Posts about cholesterol screening | Dr. Emina Jasarevic, Naturopath Kelowna

Heart Health & Cholesterol – What women (and men) NEED to Know.

February 16, 2024

The Gender Gap Cardiovascular disease (CVD) or Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the…

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to move glucose from your blood stream (after a meal) into your cells. If your life is stressful, especially with a diet high in refined carbohydrates and without regular vigorous exercise, high blood sugar and insulin elevation can create problems over time. The cells in the body become more resistant to insulin to avoid the toxicity of excess glucose. This can leave too much glucose in your blood and too little in your cells. To maintain balance, your body converts and stores the excess blood sugar as fat – usually around your abdomen. Paradoxically, less glucose into your cells means increased hunger and carbohydrate cravings. Adrenal dysfunction is often implicated here too.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone, but it’s important for women as well, in smaller amounts. Testosterone helps maintain muscle mass and bone strength, enhances sex drive and helps with overall sense of well-being and zest for life. Overall, lower testosterone levels are being found among men in the general population. In men, testosterone levels decline about 10% every decade, but sometimes the levels drop sooner or more severe than they should. Environmental factors play a large role and low testosterone in men is commonly overlooked. Some of the warning signs of low testosterone levels include infertility, decreased muscle mass, depression, weight gain, decreased sex drive, and fatigue. There are many natural approaches to balancing hormone levels and supporting men and women in being healthy.

Cortisol

Cortisol is our primary stress hormone. It is responsible for regulating many other functions in the body including, but not limited to:

Blood sugar levels
Fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism to maintain blood glucose
Immune responses
Anti-inflammatory actions
Sex hormone production
Blood pressure
Heart and blood vessel tone and contraction
Central nervous system activation

Cortisol is secreted in high amounts by the adrenal glands during times of stress. After a short period of time cortisol levels should return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal. This can lead to “Adrenal Fatigue.” Adrenal fatigue can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia, weight gain and infertility. It is important to note that adrenal fatigue often precedes thyroid conditions as well. Treating your stress, and restoring your adrenal health is possible and often necessary to feeling better and improving your overall health.

Ig G Food Sensitivity

Ig G Food Sensitivity (or food intolerance) is a type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction in the immune system that can occur a few hour and up 72 hours after ingestion of the reactive food. This window of time makes it difficult to link one’s symptom to the food eaten a day or two prior. Such hidden allergies are often the cause of many chronic symptoms. The immune response to delayed food reactions are often caused by antibodies other than Ig E. They are mediated by immunoglobulins: Ig G, Ig A, Ig M and Ig D. The Ig G antibody is the largest circulating antibody in our immune system (about 80-85% of our white blood cells) and can cross the placenta from mother to child. Ig G antibodies are the most common form of immunologic-mediated food responses. These antibodies combine with the food particles in the blood to form “immune complexes” which cause inflammatory reactions in tissues. Such inflammatory reactions can occur in any part of the body, thus producing many kinds of symptoms such as headache, eczema, joint pain, mental disorders, etc.

“I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.”
– Joyce Meyer

A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought – they must be earned.”
– Naval Ravikant

“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche

“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind”
– Paracelsus

“I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they are the only ones that count.”
– Muhammed Ali

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
– Paulo Coelho

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. ”
– William Shakespeare

“Begin with little things daily and one day you will be doing things that months back you would have thought impossible.”
– Swami Satchidananda

Dr. Emina jasarevic, nd | Naturopathic physician

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Heart Health & Cholesterol – What women (and men) NEED to Know.

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