People ask me all the time, “How do you maintain the schedule you have with HSN? How do you wake up at 2:30 am, drive to St. Pete 3:00 am to 6:00 am, do your shows, maintain recall and word tracking for a variety of products, and still function as wife and mommy?” Great questions! In the past, my answer was that I have been blessed with the necessary intestinal fortitude and an ability to effortlessly fulfill my duties because I truly feel I was born to do my work with HSN. However, there is a secret I would like to share with you. My age may be 49.5 (50th Birthday celebration plans are already underway for June 2017!), but 99% of the time I feel 19! Yes! You read correctly! I feel 19 years old in terms of energy, vigor, and clarity of thought. And the secret is in addition to organic fruit/veggie juicing, supplements and working out 3 days a week on my Pilates reformer, I do Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy [BHRT]. Why? Though there are many reasons, my responsibilities require an optimal Alexandra Baker. Not an Alexandra who feels “fine” or “OK”. Wouldn’t you like to be the OPTIMAL version of you?

I’m certain you have heard about BHRT, but have you ever considered this protocol for yourself? There are many misnomers regarding this therapy and it should not be confused with HRT of the past. I would encourage you to speak with your Physician, and, ideally, an MD or DO who has chosen to specialize in anti-aging/functional medicine/BHRT. But without question, I do not know if I could do ALL that I am required to do without BHRT. I am going to share with you what I take and what works for me. This may or may not be for you. But so many people ask me and I want to shout from the mountain tops and almost feel obligated to share with all women the importance of this part of their health and wellness regimens. Plus, there is a plethora of research regarding the cardioprotective aspects and other benefits of this therapy.

Understand there can be negative outcomes as well and it’s important to stay on top of your annual pap testing and eval with your GYNO. My mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor, so I am on a six-month interval exam of my breasts- mamo/ultrasound of breasts, then six months later, breast MRI with IV contrast, then six months later, mamo/ultrasound again and so on. I also have my annual physical exam with my Internal Medicine/Primary Care Physician and share all labs from all my doctors with each doctor. I stay on top of my health! Who else is going to do that for you? I have no choice. I not only want to live, I want to thrive. I am an older mom to a young child. I am a wife and want to be the very best wife to my husband as I can be.  As a Christian woman, I deeply desire to not only be a Proverbs 31 woman of excellence but a woman of excellence in EVERY area of my life (Connie Miller – thank you for sharing that Beth Moore reminded us all to be a woman of excellence in every are of our lives). How on God’s green earth can you do that if you are not operating from your optimal personal best?  I sincerely believe the quality of life, marriages and more are saved by you being at your best – physically and mentally.

Remember how crummy your mom felt around age 48 as she entered perimenopause and then menopause? She was edgy or short-tempered, sluggish, sometimes incredibly tired, forgetful with absolutely no interest in romance? Wait a minute, you say it started at age 43/45ish? Hold on, this is you or sounds like you? It was me for sure, and worse yet, I was starting to experience the severe symptoms of perimenopause – sharp nerve tingling in my legs and feet, joint pain in my hips, hot and cold night sweats, a feeling of coming down with the flu – feeling terrible for 12-20 hours, then it would pass and cycle back a month to six weeks later. Not only did I feel edgy, I felt like cracking skulls all the time! Can you relate? There was no way I was going to live like that!  Troy, my sweet and very patient husband, told me there was no way he and Sofia, our daughter, were going to live with me acting and feeling that way! Ouch! That hurt – really hurt the day he said I better go see a Doctor! So I did!

Over a year ago, I scheduled an appointment with a well-known and highly sought-after Bioidentical Hormone Doctor, Val Manocchio, M.D in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Visit his website for in-depth information regarding this important topic at  http://www.fortlauderdalebioidenticalhormones.com/   After a consultation, Dr. Val ordered bloodwork to see my hormone levels. He also ordered blood tests for my thyroid and other vital markers that functional medicine doctors look at that many primary physicians do not drill down to. I think of Dr. Val as my bridge between my Internist and my OBGYN.  As it turns out, my hormones were in the toilet. My testosterone was 0.07 – yikes! Beyond low! He suggested a testosterone pellet, an estrogen pellet (both inserted transdermally via a tiny incision in my tushi) and a nightly dose of progesterone. He also advised that I take a daily dose of T3/T4 hormone for my thyroid, a thyroid support supplement, in addition, increasing my daily intake of vitamin d3. I also take many other supplements. He told me I would feel 19! Weeks later, I did, and still do!

Don’t only take my word for it. Do your homework. Do the research and investigate BHRT for yourself. Ladies (and gentlemen), there is simply no reason to suffer if you are suffering. Make it a priority to gift —it’s a gift you have to purchase as most insurance does not cover –gift yourself the gift of BHRT this Holiday Season. An Optimal You is the very best gift you can give your family this year!

Below is a gallery of photos of my kitchen for the last three years! See if you can incorporate some of these healthy tips into your lifestyle!
Below the gallery you will see two videos on how I use my juicer.
To your health! Love, Your Home BFF, Alexandra