My hormones are making me crazy!

Every woman will experience a change in hormonal balance from puberty to menopause.  One major difference is how the changes manifest as symptoms.  Some women experience debilitating cramping with menstruation, while others may not.  Menopausal symptoms can vary wildly as well, but traditional treatment for these symptoms seems to be the same regardless of the symptoms.  This can be thought of as getting an oil change for a problem with your radiator.  Both issues can cause your vehicle to not function properly, but the cause or source of the problem is not being addressed properly.

Symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances are:

-         -      Inability to Lose Weight                      -     Hot Flashes                                  -    Hair Loss

-        -       Fatigue                                                 -     Trouble Sleeping                         -    Dry Skin

-         -     Anxiety                                                 -     Depression                                  -    Night Sweats

-         -      Facial hair growth                                -     Breast Tenderness                       -    Irregular Bleeding

-         -     Water Retention                                    -     Heart Palpitations                       -    Vaginal Dryness

-         -      Loss of Sex Drive                                 -     Headaches                                  -    Breast Lumps

In 2002 and 2004 two government-sponsored trials were conducted to investigate traditional hormone replacement therapies (HRT).  Both trials were stopped early because the health risks exceeded the health benefits.  The participants had an increase in breast cancer, blood clots, and/or stroke.   

Another option, many women choose as a solution, is to undergo a hysterectomy.  I, personally, am not a fan of removing parts of my body in order to resolve symptoms.  Surgically removing organs rarely resolves all of the symptoms, and can still result in the need for long-term drug therapy.  Hysterectomies performed at a young age can lead to a lifetime of other chronic health problems; osteoporosis, early menopause, cancer, heart disease, headaches, blood clots.

There are safer alternatives available that thousands of women are utilizing.  The key is to identifying the underlying cause, which when identified can tell us the most effective treatment option.  The underlying factors that can cause these and other health problems include:

-         -     Stress and its effects on the balance of your hormones

-         -     Nutritional deficiencies

-         -     Undetected nerve damage

We are hosting a FREE lecture on April 19^th at 6:30pm, at my office in North Charleston.  You will be able to get more information regarding Balancing Hormones Naturally.  Please feel free to bring a friend, but spots are very limited.  Contact us today to reserve your spot, 843-225-2550 or on our website.  

I want you to live your sweetest year yet!  

Dr. Angela Tharnish

Get your greens

It's time to think further than the lettuce!

When it comes to salads, for me anything goes.  Steak and ground sausage are two of my favorite toppings for a dark green bed of spinach.  If you're trying to add more vegetables to your diet, making a salad into a meal can be as simple as reaching for leftovers.  

Chicken is a common addition for salads, but don't get stuck in only one type of preparation.  Leftover chicken breast from dinner the night before?  Cube it, toss it with your favorite seasoning (garlic, lemon pepper, etc), and a drizzle of olive oil.

One of my favorite salad creations as of late has been a southwestern inspired theme.  I take cooked ground sausage, bell pepper, corn, avocado, and put it with organic spinach.  I use orange juice (yes, juice) as the dressing, and finish it with a sprinkle of garlic and cilantro.  I'm hungry just thinking about it!  I will often crumble corn tortilla chips on top for a little salty crunch.  This salad came about by assessing the leftovers in my refrigerator and getting inspired.   I've used juice and fruit in other salad concoctions before with great results.  Pineapple chunks with spinach, dried cranberries, and almond slices is another favorite of mine.  

I encourage people in my nutrition lectures to take ingredients (preferably low fat, high nutrient content) that they like and mix and match to make their perfect combo.  If you feel like you need a protein to make a meal, add it to the salad.  You'll feel fuller sooner, allowing you to eat less, than if you had eaten the protein by itself.  Plus you'll be getting all of the added benefits of the vitamins and minerals in the vegetables. 

Here are a few guidelines you should follow:

- Choose organic produce based off of the Dirty Dozen list.  Read more here
- Avoid dressings, including low fat dressings.  Try olive oil, juice, or vinegar instead.
- Avoid loading the cheese on your green salad.  It adds fat, and can block some of the absorption of the vitamins in the greens.
- Don't add your dressing until you're ready to consume the salad.

If you would be interested in attending a nutritional lecture at no cost to you, or if you have any questions email me, drtharnish@gmail.com.  

Yours in health and wellness,

Dr. Angela Tharnish
www.charlestonpainreliefcenter.com
FaceBook

Ready? Set? Go!

Happy New Year!

The first full week of the year always brings a lot of excitement for me.  It's a time to get refocused after the holidays, and to get excited about all the people I want to be able to help in the next year.

There's always talk about new year resolutions and how people want to leave the previous year behind them for the promise of a better one ahead.  I often wonder how this practice came into existence.  Why do we place such emphasis on a new year as a starting point for goals?  What happens to those goals when obstacles arise in our path?

For me, distractions abound as a working mother.  Helping manage the lives of other people (little or big) lends itself to getting distracted from your own goals and life.  It becomes easy to fall into a routine and "go with the flow" of every day life.  If you add any physical aliments to your life, it can become easy to get off track.  Frequently, I am reminded of how many people suffer with symptoms that interfere with their ability to live the life they want.  Whether the interference affects their physical activity or their interactions with family and friends, the symptoms remove them from their life.

I want to encourage as many people as possible to stop letting physical obstacles keep them from attaining the goals they have for themselves.  Headaches, back pain, diabetes, heart disease all take you out of your life and away from your path toward goal attainment.

I have a limited number of spots for people this first month, of this new year, to help them create action steps necessary to improve their success of fulfilling their goals.  I am including a 30 minute consultation, at no charge, to remove any hesitations that might be present due to cost.  I don't want cost to be a reason for anyone to ever stay stuck on a path they are no longer happy on.

Please don't wait.  Seize the day and take control of your life and improve your future!

You can reach me via email, website, or call my office to schedule a consultation:
drtharnish@gmail.com

www.charlestonpainreliefcenter.com

843-225-2550

Wishing you a great start to a sweet 2016!

Dr. Angela Tharnish
Chiropractic Physician & Wellness Consultant