There are many aspects to love. Friendship, care, trust, fun, conversation, intimacy, and common interests are but a few. Some people believe the physical aspect of love naturally reduces itself to holding hands or grabbing someone’s arm to avoid falling and breaking a hip. That may be true for some people but it doesn’t have to be that way. In thinking about this, I decided I didn’t want a “good-for-my-age” love-relationship with my husband. I wanted an “optimized” one. For that, I needed help.
I didn’t really know where to start so I just did what I knew: worked out more and lost a few pounds. The problem was that I never felt like I looked like all the work I put into the workout. Then, along comes a commercial about low testosterone. Being the good wife, I immediately called my husband and suggested he get tested. He, being the great husband, did. He told me that I might want to get tested. I asked him, “For what?” He said, “To know your hormone levels. Women can have low testosterone.” Whoa.
So, I got tested. My testosterone was too low to register. Shock. Enter bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) (i.e., BioTE®* pellets in my gluteus maximus). Within two days, I had more energy than I had had in years. Look, it’s not like I couldn’t do things before I started BHRT, but after I was on it for a while, everything in my life got better. And, that level of “better” has been maintained without the highs and lows that can accompany fluctuating hormone levels that synthetic therapies provide.
And, it wasn’t just that I was “on hormones.” That wasn’t the key. It was that my hormone levels were optimized, customized to me. Instead of just taking me to “normal levels for my age.” They were rocking. That meant my hormone levels were at their best levels for my body. Optimization had a tremendous effect on me, mentally and physically. I first noticed the change – a significant one – in my ability to sleep. The first time I slept through the night in years, I woke up thinking something was wrong because I didn’t know what just happened. Then, I noticed the difference in my running. I had more stamina. But, the good stuff didn’t stop there. The positive effects from being optimized extended to each aspect of my life, including my personal relationship with the LOML (love of my life).
Who knew there was actually is a link between “optimization” and love? Yes, I know, the way people love each other varies and some people place more emphasis on one aspect of love over another. Some components of love diminish and get replaced. Regardless of the differences in how people love, the common denominator is a desire to make the most out of every single moment with those we love. To do that, we must bring our personal best, our optimized selves, to the relationship.
Oh, by the way, a few months ago, someone at the gym didn’t say I looked good for my age. They actually asked me if I were a trainer. How’s that for “optimization” at 54 years old?