Dr. Karen Spencer Dees, Ph.D.
345 Boston Post Rd, Unit J6 2^nd Floor
Sudbury, MA 01776
Office: 508.309-4342
Fax: 508.309-6892
E-mail: drdees@comcast.net

“Eating Right For Your Hormonal Health”
A Manual for Endometriosis & Other Endocrine Disorders

Authored By: Karen Spencer Dees, Ph.D., Doctor of Holistic Nutrition, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

· The name endometriosis comes from the word “endometrium”, which is the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus.

ENDOMETRIOSIS

Some facts…

· There are probably over 70 to 90 million women in the world who have Endometriosis today.

· These estimates vary from 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 women have endometriosis. That makes endometriosis the most common disease on the face of the earth.

How do you live with the pain?

Of 3,680 women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis ages 14 to 89 with an average age of 36…

· More than 98% of these women reported pelvic pain.

Infertilty

Of 3,680 women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis ages 14 to 89 with an average age of 36…

· 41 % reported infertility

Life with Endometriosis

• Hormone Imbalance
• Adhesions
• Bowel obstructions
• Digestive problems
• Infertility
• Urinary problems
• Pain
• Candida
• Constant Surgery
• Compromised Systems
• Digestive
• Hormonal
• Immune

Dr. Karen Spencer-Dees Study

This brings up the question of a woman's hormonal health. Why are so many young women today having so many hysterectomies, living with chronic Endometriosis and experiencing so many side effects to long-term usage from the birth control pill? What are our young girls and young women eating that is causing their endocrine systems to malfunction causing so many hormonal imbalances? No woman should be faced with being childless.

If we knew that processed foods like white flour and sugar, excess caffeine, and more were harmful to the future of our daughters and their daughters and their potential for healthy hormonal life would we feed it to them? This study looks closely at the topic of alleviating the most chronic symptoms of women who have experienced induced menopause, Endometriosis and prolonged birth control usage through implementing good nutrition and supplements. Can we eliminate the symptoms through diet?

The hormonal health of young girls is critical today. The synthetic hormones being fed into the animals that our young girls eat create havoc with their delicate balance of hormones. No young girl desiring to be a hormonally healthy woman should eat hormone-injected foods. This causes early menstruation, PMS, mood swings, unnatural breast enlargement and more.

The need for this study is great because so many women are suffering from "Early Menopause". How do you alleviate all of their chronic, debilitating symptoms? The nature of this study was to create a nutritional program called "Eating Right For Your Hormonal Health" to address this question. The study shows that early menopausal symptoms can be alleviated through diet. The need for relief from these symptoms is great for this group of women. The diet offers both relief for today's symptoms and prevention from future symptoms.

Cause and Effect

· Synthetic Hormones –fed or injected into the animals that we eat for quicker growth and can cause other abnormalities

· Environment – pesticides, smog

· Stress – School, work / home balance

· Young women are suffering from “Early Menopause” – these changes in the body take place over 6 to 10 years

· See graph in syllabus

The Results…

· Nutritional Study – based on a group of symptomatic early menopausal women all under the age of 35

· Diet and Recovery – research shows that through diet recovery is possible

· “Eating Right for Your Hormonal Health” A Manual for Endometriosis & Other Endocrine disorders – designed specifically for the study group, consisting of the food pyramid, proper food combining, acid and alkaline foods, herbs and supplements and phytoestrogen foods.

· See graph in syllabus

Eating for Your Hormonal Health

Endometriosis and Diet

· Key - Build the Immune System

· Building the Immune Systems help guard against other chronic diseases such as lupus

· Nutritional Study – based on a group of symptomatic early menopausal women all under the age of 35

· Diet and Recovery – research shows that through diet recovery is possible

· “Eating Right for Your Hormonal Health” A Manual for Endometriosis & Other Endocrine disorders – designed specifically for the study group, consisting of the food pyramid, proper food combining, acid and alkaline foods, herbs and supplements and phytoestrogen foods.

· See graph in syllabus

Key - Build the Immune System

· Building the Immune Systems help guard against other chronic diseases such as lupus

Balanced Eating to Build the Endocrine System

· Keys

o Hormonal Health

o Reduce menopausal symptoms

o Lowers the risk of osteoporosis

Phytoestrogen Foods

• Regulates Hormone Levels
• 3 servings daily from this group
• Some examples are; eggs, apples, cherries, dates, potatoes, oats, soy beans, tomatoes, and yams

Balanced Eating for the Digestive System

• Proper Food Combining
• Protein + Starchy Carbohydrates = Not the best
• Acid/Alkaline Balance
• Alkali-forming food, such as fresh fruits, green vegetables, and salads in proper proportion with acid-forming food such as protein prevent fermentation in the stomach.
• Fermentation occurs when concentrated carbohydrates, which normally do not stay in the stomach for digestive purposes, are trapped by the presence of protein and or fat, which requires 3-5 hours for digestion. The sugars combine with certain bacteria and create gas.

Balancing Acid / Alkaline Foods

• Some symptoms of extreme acidity are; diarrhea, irritability, and yeast infections

• Some symptoms of extreme alkalinity are constipation, headaches and bloating

Nutrition’s Role

Dietary Requirements for Endometriosis

6 small meals daily

• Allows the body time to digest and absorb the food without any stomach upset and will be able to convert the nutrients to fuel for energy faster

Snack 3 times daily

• 10 AM, 3 PM & 10 PM

• Low fat meals

• Prevents heart disease.

• See dietary guidelines in syllabus

Liquids

• Drink Water –The most important nutrient of all. Water is used in almost every cellular function. Water helps move food through the digestive system; it makes blood liquid to carry nutrients to cells, keeps us warm by insulating our flesh and cools the body down by carrying heat outside of the body through perspiration. Water cleanses the cells and carries waste our of the body.

• Eliminate Sodas and caffeine - Especially colas as they cause early menopausal symptoms such as anxiety, acid stomach, insomnia and osteoporosis because caffeine will deplete calcium.

• Eliminate or Reduce Alcohol - Inhibits calcium absorption and reduces the amount of active vitamin D

Foods That Heal

Fresh Organic Foods

§ As food sits for long periods of time it becomes stale with poor flavor, texture and appearance. Food also becomes rancid if it contain oils and becomes depleted of nutrients, which are destroyed by exposure to oxygen in the air. Find fresh organics foods at the following:

§ Farmer’s Market

§ Health Food Stores

§ Local Co-ops

Fresh Fruits

§ Sugar

§ Cleanse

§ Vitamins

§ Energy

Fresh Vegetables

§ Minerals

§ Vitamins

§ Stabilize Energy

Good Fats - Skin/Energy

§ Pure Virgin Olive Oil

§ Avocado

§ Nut Butters

§ Coconut Butter

High Fiber

§ Eat 25 grams of Fiber daily

§ Fiber is actually a carbohydrate

§ Helps move food through the digestive tract, exercising the intestines as it goes.

§ Found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and beans

Good Protein

§ Eat 2–3 servings of Protein daily

§ Protein is the nutrient primarily used for building and repairing the body’s tissues including organs, muscles, nerves, hair and nails.

§ Makes up antibodies used by our Immune System to protect us from dangerous germs.

Nutrient Robbers

§ Salt – Raises blood pressure, water retention, triggers hot flashes, promotes loss of calcium and bone loss

§ Sugar - Depletes vitamin/mineral stores, creates hormone fluctuations and imbalances, extremes in blood-sugar levels

§ Tobacco & Smoking - Brings on an earlier menopause and intensifies hot flashes O’Hanlan, M.D., 10, 32

§ Alcohol – Depletes B complex, C,A, magnesium, potassium and zinc

§ Caffeine – Aggravates symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease, and may be implicated in its development

§ Trans Fats – Found in margarine and polyunsaturated oils used to increase shelf life. Plug up arterial system. Interfere with normal cell membrane function and structure ad block healthy fats (raw natural oils).

Eating For Your Hormonal Health

Herbs / Supplements

Calcium with Magnesium & Vitamin D - 1,000 - 1,500 milligrams per day

§ Builds and maintains bones and teeth

§ Regulates heart rhythm

§ Eases insomnia

§ Helps regulate the passage of nutrients in and out of the cell walls

§ Assists in normal blood clotting

§ Helps maintain proper nerve and muscle function

§ Lowers blood pressure

§ Important to normal kidney function

§ Reduces the incidence of colon cancer

§ Reduces blood cholesterol levels

Vitamin E – minimum 400 IU per day

§ Helps with hot flashes

§ Helps with vaginal dryness

§ Women who got at least 10 IU per day from foods were 62% less likely to die of heart disease than women who ate less than 5 IU per day.

Vitamin C

§ For the Immune System

Dong Quai

§ All-purpose herb for a wide range of female gynecological complaints

§ Rich in Vitamins A, B12 and E

§ Helps prevent anemia

§ “The possible benefits to Dong Quai are as overall tonic for the female reproductive system, restore menstrual regularity, reduce PMS, relieve symptoms of menopause, prevent anemia, reduce high blood pressure”

§ “Chinese women use Dong Quai to help smooth the transition to menopause. Dong Quai is highly regarded as a tonic for the female sex organs and is reported to be good for vaginal dryness, another problem associated with menopause.” Mindell, 228

Passionflower

• One of nature’s best tranquilizers

• Relieves muscle tension and other manifestations of extreme anxiety

• Good for nervous insomnia

• Times of extreme emotional upset

• “Some of the possible benefits are to calm you down, relieve headache due to nervous tension, relieve muscle spasms due to nerves.” Mindell, 142

White Willow Bark

• Treat headaches

• Reduce pain and swelling of the joints

• Gentle to the stomach and is actually good for the digestive system

• Replaces aspirin and painkillers

Green Tea

• “Green tea can make you calm and reduce the fat in your body.” Wang, 29

• Green represents the liver, the organ that cleans your body.

• Asians believe that drinking a little green tea can alleviate headaches.

• Some green tea contains generous amounts of Vitamins C and E along with other vitamins and minerals.

Acidophilus

• Acidophilus is called “the friendly fighter”.

• Helps us do battle against yeast infections, digestive tract diseases, unstable bowel function and even cancer.

• Promotes good health

- Produces B vitamins in the intestines

- Produces lactase enzymes for digesting lactose

- Helps digest various foods and correct digestive disorders

- Helps prevent bad breath

- Produces natural antibiotics

- Helps lower cholesterol

- Reduces vaginitis in women with Candida overgrowth

Great Tips

o Sweet Potatoes – excellent mood balancer

o Remember to consume lots of leafy green veggies, they are highest in Calcium and Iron

o B12 is excellent for depression, fatigue and stress and regulator of hormones

o Focus on fresh vegetables and fruits, & raw untoasted, unroasted grains and cereal that are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. The Fiber helps to balance our hormones.

o Eat at least 50% of your vegetables and fruits in the raw form. This preserves vitamins, minerals and active enzymes, which may be destroyed by heat and water during the cooking process.

o Stevia for hypoglycimia

o Incresase your consumption of legumes as a high fiber

o Add whole seeds

o Fish is high in a type of oil, commonly referred to, as Omega-e fish oil deemed beneficial to the heart and hormones. The best one is deep-water fish like salmon.

o Include a wide variety of foods in your diet. This will give you a better balance of essential nutrients. What one food lacks, another contains.

o Drink green tea for cancer prevention and as an immune booster daily.

o The best place to begin is 1 step at a time

Walk and Weight Bearing Exercise

• By walking 3-5 times weekly for 30 minutes a woman will build her cardiovascular system.

• Do lightweight bearing exercise 2-3 times weekly and it will build muscle and bone.

• Walking & light weight bearing exercises prevent early menopausal symptoms such as severe back ache, osteoporosis, and promotes weight loss, muscle building, improve the immune system, increase good cholesterol, build stronger bones and relieve depression.

“Do”

1. Keep All Foods Stocked
2. Keep All Herbs Stocked
3. Walk – Some Form ½ Hour Daily
4. Substitute Healthy Treats for Cookies & Snacks
5. Drinks Lots of Water
6. Keep Journal if Necessary
7. ENJOY LIFE!

©2010 Dr. Karen Spencer Dees, Ph.D.
345 Boston Post Rd, Unit J6 2^nd Floor
Sudbury, MA 01776
Office: 508.309-4342, Fax: 508.309-6892, E-mail: drdees@comcast.net