Liliana Sierra T.
I can still remember like it was yesterday. My kids were excitedly singing and shouting “Happy Birthday” to me with the widest smiles. “Mom, today you are 40 years old! How do you feel?!” At that moment, the only thing I could think was: “I’m feeling so old!” I didn’t have the energy I used to have ten years ago and my youthful looks were disappearing too fast!
The makeup I had worn for so many years didn’t look right anymore. It didn’t make me look more attractive as it used to and instead, it showcased wrinkles I never noticed before.
My skin was losing its elasticity and my cheeks began to look more hollow. I gazed closely into the mirror and after picking myself apart, I couldn’t recognize myself any longer.
I thought to myself harshly: “Where did my youth go? What happened?” I became a little depressed and my self-esteem dived deep down. I thought that I wouldn’t start noticeably aging until around age 50!
I knew then I needed all the help I could find to support my vitality. I decided to think positively and take back my old job as a Health Detective one more time. I decided to take action. I had to find some information that would help me restore my energy and reclaim my youth!
My Nutrition Wake Up Call
One day while I was watching TV and eating a bag of chips, I realized that I was destroying myself with what I was eating and drinking. I could just feel it. I did not know then about the existence of organic products, pesticides, or chemicals in my food and drinks.
I thought about my favorite snack: butter microwave popcorn. You know, the instant popcorn that holds a deliciously buttery taste and aroma. I learned the famous butter-flavored microwave popcorn I held so dear, had a chemical called Diacetyl in its ingredients. That led me to think of another snack I loved, crispy french fries. I then learned they had trans fats and high sodium.
That led me to think of another snack I loved, crispy french fries. I then learned they had trans fats and high sodium.
The delicious pastries and bread I craved had bromate and corn syrup. I realized all of these scrumptious snacks were making me sick.
Just think of how ironic it is that what I liked to eat and drink was inducing processes of premature aging and ruining my health.
Now it was time to review my favorite restaurants because I knew I would drastically have to change my eating habits. I took a hard look at the fast-food restaurants my children loved so much: Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza, Chicken McNuggets, and fries. I had to look at myself though.
Among all these foods, I can say that I have never liked hamburgers, which spared me from the hormones and antibiotics that are given to cows, but on the other hand, I liked to order the chicken sandwiches that also had hormones and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the grains that are given to the chickens.
Among all these foods, I can say that I have never liked hamburgers, which spared me from the hormones and antibiotics that are given to cows, but on the other hand, I liked to order the chicken sandwiches that also had hormones and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the grains that are given to the chickens.
Although they did not fit into what I really liked in taste or texture there wasn’t any alternative to choose from the menu of any fast-food restaurant.
I’d like to mention that after I emigrated to San Francisco, what caught my attention was that I didn’t find the food appealing. The taste, smell, and consistency of the eggs, chicken, meat, and fish were different and I didn’t like it.
I thought of my old habits: my cooking for us mom in Peru. We would go to the market every day to look for the freshest products and meats of the day. What a difference!
Here I bought my products that came from stores that buy in bulk from all over the world and sell them unripe most of the time. On top of that, I began to freeze what I could. So I’d go to the supermarket only once a week or twice a month if I bought frozen vegetables. This was truly a significant difference in my lifestyle.
I knew that there must be something that I can do to counter this problem as I did for my thyroid. I started using a therapy called emotional freedom techniques to let go of my sadness, stress, feelings of hopelessness, and my disappointment.
I was refusing to accept that I was getting old and I had to accept myself the way I was. With this mindset, I began shifting my focus and started to look for any information I could find about aging.
In such a way, instead of looking at the problem and getting emotional about it I did a pivoting work and started to look for the possible solutions for the problem.
I also started to meditate to calm myself down and to further accept things the way they were at that moment instead of resentfully desiring them to be different. I was working with my mental space and was just letting the things be as they were. I decided to let go of my frustrations and just relax.
One day while changing the TV channels, a program on PBS caught my attention. A dermatologist was speaking about a book called “The Wrinkle Cure” by Nicholas Perricone.
The topic focused my attention and I thought that maybe in that book was the solution! I was looking to restore some of my youth and health. In this book, he talks about how diet affects the way you age; he also covers the issues of nutrition, exercise, and in great detail recommended supplements.
How I Define Being Young
At this point, it is important to me to take a tiny step back and reflect. I want to define what being young meant to me since that was my overarching super goal. I pondered and realized, for most, when we are young we feel so wonderfully good, our body is the epitome of health because we have significantly less stress brewing in our lives.
When I talk about regenerating my youth and vitality, of course, I don’t mean that I aspire to look exactly the same as I did when I was in my 20s. I knew that I did not have a time machine handy! And that was okay because that was not what I wanted.
What I did want was something that felt real to me and that was more than just looking good. Just looking pretty made no sense to me because it did not ring true to everything I desired.
Yes, I wanted to look attractive, but I wanted more! I wanted to feel good. It wasn’t just about what was on the outside but was on the inside. I wanted to make sure that I was putting all of my efforts into being rejuvenated inside and out.
Yes, I wanted to look attractive, but I wanted more! I wanted to feel good. It wasn’t just about what was on the outside but was on the inside. I wanted to make sure that I was putting all of my efforts into being rejuvenated inside and out.
In today’s world, there is a tendency to lose youth and vitality at an earlier age than ever before. I had to search for the contributing factors of the aging process so that I could find a viable solution.
After much research, I found there are a variety of issues such as nutrition, living a sedentary lifestyle, and hectic, stressful living. So, if we want to get our vitality back and reclaim our youth, it is more than just beginning to eat healthy and exercise.
You need to rethink everything and make small changes to your day-to-day lifestyle. This is the only way to feel enriched and better every moment.
I learned and grew through books and by researching articles on the internet about regular farming vs organic farming and the importance of consuming organic, grass-fed meats and wild salmon from Alaska to avoid pesticides, GMOs corn syrup, trans fats, heavy metals, and other chemicals in my everyday life.
I discovered the health benefits of omega 3 for your skin, hair, and heart as well as the benefits of each vitamin and supplement that I was going to take.
After much research, I found there are a variety of issues such as nutrition, living a sedentary lifestyle, and hectic, stressful living. So, if we want to get our vitality back and reclaim our youth, it is more than just beginning to eat healthy and exercise.
You need to rethink everything and make small changes to your day-to-day lifestyle. This is the only way to feel enriched and better every moment.
I learned and grew through books and by researching articles on the internet about regular farming vs organic farming and the importance of consuming organic, grass-fed meats and wild salmon from Alaska to avoid pesticides, GMOs corn syrup, trans fats, heavy metals, and other chemicals in my everyday life.
I discovered the health benefits of omega 3 for your skin, hair, and heart as well as the benefits of each vitamin and supplement that I was going to take.
I was so excited when I ordered my first salmon from Alaska. I didn’t know I could find all these organic products at specialty stores locally. I was looking forward to starting this new dietary program! And miraculously, it didn’t disappoint me. It worked out and brought me great results!
How Luck Found Me
Luck was on my side as “Trader Joe” and “Whole Foods” stores that sold natural and organic products were opening close to where I live. Now I was able to conveniently find a lot of the organic products that I needed to create my delicious and healthy new gourmet recipes.
Here is an example of the ingredients that I bought to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a 3-day program:
- Wild Salmon, canned salmon from Alaska
- Oats cooked on water and topped with cinnamon and some nuts(walnuts or almonds)
- Salads with lemon and olive oil vegetables(Asparagus, broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce.
- Olives
- Berries: Strawberry, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupes, lemons, and green apples
- Nuts(unsalted hazelnuts macadamia, almond)
- Olive oil
- White eggs
- Turkey breast
- Chicken breast
- Springwater(I’ll recommend from glass bottles or from a filter
This new program also gave me the motivation to look for new healthy recipes with organic ingredients including chicken, meat, and fish. My family realized that this new menu for our everyday breakfast, lunch, and dinners tasted a thousand times better than the dishes we previously ate with harmful ingredients.
Gradually, my kids experienced the difference in flavor, smell, and texture of these new ingredients and they were hooked to this new adventure of appreciating natural, tasty, and whole foods. Finally, at my house, there was no pre-packaged food on sight, and we stopped ordering takeout from a fast-food restaurant.
My Conversion Into An Organic Foodie
After introducing my new lifestyle to my friends, they started to consider me an organic foodie enthusiast! The hardest part of following a healthy diet was that my relatives and friends didn’t replicate my excitement for eating organic and natural food.
I made a decision to come up with a plan and bring my own food to any gathering that I was invited to so I had something healthy to eat and continue on my journey of following a healthy diet regimen.
After following a more restricted diet from this new program, and introducing a more flexible menu for my family, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was looking younger than my chronological age! My doctor, my relatives, and friends also noticed these changes. I started sharing my experience with everybody who wanted to know more about this great miraculous program.
After following a more restricted diet from this new program, and introducing a more flexible menu for my family, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was looking younger than my chronological age! My doctor, my relatives, and friends also noticed these changes. I started sharing my experience with everybody who wanted to know more about this great miraculous program.
I was so happy with the results of my miraculous healthy program that worked for several years, but sadly, it didn’t last forever. Life had another curveball for me, I entered a pre-menopause stage, and I stop seeing the results that I had after I made my healthy changes, so I decided to investigate more about other factors that could contribute to the aging in women and found out that we need hormones that we produce in abundance when we are younger, but decrease as we age.
My Bioidentical Hormone Discovery
The possible symptoms that you can experience during perimenopause and menopause are:
- Sweating without reason at night
- Problems with heart: heart palpitation, skipping beats, tightness, etc.
- Problems falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night
- Feeling of sudden sadness or feeling overwhelmed,
- Feeling nervous
- Mood swings,
- Irritability,
- Getting angry easily.
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling tired all the time
- Problems with concentration, memory, and focus.
- Sexual dysfunction(dryness, not in the mood, pain, etc)
- Bladders continence, frequent urinary infections
- Dryness of skin
- Pain in the articulation, muscles, back, etc
I went back to being a Health Detective once more! I was determined to find a solution to this new problem. My goal was to have more energy and look better than other women of my same age group without looking for botox or plastic surgery.
With the solutions I found, the results I got were better than I even expected. Before I knew it I found happiness once again!
My investigation started with a trip to a bookstore where I found a book called “What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You About Menopause” from John Lee MD, and learned about estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone.
I also started to look for natural ways to increase my levels of estrogen with flax seeds and I added a progesterone cream from over the counter, but it wasn’t enough to see dramatic changes. Next, I started to look for a doctor to guide me in this complicated shift of my hormones.
With the solutions I found, the results I got were better than I even expected. Before I knew it I found happiness once again!
My investigation started with a trip to a bookstore where I found a book called “What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You About Menopause” from John Lee MD, and learned about estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone.
I also started to look for natural ways to increase my levels of estrogen with flax seeds and I added a progesterone cream from over the counter, but it wasn’t enough to see dramatic changes. Next, I started to look for a doctor to guide me in this complicated shift of my hormones.
Luckily I found an MD doctor who specializes in holistic medicine and bioidentical hormones. My journey to wellness started with a new treatment for my thyroid and a protocol to restore and balance my hormones.
My doctor also ordered all the blood tests required to know the levels of my thyroid and hormones.
The Tests Ordered To Balance My Hormones
The tests ordered by my doctor were: Estrogen(estradiol, estriol, and estrone), progesterone and testosterone. Later, I had additional tests done because I was now gaining weight and my energy became low. CBC that included cholesterol, glucose, liver and kidney, Insulin and leptin sensitivity, glycated hemoglobin(A1C), sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG), cortisol, ferritin, vitamin B-12, selenium, zinc, magnesium, Coq10, cortisol, adrenals, Iodine, and other health markers.
These are some of the possible underlying conditions for thyroid and hormone imbalances that if not corrected can also accelerate your aging, increase your weight, and make you depressed.
Lastly, I also got tested for food allergies and heavy metals.
After I got the results, my doctor started a detailed plan of action to correct all the health issues and symptoms I had. That is when I started my daily application of hormones for estradiol/estriol, progesterone, and testosterone in a cream and gel form. The hormones were adjusted little by little according to my symptoms. After several months, I felt great with more energy and I was happier than I was before I started the replacement of my hormones!
Lastly, I also got tested for food allergies and heavy metals.
After I got the results, my doctor started a detailed plan of action to correct all the health issues and symptoms I had. That is when I started my daily application of hormones for estradiol/estriol, progesterone, and testosterone in a cream and gel form. The hormones were adjusted little by little according to my symptoms. After several months, I felt great with more energy and I was happier than I was before I started the replacement of my hormones!
Intermittent Fasting and Exercise
Another important discovery that made a great difference in my health was to learn about the benefits of doing intermittent fasting and Intermittent exercises. These changes helped me to increase my growth hormone, decrease my insulin resistance, and lowered my cortisol.
Consequently, I started to lose weight around my stomach mostly and look more youthful compared to other women of similar age. I reached my goal! My wrinkles started disappearing, my skin was softer, and my hair fuller and shinier. This was enough incentive that kept me continuing with this program.
Another thing that I took to was taking creatine powder to help me to develop more muscle during my exercise program. Additionally, I started taking collagen powder, and grass-fed whey protein to help with the elasticity of my skin.
Consequently, I started to lose weight around my stomach mostly and look more youthful compared to other women of similar age. I reached my goal! My wrinkles started disappearing, my skin was softer, and my hair fuller and shinier. This was enough incentive that kept me continuing with this program.
Another thing that I took to was taking creatine powder to help me to develop more muscle during my exercise program. Additionally, I started taking collagen powder, and grass-fed whey protein to help with the elasticity of my skin.
Emotional Freedom Techniques
Another breaking point in restoring my health was when I introduced alternative therapies like Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to my life. This therapy helped me to lower my cortisol and to let go of the emotional baggage that didn’t serve me anymore.
Saying goodbye to the baggage I was carrying with me from my childhood and bidding farewell to negative events in my life was one step towards feeling and looking better. I continue to meditate to calm my mind and focus on what I want to accomplish today.
After my doctors figured out the right dose of bioidentical hormones for me, I continued following intermittent fasting, my exercise protocol, and taking the right dietary supplements and vitamins link
All of a sudden, I felt like a new person had emerged. My energy, focus, memory, and well-being grew to greater heights. I noticed that the replacement of my hormones was working.
Saying goodbye to the baggage I was carrying with me from my childhood and bidding farewell to negative events in my life was one step towards feeling and looking better. I continue to meditate to calm my mind and focus on what I want to accomplish today.
After my doctors figured out the right dose of bioidentical hormones for me, I continued following intermittent fasting, my exercise protocol, and taking the right dietary supplements and vitamins link
All of a sudden, I felt like a new person had emerged. My energy, focus, memory, and well-being grew to greater heights. I noticed that the replacement of my hormones was working.
My Traditional Doctor’s Opinion About Replacing My Hormones
I want to share that I was faced with the fact that my primary traditional doctors did not agree with my found hormone replacement method. When I disclosed to them I was using bioidentical hormones prescribed by a private doctor outside of my insurance system, most of the time their reactions were negative.
They were asking me why I was doing what I was doing and if I was aware of the risks that were involved when taking these hormones.
My Educated Response
I clearly understood that hormonal replacement via a traditional or bioidentical protocol involves certain risks. When you apply a bioidentical hormone protocol, you need to take into consideration multiple requirements that you have to follow like: having an organic diet with whole foods that includes green vegetables that help to process the estrogens, taking several vitamins and supplements, and following a plan of exercise that will offset any risk that is involved.
I have blood tests every 6 months to check my hormone levels and other health marks and once a year I have sonograms to check my reproductive areas (uterus, cervical, and ovaries) as well as my breasts. There is also thermal imaging, or thermography, that you can use instead of regular x-ray mammography to find out if everything is normal.
My response to them was that the hormones I was using were bioidentical to my body which means they are identical to what my body normally produces and don´t derive from a synthetic hormone called progestin or Prempro.
A combination of both of them is synthesized from a pregnant horse’s urine and induces heart problems or cancer. Now with drugs like Cenestin and Enjuvia there are alternatives. These drugs are produced by laboratories but don’t provide the same benefits as bioidentical hormones.
I told my healthcare providers that I was cognizant of any risk involved and that I did my own research about it. My decision was to replace the hormones that my body didn’t produce anymore so I can have a better quality of life. I was replacing the hormones with a formula made from plants identical to what my body normally produces and not from synthetic hormones.
In addition, there is a specific test called “CA 125” for signs of cancer in the ovaries that I order myself every year. You need to be proactive with your health and identify any problems in the body before it develops into an illness.
If you want to follow this you need to educate yourself, research, ask smart questions to your doctor, and then decide if replacing your hormones is the best option for you. With all the benefits I had after I balanced my hormones, I didn’t have a second thought that replacing my low levels with bioidentical hormones was the right thing for me.
Benefits I Learned When Replacing My Hormones
If you decide to follow a hormonal replacement program, your decision must be weighted and supported by your doctors and necessary medical tests. Be conscious about your decision. For me, the hormonal replacement program with my Thyroid treatment working together helped me find balance and feel like myself again.
Another benefit of using bioidentical therapy is that it reduces the risk of my having osteoporosis from my suppressed TSH (from using T3 medication), it helps me to have better cholesterol and sugar levels, and increases my sense of wellbeing.
Here are more benefits I found:
- Better mental balance
- A lowered feeling of sadness and being overwhelmed
- Increased ability to grow muscle mass and lose fat
- Thicker and shinier hair
- More luminous skin with fewer wrinkles and more elasticity
- Healthier and better sexual drive
Last Thoughts
Having gone through my own experience, having found research and the answers to my questions from several holistic doctors, I can tell that it is definitely worth our effort to balance out our hormones as we age by applying bioidentical hormones in small amounts adjusted to our current state.
I found out the importance of educating ourselves to make better decisions about the best available options when it comes to doctors, medicines, medical tests, dietary regimes, vitamins, supplements, exercise programs, and tools like EFT to help you in your journey to getting back your health and youthful appearance.
It just makes sense! When you are younger your body produces normal levels of necessary hormones so that you look your best and have more energy. In general, you regain your health and have an optimistic approach to your life.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to commit to a healthier lifestyle with some examples. Let’s say your career is a source of overwhelming stress and you have found no useful ways to cope. You might need to reevaluate your priorities a bit so that you can find a way to put your well-being first.
Single out all of the aspects of your life that lead to stress and loss of energy. Focus your attention there so that you can find coping strategies that will lead you towards health, vitality, energy, and overall well-being. Once you find coping mechanisms that work for you, you will find new goals for yourself, grow without any self-limitations and renew your purpose in life again.
Remember that there is always a positive way to look at every season of our lives. When we are young, we are full of energy and look good effortlessly, but as we become mature and acquainted with what all of life has to offer, it is a necessity to find ways to get to know ourselves better. That is we can better manage our energy and stress in positive ways.
If you need to take a look at your hormones as a way of coping with your health, you can always find a holistic doctor available to see if replacement with bioidentical hormones is right for you. Start your own journey by being your own health detective.
In this blog, you’ll find all the articles with more essential information that will help you start your own Anti-Aging Program!
Liliana Sierra T.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flavorings/exposure.html
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Diacetyl-concentration-by-popcorn-flavoring-type-sorted-by-popcorn-brand_fig4_5860191
Trans-fats and sodium:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4283357/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814612004335
https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article-abstract/71/5/965/947292
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300483X06000 072
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=54286
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/heavy-metal-blood-test/
https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc002303/cancer-antigen-125-blood-test
Hearing how bioidentical hormones play a pivotal role in restoring vitality and well-being is inspiring. While individual experiences may vary, sharing personal journeys like this can offer hope and encouragement to others seeking solutions for their health challenges. It’s essential to approach hormone therapy under the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals, but stories like this underscore the potential benefits of exploring alternative treatments tailored to individual needs. Thank you for sharing your story—it will resonate with many!