Have you ever experienced moodiness, bloating, irregular periods, low back pain or acne breakouts? Have you or someone you know experienced difficulty getting pregnant or illnesses such as endometrioses or polycystic ovarian syndrome? Did you know that these symptoms and medical conditions may be indicative of a hormonal imbalance?
Hormone imbalances can be easily identified through simple lab testing. EVERY time we test our female clients for hormonal issues the lab results come back indicating low hormone levels. EVERY TIME! Hormones play a critical part in keeping our bodies healthy and balanced. Because we see these results time and time again, we have dedicated this month’s newsletter to the importance of hormones, the causes of hormone imbalances, and most importantly, how YOU can fix them.
IMPORTANCE OF HORMONES & WHAT CAUSES AN IMBALANCE
Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behavior. Before birth, they guide development of the brain and reproductive system. Hormones are the reason why your arms are the same length, why you can turn food into fuel, and why you changed from head to toe at puberty. These glands make up what is known as the endocrine system (endocrine means “secreting internally”). The testes and ovaries, or “gonads”, are perhaps the most familiar endocrine glands. In males, testes produce sperm and secrete the male sex hormone testosterone; in females, ovaries produce eggs and the female hormone estrogen. It is these hormones that determine secondary sex characteristics like muscle mass and facial hair. They also help to orchestrate sperm production, menstruation and pregnancy. Other endocrine glands include the thyroid, pancreatic islets, and adrenal glands. These are involved primarily in growth, metabolism, and the “fight or flight” response to stress.(pbs.org/wbh/pages/frotline/shows/ntuere/etc/hormnes.html)
The Estrogen and Progesterone Balance
These two hormones work opposite of each other. Estrogen works to retains fluid where as progesterone is a natural diuretic. Estrogen causes blood vessels to dilate (causing headaches) and progesterone causes blood vessels to constrict. Estrogen decreases sex drive where as progesterone increases sex drive. Research shows that women today, who are under stress, take the birth control pill; drink from plastics and who are on medications tend to be estrogen dominant. This imbalance of your estrogen to progesterone ratio can cause the symptoms and conditions listed above.
Reduced Intake of Cholesterol can cause low hormone levels.
In today’s society we are taught to eat low fat foods which leads us to believe that all fat is bad, which is not the case. There is a difference between good fat and bad fat. We need “good” fat/cholesterol in our diets because cholesterol is the precursor to all of our adrenal hormones. Without it we cannot make hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. Eating a low fat diet leads to decreased cholesterol intake which leads to decreased production of these vital hormones.
Prolonged or Repeated Stress When the body is chronically under stress, this results in an increased production of cortisol (a stress hormone) from your adrenal glands. An increased production of cortisol leads to a decreased production of other vital reproductive hormones. Remember that stress can be in the form of thoughts, diet, exercise, or lifestyle…your body reacts the same!
HOW YOU FIX IT:
1. Eliminate sugar, caffeine and processed foods from your diet.. These foods put stress on the adrenal glands, which impact hormone production.
2. Include good fat in your diet.
Sources of good fat include seeds, raw nuts, olive oil, and avocados.
Fats to avoid: trans fatty acids, hydrogenated oils, margarine and vegetable oil.
3.Drink from glass bottles versus plastic.
The plastic in the bottle contains xenoestrogens, which act like hormones in your body. If plastic is your only option, be mindful of the quality of the plastic. Look for the triangle of arrows on the bottom of the bottle. You should see a number from 1-7. Plastic with the numbers #2, #4, and #5 are best. Most disposable water bottles are labeled #1.These are meant to be used once only, so never re-use your plastic water bottle and keep it away from heat. The plastic can break down, and leech these chemicals into your water. If you are going to drink out of plastic water bottles Fiji, Evian and Volvic are the better brands.
4. Eliminate stressors in life as much as possible.
Stress increases the production of a stress hormone (corticotropin releasing hormone) which decreases the production of several other improtant hormones creating an imbalance in the body. This can cause moodiness,depression, bloating, chronic fatigue syndrome, infertility, as well as the conditions mentioned above.
5. Get your hormone levels checked.
Simple saliva testing can identify if your body is producing the correct balance of hormones. Supplements are available if your hormone levels are too low which can alleviate your symptoms.
