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Sara Gottfried MD
  • Home
  • About Dr Sara
    • Media
    • Contact
  • Books
    • The Younger Book
    • Brain Body Diet Book
    • Hormone Reset Diet Book
    • The Hormone Cure Book
  • Upcoming Events
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Women’s Health
    • Hormones
    • Weight Loss
    • Cleanse
    • Stress Management

Posts by Dr. Sara and David Gottfried

Kickstarting Health in the Gottfried Home: Our Morning Rituals

By Dr. Sara and David Gottfried | December 11, 2017

Do you race out of bed to get your morning caffeine, or do you meditate quietly for thirty minutes? Do you take the time to eat a nutritious breakfast, or consciously skip it as you rush out the door? What measurements or supplementation, if any, do you perform or take each morning? In the Gottfried…

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PRAISE

“For the first time in my adult life I feel that I have gained control over food. I feel healthier, look better and have gained an interest in making sure that what I am putting into my body is the best it can be. And I lost 10 pounds in all the right places.”

– Janice Lunde, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“Dr. Sara is the height of excellence! She is incredibly knowledgeable and gives very generously of her time. I feel so blessed to have been able to work with her.”

– Yvonne Varah

“You don’t have to settle for being stressed out, binging on sugar and chocolate, and aging prematurely. Stop blaming yourself and step into sacred action. It’s your birthright. You can have the joyous, mission-driven life you want, and Dr. Sara is here to show us how.”

– Marci Shimoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason

“Dr. Gottfried offers powerful and effective tools for addressing the most difficult health issues facing women and men today. She is warm and kind and has so much experience to draw upon, it’s inspiring. Thank you Dr. S!”

– Cassandra Mick

“Dr. Sara Gottfried is a modern-day healer goddess if ever there was one, and she also happens to be a Harvard Medical School graduate and rigorous physician-scientist.”

– Christiane Northrup MD, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

“Dr. Gottfried’s book and detox came at a time when I was ready to give in to old age. Hot flashes, low energy and libido, weight gain, increasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels were unacceptable to me. I now know that hormone levels and what I eat are a huge influence on how I feel and look. To now be able to control something that was out of control is empowering…”

Cheryl V., Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“My health coach told me about your book and I took the [hormone] test, and lo and behold, I found I was a mess, hormonally speaking. Now I’m getting on track and I love your videos and your book. I feel like I’m getting my life back again, when not long ago I truly thought I was losing it!”

-Tracy, Registered Nurse

“You don’t have to accept the hormonal hell of being tired, stressed, overweight, and never in the mood for sex as you grow older. In her fabulous new book, the brilliant Dr. Gottfried gives you an effective, easy-to-follow plan to balance your hormones and become lean, energetic, and loving life again. Stop settling and reclaim your sexy!”

–JJ Virgin, Author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy and The Virgin Diet

“I lost 10 lbs., reset my hormones and metabolism and eliminated my sugar cravings! I have also found that I respond to stress much differently, I feel it, notice it and move on from it. Stress no longer has a grip on me. Dr. Sara’s conference calls and detox information was invaluable. I am so grateful for this program. Thank you Dr. Sara!”

–Sophia, Dr. Sara’s Detox Challenge Participant

“The Hormone Cure is the playbook for your mojo, your mind, and your bootie. With every chapter I thought, ‘So THAT’s how that works.’ I wanted to call every girlfriend and give them the goods on how to glow… now and always.”

-Danielle LaPorte, Author of The Fire Starter Sessions and The Desire Map

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saragottfriedmd

Precision medicine, performance + optimal health, NYT bestselling author & physician

Sara Gottfried M.D.
Natural solutions for PMS. I am careful not to ove Natural solutions for PMS. I am careful not to overpathologize PMS because often women who are people-pleasers—who overprovide, overfunction, overaccommodate—may speak their truth during the luteal phase when they say things they wouldn’t normally during the rest of their cycle. However, when patients come to me saying they are suffering because of their PMS, then this is what I advise. As I discussed in yesterday’s post, in certain women with PMS, progesterone resistance may be an issue rather than low progesterone, and the way progesterone interacts with the GABA receptors in the brain. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) has sedative qualities. Progesterone literally soothes you when you get enraged. In certain women with PMS, progesterone after ovulation changes the GABA receptor so that it is no longer able to respond to progesterone. Since the progesterone is supposed to unlock the door, and the lock is jammed, there’s no calm for you in the luteal phase. Enter PMS. All bets are off—and more progesterone doesn’t open the door, although a more nuanced approach might unlock the door. Here’s what works for PMS: 💊Nutraceuticals as shown in the slides above. 🚶‍♀️Regular exercise like brisk walking helps. It’s the frequency not the intensity that is shown to help. 🧘Acupuncture, homeopathy and visualization have all been shown in randomized trials to help PMS. 🌿Botanicals: ⚈Chasteberry (vitex) has 5 randomized trials showing its effectiveness for PMS ⚈Saffron - less proven than chasteberry but saffron is a safe option for depression, painful periods, and PMS ⚈St. John’s wort: a randomized trial showed that the combination of this botanical and chasteberry was effective for PMS in perimenopausal women. You can find the full Gottfried protocol for PMS in my book THE HORMONE CURE What’s worked for you? #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency
What is progesterone resistance? I will talk fir What is progesterone resistance? I will talk first about the specifics of hormone resistance and then continue tomorrow with the focus on solutions for PMS. Hormone Resistance. Sometimes what you FEEL is not reflected in the blood, urine, or saliva level of a hormone. Your felt experience correlates with the hormone levels inside your cells, and especially inside the nucleus of your cells, which is where your hormones interact with your DNA (your genetic code). You see, most hormones have receptors on the cell nucleus, and if your hormone receptors are jammed, it doesn’t really matter what your hormone levels are outside of the nucleus or outside of the cell (in the blood, urine, or saliva). Hormone resistance has been documented for multiple hormones, such as insulin, cortisol, thyroid and the hormone we are focusing on today: progesterone. We don’t understand fully why some women have more progesterone resistance (jammed locks) than others. In women with PMS, the best evidence points to a problem between progesterone, GABA, and serotonin interaction. Science shows that PMS is the result of the poorly synchronized interplay among four entities: progesterone, allopregnanolone (a derivative of progesterone), and in the brain, the GABA and serotonin pathways. It’s a complicated neurohormonal mix that results in progesterone “resistance,” which is why topping off your progesterone may not be the answer. Your body may respond better to a solution that addresses upstream causes—including precursors, such as vitamin B6, that help you make serotonin, or chasteberry (see yesterday’s post) that alters progesterone sensitivity, as well as lifestyle techniques to calm your brain. More on PMS solutions tomorrow. For those with coping with PMS, did taking progesterone help your symptoms? #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency #testosterone #lowtestosterone
A very common question on the previous post asked A very common question on the previous post asked about natural solutions to increase progesterone in the body. Here’s an overview of the protocols I offer to my patients. If you know that you have a problem with low progesterone then I highly recommend that you read the Low Progesterone chapter in my book THE HORMONE CURE #linkinbio. It is a detailed deep-dive into all the evidence-based strategies currently available for addressing progesterone imbalance. Chapter 5, pages 121-149. It is important to note that treating progesterone deficiency is more complicated than adding more hormone to the equation. Some women have progesterone resistance. I will discuss that tomorrow and how it impacts the development of endometriosis, but for now, some solutions that you were asking for😍 Your goal for progesterone is 10 to 25 ng/mL. ◾Vitamin C: This works in surprisingly low doses. Doses as low as 750 to 1000 mg/day have been shown to raise progesterone levels. ◾Chasteberry aka Vitex: Average dose is 500 to 1,000 mg/day. We don't fully understand how it works (see slide above for more details) but we do know this botanical has a good safety profile with over sixty years of clinical research behind it, including 5 randomized trials. ◾Saffron: less proven than chasteberry in women with symptoms of low progesterone, but a safe option for depression, painful periods, and PMS. More on PMS tomorrow. ◾Other supplements: Calcium Magnesium Vitamin B1, B2, B6, D In your younger years or in the premenopausal stage, your ovaries still may be able to produce progesterone, but might need a nudge. Once you’ve had your final period and a year has passed (definition of menopause), topical or oral progesterone is the best choice if hormone therapy is needed but the endometrium must be fully protected. #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency #testosterone #lowtestosterone
Did you know that low or slow progesterone is the Did you know that low or slow progesterone is the second most common hormone imbalance experienced by women over 35? Did you know that declining progesterone, not estrogen, is responsible for most of the hormonal havoc of women in perimenopause? What is going on? You can’t consider progesterone without discussing estrogen. These two hormones are designed to be in proper proportion, shifting rhythmically back and forth over the course of the menstrual cycle. However, when your progesterone is low (due to low levels or progesterone resistance), estrogen dominates. The consequences can be rage, headaches, cysts, miserable periods, and sleep disorders. Progesterone is important for your overall sense of equilibrium or well-being and it balances out estrogen. I like to say that progesterone provides contentment, a feeling that many of us lose when we enter into perimenopause. Do you agree? Some of the common symptoms of low progesterone are: 🔹PMS 🔹Irregular menstrual cycles 🔹Flooding and spotting 🔹Fibrocystic breasts 🔹Subfertility 🔹Cyclic headaches 🔹Disrupted sleep patterns 🔹Night sweats 🔹Anxiety The most common problem with progesterone and its derivatives is PMS. I am going to deal with that in a separate post as there is a lot to say. I will also talk about mood and the progesterone, GABA, and serotonin interaction. Plus of course tips and advice on ways to balance progesterone levels. What other topics related to progesterone would you like to hear about? I will try to cover them in the upcoming posts. #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency #testosterone #lowtestosterone
I am often asked how you know if you have a hormon I am often asked how you know if you have a hormone imbalance. Some of the most common signs are: 🟢Weight gain: a sign of excess cortisol (the main stress hormone), too much estrogen relative to progesterone, and low thyroid function. Each leads to fatty deposits at different places: cortisol at the belly, excess estrogen at the hips, and thyroid all over. Insulin also involved! 🟢Hair loss: a sign that your thyroid is off, particularly from the head, eyelashes, and outer third of the brows 🟢Low sex drive: about 70 percent of low libido is hormonal, related to the crosstalk between testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, and cortisol. 🟢Belly fat: high cortisol and insulin block make you deposit fat preferentially at your waist 🟢Cold hands and feet: low thyroid function diverts resources away from nonessential activities like thermogenesis (heat production and fat burning). 🟢Sluggish bowels: low thyroid can also make you experience sluggish digestion, fewer bowel movements, and constipation. 🟢Moodiness and anxiety: when the control system for your hormones is off, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal -thyroid-gonads-gut axis, you can feel anxious, depressed, or a combination of the two. Half of people with depression have high cortisol. My most recent series of posts covered estrogen, cortisol and the thyroid. Scroll back for lots of info and advice on how to bring those three into balance or pick up a copy of THE HORMONE CURE. Coming up, I’m going to talk about low progesterone followed by testosterone. Hands up 🙋if you know that testosterone is the most abundant hormone in women? More on that soon😍 #hormone #hormonehealth #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #hormones #hormonesupport #hormonebalancing #hormonereplacementtherapy #hormonetherapy #hormonereplacement #hormonehealing #hormonereset #healthyhormones #hormonen #hormoneoptimization #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalhealth #hormonalbalance #progesterone #progesteronedeficiency #testosterone #lowtestosterone
Navigating stress is so crucial to natural hormone Navigating stress is so crucial to natural hormone balance. As countless studies have shown, chronic adrenal stress affects the proper functioning of your hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which direct the production of thyroid hormone. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis controls cortisol levels. Similarly, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis is modulated by levels of cortisol and melatonin (and their circadian rhythm), which then affect thyroid levels. Too much stress throws off this delicate balance; in folks with excess cortisol, there’s a proportional decrease in thyroid function. When you have excess cortisol, your body does not respond appropriately to TSH. That may weaken your gut’s ability to absorb the micronutrients—including copper, zinc, and selenium—that you need most to make thyroid hormones. When it comes to the thyroid, tenacious stress causes you to make less free T3, the active thyroid hormone, and too much reverse T3, which blocks thyroid-hormone receptors. Mainstream doctors believe that high reverse T3 is mostly found in hospitalized patients and chronic disease. However, I commonly find high reverse T3 in my clients, who are neither sick nor hospitalized but coping with stressful, ordinary lives. I recommend checking your cortisol as both high and low cortisol affects how much T3 you make. Scroll to the second image above for a quick yoga exercise that does double duty of stimulating the thyroid while the breathing calms and centers your mind. #yogaeverydamnday #thyroid #thyroidhealing #thyroidproblems #thyroidhealth #thyroidweightloss #thyroiddisease #thyroidawareness #hypothyroidism #hyperthyroid #hashimoto #hashimotosdisease #hashimotothyroiditis #hormonebalance #hormoneimbalance #reverset3 #cortisol #cortisolcontrol #hpaaxis #hpaaxisdysregulation
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