🤔 Is it possible to 'Balance Your Hormones'?!
🤔 Is it possible to 'Balance Your Hormones'?!
Feeling tired, struggling to lose weight, lost your Mojo, and/or sleeping badly? You'll want to read this!
First off, I have a confession. Not much grinds my gears as much as hearing the term 'hormone balancing' when it comes to peri/menopause.
You see, the idea of 'balancing hormones' is often used in popular health and wellness discussions...
... but this is such an oversimplified concept. And it can be misleading.
Whilst hormones play a crucial role in regulating many bodily functions and systems, and absolutely impact how we look and feel, the notion that you can just 'balance your hormones' by taking some herbs or supplements, or eating well and exercising is inaccurate.
You see, first off, hormones fluctuate naturally. They fluctuate throughout the day in response to things like stress, exercise, what we eat, and menstrual cycles.
These fluctuations are a normal part of the body's functioning and don't require constant manipulation or adjustment.
And secondly, hormones are highly complex: Hormones are produced and regulated by a complex network of glands and organs, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. It's challenging to pinpoint a specific hormonal imbalance.
It's not likely that just one hormone is out of whack. And even if it was, how would you 'balance' it?
Plus, hormone levels and their optimal ranges can vary significantly from person to person. What may be considered normal, may be totally out of range for another. Our unique biology, genetics and lifestyle factors (and of course our overall health picture) all contribute.
So what can you do?
There are multiple things that influence our hormones. And when we reach those perimenopause and menopause years, and are struggling with fatigue, insomnia, stubborn weight, or just CBA (can't be arsed) anymore, the most important thing you can do is focus on the FOUR KEY PILLARS, that need to be in check, if we want to achieve 'balanced hormones'...
...or rather, more accurately, if we want to live symptom-free and feel great again!
So, what are these pillars? They are:
1. Optimal mineral status and ratios
2. Optimal blood glucose and insulin control
3. Optimal thyroid and adrenal function
4. Optimal gut health (and no, you don't have to have gut symptoms to have gut issues!)
If any, some or all of those are not working as they should be, you are going to struggle with your metabolism. You are going to struggle with your energy. You are going to struggle with your weight. You are going to struggle with your mood.
But get these right and see what THAT does to your hormones!
🔥 THIS is the NUMBER 1 Pillar of Peri + Menopause Health!
We are going to start with MINERALS.
Minerals are the first pillar because, quite frankly, you cannot have optimal health and be symptom-free if your minerals are out of whack.
That goes for everyone, male, female, child... doesn't matter.
However, when we reach our menopause years, and our sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) start to shift and change, those mineral deficiencies and imbalances are exacerbated.
And whatsmore, in order to have happy hormonal balance, we have to have good mineral balance!
In The ReVitalise Method, my 6 month programme for women over
40, we test those minerals so that we can see exactly what is going on.
And then we test them again after 3 months, to see what improvements we have, so that we can tweak things and keep you improving.
Mineral testing tells us a whole host of information including:
1. Your cellular thyroid function (affects your mood, energy and weight)
2. What your Adrenal function is like (affects your energy and weight)
3. Your metabolic speed (whether you are a slow or fast metaboliser)
4. How well you can regulate your blood sugar (one of the biggest causes of belly fat)
5. Propensity for issues with digestive function
And that's just SOME of the information we can garner from this one simple, non-invasive and incredibly important test.
But... It is NEVER a good idea to start playing around with minerals, and supplementing them individually, if you don't know your own mineral status, and ratios from testing, and had a detailed analysis done by a trained professional (you can't just read the levels with this test).
Adding in too much of the wrong minerals can create more symptoms!
👉 THIS is the NUMBER 2 Pillar of Peri + Menopause Health!
Gut health is the second pillar.
Now, you might be thinking "I don't have any gut issues, so this doesn't apply to me."
But you'd be wrong.
You may think you don't have any symptoms, but you can have issues without having symptoms.
And some people are so used to their symptoms that they think they are normal, when they are anything but!
There are many reasons why gut health is so critical and why it is the second pillar of a healthy menopause.
Poor gut health can have various effects on perimenopause and menopause due to the intricate connection between the gut and hormonal balance.
And when gut health is compromised, it can impact perimenopause and menopause in the following ways:
Hormonal imbalance - The gut influences oestrogen, a key hormone in the menstrual cycle AND menopause. An unhealthy gut can disrupt oestrogen metabolism, leading to imbalances in hormone levels. This can result in irregular periods, worse menopausal symptoms, and other conditions like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.
Nutrient deficiencies - An unhealthy gut can impair nutrient absorption and digestion (including vitamins and minerals!). During perimenopause and menopause, the body undergoes numerous physiological changes that require adequate nutrient intake, such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Poor gut health can hinder the absorption of these essential nutrients, leading to deficiencies that can worsen menopausal symptoms and increase the risk of bone density loss (osteoporosis).
Metabolism and weight management - Alterations in gut microbiota can affect energy extraction from food and impact metabolic speed. Poor gut health has been associated with weight gain, insulin resistance, and metabolic disturbances. These factors can make it more challenging to manage weight and maintain a healthy metabolism during perimenopause and menopause, when hormonal changes can already influence weight distribution.
Mood and mental health - The gut-brain axis, a bi-directional communication system between the gut and the brain, influences mood and mental health. The gut microbiota produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which regulate mood and stress response. Disruptions in the gut microbiota can lead to imbalances in these neurotransmitters, contributing to mood disorders, anxiety, and depression, which may already be heightened during perimenopause and menopause.
Inflammation - Poor gut health often goes hand in hand with increased intestinal permeability or "leaky gut." This condition allows harmful bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles to leak into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation. Chronic inflammation can exacerbate menopausal symptoms, including joint pain, weight gain, fatigue, and mood disturbances.
STOP Fatigue & Stubborn Weight Now
Ah, menopause, the time when your hormones do a little dance and wreak havoc on your body!
During menopause, your body decides it's time to switch things up and go through some hormonal changes. It can be a wild roller coaster ride, (but without the fun twists and turns!).
But not every symptom during menopause is completely due to the menopause... if you have underlying imbalances or dysregulation going on, the menopause (and shifting sex hormones) will definitely exacerbate the problems!
Now, the adrenals are a prime example. When your oestrogen levels dip, your adrenals, (which are one of your two key energy-producing glands) say "Hey, we need to pick up the slack!"
But what happens if your adrenal function isn't what it should be? Well yes, you guessed it, your adrenals can't keep up with all the demands and the thing that gets affected the most is energy production!
Now, let's talk about the thyroid gland. Menopause can sometimes throw a curveball at your thyroid too. As if it weren't enough dealing with hot flashes and mood swings, your thyroid might slow down its hormone production, which can lead to that sluggish feeling and make weight management that bit trickier!
Your metabolism, which relies on thyroid hormones to keep it revved up, may slow down, making weight loss feel like climbing a mountain.
Now, if you've been to the doctor and had your thyroid tested and told that everything is 'normal' this may well not be the case!
The medical profession looks at the thyroid in a very simplistic way. Unless you are at extreme disease state of underactive thyroid, chances are you'll get told all is well, when it really isn't!
If you are over 40, and struggling to lose weight, lacking energy, and have any of the other common symptoms of underactive thyroid (things like hair loss, eyebrow loss, cold hands and feet, dry skin, brain fog, low moods, interrupted sleep or too much sleep...) chances are, your thyroid is not happy and very likely your adrenals are not singing and dancing either!
This is why Thyroid and Adrenal Function is one of the 4 Essential Pillars of Menopause Health.
THE most important pillar for WEIGHT LOSS!
Ok so here's the final Essential Pillar of Menopause Health... and it's one that is so important but so misunderstood.
There are actually two types of blood sugar issues:
1. Chronically elevated blood sugar (linked to diabetes and insulin resistance)
2. Fluctuating blood sugar (which is much more common than you might think).
Each of those has insulin surges which have big negative consequences for your body and make it so much harder to lose body fat.
Sadly, diet and exercise alone are not enough to help manage blood sugar. We also have to think about stress and thus cortisol and the mineral balance within our bodies.
Here are three key reasons why blood glucose and insulin control should be a priority for you as you journey through menopause:
Weight Management: Want to lose weight, or prevent yourself from gaining more? Menopause often brings unwanted weight gain. But by focusing on blood glucose and insulin control, you can better manage your weight and minimise the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Energy and Mood: Fluctuating blood sugar levels can leave you feeling fatigued and irritable. By maintaining stable blood glucose levels, you can enhance your energy levels and stabilise your mood, helping you feel more vibrant and in control.
Bone Health: Women going through menopause are at an increased risk of osteoporosis. Research suggests that elevated blood sugar levels can weaken bone density, making blood glucose and insulin control crucial for maintaining strong and healthy bones.
This is why Blood Glucose Control is one of the 4 Essential Pillars of Menopause Health.
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