AALifex Anti Aging Center will be opening its brand new state of the art facility in Scottsdale Arizona in April 2012. Please contact us with any questions you may have about working together regarding Anti Aging and Hormone Therapy.
info@aalifex.com
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Low T not always corrected through blood work
Are you suffering from Low Testosterone? Well the best way to tell is to have your testosterone checked by pulling your blood. Most doctors will check your total testosterone. Until recently that was acceptable. Most doctors are unaware that total testosterone is worthless in finding out if you are suffering from Low Testosterone.
At Ann Arbor Life Extension we do a full hormone panel check. The importance is to not only make sure you are producing adequate test levels but to make sure your body can use it. Total Testosterone tells how much test your body is producing. Unfortunately our bodies produce a nasty hormone known as SHBG or Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. In laymans terms, your testosterone in your blood binds to blood proteins making it unable to attach to the receptor sight. Thus you may have a great total testosterone level but that is really not important. What is important is how much testosterone is free to be used or AKA free Testosterone.
If you would like to find out more information regarding low testosterone, testosterone therapy, or testosterone treatment options please call AALifeX today.
www.AALifeX.com
734-707-4887
Friday, January 13, 2012
Hormone Replacement Therapy Michigan
Our focus at Ann Arbor Life Extension is your optimal health and well-being. Our mission is to help you achieve two things: reduce or eliminating the physical concerns that are hindering your full enjoyment of life, and help you live a more vibrant and lengthy life. We want you to be the healthy and confident person you want to be. The team at Ann Arbor Life Extension utilizes a proactive, holistic approach that emphasizes disease prevention as opposed to disease management, using customized high quality therapies designed to specifically target your medical, aging, and wellness concerns.
Ann Arbor Life extension would like to proudly announce we will be servicing the following surrounding areas:
Brighton Hormone Replacement Therapy
Saline Hormone Replacement Therapy
Detroit Hormone Replacement Therapy
Ypsilanti Hormone Replacement Therapy
Adrian Hormone Replacement Therapy
Lenawee County Hormone Replacement Therapy
Dearborn Hormone Replacement Therapy
Livonia Hormone Replacement Therapy
Monroe Hormone Replacement Therapy
Monroe County Hormone Replacement Therapy
Mount Clemens Hormone Replacement Therapy
Macomb County Hormone Replacement Therapy
Novi Hormone Replacement Therapy
Pontiac Hormone Replacement Therapy
Oakland County Hormone Replacement Therapy
Port Huron Hormone Replacement Therapy
St. Clair County Hormone Replacement Therapy
Romulus Hormone Replacement Therapy
Royal Oak Hormone Replacement Therapy
Birmingham Hormone Replacement Therapy
Southfield Hormone Replacement Therapy
Sterling Heights Hormone Replacement Therapy
Troy Hormone Replacement Therapy
Warren Hormone Replacement Therapy
West Bloomfield Township Hormone Replacement Therapy
Please call us for a free no-obligation consultation at 734-707-4887 or 888-613-3442 and visit our website at www.aalifex.com.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Are your new yrs weight loss goals being reached?
We are now almost 2 weeks into 2012. How is your weight loss resolution going? Do you feel you are putting the work in but not seeing optimal results? This could be due to a hormonal imbalance. Think of it like this. If your car has a 6 cyliner motor but is only running on 4 you will never get optimal performance out of it. This goes for your body as well. If everything is not systematically in balance no matter how hard you work you will never loose that stubbor body fat.
Let the experts at Ann Arbor Life Extension show you how we can turn your body into a high performance fat burning machine even while you are resting. Who does not want to be burning calories and body fat while doing nothing at all?
Please call us today to speak with one of our patient care coordinators. They will help you to better understand what options are available to not only make you feel great but look it as well.
www.aalifex.com
888-734-3442
Hormones in Blood
Hormones in Blood
Blood levels are sometimes used to test for the secretion of hormones. This can be a complex task because the hormonal levels are ever changing in the bloodstream. It should be noted that just because a hormone is present in the bloodstream does not mean that it will successfully reach the receptor site. Although, the higher concentrations of the hormones in the blood the greater possibility for the hormone to bind to the receptor.
The ideal situation for anabolism is to have a higher number of anabolic hormones in the blood than catabolic hormones. This usually leads to positive cellular adaptions.
Blood levels are sometimes used to test for the secretion of hormones. This can be a complex task because the hormonal levels are ever changing in the bloodstream. It should be noted that just because a hormone is present in the bloodstream does not mean that it will successfully reach the receptor site. Although, the higher concentrations of the hormones in the blood the greater possibility for the hormone to bind to the receptor.
The ideal situation for anabolism is to have a higher number of anabolic hormones in the blood than catabolic hormones. This usually leads to positive cellular adaptions.
In short, the goal of Ann Arbor Life Extension is to properly balance your bodies Bio identical Hormones. When in balance you not only feel and look better but are also a much more efficient fat burning machine. Let AALifeX reverse the aging process which will create a healthier happier you.
888-613-3442
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Nutrition Guidance now available
Ann Arbor Life Extension would like to welcome Kerry & Deb Lind to our team of health professionals. Here is a little on the fabulously fit pair that have joined our team:
Kerry has had an interest in health & nutrition for over twenty years, when he entered into the world of weight lifting, which lead to an amateur career in bodybuilding at the national level. Debbie has been involved in catering & healthy eating for most of her adult life. Together they have studied, experienced & created a way to live in good health through the benefits of quality nutrition, coupled with daily activity. They believe that wellness beginnings with what you eat & in the belief that taking care of your own health, not only enables you to live a full life, but to also help others to do the same. Slowing the aging process, by staying fit, is their goal & living a full life for as long as possible, their mission.
Program Options are as follows:
We offer several ways to help you achieve self efficacy and control over your nutrition for a lifetime.
We structure meal plans based on your individual requirements, health concerns and weight loss goals. These are customized for you and tailored to your needs.
You will learn, by example, how to get the most out of your daily food intake, by using whole foods, prepared in a healthy and delicious manner.
Your plan will be designed to fit your caloric needs, food allergies and intolerance’s, likes and dislikes.
Whether you wish to lose body fat or just learn how to optimize your diet for ultimate health, we can help you reach your goal.
These, well thought out, eating plans will provide you with examples to archive and build upon, as you become educated and empowered to create your own daily plans.
Wellness is a totality of all that you do to make your life rich in satisfaction, accomplishment and fulfillment.
Let us help you to be your very best. Because doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
At Ann Arbor Life Extension we feel one can never truly reach there weight loss and health goals without being given every possible tool available. We not only offer Diet and nutrition but also specialize in Hormone Therapy, Exercise programs, supplement guidance, and many more to come.
Please contact us today for more information.
734-707-4887
www.aalifex.com
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Alcohol Induced Hangover Prevention through Supplementation
If you are reading this book, you are probably interested in life extension and antiaging concepts. Aging makes us increasingly vulnerable to alcohol-induced hangover, liver injury, and damage to the central nervous system. Because alcohol consumption produces toxic compounds and causes vitamin deficiencies, in the best of all possible worlds it would be better not to drink alcohol at all. For those who still want to drink, it is possible to do so more safely. The first piece of advice would be to drink only moderately and follow the preventive measures outlined in this protocol.
Warning: What follows is for those who choose to drink moderately. This advice is not for those who suffer from alcoholism. Simply put, an alcoholic has "lost the power of choice in drink" and is "without defense against the first drink." In short, an alcoholic cannot drink safely. The Foundation is all too aware that an alcoholic may easily misinterpret the following information as a license to drink. It is not. It is only for those who drink by choice and do so in moderation.
The consumption of alcohol results in the formation of two very toxic compounds, acetaldehyde and malondialdehyde. These compounds generate massive free-radical damage to cells throughout the body. The free-radical damage generated by these alcohol metabolites creates an effect in the body similar to that caused by radiation poisoning. That is the reason why people feel so sick the day after consuming too much alcohol. If the proper combination of antioxidants is taken at the time the alcohol is consumed or before the inebriated individual goes to bed, the hangover and much of the cellular damage caused by alcohol may be prevented.
Aging makes us increasingly vulnerable to alcohol-induced hangover, liver injury, and damage to the central nervous system. In the elderly, alcohol- and drug-induced injury are more common and more serious, and recovery is more difficult.
Nutrients that neutralize alcohol byproducts and protect cells against the damaging effects of alcohol include vitamin C, vitamin B1, the amino acids S-allyl-cysteine and glutathione, vitamin E, and selenium (Sprince et al. 1975; Hell et al. 1976; Loguercio et al. 1993; van Zandwijk 1995; Marotta et al. 2001). There are several commercial preparations that can be taken at the time the alcohol is consumed or before bedtime to help prevent a hangover. One of these is called Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants. The ingredients in this formula will help prevent hangover while providing protection against the damaging byproducts of alcohol metabolism.
A study in the journal Alcohol showed how antioxidants could protect against brain damage. The study concluded by stating:
chronic pretreatment with vitamin E prevents alcohol-induced vascular injury and pathology in the brain (Altura et al. 1999).
Another study in the journal Artery confirmed a specific toxic metabolite of alcohol (acetaldehyde) and identified an antidote (N-acetyl-cysteine) (Vasdev et al. 1995). Here is an excerpt:
All known pathways of ethanol metabolism result in the production of acetaldehyde, a highly reactive compound. N-acetyl cysteine, an analogue of the dietary amino acid cysteine, binds acetaldehyde, thus preventing its damaging effect on physiological proteins.
These findings should not surprise anyone who understands that the ingestion of alcohol inflicts massive free-radical damage throughout the body. When a person is exposed to a known toxic substance (such as alcohol), it makes sense to take an antidote (antioxidants) to provide at least partial protection against the short-term (hangover) and long-term (degenerative disease) effects.
Kyolic Garlic Formula 105
Another product that persons who drink alcohol may use is Kyolic Garlic Formula 105. Garlic contains S-allyl-cysteine, a neutralizer of acetaldehyde; this particular Kyolic-brand formula also contains vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium. Because the heavy consumption of alcohol produces many dele-terious effects within the body, including an increased risk of cancer, liver disease, and neurological disease, it is suggested that hangover-prevention formulas such as Kyolic Garlic Formula 105 and/or Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants be taken any time alcohol is consumed.
S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)
Generation of free radicals is one result of ethanol consumption. As has already been discussed, supplementing with the right antioxidants while consuming ethanol significantly reduces consequences of these free radicals throughout the body. Ethanol also depresses an enzyme required to convert methionine into S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) (Mato et al. 1994), resulting in a deficiency of SAMe. Alcohol-induced depletion of SAMe can be overcome by SAMe supplementation which restores hepatic SAMe levels (Lieber 1997; 2000a; 2000b; 2000c).
Supplementation with 400-800 mg of SAMe twice a day will help support healthy liver function. For those who cannot afford SAMe, supplementation with 500 mg of trimethylglycine (TMG, also known as glycine betaine), 800 micrograms of folic acid, and 500 micrograms of vitamin B12, taken twice a day, could help the liver to synthesize S-adenosylmethionine.
Probiotics
One of the reasons that 30% of alcoholics develop cirrhosis may be a leaky gastrointestinal system. According to research (Keshavarzian 1999), another factor might be a gut-derived endotoxin. This would suggest that the use of probiotic substances might aid in the prevention of cirrhosis or other liver damage. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to recolonize the intestinal tract. Intestinal flora (bacteria) help our digestive system absorb nutrients and act as a protective barrier in keeping toxins out. Along with taking a probiotic formula, a supplement to nourish intestinal flora such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) is recommended. FOS helps reduce the formation of toxic liver metabolites and therefore is beneficial to people with chronic liver problems.
Magnesium
Chronic alcohol consumption can constrict arteries in the brain and lead to neurological deficit (Thomson et al. 1988). Daily supplementation with 500-1500 mg of magnesium could help keep cerebral blood vessels open by blocking excess infiltration of calcium into endothelial cells.
Silibinin (Special Milk Thistle Extract)
Those who drink routinely might consider taking at least 500 mg a day of a special milk thistle extract called silibinin, which may have a protective effect on the liver (Flora et al. 1998). Silibinin is the most active constituent of silymarin. In Germany, silibinin is sold as a drug to treat liver diseases.
European Medications
European medications such as Picamilon (50 mg, three times a day) and Pyritinol (200 mg, three times a day) could help prevent and restore neurological function lost because of chronic ethanol intake. An expensive prescription drug called Nimotop (nimodipine), at the dose of 30 mg 3-4 times a day, can slowly repair central nervous system damage caused by excess alcohol intake.
PPC
Alcohol is most commonly associated with liver toxicity. The nutrients contained in Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants and other supplements discussed so far help to protect against hepatic injury. For those who consume large amounts of alcohol (i.e., binge drinkers), a supplement called polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC) is recommended prior to alcohol consumption. The administration of PPC has been shown to provide significant protection against certain forms of alcohol-induced liver injury in animals via several unique mechanisms (Aleynik et al. 1999; Lieber 1997, 2000a; 2000b; 2000c). PPC also reduces gastric irritation (Anand et al. 1999). PPC is the active ingredient in a product called HepatoPro (formerly GastroPro). We suggest that four softgels of HepatoPro be taken prior to heavy alcohol consumption. For light alcohol consumption, two softgels of HepatoPro should be adequate. Each softgel of HepatoPro contains 900 mg of PPC.
A study in Annals of Internal Medicine compiled the enormous cost of lost productivity induced by hangovers (Wiese et al. 2000). Here is an excerpt from this study:
The alcohol hangover is characterized by headache, tremulousness, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue combined with decreased occupational, cognitive, or visual-spatial skill performance. In the United States, related absenteeism and poor job performance cost $148 billion annually (average annual cost per working adult, $2000). Although hangover is associated with alcoholism, most of its cost is incurred by the light-to-moderate drinker. Patients with hangover may pose substantial risk to themselves and others despite having a normal blood alcohol level. Hangover may also be an independent risk factor for cardiac death.
Based on these statistics, hangover causes a significant economic loss in the United States. The staggering cost of alcoholic hangover could be significantly mitigated if drinkers took the right antioxidants before going to bed.
- Drink in moderation if at all.
- To protect the liver from toxic byproducts of alcohol consumption and to eliminate or reduce the effects of hangover, one of the following products may be taken
- Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants, a total of 6 capsules should be taken when consuming alcohol, one for each alcoholic drink and the remainder before bedtime.
- Kyolic Garlic Formula 105, 2-4 capsules may be taken daily for antioxidant protection. For use when consuming alcohol, take 2 capsules every 2 hours that alcohol is being consumed; 4 capsules should also be taken at bedtime.
- SAMe is a metabolite of the essential amino acid L-methionine and is crucial to liver detoxification. SAMe may be depleted in consumers of alcohol because an essential enzyme in its natural production is inhibited. Supplemental SAMe can restore normal levels and protect against liver damage. Take 400-800 mg daily.
- Certain nutrients help raise levels of SAMe in the liver and are an alternative if SAMe supplementation is cost prohibitive.
- Trimethylglycine, TMG, 500 mg daily
- Folic acid, 800 mcg daily
- Vitamin B12, 500 mcg twice daily
- Polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC) helps to detoxify and protect the liver while increasing the bioavailability of other nutrients. HepatoPro (formerly GastroPro) is a soy extract containing pure PPC. Two to four 900 mg capsules immediately before drinking is suggested.
- Milk thistle extract has liver-protecting benefits. Silibinin Plus is a supplement that contains the most biologically active ingredients of silymarin along with other natural substances found in milk thistle. Take 250 mg twice daily for liver protection.
- A probiotic formula will provide digestive enhancement of nutrients while protecting against the absorption of ingested toxins. Take 1 capsule of Life Flora daily. Nutra Flora powder, a fructo-oligosaccharide, will help keep intestinal flora healthy and may improve liver functioning. Take 1 tsp daily mixed with a beverage.
- Magnesium supports arterial health and may help protect against neurovascular damage caused by consumption of alcohol, 500-1500 mg daily.
Erectile Dsyfunction
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a serious, life-altering problem for millions of men. A man’s inability to achieve or maintain an erection is inevitably linked to complex feelings of inadequacy, frustration, and shaken confidence, which may spill over into other areas of his life. The psychological and quality-of-life consequences of ED must not be underestimated.
Since the introduction of Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) in 1998, several other drugs for the treatment of ED have been introduced; it has become clear that ED is far more prevalent than may have been suspected previously. A study conducted in the Boston area from 1987 to 1989 found that 52 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffered some degree of ED (Feldman HA et al 1994). By extrapolation, about 30 million men are affected by ED in the United States (McKay D 2004). And given men’s ever increasing lifespan, it has been further estimated that the incidence of ED worldwide will more than double in the next quarter century (Goldstein I 2000).
Clearly, Viagra® and drugs like it are blockbusters for their manufacturers. They have improved the quality of life for countless millions of men and their partners who might otherwise have faced either years of continued impotence or unpleasant and possibly unsatisfactory alternatives, such as penile implants or penile injections. But these medications have their drawbacks. Despite their resounding success in the marketplace, ED drugs produce a number of side effects (some serious, such as the small risk of blindness) (Akash R et al 2005), and not all men can take them. For about 30 percent of patients, ED drugs don’t work to patients’ satisfaction (Sussman DO 2004). This high failure rate has prompted researchers to search for alternatives.
Over the centuries, countless products have been touted as enhancing male vigor and increasing libido. While the effectiveness of many of these substances cannot be adequately proved or disproved, several candidates have demonstrated some degree of efficacy in controlled human trials.
It may also be important for men to test their blood levels of free testosterone and estradiol (an estrogen). As men age, they often suffer from a deficiency of free testosterone while producing too much estrogen. Sexual desire and performance are strongly affected by these hormones. The good news is that there are safe ways of increasing free testosterone and reducing excess estrogen, which can lead to a significant improvement in a man’s sexual satisfaction.
Anatomy of an Erection
The penis is largely under the control of the central nervous system. The features that allow erection to occur consist of spongy columns of tissue known as the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum. When these specialized tissues engorge with blood, erection is achieved. This process, however, is quite complicated, involving complex interactions among psychological and physical stimuli and chemical signals, as well as a shifting balance between inhibitory and excitatory forces.
During sexual stimulation, the brain sends signals that result in the release of nitric oxide by parasympathetic neurons in the penis. Penile endothelial cells are also stimulated to release nitric oxide. As nitric oxide diffuses into the smooth-muscle cells lining the arteries of the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum, it stimulates the activation of an enzyme called guanylate cyclase. This enzyme produces cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which prompts the smooth muscles of penile arteries to relax, allowing more blood to flow into the spongy tissues of the penis. Simultaneously, blood return via penile veins is restricted, trapping blood in the organ, resulting in engorgement and erection.
Eventually, cGMP is broken down by phosphodiesterase type 5 enzymes (PDE5). When this occurs, the erection subsides; blood flow returns to normal, and the penis resumes its normal flaccid state. The chain of events leading to erection presents several opportunities for intervention in the treatment of ED. Increasing the availability of nitric oxide is one, while decreasing the activity of PDE5 is another.
Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra® (vardenafil), for instance, are selective inhibitors of PDE5. By inhibiting the degradation of cGMP, which is the direct intracellular mediator of the nitric oxide pathway, these drugs promote better erections—but not without side effects and risks. For example, all the drugs in this class are contraindicated for men taking nitric oxide–donor drugs, such as organic nitrates for cardiovascular conditions. Mixing these drugs may result in dangerously low blood pressure. Viagra® may temporarily affect color vision and in rare cases may cause blindness (Akash R et al 2005). And any of these drugs may induce a sustained erection that does not subside after more than four hours—a potentially damaging condition known as priapism. Less-severe side effects commonly associated with this class of drugs include headaches, nasal congestion, and flushing (Gresser U et al 2002).
Testosterone Therapy for ED
Testosterone is well known as the primary “male hormone.” In aging men with ED, returning testosterone to youthful levels appears to make perfect sense, given testosterone’s association with vigor, libido, and masculinity. However, the actual situation is more complicated.
While it is fairly well established that testosterone plays a role in libido, or sexual desire, its precise contribution to erectile function remains unclear (Martinez-Jabaloyas JM et al 2006; Mikhail N 2006; Traish AM et al 2006). ED occurs in men with normal or moderately low levels of testosterone, so it cannot be concluded that testosterone is the primary modulator of erectile function.
But among men diagnosed with hypogonadism—a condition characterized by abnormally low testosterone—erections do, in fact, improve after testosterone supplementation. For these men with ED, testosterone therapy is recommended to maintain secondary sex characteristics and restore erectile function (Bhasin S et al 2006). Recent evidence suggests that “a significant proportion of men [older than] 60 years of age have biochemical hypogonadism” (Caretta N et al 2005).
Testosterone replacement therapy has also been recommended as a second-line approach to treatment of ED when prescription medications alone have failed and when prostate cancer has been ruled out (Mikhail N 2006; Rosenthal BD et al 2006; Yassin AA 2006; Morales A et al 2004). As an added bonus, new data suggest that testosterone tends to reduce inflammation, a chronic condition associated with aging and degenerative processes (Maggio M 2005).
However, it is important to note that because of testosterone’s role in encouraging the growth of certain types of prostate cancer, supplementation with this hormone is not without risk. Among patients with advanced prostate cancer, current therapies are actually designed to suppress testosterone rather than boost it (Altwein J et al 2006; Berges R et al 2006). But testosterone therapy appears to be safe and beneficial for men who are free of prostate cancer.
The bottom line is this: aging men who don’t respond to other ED treatments may benefit from testosterone-boosting therapy. In these patients, restoring testosterone to youthful levels may actually be the key to restoring normal erectile function (Gooren LJ et al 2006).
Testosterone replacement should be explored with caution. It is crucial to rule out prostate cancer before considering testosterone therapy. Once prostate health is established, a physician may prescribe testosterone replacement therapy. But an alternative approach exists that doesn’t require a drug prescription. It is possible to increase circulating testosterone levels by preventing the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the body.
At Ann Arbor Life Extension our group of medical professionals are here to help. We offer multiple programs including supplement therapy, HRT, and ED medications to treat moderate to severe cases of Erectile Dysfunction. If you feel you could benefit from one of our programs, would like to perform better in bed, and would like to be more confident during sexual situations please call us today.
888-613-3442
www.aalifex.com
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