Overcome Fatigue, Boost your Energy, Revitalize your Life

New book by Rockland native offers women an eight-step program for putting zest back into their lives

World-renowned endocrinologist and metabolic medicine specialist Eva Cwynar, MD, was born and raised in Rockland County, and her parents still live here. Dr. Cwynar says, “Growing up in Rockland county, with its culture, education and sense of family values has given me the foundation necessary to accomplish any goal that I set. This includes the willpower to write my first book. I always know that I have a place I can call home, with friends and family who support my wildest dreams.”

According to Dr. Cwynar, millions of women could be leading more energetic, productive lives, says. Instead, they accept fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, and disinterest in sex as a fact of life, thinking there is nothing they can do about it. Dr. Cwynar has helped hundreds of women boost their energy and restore their enthusiasm. In her new book, “The Fatigue Solution: Increase Your Energy In Eight Easy Steps” (Hay House; March 2012), she gives readers a comprehensive, medically sound strategy for identifying the sources of their health conditions and enhancing their well-being – enabling them to become the women they once were – and long to be again.

In her years of clinical practice, Dr. Cwynar has discovered many common complaints among her patients – from weight gain to digestive problems, sleep issues to loss of libido, PMS to hot flashes. What many physicians don’t realize, she argues, is that these widespread symptoms can often be traced back to hormones. “Hormone imbalance can cause weight gain, lack of sex drive, dry skin, hair loss, and the kind of fatigue that feels like no amount of sleep could ever make it go away,” she writes.

Focused on achieving hormonal balance and revving up energy production, Dr. Cwynar’s eight-step program includes:

Step #1: Feed Your Energy Furnace – “Simply put, food is fuel. The more potent the fuel you put into your body, the better the quality of the energy it produces,” writes Dr. Cwynar. In addition to guiding readers toward quality proteins – including red meat, whole eggs, and whole milk – Dr. Cwynar also explores the role of carbohydrates and fats, addressing the overuse of corn and wheat in the American diet and, contrary to conventional wisdom, pointing out the benefits of fat.

Step #2: Get Your Gut in Shape – Although gastrointestinal complaints are one of the most common ailments that bring people to the doctor, most of us don’t realize that these “tummy troubles” can be an underlying source of fatigue, says Dr. Cwynar. In The Fatigue Solution, she explains how toxins in the gut destroy our energy by poisoning cells, disrupting metabolism, and interfering with the digestive process. She details how to “detox” by using such foods as probiotics, fiber, pomegranate juice, and green tea.

Step #3: Improve Your Sleep and Reduce Your Stress – Sleep deprivation is epidemic in our society, argues Dr. Cwynar, and there is no doubt that sleep deprivation equals energy depletion. For many, stress is a root cause of poor sleep.

Step #4: Supercharge Your Sexuality – “Want good energy? Have good sex,” advises Dr. Cwynar. Millions of women are experiencing a sexual energy crisis, but The Fatigue Solution points out the myriad of health benefits that come from good sex – from burning calories to cardiovascular health to stress relief to relieving menstrual cramps.

Step #5: Move Your Body and Boost Your Metabolism – When you’re tired, the last thing you may want to do is exercise – but research proves that one of the best ways to beat fatigue is to exercise more, not less, says Dr. Cwynar. “The more you move around, the more mitochondria, those tiny energy-producing organs found in your cells, your body makes,” she explains. She advises starting with baby steps; finding a sport you love; and investing in the right, supportive workout clothing. Dr. Cwynar also shares specific exercises that are particularly good for boosting energy.

Step #6: Check Your Thyroid – Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. Sadly, too many women live with such symptoms as fatigue and hair loss for years without having their thyroid function checked.

Step #7: Prepare Yourself for That Time of the Month (or That Time of Your Life) – Hormones have an enormous impact on women’s monthly cycles. Dr. Cwynar offers suggestions for dealing with the fatigue and other symptoms so many women experience. The Fatigue Solution addresses the controversies surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and discusses the newest thinking about “bioidentical hormones” which Dr. Cwynar recommends over traditional HRT.

Step #8: Have Yourself Tested – Often, women undergo standard “testing” in response to complaints about fatigue and are told all is “normal.” Dr. Cwynar describes additional diagnostic tests that are not on many physicians’ customary rosters, but which can be critical in determining the root causes of fatigue or other symptoms. These include food allergy profiles, the adrenal stress index, comprehensive metabolic testing, intracellular vitamin analysis, and other tests, specifying when they are indicated and what they may reveal.

“Dr. Cwynar empowers you to take charge of your health and gives you the information and tools to make a difference. The most important message of this book is that no matter how hectic or demanding your lifestyle or what stage of life you are in, you don’t have to settle for feeling bad. Fatigue is not inevitable. You deserve to feel better. And you can feel better—you can even feel great.”

– Felicity Huffman, television and film actress

Eva Cwynar, M.D., is an endocrinologist, metabolic medicine specialist, and internist practicing in Beverly Hills. She is on the faculty at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, serves as an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA, and is an expert in bio-identical hormone replacement, menopause, thyroid function, weight loss, and overcoming fatigue. Dr. Cwynar has appeared on such shows as The Doctors, Dr. Phil, Celebrity Fit Club, You Are What You Eat, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

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