Hormones are important regulators of your baseline metabolism. These levels all decrease with advancing age. Remember that humans were not meant to live much beyond the age of child-rearing. The most important hormones to regulate your metabolism are testosterone, estrogen, thyroid hormone, and cortisol. Simple lab studies along with an evaluation of your symptoms can help determine if you are a candidate for hormone replacement therapy

Despite the availability of adequate nutrition in the modern society, your body will often lack sufficient amounts of important metabolic cofactors that make your biologic engine run properly. Vitamin B complex vitamins, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C are often deficient. Simple lab studies can often help determine if vitamin supplements or infusions can help  increase your metabolism.

Poor nutrition and diet habits have a significant role in your metabolism. Carbohydrates, for example, contribute empty calories to your diet. Diets high in carbohydrates starve your body of efficient calories and lead to insulin resistance. Your body compensates for its relative calorie starvation by slowing your metabolic rate. A vicious cycle of calorie starvation and slowing of the metabolism is the result. Our medically supervised diet and nutritional educational programs can help your understand proper nutritional techniques to help you lose or maintain your weight while increasing your metabolic rate.

Cortisol is a hormone that is often referred to as the fight or flight hormone.  Some functions of cortisol include pushing circulating glucose into the cells for an energy boost in times of danger. Other roles include assisting the brain, heart, and metabolism to perform at maximum efficiency particularly in times of stress or danger. Chronic stress or anxiety, however, cause the adrenal glands to work in overdrive. At some point, the adrenal glands begin to tire out. Adrenal insufficiency is the result;  normal levels of cortisol are not produced and super-normal fight or flight levels are not stimulated. The result is a slower metabolism, poor sleep and low energy. Simple labs studies or supplements can help with the diagnosis. Lifestyle changes, decreasing stress, and exercise all help in restoring adequate adrenal health.

It is intuitive that lack of proper sleep can cause you to be tired. There are many reasons why our ability to get to sleep and sleep through the night become more difficult with advancing age. One of the reasons is the decrease in levels of testosterone, estrogen, thyroid hormone, melatonin, and cortisol. Other reasons can be more physical such as anatomic sleep apnea. Simple lab studies along with an evaluation of your symptoms can help determine if you are a candidate for hormone replacement therapy. If further studies are needed, we can refer you to our sleep study partners.  

Chronic fatigue is common feature of major depression. One reason is the changes in circulating neurotransmitters as well as changes in hormone levels. While we aren’t in the business of diagnosing and treating major depression, we have medical partners who are.  Our MedHealth 360 prescription begins with evaluating your symptoms and labs to rule out simple contributing factors such as low hormones levels. Patients with major depression, postpartum depression, or suicidal depression may benefit from a referral to our partners at the Virginia Infusion Therapies clinic who specialize in Ketamine Infusions for Major Depression.