HormoneSynergy® refers to the interactive way that hormones influence each other, and emphasizes that vibrant health is the result of balanced hormones. Hormone balance requires adherence to the “Goldilocks principle” – not too much, not too little, just the right amount! This is why the standard of care “one-size-fits-all” approach to hormone replacement often leads to side effects. This is also why testing your hormones and working with an experienced physician who focuses on your individual needs and unique hormonal blueprint is crucial.
In addition to providing bioidentical hormone options, HormoneSynergy® focuses on the foundation of extraordinary health. By following the 8 Steps to Achieving HormoneSynergy you can slow the effects of aging, keep your mind sharp, maintain an attractive body, and continue to experience all the joys of life. You may also prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Balanced hormones may even help you avoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and cancer.*
Optimal Cardiovascular Health and Preventive Cardiology
Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. In fact, every 25 seconds someone experiences a heart attack and every 60 seconds someone dies. Every 40 seconds, someone in the US has a stroke. Combining these statistics means that every 36 seconds (approximately the time it took you to read to this point) someone dies from heart and blood vessel diseases.
The health of your heart and blood vessels is paramount to optimal aging. Your heart beats approximately 100,000 times a day, pumping 1,900 gallons of blood through more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The astonishing activity of your cardiovascular system makes life possible—without healthy blood vessels and heart function, your cells cannot receive vital oxygen and nutrients and waste cannot be removed.
The goal of preventive cardiology is to slow vascular aging and minimize injury to blood vessels while enhancing their repair. This includes healing dysfunctional endothelium, stabilizing and reversing plaque, decreasing arterial thickening and stiffness, and decreasing risk factors. With solid commitment to a health diet and lifestyle, nutritional supplements and accountability through repeat testing, it is absolutely possible to stabilize or reverse cardiovascular disease and your risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
Optimal Brain Health
Your brain is the most complex organ in your body—in fact, there are more connections in your brain than stars in the universe. Your brain contains 100 billion neurons, performing 20 million-billion calculations per second. This is an astonishing amount of activity that takes place with 4 main players:
- Neurons (nerve cells) power the message
- Neurotransmitters create the message
- Receptors receive the message
- Microglia defend and support brain cells
In order for your brain to function properly, you must have healthy neurons, neurotransmitters, receptors, and microglia. If any of these brain components are not optimal, you can have symptoms such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, attention problems, food cravings, and obesity. You may also have devastating symptoms such as chronic pain or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
The role of Neurotransmitters
The main causes of brain problems include genetics, stress, toxicity, poor diet and lifestyle habits, inflammation, free radical damage, nutrient deficiencies, and hormone imbalances. Achieving optimal brain health requires treating the causes and providing the brain with what it needs to heal. Although many physicians and patients believe there is no prevention or treatment for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, with comprehensive, targeted treatment, prevention and reversal of cognitive decline is absolutely possible.
To provide evidence-based testing and treatment, Dr. Retzler has received advanced training in the MPI Cognition Protocol (also known as the Bredesen Protocol), pioneered by Dale Breseden, MD at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
Reversing Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes Prevention
Among US adults, nearly 26% currently have impaired fasting glucose and insulin resistance, often thought of as pre-diabetes. In this age group, nearly 11% have diabetes. Among people over 60, the percentage of diabetics jumps to 23%. This means that more than 80 million Americans are currently insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes. By 2020, 50 percent of US adults are expected to be pre-diabetic or diabetic. Cost of treating diabetics will be $1,218 billion (that's $1.2 trillion) PER YEAR.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions—increased blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal lipid levels (high triglycerides, high LDL, low HDL)—that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and some forms of cancer.
Metabolic Recovery Support
Metabolic syndrome is linked to insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps control the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. Normally, glucose (sugar) is carried in the bloodstream and delivered to your body's tissues. Insulin enables glucose to enter cells. Cells can use glucose for immediate fuel, or fat cells can store it for later use. Your abdomen contains a lot of insulin receptors, which is the reason high insulin levels lead to weight gain around your waist.
Insulin resistance occurs in a step-wise fashion: initially, high blood sugar (from eating too many refined carbohydrates, lack of exercise, or long-term stress) causes the pancreas to secrete excessive amounts of insulin. If this continues, eventually cells won't respond—they become resistant. This leads to higher sugar in the blood stream, called impaired fasting glucose. Even if your blood sugar level isn't high enough to be considered diabetes, elevated glucose levels are still harmful to all organs, including your brain, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and immune system.
Reversing metabolic syndrome is crucial for improving health and prevention of disease. HormoneSynergy uses an evidence-based diet and lifestyle program that's tailored to your individual needs to help you prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome.