Women’s stories

“I was malnourished and I didn’t know it!”

Sharon is a busy psychologist with a thriving practice — but her health was starting to suffer. Interrupted sleep, hot flashes, low libido, weight gain, and high blood pressure had her on several medications. While doing research to help her come off her meds, she found our website. After six weeks on the Personal Program, she’s feeling dramatically better and is living prescription–free.

“I’ve always been incredibly active and proactive about my health, but I was beginning to understand that something needed to change. I’m 60 years old and have had high blood pressure, for which I took ACE inhibitors and beta blockers. I was becoming distressed by the fact that little by little I was gaining weight that wouldn’t come off, my sleep was suffering, and I had no interest in sex.”

Sharon told us that she had dealt with some fairly severe PMS issues when she was menstruating. During perimenopause, her hot flashes were severe: 10–12 times a day. At first she went on Premarin, but then stopped. Then she tried an all-natural program that simply didn’t work. By her estimation, “I was taking an armload of vitamins every day and they didn’t do a thing.” Finally her doctor prescribed a low dose of estradiol, which she had been using with great success.

But even with her hormonal symptoms relatively under control, Sharon knew something wasn’t working. So she started to do her own on-line research and ran across our website. “I read and read and so much of it made sense — it also jibed with other things I’d been looking into regarding my blood pressure medication. Turns out that a common side effect of beta blockers is weight gain! Even my doctor didn’t know that. He gave me the OK to go off one of my meds, and I chose the beta blocker — I lost four pounds in one week.”

Encouraged by this and a new understanding of the connection between her metabolism, blood pressure, and underlying biology, she decided to order the Personal Program.

“Within a week, my whole system felt different — it was subtle. I was more energetic, my libido returned, my nails started growing, and I just felt better. I was malnourished and I didn’t know it.”

While she continued with the Personal Program, she also began to follow our nutritional guidelines, spurred on by a neighbor who is also a nutritionist. She now has a whole new breed of snacks in her office refrigerator.

After a little while, Sharon decided to stop her ACE inhibitor. Much to her surprise, her blood pressure remained stable and she lost a few more pounds. She’s now been on the Personal Program for six weeks and just two weeks ago she ran out of estradiol. “I filled the prescription,” she says, “but I haven’t taken any yet — I waited for the hot flashes to come back, and they didn’t. I feel great!”

“I still have a lot of stress in my life (I work at minimum 12-hour days), and I want to try to reduce that. I also know I should exercise more, but I have to say my results have been pretty dramatic. I’ve lost six more pounds, between going off the meds and getting on the Personal Program, and I don’t feel deprived or listless. I just got through a very high–stress project and I feel fine.

“I don’t crash in the afternoon anymore, and I don’t have the same sugar/carb cravings I once did. I think the Nutritional Guidelines and the products in your Program are finally giving me the support I need. I’m so happy with my results that I’m recommending the Personal Program to some of my patients — and my neighbor, who is the nutritionist, is telling her clients too!”

We ended our conversation with a reminder to call us if anything changes. And she told us, “I’m glad to know you’re only a phone call away.”

Click here to return to Women’s Stories.

Our Personal Program is a great place to start

The Personal Program promotes healthy hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, gentle endocrine support, dietary guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we suggest to our patients at the clinic.

• Articles on women’s health — the collective wisdom of our practitioners on the topics that concern you most.
• A personalized, at-home program for hormonal balance based on our natural approach. We’ve helped thousands of women feel like themselves again. To learn more, click here or call us at 1-800-798-7902.
• Patient care at our medical clinic for those who can make the trip to Yarmouth, Maine to see us.

Original Publication Date:06/26/2006
Last Modified: 02/19/2008
Principal Author: Genevieve Morgan