September 2008 issue

It may be time to retest your saliva.

Give us a call to pick up a saliva kit and to book your follow-up appointment.

The Healing Properties of Magnesium (Mg)

Whether you consume it in your daily food, take a supplement or soak in it (magnesium is the active ingredient in Epsom Salts) magnesium is vital to good health!  Magnesium, taken internally, helps every organ in the body- particularly the heart, muscles and kidneys. 

Magnesium deficiency is relatively common particularly in women during the premenstrual period.  Deficiency is secondary to factors that reduce absorption or increase secretion of magnesium, such as high calcium intake, alcohol, surgery, diuretics, liver disease, kidney disease and oral contraceptive use, food growing techniques, food processing and poor food choices.

Low levels increase susceptibility to a variety of diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney stones, cancer, insomnia, PMS and menstrual cramps.

What Magnesium Does

Magnesium assists metabolic processes throughout the body.  These processes include:

o        energy production

o        muscle function

o        digestion

o        creation of new cells

o        bone formation

o        relaxation of muscles

o        functioning of your heart, kidneys

o        activation of B vitamins, adrenals, brain and nervous system.

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Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

FATIGUE & LOW ENERGY
Magnesium has a key role in the energy process within each cell, and our overall energy level. Magnesium accomplishes this by assisting several vital enzymes to covert carbohydrates, protein, and fats into energy.  In addition, magnesium is essential to regulating potassium levels as well as adequate function of the adrenal glands, both are important to maintaining high energy levels.

NERVOUSNESS, INSOMNIA & STRESS
Deficiency in magnesium can cause insomnia, wake us up with muscle spasms, cramps, tension and feeling uncomfortable. The proper functioning of the nervous system requires magnesium and without sufficient quantity the nerve cells cannot give or receive messages and tend to become excitable and highly reactive. Noises will seem excessively loud and the person will jump at sudden sound and be generally nervous and on edge. Light can appear to be too bright and the person can become highly sensitive and nervous. Chronic emotional and mental stress is associated with magnesium deficiency because the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline release magnesium from the cells; eventually it is excreted in the urine. 

PMS & OSTEOPOROSIS
Because magnesium plays such an integral part in normal cell function, mg deficiency may account for the wide range of PMS symptoms.  A clinical study of mg in PMS showed a reduction of nervousness in 89%, decreased breast tenderness in 96%, and decreased weight gain in 95% of the women tested after magnesium supplementation. Piesse JW, Nutritional Factors in the premenstrual syndrome. Int Clin Nutr Rev 4, 54-81, 1984.

When it comes to OSTEOPOROSIS, magnesium is crucial in regulating bone density, as it is magnesium which allows calcium to assimilate. Magnesium deficiency is as much a problem in bone health as inadequate calcium, and because they work in balance, they should always be taken together.  In fact, too much unbalanced calcium can actually decrease the body’s ability to absorb mg from food. 

Dr. John Lee says magnesium is necessary to utilize calcium for bone building and milk has poor calcium to mg ratio.  Without adequate magnesium, the milk-derived calcium tends to form calcium deposits in joints, ligaments, and tendons rather than in bones.  Furthermore, dairy cows are forced to exist in intolerably unhealthy conditions and are loaded up with antibiotics and other drugs to compensate.  When you drink milk or eat other dairy products, you are getting dosed with these drugs.  The amount in any given glass of milk may be miniscule, but added to other sources the effect can be cumulative. 

Dr. Lee also says that supplementing with magnesium at 400-1000mg daily can increase your bone density by up to 11% in one year.

THE HEART CONNECTION
Without sufficient magnesium you would actually die as your heart will stop beating and the doctors will call it "a heart attack".  Early signs of heart problems are unusual changes in heart rates (beats), angina pain, collapsing from exhaustion after heavy physical exercise or sports related activities. With low magnesium the heart muscle develops a spasm or cramp and stops beating because there is insufficient magnesium to relax the heart ready for the next contraction.

HEADACHES, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & Misc.
Asthma, headaches, migraines, seizures, depression, fibromyalgia, anxiety, ADHD, arthritis and kidney stones get worse when sufficient magnesium is not consumed. Magnesium has been found to improve insulin's response to dietary sugar and improve the action of insulin in regulating blood sugar levels. Magnesium is needed by those with high blood pressure and it proved to be vital and highly effective in many cases.

FOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is contained in many foods, but usually in extremely small amounts. 

The soil in which food is grown may be depleted of many minerals including magnesium, so that its levels in such foods are lower than they should be. 

Eating the following foods can help you to incorporate magnesium in your diet:

• almonds, peanuts

• cocoa and bitter chocolate

• dates, dried figs

• Dried seaweed, shellfish

• Green leafy vegetables

• Wheat germ and whole grains

References:

http://nucellcanada.ca/store/moreinfoMagnesium.html

What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, by Dr. John Lee

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PARTNERS IN NATURAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

We all know that health and wellness is not achieved by focusing on one facet of our body or our lifestyle.  At AHS, we focus on hormone health, but we also believe that achieving wellness is a balance of many things including hormones, nutrition, exercise, supplementation and stress reduction. 

This is a new effort to share with you those other health and wellness services in our community that share and support our interest in empowering women to make health choices and begin to feel healthy and full of renewed energy.

Personal Trainer

Elisabeth Chamberlain, Mission, BC

www.winfit.ca   604-619-9471

Nasty Free Naturals

100% All Natural Chemical-Free, House, Home & Beauty Products  nastyfreenaturals@shaw.ca

Balance Your Immune System www.balance-your-immune-system.com

Organic Grocer, Surrey, BC   www.organicgrocerweb.ca

Balanced Weight

Allan Lawry, Program Director,  Vancouver, BC

Programs to keep fat, muscle and bone within healthy ranges

www.balancemyweight.com  604-730-5550

Breakthrough Hypnotherapy and Wellness Centre

Alison L. Longley, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist, , Burnaby, BC

www.breakthrough-hypnotherapy.com    604-616-6400

Espiritu Healing Arts Centre 

Physiotherapy, massage therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation exercise/core training, Pilates and yoga in North Vancouver.

www.espiritu.ca   604-982-0366

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Promotions & Events...

As always, we are scheduling seminars for the upcoming months.  If you are interested in having the Nurses of Alternative Hormone Solutions speak on hormonal imbalances, please give us a call.  All we ask is that you provide the venue and gather a group of eight or more, and we’ll be there. 

Please bring a friend and join us to find out “WHERE HAVE MY HORMONES GONE?” at the Port Moody Recreation Centre on October 10^th from 7-9pm. 

            Admission:  $10 ---- pre-registration, $15 at the door

            Location: Port Moody Rec Centre, 300 Ioco Road, Port Moody

Contact:  604-936-1156 (after Sept 29) or 604-738-3999 or shauna@ahsolutions.ca  or  debbie@ahsolutions.ca

Debbie Williams, RN, President and Founder of Alternative Hormone Solutions will provide a one hour informative seminar on the topic of hormone balance including saliva testing, bio-identical progesterone, adrenal fatigue and tips on how to feel great, naturally!

Guests will include:

Saliva Tests & Supplements will be available for purchase prior to and following the seminar.

Door Prizes will be raffled!

THE BIG MOVE TO PORT MOODY, BC!

As of October 1, 2008, Shauna will be moving the Surrey location to Port Moody! The office will be located within St. Johns Health and Wellness Centre at:

2226 St. Johns Street                         

Port Moody, BC   V3H 2A7

 

Tel:   (604) 936-1156

Fax:  (604) 936-1666

Although the location is changing all services including saliva testing, flexible scheduling of in-office & telephone consultations and supplement shipping will remain consistent. 

If you are ready for your follow-up consultation come check out the new space!

It's All About ME!!!

If any of you have a success story to share and would permit us to use it, anonymously on our website or in a newsletter, we'd love to hear from you!

Don’t Forget…. If it has been a while since your last visit, please call us for a follow-up visit to re-evaluate your symptoms &/or check your hormone levels.

Case Studies & Recent Testimonials

“Thank you for all the time you have spent with me. So often it helps a lot to talk to someone who understands.”

J.M., Surrey, BC

“I can tell you that I feel MUCH better!! It took a couple of weeks for the foggy mind, confusion and frustration to go, but am sleeping better and have more energy. Am trying to follow the sleeping routine as best as possible (this definitely make a big difference), made a number of dietary changes (no sugar, white flour or rice, more grains, veggies, whole foods, etc and taken up biking).
D. Abbotsford, BC

Humour of the Month

There will be no nursing home in my future….    

Nope…I’m going to live on a Cruise Ship year round!  The average cost for a nursing home is$200 per day.  I have checked on reservations, and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day.  That leaves $65 a day for gratuities which I estimate at only $10 per day.

I will have as many meals a day as I want, as I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service.  The best part is that they’re good meals.  None of that cardboard stuff I’ve seen my old friends eating. 

Breakfast in bed every day of the week, hmmmmm....

Cruise ships have as many as 3 or 4 swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, a casino, movies, and shows every night. 

They often have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

They even treat you like a customer, not a patient.  An extra $5.00 worth of tips should have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

I will get to meet new people every 7 to 14 days.

TV broken?   Light bulb need changing?  Need to have the mattress replaced?  No problem!  They will fix everything and apologize for the inconvenience!

Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don’t even have to ask for them.

AND THE BEST FOR LAST!

I get to see Alaska, South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc., etc.  Don’t look for me in a nursing home, just call the ship.

P.S.  And don’t forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge!

Contact Us

Alternative Hormone Solutions

WEST VANCOUVER CLINIC

Suite #9 -636 Clyde Ave, West Vancouver, B.C.

Phone: 604-922-3997   Fax: 604-926-3727

E-mail: info@alternativehormonesolutions.ca

We’re on the Web...  www.alternativehormonesolutions.ca