Marla Ahlgrimm on the Body’s Need to Stay the Same

Dieting is not easy, as nearly two-thirds of Americans currently trying to shed excess weight will find out, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Overweight people are often assumed to have gotten that way as a result of overeating and under-exercising. The truth may actually be more complicated.

A battle against biology

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, losing weight is not as easy as calories in/calories out. This is especially true for those who have been overweight their entire lives. During the initial dieting phase, a person’s biology tries to resist weight loss by any means possible. As mass is lost, leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, declines. The brain interprets this as starvation and directs the rest of the body to conserve energy. One of the first things that happens after this internal alarm is triggered is a sudden drop in metabolism.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Alternative Treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a disease that manifests from damage to the peripheral nervous system. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, PN affects women more often than men. The disease presents with a number of troublesome symptoms including numbness and tingling, sensitivity to touch, muscle weakness, and lack of coordination. In severe cases, organ dysfunction and paralysis may occur. There is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, but several alternative treatments may help manage symptoms for the one in 15 women affected.

Acupuncture

Two separate studies in 2007 and 2010 found that acupuncture was significantly more effective at improving PN symptoms than a placebo or medication without acupuncture therapy, reports Marla Ahlgrimm.

Massage

Though it may seem counterintuitive, and despite sensitivity to touch, massage may actually help PN in several ways. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that a professional massage can help alleviate pain, increase flexibility, and improve sleep.

Marla Ahlgrimm Explains Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that affects roughly 7.5 million adults in the United States, according to health advocate Marla Ahlgrimm. RLS affects a person in many ways but most bothersome is its interference with natural sleep patterns. According to the RLS Foundation, restless leg syndrome may be related to family history, iron deficiency, renal failure, and neuropathy. Marla Ahlgrimm reports that as yet no single cause has been identified.

Advanced-Age Breast Cancer Patients Challenge Online Survival Models | Marla Ahlgrimm

ePrognosis is a tool used by doctors when determining if chemotherapy is a desirable treatment option for patients facing a breast cancer diagnosis. It’s lauded for its accuracy when determining survival rates for otherwise healthy women. However, as Marla Ahlgrimm explains, older patients with other health concerns are crushing the tool’s expectations.

Q:  Why is it important to decide for or against chemotherapy? Shouldn’t everyone consider it?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Chemotherapy and other forms of cancer treatment are extremely hard on the body. People with other major health conditions may not recover from chemo and can actually experience unnecessary pain and suffering as a result. For older patients especially, understanding prognosis and life expectancy both with and without chemotherapy can help them determine if the added stress on their bodies is worth the outcome.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Lose Weight and Lower Risk of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer affects women of all ages, races, and lifestyles. It’s a devastating disease that can threaten a woman’s self-esteem, diminish her sense of femininity and be life threatening. Here, Marla Ahlgrimm offers pointers on reducing the risks of breast cancer.

Q: How does obesity contribute to a woman’s risk of breast cancer?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Fat cells produce estrogen from the time a woman is born. However, after menopause, fat cells become the body’s primary source of estrogen. An overweight woman will produce more estrogen than her average-weighted counterpart, increasing her chances of getting breast cancer. Additionally, obese women tend to have higher levels of insulin, which has also been linked to breast and other cancers.

Q: Does a woman’s weight at any certain stage of her life have a more profound effect on her risk for breast cancer?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Studies have found evidence that suggests weight gain later in life, and especially after menopause, contributes to a woman’s risk of breast cancer more so than weight acquired in the pre-teen stages. A woman who has always been obese will have a slightly lower chance of getting breast cancer than a similarly-sized woman who gained the excessive weight in adulthood.

Q & A with Marla Ahlgrimm | PCOS and Progesterone

PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, is an endocrine disorder which often presents in early adolescence with weight gain, menstrual irregularity, and embarrassing body hair. Here, women’s healthcare and hormone treatment pioneer Marla Ahlgrimm offers answers to four frequently-asked questions from women facing PCOS.

Q: What are the symptoms of PCOS?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Unfortunately, there is no definitive list of symptoms that every woman will experience. However, most common are noticeable facial and abdominal hair, androgenic alopecia, acne, obesity, and polycystic ovaries. Women with the disease may be at an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and endometrial cancer. PCOS is often undiagnosed until a woman’s childbearing years, when infertility issues may arise. Interestingly, polycystic ovary syndrome may be diagnosed with or without the actual presence of cysts.

Marla Ahlgrimm: Progesterone Plays Vital Role in Fertility

In this article, pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm explains the connection between progesterone and female fertility.

Progesterone is a naturally-produced chemical that helps a woman’s body ready itself for pregnancy, according to women’s healthcare expert and pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm. It’s a vital steroid hormone, both before and during gestation.

Before pregnancy

Prior to implantation, the uterus must undergo certain changes in order to sustain a viable pregnancy. This, reports Marla Ahlgrimm, is accomplished by the ovaries releasing progesterone which thickens the uterine lining.