Oprah’s “O Magazine” Features Guinot’s Huile Satinée

In the October 2011 issue of Oprah’s O Magazine, Guinot’s Huile Satinée (Satin Body Oil) is named one of their “favorite skin softeners.” This spray body oil improves the texture, strength, and vitality of dull, dry skin.

Haile Satinée “softens and repairs skin with silk extracts, fatty acids, and vitamin E” said O Magazine. The non-greasy, ultra-fine mist is quickly and effortlessly absorbed leaving your skin soft and super moisturized. The writers for O agree and give Guinot extra kudos because not only does the formula absorb quickly but it “doesn’t leave skin looking slick.”

“Huile Satinée is especially great for nourishing the areas of the body that tend to get really dry like the elbows and knees,” said Seasons Aesthetician, Lisa Best. “Regularly using a body oil will make the skin look younger and reinforce its elasticity.”

Key ingredients include silk extracts, grape seed oil, evening primrose oil, apricot kernel oil, grapefruit, lemon, and sweet orange essential oils. Huile Satinée delivers instant comfort while providing the skin with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Seasons – The Spa is proud to carry the full line of Guinot skin and body products including Huile Satinée. Stop by to shop or sample all of our Guinot products. Consultations with our Skin Care Specialists are always complimentary and available by appointment only. Seasons – The Spa is located in Ruston, LA.  Please contact us at (318)255-1155.

 

Confession #6: Evidence and Crazy Talk. Part 3 of 3.

This is the third of three posts in response to a Newsweek headline, “Crazy Talk,” and the accompanying article, “Best Life or Risky Advice?” which blasted talk-show host Oprah Winfrey for many things, including her support and use of bioidentical hormones.

A quick recap. Read the Newsweek article for yourself. Second, make medical decisions based on medical research and evidence. Third, the right approach to bioidentical hormones is balance. Fourth, there is no blanket prescription for womanhood.

Individualized Treatment Results in Balanced Hormones.

In my last post, I talked about the blanket prescription for womanhood that seems to prevail in the medical world out there. But for me, the right answer was a treatment plan that balanced my hormones.

At Seasons, my hormones were tested and found to be terribly out of whack. Dr. Goodyear developed a therapy plan which included several varieties of bioidentical hormones according to my individual needs and life changes like proper nutrition and exercise. After a period of time, they retested my hormones and adjusted my prescriptions. This cycle continues until the body returns to normal hormone levels with no bioidentical hormone support.

My course of treatment will soon come to an end. It has been nearly a two year journey marked by gradual and noticeable improvement. I feel so much better now. And girl has it been interesting! I am so much more educated about my body and how it works.

I also have more courage. I stood up to “hearsay” with scientific evidence. I feel comfortable researching medical issues. I am aware that there are multiple sides to any story. I am confident I made the right choice for me.

Give Kudos To Courageous Women.

Right or wrong, Oprah and Suzanne Somers said, “Hey…traditional medicine isn’t working for us! Is somebody listening?” Many of us echo that sentiment. I’ve had multiple conversations with multiple doctors in different states about my health problems. No one seemed to have an answer other than those treatments du jour I mentioned in Confession #5.

The fact is, Mr. Kosova and Mr. Wingert (authors of the Newsweek article), women listen to Oprah because they identify with her. She listened to us. She is one of us. She came from nothing, worked hard, made her dreams come true, and now helps her viewers and listeners accomplish their goals. She has challenged us to run marathons, read books, and ask questions. We listen when she asks questions! And we listen when she offers solutions.

And this time, she found the same health solution that I did.

Confession #5: Evidence and Crazy Talk. Part 2 of 3.

This is the second of three posts in response to a Newsweek headline, “Crazy Talk,” and the accompanying article “Best Life or Risky Advice?” which blasted talk-show host Oprah Winfrey for many things, including her support and use of bioidentical hormones.

A quick recap. First, read the Newsweek article for yourself. Second, make medical decisions based on medical research and evidence.

Bioidentical hormones are not the “solution of the week.” They are not a trend. Many out there are claiming bioidentical hormones are the cure for all that ails you. Seasons doesn’t make that claim. They are, however, a great solution for many women.

The Seasons Approach to Bioidentical Hormones is Balance.

The key to weathering the hormonal storms of womanhood is balance: balance between what we eat and how much exercise we get; balance between work and play; balance between rest and activity.

We also need balance on the inside. Balance between estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, thyroid, and melatonin. When these hormones became imbalanced (as mine did), we develop symptoms: hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, mental fog, weight gain, just to name a few. This may or may not have anything at all to do with menopause (mine was stress and pregnancy related). But once these hormones are back in balance, the symptoms diminish or disappear.

And, oh, the bliss when the symptoms disappear! Don’t underestimate the value of just plain old “feeling good.” (Ladies, feel free to chime in with an Amen here!)

There Is No Blanket Prescription for Womanhood.

We can’t just take three pills and feel better (and if that doesn’t work, just do a hysterectomy). But that seems to be how modern medicine treats us. Think about it. We all have different bodies, different levels of hormones. These hormones are affected by environment, genetics, stress, pregnancy, etc. There’s no way my hormones and yours could be the same. Our lives are different. Our genetics are different. It just doesn’t make sense that our solutions should be the same.

So why is it that many physicians want to prescribe the same treatment for all of us? Birth control pills and anti-depressants are the prescription du jour for women between 30 and menopause. And for the those approaching/in/completing the BIG change of seasons (menopause), the prescription du jour is synthetic hormones and (yes) anti-depressants. Don’t get me wrong, here. There are some who need an anti-depressant for true symptoms of depression. But as a blanket prescription for womanhood, anti-depressants are a bad idea.

In fact, my husband told me a few years ago that I was the only wife he knew who wasn’t taking an anti-depressant – he and his friends actually had this conversation. That’s not to say I wasn’t having mood-swings. I just flat-out refused to take an anti-depressant even though my physician at the time offered it as an option. I knew depression was not my issue. It was something else. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

You know, when the solutions you are offered in life just don’t work, you have to keep searching, especially when you just don’t feel good and you want your life back. I did keep searching. And I found a solution that worked. In my next post, I’ll complete my comments and share with you my solution.

See you there.

Confession #4: Evidence and Crazy Talk. Part 1 of 3.

Crazy Talk.

I’ve heard that expression before. But when I heard the Newsweek headline about Oprah was entitled “Crazy Talk,” I was scared to read the article.

Why was I scared? You see my own personal experience with bioidentical hormones has made me a huge advocate. When Oprah revealed on national TV that bioidentical hormone therapy had worked for her, I was thrilled! “Maybe Oprah’s support will encourage her viewers to learn more about them,” I thought. “Maybe her media power will help open the closed minds of many traditional doctors…give them a reason to listen when their patients ask questions…”

A week after it was published, I finally mustered up enough courage to read the article. It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. The article certainly had a negative tone, but it was more about Oprah’s power than bioidentical hormones.

Read the Newsweek Article For Yourself.

The most important thing we can do is think for ourselves. To read the article at Newsweek’s website (“Best Life or Risky Advice?”, Newsweek, published 6/30/09), click here.

The authors, Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert, point a finger at one major issue: Oprah has an unopposed platform to air her views and give credibility to whatever she chooses. That’s true. Oprah’s greatest accomplishment is her media power, through television, radio, print and her website. With that great power comes great responsibility. Mr. Kosova and Mr. Wingert work on the assumption here that Oprah has missed the boat on the responsibility part. And while I might agree with some (or even much) of what they said, I think they “threw the (bioidentical hormone) baby out with the bath water.”

Make Medical Decisions Based On Medical Research and Evidence.

There is definitely controversy on the topic of bioidentical hormones, and plenty of it: controversy between traditional medicine and a more progressive approach to medicine; controversy between drug companies and compounding pharmacists; even controversy between doctors and their patients.

But there is also plenty of research and evidence that supports the use of bioidentical hormones. Loads of it, actually. Spend a little time exploring the Seasons website and you will find numerous links to research articles. I encourage you to read for yourself!

In my next post, I’ll continue with more thoughts on the “Crazy Talk” article.

See you there.

Confession #2: Who Knew I Had So Much In Common With Oprah?

During my journey back to good health, I have discovered there are many others taking the journey with me. Oprah and I go way back. Just kidding. Oprah and I do have two things in common: we were both born in southern states (she in Mississippi, me in Louisiana), and we both have a condition called hypothyroidism. And, it turns out, we are on the same journey.

You may have heard about hypothyroidism on recent episodes of Oprah (you can watch episodes on her website). Oprah has sought treatment for her hypothyroidism with bioidentical hormones, just like me. My condition was diagnosed in December of 2007 and I have been treated with bioidentical thyroid since that time. Because we have the same condition, I thought I would share with you some of the symptoms I experienced.

I had symptoms but didn’t even know they were symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons I am bearing my soul to you. I want you to know what I didn’t. If you have symptoms, my guess is you probably don’t know you have symptoms either.

Hair falling out. I have long hair (bra strap length). And when your long hair falls out, it just seems normal. In fact, when Dr. Goodyear asked me if my hair was falling out, I said no. After I began treatment with bioidentical thyroid, my hair stopped falling out. It was shocking. If you are pulling handfuls of hair out each time you wash, it might not be normal. I had handfuls while blow drying as well.

Lack of energy. I have two young children, ages 10 and 4. My four-year-old didn’t sleep through the night on a regular basis until she was 2 ½. (No, I don’t need parenting classes. She had chronic ear infections and difficulty cutting teeth.) I assumed that my chronic exhaustion was due to my chronic lack of sleep. And I assumed that when I did get a couple of good nights of sleep and still felt tired, that I just needed more time to get “back to normal.” That never happened. Even after she began sleeping through the night, I remained chronically tired. I finally agreed with my husband that something just wasn’t right.

Weight gain/depression. For me, this was the worst symptom of all. Even on a diet, I gained weight. What’s up with that? Humiliation. Guilt. Frustration. I made great efforts to eat right and exercise but with no results. (Oprah’s battle with this is well-documented!) This led me, frustrated, back to the pantry to eat myself to happiness. After diagnosis and treatment, I learned that with hypothyroidism your body chemistry is working against you. You will gain weight…spontaneously, but because of your abnormal body chemistry, not because you overate.

Cold feet. No, not the scared to do something kind of cold feet. For me, socks every night was a must. Even in the summer.

Dry skin. I am the original oily-skinned girl. Shiny nose at noon. You know my type! My skin became dry but I didn’t notice it. My aesthetician made a comment to me following a facial about how my skin had changed. It was her comment that made me realize that my skin had become dry (as had my hair).

Fuzzy thinking/poor memory. I found myself unable to remember a list of a few items at the grocery store. I had to write EVERYTHING down. And I mean everything. Couldn’t even remember to return a phone call. (Anyone reading this who I forgot to call, now you know why! So sorry!) I couldn’t even concentrate to make the grocery list and counted on my husband to do that with me.

After Dr. Goodyear diagnosed me, I began taking bioidentical thyroid made by our local compounding pharmacist. Bioidentical thyroid takes a little longer to produce results than the synthetic variety. But my patience was rewarded with a return to normal thyroid levels. Within two weeks, my hair stopped falling out. Within three months, I could tell a substantial difference in my energy level and my ability to think clearly. Now, after 15 months of therapy, I am working again. It would have been impossible for me to have a normal job 15 months ago.

If you have questions about hypothyroidism and its symptoms, please send your comments.

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• Oprah on her battle with weight (cnn.com)
• Oprah Can Blame Her Thyroid. Can You? (usnews.com)
• Confession #1 (seasonswc.com)

Oprah Wonders if You Should Replace Your Hormones

I don’t usually watch Oprah, let alone record her show. Not that I don’t like Oprah, I just am busy working during her show hours. But that ended last week when I actually recorded my first Oprah show. I know, I know… why now?

Oprah was discussing her experience with Bio-identical hormones. This is not the first time that Oprah or a celebrity has talked about her personal interests. In most cases, I’m not a big fan of people offering their opinions just because they are famous.

This time, though, I’m actually cheering Oprah on!

Read more