Unlock the secrets of youth and delay the aging process!

One favorite topic when ladies get together is definitely the latest discoveries in the search for the fountain of youth. We’d all like to live to a ripe old age, but not feel old and aged in the process. But the reality is, nature has a way of telling us that no matter how youthful we look (thanks to factors like a good diet, exercise, line fillers, and some cosmetic procedures here and there), age will, in fact, manifest itself in more ways than one.

One of my girl friends was sweating it out during lunch. She called it her "senior moment." She has hot flashes every so often and during this lunch, she was sweating as if she’d just come out of a sauna. Yeah, that’s how bad it was. Another friend complained that her husband is irritable and has no sex drive. "What’s the point of my paying megabucks to a personal trainer and looking as sexy as I do if my husband does not pay attention to me – even if I am walking around naked in front of his nose? He even gets irritated when I distract him from his ESPN golf series," she whined.

At this point I told them of my conversation with Suzanne Somers, the TV comedienne from Three’s Company who wrote a series of books on women’s issues. In her best seller The Sexy Years, she centered her attention specifically on the hormonal changes a woman undergoes during menopause and recommended taking "bio-identical hormones." Her husband, Alan Hamel, also very conversant about the male version of menopause, called andropause, gave me his theories and recommendations.

To catch their attention further, I told them of a book that is now in the bookstores, Stop the Clock: Look and Feel 20 Years Younger, by Dr. Pierre Clero. This book is a primer on the aging process and gives us a comprehensive report on the different hormones the body has that get depleted through the years.

But books bore many of us, especially if the book has a medical edge to it. One lady hates to read and offered to give a lunch if Dr. Clero would come and speak to them. Everyone promised to bring their "low sex drive, irritable husbands" who are all in denial that they are undergoing the big A (andropause). The day of the luncheon came, 11 women showed up and only 5 husbands. Dr. Clero started his talk by saying, "Aging does not only mean physical changes in the body but also means loss of strength and vigor, loss of mental capacity and loss of many body functions. So in a sense, aging is a disease. It is caused primarily by lack of hormones in the body."

One of the highlights of his talk was when he gave out test sheets on male menopause (andropause) for the men to fill out: They had to check the following items with "none," "a little," "sometimes," "medium," and "a lot."

1. Fatigue, tiredness or loss of energy; 2. Depression, low or negative mood; 3. Irritability, anger or bad temper; 4. Anxiety or nervousness; 5. Loss of memory or concentration; 6. Relationship problems with partner; 7. Loss of sexual drive or libido; 8. Erection problems during sex; 9. Loss of morning erections; 10. Decreased intensity of orgasm; 11. Loss of fitness and getting thick around the waist and belly; 12. Backache, joint pains or stiffness; 13. Heavy drinking. Sure enough, the five ex-macho men were all undergoing andropause. The good doctor explained to them that they needed hormone replacement therapy. Most men are reluctant to seek treatment, but those who do are enjoying the benefits. They feel younger, sexier and have a brighter outlook on life. They don’t lose muscle mass and don’t put on inches around the waist. Now I recall Alan Hamel telling me that some of his friends undergoing andropause even lost inches in height. But those who are on HRT retained their youthful good looks, their erections, and normal sex drive.

The ladies were also given test sheets to fill out which were similar to the men’s except for added items like "hot flashes, vaginal dryness, dry hair, scalp and skin, and decrease of muscle tone."

For those who wish to start his program, Dr. Clero’s clinic will give you a test on what hormones are lacking in your system, whether testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, human growth hormone, etc.

They replace all the hormones that have declined with age because they are all-important to your long-term health. They only use bio-identical hormones, which the body has known for years but which it no longer makes enough of. Then they compound all the bio-identical hormones (estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone) you need in a single cream or gel (with the exception of human growth hormone and thyroid hormone). Growth hormone is added to the regimen if needed, which is administered as a subcutaneous injection daily. His plan starts the patient on a regimen based on his evaluation, and then monitors symptoms and blood levels to see that an optimal amount right for the patient’s metabolism is absorbed. Clero’s team works with you on a monthly basis until you are on a steady regimen, adjusting doses as your need changes with age. He will give you detailed information about the risks and benefits of full hormone replacement in light of your medical history and lifestyle.

Before the lunch was over, he stressed that quality of life should be our priority at a certain age. Physical, mental and emotional factors should be our first considerations. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy improves quality of life dramatically when one reaches that stage called the second phase of life.

Before he left, he gave each of us his book Stop the Clock, saying that the proceeds of the sales would go to the Rotary Club of the Philippines. The book is sold in National Book Store, Powerbooks, and Fully Booked. He urged each and every one to read it, saying that it will give us a good idea of how to unlock the secrets of youth and delay the aging process, which everyone thinks is their number-one enemy!

The five men present and some of my menopausal lady friends wasted no time in making an appointment with the good doctor. That was exactly eight weeks ago. For your information, my sexy girl friend called me up a few days ago with a lilt in her voice. She told me her husband is starting to notice her again and virtually "raped" her the other night. They are both so thankful to have met Dr. Pierre Clero. Now their marriage is back on track. Interested parties can e-mail him at cleroclinic@yahoo.com.