Hormones Happy?
Hormones Happy?
How many of you hear the word hormone and immediately think of women having Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or suffering from hot flashes due to menopause? That is where most of our minds will go, but hormones, of course, incorporate male hormones as well, such as testosterone and many others. The reality is, hormones not only impact functional aspects between males and females, but rather govern hundreds if not thousands of functions throughout the body such as body temperature, weight, hunger or sending energy to your muscles when you need it. Let’s look at the definition of the word.
Definition of a hormone. 1 : a product of living cells that circulates in body fluids (such as blood) or sap and produces a specific often stimulatory effect on the activity of cells usually remote from its point of origin; also: a synthetic substance that acts like a hormone. 2: sex hormone.
As you can see, the sex hormones are secondary to the role the rest of them play, but our society has made it about women and mood swings so that is what we will focus on in this article as well. Search my site for hormones to learn about other aspects. Because of this expanded definition, I prefer to call them communicators. We all have them and in order to feel optimal health whether it be a balanced thyroid, healthy eating habits or pain-free menstrual cycles these communicators are responsible.
Many women experience a lack of proper balancing of hormones throughout their lifetime. It may look like menstrual cramps, pain, bloating, headaches, fibroids, polycystic ovaries, night sweats and a whole host of other symptoms.
So, how do they get out of balance?
There are a number of factors to look at and one or two you may find surprising.
- Food Supply: There are a number of hormones in many of the foods we eat today. They are given to cattle and poultry, just to name a few, to allow for a faster-growing cycle. In theory, that may sound like a good idea to feed the population and make sure we have enough food for all. But think about it, would you have wanted your own body to grow at a faster pace than nature intended it? There are huge implications to this, but the most important for this topic is that YOU also get a shot of hormones each time you eat foods enhanced with growth hormones. Hmmm. Now, how might that disrupt your body’s normal balance?
- Extreme Diets: Women athletes find this when they follow very strict eating plans and perhaps limit the proper ratios of proteins, carbs and especially good fats. The good fats are so important for healthy hormone production and preparing the body for a developing fetus. This would also be the case for someone that suffers from disorders like anorexia.
- Toxins: Chemicals you ingest, inhale or have absorbed topically can block or lock down communicator receptor sites that disable the communicator’s ability to signal properly to an organ, endocrine or body part.
- Hormone replacement or birth control pills: These hormones are given for a specific purpose, however, taken for long periods of time they can basically stop the body’s normal production of hormones once the therapy is stopped. The body may have a difficult time resetting due to factors above or stress. I recently spoke with a compounding pharmacist regarding the hormone pellets under the skin. She cautioned that she has seen a number of incision sites bleed and found that if the wrong balance is given to the woman at the time of insertion, she is left with that balance of hormones for three months!
- Stress: all hormones work in unison to create balance. Did you know there are a number of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, CRH, and ACTH? These all work in conjunction to help your body get out of a jam and do it as quickly as possible. This “Fight or Flight” response was designed to help you run from serious danger like a threatening tiger in which case the outcome might be death by tiger eating. Too many people stay in this stress mode too often for things like a work deadline. The stress response process was designed for life-threatening events. Unless you have a very mean boss or client, a missed deadline does not mean you will DIE!
- Epigenetics: Environmental factors such as many of the above; toxin exposure, pharmaceutical therapies, stress and even active memories not only yours but those of your ancestors can impact your hormone balance. It is not uncommon for an ancestor to have been the one exposed to a toxin, called an endocrine disruptor, and have receptor sites blocked and then this information gets passed down through the generations on the deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. Ever feel like you are not yourself during that time of the month? Well, maybe it’s not you after all, but rather a hormone trait from an ancestor! Now that explains a few things, doesn’t it?
The good news is there are things you can do to address these concerns.
- Always do the very best you can to buy organic foods and avoid foods made with added hormones such as poultry, eggs, beef. Most stores today will carry products that indicate they are grown without these hormones. By the way, this means milk also!
- Avoid extreme diets. The building blocks of all cells are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. You need all of them (in proper balance). Eat well-balanced meals including proper ratios of proteins carbohydrates and GOOD fats for your blood type and metabolic profile. For more information on this and to receive guidance on the right meal plan for you, contact us.
- Avoid chemicals that you may have in your home for cleaning. Chemical fumes can get in your lungs by inhaling them even indirectly and chemicals can also uptake into your bloodstream by walking in bare feet on floors cleaned with toxic floor cleaners. This means your children and pets also! There are many toxin and chemical free products on the market now. Check these out.
- Detox your body systems with one of any of these amazing detox programs; 28 Day Detox Balance, 10 Day Female Vitality Program, 10 Day Inflammation Program or 10 Day Blood Sugar Program. Learn more about the toxins you are exposed to in these videos. Use this Toxicity Questionnaire to determine how many toxins you personally have been exposed to in your everyday world.
- Be careful with bio-identical and other forms of hormone therapy (i.e. Birth control pills, hormone pellets etc.) BodyTalk sessions can you help you identify the reason your hormones are not communicating properly. It is usually an emotional stressor or active memory or a chemical you were exposed to such as a food you ate at age 10. You may not have any idea where or how the imbalance occurred or where to start. The good news is, BodyTalk sessions can zero in on the issue easily and assist your body in correcting the imbalance quickly by releasing the toxic emotion or chemical. And even if the toxin was inherited through DNA, an epigenetic BodyTalk session can assist you in making progress quickly, often without the use of hormone replacement therapy. All sessions can be performed in person or by using video teleconferencing such as Zoom. Book your session today.