My fellow female friends,
We do it all and without thinking, proudly put others first, making it look effortless. We are in my opinion rockstars, wearing multiple hats and juggling many roles every day. Sometimes, this can come at a high cost to our own health. It is time to start putting ourselves first and realizing that self-care is not selfish.
As we go through life, our bodies undergo so many hormonal changes which can affect our physical and mental well-being. Most people when they think about female hormones primarily think about the sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormones are not just isolated to menopausal years. Women’s hormonal health starts as early as our teenage years and continues on into our reproductive years and menopausal years. An imbalance in our hormones can result in many painful conditions affecting teenage girls, young women and can carry over into our later years if not addressed properly. Some teenagers and young adults have not had the time to even develop a proper cycle and sadly are put on the Pill way too young to address issues like heavy periods and hormonal acne. We are seeing more and more cases of these conditions.
Are you struggling with any of these? You are not alone!
- PMS with heavy or irregular period.
- PMS With anxiety and depression
- PCOS
- Fibroids
- Insulin Resistance
- Endometriosis
- Adenomyosis
- Infertility
- FHA and Anovulatory cycles
But what are hormones? And how do they affect our health?
Hormones, simply put, are chemical messengers. They are the body’s way of communicating between glands, organs and other hormones. I like to think of it just like an email or text messaging system mapped throughout the body. If you miss one number or letter, then the email does not send or gets sent to a different place. Hormones are susceptible to similar breakdowns and unintended signals get sent throughout the body or not sent at all, causing all kinds of disruption.
Hormones affect our physical health but also our mental and emotional wellbeing. Hormones control our weight, mood, hunger levels, cravings and so much more. When out of balance, they can wreak havoc on our health.
Wait, what? It’s not all about diet and exercise?
Hormones or more to the point, an imbalance in our hormones, is what we need to focus on when dealing with unwanted weight gain, mood swings, food cravings, brain fog, and all the other period related conditions listed above.
We have thyroid hormones that affect our metabolism, which can also mimic a lot of perimenopause symptoms. We have our hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin and when out of balance, they can throw off our ability to regulate our appetite and let us know when we are full. We all know our stress hormone cortisol way too well! Insulin is another big one and don’t be fooled into thinking that this one only affects people with diabetes. Insulin resistance is a big concern with women young and old and especially those approaching perimenopause and menopause. I like to focus a lot on perimenopause, because I do not believe it gets the attention it deserves…. but what is it and why is it showing up earlier and earlier in recent years?
Meet Perimenopause…
I like to call her menopause’s younger sister and if you have ever had a younger sister you know at times, they can be trouble and very annoying! (full disclosure, I have 3 younger sisters and they are all amazing women.) Simply put, perimenopause is the time around menopause. Aging and a decline in ovarian function and sex hormones can start to cause an imbalance in our hormones. Perimenopause can be more difficult than menopause! And it can go on for a lot longer.
Yeah, lucky us!
Symptoms include but are not limited to;
- Brain fog
- Erratic or heavy cycles
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Forgetfulness
- Abdominal weight gain
- Loss of libido
- Symptoms of estrogen dominance
So why is it showing up now as early as our mid 30’s?
It’s a combination of a few things …Our stressful lives, non-nourishing foods, lack of restorative sleep, our toxic environment and not to mention a society that lives more indoors with less time in nature and less movement. This is something you need to think about now and not wait until you are in your 40’s and 50’s.
We need to prepare our body and mind as early as possible to make this transition smoother. It is a phase that we can navigate when we are informed and given the rights tools and knowledge. We deserve to move powerfully into the next chapter of our lives, all women need to be supported on this journey. Contrary to what we are told we are actually not on the fast decline of losing our estrogen in Perimenopause. We are in fact more susceptible to fluctuating estrogen that can cause estrogen dominance in some women. We are in fact losing more of our beautiful calming hormone, Progesterone, and I want women to know this so they can protect her for as long as possible.
Why do we need Estrogen and Progesterone as we age?
Estrogen helps build muscle, it is essential for bone health and heart health. It has neuroprotective properties for the brain which we know is crucial as we age. It also helps with insulin sensitivity. Progesterone is important for reducing inflammation and anxiety. It supports the thyroid and increases metabolism. Progesterone promotes normal sleep patterns and supports breast, bone and brain health as we age.
Now, Menopausal Hormone Therapy has come a long way from synthetic hormones to bio-identical hormones but remember not all women will be a candidate for Hormone Therapy, nor will all women need hormone therapy. I fully support that bio identical hormones have a place as we age but it is not a magical wand. It will not reverse insulin resistance. It will not heal a woman’s gut or promote proper liver and thyroid function and it most definitely will not reduce the stress hormone cortisol. So we need to do our part so our body is healthy and ready to use and metabolize these hormones if we do use them.
Of course every woman is unique and you will have a different focus based on age and where you are on your health journey but begin here with these steps and you will start to see a shift in how you feel.
1. Give to yourself first.… Make the day happen for you, not to you. Stress is the number one contributing cause in hormonal imbalance. We need to slow down. I know you might think that it’s not that easy when you have kids or work or both but trust me, it will set you up for the day and you won’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed. It could simply be waking up before everyone else, having tea, reading, journaling, meditating, being present and grateful. By the time everyone else gets up, you will feel ready to take on the day. Also be mindful of your inner voice. Everyone knows “You are what you eat” but “You are also what you think! So be kind to yourself and give yourself the same grace and love you would give your loved ones.
2. Slowly but consistently work to remove the many toxins in your home and in your products. We are bombarded with toxins and so many are out of our control. Start by reading your labels and swapping out your plastic and products for cleaner options. Remember your skin is your biggest organ and toxins in makeup, food and cookware are major hormone disruptors. They bind to our hormone receptors and act like hormones in the body. Ever wonder why we are seeing a rise in estrogen dominance? and not just in women? This also affects boys and men now.
3. Commit to cooking from scratch more …Know your ingredients and what you are eating. Cooking can be as nourishing for the soul as much as it is for your body. If cooking is stressful for you then change the way you approach and look at it. Don’t think of it as a chore – I have to cook dinner again tonight! Rewire your thoughts to thinking – I get to cook a delicious nourishing meal for my family. We forget how fortunate we are to have access to good ingredients and the resources to feed and nourish ourselves.
We have the power to take charge of our health. We all have access to the same 24 hours in a day… choose to spend your time investing in your health now and make time for self-care.
After all, selfcare IS healthcare.
Yours in Wellness
Mandy Rosse
