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 How we help our male patients improve quality of life as they experience andropause.

 Peter J. 52, my long time patient filled out his usual Patient's Health Intake Form. He pressed the pencil against the paper and marked the line "Reason For Visit" as "not sure". And he really said he was not sure. 

However, after a couple of words with my dear patient I noticed that he seemed to be quite concerned.  Peter shared with me that even though he did not have any major complaints; his life quality has changed within the last couple of years. He said that after trying many different things on his own he decided to face his fears, so to say, and share them with me, his physician.

Further he admitted that he did not feel like he used to before, just even two years ago and he did not recognize himself from the man he knew, at least not until lately. Having a great sense of humor, he made a couple of jokes describing how he felt in a restaurant after just two drinks and an appetizer. He said that while everyone around him were just starting out, he, in most cases would be ready to call it a night, and just only think about a nap on the sofa. 

Then he humbly admitted that his mood changes quite often during the day "like he was a menopausal woman", he said.  Further, he complained of forgetting things, which never happened to him before. Lastly, he confessed that he did not have a sexual drive as he used to have just even a year ago.

By Dr. Alexander Goldberg

Are you tired of diets, quick fixes, miracle supplements, surgeries and food plans promising you weight loss solutions? You are not alone.

As it is stated in Psychology Today,”Practically anyone can lose weight. But those who keep it off are rare species. Theirs is not an entirely phenomenon—they stay slim by maintaining the behaviors that got them there. They eat healthier foods, decrease portion sizes and exercise. But how, exactly, do they keep it up? The answer suggests a psychological overhaul as much as a physical one.”

It is true that unless you make a commitment to a psychological makeover your weight loss program will not work. First, try to determine why you eat and how you use food. Do you live to eat or eat to live?

Attitude is everything. When you crave something, it is very often not because you are hungry, it’s because you are stressed, bored, anxious, feeling lonely, confused, threatened or are just thinking about something and want it.

Here are some things that could work to overcome cravings:

1.       Recognize your triggers.

2.      Ask yourself if you are truly hungry.

3.      If you are hungry, choose a healthy option.

4.      If you really want what you really want, chose a smaller portion of it.

5.      Distract yourself with a pleasurable activity.  Really open your eyes to something beautiful around you like flowers, trees etc, and just observe for a minute.

6.      Avoid using food as a reward.

7.      Plan and visualize your response to parties when there is pressure to eat larger quantities.

8.      Check with your doctor for underlying medical conditions, such as hormonal imbalance.

9.      Join a supervised program. This helps to get back on the wagon every time you fall off.

10.    Do not ever punish yourself or give up trying.

Look up Dr. Phil’s “Ultimate Weight Loss Solution: the 7 Keys to Freedom” to better understand the psychology of weight loss. Psychology Today also has an excellent article about mastering the motivation and inspiration to stick to your goals. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200401/weight-loss-and-faulty-thinking.

Healthy lifestyle starts with your mindset. Breaking old patterns can free you to be slim by choice.

Studies show that cruciferous vegetables protect against Cancer.

Despite the name, cruciferous vegetables have nothing to do with religion. Actually, they are simply the category of vegetables that include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. According to the science know-it-alls, these little veggies neutralize dangerous breakdown products of estrogen that promote cancer growth. Not only that ­– they contain I3C (indole-3-carbinol). It’s recommended that if you want to restore youthful hormone balance, make sure to obtain enough I3C by eating these types of vegetables, or if you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, get a hold of some supplements.

Here’s how it works: there are two types of estrogen metabolite, one is good, but the other is bad. The good one is called 2-hydroxyestrone and the bad one is 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone. The latter promotes breast cancer and other cancers. So, if your body obtains 2-hydroxyestrone, your risk of cancer decreases; if contains 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone, your risk of cancer increases.

Additionally, after scientists analyzed data from 10,000 Italian women (we’re not sure why Italian), they concluded that the estrogen metabolized via the 2-hydroxyestrone pathway could prevent tumor growth. Furthermore, the study conducted at the University of California at Berkley documented that I3C, in combination with the anti-estrogenic chemotherapeutic agent, tamoxifen, suppresses the growth of human breast cancer cells by an astounding 90%. The National Cancer Institute determined that I3C was superior to 80 other natural substances with regard to anti-cancer potential.