HORMONES GONE WILD……..GET CONTROL NOW!
The topic of hormones is riddled with hot debate. If our hormones are out of balance, do we use prescription synthetic hormones or “Bio-Identical Hormones”? Are we better off using herbs or soy or another remedy? The schools of thought on this topic vary widely.
What are hormones anyway?
Hormones are highly active chemical messengers that control, regulate, set into action or speed up cells, tissues and organs. They control lots of parts of the body at the same time.
The Endocrine System, which makes up all the organs and glands which secrete hormones, is a complex system. There is a strong interdependence between all of them. When one hormone is released, it affects many other hormones. This works by extensive feedback loops (for instance if there is too much hormone secreted by a gland, it feeds back a message to another gland to slow its production or secretion) that can create a domino effect throughout the body’s entire hormone balance. It is a system that cannot be micro-managed, yet everyone seems to be trying to do exactly that.
So what’s wrong with micro-managing the endocrine system? You cause a ricochet effect. Side effects become something that then has to be dealt with. For instance, let’s take the thyroid. Hypothyroidism is increasing in dramatic proportions. The answer for many is to take a synthetic medication, designed to replace the hormones the body is not secreting enough of. They are “designer hormones” which are intended to duplicate the action of the missing hormones, but not exactly. The result is that if not dosed precisely, the feedback loop will affect the output of the pituitary glands’ hormones. Since the pituitary gland is the “Master Controller” of the entire Endocrine System, when you affect the pituitary, the whole system – every organ and gland - tries to adjust. When it can’t, it’s called “side-effects”.
But why aren’t you getting enough hormones in the first place? That’s the part that seems to get neglected. It makes more sense to get the sluggish gland “off its tush” (so to speak) and do its job! When you give the body a hormone – bio-identical or synthetic, the gland becomes lazier.
It would be similar to having a 40 year old child still living at home and you want him to work. Every day you tell him to get out and find a job. But as he’s walking out the door you hand him a $100 bill. He’s making about $3,000.00 a month just by walking out the door! What incentive is there for him to work? The same is true of our bodies. Those glands just become lazy and their function diminishes. Where’s the benefit?
This is true of prescribed hormone replacement as well as some of the safer more natural remedies. Melatonin and DHEA are prime examples. They are end-product “hormones” that replace the body’s incentive to work. After a while the user becomes dependent upon them. Without the DHEA they get more tired so they don’t want to quit taking it. A better option would be to get the adrenals themselves working better, and then there would no longer be a need for DHEA. If you got the pineal gland working to par, then you wouldn’t need melatonin.
But we also have to stop doing the things which create glandular weakness in the first place. Sugar, coffee, alcohol and stress adversely affect adrenal and thyroid function. Our bodies were never designed to deal with prolonged stress. Therefore stress management techniques are helpful here. Eating foods that naturally rebuild and nourish the adrenals and thyroid on a regular basis, and avoiding detrimental foods are some simpler remedies, but there is much more you can do to rebuild the adrenals and thyroid without doing hormone replacement with DHEA and thyroid hormones.
In fact there is much you can do to get the entire endocrine system – especially your ovaries (or your adrenals when your ovaries have been removed or retired), thyroid, pancreas (blood sugar & digestion), pituitary, liver and female or male hormones functioning properly again.
Are you ready to balance hormones once and for all?
I work one on one with hundreds of women each year to help them regain their hormonal balance and vibrant lives. In my hormonal balancing programs we use a 3 phase approach to restoring hormonal balance.
The first phase is diet! What you eat and don't eat can have a huge effect on the intricate balance of hormones and the endocrine system that controls them. I have found in my practice that more than 80% of hormone issues are cleared up with diet alone. By removing the foods that interfere with hormone function and replacing them with hormone balancing foods we are able to eliminate many of the symptoms of hormonal dys-regulation and begin to restore balance.
The second phase of our hormone re-balancing programs include a specific herb and supplement program to address the underlying causes of the hormone imbalance and health conditions creating it.
The third phase, and this is one that we very rarely have to address and is only used in those cases where the first 2 phases did not completely address the hormone imbalance, is the use of bio identical hormones. Sometimes it is necessary when a person is so depleted to quickly get those hormone levels back up and in balance to restore quality of life and get that endocrine system back in balance. We use this phase as a last resort as most cases clear up with the proper natural health improvement program we have created for them.
Hormones out of balance can lead to an enormous list of symptoms that can seriously affect your daily life. Don't suffer when there is a solution to your problems! Click here to take a short quiz to find out if you may be suffering from hormone imbalance!
As always.....In Good Health and Happiness,
Brandy Augustine PhD