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Hormone Balancing Series
2 part series by Kasey Willson
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Do you dream of beautifully balanced
hormones? It may look something like
this…
The morning arrives and you naturally
wake, refreshed and excited to face the
day. Over the morning and afternoon,
you have a steady supply of strong
energy, despite any challenges you are
faced with. You deal with any stress in a
calm, relaxed manner, staying focused on
your daily goals and you have no need
for stimulants or “sugar hits” to get you
through the day.
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6pm comes around and you still have
enough mental and physical energy to
spend quality time with loved ones. Your
moods are positive and happy - you
are grateful for all the wonderful things
happening in your life.
For the women, your cycles are a regular
28 days. The week before your period
arrives and back or abdominal pain are
non-existent, your menstrual flow does
not impede on daily activities and you are
free of puffiness and sore breasts. Best
of all, you don’t have the urge to drive
to the nearest store to get a block of
chocolate!
For those transitioning through
menopause, hot flushes are minimal,
moods are stable and sleeping through
the night is a common occurrence.
Despite how ‘normal’ fatigue,
stress and other health symptoms
have become, this is what true
hormonal balance should look and
feel like. If any of this story doesn’t
ring true, then it is time you took a
deeper look at why your hormones
may be out of balance.
The important role of hormones
All of the hormonal (endocrine) system
is controlled by one gland found in the
brain, called the Hypothalamus. From
the hypothalamus, there is a cascade
of reactions among hormones, receptor
sites and glands, that ultimately affect
your hormonal health. The hormones
act as messengers, via receptor sites
on glands, to trigger further hormone
production that create certain actions in
the body.
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Hormone Balancing Series
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Sound complicated? It is, and this is
only a small section of the hormone
dance!
What can impact hormonal health
The intricate balance of messages sent
from the glands, via hormones and onto
receptor sites of other glands, can easily
be disturbed. This causes havoc on the
crucial hormone balance and ultimately
affects the way we think, feel and look.
Disruptions in hormonal health often
occur from:
Stress
Long term stress, whether it is
emotional, chemical, physical, or
electromagnetic, has a strong impact on
your hormonal health. When put under
stress, the body reacts by producing
a higher level of the hormone cortisol,
which is produced from the adrenal
glands. Cortisol has the ability to block
Progesterone hormone receptors, which
leads to lower levels of the sex hormone,
Progesterone. Progesterone helps feed
the production of other sex hormones,
so lowered production can also disrupt
oestrogen levels, leading to issues with
ovulation, cycle regularity which affects
our fertility.
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An example of this intricate balance
includes the Hypothalamic-PituitaryThyroid function. When the production
of our main Thyroid hormone, Thyroxine
(T4) slows down, the Thyroid gland is
stimulated via a Pituitary hormone called
the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH).
TSH kicks the Thyroid into gear and
causes an increased production of T4
once again. When levels are normalised,
the Pituitray gland lowers the level of
TSH being released, resulting in reduced
production of T4. This is all regulated
by the master Hypothalamus Gland,
which produces Thyrotropin Releasing
Hormone.
Stress disrupts thyroid function. It lowers
the conversion of inactive Thyroid
hormone T4 into the active thyroid
hormone, T3. As T3 governs the delivery
of energy in all cells of the body, low
energy and weight gain are common
side effects of T3 deficiency.
➢
Gut Issues
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A healthy gut is critical for hormonal
balance, as the gut bacteria is
responsible for production and
conversion of certain hormones (thyroid)
and neurotransmitters (such as the
brain chemical, serotonin). Beneficial
gut bacteria also plays a key role in
detoxification.
Poor gut bacterial balance (dysbiosis) is
a driving factor behind the development
of intestinal permeability, also known
as leaky gut. Basically foods and
neurotoxins produced by the bad
bacteria, travel through the small
intestine and enter the bloodstream.
This can result in food intolerance based
immune reactions, leading to damaging
inflammation in the body.
Both inflammation and dysbiosis directly
and indirectly affect your endocrine
glands, receptors and hormone levels,
leading to symptoms such as headaches,
fatigue, depression, anxiety, painful
periods, among many other nonhormonal related symptoms.
Testing for and removing inflammatory
foods, parasites, fungus, bad bacteria
and building up the beneficial bacteria
is a foundational step toward healthy
hormones. More information on food
intolerances is found here http://www.
myhealthmyhappiness.com.au/gut/
➢
Nutrient Deficiencies.
When the body is lacking in crucial
vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids,
antioxidants and other nutrients, the body
struggles to perform significant functions.
For example, a deficiency in the
antioxidant mineral Selenium, causes
problems in the conversion of the inactive
form of Thyroid hormone to its active
form. As discussed above, failure of
this leads to fatigue, among many other
symptoms.
Therefore, focusing on supplying your
self with a nutrient dense diet should
therefore be high on your priorities list.
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High cortisol also leads to low Melatonin
production, the hormone that controls
our sleep-wake cycle. Low Melatonin can
disrupt the ease of getting to and staying
asleep.
The liver is involved in helping to bind,
convert (to active forms), metabolise
and excrete hormones from the body.
With toxic overload, the liver becomes
stressed and cannot function at 100%.
This affects these important functions
and hormonal imbalance may result.
Common outcomes are Oestrogen
dominance and underactive Thyroid
gland function.
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Toxins in the body also compete with
our beneficial nutrients. Exposure
and storage of Oestrogen mimicking
plasticers, such as Bisphenol A (BPA),
pthalatate, paraben and volatile solvent
containing substances, contribute to
Oestrogen build-up in the body and
have been associated with chronic
hormone related health conditions.
Cosmetics, new furniture, herbicides,
pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers
(therefore conventionally farmed foods),
paints, varnishes, vinyl flooring, plastic
toys, plastic water bottles and food
containers are among products that
contain these toxins.
Identifying and removing hormone
disrupting substances from your home
and work environment, along with
detoxing from any toxic build-up is
crucial for healthy liver and gut function.
➢ Genetics
Receptor function, detoxification
and other biochemical pathways that
influence hormonal health can be
affected by genetics. Bottom line is
that you have the ability to alter your
genetic expression, depending on
your environment. Do the right things
with your diet, lifestyle and thought
patterns and you can encourage healthy
hormones.
➢
Synthetic hormone use
Long term use of synthetic hormone
use, puts pressure on the liver,
causes nutritional deficiencies and is
linked with chronic health conditions,
including blood clots and cancer.
For more information on the Oral
Contraceptive Pill, see http://www.
myhealthmyhappiness.com.au/
problems-of-the-pill/
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➢ Toxic Overload
We now live in a world where toxins
surround us, and it may seem
impossible to implement changes
to improve your hormonal health.
Becoming aware and continuing to
educate yourself is the first positive
step. Next issue I will delve into
recommended tests and treatment
options for hormonal imbalance,
based on my Naturopathic clinical
experience. This will allow you to
make small, but realistic steps each
and every day towards achieving your
long term health and happiness goals.
Health and Happiness,
Kasey Willson ND
Kasey is a qualified Naturopath and Nutritionist who is passionate about helping
others. She runs a busy Naturopathic Clinic based in Adelaide, South Australia,
with many patients who are successfully working towards their health goals with
her support.
Kasey uses both nutritional and herbal medicine in her patients individualised
treatment plans, however her main passion lies in dietary support. For Kasey,
Nutrition is such a fundamental part of reaching and maintaining true health.
Through her blog, e-books and presentations, Kasey aims is to educate many
others to enable them to reach their health and happiness potential.
Website: www.myhealthmyhappiness.com.au
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaseyWillsonND
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaseyWillsonND
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kaseywillsonnd
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