Balancing Hormones Naturally

Hormones — such as estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, and insulin — are extremely important chemical messengers that affect many aspects of your overall health.

Hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, thyroid and insulin are created in endocrine glands throughout the body. They work as chemical messengers throughout your body to accomplish a wide range of important physical and chemical functions. Examples include turning on and off hunger cues, regulating metabolism, to running the reproduction system, and regulating blood sugar.

Understanding the major hormones and what they do will help our patients take control of their health.

Some conditions require replacement of these hormones, and there are both natural and synthetic options, such as bioidentical hormones, birth control pills, insulin injections, and thyroid medications. Patients have individual needs for determining which type of pharmaceutical hormone replacement is best. 

  • It is also important to understand the root cause of hormonal dysregulation — which can be exacerbated by poor diet or nutritional deficiencies, gut issues, toxic environmental factors, or genetic tendencies.
  • Some medications also have side effects, and it is important that the risk/benefit assessment be discussed with your medical prescriber — such as stroke, osteoporosis, anxiety, reproductive problems, cancer and more.

Balancing hormones naturally is not only effective but also can have additional benefits such as increased energy, weight loss, improved sleep, and healthier skin. That’s why at Fusion Natural Health, treating the root cause of your imbalances involves a personalized plan that also provides you with the tools to lead a healthier, more vibrant life.

Understanding The Endocrine System

The endocrine system is a complex collection of glands that  produce hormones responsible for essential functions such as metabolism, maintaining healthy tissue and bones, sex drive, reproduction, blood sugar, sleep cycles, and mood. 

The pituitary gland, a small pea-sized gland, is also called the “master gland” as it helps regulate other glands in your body. It produces many hormones, like the growth hormone (GH or somatotropin), while stimulating other glands to release additional hormones like cortisol or thyroid hormone.

Other important glands of the endocrine system include the pineal gland, a pine cone-shaped gland that regulates melatonin and circadian rhythm, the thyroid gland important for thyroxine (T4) production, the thymus gland responsible for childhood growth and releasing disease-fighting T cells as well as the adrenal glands that maintain cortisol levels.  Ovaries and Testes are reproductive system glands that produce sex hormones, like Testosterone, Estrogen, and Progesterone.

The glands that are part of your endocrine system works together, like a complex hormonal symphony to control the level of hormones that circulate throughout your body at any given time.

Signs & Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalances

Symptoms of hormone imbalances can manifest in many ways, including:

  • Painful or irregular periods or PMS
  • Unexplained weight gain or weight loss and change in appetite
  • Depression, anxiety or brain fog
  • Fatigue or low energy
  • Insomnia or lack of deep sleep
  • Low libido
  • Digestive issues, skin issues, or vision issues
  • Hair loss and thinning hair

Symptoms of hormonal imbalances can range quite a bit depending on what role that specific hormone plays in balancing your body.

Some issues associated with standard hormonal imbalances may include:

  • Estrogen Dominance: disrupted sleep patterns, weight and appetite fluctuations, increased stress and anxiety, and slowed metabolism
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): infertility, weight gain, acne, abnormal hair growth
  • Low Estrogen: decreased libido, reproductive issues, loss of menstrual regularity, mood changes
  • Hypothyroidism: slowed metabolism and fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, irritability, digestive problems, irregular menstrual cycles
  • Low Testosterone: erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, fatigue and mood issues
  • Grave’s Disease: anxiety, hair loss, weight loss, IBS or digestive issues, irregular sleep and heartbeats
  • Diabetes: weight gain, neuropathy, vision loss, fatigue, trouble breathing, dry mouth, skin issues
  • Over-active or under-active Adrenal glands: muscle aches, fatigue, anxiety and depression, trouble sleeping, brain fog, reproductive challenges

Potential Causes of Hormonal Imbalances

Hormonal imbalances are created by a combination of lifestyle factors — such as diet, exercise (or lack of), environment, genetics, stress, and exposure to toxins from plastics, makeup, cleaning supplies and pesticides. Some of the major causes of hormonal imbalances include:

  • Food allergies & gut flora imbalances: New scientific research shows that the flora in your gut (microbiome) plays a crucial role in hormone regulation and inflammation, that is at the root of so many chronic illnesses. It is now thought that a sub-optimal microbiome is and underlying factor in conditions poorly understood by conventional doctors, such as IBS, SIBO, and “leaky gut syndrome”, which can leave you more susceptible to hormonal imbalances.
  • Weight gain or obesity
  • High levels of inflammation 
  • Genetic predisposition
  • High levels of toxin exposure including exposure to pesticides, harmful mold exposure, cigarette smoke (even second-hand), excessive alcohol and other harmful chemicals or compounds like lead and formaldehyde
  • High amounts of stress can reduce the capacity of the digestive system to work optimally. Degestion is controlled by the “parasymptathetic nervous system” which is responsible for rest, healing, and stimulating digestive processes. Stress activates the “sympathetic nervous system” and when this is in overdrive, it shuts down digestion. 

The earlier hormonal imbalances are diagnosed, the sooner you can start addressing them naturally – feel free to schedule a complimentary phone consultation to see what the best next steps are for you.

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Journey To Health

Perhaps you have questions you’d like to ask before you make a decision to become a patient. Our patient coordinator is standing by, happy to answer any questions you have to determine if Fusion Natural Health is right for you.