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How Long Should You TakeAngie’sTable:Because I’m CulturedHormones?By Angie BridgesIy Dr. Donna BeckerBThe obvious answer:“As long as youwant to feel good, look good, andthink.”I have heard women say, “I want to getthrough menopause”. But menopause means that the ovaries are not secreting estrogen, testosterone, or progesterone. This lack of vital hormones may cause women severe symptoms such as mood changes, hot flashes, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and weight gain. For some women, these symptoms do gradually fade after months or years. However, the silent bone loss, withering of the vagina, and memory loss takes it toll.Achieving hormones levels of a younger woman is possible. Bio-identical hormones are available by prescription. That is what bio-identical means: The metabolites in the urine of a menopausal woman taking bio-identical hormones match the urine metabolites of a young woman. I am constrained to state that the side effect profile of natural versus synthetic estradiol is the same. However, progesterone and progestin do not have the same side effects and despite the cleverly sounding similar names, do not act the same in the body.Getting the dose right is vitally important. What if a doctor said to someone taking insulin, “Now call me if you feel shakey and weak, because that might mean the insulin dose was to much!” Of course not, the patient would have blood drawn to see exactly how much insulin toRLatest Treatments For Parkinson’s Diseasereceived the moniker “Cultured B” (for Bridges & the double entendre) fromsome friends many years ago after Itake. We know the healthy young adult range of all hormones, fasting blood sugar, as well as thyroid, kidney and liver function. Some women need 1/2 mg of estradiol and others need 10 mg, to achieve the 35-75 recommended blood level. But this wide variation in estradiol dosage is seen with thyroid and insulin prescriptions as well. Definitely, the same dose of insulin does not fix all diabetics! Why do we think all women will do just fine on same dose of estrogen derived from a horse? Side effects, risks and benefits of hormone replacement must be discussed prior to prescriptions. Not all men and women need or could benefit from hormone prescriptions. (Most could & do, however!)Dr. Donna Becker, practicing medicine for over 30 years with focus on hormone replacement for past 15 years. Affiliations include: Institute for Functional Medicine, The American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine, and Dr. Bredesen, AHNP Precision Health, Certification in Hormone Replacement with World link Medical (not recognized by TX Board of Specialties)Call for free 15 min consult:Dr Donna BeckerSpecializes in anti-aging & health maintenance medicine.(210) 545-5224 www.antiagingsa.comwould drag them to yet another restaurant that served food that was foreign to them and then being surprised that they loved it. The question would inevitably be “Angie how do you know about all these different foods?” My first reaction was, “Because I’m cultured!” and we would have a good laugh. Thanks to my parents and my wonderful teachers who encouraged my thirst for knowledge, I have always been extremely interested in diverse cultures and their people, customs, and cuisines.Something I’m often asked is whether I have a favorite culture and while I could never choose one as I find all of them pretty fascinating, I suppose I could say that I lean heavily towards the vast array of the Mediterranean cultures which include Spanish (my ethnicity), Turkish, Egyptian, Greek, Provencal, North Africa and the Levant to name a few.It is no secret that I love to throw a good dinner party as well and my favorite part is browsing through my cookbooks to decide what theme we’re going with. Our last dinner party was a Korean hot pot dinner, and we had a wonderful time. I encourage you all to explore other cuisines and if you ever want to chat about them, I am your girl. This monthI’m sharing with you an easy to prepare and serve bread dipper that combines a lot of my favorite Mediterranean flavors. Hope you enjoy it as much as my guests and I do. Ciao for Now, AngieMediterranean Bread DipperYou’ll Need: 1⁄2 cup excellent quality olive oil, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil, two tbs balsamic vinegar, pinch chili flakes (optional), 1⁄4 cup chopped green olives, 1⁄4 cup chopped kalamata olives, and soft French bread for dipping.Directions: In a shallow dish, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Let stand for about 15 minutes for flavors to meld. Dip bread in it and enjoy!Get Your Life Back with All NaturalHormonesFocus of Treatment:• Weight Loss• Hot Flashes• Vaginal Dryness• Insomnia• Loss of Libido• Thyroid Issues• Erectile Dysfunction• Weakness• Brain Fog• Vitamin Deficiencies• Bone Loss• Men & Women Anti-AgingEnhancement of Life CenterCall to schedule yourFREE consultation!(210) 545-522414603 Huebner Rd., Ste. 2601 (Huebner & NW Military)Dr. Donna BeckerTreatment Plan Includes:• 3 pages of Blood Work• Detailed Analysis• Individualized Treatments.esearchers still have much to learn continued hope. Here’s a look at some of about Parkinson’s disease. As the potential options.researchers continue to work hard • Stem cell usage: Stem cells can turn intoin the fight against this disease, the lessons they learn may lead to new, innovative treatments.Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain, advises the Parkinson’s Foundation. Even though the disease itself is not fatal, PD is a serious condition — one which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates as the 14th most common cause of death in the United States due to the disease’s related complications. PD symptoms affect autonomous functions and the ability to move limbs. The Mayo Clinic notes that most people with PD may show little or no expression, speech may become slurred, arms may not swing when one walks, and stiffness and gait issues may become apparent. PD can affect balance and posture as well.There is no cure for PD, but there are many different treatments that can slow its progress and reduce symptoms. WebMD says new treatments for PD give individualsApril 2024any type of cell, and there is hope that they can transform into the dopamine- producing neurons used to treat PD. But there is increased risk of involuntary movement from too much dopamine with this treatment. Stem cell therapy also may present ethical and moral issues with some patients.• Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor treatment: Researchers at the University of Bristol have used robot- assisted neurosurgery to implant a special delivery system that releases a new drug called glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor into the brain cells of Parkinson’s patients. The researchers found that, after 18 months of treatment, all participants showed “moderate to large improvements in symptoms compared to before they started the study.”• PTB protein therapy: Senior researcher Xiang-Dong Fu, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, studies a protein known as PTB, which influences whichParkinson’s - continued on page 11 www.alamoranchhighlights.com9