The book, Its My Ovaries Stupid!, by Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet is chock full of information for women! It really opened my eyes to all the different things that can happen with regard to our ovaries. I wish that I had come across this book years ago, instead of just last year at my local used bookstore. Even more, I wish that this book was mandatory reading for ALL gynecologists and endocrinologists. There would be much fewer women out there suffering for so long with such serious problems!
Here’s what Her Place says of the book:
Sometimes it seems as though the only women’s health issues that get any sort of attention are breast cancer, pregnancy, and menopause. But in her groundbreaking book, It’s My Ovaries, Stupid!, Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet describes many of the rarely acknowledged, pervasive health threats to young women:
- Premature Ovarian Decline (POD)
- Premature Ovarian Failure (menopause in the young)
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Early puberty
- Endometriosis
- Infertility
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease and heart palpitations
- Osteoporosis
- Insomnia, fibromyalgia, and fatigue
- Mood disorders
- Weight gain
All the above problems are on the rise, robbing younger and younger women of life, fertility, and vitality.
Why is this happening? What can you do to protect yourself? How can you get tested? And what treatments are available?
Many common products and environmental toxins are endocrine disruptors that can profoundly disrupt hormone function, even in childhood. These products include:
- Pesticides
- Plastic food wrappers
- Aspartame
- Soy supplements
- Food additives
Adding to the problems posed by endocrine disruptors are lifestyle factors, such as stress and dietary fat.
Your life, fertility, and long-term health may depend on on the information contained in It’s My Ovaries, Stupid!. Dr. Vliet draws on the latest international scientific research and her more than twenty years of clinical experience to show the negative effects of endocrine disruptors and poor lifestyle choices on the body. She answers crucial questions for young women who want to take control of their health: For instance, whose job is it to care for the ovaries — beyond their function in reproduction? And why do women have trouble getting help for “hormone problems” that appear to be linked to their monthly cycles?
It’s My Ovaries, Stupid! will help you understand your symptoms, get reliable tests, obtain treatment, and improve your health. The book also examines the controversies surrounding hormone replacement therapy and discusses some of the latest and best options for the treatment of thyroid problems.
Remember, it’s not stress, and it’s not all in your head. It’s your ovaries!
Table of Contents- When Ovaries Go Awry: Women’s Lives, Women’s Stories
- Your Ovaries: an Owner’s Manual
- Your Ovaries and Their Life Cycle
- Ovaries at Risk: Surprising Toxins in Your Diet
- Ovaries at Risk: “Gender Benders” and Endocrine Disruptors Around You
- Ovaries at Risk: Toxic Effects of Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana, and Other Drugs
- Ovary Shutdown: The Toxic Role Of Stress Overload and Sleep Deprivation
- Lifestyle Habits and Cultural Issues—Unexpected Stress for Our Ovaries
- Ovaries at Risk: Unusual Effects Of Viruses and Medical Illnesses
- Ovaries at Risk: Unrecognized Problems from Surgery, Medications, and Herbs
- Ovaries Out of Balance: Patterns in Women’s Lives
- Ovarian Hormones and The Brain: It’s Not Just Stress or Your Imagination!
- The Perils of Pcos, Obesity, Syndrome X, and Diabetes
- The Many Faces of Infertility: Overlooked Factors
- The Ovaries and Your Other Body Systems
- Balancing Ovarian Hormones for Optimal Health
- Test-and-Treat Strategies for Optimal Thyroid, Adrenal, and Glucose-Insulin Balance
- Starting Your “Clean-Up Campaign”: Get Rid of Ovarian Disruptors You Can Control
- Create Your Own Path To Optimal Energy and Health
Publisher: Evans and Company, New York
Number of pages: 503
© 2003
And a review of the book by Publisher’s Weekly (via Amazon) says:
Despite the flippant title, this book offers a serious and comprehensive look at hormone dysfunction in women of all ages. Vliet, founder and medical director of HER Place Women’s Center, believes that many women suffer needlessly because they are not being treated properly. According to the author, a variety of illnesses-depression, panic attacks, heart disease, diabetes, fertility problems-are related to hormonal dysfunction. Drawing on medical research as well as work in her own practice, Vliet (Screaming to Be Heard) provides a complete guide to ovaries, explaining how they work and what happens when they don’t work properly, along with surgical and other treatment. Included are questionnaires so readers can self-diagnose and prepare themselves before visiting a doctor. Also particularly helpful are sidebar definitions and schematic diagrams showing the connection between hormone and illness, such as “How Stress Sabotages Your Health” and “Chemical Disruption of Thyroid Pathways.” This is a detailed and sophisticated book, complete with a glossary of medical terms. Readers wanting spoon-fed simplified explanations of their “aches and pains” will find this book daunting, but women who want to become more knowledgeable and assertive patients will find it indispensable.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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