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Dr. Chelsea Gronick, Naturopathic Doctor in Kelowna, BC

What You Should Know About Balancing Hormones Naturally

An Integrative Approach to Naturally Balancing Hormones

There are many different causes of hormonal imbalances and this highly effective 10-step approach addresses all the factors that impact a woman’s health and can be used to start balancing hormones naturally. This well-rounded approach to women’s wellness resolves and treats both causes and symptoms, prevents the effects of aging, and enhances long-term health and wellness.

 

  1. Hormone testing and bio-identical hormone replacement
  2. Nutritional testing
  3. Balancing gut health
  4. Uncovering food sensitivities and gluten sensitivity
  5. Environmental allergy testing and sublingual allergy drops
  6. Fitness and weight management
  7. Adrenal health and stress management
  8. Detoxification
  9. Adequate sleep and relaxation
  10. Outer beauty, aesthetics, and wellness

 

Beneficial Treatments can include

 

Hormone balance is our fountain of youth. Our hormones don’t just decline because we age. We age because our hormones decline. Thyroid and adrenal hormones, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, insulin, and leptin all affect how gracefully we age and our quality of life.

 

Nutritional Deficiencies and Hormonal Imbalances

 

Many symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be resolved just be using good nutrition and smart supplementation. Some of the symptoms of nutritional deficiency include

 

 

Using specialized testing, called a micronutrient deficiency test from Spectracell Laboratory, you can uncover causes of difficult diagnoses and challenging cases such as:

 

These specialized micronutrient deficiency tests are also helpful for uncovering the causes of vague symptoms like:

 

Using the Spectracell Micronutrient test, you can customize vitamin supplementation based on the deficiencies uncovered and use IV therapy, injection therapy, meyer’s cocktails, and oral supplementation to replenish depleted nutrients.

Various medications can deplete nutritional status and decrease the absorption rate of nutrients. Our livers can become compromised and overburdened from metabolizing medications as well, and many nutrients are stored, produced, and activated in the liver.

Common medications that cause nutrient depletions include:

 

Balancing Hormones Naturally with Nutrients

Some of the common nutrients and botanicals that are used for balancing hormonal issues include:

 

All recommendations should be customized to each individual patient based on their unique needs.

 

Healthy Eating Plans

 

Nutrition is another area where individualization is key, as there truly is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet.

The basic guidelines for optimal hormonal balance include:

 

Address Allergies

 

Seasonal and environmental allergies are often a burden for women but thankfully they can be easily managed naturally. Before beginning to balance hormones, it is important to also address seasonal allergies using special sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops that are based on allergies specific to your region.

 

Exercise

 

Daily exercise can improve blood flow, increase muscle tone, lower body fat, increase energy, and boost anti-aging hormones. The best forms of exercise include weight training, high intensity interval training, and low intensity cardio.

 

Stress Reduction

 

Stress can cause hormonal imbalances and premature aging of cells. Techniques such as yoga, pilates, meditation, massage, baths, neurofeedback, and taking personal time each day can be used for stress reduction.

 

Sleep

 

Adequate sleep is essential for balanced hormones. Ideally, 7 – 8 hours of completely interrupted sleep each night is best. Non-negotiable rules for ideal sleep are absolutely no TV or computer 1 hour before bed, unplugging all electronics (except the alarm clock) in the bedroom, and sleeping in a completely dark room. You can use melatonin, valerian root or phosphatidyl serine to help get a restful nights sleep.

 

The Benefits of Healthy Hormone Levels

 

There are many benefits to balancing hormone levels naturally.

 

 

 

Hormones to be Tested and Balanced

 

There are several options including serum, saliva, or urine to test many different hormones that contribute to hormonal imbalances.

 

The goal of hormone restoration therapy is to

 

It is important to remember that not all women with hormonal imbalances need hormone replacement therapy and there are many natural options available. It is always best to try to use the least invasive therapies first.

Understanding Female Hormonal Imbalances at the Various Stages of Life

There are 3 phases of hormone production in a women’s life:

  1. PMS/estrogen dominance in a woman’s 30s and 40s
  2. Peri-menopause at age 40 – 50
  3. Post-menopause after age 50+

 

Phase 1 – Estrogen Dominance

 

Estrogen dominance is very common in young cycling women and can be exacerbated by birth control pills, environmental estrogens from plastics and pesticides, excess carbohydrates and refined sugars in the diet, and stress.

 

The symptoms of estrogen dominance include:

 

Nutritional support at this stage includes:

 

Phase 2 – Peri-menopause

 

Peri-menopause is a transition period that precedes menopause and may be different for every woman. Often, symptoms of hormonal imbalances occur 5 – 1o years before menses completely stop.

 

The symptoms of peri-menopause include:

 

Nutritional support for peri-menopause include:

 

Phase 3: Post-menopause

 

Menopause is defined as the absence of periods for 12 consecutive months. This is a time in a woman’s life when the ovarian production of estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone declines. The average age of menopause is at 51, however surgically induced menopause can occur at any time in a woman’s life following a hysterectomy in which the ovaries are also removed.

 

The symptoms of menopause can include:

 

These symptoms are often exacerbated by poor nutrition, chronic stress, lack of exercise, smoking, and excess alcohol.

 

The nutritional support of menopause is very much the same as in post-menopause, but there is also a need for additional estrogen support with botanicals such as black cohosh.

 

Optimal hormonal balance is crucial to a woman’s health and wellness. The consequences of hormonal imbalances can result in a wide range of health conditions including:

 

In addition to addressing hormone levels, it is crucial to also consider individualized nutrition and nutrient deficiencies, gut health, adrenal function, and lifestyle factors such as stress reduction, exercise, and proper sleep.