If you think that by staying away from the sun, you are saving your skin, think again. Protecting your skin with hats and sunscreen might is a good idea after, but total lack of time in the sun can lead to vitamin D deficiency. It is the only vitamin produced by your body. However, to produce it, your body needs sufficient exposure to the sun. The amount of Vitamin D produced in your body depends on a number of factors including the time of the day, season, age, and amount of exposure to the sun. The vitamin is fat soluble and can be stored for days and months when you don't are not exposed to the sun. In its absence, and consequent deficiency, you could be at the risk of certain cancers and weakening of bones.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

Experts recommend 800 to 1,000 IU daily for adults, which is quite hard to get unless you choose to consume pills. The government safe upper limit is 2,000 IU and recommends 200 to 600 IU per day. The government approved amount per day is the amount you need to avoid rickets. Since it plays such a key role in cell growth, bone health and the central nervous system, it is important that you include D in your list. And if you want to know how much of the vitamin is optimal for health, it helps to get tested to find your current range and upon consultation with a physician, take the right type and amount of Vitamin D. You need to monitor the status of the vitamin levels until it is an optimal range, or take as per the doctor's advice take vitamin rich foods, such as fish liver oils, sardines, and whole eggs.

If you are looking for a medical institute to help determine your Vitamin D levels and find doctors who are specialists in the area of physician-assisted weight loss, stress reduction, and anti aging who will use treatments which are proven to be safe, please visit Atlanta Medical Institute.

Testosterone is a hormone, which is produced primarily in the testes of a human male. It helps to maintain bone density, sperm production, muscle strength and sex drive too. The levels of this hormone peak during the adolescent years and early stages of adulthood too. However, the level of testosterone gradually declines with age. It is estimated that it decreases 1% every year after the age of 30. In fact, it is believed to occur in 18 percent of 70-year-olds.

With a decline in testosterone levels, men notice physical and emotional changes accompanied with reduced sexual desire and sleep disturbances too. However, physicians across the world are recommending testosterone replacement therapy. It is believed to help improve libido, bone density and body composition.

Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

• Increased energy levels: An increase in lean body mass, which leads to development of muscle will boost energy levels in individuals who undergo the therapy. This would imply increased ability to take up physical activity too.
• Better sex life: There has been a noticeable improvement in the sex lives of individuals who have undergone the therapy. Especially people with an erectile dysfunction have noticed significant improvement upon restoration of the hormone level.
• There is a reduced possibility of osteoporosis due to optimized bone density upon therapy and this reduces the risk of fractures too.
• Most importantly, it improves the basic quality of life. With more energy and a better sex life, the therapy helps improve the lifestyle of men who have dealt with problems due to reduced testosterone.

Learn more about male hormone replacement therapy and see if it is the right option for you.

THOUGH winter weather may earn a few snow days here and there, the lack of sunshine can also dampen one's spirits.

Some people may resort to quick fixes like coffee and sugar to give a temporary burst. But here are three healthier ways to raise your energy level and keep it up.

Tip 1 - GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP

Sleep is quite obviously one of the most vital ways to restore an individual's energy level. If a person is overly tired, exhausted or even incoherent, the issue is most likely related to sleep in some way. Lack of sleep is even an important indicator of many health issues, such as depression and multiple sclerosis.

Teenagers on average need 9.5 hours of sleep a night--while a study by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that teens sleep for an average of only 7.4 hours a night.

More information on stress reduction and hormone levels 

A good night's sleep is a hard thing to achieve, but a rewarding one. To do so, one must not sleep with the lights or the television on, as both are too stimulating to the brain, and the television may even cause certain glands within your brain to function improperly.

Read the full article 

Hormones, which supply life-giving nutrients, tend to decline with age. For men, lower hormone levels could lead to fatigue, irritability, and weight gain.  Plus, many men also experience erectile dysfunction and a lowered sex drive during and after middle age.

These symptoms can affect the quality of life for men. But that's just what they are - symptoms of a treatable condition that affects many middle aged men known as andropause.

Andropause is a known cause of hormone deficiency in men. With the advancement of medical science, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, has turned out to be an answer to issues related to andropause. As the therapy gains popularity, researchers are working hard to ensure maximum benefits of HRT with minimal side effects.

More Information on Andropause Symptoms 

To find out if you have a deficiency of hormones and would benefit from HRT, your doctor should measure the amount of testosterone in your blood. There are different types of HRT available. Based on your doctor's advice and your needs, you can choose the HRT. Bioidentical hormone therapy uses by-product of plant oils, a totally organic material. It will replace the hormones, which your body had lost but are required to function well. Another treatment option for HRT makes use of the male steroid hormone, DHEA. It slows down bone loss, improves the health of your skin, and enhances sexual drive in old men too.

How will HRT help you?

• Increases stamina.

• Noticeable increase in productivity and creativity.

• Improves memory

• Improves sexual drive

• Decreases moodiness and irritability.

You cannot reverse the process of aging. But you can surely control the process. According to research, testosterone replacement therapy can help older men deficient in the hormone reduce their risks of heart disease, diabetes, and unhealthy weight gain or loss. Before you choose to undergo hormone replacement therapy, your doctor will ask you to undergo a number of tests to check your level of testosterone and other important hormones.

If you have decided to go in for HRT, you need to look for a therapy provider, who can tailor the HRT to meet your individual needs and budget. Ensure that your HRT is conducted under the supervision of trained physician.

You can find more information on Hormone Replacement Therapy and other anti aging treatments from the Atlanta Medical Institute.