Women

 As women age their bodies’ levels of hormones gradually begin to decline.  By age 40, at least one-third of women have deficient levels of growth hormone; estrogen and progesterone levels begin falling as they enter menopause- the biological process in which the ovaries reduce their production of female sex hormones; testosterone (produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands) and thyroid hormone also decline during this time The average age for menopause is 51, but typically the range runs from 45 to 55.  At this time profound degenerative changes occur throughout the body.   Typically, the ovaries begin to decline in hormone production during the mid 30’s. When a woman is in her late 40’s the process accelerates and hormones fluctuate even more, causing irregular menstrual cycles and unpredictable episodes of heavy bleeding. By her early to mid 50’s, a woman’s period ends altogether. By this time estrogen production has slowed significantly causing an onset of changes in the body.
No matter what your age, if your female hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and even testosterone) are unbalanced, you may suffer ill effects such as hot flashes, night sweats, depression, vaginal dryness, fatigue, and weight gain.
 Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women typically involves replenishing estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone and DHEA levels to optimum safe ranges (comparable to when you we’re in your mid-late 20’s). As a result, the symptoms of menopause can be alleviated or prevented all together. In the long term, HRT also helps protect a woman from heart disease, osteoporosis, and memory loss.
Suzanne Somers books “The Sexy Years”, “AGELESS” and “Breakthrough” is good references on the benefits of what HRT can do for women.

 HGH & GHRH

Dr Odom utilizes HGH and/or GHRH. The ultimate goal of HGH and GHRH is to elevate IGF-1 levels to a more youthful state. Both men and women benefit equally from supplementation of these hormones.
There are 2 ways to increase IGF-1(insulin like growth factor) levels in the blood.
1) HGH – human growth hormone 2) GHRH – growth hormone releasing hormone...

HGH

HGH is a hormone that is naturally present in the human body when we’re young, but tends to diminish when we age. In many people we see a decline in GH production begin at the age of 25 to 30 years old. People with an age related deficiency of such, can become overweight, flabby, frail, and lethargic; lose interest in sex; have trouble sleeping, concentrating, and remembering things; tire easily; and in general, lose their zest for life. With HGH supplementation, all of these so-called signs of aging can be reversed.
Specifically, HGH is a sequence of 191 amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. It is converted by the liver to IGF-1. IGF-1 is the major by-product of GH which does the work of GH providing youthful benefits to organs, tissue, cells and muscle.

Today’s HGH is a genetic engineered bio-identical hormone produced by pharmaceutical companies. It is an identical protein to the one made naturally in the human body. For this reason allergic reactions to the drug are rare and it is extremely safe for human use. In August 1996 the FDA approved HGH for the use of hormone deficient adults, which allows physicians to prescribe it, and you to reap the Anti-Aging benefits of it.

Some say that Semorelin has an advantage over injected GH although both hormones increase IGF-1 levels to the youthful state of an early 20 year old. According to studies performed, the effects of Semorelin are regulated by a negative feedback system involving Somatostatin, a hormone produced by the hypothalamus gland, which decreases GH secretion. The interactive effects of Semorelin and Somatostatin cause episodic release of GH making it difficult, if not impossible, to overdose on GH.
GHRH (Semorelin) is the new science in Anti-Aging Medicine continuing to allow us to preserve our health and vitality while growing old.

NOTE: Genuine HGH and GHRH must be prescribed by a physician. Be wary of over-the-counter supplements that claim to boost HGH, known as HGH precursors. The 191 amino acid chain that makes up HGH and the 29 amino acid chain that makes up GHRH is very delicate and cannot survive your digestive enzymes therefore cannot be ingested.

Weight Loss

Weight Loss and Fat Loss are dependent upon 3 factors:
1) Metabolism
2) Hormones
3) Adrenal Fatigue
65% of the American population is overweight or obese. This has been notoriously credited to a Slow Metabolism as a result of lifestyle (poor diet and lack of exercise), natural decrease in Hormone levels as we age, and Adrenal Fatigue. Weight-loss centers are going up on every corner by the droves. The biggest problem with most weight loss programs is that they don’t address the long term, only the short term. In the short term, there is weight and fat loss, but lean muscle is also lost. Lean muscle controls metabolism and these diets ultimately cause the metabolism to slow down. When these individuals go off their diets, they tend to get bigger and fatter than ever and it becomes more and more difficult to lose the weight. This is why people tend to do what we call a roller coaster diet. The more you roller coaster diet, the more difficult it is to lose weight. These diets are known as the quick fix and work temporarily, not long term. We all have friends and family that we have seen go through this.
There are many different aspects to looking and feeling our best. Most people think that it has to do with how much they weigh, but weight-loss can be deceiving. Even after an individual reaches their goal weight after being on a weight-loss program, do they really like the way they look? The biggest reason is because with the weight loss they also lose muscle tone which slows metabolism. Dr Odom understands this and addresses all aspects in looking and feeling your best.

Metabolism

Metabolism is based on your BMR (Body Metabolic Rate) which is how many calories we burn on a daily basis. Basically, if you take in more calories than you use, you will gain weight. If you use up more calories than you take in you will lose weight. A slow metabolism is usually caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, low hormone levels, age and genetics. This metabolism protocol addresses diet and exercise. Medication may be administered with an energy injection (B12 or MIC.) This is the most popular type of diet but is usually short term unless the other aspects are addressed. 

Hormones

Hormones play a key role in weight and fat loss. They help us maintain lean muscle mass while losing body fat especially when on a low calorie diet. The hormones HGH, Testosterone, Estrogen, DHEA, Cortisol, and Thyroid Hormone are directly related to weight-loss or gain, fat-loss or gain, and maintaining, increasing or decreasing body fat. They also help in speeding up the metabolism which also adds in burning fat. The balancing and optimization of Testosterone, Estrogen and Growth Hormone are essential for maintaining lean muscle mass and reducing body fat. The Thyroid gland produces T3, T4, and Thyroxine which regulates metabolism. The adrenal hormones are discussed below. Our HRT Programs use bio-identical hormones under the direct supervision of a physician.

Adrenal Fatigue

Another issue in weight gain that is hardly ever addressed is Adrenal Fatigue. The adrenal glands produce the hormones DHEA and Cortisol. Stress will increase Cortisol levels. When Cortisol levels are high, DHEA is usually low. High Cortisol levels increase fat storage and decrease the natural production of other hormones. DHEA regulates glucose metabolism and balance. Low DHEA can cause an increase in insulin causing the body to store fat. A low calorie diet puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body which in turn will elevate Cortisol and lower DHEA levels. Now you can see why after a period of time people hit a PLATEAU while dieting. Some may lose weight: however, they may not see any dramatic changes in body fat. Others will put the weight and fat back on quickly. Everyone on a weight loss program should be on Adrenal Support Supplementation.

Nutrition

 Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, amino acids or antioxidants can lead to a breakdown in your body’s functional ability and can literally shorten your life span. Some deficiencies can even inhibit the effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy. Although our bodies operate the same, no two of us are exactly alike. We all have different deficiencies. So why is it that we all take multivitamins with the same ingredients; especially when certain vitamins or minerals in abundance can be toxic, like iron? The future of nutritional supplementation has arrived. Through advanced testing methods, Dr Odom can now pinpoint your nutritional deficiencies and customize nutritional supplements to perfectly match your body’s needs. No longer will you have to guess and acquire a stockpile of over-the counter supplements. Further, supplements prescribed by Dr Odom are pharmaceutical grade (grade A) and are highly absorbed. Store bought supplements are usually grade C, and through intense heat or processing may be much less absorbed. Maintaining sound nutrition is an integral part of your health and Anti Aging Therapy. Through diagnostic testing Dr Odom can identify any deficiencies you may have.  Poor dietary habits are among one of the major factors that can contribute to accelerated aging in humans. The majority of Americans eat a diet rich in high glycemic carbohydrates, which are the carbohydrates that cause a high increase in blood insulin levels. This type of diet will increase fat storage, accelerate atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and may lead to adult onset diabetes. Further it promotes the glycosylation of proteins - when carbohydrates stick to proteins hindering the production and utilization of hormones, muscle building and repair, and immune function. This ultimately leads to accelerated aging and poor health. In addition, insulin and HGH compete for the same receptor sites on a cell. Therefore, a high glycemic diet can potentially inhibit your receptiveness to Hormone Replacement Therapy. A nutritional program designed to keep blood sugar low is crucial for the management of insulin. Implementing a diet in which food intake consists of low glycemic carbohydrates helps the body burn fat, reduces atherosclerosis, and decelerates the aging process. In addition, by consistently eating a diet high in plant nutrients, essential fats, lean protein and fiber we can provide our body with all the tools it needs to fight off foreign invaders, repair tissues and maintain a state of optimal health. Dr Odom will help you with proper diet and nutritional guidelines that will help maximize your results with HRT and optimize your health. We don’t impose a rigid diet, but merely provide you with all the information you’ll need to make healthy decisions when eating. 

Exercise

You don’t have to exercise to gain the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). However, raising hormone levels without exercising is like driving a Ferrari on regular gas instead of high octane. It works, but you won’t get the best performance. Exercise is one of the greatest tools of Anti-Aging that is available to everyone. A list of benefits of exercise resembles that obtained with HRT: muscle growth and strength, loss of fat, increased energy, greater well being, and decreased anxiety and depression. It raises levels of HDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, improves the immune system, and helps protect the body against a host of diseases, including cardio vascular disease, stroke hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis. HRT supports exercise with increased energy, strength, and lean muscle mass and faster healing times. Dr Odom has found that many of her clients, who were previously too tired to exercise, now have the energy to do so regularly. Some have even completely transformed their bodies into lean, tone, younger versions of themselves.

 HRT + Proper Nutrition + Exercise = Optimum Health!