A timely and well written book is now available as a free download.  Written by Dr. Aaron Tabor, it offers evidence based medical tips about helping to prevent breast cancer.  I would highly recommend reading this book to all patients.  The book is available for download at no cost:

 http://www.fightBCnow.com

 The book empowers one to fight cancer proactively through diet and lifestyle changes based on the latest medical research. For example, switching  to a low-glycemic diet can reduce relative risk by over 250%.   Doctors don’t have time to share this information with their patients so it is critical that we educate others now.

John A. Sunyecz, M.D.

The perimenopause is a confusing time for women. The perimenopause is a distinct transition between the reproductive years and cessation of menses. This article will hopefully help to explain and offer treatment options for this often frustrating transition. The World Health Organization defines the onset of the perimenopause as the beginning of menstrual cycle changes. Early perimenopause changes include the first break in regular cycling of menses. Late perimenopause is classified after missing 3 to 11 months of menses, while menopause is reached after 12 months of no menstrual flow. Women usually notice the onset of perimenopause symptoms during their 40’s and irregularities usually persist for approximately 5 years.

The range of perimenopause symptom duration may be quite variable, from 2 to 8 years, or even longer. In general, the later in life that perimenopause symptoms begin, the shorter the transition to menopause. The hormonal changes taking place probably represent the major cause of symptoms experienced. These changes can produce many symptoms that are traditionally thought to only occur after menopause.

Contrary to popular belief, the perimenopause may be associated with elevations of estrogen levels. However, these elevations are generally followed by abrupt falls in estrogen levels. The constantly changing hormone levels of the perimenopause can precipitate significant hot flashes and night sweats. The ‘peaks and valleys’ of estrogen production during the hormonal ‘roller coaster’ invariably contribute to these symptoms. Other medical conditions commonly seen during the perimenopause years that can mimic these symptoms are thyroid irregularities and diabetes.

Read more…

Weight gain is a common symptom of menopause… ok so it is more than just common. There are very few women that do not gain weight during menopause, and the lucky few still complain of weight redistribution (extra weight around the belly and waistline). Unfortunately, this is not good news, because abdominal fat is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, cancers, and heart disease.
More information to follow in my newsletter on the Big Belly Theory!

Bacteria and the Colon: A Healthy Relationship

When we hear the word “bacteria” our response is typically: it’s bad. However, there are certain forms of bacteria that are “good” and, in fact, that we need in our bodies in order to stay healthy.

These bacteria are typically housed in our digestive system, specifically, the colon. There they function to:

• Prevent the harmful forms of bacteria from multiplying
• Prevent disease from spreading from the colon across the body
• Assist with digestion of carbohydrates that haven’t been fully broken down earlier in the digestive process
• Strengthen and aid the immune system
• Alleviate constipation
• Prevent diarrhea
• Produce vitamins – such as Vitamin K – for healthy functioning of the body
• Produce hormones to help with effective bodily processes

If we don’t have these beneficial bacteria or we don’t have sufficient quantities of them, we are likely to be unhealthy and become ill.

It may be surprising, but there are between 300 and 1000 different species of bacteria – 500 is the number most commonly cited. However, the majority of the bacteria probably stem from only 30 or 40 different species with the most common bacteria genera being: Bacteroides, Clostridium, Fusobacterium, Eubacterium, Ruminococcus, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, and Bifidobacterium. Read more…