Youre Hungry All The Time
Some people are just constantly hungry . But if feeling hungry all the time is a new sensation for you, then your ghrelin and leptin hormones are probably to blame. Ghrelin tells your brain that youre hungry and leptin tells your brain youre full. But when these two hormones get out of sync, you wont be able to tell when youve had enough to eat.
You can fix this imbalance by getting a full eight hours sleep, exercise, and reduce your stress levels, but speak to your doctor first before making any decisions on your own.
Hyperthyroid Medication And Treatment
When you have too much thyroid hormone, there are a few ways to tackle it.
Anti-thyroid medication. Anti-thyroid medication keeps your thyroid from making hormone.
Radioactive iodine. The thyroid absorbs iodine, but the rest of the body doesnt. So, by using radioactive iodine, you can selectively damage thyroid cells with radiation, and prevent them from making hormone. The damage is permanent. The risk is going overboard, causing an underactive thyroid and requiring a lifetime of thyroid medication.
Surgery. You can get all or part of the thyroid gland removed. Or, the surgeon could remove an active nodule that secretes hormone.
On an episode of Bulletproof Radio , I talked with thyroid expert Dr. Izabella Wentz, PharmD, about her protocol. She focuses on building the bodys natural resilience by zeroing in on natural defense systems, like the liver.
I started thinking about what are the fundamentals of healing for each person. What are the things that just about everybody can do to make themselves feel better regardless of what their root cause is, because every Hashimotos patient is like a snowflake, everybodys got a slightly different story. But supporting our own bodys natural protective defenses, supporting the liver, helps to build resilience, because now, were no longer toxic to everything.
Getting your body working properly might help your thyroid work again, or lessen your medication.
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Eat Plenty Of Healthy Fats
Healthy fats and essential fatty acids are hormone building blocks, so be sure to consume these on a daily basis to keep your hormones in check. Be wary that not all fats are created equal and stay clear of those high in omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable oil, sunflower oil. My favourite sources include coconut oil, flaxseed, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, avocado and walnuts.
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Signs Of Hormone Imbalance In Women
So often we attribute our bodys changes incorrectly. As women progress through life, the body responds differently, and it plays out in a number of ways.
1- Estrogen Imbalance
Estrogen is made by your ovaries, your adrenal glands, and to a much lesser extent, by your fat cells. It has many functions, including:
- Maintaining Bone Calcium
- Regulating HDL and LDL Cholesterol in Blood
- Helping Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
- Helping with Memory
- Balancing Emotions
Estrogen imbalance can cause numerous symptoms which will depend on whether you are experiencing an overabundance of the hormone or less of it. The causes and signs can be discerned, but they take a watchful eye. Too little estrogen is often caused by:
- Hypogonadism
- Hot Flashes
3- Testosterone Imbalance
Testosterone is not just a male sex hormone. Women also have lesser amounts of this hormone. It is produced by your ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone has the important function of aiding you by protecting you against developing osteoporosis. It has many other effects on your health, including sex drive, mood, energy levels and body fat percentage.
If you have too much testosterone in your body, such as when you have a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome, you could experience:
- Irregular Periods
- Increased Body or Facial Hair
- Hair Loss
- Acne
Too little testosterone often occurs during menopause and can lower your sex drive, cause depression, weakness of your muscles and fatigue.
My Hormones Are Out Of Whack
Everyone has heard of hormones, but do you know what they do? Hormones are the chemical messengers of your body, carrying messages from your glands to your organs. Hormones have a role in all sorts of bodily processes from metabolism to your sleep cycles.
Dr. Kevin Jovanovic and Dr. Radoslav Jovanovic see many patients who have out-of-whack hormones and who dont feel well, but have no idea why. Women are particularly susceptible to hormonal imbalances. Superior training, years of experience, and a deep understanding of how your body works means Dr. Jovanovic can help.
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Your Digestive System Is Not Your Friend
If your bowel movements are happening too frequently or not frequently enough, and taking a simple probiotic isnt helping, your thyroid might be to blame. Dr. Figaro notes that when your thyroid is producing too much or too little hormones, that can mess up your internal organs and make them work in a wonky way.
Parenthood: A Constant State Of Stress
Today, our bodies still have this response mechanism, but although we are not literally being chased by lions or tigers, our perceived threats are all stressors.
The problem is, these stressors are constant and not temporary and our bodies do not have enough time to recover. This is when our HPA- axis system becomes compromised and we experience a rise and overproduction of cortisolour main stress hormonewhich stays at a constant. The brain keeps sending signals to produce more, but the body has been exhausted of its supply and simply cannot keep up with the demand.
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The Top 5 Signs My Hormones Were Out Of Whack
Millions of people suffer from hormone related diseases like thyroid disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and much more. Therefore you should know the signs your hormones are out of balance.
Below are the top five signs your hormones are out of whack:
1) Continual weight gain despite exercise and dietYour metabolism is controlled by your hormones, itâs not the exercise that causes the weight loss itâs the exercise that triggers the hormones that cause you to lose weight. This is why some people can eat whatever they want, don’t exercise and have the body you have always wanted. While others can eat very little, exercise an hour a day and gain weight. Research has shown us that certain hormones, like insulin and cortisol, lead to fat storage. While other hormones help us lose fat, like growth hormone and thyroxine . Therefore if you are having troubles losing weight or gaining weight despite an honest effort, then it may very well be a sign your hormones are out of balance.
In today’s modern life, and its many chronic stressors, the ‘fight or flight’ system can be activated and not turn off. If the chronic stress response doesn’t leave, those cortisol triggers never stop. Eventually, this leads to problems with digestion and loss of sex drive because the body isnât in the âfeed and breedâ system long enough to perform the functions it supposed to. Regaining this balance is essential to long term health.
Where do I begin?
You May Have An Increased Risk Of Infertility
Having a good balance of sex hormones such as progesterone and estrogen are what makes pregnancy possible. Since all these different hormones work together, even the slightest imbalance of just one can impact your ability to get pregnant. “The first sign of an issue is irregular periods,” Dr. Elliot says. If you’ve been trying for a while with no luck, an imbalance of hormones can be the cause. But instead of guessing, she says it’s important to see a doctor to determine which hormones are out of whack. “Sometimes itâs not a sex hormone at all,” she says. It could be the result of a thyroid hormone issue. “Hormones are highly connected,” Dr. Elliot says. “If one signal doesnât get transmitted, it can have a whole host of downstream effects.” So talk to your doctor if this is a concern.
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Signs Your Hormones Are Way Out Of Whack
Don’t ignore the signals your body is trying to send you.
Hormones are the cogs that keep your body functioning. But when one cog breaks down or speeds up, your body can start acting a bit strange. When your hormones arent functioning properly, it wont take long to realize that something is wrong, since your system will send you signals. You just have to know what youre looking for.
Even the slightest of changes in the way youre feeling on the regular can indicate that there is a hormonal imbalance at play. Your endocrine system is made up of several different glands that produce all the hormones you need. These hormones regulate your metabolism, sleep, mood, libido, and development. If the glands are producing too much or too little of a certain hormone, it can negatively affect your bodily functions. All you have to do is pay attention, and your body will tell you everything you need to know.
Here are 10 signs your body will give you to let you know that your hormones are out of whack.
Progesterone Helps You Sleep Better
If you can’t sleep or you don’t get good quality sleep, hormone balance may be to blame. Progesterone is one compound released by the ovaries that helps you sleep. Low levels may make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. A small study in postmenopausal women found that 300 milligrams of progesterone restored normal sleep when sleep was disturbed. Estrogen levels decrease in perimenopause and after menopause. This may contribute to night sweats and hot flashes, which often disrupt a woman’s ability to sleep. See your doctor if you believe an imbalance in hormones is contributing to sleep problems.
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Irritability Anxiety Or Depression
If youre experiencing mood swings, your hormones could be to blame. Thats because your hormones influence the neurotransmitters in your brain, helping to maintain dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels for optimal balance.
As hormone levels fluctuate or decrease, its common to experience emotional changes, like anxiety, depression, mood swings, and even panic attacks. Similarly, having too much of a hormone can cause anger, impaired judgment, euphoria, or delusions.
Hypothyroid Medication And Treatment
When I found out I had Hashimotos, I had to go on thyroid medication to get enough thyroid hormone. The most common medication that doctors prescribe for hypothyroid is Synthroid, which contains T4 only. Other T4 only medications include Tirosint and Levoxyl. That will work for you if youre converting T4 to T3, but it wont do a thing for you if you if your problem lies with conversion.
People with conversion problems will feel better on combination T4/T3 medications like Nature-Throid, Armour, or a custom-compounded formula.
Less commonly, doctors will prescribe a T3-only thyroid medication, like Cytomel.
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You May Feel Much More Emotional Than Usual
Feelings of being disconnected, loneliness, and depression can all stem from imbalanced hormones. While a number of different hormones can be the cause of these symptoms, Certified Women’s Health and Nutrition Coach, Audrey Sourroubille Arnold, tells Bustle, she tends to look at the levels of cortisol , progesterone, oestrogen, androgens / testosterone, and thyroid function when mood changes occur. “Hormonal imbalances have different root causes,” she says. “Thereâs a genetic component, but most of all weâre not aware of how our daily life affects us and our hormones.” One of the best way to handle imbalances that can lead to mood or emotional issues is to maintain a healthy lifestyle around eating right and getting enough exercise.
What Is Biote Hormone Pellet Therapy
BioTE Hormone Pellet Therapy is a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. It replaces the hormones that have been depleted in your body and helps reverse many of the symptoms of hormone imbalance.
Bioidentical hormones are natural hormones derived from plants that act like the natural hormones your body produces. Many women prefer this type of HRT to other synthetic types because its natural and is delivered in the form of a pellet injected into the top layer of your skin. There are no pills to remember to swallow every day. One rice-sized pellet lasts four to six months, and studies have shown that bioidentical hormones have fewer side effects than synthetic hormones.
Another benefit of BioTE therapy is that the pellets release a steady, consistent stream of hormones throughout the day. You dont experience surges or drops in hormone levels as with other types of HRT.
For more information about how we can help you balance your hormones and get your life back in balance too, call the Center for Womens Health or make an appointment online through this website.
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Thyroid Tests And Thyroid Optimal Ranges What To Expect At The Doctor
Chances are, youve landed here and youre reading this because youre having a heck of a time navigating thyroid testing and diagnosis. Maybe you know somethings up, but your tests are coming back normal, or you feel like youre not getting the full picture.
Youre not alone. If youre going to a western medicine doctor for thyroid symptoms, you might have some back and forth, even some second or third opinions before you get the information you need.
Functional medicine and naturopathic doctors are simply better at diagnosing and treating the thyroid. The difference lies in the tests ordered and whats considered normal. There are exceptions doctors are out there who fully understand how hormone levels, blood tests, medications, and individual differences between patients all work. But, youll need to do some digging to find Dr. Right, as Bulletproof Radio podcast guest Izabella Wentz calls them.
When theyre licensed in your state, functional medicine and naturopathic doctors can order all of the blood tests and prescriptions you might need, and theyre likely to incorporate non-medical interventions as well.
A lot of docs will use TSH only as in the indicator of your thyroid function. If thats the case, you might want to go doctor shopping.
Here are the thyroid tests that will give you the full picture of how everythings working:
- TSH
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies
You’ve Put On Extra Pounds For No Apparent Reason
Lack of zzzs may be affecting your appetite hormones. A study published in Sleep found that after snoozing for only four hours a night, levels of glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone that controls satiety, decreased in women. “When you don’t feel full, you tend to just keep eating,” says study author In fact, another of her studies showed that women down an average of 329 more calories on days they don’t get sufficient sleep.
Get back on track: Log adequate pillow timeseven to nine hours a night. And start your day with protein-packed eats to keep hunger hormones in check. Overweight women who ate an egg-and-beef-sausage breakfast consumed 135 fewer calories from evening snacks than those who started their day with a bowl of cereal that had the same number of calories, according to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The reason: A high-protein breakfast boosts levels of another satiety hormone, peptide YY, all day.
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Learn To Manage Stress
Stress can wreak havoc on your hormones. Two major hormones affected by stress are cortisol and adrenaline, which is also called epinephrine.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it helps your body cope with stress over the long term.
Adrenaline is the fight-or-flight hormone that provides your body with a surge of energy to respond to immediate danger.
However, unlike hundreds of years ago when these hormones were mainly triggered by threats from predators, today theyre usually triggered by peoples busy, often overwhelming lifestyles.
Unfortunately, chronic stress causes cortisol levels to remain elevated, which can lead to excessive calorie intake and obesity, including increased belly fat (
37 ).
A 2005 review of studies found that massage therapy not only reduced cortisol levels by an average of 31%, but also increased levels of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin by 28% and dopamine by 31%, on average .
Try to devote at least 1015 minutes per day to stress-reducing activities, even if you dont feel you have the time.
Summary:
Engaging in stress-reduction behaviors like meditation, yoga, massage and listening to soothing music can help normalize your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Hormonal Imbalance And Weight Gain
Hormones play an integral role in metabolism and your bodys ability to use energy. Hormone disorders, such as Cushing syndrome, can cause you to become overweight or develop obesity.
People with Cushing syndrome have high levels of cortisol in their blood. This leads to an increase in appetite and fat storage.
Hypothyroidism, if the condition is severe, can also lead to weight gain.
During menopause, many women gain weight because the metabolism slows down. You may find that even though youre eating and exercising like normal, you still gain weight.
The only way to treat weight gain from a hormone disorder is to treat the underlying condition.
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, your body goes through major hormonal changes. This is different than a hormonal imbalance.
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Signs Of Hormonal Imbalances
Firstly, everyone is different whats normal for you could be totally abnormal for another. But here are some common signs that your hormones might be imbalanced:
- irregular or absent periods
- hot flashes and night sweats
- weight gain
- vaginal dryness or pain during sex
- difficulty getting pregnant
Hormones also have a big effect on your mental health. So if theyre imbalanced, some other signs might include:
- mood swings
- anxiety and depression