Marla Ahlgrimm Answers Your Health Questions

Marla Ahlgrimm has dedicated the majority of her life to improving the health of women across the country. Because of her work as a pharmacist and healthcare entrepreneur, she receives questions all the time about how to improve health. Here, Ahlgrimm shares a few of these and her response to each.

Q: I am a vegetarian. Do I really need protein?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Absolutely. Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the body. Without it, you risk losing muscle integrity. Protein deficiency can also affect other systems. Thankfully, even if you don’t eat meat, you can still get protein from things like supplement milkshakes, peanut butter, and walnuts.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Depression and Hormones

It does not take a scientist or extensive medical research to determine that women tend to display depression symptoms more often than their male counterparts. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that women, on average, are diagnosed with mental health disorders twice as often as their husbands, brothers, and sons.

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, this is partially because women are less afraid to talk about their feelings. But, a large portion of women experience depression as a direct result of an underlying hormone disorder. While all humans have changing hormones throughout their lives, women are more affected.

From about the age of 11 through 50, women experience a monthly fluctuation in their hormones. This begins at puberty, says Marla Ahlgrimm, when a girl’s body begins to develop into that of a woman. Once her menstrual cycle begins, she can experience the effects of changing hormones for approximately one week out of every month. Later, often in her 20s, a woman will start having children.

Marla Ahlgrimm: HIV and Hormones

HIV is a virus spread through sexual contact. Marla Ahlgrimm notes that it is a serious condition that affects the entire body, hormones included. Women are especially affected by hormone problems related to HIV.

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, hormones are best considered chemical messengers. They are responsible for bouncing signals between organs, and they affect everything from metabolism to sex drive. When a woman contracts HIV, this can have a negative effect on hormone balance. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA production are all affected by HIV and its more aggressive transformation AIDS.

Marla Ahlgrimm | It’s Flu Shot Season

Fall is gearing up and that means flu is on the way, says Marla Ahlgrimm. The retired pharmacist explains that now is the time to start thinking about getting your flu shot.

Q: What is the flu shot?

Marla Ahlgrimm: The flu shot is one of the most common vaccines in the United States. It is essentially an inactive form of the flu virus. Once injected into the body, your immune system reacts by producing antibodies that provide a significant amount of protection from influenza.

Marla Ahlgrimm: Is Netflix Bad For Your Health?

With the invention of streaming television, more and more Americans have a new pastime: binge-watching. Marla Ahlgrimm explains, however, that hours in front of the screen can leave you at risk of many health problems. Keep reading as Ahlgrimm explains more on how never-ending Netflix sessions are not what the doctor ordered.

Q: What are the dangers associated with binge-watching television?

Marla Ahlgrimm: The most concerning thing about it is that you are sitting stagnant for hours on end. While this is not a problem occasionally -- we all like to catch up on our shows -- hours without meaningful movement several times each week can quickly lead to weight gain and the issues that come along with it.

Marla Ahlgrimm Suggest Caution When Wearing High Heels

Women often go to great lengths to look their best. For many, this means throwing comfort to the curb. Unfortunately, according to women’s health expert Marla Ahlgrimm, the negative consequences of certain fashion trends far outweigh the positives. Case in point: High heels.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that high heels can hurt a woman’s feet in many ways. First and most obvious is that the foot is angled unnaturally. This means that weight is distributed unevenly. As a result, the toes can actually deform, leaving a regular wearer with a condition known as hammertoe. Bunions are also common in women who wear high-heeled shoes.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Acne Vulgaris Not As Bad As It Sounds

Women’s health expert and author Marla Ahlgrimm understands all too well how acne can affect a person’s self-esteem. However, teenage girls may be especially affected by acne, and it all has to do with hormones. Acne vulgaris -- the clinical term for blemishes -- sounds scary but, fortunately, the condition is common and normal.

Q: What is acne?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Acne is simply the result of the body overproducing a natural oil, sebum, which prevents the skin from drying out. When there is too much, it causes dead skin to clump together, which can turn into a clogged pore. Another name for these facial blemishes is acne lesion. There are different types of acne lesions including cysts, nodules, papules, and pustules.