What are hormones, and why balance the hormones?
The hormonal system, known as the endocrine glands, is a web of glands/organs producing hormones. These hormones are chemical messengers the body makes to send messages into the bloodstream and tissues to help regulate our metabolism, growth, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood, and development. Furthermore, several glands make hormones, including the hypothalamus, pineal, thyroid gland, pituitary, parathyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes. These hormones significantly impact our overall health and well-being and play an essential role in our energy levels, vitality, and feelings; therefore, keeping them in harmony and balance is crucial.
The adrenal and the thyroid gland affect various areas of your life. Find out why you are experiencing these hormonal imbalances and why they tend to occur.
Do you experience any of these hormone imbalance symptoms?
Most frequent hormone in-balances
Estrogen and testosterone in females control the female reproductive development, promoting the function and growth of the female reproductive organs and sexual characteristics such as breasts and hips. It also keeps joints lubricated and is vital for bone health as we age.
In women, when oestrogen becomes too much, it becomes dominant and can cause weight gain, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and irregular periods.
In men, when oestrogen becomes too much, estrogen becomes dominant at the expense of testosterone; typical symptoms are feminisation, excess abdomen fat, low libido and problems with urination.
Testosterone and estrogen are essential for males’ reproductive, cardiovascular, and bone health.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas by the beta cells, essential to regulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Lack of insulin gives rise to diabetes mellitus, in which large amounts of sugar are present in the blood and urine. Insulin injections may treat this condition. However, when it becomes imbalanced through eating refined foods and high amounts of processed carbohydrates or prolonged periods of stress, your body releases insulin in response until your cells eventually stop responding to triggers leading to insulin resistance and risk of diabetes.
When insulin levels are too high, this can cause symptoms of weight gain, especially around the middle, mood swings, headaches, sugar cravings, tiredness, and difficulty waking up in the mornings.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone synthesised and released by the adrenal cortex; it is released when you wake up, exercise or during stressor events; the pituitary gland sends a signal to the adrenal gland to produce cortisol in the right amounts. However, when the body is constantly under constant stress in what is known as the sympathetic nervous state of fight/flight/freeze causing, high cortisol levels are released, which your body cannot sustain. Cortisol is essential for normal carbohydrate metabolism and the typical response to any stress.
Common symptoms of cortisol imbalance and excess cortisol are anxiety, low energy, weak muscles, poor sleep, and weight gain, especially in the face and abdomen. In addition, due to high cortisol, the body’s ability to heal decreases.
Factors that upset your hormones
Various lifestyle factors can upset your hormone balance, apart from food, stress, environmental toxins, too much exercise or not at all; epigenetics and genetics can put your hormone off balance too, and this can lead to hormone imbalances which are related to an array of symptoms and health issues including:
- A host of physiological and behavioural symptoms accompanies pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, sleeping issues, insomnia and low mood.
- Gut and digestive issues
- Weight gain and especially around the middle
- Sleeping issues
Some Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances could be different for everyone.
If any of the above symptoms and conditions sound familiar, you could suffer from a hormonal imbalance, and this program is for you. We can help you by supporting and restoring your hormonal health for the long haul with lifelong tools.
Conventional treatments
The conventional treatment assesses the thyroid gland function and relies on one test (TSH). This test classifies individuals as having under or overactive thyroid function.
In the case of an over-active thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism, carbimazole is used to slow down thyroid activity. Radioactive iodine is used to get rid of some of the thyroid cells and causes patients sometimes to have an underactive thyroid.
On the other hand, in the case of an under-active thyroid, known as hypothyroidism, thyroxine replacement daily is used to treat an underactive thyroid. Moreover, the most common underactive thyroid is Hashimoto’s disease which falls under auto-immune conditions.
These treatments for hormonal problems can include hormonal contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, there is a lot you can do, too, with food, physical exercises and lifestyle changes to help restore and balance your hormone.
How can We Help Balance and Restore Your Hormones?
Our Integrative Functional Approach can help you on:
The treatments focus on restoring gut health, the underlying causes and designing a personalised health plan; in some cases, implementing the 5Rs program will be needed:
Remove food allergens such as gluten and dairy products.
Replace some digestive enzymes
Repopulate the gut with friendly bacteria
Repair the gut wall
Rebalance lifestyle choices such as food, physical activity, sleep, and stress levels
In some cases, patients can regain their thyroid function without having to take thyroxine replacement for life.
Integrative Functional hormone testing
Various functional hormone tests are used to assess hormone levels and whether these levels are not balanced.
Female Hormone Panel (pre/post-menopausal)
Male hormone Panel
These tests help us to make informed decisions and actions through diet, lifestyle and supplementation to restore your hormone balance and allow you to get on with life.
We worked with clients to identify their hormone issues and empower them to restore and balance their hormones with a personalised health food and lifestyle plan. You will be supported and guided step by step to balance your hormones and regain control of your health journey. We will help you to achieve the vibrant health that you deserve.
