Dr. Nicole Sundene
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Nothing like citrus blossoms to uplift a depressed, anxious, exhausted, insomniac, weary soul. I love sharing with women and children how to make this simple light antidepressant tea recipe!
I am pretty sure heaven smells like orange blossoms! How can anyone be in a bad mood smelling these fragrant blossoms in the warm Arizona sun? Orange blossom tea is truly a heavenly treat and easy to make. You can check out my Instagram video if you need a fresh dose of blue sky and sunshine!
Simply steep 1-2 Tbl of fresh blossoms for 15-30 minutes and strain. Or you can just leave them in your tea as I do. You can also harvest some, wash them and dry them for whenever you need a taste of spring!
Be sure to use organic orange blossoms that have not been sprayed with pesticides.
If you are of your child is allergic to oranges you likely will react to orange blossoms, so patients with citrus allergy should not try this.
Otherwise, this is a fun activity to try if you have orange trees in your yards like we do.
This is a great opportunity to teach your child about science and the important role our bees play in our food system.
Did you know the scent of orange helps lift depressed spirits? If there is someone in your home struggling with depression, diffusing the essential oil of orange can help and certainly cannot hurt. Unless they are allergic of course.
Lemon, grapefruit, and lime are all known to be uplifting for downtrodden spirits.
Orange blossoms are rich in bioflavonoids just like oranges which are beneficial for seasonal allergies.
For my friends that are in the snow and cold, I hope you can enjoy my blue skies, happy bees, and sunshine!
Thank you to everyone that shares my herbal medicine posts! I always appreciate your kindness, interest, and support in one what I do as a Naturopathic Doctor! It is such a joy to be able to share the plants I love! If you need my help with mental health simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Doctor visit!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
By Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Anxiety anyone? Pretty much every patient I talk to lately is experiencing anxiety for one reason or another. Which is the inspiration behind my "ANTI-RAGE LATTE" recipe. So if you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, drained, and hopeless please know that you are not alone. Life for many of us, has never been more stressful. So I am going to be writing a lot about anxiety, the adrenals glands, adrenal fatigue, and the importance of female hormone health with PMS, Perimenopause, "Hormone Rage," and Menopause until things can return to normal.
In the meantime, the Ruler of My Herbal Queendom shall be...Ashwagandha! While in Ayurvedic medicine they call it "King of All Herbs", in my women's health practice it of course shall be referred to as THE QUEEN OF HERBS! For many years my female patients have said things like "What is that ashwaghandadaddda thingy you put me on again? I need more of that immediately!"
One of my favorite anxiety disorder treatments for patients that are struggling from chronic fatigue and excess stress is Ashwagandha, formally known as Withania somnifera. With so many women feeling tired and stressed these days I am going to have to vote ashwagandha the #1 Best Herb to Help Women Cope! Which is why I put it in my "Invincible Mommy Tea." The best thing about Ashwagandha is it is gentle enough you can take it during the day while at work, it is tonifying so it helps restore you back to normal over time, and as I talk about in my "Anti-Rage Latte" Blog very much needed while everyone is extra angry, annoyed and agitated.
The root of this plant is best for those feeling very frazzled and in need of a nervous system reset. If you feel like you need to push the reboot button for your brain then this is the herb for you!
Ashwagandha is helpful especially for women that are extremely agitated. I love that it is also considered safe for women that are pregnant and breastfeeding (obviously check with your own OBgyn before starting any herbs.)
If you know someone that is annoying to be around you might want to sneak a 1/2 teaspoon in their coffee... (just kidding instead just anonymously email them this article, or print it, and leave it on their desk??)
In a 2017 Randomized Control Trial 300mg of Ashwagandha twice daily improved memory and cognition in just eight weeks. [1} Another study found it beneficial in suboptimal hypothyroidism. [2} A 2019 study found it decreased anxiety, decreased cortisol stress hormone, and increased testosterone levels in men with zero adverse side effects reported! [3] 2021 Randomized control trial found it improved sleep and was beneficial for insomnia patients! [4] 2019 research on schizophrenic patients administered 1000mg daily found it beneficial for improving their depression and anxiety. [5] In 2015 Ashwagandha was found to improve libido and lubrication in women. [6]
In 2015 ashwagandha was found to improve lean muscle mass at 300mg twice daily. [7] This is why we commonly prescribe this herbal medicine to weak patients with cachexia or muscle loss and wasting in cancer. When you are menopausal you lose your testosterone and muscle mass which causes your metabolism to slow down since the only thing really burning calories in your body is muscle! 2016 research found it beneficial to the reduction of OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. [8] 2021 research found it to enhance and improve cardiorespiratory performance in athletes. I have since been recommending it to my Long Hauler patients that need help getting their lungs and hearts back on track. [9] 2013 research found benefits with ashwagandha to bipolar patients. [10] A 2018 study found it helpful as an adjunctive treatment for Tuberculosis patients. [11] In 2019 it helped Covid-19 patients recover faster when used in conjunction with other herbal medicines so while we are sipping it for our mental health it should be considered as a potent antiviral for further research against Covid. [12]
Because the cinnamon in my "Anti-Rage Latte" Recipe is also antiviral I like to think that maybe we can treat our crappy moods and boost the immune system at the same time! Please let's get more research on Ashwagandha!
As I have been doing a lot of marriage counseling for my patients lately because they are simply spending too much time together, perhaps if men take ashwagandha to boost their testosterone and women take it to boost their libido and vaginal hydration we may have less fighting and more exercise at home!
Ashwagandha as an added bonus supports the immune system, is anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and also helpful for those with impotence. It supports the woman that is feeling exhausted, deficient, and drained. If you are feeling somewhat like Scarlett O'hara's horse that is frothing at the mouth while she screams at it and beats it to keep going... then you probably should chat with your Naturopathic Doctor about starting some Ashwagandha or a similar adrenal adaptogen herb! As you need to work with an herbalist that knows what they are doing and some patients with Autoimmune disease such as myself do not feel good on certain immune-boosting herbs. Although I have thousands of autoimmune patients in my women's health practice and find this to be more of a myth as most adaptogen herbs are "Immune Modulating". This is why it is important to work with a Female Hormone Specialist such as myself if you have a chronic disease and are using herbs!
Otherwise, Ashwagandha is the REJUVENATOR that you need right now to pick your sad little stressed mess of life up and keep going if you have not been doing well. According to a 2011 Review article of Ashwagandha, it was found to be anti-tumor, protective to the adrenal glands, effective against tumors, fibroids, and neuro-regenerative for patients with Neuropathy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Dementia, Huntington's, and children with ADHD and cognitive deficits. For children I divide their weight by an average adult weight of 150 pounds and that become their dose aka 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 of a standard 500-1000mg adult dose twice daily is what I typically prescribe to my female hormone patients, as is also used in the majority of the above studies.
Ashwagandha was also found to help regenerate dendrites (the portion of the nerve cell that conducts electrical signals) which is amazing if you have neuropathy such as myself or a disease that causes nerve damage.
Studies show Ashwagandha improves energy, improves both Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis, and is an anxiolytic that mimics GABA aka "Nature's Valium." This is why it is the leading herb in my "Anti-Rage Latte" recipe that you can watch me make on my Instagram page! Don't forget to follow me for my latest herbal recipes as I don't always have time to post the random herbal medicine videos I enjoy sharing on Instagram.
According to Naturopathic healing principles, women should notice the effects of their adrenal adaptogen herbs within three days, feel a restoration of their emotional and physical well-being after three weeks, and should no longer need to take the herb after three months. Hopefully once that three-month period is up, better coping mechanisms for stress management have been implemented! Such as breathing exercises, yoga, pilates, meditation, exercise, or my favorite is...crafting!
Are you beyond an "Anti-Rage Latte"? Is it time for you to start feeling your absolute best? Then treat yourself to a Naturopathic Hormone consultation with me by popping over to my SCHEDULE page so we can work together as a team to help you feel awesome! If you don't want to come into my clinic or are not in Arizona I am happy to help you by phone consult!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
REFERENCES:
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
"Are you a Natural Psychiatrist? How does my monthly cycle effect my mood? " ~Morgan Scottsdale, AZ
Psychiatry is one of my favorite topics in Women's Health, however I am not a psychiatrist. Many of my patients refer to me as their "Natural Psychiatrist" though because I am working with them as a team with their counselor on managing their hormones, supplements, vitamins, and herbs related to their mental health. So they don't exactly want to be on psychiatric meds or need them, but they need something to improve their mood more than just counseling weekly with their therapist (highly reccomended!)
My mental health patients are generally women that prefer to take natural medicines, and are not in such a severe state that they require psychiatric care. Although I do have many women in my practice that work with me, a psychiatrist, and a counselor due to debilitating mental health challenges.
Many women with hormone imbalance end up sad, angry, depressed, anxious, and/or blah feeling.
Hormones should never be ignored in women with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, rage, and PTSD.
With Holistic Psychiatry, we are treating your mood disorder such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, rage, ADHD, addictions, PTSD, OCD, and even schizophrenia with natural medicines. We also are more importantly following a detective process that utilizes metrics such as hormone testing, and nutritional testing, to determine if there is a vitamin or mineral deficiency or a hormone imbalance. An easy indicator a woman’s moodiness is caused by hormone imbalance, is seeing fluctuations in the mood during the monthly cycle. You can test this yourself at no charge by downloading a free “Period Tracker App” and rating your mood every day for an entire cycle.
If the mood is not good the 7 days prior to your period or the first few days of your period then we can work together to change that with Naturopathic Medicine! Also if your mood has suddenly shifted in your thirties, forties or fifties then I can bet your hormones have shifted as well.
Fear not, there IS HOPE! Let me walk you through my process of helping women with their hormones, nutrition, and mental health. First, lets go over what happens in a women's monthly cycle and then in her forties and fifties.
When women are generally happy in the first half of their cycle days 1-14, with day 1 being the first day you start bleeding, and then struggle with anger, agitations, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, rage, crying, and sadness during the PMS window or days 21-28 then you need hormone testing as there is likely a hormone imbalance going on that can be addressed with Naturopathic Medicine.
Also if you have never experienced anxiety or depression until after having a baby or with your forties or fifties and your mood suddenly shifts, this is a sign you are experiencing hormone imbalance. Common hormone imbalances in the following conditions can be improved for mental health patients with natural hormones or herbs such as Postpartum Depression, Hypothyroidism, Perimenopause, Menopause, or even Hashimotos impacting your mood.
The #1 Sign that something physical is causing the mental health disorder is when nothing stressful or sad is actually going on yet the patient feels anxious or depressed. When women tell me “My life is great, I love my husband, my kids are great, I love my job...I just don’t know why I feel like this…” This is when I think there is a mental health mystery for me to solve!
As a Naturopathic Doctor and Female Hormone Specialist, I love helping patients with depression and anxiety. Especially since I have battled my own depression and anxiety for over 30 years, and it started in my teen years indicating a strong hormonal link. I was never depressed as a child. I had a very happy childhood and wonderful parents. But suddenly, in my teens my attitude rapidly changed, I was angry at my Mom all the time. I was grouchy, depressed, sad, cried a lot, and constantly had anxiety about everything.
I had social anxiety and a lot of perfectionism OCD like anxiety about my school work. I was an overachiever that would cry over an A- or a “Chinese F’ as they call it. My older sister got all C's and none of this pressure was pushed upon my by my parents to obsess about my grades. I had enrolled myself into all honor's classes and put this all upon myself.
First, my parents sent me to counseling to no avail, then I tried a lot of different antidepressant medications, I was even sent to a psychiatrist to try to medicate my mood. Many of the antidepressants they gave me just made my mood worse and caused me to gain weight or have an upset stomach, which made my mood even worse because now I was overweight and my stomach hurt!
HORMONE TESTING FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Hormone testing is the most important thing we do for women with PMS like hormone imbalance. I like to conduct “Biphasic Labs'' which means we test your hormones while you are happy and feeling good during the first half of your cycle, and then, we test them in the PMS window days 21-25 when you are feeling at your worst, so we can capture the hormone imbalance. As I describe in my PMS blog, Jenny's husband called me panicking and wondering if the mental health issue with her stuck on the floor crying was her hormones. He said, "If this could be a hormone problem, sign her up now!"
So I took her on as a Women's Health emergency, and then emailed him a lab slip while saying, “Take her in NOW to get her hormones drawn.'' Of course, it was the last thing Jenny felt like doing while suffering from a migraine, depression, and anxiety but as a Female Hormone Specialist, I know how important it is to get the PMS labs drawn when the patients are at their worst for me to solve the hormone puzzle. The best thing about getting your labs checked when you are at your best mood is, we can set those aside in the event you need bioidentical hormones someday with menopause, and then I know exactly what numbers I need to have you at, to make you feel your "personal awesome!" For more information about hormone imbalance and the blood hormone testing I conduct via women’s insurance please visit my HORMONE THERAPY page.
The state of Arizona does not allow Naturopathic Doctors to order labs for Medicaid patients. But most decent insurance plans including Medicare, allow me to check your hormones per your insurance plan reimbursement. So long as you are at the correct lab which is either Labcorp or Sonora Quest. Be sure to call your insurance and find out which lab is contracted with your insurance, otherwise, the testing can be quite expensive! If you do not have insurance I have cash lab options, and the first panel should be around -$500 depending on what is going on, so please do not sign up to work with me if you cannot afford cash labs, or have Medicaid insurance. My ability to help you will be left with just guessing as what happens in prescription psychiatry, and that is my personal pet peeve, and not how I work, I like to rely on metrics and numbers to ensure each woman is in an optimal range for their hormones and vitamins. Any doctor can randomly slap you on different anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs and study if you are made better or worse by them. That is not what I do, nor in my alignment with my philosophy on what women with mental health disorders truly need to understand, heal, and restore their mental wellness.
Once I have perfected physical health a lot of mental health and insomnia issues naturally subside.
Vitamin and Mineral Testing for Mental Health
Testing nutritional metrics is extremely important as many vitamins and minerals are the very cofactors, and coenzymes that form the neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine that impact our mood. Most of this can easily be done via blood testing through your insurance, although I will say Medicare is the worst at reimbursing for vitamin testing. Basically, the government does not care what your vitamin levels are and they may or may not pay for this part of the testing if you have medicare. If you have a secondary insurance it may be picked up by that, but you still will get the “contracted price” which is generally $20-$50 per vitamin we test, so they usually cover the hormones and then send the patient a bill for the vitamins. Just because I think it is necessary does not always mean the government is going to agree with me. The good news with mental health testing is you are making a one time investment in understanding what your personal weak spots are and once we know what those are the follow up lab testing is never as expensive, as the first panel when I am on a Detective Mission to figure out the ROOT CAUSE of your mental health issue.
Neurotransmitter Testing for Mental Health
Is neurotransmitter testing really necessary for mental health patients?
Yes and No.
This is why it is the 3rd step, I list in my simple 3 step process of addressing the physical causes that impact the mental health of patients with anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. Because, oftentimes we can determine the cause of the mood disturbance via hormone testing and vitamin and mineral testing. This is the final step I resort to when the above testing is not helpful in revealing any physical causes of depression.
For a small handful of my patients, I will admit that neurotransmitter testing has been a futile waste of their time and money. But for the majority of my patients that do not improve from balancing hormones and nutrition, the neurotransmitter and adrenal testing can unearth some very important neurotransmitter deficiencies or excesses that we can balance with “Amino Acid Therapy.” By using amino acids targeted to boost specific neurotransmitters that are low we can improve mood via a different pathway that an antidepressant works.
For instance, low dopamine can be related to depression, low motivation, memory issues, ADHD, addiction, impulse control disorders, dementia and even schizophrenia. Physical symptoms of low dopamine include Pain muscle cramps and stiffness, tremors, trouble swallowing, back pain, balance problems, and constipation,
Symptoms of low serotonin include depression, crying, insomnia, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, nausea, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and poor memory. When serotonin is low then an anti-depressant is often useless for the patient because the way the antidepressant works is to recycle serotonin so if there are “no pop cans in the recycling program” then there is nothing to recycle. The patient gets no benefit from the antidepressant and gets side effects like dry mouth, sweating, weight gain, poor libido, erectile dysfunction or stomach ache. Neurotransmitter testing is also great for patients that have no triggers for their anxiety or depression yet feel flat, blah, anxious, or stressed and don’t know why. If it isn’t a hormone imbalance like what we often find via insurance-paid labs then we need to look at a neurotransmitter profile. This can be done via simple saliva and urine testing.
So that is the simple 3 step system I used in my Mental Health Detective process to understand any physical causes that may be contributing to your depression, anxiety, and mental health disorders.
WHAT WOMEN ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH HOLISTIC PSYCHIATRY?
If you think we would be a good fit working together, pop on over to my SCHEDULE page and book your new patient visit so we can get started helping you feel better immediately. You do not have to live in depression as I did for many years, you do not have to live with anxiety and panic attacks in terror like I did for many years, I am happy to help you with your anxiety or depression. The #1 most important mental health disorder I have learned hormone balancing helps is PTSD, so please share this information with your loved ones struggling with their mental health.
Let's go through this detective process together so we can determine what your individual weak spots are when it comes to your personal mental health so we can strengthen your mood from the inside out!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Holistic Psychiatry & Women's Health
“What is the best natural treatment for depression?” Samantha Scottsdale, AZ
I am very passionate about helping people with depression as a Naturopathic Doctor.
Throughout my lifelong battle with severe depression, natural medicines and alternative therapies are really the only things to help me make significant progress as I share in my story "Why I Became a Naturopathic Doctor." Be sure to also read my blog "Seasonal Depression: Natural Remedies" as I discuss the importance of "Vitamin L" or Light Therapy for mood and lifestyle factors that should always be in place for depressed women.
I personally use a lot of curcumin every day to help my depression. Today we will discuss my other nine favorite natural treatments for depression. Check out my blog all about why I love curcumin and the 17 research studies for pain and depression: "#1 Pain Doctor's Remedy." The reason I love to use curcumin for my mood is it also helps my pain as a Lupus patient. The anti-viral, immune-boosting, anti-cancer and anti-aging properties are my favorite "side effects" of my favorite natural antidepressant.
As a Naturopathic Doctor, I have been blessed to know how to treat depression using natural means, and also rely heavily on my own life experiences when working with refractory cases of depression.
I am frank about my depression because I see it as a disease just like any other disease, and I don’t see any reason to be ashamed of it.
Nor do I want women to be ashamed of it, especially when it is often imbalanced female hormones to blame. I simply hope I can shed some light on depression for silent sufferers, and inspire them to get help, especially if they don’t respond well to traditional antidepressants. Some patients, such as myself feel no improvement with using an antidepressant because the problem is not low neurotransmitters.
For me, the problem was hormone imbalance related to my Adrenals, Thyroid, and Female Hormones. If you take thyroid medicine and are depressed, be sure to read my blog on "Thyroid Depression."
Antidepressants will not help in these cases. I was not receiving any benefits from the dozens of meds I have tried, instead, I just got side effects of weight gain, headaches, and stomachache. After gaining weight on antidepressants I was even more frustrated and hopeless feeling as I shared in my story about “Why I Became a Naturopathic Doctor.”
Alternative medicines, herbal medicines, nutritional therapies, diet, and lifestyle are wonderful complementary approaches to addressing depression over the long haul.
Women with depression may have a hormonal cause if they are experiencing monthly swings in their depression during their PMS window or days 21-25 of their menstrual cycle. Women can keep a period tracker app to watch for this pattern as PMDD-Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a severe depression that occurs monthly for women in their reproductive years. When women suddenly become depressed in their 40's and 50's this also can be from dramatic hormone swings that occur with perimenopause and menopause. Hormones should always be of suspicion when women have depression or anxiety especially when it occurs without situational triggers. If you are struggling with a divorce or death of a loved one that is much different than just random depression that occurs out of nowhere. Depression without triggers indicates a physical imbalance such as with hormones, vitamins, minerals, nutrition, or neurotransmitters.
Specialty testing such as Neurotransmitter Testing and Food Sensitivity Testing can also be game-changers in helping pinpoint the specific treatment the patient needs. With Neurotransmitter testing, I was able to discover that I am low in serotonin and GABA. My body does not make these important chemicals that make people feel happy and calm. Knowing this I was able to target the right amino acids, vitamins and herbs to boost the low levels and finally my mood improved! For instance, 5-HTP helps boost low serotonin production and Passionflower helps to support my low GABA levels that cause insomnia as I discussed in my "Herbal Remedies for Anxiety" blog.
Please do keep in mind when I am discussing depression am doing so generally and you will need to work with your Naturopathic Doctor or BOOK WITH ME to receive optimal natural care. You should ALWAYS work with a professional when treating your depression because the consequences of sub-optimally treated depression can be life-threatening.
Please do not choose to discontinue your natural medicines without the advice of your physician, psychiatrist, or Naturopathic Doctor overseeing your care. Depression is complicated to sort out. Please do not try to do it alone. Someone needs to be documenting your mood fluctuations as well as when you start and stop specific therapies.
Before we get started let’s just be perfectly frank about what natural medicines and herbs will and will not do. Herbs work well for mild, moderate, and situational depression, however they will not likely be solely effective for SEVERE depression. Herbs are a great alternative for people that do not like the side effects of their antidepressant, or that feel they no longer need to be on a treatment as strong as a prescription antidepressant. Herbs are helpful for transitioning all the way off medications and can be used for a period of time after an antidepressant is discontinued to help stabilize the mood. Natural remedies may be helpful for women suffering from pre-menstrual, menopausal, or post-partum depression, however if you are pregnant or breast feeding you should never take any natural remedies aside from vitamins (at standard prenatal doses) unless advised by your physician.
Unless you are actually deficient in a vitamin, mineral, or amino acid that is causing your depression, natural treatments will not likely “cure” your depression, as they have similar mechanisms as medications, and most medications typically only work while you are taking them. Be sure, however, that you are not iron deficient if you are depressed, as a public health study saw a correlation between iron deficiency anemia and depression in young women. Herbs and natural medicines are more gentle than drugs and will thus take longer to work in your system. You therefore have to be PATIENT when working with naturopathic medicines. Most therapies will take at least two weeks to notice an effect. Natural medicines also require the same diligence as daily drugs and should be taken at the same time of day religiously for optimal effect.
Addressing the root cause of your depression with therapy is fundamental to any treatment plan, whether prescription or alternative. If counseling “did not work," please find a new counselor with a different approach or technique. There are so many helpful techniques out there, don’t give up on therapy, give up on the therapist if after three months you do not notice notable improvement. Ask your insurance if they cover an EMDR therapist. I see EMDR helping provide mental health patients the tools they need to cope rather than just talking about the problem.
1. St. John’s wort- Pictured above, the bright yellow flowers of the St. John’s wort plant are full of an oily red substance called hypericin. If you have St. John’s Wort growing nearby you can see the little red spots in the plant (hence the perforations in the name Hypericum perfoliatum), now roll the flowers between your fingers to release the red oils and see the medicine first hand! The red oily hypericin is the active constituent of Hypericum perfoliatum. This herb has been highly studied in many double blind research trials and shown to have significant effects similar to prescription anti-depressants. St. John’s Wort has also been shown to have a lower risk of side effects than conventional antidepressants.
THIS HERB SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS! The reason for this, is that it activates the liver’s cytochrome p450 detoxification pathway and will metabolize drugs at a faster rate, thus moving them out of your system before they likely can have their therapeutic effect. This is why we don’t combine St. John’s wort and birth control pills. I find it interesting that St. John’s Wort works so well for depression and is also such a great detoxifying agent. According to Chinese Medicine most depressed people have “sluggish livers” and thus the liver/bowel meridians are typically treated. St. John’s wort should NOT be used with prescription antidepressants as it has a weak MAOI and SSRI effect similar to the standard activity of anti-depressants and thus may cause adverse effects. Standard dose of St. John’s Wort for those not on any other medications, is 300 mg THREE times daily of the 0.3% standardized extract is what was used in a research study demonstrating efficacy.
2. Schisandra- “Chinese Prozac” is the perfect herb for depressed people that are stressed out and need to lose weight as Schisandra aids fat burning. The berries of Schisandra chinensis improve mood, break up anxiety, support the adrenal glands through their “adrenal adaptogen” properties, enhance libido, and aid the liver’s detoxification.
I would say if you are a stressed out stay at home mom with a low libido and feeling frazzled as an exhausted Mom, then this herb is most likely created just for you! Standard capsule dose is two 500mg capsules taken twice daily. Take in the morning and at lunch. Because of the adaptogen properties, do not take this herb in the evening as we want it to support the adrenal glands when they are the most active. Adrenal gland support is imperative for people “running on empty” and under chronic stress, as the adrenal glands create the “fight or flight” response in the form of cortisol and catecholamines that eventually become burnt out and dysfunctional from chronic stress.
3. Passionflower- I have yet to meet a depressed person that does not have some degree of anxiety, so I am including this gentle nervine relaxant herb on my list so that if you are depressed because you are anxious, you can use Passiflora incarnata to help calm down a bit. From my observations anxiety typically feeds depression forward.
Watch your depression patterns, and if you tend to get REALLY stressed out, and then just crash and burn in to a depressive state, an herb like passionflower might help you more than an anti-depressant herb, or both can also simply be used. Implementing stress management tools like breathing, meditation and yoga is also important for mood. A research study found Passionflower extract at 45 drops daily (tincture) was shown to be as effective as oxazepam (similar to valium).
4. B-vitamins- Now I never prescribe B-vitamins alone without prescribing the WHOLE family. If you have attended dozens of mental health continuing ed lectures after a while you realize that it is all about B vitamins for mental health. There is also no point in prescribing them alone as they rely on each other to work. The family works synergistically together on the Kreb’s cycle to produce energy in the form of ATP as well as serves as very important coenzymes for a ton of other important biochemical pathways. B-12, methylcobalmin (cyanocobalmin is synthetic garbage), for instance is needed for the production of the myelin conductive sheath that insulates the neurons of our nervous system, adequate B-12 is thus critical to a healthy nervous system. B-6, pyridoxine, is imperative for women suffering from PMS, and folic acid has research supporting it’s ability to improve the efficacy of fluoxetine (prozac) in a clinical trial. Folic acid comes from “foliage” so be sure to eat your green leafies too! All depressed people need green vegetables. Be sure you are taking 800mcg of folic acid in the natural form methylfolate in your supplement.
B-vitamins are dirt cheap and can be like water on a wilting plant for a depressed person. A good quality multivitamin is typically what I prescribe to my depressed patients for B-vitamins. A multivitamin is a great insurance policy that nutritional deficiency is not contributing to depression. B-vitamins and standard multivitamin doses are most likely safe to take with antidepressants and most medications.
5. Calcium/Magnesium- Also dirt cheap are a simple quick fix for reducing the stress, muscle tension, and insomnia associated with depression. Most people on the Standard American Diet (SAD) are deficient in magnesium, and some are likely deficient in calcium. A 500mg calcium citrate with a 250 mg magnesium an hour before bed will help replete this likely deficiency while improving quality of sleep at night. Cal/mag is most likely safe to combine with most prescription medications, but always check with your doctor before starting anything new!
Magnesium helps SAMe donate methyl groups to form neurotransmitters, and is also needed for muscle relaxation as well as over 400 enzymatic processes in our body including detoxification pathways and is also beneficial for constipation, muscle cramping, torticollis, acute angina after myocardial infarction, stroke, asthma, kidney stone prevention, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, acute gastrointestinal spasms or cramping, eclampisa, heart disease especially cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, nocturnal muscle cramping, mitral valve prolapse, toxemia of pregnancy, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, lead toxicity, and fatigue.
Calcium is of course necessary for bone and muscle health, optimal functioning of our nervous system and is shown in the research to benefit hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, blood clotting, periodontal disease, insomnia, smooth and skeletal muscle relaxation, anxiety, hyperactivity, lead toxicity, prevention of calcium oxalate stones, prevention of colon cancer, and leg cramps.
6. Omega 3 Fatty acids- although fish oil is likely more efficacious than flax oil, I would experiment with the oil that works best for you. You can read my article on “Fish oil vs Flax oil”. A concentrate of 9.6 grams per day was shown to be effective compared to a placebo in a small pilot trial. Patients in the study were not taken off their current medications. This is one natural therapy you can safely add as an adjunctive to most treatment plans unless you are taking blood thinning medications. I typically prescribe one tablespoon of Carlson lemon flavored cod liver right before a meal, and yes you can take it in capsules if the thought of drinking fish oil makes you gag. Ask your doctor if you can be on 3000mg of Omega-3 fish oil concentrate per day. That is generally what I start my patients on although the research study used three times that amount!
7. 5-HTP- Now most studies have been done on tryptophan, but because of past contamination issues it is tough to get your hands on tryptophan except through diet. 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan is just the new and improved tryptophan, and is a better therapeutic agent in my opinion because it is a biochemical step ahead of tryptophan in the production of serotonin, passing the “rate limiting step” that tryptophan fails to do. This means that 5-HTP can only feed forward in to serotonin and not go backwards in to something else.
With that being said this medicine can be a bit expensive, but is certainly worth a try! Do NOT combine this natural anti-depressant with prescription anti-depressants. I typically prescribe about 100-200 mg of 5-HTP on an empty stomach once or twice daily. This is pretty mega considering that most capsules start at 50mg-100mg. Start with taking this at bedtime to optimize sleep and serotonin.
5-HTP is also beneficial for insomnia, pain syndromes, schizophrenia, anorexia and bulimia, PMS, and migraine headaches. Excess tryptophan in the body is converted to serotonin (makes us happy) and melatonin (makes us sleepy). So if you have depression with insomnia 5-HTP should work well for you and low serotonin is the likely cause of your symptoms. Although it is possible to have hormone imbalance such as in menopause and perimenopause cause insomnia and mood disturbance.
8. S-adenosyl-Methionine (SAMe)- A natural amino acid antidepressant that is part of the homocysteine metabolism pathway and serves the role of “methylating” neurotransmitters. As SAMe converts to S-adenosyl-homocysteine it donates “methyl” groups (CH3) to the nervous system so that it can effectively produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and catecholamines that make us feel GOOD and HAPPY. This natural antidepressant is also a great detoxifying agent for the body as it activates phase II detoxification pathways in the body.
If you are recovering from alcoholism or drug abuse this may be the better choice of natural antidepressants, however it should not be used by those that suffer from bipolar because of it’s ability to increase catecholamines and may trigger a manic episode. I would stick with St. John’s wort or 5-HTP for those susceptible to manic or hypomanic episodes. Do NOT combine with prescription drugs. Typical dose of SAMe is 50 mg once to twice daily. Always take SAMe with magnesium for optimal methylation of neurotransmitters, and a multivitamin as the B-vitamins folic acid, B-6, and B-12 are necessary for preventing homocysteinemia, a potential consequence of consuming elevated levels of SAMe. Homocysteine is correlated with cardiovascular damage, and B-vitamins will ensure it’s conversion to an inert substance.
9. Vitamin D- I typically place depressed patients on a starting dose of 2000 IU’s of vitamin D, check their calcium and vitamin D levels and then decide if the dose should go up or down from there. I have seen great responses to vitamin D especially in those that are low. Most people that live in the northern latitudes like Seattle will be low on vitamin D. Out of the hundreds of patients I have checked, I have only found one person in Seattle that had a normal vitamin D level. Repleting deficiency is imperative, as this vitamin that is now considered a “pro-hormone” may have more of a role in the physiology of the body than we are currently aware. Overdosing on vitamin D can result in a life threatening case of hypercalcemia as vitamin D and calcium absorption are interrelated.
Do NOT take more than 1000 IU of vitamin D without being monitored by your doctor. Although the active form of vitamin D in the body is 1, 25 cholecalciferol the best test for vitamin D levels is 25-D-OH, ask your doctor to do a basic metabolic panel and check your vitamin D, pre-treatment, a month out, 3 months out and so forth. If you are deficient in vitamin D and start a 2000 IU daily dose it will take about 1 week to raise your vitamin D levels 1 point.
So if your level is 16 and you need to get to 60, it will take about 44 weeks to get you back to the normal range. You are better off doing this gradually in my opinion as we do not want to cause atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) by hypercalcemia from taking large doses of vitamin D at once. Other naturopaths may be willing to dose you up really high, but I am completely against it, until we have more research supporting the safety of this fat soluble vitamin that stores in the body. Be sure to use vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in an emulsion form, because vitamin D2 is just crap, and not worth your time taking.
So that is a long list of natural medicines! Should you take these all at once?
Probably not!
So where to start?
If you are currently on anti-depressants, you need to work with a Naturopathic Doctor such as myself to safely implement natural meds that won't interfere with your antidepressant. I generally start by adding only vitamins, minerals, omega 3’s, exercise, and "Vitamin L" to see if your mood can be boosted enough to consider titrating off of them, work on implementing my Depression Diet gradually. NEVER ever ever… discontinue your prescription medicines without following the advice of the doctor that prescribed them. I have seen patients permanently damaged from doing this with their antidepressants and it is possible with Naturopathic medicine to reverse that reaction but it is a lot of work and we can save everyone the headache by tapering gradually down from all antidepressants. Last week I saw a new patient exactly for this reason and it was 2 years since she stopped her Effexor yet still is shaking, dizzy and has ringing in her ears and severe anxiety from the sudden withdrawal.
My blogs are designed to educate patients on how Naturopathy works so they know up front if they can do it. Check out my blog on "How to Be Successful with Naturopathy," to ensure you will be my next success story.
I typically start a depressed patient that is not on any anti-depressants on either St. John’s Wort, 5-HTP, OR SAMe in conjunction with a multivitamin, vitamin D, omega 3’s, and cal/mag. If stress and anxiety is a problem, I then add in schisandra or passion flower. Following my Depression Diet guidelines to ensure adequate amino acids in the nervous system to make neurotransmitters and adequate Omenga-3's to ensure your nervous system is functioning optimally is critical to maintaining mood without medication. Please also work with a counselor for your mood, counseling is imperative to a successful mind/body/spirit approach to the management of depression. Try the St. John’s wort, 5-HTP, or SAMe at least a month if not three before swapping out for a new treatment. Most research studies I read have a minimum of 8 weeks before improvement. While I do see patients improving before then it is important you have realistic expectations of herbal medicine for mood.
Be cautious when using combinations of herbs, amino acids and antidepressants as “Serotonin Syndrome” can occur and is dangerous. This results in too much serotonin causing anxiety, high blood pressure, profuse sweating, irritability, and agitation may occur.
Thank you for your Women's Health and Herbal Medicine questions. Please send them to me on a postcard as I love to get something in the mail that is not a bill. If your question cannot fit on a postcard then you need to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit with me. Simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to get set up. I love helping women with their depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, and mental health!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Holistic Psychiatry, Depression, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Autoimmunity, Food Sensitivities, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Holistic Mental Health & Hormones
“What can I do to improve my ADHD, brain fog, and concentration naturally?”
~Judy M Tempe, AZ
Rosemary!
Hi Judy! Everything in my Scottsdale garden is pretty much dead at this point in the winter, except for my Rosemary which can thrive under constant unfortunate circumstances. It still thrives when I forget to water it in the harsh Phoenix summer. It thrives in the winter when the cold has killed off nearly everything else. The way this plant can thrive in nearly any circumstance is exactly what makes it so magical to use to improve your immune system, memory, concentration, mental health, circulation, headaches and pain.
Rosemary is indicated when women feel weak, tired, foggy, forgetful or in pain. Today I will teach you how to make Rosemary Oil, Rosemary Anti-Aging Oil, Rosemary Tea, ADHD Tea, and Rosemary Salmon!
I will also go over what you can do with your Rosemary Oil. Rosemary oil is amazing for women with autoimmune disease, dealing with arthritis, and achy joints. Rosemary is great to inhale as an antiviral, and especially important for those battling brain fog, memory issues, or ADHD concentration issues.
I love Rosemary and Dandelions and just about any other herbal plants that have some hardiness. Any persnickety rose highly tended to in a garden will usually thrive with all the attention, but I save my admiration for those plants that can grow through harsh conditions, cracks in cement and still come out beautiful. Or still manage to stay alive in my abandoned winter garden bed. Plants are some of our best Antiviral Herbs because they would not survive under harsh conditions if they did not have antimicrobial essential oils that protect them against the latest virus, bacteria, and fungus.
As I stopped to really admire the magic of my beautiful blue Rosemary flowers blooming and flourishing next to a bunch of dead plants, I realized it is because Rosemary is truly a survivalist. That is why Rosemary is so helpful for the following health conditions:
Because rosemary is such a hardy plant you can afford to plant a ton of it as future shrubbery and pretty much abandon it to nearly any weather extreme and watch it flourish. Why have senseless shrubbery around your house when you can grow a hedge of amazing herbal medicine? Rosemary is also an excellent bug repellant so helps repel bugs from your garden and therefore is the perfect perimeter herb to surround your garden with.
With all your Rosemary you can make an indulgent Rosemary Oil to massage into your temples to improve your memory, concentration and pain levels.
How to make Rosemary Oil:
How to make “Rosemary Memory & Mood Tea”
“ADHD, Memory & Brain Fog Tea”
Add Rosemary to the 2 cups of boiling water bring to a brief boil and then turn the heat off. Add your Gingko, Gotu Kola, and Spearmint, and let infuse covered for 30-45 minutes. Strain and drink 1 cup twice daily for memory, mood, depression, or ADHD.
How to Cook with Rosemary
Try my favorite salmon recipe: “Dr. Nicole’s Rosemary Memory Salmon” great for anyone with ADHD, poor concentration, or poor memory!
I also love to add rosemary to cooked meats, soups, and baked goods. Rosemary is delicious with chicken, lamb, and seafood. If you have a bread machine you can easily make Rosemary Bread by adding a few tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary.
Learning how to add “tonic” herbs such as rosemary into your meals will give you that added stamina as you become that much stronger and healthier. Cooking with herbs full of antioxidants such as Rosemary is a simple trick to add to any anti-aging program.
Who doesn’t need to be focused, strong, hardy, and durable like a Rosemary plant right now?
Rosemary Anti-Aging Oil:
Mix all ingredients together and place in a pump container to apply frequently to your skin. I like to add 1-2 pumps of Rosemary Anti-Aging oil to my moisturizer to help my skin be less dry in the Arizona desert. Studies show that Rosemary is Anti-Aging as is olive oil and vitamin E so this is the secret behind why I don't look 46 years old and many of my patients think I am too young to be a doctor!
Household uses for Rosemary
Sometimes a simple afternoon pick me up isn’t a big cup of coffee but the luxury of grabbing a big handful of Rosemary needles from my garden, crushing it between my fingers to release the essential oils (just don’t huff too hard and get a needle up your nose). I like to rub the bruised needles right on to my temples. Sometimes I pick a small sprig and eat it on the way to work to help wake up.
You can also simmer a couple lemons in water on the stove and add a sprig of Rosemary to freshen up your house in need of fresh air. Rosemary is also antiviral and useful for cleaning the air when people are sick in your home . The essential oils of citrus and rosemary are a great uplifting treat for anyone sick, shut in, depressed, or just in need of a little pick me up!
Herbal Medicine Safety Tips
Be careful using any new herbs as medicine, especially if you already take medications such as blood thinners or heart medications you should use Rosemary under the supervision of your Naturopathic Doctor. While Rosemary technically does not interfere with blood thinners it is very anti-inflammatory and by reducing inflammation my patients on blood thinners generally need less blood thinners so it is important that you work with someone such as myself that specializes in complex Women’s Health and Integrated Medicine! I have a lot of experience mixing blood thinners and herbs.
Thank you for sending me postcards with the questions you want me to blog about!
I love getting something in the mail that is not a bill and love your questions about Women’s Health, Hormones, and Herbal Medicine. Remember if your question is too big to fit on a postcard then you need to make an appointment with me by popping over to my SCHEDULE page!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Reference:
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Hormones and Dermatology are very interconnected in my mind as a Women's Health doctor. While many of my patients refer to me as a "Natural Dermatologist," what I am really doing is testing and perfecting hormones and nutrition which then results in perfect glowing skin!
From hormonal acne, and dry menopausal skin to perimenopausal “Allergic Skin” that causes eczema, psoriasis, cystic acne, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dyshidrotic Eczema, and hives, all of these skin changes in women are actually an important alert that hormone imbalance may be the “Root Cause.” Women have fluctuating hormones throughout each month and decade of life.
While most people are aware that testosterone causes acne and hypothyroidism causes dry skin, we will discuss hormones and Dermatology in greater depth than that today to understand exactly what is happening to a woman as she move through her teens and twenties and battles hormonal acne as I once did.
I often see my patients experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal skin changes. Many Dermatologists send me their patients when they cannot resolve their patients symptoms with standard treatments or have noticed a hormonal pattern.
Women over forty in perimenopause and menopause often tell me they feel like they “Rapidly aged ten years overnight,” and ask why their skin has suddenly become so thin, saggy, has lost elasticity, and no longer has a healthy glow. We reminisce about the healthy glowing skin they once had when full of hormones during pregnancy as I fill out a lab slip to evaluate the hormones that are "off" with menopause.
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HORMONES AND DERMATOLOGY?
As a Naturopathic Hormone Doctor that has treated a lot of women over the years, I do see women's skin changing as they transition through perimenopause and menopause. Generally the skin goes from oily to dry or from already dry to super dry and now having massive issues. Women commonly report new allergic skin conditions they never had before like eczema, psoriasis, hives, seborrheic dermatitis, or dyshidrotic eczema.
While we all tend to associate vaginal dryness with menopause, really the entire body is drying out along with the vagina. So today in this hormone blog I will be discussing exactly what women need to do.
In my mind as a “Holistic Dermatologist,” the main underlying issue is the change in the woman’s hormones. Especially when new skin condition’s pop up in a women’s forties and fifties the first thing we should be thinking about is hormone imbalance rather than reaching for that easy steroid cream to apply. The steroid cream basically is just slapping a band-aid on the Dermatology issue and not addressing it at the “Root Cause.”
Every woman nearing menopause wants to know why their skin is rapidly aging, thinning, and has lost its turgor and elasticity. So today we will be discussing the link between female hormones and skin aging.
ESTROGEN HORMONE AND SKIN HEALTH
Estrogen is responsible for helping keep our skin hydrated as well as builds the layer of collagen behind the skin. Loss of estrogen is why women suddenly notice their skin lacks elasticity, and has become very thin. Thin skin is more likely to bruise because there is less cushion to protect the blood vessels below it and with this women notice that cuts take longer to heal. Women that also bruise easily are those that tend to be low in progesterone which we will discuss next. Easy bruising can also be a sign of anemia from heavy bleeding in perimenopause.
Often women cannot rebuild enough iron stores with just food sources when they have had heavy periods prior to menopause. After the ferritin level is above >75 menopausal women generally do not need to supplement with iron as they are no longer losing blood each month.
Estrogen is the last hormone that women lose when women become officially menopausal. Most women in their late thirties and forties are dealing with low progesterone and low or high testosterone impacting their skin.
The sudden loss of estrogen in menopause though, is when women suddenly notice Hot Flashes along with new Dermatology complaints, or tell me that they have “Aged ten years overnight,” and think to seek me out. As a hormone doctor, I want women to be aware of the shifts to their hormones and skin ahead of time so we can prevent this "rapid aging syndrome" at menopause.
By checking hormones when women turn forty or sooner, we do not need to work to reverse rapidly aged menopausal skin! We can watch for trends and changes and be prepared and treat as needed. Prevention is the queen of Anti-Aging Dermatology!
PROGESTERONE HORMONE AND SKIN HEALTH
Progesterone levels are high in pregnancy which causes our capillaries to increase blood flow aka "vasodilation." This is why pregnant women have that amazing glowing skin everyone comments about, “Look at how she is just glowing!” As progesterone levels decline the blood vessels naturally narrow which is why menopausal women suddenly get High Blood Pressure and heart problems like palpitations, and PVC's that they never had before. The arteries of the cardiovascular system have smooth muscle in them that relaxes arteries, stomach, and lungs. When women develop asthma in middle age, they should consider progesterone deficiency as a "Root Cause" since progesterone is a natural bronchodilator.
However, when progesterone begins to naturally decline around the age of 35 and dwindles down to zero by forty or fifty, this is when women complain to me that their hair, nails, and skin looks sallow, dull, dry, and lacks any form of that “healthy glow.”
Progesterone is also important for vaginal hydration, dry eyes, and irritable bladder. Painful intercourse described often as “Having sex with sandpaper,” is not just caused by lack of estrogen but also lack of progesterone and testosterone. The 90's method of giving women with hysterectomies estrogen only with the new research we now have on progesterone is simply cruel.
For years doctors have argued that because "she has no uterus, she doesn't need progesterone," this gross scientific misnomer should be drop kicked straight back to the 1900's where it belongs. Estrogen monotherapy should be put out to pasture permanently with "Horsey Hormones" aka Premarin for the safety and sanity of women everywhere. Women need progesterone for their eyes, skin, vaginal health, blood pressure, hormonal acne, weight loss, and mental health. Women without progesterone often have troubled sleep riddled with night sweats, anxiety and insomnia.
TESTOSTERONE HORMONE AND SKIN HEALTH
Testosterone is oftentimes viewed as the “Most Evil Hormone” in Dermatology for causing Hormonal Acne, Rage, Oily Skin, and Cystic Acne in my PCOS patients. I worked for three Dermatologists over an eight year period that were constantly trying to battle the evil testosterone with spironolactone and birth control pills with some wins and losses because testosterone is not always the cause of the hormonal acne. Testosterone blocking treatments fail when another hormone such as estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormone, or adrenal hormones like DHEA are out of balance.
While testosterone is sometimes to blame in hormonal acne, women do need some testosterone in their systems as this is the primary reason why “men age better than women.” Because they have testosterone levels of 800 while women are at 8 if not zero in menopause. Plus I see fantastic results treating my Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Pain, Depression, Anxiety, Mental Health, and Osteoporosis patients with testosterone!
Testosterone is why men don't generally get Osteoporosis unless they have low testosterone levels. Ironically, once I began to see benefits on my patients DEXA's and started to look into the research for Osteoporosis and testosterone, the only research study I found of course was done on men with low testosterone. The good news though, is that bone was built from supplementing with testosterone in the study! A minor women's health victory!
Since both my grandma's had severe Osteoporosis I want all women to know this stuff now so they can prevent painful debilitating fractures that may not ever be able to heal in their "Golden Years." I am excited about testosterone not just for avoiding wrinkles but also for bone health. I have seen testosterone build bone in the past decade of my practice faster than in the first half of my career when we just gave women premarin or natural estrogen aka estradiol for their bones.
Today, my patients that use a cocktail of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone and eat the mineral rich foods on my Osteoporosis blog along with supplements to ingest the correct 1000 mg of calcium I recommend women intake daily for prevention, and combine all of that with weight bearing exercises at least twenty minutes three times a week, are able to reverse their T scores on their DEXA's.
Now I have revealed on my women's health blog that men age better and have better bone density than women, but we will never admit this out loud! This is a 100% private portal page for women on the internet right? 😉
But I bring this testosterone issue up because if you have ever seen a man wash his face with a bar of dial soap and use no moisturizer afterwards, you know exactly what I am talking about. Men make so much testosterone that their skin is naturally hydrated from within at it’s base and they generally do not need to apply lotion on top. The testosterone stimulates sebaceous gland oil production. Meanwhile women with low testosterone are applying nineteen different products and serums to their skin twice daily.
I just want women educated and understanding why neglecting their hormone imbalance is neglecting their skin, and yet again how unfair it is to be female versus male. Plus now you have medical proof to substantiate to your husband that you do need to buy all of those anti-aging serums and he is totally fine without any!
Testosterone naturally begins to decline around the age of 35. This is when women notice not just dry skin, but that their skin lacks any form of oil or hydration, and their hair is also suddenly dry and coarse. Perimenopause is also when female hair loss begins.
Women generally report lack of stamina, chronic fatigue, depression, and that they are not bouncing back as quickly from their workouts and their muscles and joints feel inflamed and in pain for several days after a workout. Suddenly it becomes exhausting to try to exercise two days in a row if not impossible.
Keep in mind that men with "low testosterone" of 300 complain of joint pain and muscle aches while many of my female patients are at zero. So men are tired and in pain at a level of testosterone 30 times higher than what most women have in menopause, and many of us will never be at that level, nor should we be.
Testosterone helps our joints and muscles heal and repair, so if you notice you are in chronic pain, more tired than normal after a workout this is generally one of the the very first early warning signs of perimenopause for most of my patients, and a sign you need to get on my SCHEDULE to have your hormones checked! Especially if you are having night sweats or beginning to feel overheated at night.
Testosterone has always been the villain in Dermatology because it stimulates the oil glands in our skin causing acne. However, we do need some testosterone as women or our skin looks dry and lacks any form of protective oil that provides shine to our faces. While we don’t need our complexions dripping with visible oil, we do need some oil to prevent rapidly aging skin in menopause!
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSAL HORMONE CHANGES TO THE SKIN?
Hormonal Acne, and Menopausal Hormone changes to the skin require a physician skilled in both Dermatology and Hormones. The first step is for a Female Hormone Specialist (please not your Family Doctor, Endocrinologist, or Obgyn) to check your full set of female hormones, adrenals, and thyroid as these are ALL equally important in my mind. Oftentimes I sadly receive new patients that think that they have “already had all their hormones checked,” only to receive one test or a one page report that they proudly hand me. A TSH is not a full hormone panel, it is not even a full thyroid panel. An FSH/LH to confirm you are menopausal is almost utterly useless. Why????
Occasionally the correct tests are ordered but the doctor ordering the test does not know how to properly interpret them because the hormones fluctuate in different parts of a woman's menstrual cycle and have to be tested at the right time. We also need to look at what is optimal and not just look for things in bold that are clearly abnormal when it comes to chronic skin conditions and Dermatology.
This is where I see a lot of women fail with having their hormones checked with perimenopause, PCOS, and hormonal acne. Testing hormones in the wrong part of the cycle, and/or not testing the correct hormones is totally ineffective for solving women's skin conditions.
Lets instead test all the nutrition and hormonal metrics related to skin health to properly address Dermatology conditions, especially in menopausal women and those with PCOS, thyroid conditions, and perimenopause.
My initial hormone test report is four pages long at minimum. Most insurance covers hormone testing for women unless it is of course government funded. Only the government could care less about your hormones! But they are still very important for proper skin health, which is why I have written this blog about how they impact women during different stages of their lives in my Holistic Dermatology practice.
So if you have not had hormones properly checked, and are struggling with skin rashes, hormonal acne, eczema, or psoriasis, simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Hormone visit!
In my experience of fifteen years working as a “Holistic Dermatologist,” very few skin conditions in Women's Health are not hormonal.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Specialist in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
"What causes my eye to twitch? Is it related to my hormones"
Annie S, Scottsdale, AZ
With many things causing everyone's eyes to twitch right now, it could just be stress.
This may be a sign we need to turn off the news and focus on stress management. Mineral deficiency in women is also commonly to blame.
I will review the most common cause of eye twitching that I find and what works best to treat it by first adjusting your diet and nutrition.
Most muscles twitch due to calcium and magnesium deficiency, especially the eye muscles.
Although our eyes might twitch a bit when we are annoyed, stressed, or tired... a twitchy eye is typically the initial warning sign of calcium deficiency.
As women age they naturally require more minerals. Perimenopause and menopausal changes can increase a woman's requirement for certain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Human Physiology 101: Calcium helps our muscles contract and when deficient the muscles begin to spasm in “tetany." Magnesium helps our muscles relax. Deficiency in one mineral, another, or both can cause this annoying eye problem.
Excellent sources of calcium are yogurt, kefir, almond milk, raw nuts, nettles and leafy greens. If you do not drink milk, eat cheese or yogurt please check your calcium intake numbers because most of my patients that are Vegan are deficient in calcium unless drinking 3 glasses of fortified nut milk per day.
The good news if you are Vegan, is that most of the new dairy-free options are wisely fortified with calcium. I plan my calcium rich foods as snacks and parts of my main meals 3-4 times daily.
If you are unable to achieve this with diet, I would recommend a calcium supplement.
Magnesium is found in green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. A cal/mag supplement of 500mg cal/250mg mag can easily be taken if you are worried you are not reaching the 1000mg of necessary calcium each day. I recommend taking this at bedtime as it will also help for insomnia in women.
Do not take more than 500 mg of calcium at a time as the body can not utilize more than that and it may cause digestive upset such as constipation. We once were giving women very high doses of supplemental calcium back in the 90's. The Osteoporosis doctor I worked for prescribed women 1200mg-1500mg each day. We have now found this may cause premature hardening of the arteries or "athlerosclerosis" from calcium deposits into the arteries that causes High Blood Pressure.
Therefore I now recommend that women count their daily consumption and supplement until it reaches 1000mg between diet and supplements. Please do not assume you are getting enough calcium from your diet without first putting everything you eat into a nutrient tracking app.
Perimenopausal and Menopausal women need 1000mg of calcium daily between food and supplement sources. I don’t think calcium carbonate (found in over the counter antacids) is the best form of calcium for those with osteoporosis as it is not as readily absorbable as calcium citrate or calcium hydroxyappetite.
Calcium carbonate from Tums and inexpensive calcium supplements actually neutralizes the stomach acid and need stomach acid to digest minerals. If you are on a medication for acid reflux such as Prevacid, Ranitidine, Omeprazole, Tums, etc this may be contributing to your inability to properly absorb minerals. Tums are therefore a HORRIBLE source of calcium that I find horrifying for women to take as a Biochemist and Naturoapthic Doctor!
The calcium carbonate form of calcium in Tums does not absorb well, is not good for building bone, and has a high risk of getting kidney stones associated with it. So please invest in your bones to prevent painful fractures later in life, and buy a decent bottle of calcium citrate and magnesium citrate. Please throw your Tums in the garbage where they belong.
If you have heartburn or acid reflux you really just need a Food Allergy Sensitivity Test to determine the trigger foods upsetting your digestion. Inflammation from Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the digestive track can also cause poor mineral absorption.
Adequate vitamin D levels are also imperative for calcium absorption.
If you get painful leg cramps or “Charlie Horses” at night be sure that you are not dehydrated and that you are consuming electrolytes such as potassium and sodium to replete deficiencies after exercise. Take your cal/mag a few hours before bed. Sports drinks, emergen-C, and natural sea salt are excellent sources of these minerals.
To make a natural electrolyte replacement beverage simply dilute your favorite juice by about 25-50% (be sure it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup) and add a big pinch of sea salt to about every twenty ounces or so. Most sports drinks are full of unnecessary high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors.
If you still continue to get cramps or muscle twitches on a mineral rich diet you should ask your Naturopathic Doctor to run labs to determine the cause. While the most common cause I find is a vitamin or nutrient deficiency, there is always the rare possibility it is something more serious such as a thyroid eye condition like Hashimoto's, Grave's disease, Sjogren's or another autoimmune disease that can affect the eye. Sometimes hormone imbalance in women such as Testosterone deficiency can also adversely impact the eyes. If correcting nutrition basics does not fix your twitching eye then you need to pop over to my appointment page and BOOK A VISIT.
Read: "Magnesium Deficiency in Women" and "Osteoporosis Prevention"
~Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Seasonal Allergies are on the rise again in Arizona! The Naturopathic joy of living in Scottsdale includes having two allergy seasons rather than just one. Recently I was reading research about flavonoids and found that our very own Prickly Pear Fruit from the Prickly Pear Cactus are a rich source of Quercetin. Which is an important flavonoid that helps stabilize mast cells to prevent the release of histamine from the white blood cells, thus preventing seasonal allergy symptoms and treating them naturally. In "Nature Cure Naturopathy" we believe the cure for the patient's disease is right in their backyard, and Prickly Pear fruit is a classic example of this!
Many of my Dermatology patients complain their Eczema, Psoriasis and itchy skin problems become worse during allergy season, most likely because of the excess histamine and inflammation caused by more pollen in the air. As a Women's Health Hormone Doctor I can also attest that many of my female patients begin to develop allergies when their hormones become imbalanced such as with Hypothyroidism, Hashimtoto's, PMS, Perimenopause and Menopause.
I have been treating patients naturally for their seasonal allergies with great success for over fourteen years, and I can tell you from first hand experience, that no matter what natural treatment you choose you will need to give it a few weeks to start working in your system. It is also generally fine to combine most over the counter medications with the following herbal medicines. We will discuss allergies, however you should check with your a Naturopathic Doctor or schedule a visit with me, to be certain you are combining herbs and medications correctly.
Already the impending doom of scratchy throats, runny itchy noses, water eyes and chronic congestion are slowly setting in with my patients, and the best way to treat your seasonal allergies naturally is to start the following protocol at least two weeks before allergy season is about to start. For people living in the Phoenix area, that means mid September, and mid February, as we tend to start becoming symptomatic with allergies in October and March or whenever the weather is in the 70-80's. Once it is above 100 degrees most plants stop blooming and we ironically don't want to be outside much anyways. This is important to note when using any naturopathic medicine for seasonal allergies because popping a pill or drinking a tea just one time will fail even the best natural allergy remedy. We need to be consistent and focused on the long term goal.
Have no fear if you are bothered by seasonal allergies, I have put together a basic plan to help avoid if not reduce the use of allergy medicines that tend to leave us feeling drowsy and groggy. Having an alternative medicine plan in store before allergy season sets in full force will save you time, medication, and misery in the long run.
First I will be discussing how to get your body in optimal conditioning to cope with allergy season, and then I will discuss specific natural medicines that will help support your immune system to reduce the overall severity of seasonal allergies. If you always tend to be “sick” living in Arizona the months of March, April, May, October and November then you more likely have seasonal allergies, than a bad cold.
Now is a great time to do a light cleanse of detox before the holidays. Having a healthy liver aids the detoxification of histamine, that nasty molecule that gives us the irritating symptoms of allergies.
Seventy percent of our immune system smartly surrounds our gut and is formally known as GALT “Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue”. If the immune system is already stressed from reacting improperly to foods, it will affect the body’s ability to cope with the added burden of seasonal allergies.
The take home message is to just cut back on wheat and dairy during allergy season as they are the typical “worst offenders” for most. Citrus, peanuts, corn, soy, tomatoes, red meat, sugar, and processed foods seem to also cause trouble for those with seasonal allergies. Before allergy season starts is a great time to reduce your Food Sensitivities or simply reduce those foods that you already are aware make you more congested or symptomatic during this time. While we cannot control the pollen levels driving up our histamine we can control what we put in our mouths that we know we are allergic or sensitive to. This helps decrease the "Total Load" of histamine in our systems.
Foods as medicine: Increase onions and garlic for quercetin and sulfur levels. Eat Alaskan Wild salmon as often as possible for the anti-inflammatory benefits of the Omega 3’s, and increase green leafy vegetables as much as possible to aid the livers role in the detoxification of histamine. Switch to a Whole Foods Diet.
According to Chinese Medicine Theory people have allergies because they are “living too far away from the earth”. Now I doubt they mean that you are living on Jupiter, I am most certain they are referring to a diet high in preservatives and white flours, over-processed refined foods and artificial sweeteners and other chemicals.
Quercetin: Stabilizes the “Mast Cells” of our immune system and prevents their cell membranes from degranulating and releasing histamine in to the system. Histamine is what makes us cough, sneeze, itch and have watery eyes. Typically two 500mg capsules twice daily is a sufficient dose.
Severe allergy sufferers also run quercetin in their Neti Pot to reduce the inflammation of the nasal membranes. Quercetin is a relatively benign substance that can be used in higher doses if need be, just check with your Naturopathic Doctor before doing so.
Vitamin C: Supports the immune system and the functioning of quercetin. Typical dose is 500mg three times daily. You can also take it to bowel tolerance when sick or excessively symptomatic.
Omega-3: From fish oil, flax oil, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds help create cellular membranes that are less inflammatory in general and are an important underlying deficiency for many of my seasonal allergy patients.
Freeze Dried Nettles Leaf: Has been shown to be extremely helpful during allergy season. Typical dose is two 500 mg capsules twice daily. Nettles are a nutritive “food” that will build the body up. Using foods as medicines is always optimal to prescribing antihistamines. If need be you can take up to 4 grams of nettles which is equivalent to eight 500 mg capsules! I am not recommending taking that many capsules; I am simply trying to demonstrate how safe nettles are as an herbal medicine.
Research has also shown nettles to be helpful for osteoarthritis, myalgia, detoxification and eczema. If you choose to make a tea from the fresh plant, be sure to wear gloves when harvesting so as not to get stung! The leaves are the medicine in this case; the root of this plant is used for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Nettle is not to be used by those on anti-coagulant “blood thinning” drugs.
Neti Pot: Doing a couple solid Neti Pot sessions a day is one of the best, cheapest remedies for seasonal allergy sufferers that tend to frequently develop sinus infections. The gentle saline flush of the nasal passages has a three fold benefit. First we are tonifying the mucous membranes that line the passages, second we are washing out residual phlegm (aka-snot- aka the breeding ground for bacteria and viruses that cause sinus infections).
As an added bonus during allergy season you are flushing out the pollens formally known as “antigens” that are causing our immune systems to over react and produce sneezing, itching and watery eyes. Plan to do two Neti pots a day so that you will at least remember to do one. Be sure to check with your doctor before treating yourself with home remedies especially if you are taking medications or suffer from a health condition.
Household: You may want to consider investing in a HEPA air filter to reduce the total level of allergens you are exposed to in your home. Also, when returning home for the day be sure to take off your shoes so you don’t track the pollen throughout your house. Shower and change your clothes after going outside, if that is not an option, at least try to rinse off your hands and face to remove as much pollen as possible.
So there you have the basics to treat treat your seasonal allergies naturally. If you need a Naturopathic Doctor to help you get tested for Food Sensitivities to dive deeper in to the ROOT CAUSE of your allergies I would be delighted to help you. Simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to book your Naturopathic visit with me.
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Banana: Hormone Friend or Foe?
“Bananas are good for you! Bananas are bad for you! Bananas are fattening! Bananas cause constipation! Avoid Bananas!”
Is there any banana statement I have not yet heard out there as a Women's Health Doctor? I doubt it.
I have heard just about everything there is to hear about bananas from the diet world. Let me quickly summarize twenty five years of using bananas for fuel with patients and simply conclude that bananas are an excellent whole foods substitute to dessert and junk foods. My patients that understand they are full of good carbs and use them wisely are at a healthy fit weight.
Bananas are delicious and rich in fiber and potassium which is also good for blood pressure. However, too many bananas are bad for the heart, as high potassium can adversely impact heart beat or contractility. Yes, I have actually seen several patients with chronic chest pain nobody else could seem to solve, thought it was hormonal in nature, and it turned out they were just eating too many bananas a day.
Isn’t that just bananas?
So bananas should be used moderately as a “functional food” and may not be the best food in high amounts for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain, chest pain, Raynaud’s syndrome, stomach aches, nausea, or constipation. Green bananas were proven clinically effective for pediatric diarrhea. [1]
Therefore, bananas are plant based dessert at its finest and in small therapeutic amounts an excellent dairy free healthy dessert. I often buy the “Diana’s Bananas” already pre dipped in chocolate in the freezer section.
Sometimes just 1-2 banana halves after dinner and some herbal tea can stop me from bingeing and wrecking my weight loss program. I am satisfied from a healthy dessert, can brush my teeth and stop eating for the night.
Bananas are generally a “good carb” because they contain fiber and minerals and not just pure fat and sugar. Therefore bananas will not spike glucose as rapidly, especially when paired with a protein source, nuts, nut butter or protein powder. So while I do nag a lot of my Diabetes patients that they are eating too many bananas in their smoothies and snacks, I also believe they are a better healthier alternative to ice cream and pure sugar.
If bananas have sugar isn’t that bad for hormones? Yes and No.
So let’s backtrack our biochemistry to visit the “Mother of Hormone Imbalance” which is...
Insulin Resistance. Once insulin is elevated it spikes estrogen which causes “Female Hormone Imbalance” therefore it is imperative we get the carbs right.
Too much or too little extreme of carbs is generally not good in Women’s Health. So we can assume that too many bananas is just about as bad as not enough bananas.
Unless you have allergy to banana, or a Latex Allergy. Those allergic to latex will also react to bananas and the other latex containing fruits.
Allergy and eczema patients may have a cross over allergic reaction from latex containing fruits: avocado, chestnut, kiwifruit, passionfruit, plum, strawberry and tomato. Many of my health care workers, especially nurses, that spent years wearing latex gloves as I did working in Dermatology all day, will have this fruit reaction and their hands will break out in a rash when they eat the latex containing fruit. They often get a tickle in their throat and continue to cough until it passes. Sometimes small bumps or blisters will form around the mouth, the roof of the mouth or the back of the throat after eating latex fruits.
However, I generally see my patients thriving on bananas that use them correctly. I definitely do not see women thrive on Keto or Carnivore the way men can, and believe our metabolisms are just set up completely differently. Women need carbs along with a high fiber and protein diet once they are menopausal.
So instead of carb shaming, I would rather teach everyone about my favorite “good carbs” and teach you how to use them wisely. Too much of any good thing, is simply too much. But I am bananas about bananas as a Naturopathic Doctor, because they are a delicious cold treat in the Scottsdale heat, and we all need electrolytes as we constantly sweat and breathe salts and minerals off.
So I believe a banana a day is probably just fine. If you want bonus points eat an apple a day instead of a banana though, because there is far more weight loss and health research on apples.
ALAS THE BANANA RECIPE... 😉
Ingredients: Frozen Bananas
Directions: Peel, chop in large chunks, and freeze overly ripe (not brown) bananas. Place in Cuisinart food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy alone or add some organic chocolate sauce for garnish! If you are dairy intolerant be sure to use dairy free chocolate sauce or other alternative topping.
Variations: If you don’t have a Cuisinart then you can just chop the frozen bananas up and enjoy with some organic chocolate sauce, raspberries, or strawberries. See what other kinds of frozen fruits can easily be made in to “ice cream”. If you have a child that is allergic to dairy, giving them fresh fruit “ice cream” is a fun way to get more whole foods intto your kids. Be sure to call it “ice cream” so they are excited to eat this whole foods treat!
To save money I purchase bunches of bananas when they are on sale and then chop in thirds and freeze for smoothies and other healthy treats.
Sorry this turned into one of those really annoying long recipe blogs where you have to read someone’s entire life story to get one tiny little recipe nine pages later, but I just wanted to share the truth about bananas from my experience as a Naturopathic women's health doc so that women everywhere are not scared of them, nor are they ODing on them.... but using them right! Bananas are a good, cheap complex carb source when used right! Just don't abuse them.
Although bananas have been given a bad rap by dieters when you weigh in the average 100 calories in a banana next to a large fattening bowl of ice cream, the banana is going to win hands down! Plus bananas have all the fiber, potassium, vitamins, and minerals that ice cream can’t compete with.
If you need my help with your hormones simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Specialist in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Reference:
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Specialist in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Hormonal sweating can be caused by a variety of different types of hormone imbalance we will discuss today. Sweating is actually a very complicated symptom to diagnose, requires proper hormone testing, is multifactorial, and typically hormonal. Unfortunately more than just one hormone can be to blame when women are suddenly sweating. This is why working with a skilled Naturopathic Hormone Doctor is imperative to get to the "Root Cause," of the sweating.
Oftentimes I sadly see new patients that hand me a report saying "My doctor already checked all my hormones." Only to find they have been tested for menopause at age 25, or they just checked a TSH which is about as helpful as mammogramming one breast and assuming the other breast containing breast cancer is totally fine. If you are expecting your Family Doctor, Dermatologist, Endocrinologist, or OBgyn to problem solve excessive sweating, their solutions will be botox, birth control pills, or a toxic high dose of aluminum deodorant or "Prescription Strength Deodorant."
IS PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH DEODORANT SAFE?
Prescription strength aluminum deodorant is not just pure poison in my mind, but it truly fails women when they have full body sweats. Women cannot coat their entire bodies and faces with aluminum, this is not just ridiculous but dangerous. Plus the amount of aluminum in regular deodorant is nasty enough and I would personally never use prescription strength deodorant when aluminum toxicity is associated with Alzheimers and other conditions such as muscle weakness, bone pain, multiple nonhealing fractures, alteration in mental status, and premature osteoporosis.
Therefore addressing the root cause of the sweating and treating it with a natural approach is imperative for long term health. Plus the body is inherently wise and sends memo's that something is not right in a form we will listen to as women. No woman wants to be seen sweating! Oftentimes for women the body knows we are somewhat vain and demonstrates the hormone imbalance with acne, hair loss, and sweating. Three symptoms most women will not ignore!
Menopause is generally the first thought women have when they are too hot or sweating more than normal. However this can occur with perimenopause, thyroid, Hashimotos, adrenal fatigue, estrogen dominance, diabetes, and insulin resistance. Therefore we will need a hormone report that is around five pages to properly address and resolve hormonal sweating.
HOW TO DETERMINE IF SWEATING IS HORMONAL
First of all we need to determine the type of sweating. Is it a classic hot flash that starts on your head, face, and chest? Once that has started it is normal to feel hot all over the body and experience excessive sweating in the private areas and bottom.
As estrogen drops in menopause the brain struggles to properly regulate the body's thermostat. Once the memo is received to cool the body down vasodilation occurs and blood flow increases to release heat. As the body overshoots this by overworking, the opposite reaction then happens and women feel cold and chilled. In the menopause episode of "The Cosby Show" the mom is going through hot flashes and keeps putting her head in the freezer. When the head, face, and chest are too hot, think hot flashes with sweating.
ARMPIT SWEATING IS DIFFERENT THAN HOT FLASHES
Armpit sweating oftentimes begins in a woman's 20's or 30's and can be an initial sign of perimenopause as the body is struggling to stay as cool as it normally can. So my first question when I have a new patient complaining of embarrassing sweating is "Is it just excessive armpit sweating or full body sweats?" I also want to know how often the sweating occurs and if anything is triggering the episodes like stress, meals, hunger, or emotions. These are the questions I will need answers to in order to diagnose and naturally treat the cause of the sweating.
HOW TO TRACK CAUSES OF SWEATING
What time of day does the sweating occur? Do you have chills after sweating? Do you feel overheated while sweating? Does body temperature actually increase when sweating?
Does the sweating occur after meals or if it has been a long time since you have had a meal? This can indicate a Food Allergy or Hypoglycemia.
Are you under excessive stress? Cortisol stress hormone can be tested and is also a classic cause of sweating. Neurotransmitter testing can be conducted to look at high catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine that also cause sweating with a stress response. Herbal medicine can help balance cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinphrine to reduce sweating.
Full body hot flashes that come and go without any other menopausal symptoms may be an indication of an underlying infection. The immune system is trying to make a fever to clear the infection. I recommend keeping a thermometer on hand to see if there is a spike to normal temperature when the sweating occurs.
Armpit sweating? This is usually from high cortisol, high catecholamines, high estrogen, PCOS, and/or insulin resistance.
Treating the insulin resistance with Naturopathy generally makes the sweating go away.
Without a proper diagnosis it is very difficult to clear up hormonal sweating. Most MD’s will have no other solution but to just give you a super strong aluminum deodorant that is “prescription strength,” which I am personally not a fan of considering the toxicity issues with aluminum with just a regular dose of over the counter deodorant. Applying toxic aluminum at high doses to your skin is not the permanent answer to sweating, nor is botoxing the nerves to your armpits. When Dermatologists botox sweat gland nerves the sweating can just pop up somewhere else other than the armpits, oftentimes the sweating then moves to the face, vagina, or bottom. So all of these prescription sweating remedies are all just slapping a band-aid on top of the problem and the body will find a new way to send a message that something is not right. Kind of like when we put our hand over a screaming toddler’s mouth.
We can temporarily silence a toddler like this, but without listening and understanding their problem they will likely just scream louder and louder or act out in another way and maybe even kick or hit us.
Regardless of the cause of the sweating, this is an important symptom we should not ignore as it may be indicating a much greater issue such as Cancer, Diabetes or other endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism.
Until we are working together and have the “Root Cause” of the sweating diagnosed and treated, I recommend avoiding spicy foods, sugar, excess carbohydrates above 150g daily, caffeine <200mg or less per day, and increasing the cooling foods on my Hot Flash blog.
Need my help testing and treating excessive hormonal sweating? I would be happy to help! Helping women feel confident in their skin is one of my favorite joys of practicing Naturopathic Hormones and Dermatology. Simply visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
