Our Health column: Hormone havoc undermines healthy sex life

The book is called “Sexy Hormones” but it could better be labeled “The Hormone Bible.”

Here's all you ever wanted to know about female hormones - from natural ones to bioidentical hormones, from treating hormone conditions like bladder incontinence to understanding what the birth control pill can do to undermine your sex life.

There's even a section on foods and exercises to improve your sex life plus a discussion of the best ways to achieve “self satisfaction.”

“Viagra may have brought unreasonable expectations into the bedroom, but feeling sexy and having good orgasms is a problem for all age groups of women,” says author Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, who is a Canadian-based natural health expert.

Q: The first part of this book focuses on what are hormones, what do they do and how can you find out if you're messed up. What is your goal?

A: The book is designed to help women even if a physician will not - and we pray that doesn't happen. You can go through the book and understand what your symptoms mean. You know, even if you are trying to have a healthy sex life, if you have hormone havoc you cannot.

Q: So how do you fix “hormone havoc?”

A: Lifestyle, nutrients, exercise. It's important to understand that food can royally mess up your hormones. Like soy. There are some very serious hormonal concerns about soy in your diet and you don't hear them promoting soy anymore.

Q: You say with no sex drive, no libido, you would probably rather take out the garbage than have intercourse.

A: And the reasons you have no sex drive can include stress - that's one of the biggest problems women have today - and birth control pills, environmental estrogens in food, even 30 extra pounds which can affect your sex drive, your self esteem and the insulin levels.

Fifty-one percent of women have reported pain upon intercourse. There's virtually no research into women's sex health issues.

Q: Your book talks about lubricants for women of all ages, even discussions of women's genitals with drawings.

A: A lot of women haven't looked at their genitals. They don't know what they look like. That's another reason I say personal devices (vibrators and such) are good ways to get to know yourself. And Keigel (vaginal) exercises can change your life, even if you don't have a man.

It's important to have a couple of orgasms a week to release your hormones. Orgasms are good for overall health and help strengthen vaginal walls.

Q: Diet plays a big role in a healthy sex life?

A: Absolutely. Lots of fruits and vegetables and good, clean sources of protein.

Q: You say that exposure to Xenoestrogens - the technical name for man-made chemicals that mimic the effect of estrogen - not only is harmful to women but also to their sons?

A: Women who eat meat high in estrogen mimickers are at a higher risk of having sons with smaller testicles and penises. Sperm counts of men in the United States and 20 other countries have decreased by an average of 50 percent because of these synthetics that are in pesticides, cattle, dairy products, cosmetics, plastics, farmed fish, dry fabric softener, even pharmaceuticals.

Q: You host an internet talk show, "Ask Lorna." You've written several books on women's health issues. And you've written this book, “Sexy Hormones” (Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2007), with a gynecologist, Dr. Alvin Pettle, who also practices integrative medicine.

A: Yes. We both believe health knowledge empowers people to achieve optimal wellness. I encourage your readers to visit my Web site, www.healthyimmunity.com.

Jane Glenn Haas writes for The Orange County (Calif.) Register. E-mail her at jghaas@cox.net