Hormone imbalance: the things you need to know.
Welcome to ‘Hormonal balance 101’… information we all need to know about our friends oestrogen & progesterone. The more we can understand our hormones the more power we have to balance them.
You can compare oestrogen & progesterone to yin & yang. They work beautifully together but one without the other is a disaster. An imbalance between the two can cause an array of symptoms such as headaches, cramping, heavy periods, mood changes, anxiety, fatigue and bloating.. just to name a few!
What are Oestrogen & Progesterone?
Oestrogen:
If oestrogen was a person, it would be your curvy, flirty, feminine friend.
When at its peak your skin glows & hair becomes shiny.
Oestrogen is low during your period and increases after a period, in the lead up to ovulation.
When oestrogen is high you will feel more feminine, outgoing and confident.
The role of oestrogen:
To mature & release an egg - ready for fertilisation.
Thickens the uterine lining - (too much oestrogen can cause an extra thick lining which leads to heavy periods).
Bone formation, blood clotting & cardiovascular health.
Progesterone:
If progesterone was a person, it would be the calm, stable and supportive one… the ‘mum’ of the group.
Progesterone is known as the body’s “natural anti-depressant”.
When oestrogen declines after ovulation, progesterone is there to soften the blow.
The role of progesterone:
Holds the uterine lining in place in preparation for a pregnancy.
If there is no fertilised egg, progesterone levels will decline and a period will begin.
Muscle relaxant.
Prevents breast cysts from developing.
Sleep aid.
How do hormones become imbalanced?
Stress: both physical & mental (over exercising, lack of sleep, busy schedules, study, work etc).
Excess load on the liver: excessive alcohol intake, chemical exposure (e.g. pesticides), endocrine disrupting chemicals (e.g. cosmetics, perfumes, fragrances).
Nutrient deficiencies: caused by poor diet, under-eating, poor absorption.
Gut issues: constipation, imbalance in gut bacteria, medications (antibiotics), alcohol.
Inflammatory diet: high refined sugars, imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, alcohol.
Symptoms of imbalanced hormones
Most symptoms of hormone imbalance arise from an imbalance between oestrogen and progesterone. Most commonly there is an excess of oestrogen and a deficiency of progesterone. This will create symptoms such as:
PMS - premenstrual symptoms such as mood changes, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, bloating, food cravings, skin breakouts
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Headaches
Depression
Weight gain - particularly around the hips, thighs and mid-section
Fluid retention
Breast tenderness
Brain fog
Reduced sex drive
Fibrocystic breasts
Insomnia
How do you balance hormones?
The empowering thing is that with a few lifestyle tweaks, dietary changes and herbal support we can balance hormones to reduce pesky breakouts, breast tenderness, brain fog headaches, sugar cravings and pain that results in curling up in the foetal position.
Whilst I do believe you get the best support by working with a naturopath (book an appointment here), there are a few amazing products that can help you with balancing hormones:
Stay tuned for more tips on how to balance hormones.