NOTE: Most images and links are clickable in this document! Clicking on the links will take you to the corresponding website page, if you have internet access.

Do you feel that you are suffering from one or more hormone related symptoms or health problems, but you do not know what to do about it?
Want to test and balance your hormones, but do not know where to start? Are you confused about where to begin?
Have you already had your hormones tested in a laboratory, but you are not sure how to proceed with interpretation or treatment?
This guide reviews the step by step process of testing your hormones and figuring out what to do with the lab results and symptom evaluation, including:

Checklists for evaluating your hormone related symptoms
 The secret to figuring out what hormone systems should be tested and why

Steps for choosing a hormone lab and obtaining the appropriate laboratory tests

Detailed instructions for how to obtain your saliva, blood spot, or urine samples

Specific tips on how to fill out the requisition form completely

Tips for reading and understanding your hormone lab results

Basic, step-by-step instructions on what you can do on your own (without a doctor) to achieve hormone balance and reduce symptoms.

If a prescription will be needed for hormone replacement, this guide will provide you with best practices for finding and connecting with a qualified hormone physician that is able to help you with your hormone balancing needs
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No matter what types of symptoms that you are experiencing (whether they may be hormone related or non-hormone related), the very first step is to do a brief symptom evaluation using a symptom checklist .
This is the very best way to determine what, if any, laboratory tests should be obtained.
The results of going through this checklist will give you some insight into what the likely hormonal culprits are, but of course symptoms alone are not diagnostic.
They  are  considered  “non  specific”,  and  of  course  there  can  be  a  great  deal  of  overlap   between symptoms and a variety of hormonal imbalances. However, this is a good place to start.
There  are  a  large  number  of  “Symptom  Checklists”  and  “Symptom
Checkers”   on the internet. In my opinion, the best checklists for hormone related symptoms are those provided by Dr. David Zava and the rest of the team at ZRT Labs. ZRT provides separate checklists for female symptoms and for male symptoms .
As you will see in the ZRT checklists below, there are trends and tendencies for certain symptoms and groups of symptoms to be caused by specific hormonal imbalances or deficiencies.
For example, hot flashes, low sex drive, vaginal dryness, and fibrocystic  breasts  are  most  commonly  associated  with  “Basic
Hormon e  Imbalance”  (meaning  sex  hormones  /  reproductive   hormones).    However,  the  symptom  “weight  gain”  can  be  associated   with sex hormones, adrenal hormones, thyroid hormones, and / or cardiometabolic risk factors.
Note that there are different checklists for men and women.
Although many hormone imbalance / deficiencies are similar in both sexes, there are a few differences, particularly with respect to the sex hormones.
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Go ahead and fill in your checklist below to the best of your ability!
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For more detailed information about evaluating your hormone related symptoms, click here.
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If you checked symptoms that are ONLY found in Category 1 (associated with sex hormones), then the recommended lab testing would include saliva testing (NOT blood serum) for estrogen / estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA.
If you checked symptoms that are ONLY found in Category 2 (associated with adrenal cortisol), then the recommended lab testing would include diurnal (4 times per day) saliva testing to determine the pattern of cortisol production throughout the day. It would be important to see your salivary cortisol levels, for example, at 7am, noon, 5pm, and 10pm. The specific pattern of your cortisol levels throughout the day will determine what stage of adrenal stress / adrenal fatigue you are experiencing, and will determine what the treatment recommendations would be.
If you checked symptoms that are ONLY found in Category 3 (associated with thyroid hormones), then the recommended lab testing would include either of the following:
 Blood spot test for TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO (available at ZRT Labs)

Serum blood draw for TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO (available at your practit ioner’s   office or your nearest blood draw laboratory)
If you checked symptoms that are ONLY found in Category 4 (associated with cardiometabolic risk), then the recommended lab testing would include either of the following:

Blood spot test for insulin, hsCRP, Hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol, triglycerides,
HDL, LDL, VLDL (available at ZRT Labs)

Serum blood draw for insulin, hsCRP, Hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol, triglycerides,
HDL,  LDL,  VLDL    (available  at  your  practitioner’s  office  or  your  nearest  blood   draw laboratory)
If you are like the vast majority of others, then you will have checked off symptoms in more than one category above. In fact, many people find that they have symptoms in all four categories!
At this point, you must make a decision regarding what hormones to test and what labs to order. This will not only depend on your symptom checklist, but also upon your finances.
In the next step, I will share with you the secrets to the most economical ways to get your hormone labs done.
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If you are lucky enough to have a primary care physician that truly understands hormone lab testing (as well as physiologic hormone restoration), you should be able to make an appointment, discuss your symptom profile with him or her, and request that your hormone lab testing be done.
Always make certain that your practitioner is testing your sex steroid hormones
(estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA) with either saliva or blood spot. The steroid hormone cortisol must ONLY be tested with saliva , not on blood spot or venous blood draw.
If these steroid hormones are tested on venous blood draw (serum), the results will be inaccurate and USELESS. For more information and references on this, please refer to the downloadable data sheets on the ZRT website.
1. ZRT Laboratories is run by Dr. David Zava, Ph. D. Dr. Zava is without a doubt the most brilliant hormone expert on the planet currently. He was a close colleague of the late Dr. John Lee MD , and co-authored the landmark book “What  Your  Doctor  May  Not
Tell You About Breast Cancer” with Dr. Lee.
ZRT Lab can perform the following types of lab tests:
 Saliva testing of steroid hormones (sex hormones and cortisol)
 Blood spot testing of sex hormones
 Blood spot testing of thyroid hormones
 Blood spot testing of cardiometabolic factors

Urine testing for iodine
 Numerous other tests and panels on saliva, blood spot, and urine
ZRT does NOT perform neurotransmitter testing at this time.
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ZRT is the best choice for patients who would like to order lab testing kits directly, and test their hormones on their own. None of the other saliva labs (to my knowledge) allow you to obtain a test kit or submit specimens without involvement of one of their authorized providers.
2. Labrix is another very high quality lab that does a great job on salivary hormone testing.
Labrix can perform the following laboratory tests:

Saliva testing of steroid hormones (sex hormones and cortisol)

Neurotransmitter testing (Serotonin, GABA, Dopamine, Epinephrine,
Norepinephrine, Glutamate)

“FindWhy™”   Genetic Testing for Weight Control (DNA testing): looks at five genes that are known to have a significant impact on the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and responsiveness to exercise.
 DPD (Deoxypyridinoline) Bone Density Testing
Labrix does NOT perform blood spot testing at this time. Therefore, Labrix will not be able to help you test your thyroid hormones, cardiometabolic panel, etc.
One major drawback of Labrix is that a patient cannot order lab testing kits on their own; they can only be obtained from consulting with a Labrix practitioner.
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3. DiagnosTechs is another leading saliva testing lab that is based in Kent, Washington.
They perform saliva testing of sex hormones and adrenal cortisol. They also provide saliva and urine testing for bone health, food allergy / food sensitivity, and GI health panel (includes stool sampling).
Like Labrix, the major drawback of DiagnosTechs is that a patient cannot order lab testing kits on their own; they can only be obtained from consulting with a
DiagnosTechs practitioner.
4. Pharmasan Labs does NOT make cheese  This lab, located in Osceola, WI, performs a wide variety of lab tests including saliva hormone testing, neurotransmitter testing, serum thyroid labs, food sensitivity and allergy testing, and others.
Again, patients must obtain their lab testing through a Pharmasan practitioner and cannot order their lab testing on line.
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5. Any Lab Test Now is a franchise organization with at least 145 locations nationwide .
They are able to perform a large number of laboratory tests, however salivary hormone testing for steroids does NOT appear to be one of their offerings. However, this lab is a fantastic choice for obtaining your venous (serum) blood draw for all thyroid labs,
Vitamin D, hsCRP, and cardiometabolic markers.
This is also a great choice for obtaining other non-hormone related lab tests that may be applicable to your situation. This may include a complete blood count (CBC), comprehensive metabolic panel, PSA testing for men, etc.
My Recommendation: By far, the easiest and best way to obtain your own hormone lab testing is to simply order the appropriate kit from ZRT Labs.
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If you decide to use ZRT, here are step by step instructions to navigate around the website:
When you arrive on the ZRT Lab web site, the home page will look like this:
Click  on  the  “ORDER  A  TEST”  link  in  the  upper  right  hand  corner,  which  will  take  you  to   the on line ZRT store. You will then see the following choices:
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Click  on  “Saliva  Test  Kit”
You will then see a large number of choices!
Sex hormone testing is accomplished by simply  ordering  the  “Hormone  Trio”,   which includes estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone.
If you would like to add on DHEA and morning cortisol levels, order the Saliva Profile I.
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Click  on  “Saliva  Test
Kit”
Again, so many choices!
Choose  “Diurnal  Cortisol”
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The diurnal cortisol test kit will provide you with four separate plastic tubes, which you will use to collect saliva at four different times during a single day. Comprehensive instructions are in the test kit.
Note that thyroid hormones are NOT steroid hormones, so cannot be tested on saliva.
Thyroid hormone testing requires blood, either as blood spot or as a venous blood draw
(serum) at  your  doctor’s  office.
To test your thyroid hormones in the comfort of your own home, I recommend the ZRT blood spot kit. It is a tiny pin-prick of your finger that you can do on your own. It is very similar to the type of blood test that diabetics will do to test their blood sugar.
Again, the ZRT Store will look like this:
Click  on  “Blood  Spot  Testing”
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You will then see the following choices:
Choose  the  “Essential  Thyroid
Profile”  for  testing  of  TSH,  free
T3, free T4, and TPO.
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Click on  “CardioMetabolic  Testing”
Only four choices this time! Choose the CardioMetabolic Profile. This will provide the following labs: Insulin, hsCRP, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and hemoglobin
A1c.
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You can get virtually the entire hormone system tested at a substantial discount ($345) if  you  order  a  Combination  Profile,  or  what  I  affectionately  call  the  “combo  platter”.
This would include saliva testing for all sex hormones and adrenal cortisol, PLUS blood spot for thyroid.
Again, in the ZRT Store ,  click  on  “Combination  Profiles” :
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Whew. Too many choices. Ok,  let’s  make  this  simple.
Are you a female? Pick this one.
Are you a male? Pick this one.
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As you can see, there are many, many choices for testing of hormones and other elements and metabolites.
ZRT Lab provides numerous services related to hormone testing, cardiometabolic risk, elements, and specialty panels, which I will review and describe in future blog articles on the Smart Hormone Balance website .
By now, you should have decided on what lab testing kits you would like to order. Go ahead and purchase them on the ZRT website, and the kits will be mailed directly to your home. This should take less than one week!
If you would like to read more about figuring out what lab tests you need, click here.
If you have any questions at all, the lab representatives can be reached at 1-866-600-
1636. Make sure to tell them that Dr. Riegg sent you! 
Once the ZRT testing kit arrives at your home, it is time to collect your specimens for hormone testing!
Obtaining the saliva samples and the blood spot samples are much easier than you think, so do not be intimidated.
The kit comes with comprehensive instructions, as well as a paid mailing envelope to send the samples back to the laboratory. There are helpful step by step collection instructions and how-to videos on the ZRT web site.
If you would like to read more about how to test your hormones at home, click here.
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For instructions on how to collect your saliva samples, click here:
For instructions on how to collect your blood spot sample, click here:
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For instructions on how to collect your urine sample, click here:
If you are currently using topical hormones, or you have physical contact with someone else who does, then there is a real risk that your saliva samples could be contaminated with these hormones.
What does this mean?
For example, if you have skin to skin contact with someone using a hormone cream such as progesterone cream, it is quite easy for the progesterone molecules to stick to your skin and make their way onto your pillow, and onto your lips.
Then, when you collect your saliva sample by spitting in the tube, some of the molecules of progesterone will be carried right along into the sample.
And when the lab results come back, they will show a sky-high concentration of progesterone, which will cause great alarm and distress!
An experienced practitioner will recognize this instantly as a contaminant. However, if you do not have an experienced practitioner, this falsely elevated lab result could end up causing great confusion regarding what your hormone dosage should be.
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You  may  be  very  worried  and  anxious  that  you  are  “overdosing”  on  progesterone.    Or,  in   the case of testosterone, you could get the false impression of abnormally elevated testosterone levels.
The bottom line? You have just wasted your money on that lab testing, as the result is not a true measurement of the free hormone concentration in your body.
Here are the major causes of saliva sample contamination:


Hormones applied to the face/neck/chest within 3 days of testing
Hormones applied to the inner arms/legs or other areas that may come into contact with face/lips/mouth



Topical hormones used < 12 hours prior to sample collection
Sublingual hormones used < 36 hours prior to sample collection
Linens e.g. pillow cases and bath/hand towels not changed the
 night before collection
NOTE: With blood spot testing avoid using fingertips to apply

 topical hormones three (3) days prior to collection (rub in wrist-towrist)
Close contact with family members or others using topical hormones
Faucets/countertops/towels/doorknobs contaminated with topical hormones



Applying topical hormones for others (e.g. hydrocortisone cream on a child)
derivatives cannot be converted into progesterone naturally by the human body)


Some cosmetics, such as anti-aging/wrinkle-removing/skin firming creams, may also contain trace amounts of hormones (hormones in trace amounts are not required to be listed on ingredients)
Placenta-


Compounding Pharmacists/Pharmacy Technicians working with hormone powders and creams
Estheticians, cosmetologists, beauty product consultants, and make-up artists applying/ displaying hormone-containing products/cosmetics
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AVOID CONTAMINATION of your saliva sample by looking out for the above scenarios. Also, be sure to clean your face and lips carefully (with soapy water and a washcloth) prior to collecting your saliva.
This may seem like an obvious step, however I cannot tell you how many patients I have seen that have neglected to fill out this form completely, or have filled it out incorrectly.
This adversely affects interpretation of the data! So pay special attention and devote extra time to getting this right.
The ZRT test requisition form is two pages long, and looks like this:
Ok,  let’s  take  this  step  by  step:
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Section 1: Individual Information: name, address, phone, gender, date of birth etc.
You MUST remember to fill in your date of birth, this is very, very important. The normal reference ranges for certain sex hormones are different depending on your age.
If the lab does not know your age, it cannot give you the correct reference range (and then you will not know if your hormone level is too high, too low, or just right).
Section 2, for females only. Current menstrual status (women): this is important for determination of the appropriate expected hormonal range. This data will be correlated with your symptoms and lab results.
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Section 3, the symptom profile checklist. Describe each symptom by filling in the bubbles with a pen or pencil, as per the instructions.
When you receive your lab test results, you will also receive a specialized and customized interpretation of your symptoms based on what you filled in here. This allows correlation of tested hormone levels with reported symptoms, thus providing a more comprehensive evaluation.
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When your receive your final report, the resultant symptom profile report will look something like this:
Your description of your symptoms (mild, moderate, severe) is represented by the grey bars at the top of the chart.
This description of your symptoms is compared to the ZRT Lab worldwide database of previous patients tested.
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The resultant graph (bottom of chart) shows what major hormone imbalances or hormone deficiencies that your symptoms are consistent with; this could be considered a  “presumptive  diagnosis” . Again, this data represents only the described symptoms.
This must be correlated with the lab results in order to make a definitive diagnosis, and to propose a treatment protocol.
A green bar indicates that there is a low degree of association between your symptoms and  the  “ presumptive diagnosis”,   and should not be problematic.
A yellow bar indicates that there is a mild to moderate degree of association between your symptoms and  the  “presumptive  diagnosis”.
A red bar indicates that there is a strong association between your symptoms and the
“presumptive  diagnosis”.
P.S.  See  the  term  “hypometabolism”?    That  means  “hypothyroidism”.
There are many situations where the hormone lab results may be borderline; perhaps high  normal  or  low  normal.    In  this  case,  the  “presumptive  diagnosis”  information  can   help your practitioner decide whether to prescribe treatment or not.
Section 3a, your basal body temperature is optional and only requested when evaluating thyroid dysfunction.
I am not a fan of this. Others swear by it.
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There is some data that shows a correlation of low basal body temperature with hypothyroidism. In theory, this additional piece of information could help your practitioner decide whether or not to prescribe thyroid hormone.
If you would like more information on this, click here .
Section 4: Hormone/Medication Use: prescribed dosage, and exact time of last dose are extremely important for accurate evaluation of test results.
Section 5: Sample Collection Date and Time: indicate the date(s) and time(s) that each sample was collected.
Section 6: Panels and Tests: indicate the individual hormone(s) and/or panel(s) to be tested by checking the appropriate box(es).
If you ordered your test kit from the ZRT website, this should already be filled out for you, depending on what you paid for.
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Section 7 Payment: indicates the Payment Option that you have chosen.
Section 8 Client Signature: for authorization and/or consent for laboratory testing.
Package Specimens and Requisition Form Into The
Prepaid Mailing Envelope
Congratulations! At this point you have obtained your specimens and filled out the lengthy requisition form.
Place all of these items back into the same clear plastic box that they arrived in.
This box is then placed into the prepaid mailing envelope that came with the kit. This should be dropped into your nearest UPS drop box or UPS store .
The saliva and blood spot specimens are stable at room temperature for up to 30 days, and refrigeration is not required. These specimens can survive extreme temperatures
(hot or cold) in the UPS drop box and during transportation.
Your package will take up to 3 business days to be transported to ZRT Labs.
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Once ZRT receives your specimens, it will take between 5 and 7 business days for your specimens to be processed, and for your results to be ready.
If you provided an email address on the requisition form, you will receive your results by email as well as USPS.
Your Lab Results Are Ready! Understanding Your Test
When you receive your lab results, you will likely be overwhelmed by all of the information!
Results
Your test results are a comprehensive review of your tested levels in correlation with reported symptoms, hormone usage (if applicable) and menstrual history in women.
Each test result is individually reviewed to produce a complete report with descriptive comments added by licensed physicians on the ZRT staff.
Your report consists of four detailed pages:
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Page One: List of tests performed and results classified as Low (L), High (H), or Ok.
 Current Therapies
 Testosterone vs. age graph
 DHEA-S graph
 Cortisol graph (if applicable).
These graphs show where your result compares to the normal range for your age. The normal range is represented by the blue shaded area. High normal is the red dotted line; low normal is the yellow dotted line. Your lab values are represented by the black dots.
Note that the normal levels for testosterone and DHEA change as you age.
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The cortisol graph shows the normal diurnal (throughout the day) production of cortisol, which should be at its highest point in the morning, and then progressively drop during the day, with the lowest point at bedtime.
If your cortisol graph shows excessively high cortisol at any point in the day, you may be experiencing stage 1 of 3 adrenal stress (high cortisol).
If your cortisol graph is too low for most of the day, particularly in the morning, you may be experiencing stage 3 of 3 adrenal exhaustion .
If your cortisol graph shows an abnormal pattern, such as cortisol too low in the morning, and inappropriate rise of cortisol in the evening, then you may be experiencing stage
2  of  3  adrenal  dysfunction,  also  called  the  “tired  wired”   syndrome . This pattern is the most common, and the typical symptoms are fatigue and exhaustion for most of the day, then  a  “wired”,  hyped  up  feeling  at  night  with  inability  to  fall   asleep or stay asleep (frequent wake ups).
Each of these three abnormal cortisol scenarios will have a different protocol for resolving the abnormal cortisol production to relieve symptoms. Note that this is not a problem exclusively of the adrenal gland; rather it is abnormal communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal cortex (known as the HPA axis).
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IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AN ABNORMAL CORTISOL CURVE WILL ALMOST
ALWAYS AFFECT THYROID FUNCTION (by suppressing TSH at the level of the pituitary).
More on this will be discussed on The Smart Hormone Balance Blog .
Page Two: ZRT Laboratory Saliva Observed Reference Ranges.
Reference ranges are observed ranges based on collected laboratory data.
Supplement type and dosage are for health care provider information and are not recommendations for treatment.
Page Three: As described above (pages 24-25). Bar graph of patient-reported symptoms grouped according to associated category of imbalance.
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Page Four: Individualized comments which correlate lab results, symptoms and hormone usage (if applicable).
Here  is  a  sample  “Lab  Comments”  page:
If you would like to read more about how to interpret your lab results, click here.
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Implement Your Smart Hormone Balance Protocol; Find a Doctor That Can Help You
Your lab results will give you a treasure trove of information regarding your own hormonal imbalances and how they contribute to your symptoms.
Many hormone imbalances can be easily addressed on your own, without involvement of a practitioner. To read more about how to treat hormone imbalances on your own, click here.
You should strive to formulate your own personal hormone balance plan and protocol. Once this is written out, stick to it!
Once you have written out your protocol and implemented it, it will be critical that you track and measure your results . Remem ber,  you  can’t   improve what you do not measure!
Unfortunately, there are several situations which require written prescriptions by a licensed and knowledgeable practitioner. These conditions cannot be addressed solely with over the counter (OTC) products.
This includes:

Low estrogen / vaginal dryness / low estrogen to progesterone ratio

Low testosterone in women

Low testosterone in men
 Hypothyroidism requiring prescription for T4, T3, or natural (Armour) thyroid

Stage 3 of 3 adrenal fatigue requiring RX for bioidentical cortisol
(hydrocortisone)
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Finding a physician or practitioner with knowledge, experience, and competency in hormone balance can be very, very difficult. Most board certified endocrinologists are only comfortable treating extremes of endocrine disease, such as diabetes, Cushings,
Addisons, Graves disease, advanced Hashimotis, etc.
The best resource for finding an MD near you is to consult the ZRT website:
Click  on  “FIND  A  PROVIDER”
Enter your zip code or city / state ,  and  click  “search”.
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You will receive listings of the nearest providers that can help you with your interpretation and your hormone balance protocol.
For more information about how to find a knowledgeable doctor that can help you, click here.
Final words:
In my opinion, it is of utmost importance to perform laboratory testing and comprehensive symptom evaluation before any hormone treatment, hormone replacement, or other protocol is initiated.
To correct a hormone  imbalance,  use  the  “test -and- treat  approach,”  which involves assessing hormone levels as well as symptoms. In this way, one can provide individualized treatment such as customized dosages of bioidentical hormones, if needed, and lifestyle and nutrition recommendations designed specifically for the patient.
This “ test-and-treat approach ” is far superior to the  “guess  and  treat”   approach, where the patient reports his or her symptoms, and the physician guesses which hormones might be out of balance before prescribing a standard dose of a hormone.
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A  great  example  of  the  problem  with  the  “guess  and  treat”   approach is the perimenopausal woman who complains to her doctor about hot flashes.
The doctor may simply conclude that the woman is deficient in estrogen, without bothering to do the appropriate laboratory testing.
This doctor will then likely prescribe estrogen (or the synthetic estrogen Premarin).
The problem is that very many women have hot flashes for a completely different reason, most commonly PROGESTERONE deficiency rather than estrogen deficiency. Thus, the patient is already
“estrogen  dominant” and the prescription for the Premarin simply makes things worse.
If, at the followup  visit,  the  patient’s   symptoms have not improved or her / his condition has worsened, the treatment is adjusted to another standard dose of conventional hormone therapy. After several episodes of treatment with different hormones or changes in doses, a patient who reports no improvement is often treated with a drug to relieve anxiety or depression!
It is my sincere hope that the information contained in this document will help you with your decision making regarding the treatment of your hormone imbalance symptoms, and pave the path towards improved health, wellness, and hormone balance!
I welcome any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. Please contact me by sending an email to Susan@SmartHormoneBalance.com
, or use the contact form on my website .
NOTE: If this guide has been forwarded to you by a friend, please consider coming to the Smart Hormone Balance website, and sign up for free updates !
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Information provided in this document and the use of any products or services described in this document
DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Susan J. Riegg, MD. The contents of this document as well as the SmartHormoneBalance.com website are entirely based upon the opinions of
Dr. Riegg, unless otherwise noted.
Information provided in this document is intended to be useful information only, to assist you in navigating the complexities of hormone related symptoms and problems. The information is a result of years of education, medical practice and experience by Dr. Susan J. Riegg, MD.
The information on this website is NOT intended to replace or substitute a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as individualized medical advice for you. Rather, it is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the education, research and experience of Dr.
Susan J. Riegg, MD.
Dr. Riegg strongly encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research, and in partnership with a qualified health care professional that can give you one-on-one, individualized and customized advice specific for your particular situation.
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your primary health care provider promptly.
Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on the Smart Hormone Balance website, or in this document.
Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Susan J. Riegg, MD. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means. Duplicating, sharing, or uploading product files to sharing sites is considered stealing, and we will prosecute thieves to the full extent of the law.
Be  honest.  Don’t   steal my stuff.
This guide is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
This document is provided solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You may not use this document or the materials available within it in a manner that constitutes an infringement of our rights, or that has not been authorized by us.
More specifically, unless explicitly authorized in the Smart Hormone Balance website Terms of Service , or by the owner of the materials, you may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, translate, sell, create derivative works, exploit, or distribute in any manner or medium (including by email or other electronic means) any material from this guide.
You may, however, from time to time, download and/or print one copy of individual pages of this guide for your personal, noncommercial use, provided that you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices.
Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence.
Although the author, Dr. Susan J. Riegg, MD, has made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not  be  exactly  suited  to  the  examples  illustrated  here;  in  fact,  it’s  likely  that  they  won’t  be   EXACTLY the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.
Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.
Finally, use your head. Nothing in this guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice. It is meant to inform, inspire, and help the reader.
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