Tag Archives: hormones

Colognes and Perfumes Believed to Harm Hormones

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Are you having trouble getting pregnant? Maybe it is your husband’s cologne…or yours. Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit consumer advocate, has conducted an independent study on “secret” ingredients that can be found in colognes and came up with some startling results. After analyzing 17 perfumes and colognes, EWG found that some contain compounds that may interfere with your hormones. In fact, the chemical diethyl phthalate, which was found in a previous Harvard study to cause sperm damage, was found in 12 of the 17 scents tested. But, diethyl phthalate wasn’t the only potentially harmful chemical found in the scents … Continue reading →

HCG for Weight Loss? Yeah Right!

I read the strangest piece of news tonight. Apparently people are rubbing a cream containing HCG on their wrists and cutting their daily calorie intake down to 500 in an effort to lose weight rapidly. It’s called the HCG diet. HCG is the same pregnancy hormone that is detected by home pregnancy tests. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is first produced by the growing embryo and later by the placenta. The theory is that the synthetic HCG tricks the body into thinking it is pregnant and needs to pull nutrients from the body’s fat stores. It should be … Continue reading →

Fun with Hormones!

I was on birth control for part of my twenties… and I have to say, I really liked it. I enjoyed the regular periods and the lack of PMS symptoms. It was great knowing exactly when things would start and end. But once I wasn’t sexually active (between relationships, you see), I stopped taking birth control. I didn’t need it for the birth control aspect, and my periods stayed relatively regular for a few years after I stopped the hormones. The doctor I saw at the teaching clinic said that he thought “birth control” wasn’t the best name. For women … Continue reading →

The Best Time of Day

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Throughout my school years, I was a morning person. I arranged my college schedule to have class in the mornings and afternoons free. I’d still rather do the bulk of my thinking in the early part of the day and leave the after-lunch hours for less brain-intensive activities. Brain power can actually wax and wane as the day progresses! Researchers have looked at the “best” times of day for different activities, based on brain chemistry. Early mornings (like the first few hours after you wake up) are the best time for … Continue reading →

A Look at Pheromones

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You may have heard of pheromones when people talk about attracting a mate. But that isn’t the only thing pheromones do. What are pheromones? They are chemical signals given off by the body. Pheromones can exert a subtle influence on the people around you! Pheromones are perhaps best known for attracting mates. It isn’t hard to find perfumes and colognes that claim to help you attract the opposite sex with the power of pheromones! Research has shown that pheromones may help prevent inbreeding — we have an involuntary preference for mates who do not smell like family members. Studies have … Continue reading →

What is Estrogen Replacement Therapy?

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Since I’ve been on a roll with hormone replacement therapy information lately, I thought I’d add one more. Hormone replacement therapy often means a combination of estrogen and progestin — estrogen replacement therapy only means one kind of hormone. Estrogen replacement therapy is used to increase estrogen levels in postmenopausal women who have no uterus. Women who do have a uterus usually need a combination therapy to prevent the estrogen hormone from causing the uterine lining to over-grow (which can lead to uterine cancer). Candidates for estrogen replacement therapy include: Women who experience early menopause after having their ovaries removed … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Risks and Precautions

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Considering hormone replacement therapy? Here are some things to think about. The FDA recommends that certain women do not use hormone replacement therapy: Women who might be pregnant Women with a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer Women with a personal history of certain forms of endometrial cancer Women with a personal history of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke Women who have active liver disease. (Though women with liver disease may be able to use hormone replacement therapy in patch form.) If you fall into those categories, talk to your doctors about alternative, non-hormonal treatments … Continue reading →

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

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Hormone replacement therapy is helpful for easing symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis in some women. You may also hear hormone replacement therapy called “opposed estrogen therapy”. The name basically describes how it works. Hormone replacement therapy increases estrogen and/or progestin levels in a woman’s body. There are several different forms of hormone replacement therapy, including: Estrogen and progestin combination pills (brand name Premphase, Prempro, Activella) Estrogen and progestin patches that continuously release hormones over time (brand name CombiPatch) Oral progestin used with an estrogen-only pill or patch (brand name Provera, Prometrium, Micronor, Norlutin, Aygestin) Progestin intra-uterine device (IUD) used … Continue reading →

Causes of Dry Spells

Lately I’ve been navigating completely unfamiliar territory: lack of interest in nookie. It’s kind of freaking me out, because nookie has always been one of my favorite pastimes. I’ve been trying to hide it from Wayne, but it’s becoming more and more obvious. I’ve refrained from saying anything to him about it because I didn’t want him to think he’s part of the problem. Far from it. His sex appeal’s still as appealing as the first day I met him. No, it’s just that the thought of lighting his fire, my fire, our fire seems like too much kindling to … Continue reading →

How Hormones Affect Your Body

Hormones do more than influence your reproductive system. Hormone levels can increase your risk of an exercise injury. A study from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that women in the first half of their menstrual cycles (when estrogen is the dominant hormone) tend to have less neuromuscular control than women in the second half of their menstrual cycles (when progesterone is the dominant hormone). In other words, the muscle timing is different. Hormone levels can affect your response to addictive behaviors. The brain seems to be more responsive to pleasure and reward when estrogen levels are high … Continue reading →