The holidays should be a time of joy and delight but, unfortunately in today's busy world, the holidays mean more stress and pressure for the average man and woman. Think about it. Gone are the days of stringing popcorn and excitedly preparing to go to Grandma's. Instead there is the pressure to shop and wrap presents, entertain and be nice to in-laws as well as the added financial strain of buying more gifts than the family budget can afford. In addition, working men and women become sleep deprived trying to cram all the extra to-do's into already full work weeks. It is no wonder that - if you ask the average person - there is a good chance that they will tell you that they "wish that Christmas could be postponed until March." Typical responses to holiday stress include: binge eating, losing sleep and purposeful "anesthetizing" via alcohol or pills.

There is another option. You can focus on your health and hormone balance and do your best to avoid holiday hell. As I have stated in both my book FROM HORMONE H-E-L-L TO HORMONE WELL and previous newsletters, if you are a woman over 35 years of age or a man over 40, the odds are that you are suffering from a shift in hormone production that will cause an underlying hormonal imbalance. Symptoms can include: weight gain, memory loss, fatigue, low libido, insomnia, muscle weakness, headaches, mood swings, depression, hot flashes, night sweats and more. Sound familiar?

In addition to age, stress is a major culprit in exacerbating hormonal imbalances. The result is a viscous cycle where more stress leads to a greater hormonal imbalance that then leads to more weight gain, depression, lower energy, even less libido, etc... Let me ask you: Do you get more stressed around the holidays? If you answer is "YES", then I strongly recommend that you do everything you can to keep your hormones from sabotaging your joy.

Here are my HELPFUL HINTS TO HELP YOU AVOID HOLIDAY H-E-L-L:

• Learn how to find out if your body's hormones are out of balance. As a first step, I recommend that you go to my website and fill out a simple and free self-questionnaire that will help you identify the symptoms of hormone imbalance.
• If your symptoms indicate that you are suffering from an underlying hormonal imbalance, I also recommend a more comprehensive saliva test and individual consultation to address your unique and personal needs.
• Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the safety and efficacy of bio-identical hormones (BHRT). Unlike synthetic hormones such as Premarin or Prempro that have been clinically shown to cause significant side effects (such as increased risks of breast and uterine cancers, heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer's Disease), medical research and clinical studies show BHRT to be both safe and efficacious. Links to visit for more info: BHRT Safety and Efficacy | WomenInBalance.org | ZRT labs)
• Try Dr. Randolph's Natural Balance Cream as a first step to balancing your hormones.
• Learn which foods to eat to support hormonal equilibrium. Also, learn which foods to avoid because they will sabotage hormonal balance and, as a side effect, promote mood swings and weight gain. Archived Newsletter on Eating to Restore Health.
• Consider taking supplements to support hormone balance; sometimes even good food is not enough when the body is stressed out. Suggestions: Calcium D Glucarate, DIM, Menopause Support
• Understand the importance of rest. Yes, rest and sleep have a direct impact on your body's hormone levels.
• Discover the power of mind-body techniques - such as yoga, positive visualization, mindful walking and meditation - to reduce stress and also help keep your body's hormones in balance.
• Focus on positive relationships. Studies have shown that both smiling and making love can stimulate the release of positive mood altering hormones.
• Remember that "NO" can be a complete sentence. Nothing good happens when you give yourself away.

In my experience, if you do these three things before the holidays you will have:

• Fewer hangovers,
• Less weight gain,
• A better attitude,
• More energy,
• Better odds of being "in the mood", and
• More tolerance for stressful situations (including your in-laws).

I wish you WELL!
C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D. R.Ph.

Share your story. Have bio-identical hormone therapies helped you? Send your comments to newsletter@hormonewell.com

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Dr. Randolph's Natural Balance Cream is a human- identical/bio-identical formulation of progesterone. This means that the molecules of progesterone suspended in the cream have exactly the same molecular structure as those produced by the human body. [Read more here]