DHEA: the "anti-aging hormone"

“Dehydroepiandrosterone” is quite a mouthful. Maybe that's why we call this hormone “DHEA” for short. Whatever you choose to call it, it's the most prevalent steroid hormone in the body, and like progesterone, may be metabolized into other key hormones to achieve proper balance. DHEA levels tend to decrease once a person hits thirty years old, dropping more dramatically as you age. Lowered levels of DHEA have been associated with a range of diseases, including AIDS, anorexia, kidney disease, type-2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and others – which clearly indicates that the more optimal a person's DHEA level, the healthier he or she is. This has caused some to call DHEA the “anti-aging” hormone, since the gradual decline in the body's DHEA level often corresponds with the degenerative diseases that come with aging.

Restoring the body to its youthful level of DHEA has been shown to help with a multitude of problems, among them depression, obesity, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, immune system dysfunction, chronic fatigue, and cognitive decline. Ongoing studies continue to extensively test DHEA's benefits. To ensure safety, it should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health pracitioner, and not used by pregnant or nursing women or by those taking certain medications.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Obesity

It's no coincidence that our nation's rate of obesity – and related diseases such as diabetes – has skyrocketed since the 1970s, when high fructose corn syrup became a mainstay of the American diet. A sweetener manufactured as a cheap replacement for sugar, it's everywhere: in the things you'd expect it to be in (soft drinks, cookies, ice cream) and some places you may not expect (canned soup, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, cranberry juice).

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is metabolized differently than sugar, blocking the action of insulin, which is responsible for regulating the body's use and storage of sugar for energy. It stimulates the appetite and lessens our ability to recognize when we're full, leading to weight gain – and contributes to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. HFCS is processed by the liver, which has difficulty metabolizing large amounts of it; this increased workload ultimately puts the liver at risk.

To cut down on your family's intake of HFCS, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Read labels – even on products that aren't sweet.

• Avoid fast food, as it can contain lots of HFCS.

• Watch what you're drinking – most sweet beverages (including a lot of fruit juices) contain HFCS. When in doubt, drink water.

• Just because a product is labeled “natural” doesn't mean it's free of HFCS!

Rejuvena Long-term Weight Management System: combination hCG and Food Sensitivity Testing

What is hCG?
hCG stands for human chorionic gondadotropin, which is a substance that occurs naturally in human tissue, most notably in the bodies of pregnant women. When used to help combat obesity, hCG is generally in synthetic form. Do not confuse hCG with hGH, which his human growth hormone.

Is hCG approved by the FDA?
Although the FDA has not yet specifically approved hCG for the purpose of weight loss, it is approved for a variety of conditions. Several well-known studies have shown the effectiveness of hCG for the treatment of obesity, and as it is proven by similar studies and its success becomes more widely recognized, it may someday be FDA-approved for weight loss. However, based upon a single poorly controlled study, the FDA currently states that hCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, or that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

History behind the diet
Unlike many flash-in-the-pan, “miracle diet” schemes, the hCG diet is time-tested; in fact, the first published study on the use of hCG for weight loss came out in 1954. The person responsible for discovering this phenomenon was A.T.W. Simeons, M.D., a brilliant and accomplished British physician. While practicing medicine in Rome, he devoted years to the study of obesity. Dr. Simeons was one of the first to examine obesity as a physical disorder, not a mental or emotional disorder as had been previously suggested. He observed that, when given hCG injections, his patients not only lost weight but experienced a reshaping of their bodies as well.

Though Dr. Simeons’ initial report garnered quite a bit of attention at the time of its publication, the concept of the hCG diet didn’t really “catch on” until a bestselling book extolling its virtues was published by Kevin Trudeau in 2007. Since then, it has enjoyed renewed awareness, which seems to increase as more and more success stories surface.

How the diet works?
Excess fat is stored so that it can be used for fuel in case we find ourselves facing starvation; it’s the body’s way of ensuring its survival. That might have been an asset in the days of our prehistoric ancestors, but today we’re lucky to have an abundance of food available – which means that our excess fat stores just keep piling up.

hCG is designed to be a sort of protective mechanism. If a pregnant woman doesn’t take in enough calories to support the growth and nourishment of her baby, hCG mobilizes stored fat, breaking it down to make sure that the body has an adequate amount of calories at its disposal. During the hCG diet, your calorie intake will be very low, around 500 calories per day – so the body is prompted to use hCG to metabolize its stored fat as an energy source, just as it would during pregnancy.

On the hCG diet, your stored fat will be continually released into the body. That means you’ll never lack energy; despite taking in very few calories, your body is actually operating on thousands of calories’ worth of burned fat stores. That’s why it’s possible for hCG dieters to lose multiple pounds of fat per day.

Since hCG appears to work primarily on areas where extra adipose tissue, or fat, has accumulated, it tends to work on bulkier parts first: the lower abdomen, hips, thighs, and double chins. This leads to a reshaping of the body, even without exercise (we ALWAYS encourage exercise)). hCG doesn’t diminish necessary “structural” fat – such as the subcutaneous fat that gives the face a smooth look – only the places where fat is found in excess.

Why we test for hidden food sensitivities?
The last part of our weight loss program is designed to help you decide what foods to eat and which ones to avoid going forward. A healthy, organic whole food diet can still contain foods that are problematic for you. From a simple blood test, a detailed report is provided to you as a recommended guide for future eating. The test identifies your food sensitivities. Food sensitivities cause symptoms that are not always immediately seen upon eating. They can occur hours or even days after ingestion. Gas, bloating, fluid retention (ruling out cardiovascular origin), fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, and joint pain are common symptoms that can be related to food sensitivities. Eating a diet free of these foods can ensure even longer results, at the same time, decrease your chances of developing chronic disease.