SMART GIRLS – LISTEN UP!
In TODAY’S world, it’s more important than ever to pay ATTENTION to your BODY and what it is trying to tell YOU. This cannot be stressed enough. We were made so perfectly, (Girls, that is – ha-ha) “Sugar and Spice and Everything nice.” Right? Well, if our bodies are out of BALANCE, especially our HORMONES… WRONG! In that case, that little old saying could not be further from the truth. When we are tired, fussy, forgetful, overweight, out of shape and ready to BLOW and RAGE at something or someone for no reason at all, the last word that comes to mind is nice. No, when this happens, it isn’t a pretty picture; I have been there so many times and I want to share with you what I have learned from my journey of hormone imbalance. So, what’s a SMART GIRL suppose to do, and where does she begin? A SMART GIRL is proactive and takes charge of her life and her health, so let’s get started.
I started this tradition with my daughter three years ago and I call it, “My Hormonious Day.” We make a girl’s day out of it; we have lunch at a special place, then go home or to the movie theatre and watch a chick flick or comedy.
Call and schedule an appointment with your GYN physician for an annual exam and ask them to run the following tests:
Please feel free to print this list:
Thyroid Tests:
TSH
Free T-3 and Free T-4
TPO- to check for thyroid anti-bodies
Adrenal Test:
Cortisol – This should be drawn at 8am and again at 4pm to get an accurate assessment.
Hormone Panel:
Estrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone
DHEA
IGF-1 (This is your Human Growth Hormone level)
Note: One thing to remember about Hormone Blood Level results is this; if you are told that everything is in THE NORMAL RANGE, but you still just don’t feel like yourself and you know that something is just not right, I want you to know this; you are not crazy and should start looking for someone that can help you get to feeling better and back on track with feeling like “you” again.
That’s what SMART GIRLS do.
Complete Metabolic Blood Panel
Make sure you ask them to include your cholesterol levels in the blood work.
Vitamin D level – very important! (Optimal Vitamin D levels should be 45 and 70) I will share an informational video on this topic soon.
C-Reactive Protein Level
At the end of the appointment I make sure I ask the nurse to mail copies of the test results to me. This way I can reference back to and research what I need to if there is something that needs to be addressed. I have a “special” file folder that I keep these records in; it’s pretty and pink. Okay, It’s a girl thing, but it does make it easy to spot visually.
This is a great place to start and the results will give you a good gauge of your overall health. What you do with the information you learn is up to you. I, myself, find empowerment in knowing I have control over my body, my hormones and my health.
Be good to yourself and your body, you deserve it.
