Your Hormones Your Health
Feeling bloated, irritable, or just not your best? Shifts in your hormones could be to blame. Hormones are chemical âmessengersâ that impact the way your cells and organs function. Itâs normal for your levels of them to shift at different times of your life, such as before and during your period or a pregnancy, or during menopause. But some medications and health issues can cause your levels to go up or down, too.
Hormone Balancing Tip #: Manage Stress
Stress wreaks havoc on our hormones, particularly our production of progesterone. Progesterone is produced from the same building blocks as our stress hormone cortisol . When we are stressed, our body ramps up its cortisol production and slows down on progesterone, contributing to a number of hormonal imbalances.
For many of us, we have little control over the stressors that are thrown on us on a day to day basis. The key then to managing stress is learning how to change your relationship with stress. Shifting your mindset around stress is the cornerstone to changing the way that it affects your body.
Learn How Your Hormones Work Together
The first half of the menstrual cycle is called the follicular phase and is where you experience a rise in follicle stimulating hormone as several of your follicles begin their final race to ovulation. These growing follicles release the hormone estrogen in higher and higher amounts. Luteinising hormone then triggers ovulation the bursting open of a dominant follicle.
Following ovulation, there is a steep decline in estrogen. The sack which contained the egg begins to secrete another hormone: progesterone which increases and becomes our dominant hormone in the second half of the menstrual cycle which is known as the luteal phase.
Each of these two phases last roughly two weeks in a typical cycle. If your cycle is longer than 28 days, the first half of the cycle will be longer, with the second half usually remaining around two weeks. After this second two-week phase, if your egg is not fertilised, the lining which has grown to support a potential pregnancy will be shed in the form of your period. The is accompanied by a sharp drop in all hormone levels as you return to baseline. This bleed becomes day 1 of your new cycle, and the process begins again.
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Raspberry Leaf To Balance Female Hormones
Raspberry leaf tea is a common herb to balance female hormones. The plant compound in red raspberry leaves may have antioxidant effects and can help to relax blood vessels . These compounds may how have a muscle relaxation effect, depending on the amount consumed, making it useful for menstrual cramps in some women . Red raspberry leaf tea is also often used during late pregnancy to support labor and delivery . Discuss herbs with your doctor before starting.
Hot Flashes And Night Sweats
One of the most common symptoms of perimenopause is hot flashes, which often coexists with night sweats. Almost 80 percent of people who are in perimenopause or transitioning into menopause have hot flashes. Also, most women who receive chemotherapy or undergo surgery to remove their ovaries will experience hot flashes.
Scientists know that hot flashes occur as a result of low estrogen levels. Each hot flash involves a sensation of heat that starts in the chest area and travels to the neck and the head. It can last for a few minutes and may cause sweating. Some women also develop a faster heart rate during hot flashes.
If a hot flash happens during sleep, they are called night sweats. Women who have night sweats often wake up in the morning feeling tired.
Some people experience redness along their neck and face during a hot flash. This is called a hot flush.
On average, each hot flash lasts for about three to four minutes. Hot flashes can occur for a few months to several years. In a few rare cases, some people had hot flashes for 10 years.
Other signs of hormonal imbalance include:
- Constipation
- Heavy or irregular periods, missed periods, frequent periods, or stopped periods
- Vaginal dryness and itching
- Weakened muscles
- Pain in the muscles, tenderness, and stiffness
- Pain and swelling in the joints
- Depression
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Supplements To Balance Hormones
Hormone balance is one of the most common reasons patients pay me an initial visit, and a common question is whether I recommend supplements to balance hormones. In recent years, focus on womens health has gone from just a yearly PAP smear and breast exam to discussion around optimal health and wellness. Women feel empowered to talk to their health care providers about topics that were previously perceived as normal- things like painful periods and PMS symptoms which includes cravings, mood changes, acne, and changes during perimenopause. Seeking treatment for hormone balance means that women are finally able to start the journey to optimal health and complete wellness.
I thought I would take some time to discuss some of my favorite herbs, nutrients, and nutrition options for hormone balance.
However, choosing supplements for hormone balance isnt always cut and dry. Depending on why your hormones are imbalanced can mean that is it time for a different treatment plan.
How To Balance Hormones Naturally For A Better Menopause
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure for more info.
Have you heard that balanced hormones mean a balanced life? There might be some truth to this!
A hormones job in the body is enormous! They tell our organs when its time to go to work. They have the power to make our hearts beat faster and send signals to the brain that were hungry. Hormones also prepare the gut for incoming food and tell the body when its time to sleep.
Hormones are a family of molecules that act as messengers. After they are made in a specific gland, they will travel to other parts of the body to control and instruct how cells and organs do their work.
Whats more impressive? One hormone can play many hats and may influence other hormones to improve our overall body functions. For example, estrogen is a sex hormone, but it also contributes to the brain, heart, gut functioning, etc.
Since weve come to this topic, here are three hormones that may affect our menopause journey, plus learn how you can balance hormones naturally in 5 simple ways!
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Permission To Eat Healthy Fats
Good saturated fats are essential to produce hormones. Have them in avocados, fish like salmon and sardines, nuts, and coconut oil in baked goods.
Our Tip: learn about the benefits of olive oil and other cooking oils, how to read labels, and identify the smoke point. This may help you balance hormones naturally with cholesterol management.
Dangers Behind Hormone Replacement:
When hormones such as thyroid, estrogen, & progesterone are supplemented through prescriptions, creams, & contraceptives such as birth control pills, they are abnormally flooding their body with an unnatural amount of hormones . This causes several responses within the body:
1) Reduced Receptor Sites: In response, the cell receptor sites for the particular hormone are reduced in an attempt to protect from too much hormone interaction. Therefore, one could have plenty of thyroid hormone, progesterone, etc, in the bloodstream, yet have poor cellular sensitivity.
2) Hormone Regulation is Altered: The hypothalamus and pituitary gland, key centers in the brain that control hormone secretion, are in a constant communication with hormonal cells to regulate and control the amounts of circulating hormones. If the brain senses that there is not enough hormone, it will signal for more production and secretion.
If it senses that there is too much, as is the case with hormone replacement, than it will slow down production. After a while, the constant bombardment of artificial hormone will shut down production of the natural hormone all together. The gland then atrophies and loses all function, making the hormone creams and pills a necessity.
3) Increased Liver Stress: An excessive bombardment of hormones taxes the liver, which desperately tries to break down the excess to effectively eliminate it from the body. Over time, the hormone eventually is stored in fat cells.
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Hormone Balancing Tip #: Get Off The Sugar Roller Coaster
Eating large amounts of processed sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance. This is where your body gets tired of receiving the signal that your blood sugar is high, and becomes less responsive to it. Excess insulin production causes inflammation in the body and increased production of testosterone from the ovaries. This can lead to irregular cycles, acne and hair growth on the face.
Hormone Balancing Tip #: Consider Supplementing
The above suggestions will go a long way to improving your bodys production and elimination of hormones. Consider these initial steps as the ground work for hormone balance. If you have implemented all of these tips, your next step is to consider adding 1 or 2 high quality supplements in to your regime
Magnesium: wonderful in helping the body cope with chronic, ongoing stress as magnesium is used in the stress response. Magnesium bisglycinate form is best for most people as it causes the least disturbance to digestive symptoms. 300mg per day is an effective dose for most people.
Zinc: Great for acne and digestive issues. 30mg per day in citrate or picolinate form after food .
Iron: great for heavy periods, low iron stores and fatigue. Please have your iron levels checked through a simple blood test which can be requested through your health care provider. Bisglycinate form is best as it causes the least digestive issues. 24mg every second day away from caffeine is a good dose for most people.
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Weight Gain Or Difficulty Losing Weight
Why do so many people struggle with weight loss and maintenance? Usually, its because they are eating nutrient-poor foods and working too hard. The body processes this hard work as stress and when the body is stressed, it goes into survival or fight or flight mode, producing cortisol. When youre chronically stressed, your cortisol is always high and in an effort to protect itself from whatever danger it senses, your body holds onto fat as a form of energy.
Pms And Low Sex Drive
Low testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are all associated with a decreased sex drive in both men and women. This is especially common after age 50 when estrogen and testosterone production declines. Since estrogen is one of the main hormones regulating a womans menstrual cycle a decrease in production can also lead to irregular periods that are too long, too short, unpredictable, heavy, or painful, infertility, hot flashes, mood swings, or painful intercourse.
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Signs And Symptoms Occurring In Women
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the form of hormone imbalance that is most common in females. Apart from PCOS, there are certain other stages of life in women when their natural hormone balance is altered. These stages occur during pregnancy, child-rearing, puberty, and menopause.
Some other symptoms which occur in women specifically due to hormone imbalance could be excessive facial or body hair, loss of hair, the occurrence of patches on the skin, loss of vaginal muscle strength, unexplained chills, sweats, and hot flashes, headache, an irregular period which can be more or less than a usual period, severe acne break out, and dryness of vagina. Most of these symptoms can be addressed by using supplements to balance hormones alongside other options as well.
Treatment For Moderate And Severe Acne
Doctors can help people whose acne involves more severe pimples that may lead to scarring.
Moderate acne may be treated with oral antibiotics. Examples are:
- tetracycline
- erythromycin
- doxycycline
Antibiotics for acne typically need to be continued for 3 months for full results. Topical antibiotics as well as the oral antibiotics may be prescribed as well.
Women with moderate acne who do not respond to oral antibiotics anti-androgen hormone therapy or birth control medication.
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Learn How To Balance Your Unique Hormonal Imbalance Naturally
Balancing your hormones is a complicated process and takes time. It will often take up to 3 menstrual cyclesto fully experience the benefits of bringing your hormones back in to balance. Unfortunately, there isnt one quick fix or magic solution which will fix all of your period problems. Addressing diet, lifestyle, stress, exercise, mindset and emotional and spiritual health are the cornerstones to improving your hormone health.
In my 8 Week Hormone Harmony Digital CourseI teach the exact protocols that I use with clients to help them return to vibrant, balanced health. The protocols I teach are beyond the scope of this blog post and are aimed to educate and empower you to take control of your health. If you are truly ready to take back the reins on your hormonal health,learn more about Hormone Harmony Academy by signing up to my free Heal Your Cycle webinar and coming along live!
To get you started, Im sharing my top 6 tips to begin balancing your hormones naturally. These are a great place to start if you are new to hormonal imbalances, and will give you a taste of addressing your symptoms naturally.
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Three Steps To Balance Hormones Naturally
A womans endocrine system is comprised of many hormones that affect our mental, emotional, and physical health. When the body is stressed, hormones can become imbalanced and lead to conditions such as:
- PCOS
- Low or high hormones we test for all of these at CentreSpringMD
When hormones are off you can feel any of the following:
- sleep disturbances
- menstrual irregularities
- digestive issues
If you have been diagnosed with a current hormonal imbalance or have any of the symptoms above, there are natural ways to help balance them.
1. DietDiet plays a huge part of hormones because many of them are created from the foods we eat. That is why it is important to eat more healthy fats such as avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, walnuts, fish, chia seeds, and flax seeds. When the body metabolizes these fats, a hormone called pregnenolone is formed. Pregnenolone is a precursor to estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol. I usually recommend having at least 20-30 grams of healthy fats daily to ensure optimal hormone health.
Written by CentreSpringMD
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At CentreSpringMD, we do medicine differently. Our focus is on giving you hope and your life back. Our team of dedicated board-certified providers relentlessly pursue your health until you have the answers that you deserve to change the trajectory of your healthand your life.
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Magnesium Balances Your Reproductive Hormones
Magnesium is your hormones best friend. Not only does it help relieve the effects of menopause, it can also help boost your mood, calm the nervous system, reduce your blood sugar levels, and help you sleep.
In addition, magnesium also helps with the production of sex hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
With all these positive benefits, magnesium is definitely a vitamin for hormone imbalance that you need to incorporate into your daily routine right away.
What Is A Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are chemicals produced by different glands and tissues, forming a part of the endocrine system.
Hormones travel to all of the bodys tissues and organs through the bloodstream. They give messages to these organs, letting them know what function to perform and when to do it.
Hormones help regulate a lot of processes in the body. Hormones manage appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, heart rate, sexual function, general mood and stress levels, and body temperature. Because they affect so many functions, imbalances in certain hormones can lead to uncomfortable symptoms.
A hormonal imbalance occurs when a person has too much or too little of a certain hormone, such as insulin, cortisol, thyroxine, androgens, estrogen, or progesterone. Even slight changes can have a significant effect on your body.
Track my period
A range of symptoms can result from female hormone imbalance. Hormonal imbalance symptoms depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly.
Some of the most common hormonal conditions in women cause the following symptoms:
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Appetite And Weight Gain
You may gain weight during hormonal shifts, such as menopause. But hormone changes donât directly affect your weight. Instead, it likely happens because of other factors, like aging or lifestyle. For example, when youâre feeling blue or irritated, as you can be when your estrogen levels drop, you may want to eat more. It can also impact your bodyâs levels of leptin, a hunger-revving hormone.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy :
For my women who have more severe symptoms supplements to balance hormones may not be enough and in this case Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can be a great option. With proper labs, follow-up, and customized dosing, this can be a safe step up in a patients therapy from more natural treatments. Remember, its all about safety first, so using the lowest level of therapy to provide adequate symptom relief is ideal!
There is no one herb, nutritional plan, product, or therapy that is good for everything hormones related. It is vital to determine what type of hormone imbalance you have and why. Finding the root cause to your health issues can bring you back to long-lasting optimal health herbals, nutrition, and medications can help you there. A qualified health care professional can offer testing, interpretation, diagnosis, and treatment for your unique needs and goals!
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