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Hormones are chemicals that serve as messengers between cells. They enable the stomach to tell the brain that you have had enough to eat, the thyroid tell all cells to increase their metabolism, and the brain to tell the ovaries that it’s time to release an egg. This truly is a web, as none of these hormones exists independently from another. When there is trouble with one hormone, we know that there must be trouble with another. That’s why women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) may be put on Metformin, which lowers blood glucose. By treating the glucose imbalance, we also see that testosterone comes back into balance, which is so important for these women suffering from facial hair and acne. Metformin is just a band-aid, of course, and does not treat the cause. This is just an example.

Tack: When outside this summer, cover your head and wear white socks, which makes the ticks more visible. When in deep woods, tuck your pants into your socks.

 Toe: Although ticks live in the brush, they may attach to your legs and climb up. Be sure to inspect loved ones when they come in from the outdoors, checking not only the sockline, legs, and ankles, but also under undergarments and the hairline. Comb hair thoroughly. Pets can also bring ticks into the home, so keep them in areas of shorter grass and groom regularly. Pets can also become infected themselves.

 Many cases of Lyme disease are arrested early by a 6-week regimen of antibiotics. Your doctor may start this right away if you present with a deer tick or the characteristic bullseye rash; testing is sadly unreliable and will show negative values until a few weeks after the bite occurred.

 Fortunately, by September rates of this disease drop dramatically. Until home page then, be careful!

Whether you’re baking brownies for the band booster or a pumpkin pie for the family, baking doesn’t have to be all bad. We know that desserts have a lot of calories, but the fattening part might not be what you think. In the latter part of the 20th century, many Americans thought that eating fat caused us to become fat. Fat does have more calories per bite than other energy sources. But, due to the ability of sugar to raise your blood sugar, it’s actually the carbohydrates (sugars) that cause weight gain. This is the premise behind the low carb diet. So instead of making a low-fat dessert loaded with sugar, opt for the lower-guilt foods that don’t have sugar. Here are two simple ways to do just that. See my next blog for the answer.

June and July are the top months for contraction of Lyme disease; however, the month of August still presents a threat of this disease.

 Tick: Not all ticks transmit Lyme disease. In our area, deer tick is the vector for this disease, and it is only the size of a pinhead. The deer tick lives on deer and mice, and favors wood piles and high grass, so be sure to keep your pathways mown. Larger ticks that are easily seen are not a risk. Should you get bit, remove the tick with the head intact. The sooner the tick is removed, the less likely the risk of transmission of Lyme disease. Be sure to remove the tick whole. Ticks can be removed by tweezers, but if the tick is feeding, a special tick remover may be helpful. These can be purchased at camping stores. Save the tick in a jar and take it with you to your physician.

Melatonin is a strong antioxidant. An antioxidant is something that helps keep cells healthy and young. Healthy and youthful cells don’t get cancer, so it’s no surprise that melatonin, being a strong antioxidant, is used in the support of patients with cancer. Did you know that every time you get the sleep you need you are supporting you body’s own levels of melatonin? You are!