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Reglarea dezechilibrelor hormonale: Soluții naturale peentru a vă redobândi echilibrul, somnul, libidoul și energia
O viață sănătoasă fără medicamente sintetice sau terapii scumpe.
Cel mai bun moment să luați măsuri pentru o viață sănătoasă e înainte să vă confruntați cu probleme precum creșterea în greutate și instabilitatea emoțională și înainte să dezvoltați afecțiuni grave, cum ar fi depresia sau cancerul de sân.
De ce să nu faceți o schimbare durabilă acum, înainte să vă treziți într-un cabinet medical, ținând în mână o rețetă pentru medicamente, sau, și mai rău, pregătite pentru o intervenție chirurgicală invazivă?
Autoarea, medic ginecolog, absolventă a Universității Harvard, vă arată că există scăpare din iadul hormonal provocat de premenopauză și perimenopauză, dar și de stres, alimentație, sedentarism și starea de spirit negativă. Metoda de echilibrare hormonală pe care o propune îmbină terapiile naturiste cu rigoarea științifi că, folosește teste și chestionare pentru depistarea cauzelor dezechilibrelor hormonale și garantează că vă veți simți din nou vesele, pline de energie și sexy, indiferent de vârstă.
O carte care vă va schimba viața!
Metode verificate pentru a scăpa de instabilitatea emoțională, problemele de concentrare, insomnii, greutatea în exces și libidoul scăzut.
Cel mai bun moment să luați măsuri pentru o viață sănătoasă e înainte să vă confruntați cu probleme precum creșterea în greutate și instabilitatea emoțională și înainte să dezvoltați afecțiuni grave, cum ar fi depresia sau cancerul de sân.
De ce să nu faceți o schimbare durabilă acum, înainte să vă treziți într-un cabinet medical, ținând în mână o rețetă pentru medicamente, sau, și mai rău, pregătite pentru o intervenție chirurgicală invazivă?
Autoarea, medic ginecolog, absolventă a Universității Harvard, vă arată că există scăpare din iadul hormonal provocat de premenopauză și perimenopauză, dar și de stres, alimentație, sedentarism și starea de spirit negativă. Metoda de echilibrare hormonală pe care o propune îmbină terapiile naturiste cu rigoarea științifi că, folosește teste și chestionare pentru depistarea cauzelor dezechilibrelor hormonale și garantează că vă veți simți din nou vesele, pline de energie și sexy, indiferent de vârstă.
O carte care vă va schimba viața!
Metode verificate pentru a scăpa de instabilitatea emoțională, problemele de concentrare, insomnii, greutatea în exces și libidoul scăzut.
528 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2013
1090 people are currently reading
5075 people want to read
About the author
Sara Gottfried
42 books352 followersSara Gottfried, MD is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and The Hormone Reset Diet (HarperOne, 2015). After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. She is a board-certified gynecologist who teaches natural hormone balancing in her novel online programs so that women can lose weight, detoxify, and slow down aging. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters.
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March 14, 2013
Update: So, I've had less luck with the recommendations in this book than I would have liked. I've had to give up the yoga, which I enjoyed, because it badly aggravated an old back injury to the point where I've had to get physical therapy on it. The chaste berry extract didn't seem to help my PMS much either - though I haven't been able to find the exact tincture Gottfried recommends, either. Overall, I would say that this book is a good introduction to hormone imbalances, but I think you really need a doctor to help you make real changes. So far, I haven't found one who really even thinks hormones are that important, but I'll keep looking.
I'm 33, and have spent the last five or so years of my life feeling crappy much of the time. Conventional medicine has pretty much failed to help at all (no thank you doctor, I don't want an anti-depressant for my fatigue), so I've turned to some alternatives. I heard about Sara Gottfried and her book The Hormone Cure through one of Sean Croxton's Underground Wellness podcasts and immediately thought: I have to get that book.
I'm glad I did. The Hormone Cure was a crash course in how the body works (honestly, I've probably learned more about biology in the last year from reading nutrition books than I learned in my entire educational career). Proper hormone function is so vital to our well being but most of us know almost nothing about it. I'd never even heard of pregnenalone - but I should have, because it's the precursor hormone to almost all our other hormones - cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone etc. Mind you, from what Dr. Gottfriend says, even medical students don't learn much about hormones - they are only taught how to treat the obvious, critical hormone problems such as Cushings disease and really have little insight or interest in anything else (to be fair, they are busy, pressured people in high stress jobs).
Sara Gottfried is a medical doctor, so you don't have to worry that her advice is totally naturopathic and new agey. She's great because she's interested in alternative treatments for problems that regular medicine sucks at treating (like PMS, PCOS, difficulty conceiving, hot flashes etc) but she also wants to know that they're backed up by science. So when she recommends yoga and meditation for regulating cortisol, she provides clinical evidence that they work. She's very into randomized controlled trials.
The three main hormones that affect women are cortisol, estrogen, and thyroid. Gottfried calls them the hormonal Charlie's Angels (there's a bit too much of that cutesy stuff in book but it's still incredibly informative). She should probably include progesterone in that, because it's the balance of estrogen and progesterone that make you feel good and make you fertile (I learned that from this book, and also that many women are estrogen dominant, which can lead to PMS and infertility, among other things). There are a variety of things that throw off hormones. Some of the biggest offenders are stress, sugar, gluten, stress, aging, stress, and chemical endocrine disruptors, aka xenohormones (such as BPA, phthalates, parabens) - yeah, I know that I wrote stress several times but it definitely seems like it's one of the worst culprits. You can't eliminate all these things - you're going to age, you're going to be stressed sometimes, and unfortunately you'll never avoid all the nasty xenohormones in the water, air, food, and personal care products, but you can remove some of them, limit others, and learn to deal with stress better.
The nice thing about this books is that, for every hormone imbalance and its attendant symptoms, Dr. Gottfriend lays out a protocol for treating it. Top things I have done after reading The Hormone Cure - take up yoga, get a massage, buy a glass drink bottle, replace my plastic tea kettle with a stainless steel one, buy a water filter for the kitchen, and start taking chaste berry for my horrendous PMS. I'm really liking yoga, so far. It's hard, but it makes me feel good and I always sleep like a baby afterwards. Massages are obviously pure bliss. The rest I've only changed in the last couple of weeks, so I'll have to wait and see if they help.
My only real critique of this book is Gottfried's misunderstanding of the Paleo diet. She gets that it's about going low-carb, but she also thinks it's about eating lean protein. If you've read anything about the Paleo diet, you know that you're supposed to eat quite a lot of fat on it - good fats such as coconut oil and grass-fed meat fat - because it keeps you full and helps your body make hormones and cholesterol (we need cholesterol for so many functions in the body, like making myelin sheaths for our nerves and making vitamin D from sunlight). I actually have a hard time eating enough fat - but I'm not full Paleo, honestly. I just can't give up yoghurt and cheese and I do get a lot of fat that way. Though Dr. Gottfried's willing to look outside the box when it comes to hormones, I would have liked to have seen her look at fats with an open mind, but that's ok, since others such as Mary Enig, Gary Taubes, and Catherine Shanahan have done just that in their books. One thing that I was really pleased to see is Gottfried's emphasis on how harmful gluten can be for those with thyroid problems.
Also, and this is not Gottfried's fault at all, but this is a book that would be much better to read in print, rather than on Kindle or Nook, because it's essentially a reference book - after you've read it, you'll want to refer to specific chapters to get to the lifestyle, herbs, and hormone recommendations. But trying to do that on a Kindle is a royal pain in the arse, and makes me want to re-buy the book in print. Actually, though, I'd quite like to have this in print anyway, to lend to people, so it may be more of an upside than a downside.
I'm 33, and have spent the last five or so years of my life feeling crappy much of the time. Conventional medicine has pretty much failed to help at all (no thank you doctor, I don't want an anti-depressant for my fatigue), so I've turned to some alternatives. I heard about Sara Gottfried and her book The Hormone Cure through one of Sean Croxton's Underground Wellness podcasts and immediately thought: I have to get that book.
I'm glad I did. The Hormone Cure was a crash course in how the body works (honestly, I've probably learned more about biology in the last year from reading nutrition books than I learned in my entire educational career). Proper hormone function is so vital to our well being but most of us know almost nothing about it. I'd never even heard of pregnenalone - but I should have, because it's the precursor hormone to almost all our other hormones - cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone etc. Mind you, from what Dr. Gottfriend says, even medical students don't learn much about hormones - they are only taught how to treat the obvious, critical hormone problems such as Cushings disease and really have little insight or interest in anything else (to be fair, they are busy, pressured people in high stress jobs).
Sara Gottfried is a medical doctor, so you don't have to worry that her advice is totally naturopathic and new agey. She's great because she's interested in alternative treatments for problems that regular medicine sucks at treating (like PMS, PCOS, difficulty conceiving, hot flashes etc) but she also wants to know that they're backed up by science. So when she recommends yoga and meditation for regulating cortisol, she provides clinical evidence that they work. She's very into randomized controlled trials.
The three main hormones that affect women are cortisol, estrogen, and thyroid. Gottfried calls them the hormonal Charlie's Angels (there's a bit too much of that cutesy stuff in book but it's still incredibly informative). She should probably include progesterone in that, because it's the balance of estrogen and progesterone that make you feel good and make you fertile (I learned that from this book, and also that many women are estrogen dominant, which can lead to PMS and infertility, among other things). There are a variety of things that throw off hormones. Some of the biggest offenders are stress, sugar, gluten, stress, aging, stress, and chemical endocrine disruptors, aka xenohormones (such as BPA, phthalates, parabens) - yeah, I know that I wrote stress several times but it definitely seems like it's one of the worst culprits. You can't eliminate all these things - you're going to age, you're going to be stressed sometimes, and unfortunately you'll never avoid all the nasty xenohormones in the water, air, food, and personal care products, but you can remove some of them, limit others, and learn to deal with stress better.
The nice thing about this books is that, for every hormone imbalance and its attendant symptoms, Dr. Gottfriend lays out a protocol for treating it. Top things I have done after reading The Hormone Cure - take up yoga, get a massage, buy a glass drink bottle, replace my plastic tea kettle with a stainless steel one, buy a water filter for the kitchen, and start taking chaste berry for my horrendous PMS. I'm really liking yoga, so far. It's hard, but it makes me feel good and I always sleep like a baby afterwards. Massages are obviously pure bliss. The rest I've only changed in the last couple of weeks, so I'll have to wait and see if they help.
My only real critique of this book is Gottfried's misunderstanding of the Paleo diet. She gets that it's about going low-carb, but she also thinks it's about eating lean protein. If you've read anything about the Paleo diet, you know that you're supposed to eat quite a lot of fat on it - good fats such as coconut oil and grass-fed meat fat - because it keeps you full and helps your body make hormones and cholesterol (we need cholesterol for so many functions in the body, like making myelin sheaths for our nerves and making vitamin D from sunlight). I actually have a hard time eating enough fat - but I'm not full Paleo, honestly. I just can't give up yoghurt and cheese and I do get a lot of fat that way. Though Dr. Gottfried's willing to look outside the box when it comes to hormones, I would have liked to have seen her look at fats with an open mind, but that's ok, since others such as Mary Enig, Gary Taubes, and Catherine Shanahan have done just that in their books. One thing that I was really pleased to see is Gottfried's emphasis on how harmful gluten can be for those with thyroid problems.
Also, and this is not Gottfried's fault at all, but this is a book that would be much better to read in print, rather than on Kindle or Nook, because it's essentially a reference book - after you've read it, you'll want to refer to specific chapters to get to the lifestyle, herbs, and hormone recommendations. But trying to do that on a Kindle is a royal pain in the arse, and makes me want to re-buy the book in print. Actually, though, I'd quite like to have this in print anyway, to lend to people, so it may be more of an upside than a downside.
August 14, 2024
Oh lordy where to start. This book can be summed up into : Meditate, eat well, test hormones and try to boost what you are low in first naturally and if that is not possible, opt for bioidentical ones-strechted over 400 pages of blaaa. Peppered with tales of her grandmother mud who was an inspiration to here because she drank lemon water and looked fierce without realizing her grannie sounds like just another over-privileged California health-nut.
Overall this book can be hardly described as revolutionary. Although to be fair, regular mainstream medicine is so ridiculous with their attempt of balancing hormones (the "pill" for pretty much everything) Sarah Gottfried does slighlty better than that. Nevertheless "Dr. Hotfried" as she likes to be called by her patients manages to get wrong certain details wrong that are common knowledge in the alternative health/integrative medicine community. She recommends a Paleo diet which in her "version" includes grains like Quinoa and has to be lowfat, which is kind of the opposite of a Paleo diet but well...
She recommends cardio or hip fitness courses like Hip Hop or African dance for low Cortisol. (Wow was that an attempt to desperately fake being "young at heart") I think that advice is so off and dangerous for people with seriously low cortisol like me. Furthemore she recommends adaptogens like Rhodiola or Ashwaganda and that is when I started to wonder for whom Hotfried wrote the book. Apparently for super healthy women with no autoimmun issues at all. She completly disregards thefact that we have an autoimmune epidemic. First of all if you have an autoimmune disease you have to be CAREFUL with Rhodiola or Ashwaganda and they can potentially boost your immune system too much, but even though she manages to fill almost 400 pages no words about possible dangers. She also says she also advices against adrenal cortex extract in severe cases of adrenal fatigue, which I do not understand. ACE provides nutrients for the adrenal glands and unlike in thecase of Hydrocortisone which she recommends the adrenal glands won´t shut down completly their production of Cortisol.
The last detail I want to criticize is the fact that the recommends saw palmetto for high testosterone when in fact research point to the fact that it boosts testosterone.
I listened to one of her podcasts and oh my god, maybe it has to do with the fact that I am European but its impossible to listen to someone who is this loud obnoxious and over-selfconfident.
Even though she wants to come across as this super hippie , earth mother/yoga teacher and also healthy sceptical in regard to the the pharam industry she loves mentioning that she graduated from Harvard and has a New York Times bestseller (that was possibly ghost written). Her fees are ridicilous. Who but only top earners are seriously believing her earth mother-persona?
I always wonder whether people like that ever think about the fact that they are reason the entire bay area which, once known for its diversity that once made the hippie movement popular is now turning into a white-washed vapid and lifeless desert.
Overall this book can be hardly described as revolutionary. Although to be fair, regular mainstream medicine is so ridiculous with their attempt of balancing hormones (the "pill" for pretty much everything) Sarah Gottfried does slighlty better than that. Nevertheless "Dr. Hotfried" as she likes to be called by her patients manages to get wrong certain details wrong that are common knowledge in the alternative health/integrative medicine community. She recommends a Paleo diet which in her "version" includes grains like Quinoa and has to be lowfat, which is kind of the opposite of a Paleo diet but well...
She recommends cardio or hip fitness courses like Hip Hop or African dance for low Cortisol. (Wow was that an attempt to desperately fake being "young at heart") I think that advice is so off and dangerous for people with seriously low cortisol like me. Furthemore she recommends adaptogens like Rhodiola or Ashwaganda and that is when I started to wonder for whom Hotfried wrote the book. Apparently for super healthy women with no autoimmun issues at all. She completly disregards thefact that we have an autoimmune epidemic. First of all if you have an autoimmune disease you have to be CAREFUL with Rhodiola or Ashwaganda and they can potentially boost your immune system too much, but even though she manages to fill almost 400 pages no words about possible dangers. She also says she also advices against adrenal cortex extract in severe cases of adrenal fatigue, which I do not understand. ACE provides nutrients for the adrenal glands and unlike in thecase of Hydrocortisone which she recommends the adrenal glands won´t shut down completly their production of Cortisol.
The last detail I want to criticize is the fact that the recommends saw palmetto for high testosterone when in fact research point to the fact that it boosts testosterone.
I listened to one of her podcasts and oh my god, maybe it has to do with the fact that I am European but its impossible to listen to someone who is this loud obnoxious and over-selfconfident.
Even though she wants to come across as this super hippie , earth mother/yoga teacher and also healthy sceptical in regard to the the pharam industry she loves mentioning that she graduated from Harvard and has a New York Times bestseller (that was possibly ghost written). Her fees are ridicilous. Who but only top earners are seriously believing her earth mother-persona?
I always wonder whether people like that ever think about the fact that they are reason the entire bay area which, once known for its diversity that once made the hippie movement popular is now turning into a white-washed vapid and lifeless desert.
February 9, 2013
I'm a huge believer that a pill doesn't cure everything (and often not even that much) and Dr Gottfried backs up this intuition but with a huge wealth of actual data and recommendations. It's like the Getting Our Bodies Back for the new millenium. Women who aren't satisfied with the answers (or in most cases non-answers) they are getting from their doctors are looking for real ways to feel better, more energized, sexier, lose weight and even handle peri-menopause. And that's what Dr Gottfried gives you. What I really love is that this book is very readable and not a dry if-then-then-do-that manual. It's fun, you see your self in Dr Gottfried's foibles and you finally understand why you've been feeling the way you do and what you can actually do about it! I never understood my thyroid before (even after having 1/2 removed and being on meds) and now I finally do. It's also awesome because she separates some of the more boring in-depth science of the body so you can choose to read or not. I thought I wouldn't but I found myself fascinated and learned so much. If that's not you though - you can get all the helpful recs and understanding without too much dr tech-y talk. I think this book is poised to become the next primer for women from 20-80 on how to live their best life without drugging up (or when it's really necessary and you can feel you've made the right choice!) Get it, read it, share it with your friends. It's worth it!
November 23, 2013
There is a lot of great information in this book, presented in an easy-going and empowering manner. I found it a helpful springing off point for conversations with my doctor, a naturopath.
I bought and read this on Kindle. While it was great for reading on the bus, I really wish I had purchased it in paper. It's really hard to flip around in the book, which I wanted to do, repeatedly. I had no ability to copy pages so that I could refer to advice for my condition or bring them to my doctor - they were frustratingly hidden somewhere in the middle of the volume. And, the charts in the appendix were unreadable. This is a book you'll want in paper.
I bought and read this on Kindle. While it was great for reading on the bus, I really wish I had purchased it in paper. It's really hard to flip around in the book, which I wanted to do, repeatedly. I had no ability to copy pages so that I could refer to advice for my condition or bring them to my doctor - they were frustratingly hidden somewhere in the middle of the volume. And, the charts in the appendix were unreadable. This is a book you'll want in paper.
June 23, 2014
To all my girlfriends:
If you are 35 or over, you need to read this book. I've read a lot about this sort of thing before, but she really nails it. She's a Harvard trained gynaecologist so she knows her stuff too (not that she learned any of this stuff at Harvard, which is the real problem as she readily discusses).
It contains valuable information for women who have to cope with changing hormone levels at the most stressful points of their lives.
The modern way of Western living is not doing us much good ladies.
But chances are if you have been to the doctor and complained of a whole host of things (small example list being:
Heavy or worsening periods
Lack of libido
Fatigue
Depression
Listless
Gaining weight
Irritable
PMS
Dry skin
Insomnia
Inability to wake up refreshed
Difficulty coping)
then you will have been fobbed off, ignored or prescribed HRT, a Mirena Coil (God forbid!), antidepressants, a statin or some other useless and potentially damaging drug that won't help you one bit and leave you frustrated and upset and discovering more symptoms by the month/year.
It's hard to embrace the fact that our GP's and endocrinologists don't actually understand our hormone balance much at all. Only if you are lucky to find one who has made it their hobby and life's work will you get help. You have to sort this out for yourselves girls, to ensure your life is fun and fulfilling again. And this book is a darn good start.
My advice is buy the paperback book not the Kindle edition (like I did) because you need to complete questionnaires and refer back to it all the time. It would be so much easier to flip the pages and write in the margins etc. Kindle does't work that well for questionnaire and tables etc.
Don't ever give up and think you are just "getting old". No such thing. You are just unbalanced hormonally and you can change that.
If you are 35 or over, you need to read this book. I've read a lot about this sort of thing before, but she really nails it. She's a Harvard trained gynaecologist so she knows her stuff too (not that she learned any of this stuff at Harvard, which is the real problem as she readily discusses).
It contains valuable information for women who have to cope with changing hormone levels at the most stressful points of their lives.
The modern way of Western living is not doing us much good ladies.
But chances are if you have been to the doctor and complained of a whole host of things (small example list being:
Heavy or worsening periods
Lack of libido
Fatigue
Depression
Listless
Gaining weight
Irritable
PMS
Dry skin
Insomnia
Inability to wake up refreshed
Difficulty coping)
then you will have been fobbed off, ignored or prescribed HRT, a Mirena Coil (God forbid!), antidepressants, a statin or some other useless and potentially damaging drug that won't help you one bit and leave you frustrated and upset and discovering more symptoms by the month/year.
It's hard to embrace the fact that our GP's and endocrinologists don't actually understand our hormone balance much at all. Only if you are lucky to find one who has made it their hobby and life's work will you get help. You have to sort this out for yourselves girls, to ensure your life is fun and fulfilling again. And this book is a darn good start.
My advice is buy the paperback book not the Kindle edition (like I did) because you need to complete questionnaires and refer back to it all the time. It would be so much easier to flip the pages and write in the margins etc. Kindle does't work that well for questionnaire and tables etc.
Don't ever give up and think you are just "getting old". No such thing. You are just unbalanced hormonally and you can change that.
September 29, 2016
This book was really annoying and I am relieved to be done with it.
It should not have been this way. There was good information on hormones and I did learn from it. Also, I understand that it would be a relief for a woman experiencing hormonal disruptions to get reassurance from this book. It was recommended by someone who was feeling some differences. I just had a lot of problems with it.
The first thing that was really off-putting was the Gottfried's own fat-phobia, which is featured really prominently. She actually admits to being fat-phobic toward the end, but then she says most women are and recommends 12 step programs for dealing with food issues. I am not sure that she really understands the nature of the problem or how alienating she could be to many of her potential readers.
There was also, despite her professed devotion to double-blind studies, a reliance on hearsay and debunked methods. At one point I was surprised she didn't just come out and recommend homeopathy, but then that happened in a later chapter. That makes me wonder if a lot of her patients' success stories aren't coming from the placebo effect. She throws so many potential remedies at every possible problem that something should stick, even if it is only a psychological boost from doing so much.
The cutesy-ness and emphasis on juicy-ness were grating, not just on their own, but also because of the feeling that it was very superficial, despite all the emphasis on cleanness and balance. It felt very Los Angeles, I guess.
This was all very frustrating because I think there is the potential for there to be a really good book on hormonal changes for women, and it could fill an important role. It would need to be written by someone less delighted with herself.
It should not have been this way. There was good information on hormones and I did learn from it. Also, I understand that it would be a relief for a woman experiencing hormonal disruptions to get reassurance from this book. It was recommended by someone who was feeling some differences. I just had a lot of problems with it.
The first thing that was really off-putting was the Gottfried's own fat-phobia, which is featured really prominently. She actually admits to being fat-phobic toward the end, but then she says most women are and recommends 12 step programs for dealing with food issues. I am not sure that she really understands the nature of the problem or how alienating she could be to many of her potential readers.
There was also, despite her professed devotion to double-blind studies, a reliance on hearsay and debunked methods. At one point I was surprised she didn't just come out and recommend homeopathy, but then that happened in a later chapter. That makes me wonder if a lot of her patients' success stories aren't coming from the placebo effect. She throws so many potential remedies at every possible problem that something should stick, even if it is only a psychological boost from doing so much.
The cutesy-ness and emphasis on juicy-ness were grating, not just on their own, but also because of the feeling that it was very superficial, despite all the emphasis on cleanness and balance. It felt very Los Angeles, I guess.
This was all very frustrating because I think there is the potential for there to be a really good book on hormonal changes for women, and it could fill an important role. It would need to be written by someone less delighted with herself.
September 27, 2014
Finally, a doctor who addresses more than just treating the symptoms! Dr. Gottfried does an excellent job explaining various hormonal imbalances, why they occur, how they affect women, and provides practical solutions to fix them. She includes a comprehensive questionnaire to help you learn if you have a hormonal imbalance and what type (thyroid, high and/or low cortisol, low progesterone or estrogen, high androgens).
Her advice is more than just "try this or that, but seek out a doctor". She lays out her "protocol" in three phases, starting with lifestyle and low-risk changes, herbal remedies in phase two, and bio-identical hormones for phase three for women who can't get what they need from the first two phases. Other useful resources, worth the purchase alone:
- links to trustworthy sources when seeking out natural supplements
- how to find a (integrative medicine) practitioner who will work with you
- meal plan guidelines for balanced hormones
- links to legitimate sites offering at-home hormone testing
Gottfried shares all this information in an open, friendly way, without being too technical, but she also explains the science behind hormonal imbalances, and refers to studies regularly throughout the book.
I would have given this book five stars, but Gottfried says towards the beginning that her advice is not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. I'm currently the latter, and my hormones have been a mess since giving birth (if not more so a year later). I can understand that she isn't a pediatrician and so that isn't her area of expertise, but I would imagine that I'm not the only woman who also feels like she needs help, either during pregnancy or postpartum while breastfeeding. Of course, these women can implement some of the lifestyle and low-risk choices Gottfried recommends, but that's about it. Despite that, I do think the book is still worth it for the resources and knowledge alone; I just wish it could be a little more helpful to me. (Although I'm sure it will be in the future.)
Her advice is more than just "try this or that, but seek out a doctor". She lays out her "protocol" in three phases, starting with lifestyle and low-risk changes, herbal remedies in phase two, and bio-identical hormones for phase three for women who can't get what they need from the first two phases. Other useful resources, worth the purchase alone:
- links to trustworthy sources when seeking out natural supplements
- how to find a (integrative medicine) practitioner who will work with you
- meal plan guidelines for balanced hormones
- links to legitimate sites offering at-home hormone testing
Gottfried shares all this information in an open, friendly way, without being too technical, but she also explains the science behind hormonal imbalances, and refers to studies regularly throughout the book.
I would have given this book five stars, but Gottfried says towards the beginning that her advice is not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. I'm currently the latter, and my hormones have been a mess since giving birth (if not more so a year later). I can understand that she isn't a pediatrician and so that isn't her area of expertise, but I would imagine that I'm not the only woman who also feels like she needs help, either during pregnancy or postpartum while breastfeeding. Of course, these women can implement some of the lifestyle and low-risk choices Gottfried recommends, but that's about it. Despite that, I do think the book is still worth it for the resources and knowledge alone; I just wish it could be a little more helpful to me. (Although I'm sure it will be in the future.)
January 2, 2016
A great book for every woman to read: in order that she be healthier,live longer and with a better quality of life - and also to gift to her mom/sister/girlfriend - especially working women and moms!!
August 15, 2024
I was truly tired of feeling tired all the time. I dismissed my “tiredness” as regular fatigue waited that it would eventually go away. It’s been years in the waiting and I’ve got 10 other symptoms to add to that list, so I figured I needed to do something about it, but didn’t know what to do. That was until I came across Dr Sara Gottfried on the Huberman Lab podcast. I truly felt heard for the first time where everything I was feeling was validated and not dismissed because I wasn’t eating healthy, was eating outside too much, was snacking too much, not sleeping enough. I then picked up this exceptional book about all the ways in which women can have their hormones go haywire. It was clear to me at the very beginning of this book that my issue was hormones.
The book begins with an introduction to hormones and hormonal imbalances and what that feels like. If you’re tired all the time or having really painful periods, PMS, irritated all the time, unable to sleep well, it could all be because of hormonal imbalances, which sadly has been normalized a little too much for women. The book then proceeds to break down the different kinds of hormonal imbalances and has a very simple, yet detailed questionnaire to figure out if what you’re feeling matches any of the phenotypes associated with a single or multiple imbalances. She then breaks down each of the imbalances, delving into what causes them, what is the biology behind it (which you can skip) and a three step approach to fix each imbalance based on your severity.
I really appreciate Dr Sara Gottfried’s approach where she doesn’t think the answer is prescription medicine and yet follows solid research for her non-prescription recommendations. As a Harvard educated gynecologist, she dismisses the approach that the majority of gynecologists take where the solution is often birth control pills or synthetic hormones. I also like that she doesn’t shy away from prescribing eastern medicine and techniques like Yoga, meditation etc. There are some disheartening statistics in the book which talk about how many such women are out there feeling terrible most of the time and how their concerns are mostly ignored by the medical system. I think this is a must read for every female out there who doesn’t feel like she’s living her best life and wants to take control over how she’s feeling.
The book begins with an introduction to hormones and hormonal imbalances and what that feels like. If you’re tired all the time or having really painful periods, PMS, irritated all the time, unable to sleep well, it could all be because of hormonal imbalances, which sadly has been normalized a little too much for women. The book then proceeds to break down the different kinds of hormonal imbalances and has a very simple, yet detailed questionnaire to figure out if what you’re feeling matches any of the phenotypes associated with a single or multiple imbalances. She then breaks down each of the imbalances, delving into what causes them, what is the biology behind it (which you can skip) and a three step approach to fix each imbalance based on your severity.
I really appreciate Dr Sara Gottfried’s approach where she doesn’t think the answer is prescription medicine and yet follows solid research for her non-prescription recommendations. As a Harvard educated gynecologist, she dismisses the approach that the majority of gynecologists take where the solution is often birth control pills or synthetic hormones. I also like that she doesn’t shy away from prescribing eastern medicine and techniques like Yoga, meditation etc. There are some disheartening statistics in the book which talk about how many such women are out there feeling terrible most of the time and how their concerns are mostly ignored by the medical system. I think this is a must read for every female out there who doesn’t feel like she’s living her best life and wants to take control over how she’s feeling.
April 16, 2013
If you're a woman, have a daughter, are married to a woman, plan to marry a woman, or have women friends, you should read this book. If you're a man with hormonal issues (adrenals, thyroid etc.) you would also benefit.
Written by a Harvard educated gynecologist who is also a yoga instructor, wife and mother, this book is the cutting edge of what is known about hormones. Everything is explained in terms that are easy to understand. I love that she utilizes lifestyle changes and herbal remedies (if scientific studies have shown them to be effective) before pharmaceuticals.
The best part is that you don't even have to read the entire book. Fill out the questionnaires and then read the portions that apply to you. It also contains a large appendix summarizing her protocols and the scientific evidence to back her up.
Did I happen to mention everyone should be aware of the information here? You won't regret being better informed about your health.
Written by a Harvard educated gynecologist who is also a yoga instructor, wife and mother, this book is the cutting edge of what is known about hormones. Everything is explained in terms that are easy to understand. I love that she utilizes lifestyle changes and herbal remedies (if scientific studies have shown them to be effective) before pharmaceuticals.
The best part is that you don't even have to read the entire book. Fill out the questionnaires and then read the portions that apply to you. It also contains a large appendix summarizing her protocols and the scientific evidence to back her up.
Did I happen to mention everyone should be aware of the information here? You won't regret being better informed about your health.
May 3, 2013
I'm reading this book not just for myself, but for others I love. It's so sad to me that we have been trained to believe that a pill is the answer for things, when these pills do nothing to repair the root problem: they simply turn off the body's "warning light." I should've gone to medical school. I should become a yoga instructor. I want the world to be a healthier and happier, more mindful place. ((Sigh)) I will share what I've learned with everyone who wants to hear it or doesn't read it for themselves.
December 15, 2017
This book was both super useful and super annoying. She's so gimmicky and snake-oil salesman-ish at times and then at other times, she talks about real issues. I think maybe stick with the queen, Dr. Northrup and skip this edition of the same sorts of wisdom therein.
July 14, 2023
Genres: Health/Nonfiction
I like health books that try and swim against the norm. This one was written 10 years ago and still doctors are quick to dismiss symptoms of hormones gone amuck. Or they try and hand over an antidepressant.
I found this informative for the most part, but I could not get over the narrator (who was not the author.) She made this sound so melodramatic with an exclamation point after every sentence followed by a wink, wink. It detracted from any value that I was trying to collect. The intro chapters were the hardest to get through. So I'll settle at 3 stars for this one.
I like health books that try and swim against the norm. This one was written 10 years ago and still doctors are quick to dismiss symptoms of hormones gone amuck. Or they try and hand over an antidepressant.
I found this informative for the most part, but I could not get over the narrator (who was not the author.) She made this sound so melodramatic with an exclamation point after every sentence followed by a wink, wink. It detracted from any value that I was trying to collect. The intro chapters were the hardest to get through. So I'll settle at 3 stars for this one.
May 19, 2019
A clear, understandable explanation of a very complicated subject: the interaction of multiple hormones throughout a woman's life. The author addresses the major categories of hormone imbalances which lead to PMS, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, infertility, loss of libido and a host of other symptoms common to modern womanhood.
Especially enlightening to me was her explanation of the hormonal contribution to the emotional experiences of women aged 35 to 50 who are typically trying to manage work, children, marriage, and running a house, and how women experience stress different from men. Instead of responding primarily with fight or flight, estrogen flavors our response with a hefty dose of tend-and-befriend. When under stress, there's actually a physiological contribution to our impetus to seek out companionship. Women rely much more on the release of connection-induced oxytocin to counter stress-triggered release of cortisol. we still have fight or flight - but expect in extreme circumstances, it's not our first go to.
The book is organized in a friendly manner to allow readers to decide for themselves how much theory vs. practical advice they wish to spend time reading. Beginning with a symptom check list, the author helps direct a reader to the most relevant chapters. each chapter then includes a biological explanation for the symptom experiences, followed by a progressive protocol for managing/correcting the imbalances. The recommendations are step-wise, beginning with lifestyle and diet changes first, followed by nutritional and/or herbal supplements, reserving medication for when these first measures are insufficient.
My main caveat about the book is I am left with the impression that stress is primarily psychological. A very common cause of physiological stress can be intestinal dysbiosis and/or disrupted gut permeability which lead to inflammatory stress (and symptoms.) Although some of her dietary recommendations may get at come of this, they do so only indirectly and I suspect only partially.
Informative and empowering. But not the whole story (as no one book ever can be.)
Especially enlightening to me was her explanation of the hormonal contribution to the emotional experiences of women aged 35 to 50 who are typically trying to manage work, children, marriage, and running a house, and how women experience stress different from men. Instead of responding primarily with fight or flight, estrogen flavors our response with a hefty dose of tend-and-befriend. When under stress, there's actually a physiological contribution to our impetus to seek out companionship. Women rely much more on the release of connection-induced oxytocin to counter stress-triggered release of cortisol. we still have fight or flight - but expect in extreme circumstances, it's not our first go to.
The book is organized in a friendly manner to allow readers to decide for themselves how much theory vs. practical advice they wish to spend time reading. Beginning with a symptom check list, the author helps direct a reader to the most relevant chapters. each chapter then includes a biological explanation for the symptom experiences, followed by a progressive protocol for managing/correcting the imbalances. The recommendations are step-wise, beginning with lifestyle and diet changes first, followed by nutritional and/or herbal supplements, reserving medication for when these first measures are insufficient.
My main caveat about the book is I am left with the impression that stress is primarily psychological. A very common cause of physiological stress can be intestinal dysbiosis and/or disrupted gut permeability which lead to inflammatory stress (and symptoms.) Although some of her dietary recommendations may get at come of this, they do so only indirectly and I suspect only partially.
Informative and empowering. But not the whole story (as no one book ever can be.)
March 14, 2016
As someone with chronic illness, sometimes it seems like you're either being pumped full of pills between surgeries or being subjected to woo. There's seemingly no in-between sometimes.
This book is the in-between.
Everything is science-based. If there's no study specifically supporting her claims, Dr. Gottfried explains that. There is absolutely no woo in here.
Everything is simple with minimal side effects which are described in the book. I've been told that the best way to wrangle my crazy woman hormones is with birth control pills which make me lose my mind while my body falls apart (6 months without it has been enlightening to say the least). This book has simple recommendations like supplementing with vitamins C, D, B6, etc... As far as I know, vitamin C has never made me cry uncontrollably and want to kill myself (I'm looking at you, Depo Provera!). I'll try it!
She believes in women and their problems. Crazy concept, I know. There's no, "Endometriosis? Take some ibuprofen and suck it up, you weak little bitch" (which seems to be the general consensus from my GYNs). Dr. Gottfried gave validity and hopes for improvement to so many weird, unexplained symptoms that I have had for years.
At the end of the book, Dr. Gottfried also sends you off with warm fuzzies. She understands, and she cares. She gives lots of free resources to let you be the best you, and leaves you with a heartwarming message.
I seriously want to shout my love for this book from the rooftops and send it to every woman I know. I've already recommended it to my mom and best friend. Everyone else... You're next.
This book is the in-between.
Everything is science-based. If there's no study specifically supporting her claims, Dr. Gottfried explains that. There is absolutely no woo in here.
Everything is simple with minimal side effects which are described in the book. I've been told that the best way to wrangle my crazy woman hormones is with birth control pills which make me lose my mind while my body falls apart (6 months without it has been enlightening to say the least). This book has simple recommendations like supplementing with vitamins C, D, B6, etc... As far as I know, vitamin C has never made me cry uncontrollably and want to kill myself (I'm looking at you, Depo Provera!). I'll try it!
She believes in women and their problems. Crazy concept, I know. There's no, "Endometriosis? Take some ibuprofen and suck it up, you weak little bitch" (which seems to be the general consensus from my GYNs). Dr. Gottfried gave validity and hopes for improvement to so many weird, unexplained symptoms that I have had for years.
At the end of the book, Dr. Gottfried also sends you off with warm fuzzies. She understands, and she cares. She gives lots of free resources to let you be the best you, and leaves you with a heartwarming message.
I seriously want to shout my love for this book from the rooftops and send it to every woman I know. I've already recommended it to my mom and best friend. Everyone else... You're next.
June 19, 2013
Excellent, thorough discussion of what hormones are, what they do, and what happens when they are out of balance in the body. I've been working through hormone treatments and adjustments for years, but even with the help of a great naturopath and a knowledgeable primary care physician my understanding was incomplete. No more!
The most useful information in the book for me were the details of how to test your hormone levels. Some you can do yourself. If you are working with a health care professional, Dr. Gottfried details all the questions and strategies for getting the right tests and diagnoses.
Dr. Gottfried then lays out a 3 step treatment protocol for the major types of hormonal imbalances. You don't have to progress through all the steps! Start at step 1 with lifestyle and diet changes. If these changes don't address all your symptoms, move to step 2 and add herbal supplements. If your symptoms are severe, consider moving up to step 3-- pursuing a bio-identical hormonal protocol with a health care practitioner.
The most useful information in the book for me were the details of how to test your hormone levels. Some you can do yourself. If you are working with a health care professional, Dr. Gottfried details all the questions and strategies for getting the right tests and diagnoses.
Dr. Gottfried then lays out a 3 step treatment protocol for the major types of hormonal imbalances. You don't have to progress through all the steps! Start at step 1 with lifestyle and diet changes. If these changes don't address all your symptoms, move to step 2 and add herbal supplements. If your symptoms are severe, consider moving up to step 3-- pursuing a bio-identical hormonal protocol with a health care practitioner.
April 14, 2013
This is an important book for women of all ages!
Women=hormones. If your hormones are fried (and likely they are if you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, have basic life stress, eat too much sugar/gluten/dairy, and have ever taken the pill) - then you are fried. Our bodies function based on the delicate interplay of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and understanding how they all work, interact, and can so easily get out of whack is critical to feeling great. Guess what: PMS is not wholly unavoidable or something you just have to live with. It means something is out of whack.
This book lays out critical steps to take to wrangle all your hormones into shape whether you are in your fertile years, perimonopause, or menopause.
Women=hormones. If your hormones are fried (and likely they are if you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, have basic life stress, eat too much sugar/gluten/dairy, and have ever taken the pill) - then you are fried. Our bodies function based on the delicate interplay of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, etc. and understanding how they all work, interact, and can so easily get out of whack is critical to feeling great. Guess what: PMS is not wholly unavoidable or something you just have to live with. It means something is out of whack.
This book lays out critical steps to take to wrangle all your hormones into shape whether you are in your fertile years, perimonopause, or menopause.
October 26, 2017
I enjoyed this book because the information was easy to understand and apply. It goes over everything you would need to know about how hormones are produced, their function, their relatedness to other hormones, what happens when hormones get out of balance, and what to do about hormone imbalance.
I think every female should read this book - I haven't read other books on this topic (coming soon!) so Im sure there are comparable books.
This book is easy to read not "heavy" reading at all. There's also a great feature the author includes in the book - a hormone imbalance test. And if you're not wanting to read the "ins and outs" of each hormone, the author tells you to skip to a certain page to heal your hormone imbalance.
I think every female should read this book - I haven't read other books on this topic (coming soon!) so Im sure there are comparable books.
This book is easy to read not "heavy" reading at all. There's also a great feature the author includes in the book - a hormone imbalance test. And if you're not wanting to read the "ins and outs" of each hormone, the author tells you to skip to a certain page to heal your hormone imbalance.
March 13, 2023
This book is at times patronizing and definitely fatphobic, but it’s one of the few sources I have encountered taking women’s health seriously, so until we have more progress on that front, I will be returning to this as a reference to manage PCOS and my general metabolic health.
The author’s appearance on the Huberman Lab podcast is a fascinating complement to the book; she dives a little deeper on some things, like hormone replacement and constipation (apparently, we’re all more constipated than she would like!) and gets into some of the science. I really enjoyed the two together: https://hubermanlab.com/dr-sara-gottf...
The author’s appearance on the Huberman Lab podcast is a fascinating complement to the book; she dives a little deeper on some things, like hormone replacement and constipation (apparently, we’re all more constipated than she would like!) and gets into some of the science. I really enjoyed the two together: https://hubermanlab.com/dr-sara-gottf...
March 9, 2013
Dr. Sara Gottfried has demystified my own body for me. At once scientific and intuitive, her work pushes the edges of traditional medicine to integrate what women have known throughout the ages. The Hormone Cure is both accessible and substantive, with surprisingly simple but profound advice on each page. It's a book every woman should read.
November 18, 2015
Very informative and resourceful. Though I studied hormones many years ago, this book was a real eye opener. I borrowed a copy from a public library, but I've decided to get my own copy. Kindle edition is not recommended.
December 23, 2018
I’m keeping this one close at hand as a workbook for myself and a ready reference for my health coaching clients. Perfect for any woman who is ready to be their own best health advocate.
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January 30, 2024Grūti ir pilnvērtīgi novērtēt šo grāmatu šobrīd, jo sākumā būtu jāievieš kaut nelielas pārmaiņas savā ikdienā, uzturā un attieksmē pret esošajām problēmām un simptomiem un tad jāvērtē vai kaut kas no šiem ieteikumiem tiešām strādā.
Grāmata, kuru ieteiktu izlasīt jebkurai sievietei, ja esi jau pārkāpusi trīsdesmt gadu slieksnim, bet noteikti būs noderīga informācija arī jaunākām sievietēm.
Lai arī vienmēr esmu zinājusi, ka man ir problēmas ar vairogdziedzeri, izlasot šo grāmatu tika atbildēts uz daudziem maniem jautājumiem, par kuru esamību savā galvā es pat nenojautu, līdz neizlasīju atbildes...
Ieskatam: grāmatas sākumā tev tiek dota iespēja atbildēt uz kaudzīti jautājumu, kas iedalīti vairākās daļās (A, B, C, utt), atbildot uz jautājumiem ar "JĀ" vai "NĒ". Nekā sarežģīta.
Tālāk jau seko pozitīvo atbilžu saskaitīšana atbilstoši katrai nodaļai un iedalīšana attiecīgā hormona "riska" zonā, "uzmanies" zonā vai "tev viss okey" zonā. Un tad, attiecīgi, ja vēlies aptuveni trešdaļu grāmatas izlaist, vari ķerties klāt uzreiz attiecīgā hormona nodaļai, kur autore ir aprakstījusi visbiežāk sastopamos simptomus, ja hormons ir sagājis grīstē un to, ar kādām metodēm (dabīgām) to vari atjaunot.
Man patīk, ka visur tiek uzsvērti konkrēti kādi pārtikas produkti - dārzeņi, augļi, ogas ir vairāk jāēd vai kuras grupas vitamīni tev nepieciešami, lai situāciju uzlabotu, nedzenot tevi taisnā līnijā uz aptieku pēc zālēm.
Kopsaucējs: PIE VISA VAINĪGS STRESS!
Un tieši to, kā ikdienā mazināt stresu (jo kā izrādās, katram hormonam ir liela nozīme mūsu ikdienas stresošanā), autore savā grāmatā apraksta viss vairāk.
Centīšos ieviest grāmatā dotos ieteikumus, protams, konsultējoties arī ar ārstu un/vai farmaceitu par konkrētiem vitamīniem un to ieteicamo ikdienas devu.
Veselību visām🍋 un mazāk stresa🧘♀️!
Grāmata, kuru ieteiktu izlasīt jebkurai sievietei, ja esi jau pārkāpusi trīsdesmt gadu slieksnim, bet noteikti būs noderīga informācija arī jaunākām sievietēm.
Lai arī vienmēr esmu zinājusi, ka man ir problēmas ar vairogdziedzeri, izlasot šo grāmatu tika atbildēts uz daudziem maniem jautājumiem, par kuru esamību savā galvā es pat nenojautu, līdz neizlasīju atbildes...
Ieskatam: grāmatas sākumā tev tiek dota iespēja atbildēt uz kaudzīti jautājumu, kas iedalīti vairākās daļās (A, B, C, utt), atbildot uz jautājumiem ar "JĀ" vai "NĒ". Nekā sarežģīta.
Tālāk jau seko pozitīvo atbilžu saskaitīšana atbilstoši katrai nodaļai un iedalīšana attiecīgā hormona "riska" zonā, "uzmanies" zonā vai "tev viss okey" zonā. Un tad, attiecīgi, ja vēlies aptuveni trešdaļu grāmatas izlaist, vari ķerties klāt uzreiz attiecīgā hormona nodaļai, kur autore ir aprakstījusi visbiežāk sastopamos simptomus, ja hormons ir sagājis grīstē un to, ar kādām metodēm (dabīgām) to vari atjaunot.
Man patīk, ka visur tiek uzsvērti konkrēti kādi pārtikas produkti - dārzeņi, augļi, ogas ir vairāk jāēd vai kuras grupas vitamīni tev nepieciešami, lai situāciju uzlabotu, nedzenot tevi taisnā līnijā uz aptieku pēc zālēm.
Kopsaucējs: PIE VISA VAINĪGS STRESS!
Un tieši to, kā ikdienā mazināt stresu (jo kā izrādās, katram hormonam ir liela nozīme mūsu ikdienas stresošanā), autore savā grāmatā apraksta viss vairāk.
Centīšos ieviest grāmatā dotos ieteikumus, protams, konsultējoties arī ar ārstu un/vai farmaceitu par konkrētiem vitamīniem un to ieteicamo ikdienas devu.
Veselību visām🍋 un mazāk stresa🧘♀️!
April 8, 2013
It's an easy to understand book, with very practical solutions to balancing hormones. Dr. Gottfried recommends lifestyle changes and supplements before attempting pharmaceutical solutions. I really like that approach. That said, it's difficult to self-diagnose using just her questionnaires. As she explains, if your root cause is low progesterone, it can cause excess estrogen in parts of your cycle. You could be treating high estrogen, when the root cause is low progesterone. Without testing, you really are just making your best guess and working trial and error with her solutions.
February 19, 2019
Dr. Gottfried offers excellent information on our hormones and exactly how they are supposed to work together. I had a thyroidectomy 16 years ago and have been battling hypothyroidism ever since. Now at 50, I have entered menopause. THE HORMONE CURE has served as a foundation for personal study. There is a comprehensive quiz with personalized results. She provides solid research and solutions that include the right type of exercise and supplements, both of which I have Incorporated into a healthier lifestyle. If you are female, I highly recommend this book. ~jeni b~
March 6, 2015
This book is great! Thank-you Dr. Gottfried for validating that I'm not CRAZY! The book is structured so you can go straight to the part you need, or you can read all the scientific details (or not!). I love her practical, science-based approach. This is a must-read for any woman living in today's modern world.
September 10, 2016
I found most of her info to be good advice on living healthy but found her quizzes to be inconclusive in diagnosing specifically how my hormones might be imbalanced and so could not use the specific protocols to help myself.
June 3, 2013
Here's my audacious goal: balance the hormones of one million women this year with this book. Are you in?
July 19, 2023
I will buy this book for sure. Helpful information for women of all ages. Hormones rule everything and if they are out of whack, you will feel it.
Optimal health = Optimal Hormone Balance
Optimal health = Optimal Hormone Balance
July 8, 2023
This was so helpful — I'll definitely be coming back for reference. It opened up a new world of health information and potential explanations, including enough guidance to make holistic lifestyle changes that will help whether a person is dealing with a hormonal issue or not. Women should have more exposure to this type of informed and preventative care.
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