The Middle-Age Spread
Yes, we’ve all seen it. Those whose mid-section is expanding and we think to ourselves, “Boy, s/he really does need to get up off that couch and move!” Wouldn’t it be nice if it was that easy. There’s more at work here than idle behavior – and that’s why it’s commonly referred to as the ‘middle-age spread’.
Those Pesky Hormones
They’re blamed for the emotional imbalance during adolescence and they’re again blamed for the emotional imbalance when we are in our 40s. At around the age of 35 our hormone levels begin to rapidly decline. We wouldn’t necessarily think about this as being the culprit because this is also the age where most humans are going through vast amounts of work related stress coupled with a lack of meaningful downtime. Let’s face it, when you have a moment to breathe, exercise is the last thing on your mind.
But exercise never really was on your mind prior to the age of 35, either. So what’s the deal? Why now?
Whether you think that hormone replacement therapy is a bunch of bunk or if you think that you’re just not at that level yet (meaning you haven’t officially gone through andro-or menopause), the idea deserves at least a closer inspection. After all, what have you got to lose?
The Change
First, let’s define ‘the change’.
Andropause – Andro comes from the Greek root andros meaning male. Pause in Greek is from pausis meaning to cease. So andropause means to cease being male.
Menopause – Meno comes from the Greek root menos which means month. Pause in Greek is from pausis meaning to cease. So menopause means to stop the monthly.
We know that the friend comes monthly. During/after menopause, it begins to slow until it ceases completely. In men, the changes are not so noticeable. Men may begin to feel tired all the time, may be moody, may have shifts in interest relating to sex; also, the man going through andropause has trouble relating to his partner – also known as a mid-life crisis.
A Compromised House
What causes these changes and is it healthy? For women, it’s a drop in estrogen and progesterone and for men, it’s a drop in testosterone. While it is nature’s way of aging (sometimes not so gracefully), it does set the body (the house of life) up for easy invasion and imminent failure.
Imbalance
Why? Because an imbalance in hormones creates an unhealthy environment in which disease can grow and take over. Women in menopause experience an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone ratios. Women become estrogen dominant which means there’s not enough progesterone to keep the estrogen from getting out of control. Too much estrogen causes cells to divide. Cells that divide become fat or take off as cancer. Proper amounts of progesterone inhibits this process.
Men, do you have high cholesterol? Testosterone lowers cholesterol reducing the risk of heart disease. Low levels of testosterone cannot help regulate blood sugar metabolism and the person begins to get fat. Obesity leads to diabetes and and diabetes medications only make the person fatter. I have yet to meet a diabetic who is skinny – have you? Medications to control diabetes only exacerbates the problem.
Testing
A simple blood test given by your PCM is not sufficient. Conventional medicine does not think that there’s anything wrong with the aging process. So, what you will be told is that your hormone levels are acceptable for a person of your age. But therein lies the problem. Ask for a Saliva Profile III test to measure all of your hormone levels. The good news is if your insurance won’t cover it, the cost for the test is reasonable ($260 at ZRT). However, you will then need to take the results to a qualified hormone replacement doctor.
So there’s a lot more to the notion that hormone replacement therapy is all about the fountain of youth. It’s a quality and an extension of life issue. Don’t let your life’s mission be cut. Clean your house and then protect it from invasion.
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