I've been delaying my November Book of the Month Selection until this book arrived and I could review it. This is a significant addition to the literature on women's health and one I strongly endorse.
With over 25 years of experience using bio-identical hormones in his practice, Dr. Uzzi Reiss has published a outstanding plan to help women regain their natural power through the individualized use of hormones, diet, exercise, supplements, and mind-body techniques. The book was co-written with his daughter Yfat Reiss Gendell, who is an author in her own right.
For some years I have recommended his earlier book, Natural Hormone Balance, to all my female patients using bio-identical hormones to support their estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone levels. His new book will now become my standard recommendation, because it offers a more comprehensive approach to optimizing all hormone levels for women. The book is organized into four parts. Part I deals with diet, exercise and lifestyle issues. Part II is everything you need to know about bioidentical hormones from symptom evaluation and testing to how to take hormones. Part III adds a very important dimension about brain chemistry issues with extensive information about neurotransmitters, and how they are affected by your hormone levels. Part Four is about living disease-free and includes a detailed examination of the issue of breast cancer and hormone use.
There are many new ideas in this book compared to to his earlier work. For example, there are more extensive lists of hormone deficiency symptoms and more information on all the benefits of bioidentical hormones compared to the typical synthetic pharmaceutical agents like Premarin and Provera. Also Dr. Reiss includes information on assessing and supporting both the adrenal and thyroid glands, since these must be at optimal levels also for the ovarian hormones to function optimally.
The third part focusing on brain issues is a major addition and adds a dimension that I have found to be essential to address. Here he writes about how using his plan can help you with depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, and memory.
In the fourth part Dr. Reiss gives a detailed critique of the cancer fears that spiked worldwide after the WHI studies of Premarin in 2002 and he provides a series of ideas on reducing cancer risk using various natural agents, many of which I recommend to my patients on a regular basis. In this section he also includes studies that support the safe use of topical bio-identical hormones.
I found new information in this book which I will incorporate in my recommendations to my patients. I liked his references back to his web site where he updates information and keeps a current list of references to support everything he has written. I admit I do not particularly like the title reference to Superwoman although I know that Suzanne Somers, who helped popularize the use of bioidentical hormomes became a "super" woman again after being treated by Dr. Reiss. My patients following his ideas are often quite happy to feel "naturally normal" again for the first time often in many years.
The presentation is clear, concise and very readable. I liked the layout much more than in his first book and commend the publisher for the overall design of the pages. I have read many of the current books on this topic and would easily pick this book as being a major new resource for all women.
You can view the book and purchase it from Amazon by clicking here.
drBob
