

Being healthy must come from within. So get your vibes up and keep away from negative energy. Remember, good vibrations leads to a healthy and harmonious body.

Healthy Heart Requires an Active Mind and Body

One must try to have a healthy body and a big part of this process is having a positive outlook on life. You must keep your mind active with some kind of mind thinking activity. This article comes to my mind as I just completed my annual cardiology exam. The Dr. is still amazed that I am still around working almost everyday, walking my dogs every morn and very seldom get sick other than a cold.

In 1988 I suffered a massive heart attack. My heart was so damaged that the muscle turned to a texture like oatmeal. (This is the way the Dr's. described the situation to us.) They kept me alive with a mechanical heart pump hoping the muscle would repair itself as I also had an aneurysm which could only be repaired if my heart turned to muscle tissue, other wise they could not repair the damage or do a double bypass.

Apparently, no one was giving up on me and I lived to get back on my feet and after convalescing went back to work and all was well until 1998. I did not feel well so went to emergency care. While there I had another heart attack, grand Moll seizure, mini-stroke and extremely painful headaches. After about a week they got me out of the hospital, but I was still having the headaches, until one night I had to go back to emergency care. The Dr. I had upon discharge used the old adage, take a couple of aspirin and call me in the morning.

We can thank our lucky stars as the Dr's. and nurses suggested we get a second opinion and the new neurosurgeon stepped in and they found that I had a brain hemorrhage. It was nip and tuck because medication that I would be on contraindicated each other and I would be in real trouble. We had a pow wow and it was decided to take our chances with both meds.

I went home. Two years later the old by passes plugged up so had angioplasty and 4 stents inserted. Couple years later I had a bout with blood clots in my legs so they put filters in so the clots could not go to my upper body. Two years ago after my tests it was decided that I would be a candidate for EECP therapy as my heart was only functioning at about 29%.

EECP is a non-invasive , outpatient therapy to relieve or eliminate angina. This therapy is a system that pumps when the heart is resting, and stops pumping when the heart is working. This counter-pulsation increases blood flow to the heart muscle and decreases the hearts workload, plus creates greater oxygen supply and less oxygen demand. My heart is now functioning at about 55% and I work almost every day managing our hair salon and work on my on line businesses. If you have heart problems discuss the therapy with your cardiologist. My cardiologist calls me his miracle patient and always tells me that it is my positive attitude and being active, (mind and body.)

Benefits of Far Infrared Sauna Therapy

If you suffer from certain medical conditions or just want to treat your body to an all-over healthy experience, then far infrared sauna therapy is for you. Infrared saunas use a special type of light wave to penetrate and warm the core of the body, safely and naturally promoting health in as little as 20 minutes a day.

Infrared sauna therapy requires regular sessions. Ideally, a person would use a sauna daily to see the best results. The first few sessions should last no more than 30 minutes, working toward eventual 50-minute sessions. Of course if you are pressed for time a short session of even 20 minutes is beneficial. You should consult a doctor before undergoing therapy to make sure you don't have any health conditions that prohibit sauna use.

Infrared saunas help our bodies detoxify themselves. The skin is an eliminative organ, but is largely underused in most people. All of us are exposed to chemicals every day that are absorbed into our skin. Laundry detergents, body lotion, deodorants, air pollution, unhealthy preservatives in food, and even rays from the sun all leave traces of toxic chemicals and metals in our bodies. The skin's natural function is to help us get rid of this excess, but it often isn't effective enough on its own. Infrared saunas help our skin do its job. Inducing perspiration in a sauna regularly purifies our bodies and carries away traces of chemicals like nickel, sodium, copper, and so on.

Infrared sauna therapy is useful for improving circulation. Blood vessels expand, lowering high blood pressure and improving health in people with heart conditions. Research shows that regular infrared therapy enables heart patients to live longer. Poor circulation is the root of many health problems and discomforts. Even headaches can be traced back to poor blood flow.

With better circulation comes healthy weight benefits, as well. Infrared saunas induce perspiration. Sweating is work for the body, so the heart rate increases. When the heart rate goes up, the body is getting cardiovascular exercise and is burning calories. A single session can burn 500 calories. For those who aren't healthy enough for strenuous physical activity, infrared sauna therapy can be a good alternative. Lots of people use infrared saunas to help manage their weight in a safe and natural way.

Stiff joints and sore muscles are relaxed in an infrared sauna. Athletes or exercisers will appreciate rejuvenating in a sauna after an intense session. They will be able to rest their mind at the same time that their tense or sore muscles are recovering and relaxing. If the soreness is a result of illness or injury, people can still benefit from infrared saunas. Pain-related conditions like arthritis, bursitis, and myalgia are all alleviated by infrared sauna therapy. Even menstrual cramps are assuaged in an infrared sauna.

Infrared sauna therapy is also a great stress reliever. Scheduling regular time to relax in a sauna does a great deal for your mental well-being. You can use your time in the sauna to meditate, relax, or listen to soothing music. Infrared sauna therapy has great relaxation benefits and improves mood. We all feel better after spending time in the sunshine, which is very similar to infrared light. This is because of the absorption of all the healthy infrared waves. Saunas have even been suggested to improve conditions like mild depression.

Far infrared sauna therapy is a safe and natural way to detoxify your body, increase blood flow, relax tense muscles and joints, and relieve stress. By using the unique properties of infrared radiation to our advantage, we can enjoy all these benefits every time we step into an infrared sauna.