by admin | Sep 23, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
Innovative Directions in Health celebrated 12 years in business in September.
Innovative Directions in Health first opened its doors in 2002. It was a new kind of medical clinic, the first clinic dedicated to Preventive Anti-Aging Medicine in the Midwest pioneered by former Oncologist, Dr. Khalid Mahmud.
Our physicians, Dr. Rich Sinda and Dr. Khalid Mahmud believe the solution to maintaining and prolonging quality of life is hidden in “natural” fixes, including the orchestration of hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone created in natural forms “bio-Identical hormones” and given in natural ways that replenish the body’s hormones as naturally as possible. These natural hormones are what maintain health and youthfullness. They are an essential part of medicine that has been neglected by the many in the medical community.
Over the years our staff has felt an overwhelming outpour of encouragement from our patients. We hear success stories every day from men and women about how they feel. Here are some comments we often hear:
- “I have my life back again”
- “The old ME is back”
- “This saved our marriage”
- “I have the energy to exercise and do the things I love”
- “I am sleeping like a baby”
The list goes on and on. It is unusual to go a day without one of our physicians receiving a hug of gratitude.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for helping us succeed and for empowering yourself with knowledge that there are safe and effective options for hormone replacement.
We are looking forward to the future and will continue to stay educated on the latest Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine advances to provide the best care and experience for our patients.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rich Sinda, Dr. Khalid Mahmud, Lisa, Sarah & Lindsey
For more information about services offered at Innovative Directions in Health, click here.
by admin | Aug 14, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
Chocolate Raspberry flavored BioIdentical Progesterone sounds like more of a treat than a treatment.
A BIG advantage of compounding is the ability to customize medication. What’s the easiest way to customize? Flavor!
Compounding pharmacists have access to many flavors and flavor combinations which can enhance the taste a medication to make it easier to swallow or dissolve.
Take for example, Bio-Identical Progesterone Triturates or Troches. They come in a wonderful variety of flavors from the pharmacies we use most:
Bloomington Drug & Gift:
- Progesterone Triturate: Mint or unflavored
- Progesterone Troche: Mint, Orange or Cherry
Moudrys Rx-Compounding Pharmacy
- Progesterone Triturate: Tangerine-Marshmallow (tastes like a Dreamsicle)
- Progesterone Troche: Mint or Chocolate Raspberry
Rx Artisans Compounding Pharmacy
- Progesterone Triturate: Peppermint, Tangerine or Tea-Berry
- Progesterone Troche: Tangerine-Marshmallow
Falcon Compounding:
- Progesterone Triturate: Vanilla-Butternut-Orange flavor
- Progesterone Troches: Orange-Dreamsicle or Raspberry
If the flavors listed aren’t your favorite or you have an allergy, contact your pharmacy. They will work with the ingredients to best suit your needs and make your bio-identical hormone replacement experience the best possible!
What flavor is your favorite? Tell us on our Innovative Directions in Health Facebook page.
by admin | Jul 30, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
I often get asked the question:
"How long should I stay on Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)"?
What some of the recent research (and expert opinions) are saying is that there is no huge hurry to get off of bio-identical hormone replacement post menopause or andropause.
However, it is very important to monitor symptoms and blood levels closely so that you can be maintained on the lowest possible effective doses. I bet someday in the near future, the research will show clearly that having extremely low levels of hormones in our bodies (which happens to most to us as we age) increases the risk of many illnesses and clearly leads to poor quality of life. They will also find that maintaining low normal levels of all hormones is associated with better health and much higher quality of life. To me this is a common sense no-brainer to stay on bioidentical hormone therapy to achieve optimal health as we age.
My quick off-the-cuff answer to patients is, “As long as you wish to maintain vitality and remain healthy, you should stay on bioidentical hormones”.
Suzanne Somers was asked this question during our live online Interview: Do you plan on staying on bio-identical hormones for the rest of your life, even in your nineties?
“YES!!! I will never give up feeling this good”. – S.S.
Cheers to feeling Good!!
– Dr. Sinda
Read more Questions/Answers from Suzanne’s Interview. To find out if BHRT is right for you, Contact us.
by admin | Jul 24, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
Men are not immune to the effects of changing hormone levels with age.
One of the problems that happens to men as they age (in addition to decreasing testosterone levels) is elevated estrogen (estradiol) levels. There are health risks associated with Estrogen dominance. Problems could include increased prostate cancer, cardiovascular risk and erectile dysfunction.
One of the important things to remember when helping men elevate their testosterone is that estradiol levels need to be monitored in addition to complete blood counts (hemoglobin and hematocrit levels etc.)
To encourage a healthy hormone balance and help reverse estrogen dominance and lower their risks follow these steps:
- If replacing hormone levels, use bio-identical hormones only
- Regularly monitor your hormone levels to make sure you have the right balance of all hormones, not just testosterone
- Maintain a healthy weight – body fat contains aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogens
- Build more muscle mass with strength training to help increase testosterone and growth hormone levels
- Take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral that includes zinc, which inhibits the aromatase enzyme in fat cells from turning testosterone into estrogen
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes
- Exercise daily to reduce stress
- Choose hormone-free foods and estrogen producing compounds found in products to avoid xenoestrogens and pthalates
To learn more about our services for Men, click here.
– Dr. Sinda
by admin | Jul 15, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
If you or someone you care about has chronic digestive issues (bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, gassy etc.) there is a fairly simple regimen that helps many people, is risk free and doesn’t involve thousands of dollars in testing.
Try incorporating this into your lifestyle routine:
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- A gluten free diet – a good book to read is “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, MD
- Avoid all cow’s milk (replace with almond milk)
- Take a daily probiotic to replenish healthy gut bacteria (and also help the immune system). Anyone who takes antibiotics for any reason (sinus infection, pneumonia etc.) should also stay on probiotics for a week or two during and after taking them.
What are Probiotics? Probiotics are the good bacteria in some of the foods you eat, such as yogurt, kefir, dark chocolate, miso soup, pickles, tempeh, sauerkraut, etc. These beneficial forms of gut bacteria help stimulate the natural digestive juices and enzymes that keep our digestive organs functioning properly. Certain stomach illnesses and antibiotics‚ deplete the number of good bacteria found in your digestive tract so your body must find a way to replenish its supply in order to promote good digestive health and enhance your immune system.
If you’re not regularly consuming foods that consist of probiotics‚ you might benefit from taking a supplement probiotic like the one we carry, Ortho Biotic by Ortho Molecular. Probiotic supplements may strengthen your immune system while reducing gas and diarrhea. Some of the active ingredients in Ortho Biotic include:
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- Lactobacillus acidophilus—a strain of bacteria that naturally occurs in your stomach and has the ability to create an environment in which it’s unsuitable for unhealthy bacteria to live; additionally‚ it may play a role in producing the chemicals necessary to the digestive process.
- Bifidobacterium bifidum—may have an impact on immune response while promoting an environment that bad bacteria can’t withstand and playing a role in digestion.
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus—a form of friendly bacteria used for the treatment and prevention of diarrhea; it may also be beneficial if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a similar condition.
One last thing, try to keep a journal of what you eat and drink, what medicines and supplements you take and daily events. In time, you may see a correlation between one or more of these factors and episodes of digestive problems. A good website to do this is myfitnesspal.com.
I am looking forward to hearing your results at your next appointment or consultation.
– Dr. Rich Sinda
by admin | Jul 9, 2014 | Doctors Perspective
By definition, the term bioidentical means life-identical.
That is, hormones identical to those found in life. In this case, hormones identical in structure to human hormones.
Bio-identical hormones are derived from yams and soy beans. They were initially developed in the late 1930’s.
A chemist named Russell Marker (Read Russell Marker’s Story) initially extracted a molecule that was nearly identical to human progesterone from Mexican yams. It was an expensive and tedious process to extract the progesterone from the yams back then, so it went by the wayside (unfortunately!) and was replaced a few years later by female hormones extracted from the urine of pregnant horses – no joke (Premarin and Provera).
If you have a human estrogen or progesterone deficiency, wouldn’t you want the closest thing to natural as possible? No wonder there were so many issues with those old ones- they were made for horses! Luckily bioidentical hormones are cheaper and easier to make now so why would any women want anything else?
Benefits of Bio-Identical Hormones
With BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) women can alleviate many of their unwanted menopausal symptoms, but BHRT can also do the following:
- Enhance the immune system
- Improve memory & cognitive function
- Increase sexual energy
- Improve skin tone & texture
- Increase muscle mass while reducing body fat
- Increase energy levels
- Look and feel years younger
If you want to learn more, schedule a consultation or bring your friends in for a group consultation session. Our programs are designed to safely fit your needs.
– Dr. Sinda
