A reader wrote to me on Facebook while I was in Africa with a question I get a lot, so I thought it was important to share with you:
Dear Dr. Sears,
I have recently (in the past six months) engaged in the journey to take back my health. I am a 38-year-old overworked and overweight nurse who sits at a desk five days a week.
I have made great progress using both PACE and PACE Express! But now that I have a handle on my exertion routines I’d like to take my health to the next level.
Unfortunately Naturopathic Doctors are not currently licensed in PA. I have, however, after much research found a DO who is committed to integrated medicine. My question to you is where should I start? What diagnostics/labs should I ask be performed in order to establish my current state of health?
Sincerely,
Paul S., Glenside, PA
Dear Paul:
I’m happy you’re having so much success with PACE and PACE Express. It’s a perfect start on becoming as healthy as possible because it’s the cure for one of the worst “health” mistakes of the last 50 years.
As for what to measure so you can take your health to the next level, one of the first things I measure in the men who come to my clinic is hormones.
When your hormones are balanced, you’ll have a great start on having the most energy, vigor, and getting the most out of your life:
You should have your doctor test two things: 1) Your estrogen and testosterone levels, and 2) your DHEA level. These are the basis for any man’s health, and important for women, too.
1) Estrogen and Testosterone: You won’t hear many doctors talk to men about estrogen. But for both men and women, chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in the environment are dosing you with estrogen look-a-likes every day and wreaking havoc on your body.
But you can restore your energy, mood and get back your masculine “V” shape by making sure your estrogen levels are low and your testosterone levels are healthy.
Too much estrogen can cause fatigue and sexual problems, and can turn your muscle into fat … giving you the “doughy” look. Flushing out excess estrogen and restoring a healthy ratio of testosterone to estrogen will help give you back your muscle tone and restore your energy and confidence.
I like to see my male patients’ testosterone at or near 800 (don’t let a doctor tell you 241 is “normal”), and your total estrogen should be below 100. Your testosterone to estrogen ratio should be at least 4-to-1.
A “normal” testosterone range for a woman is from about 25 to 85. Normal estrogen levels for a woman are a bit harder to pin down. Estrogen levels change throughout life and depend on the individual woman’s age and any health concerns.
I like to see women at my clinic have estrogen in the 200 range. A lot higher or lower than that could be a cause for concern, depending on age and health. But it’s very individualized and the range is very wide. So you should speak with your gynecologist and discuss what’s best for you.
If your estrogen is high, you can flush the excess by eating lots of cruciferous vegetables, which have a compound called indole-3-carbinol. This helps metabolize estrogen into harmless compounds. It also prevents the negative effects too much estrogen in a male body can cause, by blocking the fake estrogen from attaching to your cell’s receptors.
You can also take it as a supplement. I recommend 100 mg of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) a day.
2) DHEA: Most hormones decline with age but cortisol, the stress hormone, increases with age. Cortisol then plays havoc on your body. Under stress, your body stops building for long-term health and improved immunity and instead says “just get through the moment, damn tomorrow.”
This accelerates aging. It’s like burning your candles at both ends. Endurance exercise makes this worse, but PACE is a great way to boost DHEA. Short periods of progressively intense exertion reverse stress and boost anti-aging hormone secretions.
DHEA is the natural counter to cortisol. It also serves a dual purpose to have healthy levels because DHEA is a precursor to your sex hormones like testosterone.
Youthful levels of DHEA for men range from 400 to 560. For women, levels should range from 350 to 430.
After your levels have been checked, you can determine optimal dosing. A common starting dose that I use is 5 mg for women and 10 mg for men daily. DHEA is absorbed well and can be taken at any time but best mimics the natural daily fluctuation when taken first thing in the morning.