Your Energy?
Your Mental Agility??
Your Sex Drive???
Yes, a lot of things go ‘down’ as you get older. That is, if you simply accept that it is ‘normal’ to wear out as you get older. In fact, some things ‘go soft’ – not just what you may think about; but your abdomen, your mood, your bones.
Hormones are the secret chemicals of life; performance, and longevity. When your hormones are balanced; you can ‘Get it up’ and feel and look younger.
Key players in healthy aging are: Cortisol, Insulin, thyroid hormone; DHEA; testosterone; growth hormone.
This post will focus on cortisol and testosterone.
When your stress hormone CORTISOL goes up; all your hormones and how they function are affected. If the stress is prolonged; (like when you have long work hours, a second job; kids to co-ordinate and get to activities; chores to do and a social life to keep up with; let alone church, gym, volunteer projects and such) your normal balance of hormones that keep you performing at your peak is disrupted.
Cortisol, when it remains high for prolonged periods of time, creates a ‘tear down’ state that is greater than your ‘buildup/ repair’ state.
Symptoms that could appear: (when your levels are sub-optimal; but not deficient)
- Low energy
- Weight gain
- Low sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Sugar and caffeine dependence
- Irritable mood
(Always see your doctor to rule out any medical problems)
What you can do:
- See your doctor to rule out important conditions like diabetes, anemia, autoimmune disorders.
- Manage your stress: choose to lower your load; practice meditation and yoga. Laugh.
- Take B complex, Vit C and Magnesium to replete your cellular energy cycle; and adaptogenic herbs like Ginseng and Holy Basil.
TESTOSTERONE
Many men start to make lower levels of testosterone after age 35-40. Being ‘in the normal range’ doesn’t mean much. You could be used to functioning at levels closer to the upper end of the range than lower. I have male patients with levels below the 25th percentile, with symptoms of low testosterone. In younger men, I recommend tribulis and other nutrients to help them make more testosterone with good results.
In men older than 40; after a series of tests, we replace testosterone carefully; watching the metabolites to ensure safety and health protection.
Symptoms of low testosterone:
- Tired
- Abdominal weight gain
- Irritability
- Mood symptoms
- Low endurance and stamina
- Loss of muscle strength and bulk
- Difficulty building muscle
- Low libido and erectile dysfunction.
Low testosterone is also related to low blood sugar control (diabetic men have improved control of their blood sugar levels when testosterone is optimized, and heart disease risk is lowered in men with optimal testosterone levels).
The opinion expressed in this post is within the parameters of Functional and Regenerative Medicine practice; and is not meant to diagnose or treat any conditions. Please consult your doctor before starting any natural health therapies for any condition.