Women's Hormones - Part 1

For the next few weeks, I'm going to be writing about something that is very important for every woman but so misunderstood. Hormones.

I have so many women come to my office and complain about their hormones. It can be anything from irregular or heavy periods with severe cramping, to hot flashes that make you want to strip naked and stick your whole body in a snow bank. 

Hormones can be complex, confusing or even embarrassing, but they don't have to be! By understanding how the cycle works, you can start to correct your imbalances and have a healthy life.

This is what happens during the normal cycle:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fitness-menstrual-health

The "normal" cycle for a women should last 28 days, beginning with a period that lasts between 4-5 days, with a medium flow, no cramping, and should not be terribly uncomfortable. Menarche (your period) can begin anywhere between 10-16 years old, although it is becoming more common for it to start even earlier. You should have a period every 28 days (except for pregnancy and breastfeeding) until you begin menopause, when it will begin to slow and then will discontinue. 

Many different things can disrupt the hormones during your cycle. Birth control or synthetic hormones are one of the biggest factors. Environmental pollutants such as plastics and heavy metals also play a roll. Eating properly, exercising, maintaining a healthy body weight, and minimizing stress are large factors as well. 

The lure of birth control can be very strong. It seems like such an easy solution for being a girl! If you have any hormonal issues, it seems to be the quickest answer. Unfortunately, the side effects can be quite severe whether you are on a progestin-based pill or on the combined birth control pill. The side effects that I see most often are stomach pains, bloating, gas, mood swings, depression, anxiety, intestinal permeability, adrenal fatigue (HPA Axis), nutritional deficiencies, and candida overgrowth. The longer you are on the pill, the more widespread the symptoms can become. 

We live in a world that is not very friendly to our sensitive hormones. The chemicals in plastics (hello, cute water bottles!) mimic the estrogen that our body produces and can slow our own body's productions. These synthetic products can be stored in the fats of the body and used instead of our own estrogen. Diminishing the use of these products will help our hormones in the long run. Parabens can be found in many different cosmetics, including shampoos, conditioners, makeup, body wash and other hair products. They can also mimic the body's hormones and cause  hormonal imbalances. Using tampons or pads that are bleached with chlorine are another huge problem. The chlorine creates a chemical called dioxin which when put next to your skin, can make your period last long and be heavier (good marketing!) or even cause toxic shock syndrome. Switching to a natural, unbleached product or even using a menstrual cup is a better idea. 

Making a few lifestyle changes can make a positive impact on your hormones. If you feel like you have more serious imbalances, a blood test might be the best way to find out what exactly is happening so that you can begin to correct the issues. 

In my next post, I'll be talking about menopause. Please feel free to leave a comment if there's anything specific you'd like me to talk about!