Hormone therapy myths
Today we are going to dispel some damaging myths when it comes to hormone replacement therapy.
Much of the fear started with the publication of the Women’s Health Initiative. This large scale study that started in 1991. This study showed an increase risk of stroke. There was a slight decrease in breast cancer rates with women treated with estrogen only but an increase in breast cancer rates in women being treated with both estrogen and progestin. Once the information was published there was panic in the community and many women stopped their hormone therapy leaving them to deal the symptoms of menopause and aging.
The problem is this study was performed with CONJUGATED EQUINE ESTROGEN and PROGESTIN. After the study whenever anyone talked about hormone replacement therapy, they lumped these negative outcomes with all hormone therapy. Conjugated equine estrogen and progestin are much different than E2 estradiol and P4 progesterone which are bio-identical.
The exact drug and the route of administration matters. Synthetic progestin is much different than bio-identical progesterone. Likewise oral estrogen has been linked to increase risk of clotting but when you change the route to transdermal or pellets you bypass the liver and you no longer have the increased rates of clotting.
In fact in 2017 the exact same authors of the Women’s Health Initiative stated that the use of estrogen and synthetic progestin for an average of 5.6 years or use of estrogen alone for an average of 7.2 years was not associated with risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, or cancer mortality during a cumulative follow-up of 18 years.
In 2020 those same authors of the Women’s Health Initiative again said they were wrong.
After following these women for 20 years they were less likely to get and die from breast cancer. Premerin (estrogen) is the only drug shown to DECREASE the incidence of breast cancer and mortality from breast cancer
The North American Menopause Society updated their position in 2017 stating that hormone therapy should be an individualized approach, no longer the lowest dose for shortest period. In November 2025 the FDA removed the black box warning on hormone therapy, acknowledging that earlier studies overestimated risks and undertreated symptoms. This update removed warnings for heart disease, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease from labels.
Hormone therapy can lead to reduction in certain cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, chronic pain, inflammation, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, and more. Hormone therapy can improve energy, libido, mood, cognition, among others.
We are glad you are following along with this recent blog series. In our next blog post we will start diving into the specific hormones, starting first with estrogen. Remember to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, Maple Leaf Health and Wellness Community, so you are alerted when a new blog is posted. As always if you have any questions or are ready to get your health back on track you can reach out to us at 219-777-2670. Have a great day!
How to Schedule an Appointment with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
To make an appointment with one of our providers click our sign up button. Choose a provider and you will be able to choose an appointment time that works for you.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day,
-Dan and Janae with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
Preventative Medicine
Let’s talk preventative medicine!
Most would agree our current healthcare model is broken. We sit around and wait until we get sick and then go to a doctor’s office, urgent care, or ER for a bandaid. We focus on treating disease symptoms and rarely address the root cause problem. As Americans we are getting sicker and I believe our care is getting worse.
We need to shift our focus and start investing in ourself. Practicing preventative rather than reactive medicine. A lot of these changes involve lifestyle changes. Adding more exercise to our lives, we recommend 150 minutes a week, but any increase adds up. Even simply parking in the furthest parking spot at the grocery store or sporting event. Focusing on whole real foods. Just ask yourself, was this food item in my grandma or great grandma’s pantry. If not limit that to maybe just a treat once a week. Drink more water and tea, less sugary drinks. Getting 7-9 hours a night of sleep. Definitely include a strength training routine to your exercise, this includes you women. Lean muscle is such an important indicator of health and longevity.
Aside from changes you can make to your lifestyle there are certain vitamins that are essential for health and longevity. It is non-negotionable to take vitamins A, D, K, and Iodine with zinc and selenium. It is highly recommended to also take magnesium, a b-complex vitamin, high quality fish oil, and high quality multi vitamin. These vitamins help aid in hormone function, regulate thyroid, boost immune system, help significantly reduce some types of cancers, boost energy, lower heart disease and all chronic medical conditions. Reduces rates of alzheimer, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions, infertility, etc.
Last topic for today is hormone and thyroid optimization. It is estimated that 50% of women and 25% of men need to be on appropriate thyroid medication. As a society our hormone levels, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, are also severely low. These low levels lead to increased rates of cancer, Alzheimer disease, osteoporosis, chronic and acute pain, sexual dysfunction, depression, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, just to name a few. Not to mention because of this you walk around everyday feeling like crap.
This is just a brief intro blog into a LONG series we are going to be going over. We will go over every hormone and vitamin in depth in the upcoming blog posts. Make sure you are following Maple Leaf Health and Wellness community on facebook and Instagram so you do not miss a post. Until then if you are wanting to feel better and get your health on track you can visit our website mapleleafdpc.com or call us with any questions at 219-777-2670.
How to Schedule an Appointment with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
To make an appointment with one of our providers click our sign up button. Choose a provider and you will be able to choose an appointment time that works for you.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day,
-Dan and Janae with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Hey guys! We are back for another fit Friday. This week we are going to make a homemade chicken noodle soup, using a whole chicken to make our own stock as well. This is another healthy meal that is easy to prepare. Homemade chicken stock is packed with nutrients like collagen, gelatin and amino acids. These support gut health, joint health, and overall immunity. The only thing we did not do homemade was the egg noodles. I was hoping to make homemade egg noodles for this recipe as well as they are really easy to make but I did not have time, volleyball ran over lol. So let’s get into it.
Stock:
One, approximate 4 pound cut up chicken cut into breasts, thighs, wings, and legs
2-3 carrots cleaned and cut into chunks
3 celery stalks cut into chunks
1 onion cut into quarters, peel on is ok
4-5 garlic cloves cut in half peel on
4 springs of fresh thyme (or 1-2 teaspoons dried)
10 whole peppercorns
Start by cutting the chicken into parts (breasts, thighs, wings, and legs). Then remove breast and thigh meat. Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer until needed.
Place the breast and thigh bones along with the legs, wings, and back in a large stock pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes to parboil bones. After 3 minutes drain the bones and rinse.
Return to the bones to the stockpot and add the onion, carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. You can add other herbs as well. Feel free to play with the stock recipe. Add 3 quarts of water, enough to cover the contents with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer partially covered for two hours.
After 2 hours, strain the stock into a bowl. Rinse the stockpot. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs. The meat from the bones will be mostly tasteless at this point but you can use the meat for dishes with a lot of seasoning that do not require the chicken to have much flavor.
Return the stock to the stockpot and salt and pepper to taste.
Soup:
Chicken meat from breast and thighs
3-4 carrots cleaned and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
3 celery stalks cleaned and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
8-10 ounces egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley to finish
Bring the stock to a boil and add the carrots and celery. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Add the chicken from the breast meat and thighs from earlier. Cook until cooked through. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente.
Serve with warm bread and add additional salt and pepper to each individual’s taste.
Lemon chicken with honey balsamic brussel Sprouts and side salad with Greek vinaigrette.
So we are starting a new weekly feature called fit Fridays. Each Friday we will be showcasing a healthy meal option that tastes great that you can make at home. I have always loved food and cooking, so it just made sense to take that passion and create healthy meals for our patients or anyone following along. Let’s get into the recipes
Lemon chicken is a simple dish with great flavor. My kids love this dish and I think adding kalamata olives at the end of baking really adds to the flavor.
Lemon chicken:
1 whole chicken cut into legs, breasts, wings, and thighs
1/4 cup lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic mixed
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup kalamata olives, optional
In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except for the olives. Place chicken skin side down in a prepared baking dish with ghee or other nonstick spray. Let chicken rest at room temperature for one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast chicken for 30 minutes then flip chicken to skin side up and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes, until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees. During last 10 minutes add kalamata olives if desired. Once done remove chicken to platter and pour juices over chicken.
Brussel sprouts are rich in vitamin K and vitamin C. They are high in fiber and help to reduce inflammation and are rich in antioxidants. This honey balsamic glaze is a great topping to add flavor.
Honey balsamic brussel sprouts:
1-2 pounds brussel sprouts
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Start by preheating oven to 425 degrees. Cut the stems of the brussel sprouts then cut in half. Mix brussel sprouts and all other ingredients besides the balsamic vinegar and honey in a bowel. Pour the brussel sprouts onto a baking sheet prepared with ghee or other nonstick. Place cut sides of brussel sprouts down. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place back in bowel used for mixing and coat with balsamic vinegar and honey. If you would like you can add blue cheese crumbles. Obviously you can adjust ingredients to fit your taste.
We finish the dish with a side salad with a homemade Greek vinaigrette. Traditional greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. I did not have any bell peppers on hand and did have salad lettuce mix so this is a modified version of Greek salad. The great thing about making homemade salad dressings is they are simple and quick to make and you can adjust the ingredients to make it just how you like it.
Side salad:
Lettuce mix
Kalamata olives
Cherry tomatoes
Feta cheese
Red onion
Greek vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 gloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all the vinaigrette dressings in a small bowel. Arrange salad and top with dressing. Mix well to combine.
Healthy lifestyle choices
Hey guys today we are going to just have a quick chat about making simple healthier lifestyle choices throughout the day. There are many choices throughout our day that can make big differences over time that we can make to help get us a little bit more exercise or eat a little better.
Fitness
One thing to do is when you go to the grocery store resist the urge to park in the closest spot or due online pick up. Park in the furthest parking spot and get your groceries yourself.
Whenever the situation presents itself take the stairs if possible
Do cardio for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. This can help aid in weight loss, regulate blood pressure
Add in weight lifting 2-3 times a week this helps body composition
If you are at a desk stretch every hour or so for a few minutes. This helps with blood flow
Nutrition
Eat out less and use whole foods when preparing meals
When eating meals eat 2-3 less bites
Drink more water. This helps control weight, boost energy, and improve quality of skin
Lower your sugar intake. High sugar affects our mood, ages our skin, and negatively affects digestion
Eat at least one dark green leafy vegetable a day
Drink green tea. Green tea promotes weight loss and improves mental alertness. It has also been linked to reduction in cancer rates and heart disease
Take vitamins. B vitamins, vitamin C, and zinc
Use more herbs and pepper to season food and less salt. Salt leads to high blood pressure leading to a number of health issues.
We all like eating out for lunch but replace most lunches with a high protein smoothie. We have great smoothies right here in MBS fitness
Mental
Perform a quick session of deep breathing in the morning
Try yoga
Reduce the amount of time on social media
Do something you love. Read a book, certain hobby, eat a certain food.
Plan a future event. Whether that is going out with friends, going out to dinner, or a vacation. This gives us something to look forward to
Before bed try to wind down by either reading a book or taking a bath. Stay off screens
If you are in need of assistance, you can reach out to Maple Leaf Health and Wellness. If you need that initial boost, feel like progress has stalled, or if you just don’t know where to begin, Maple Leaf Health and Wellness can help guide with life coaching, nutrition counseling, and weight loss therapy with GLP-1.
How to Schedule an Appointment with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
To make an appointment with one of our providers head over to our scheduling link. After you submit the information, we will reach out and offer appointment times.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day,
-Dan and Janae with Maple Leaf Health and Wellness
Physician Assistant Janae Wilson set to join staff at Maple Leaf Health and Wellness.
We’re excited to welcome Janae Wilson, PA-C, to Maple Leaf Health and Wellness.
Janae has been a physician assistant for 10 years with a strong foundation in exercise physiology and advanced training in functional and nutrition-focused medicine. Her passion lies in hormone optimization, preventative wellness, weight loss, and longevity-focused care.
She has experience across urgent care, primary care, orthopedics, and currently practices in a health and wellness clinic-bringing a well-rounded, patient-centered approach to care.
Janae lives in Starke County and is especially excited to serve her local community, offering access to wellness-focused care in a small-town setting where options are often limited. She truly believes in practicing what she preaches, both personally and professionally.
Outside of the clinic, Janae enjoys life with her husband and daughter. Together they love to adventure, ski in the winter, and care for their growing backyard petting zoo-including a donkey, pony, goats, and two new puppies.
We are thrilled to have Janae bringing her heart for wellness back home.