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Welcome to our second edition of our new health eZine:

"My Health Corner!"

Our eZine will arrive monthly to keep you apprised of a featured health topic, what is happening at the clinic, exciting and controversial health topics in the news, recipes, and more.

We hope that you gain a piece of information that is new that can directly benefit your personal health goals or others that you may come into contact with.

The topic of this month’s eZine was stress and hormonal balance. I realized that was a pretty broad topic and that I could break that down into two separate topics.  This month I am choosing stress. The wild and crazy days of summer are transforming into school schedules, routine, and stress. I think it is extremely important for you to understand how stress affects your body and then subsequently creates an imbalance within your endocrine system.

With this knowledge, my intention is for you to step back and assess your life. Honestly admit to what is working and what isn’t. What new system do you need to implement or something you need to change to shift your daily stress burden? Perhaps it is simply your outlook, perhaps it is more. Only you live from each moment to the next within the life that you have created.

Sincerely,

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Telephone (949) 722-6797

What Actually Happens In Our
Body When We Get Stressed?

We actually have 2 nervous systems within our body. These two nervous systems are the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is best known as the fight or flight nervous system. This is the system that dominates when we are faced with an emergency situation, acute stressful event, or any instance where we perceive ourselves to be unsafe; the sympathetic nervous system is a survival-based system. The parasympathetic can be described as the rest and digest nervous system. This is the nervous system that allows some of the more normal process of our bodies to function when we are just going about our business with no perceived stressors to be seen for miles. Some of the main systems that the parasympathetic system controls are: digestion, sleep, and reproduction.

When we are exposed to stress it affects both of these systems simultaneously. Specifically, it stimulates the sympathetic and suppresses the parasympathetic. Depending on which system is dominant, it dictates which endocrine hormones will be secreted. Depending on the severity, a one time stressful event, is usually not as impacting on our system as repeated chronic stressors. Our bodies are not programmed to deal with repetitive chronic stressors over time. When this happens our glandular system goes into overdrive secreting cortisol from the adrenal glands, thyroid hormone from the thyroid, and under secreting other hormones such as progesterone from the ovary. Our digestive system shuts down and food that we consume is more likely to be stored as fat.

To put it simply, stress causes our entire endocrine system to favor the sympathetic system and thereby forgoing the balance of having the system work harmoniously.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:

In a nutshell, the bodily systems that get suppressed with chronic stress are the digestive system, our sleep cycles, and our reproductive systems. One in three of my patients have some complaint of their digestive system.  Forty percent of the combined teenage and adult population in the US suffers from insomnia and one in six women struggle to enhance their fertility. 

Furthermore, due to constant over work, our adrenal glands become depleted from secreting cortisol, our thyroid becomes depleted from secreting thyroid hormone, and we develop estrogen dominance from having little to no progesterone to balance it out. This can be devastating on your hormonal system and unless you find some one to help you re-establish balance the imbalances will continue to be perpetuated. This is why many people feel like they have been whipped around in a tornado. One way to determine how severe the imbalance is through saliva testing. Saliva testing is the best way to determine female hormone and cortisol levels. In this way we can match up your specific symptoms with the saliva test findings. This results in a more successful treatment program and you feeling better faster.

WHAT TO DO:

Balance balance balance. Prioritize, remind yourself of what is really important. Implement a new system, change your routine, exercise, dance, laugh, take one yoga class per week, find a friend, take a walk, and hire a housekeeper.  Add someone to your team to assist you. If you only had one more day in creation how would it look? Tap into your beauty and goodness, express it.

"A friend is someone in whose presence we come to find ourselves as more beautiful!"

To live longer, stay active, calm and organized (Reuters Health) By Joene Hendry taken from Psychosomatic Medicine, July/August 2008.

A 50-year long study suggests that men and women, who are active, emotionally calm, and organized, may live longer than people with less positive personality traits such as anxiousness, anger, or fearfulness.

Striving for emotional stability and a conscientious and active lifestyle "can reduce health risks, increase life satisfaction, and significantly extend life," Dr. Antonio Terracciano from the National Institute on Aging, told Reuters Health. Findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, show men and women who scored above average in measures of general activity, emotional stability, or conscientiousness lived on average 2 to 3 years longer than those who scored below average. This indicates that people who are more active and energetic, less likely to become angry or anxious (emotionally stable), and are better informed, disciplined, organized, and resourceful (conscientious) tend to live longer.

Among women, higher assertiveness was also linked to lower risk of death. Furthermore, the most significant predictors of death by cardiovascular disease were traits of emotional instability such as anxiousness, depression, vulnerability, and anger. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge that points to a definition of health that embodies balance throughout the mind, body, and spirit. 

10% Off Saliva Test

Hormone & Adrenal testing (Saliva)

“Adrenal glands are the 2 triangular shaped glands that sit on top of each kidney and are responsible for producing cortisol. Our adrenal glands assist us when stressful situations arise. The healthier your adrenal glands are going into menopause the less symptoms you will experience. The best way to test adrenal gland function is through saliva. 

Salivary hormone testing is very specific and can notify us of hormone excesses or deficiencies at the tissue level explaining a number of symptoms that you may have.”

Send us your comments, feedback or questions! We'd love to hear from you.

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
1770 Orange Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Telephone (949) 722-6797
MAP/DIRECTIONS

Please feel free to forward this eZine to everyone you know! They'll be glad you did!

Dr. Andrea Purcell, N.D.
www.PortalToHealing.com