Which Hormone Test is Right For Me?

I quite often encourage my client's to bring in blood tests they have had done as this gives me so much more information to work with and the more information I have, the better.  This also goes with women who say they have had their hormone levels tested and they are all fine. If I ask what stage of their cycle they were in at the time of the test, they have no idea. There are definitely particular times of a woman's cycle which it is better to find out which hormones are doing what and where they should be so we have something to compare with.

There are a few different tests that can be done to check hormones and they all give great information. Serum or blood is the most common and this is usually done with your gp. This is great for checking one of the estrogens, progesterone, LH, FSH,  testosterone and DHEA. You can also do a fasting morning cortisol with a blood test. There is also the option of saliva, which is not so common and not generally done with a gp. This test has to be sent away and there is a short wait of about 2 weeks to get the results. There is also the option of a more expensive dried urine test that is also sent away and my love of bio chemical pathways get super excited when I get these results back!

If you are interested in finding out what your hormones are doing and which test is right for you, contact the clinic and book in to see me. I love balancing hormones and find when they are out of whack they can be a nightmare. If you are symptomatic one week out of your cycle, that is a quarter of your life.

Using herbs, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle advice, I can balance your hormones to help with symptom free living, fertility and other options besides HRT and the contraceptive pill to balance hormones. nyree@healthnaturally.com.au

The Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin

Nutrients for Healthy Skin
There are specific nutrients involved in keeping skin healthy,
and sorting out nutritional deficiencies is a good place to start
in any skin condition.
Essential fatty acids found in fish oil play a vital role in
promoting healthy skin. They help to regulate healthy cellular
function, and maintain elasticity and suppleness of the skin.
Essential fatty acids also help to reduce inflammation. A
deficiency of essential fatty acids can be an underlying cause of
skin problems and the modern Western diet is known to be low
in essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Taking
a potent, high quality fish oil can improve your skin health by
improving hydration, elasticity and reducing inflammation. As
a result, skin has improved texture and tone leaving it looking
and feeling healthier.
Zinc is an important mineral for skin health. Zinc repairs damaged
tissues and helps to heal wounds. As a result, if you don’t
have enough zinc, then your ability to repair damaged skin
becomes impaired. Zinc deficiency can also result in your
immune system having poor control over the maintenance of
your skin. You can do a simple, easy
taste test to check your zinc status. You can also check Zinc levels in a blood test.

Vitamin C is another must have nutrient for healthy skin and it is best to take a low acidic form like Calcium Ascorbate. Vitamin C is an essential co-factor for the synthesis of Collagen, Proteoglycans and other components of tissues such as skin, bones and teeth. It is great for wound healing and has had many clinical trials to support this.