Hormones Gone Haywire? Rising Hormonal Imbalance in Women
Like many of you probably reading this right now, I spent years struggling with ‘female problems’ that I just couldn’t find answers to. I thought they were normal because it seemed like everyone (and their sisters and friends) were dealing with these too.
As I moved through functional medicine school, I learned that hormonal imbalance in women was on the rise, especially estrogen dominance, and some of the symptoms I was experiencing were stemming from these very hormonal issues.
Feeling exhausted and experiencing irregular, heavy periods are, in fact, NOT normal, even though it’s becoming increasingly common in our society. (Raise your hand if you’ve been keeping Ibuprofen on hand for period cramps that decide to ruin your plans?)
So, what’s the deal? Why are rates of hormonal imbalance in women rising? Today you’ll learn why we are seeing this increase in hormone imbalances and how you can reduce your risk so you can feel even better than you thought was possible.
What does it feel like to have a hormonal imbalance?
The symptoms of hormonal imbalances can range from person to person and can depend on which hormone(s) are imbalanced.
The most common imbalances we see are thyroid, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, with high estrogen (aka estrogen dominance), being the most common hormonal imbalance in women. This is the particular imbalance I personally struggled with.
Hormone imbalances may very likely be the reason for your daily symptoms. They may show up as:
irregular periods, having you playing the “Am I pregnant?” guessing game every month
severe menstrual cramps that cause you to miss work or cancel fun plans
extreme fatigue that interferes with completing projects and enjoying your day to the fullest
mood issues like PMS and anxiety that can impact your relationships
constipation and bloating that has you curled up in a ball on the couch
acne and skin issues that only teenagers should have to deal with
insomnia, causing you to toss and turn all night, impacting your quality of sleep
headaches that make it feel impossible to concentrate on your business and work
If imbalances are left unaddressed, they can manifest into PCOS, systemic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, cancers, and/or chronic diseases.
Why are hormone imbalances in women on the rise?
Skyrocketing Stress
It doesn’t take much for your hormones to go haywire - especially from stress. Unfortunately, women are overwhelmed with stress these days.
Many of my health coaching clients deal with daily prolonged stress stemming from things like financial situations, overbooked schedules, striving for perfection, maintaining a certain image, and emotional stress from relationships and family. All these stressors can trigger your hormones to get out of balance, especially your estrogen and progesterone levels.
Whether it’s emotional, mental, or physical stress (life-threatening and non), your body responds the same way.
Your body goes into fight or flight mode, your parasympathetic nervous system, putting a pause on non survival functions (like digestion and reproduction) and uses up vital nutrients to respond to the stressors.
Your cortisol levels increase in response to the stressor, while hormone production and regulation gets put on the back burner. Digestion is halted, which can inhibit excess hormones from being eliminated from your body - hello, high estrogen levels and constipation!
When one hormone falls out of balance, it can cause a cascade of other imbalances and dysfunctions throughout your body. Stress can act as that catalyst.
A Detrimental Diet
It’s common to pop some pretzels, 100 calorie pack cookies, or a granola bar in your mouth as you’re trying to complete projects for deadlines. Hitting the “easy button” for dinner sounds even more lovely, especially in your busy weeks. But, before you know it, you’re mainly living off of pizzas and processed foods.
The issue is that the SAD diet, the Standard American Diet, is filled with dairy, processed foods, and meats, and lacks nutrient-rich whole foods. Most women aren’t getting the proper vitamins and minerals needed for hormone production and regulation.
For example, magnesium, B vitamins, and omega-3s are required for hormonal processes to be carried out. If your nutrient levels are inadequate, then processes will be halted, and proper hormone levels can’t be maintained.
Harmful Toxins
As you slather on your daily body lotion, have you wondered what’s actually in your lotions? Sadly, you’re not going to like the answer. Most beauty products, household cleaners, and even foods are filled with hidden toxins that make your hormone levels go haywire.
They can do this by interfering with the metabolism and regulation of hormones or can even mimic your natural hormones. For example, estrogen-mimicking hormones, called xenoestrogens, are a type of endocrine disruptor. These can cause your estrogen levels to rise, leading to…drumroll please! Estrogen dominance.
Simple Tips to Lower Your Risk of Hormonal Havoc
Reducing your risk of hormonal imbalances ultimately comes down to making healthy lifestyle and behavior changes. The good news is that you can take control of your health and begin to make those changes right now.
If you find yourself having a hard time making lifestyle changes that stick, read my blog on how to Focus on Harmonious Health.
Incorporate Stress Management Into Your Day
I can’t encourage this enough. Oftentimes our schedules are slammed from the moment we wake up to when we go to bed at 11 pm. Be sure there is space in your day to relax, complete a gentle workout, sit quietly with your thoughts, meditate, journal, or if nothing else, just to breathe!
Focus on Eating Whole Foods
Your diet is one of the biggest factors contributing to hormonal imbalances. Strive to eat 30 different whole foods each week. Meal planning and prepping is always a game-changer to save time. You can even opt for organic meal prep delivery like Sunbasket for the weeks that you are busy.
Depending on your nutrient levels (you can find out where your levels are at with Functional medicine lab testing), you may need supplementation to support vital pathways and provide optimal nutrient levels as you work on your journey to rebalancing your body.
Detox Your Life
Ditching the toxins by changing to non-toxic products and incorporating daily detox practices are essential to balancing your hormones and keeping them balanced.
The best way to detox your body is to hydrate with filtered water and encourage bowel movements by eating whole foods like wild-caught fish, beans, nuts, cruciferous veggies, cilantro, and spirulina.
You can also use the sauna and take Epsom Salt baths a couple of times a week. These can help eliminate toxins and excess hormones from your body to prevent buildup and hormone imbalances.
Bring Your Hormones Back into Harmony
If you’re ready to ditch your symptoms, we’re ready to support you on your health journey. We specialize in reducing the risk of hormonal imbalance in women so you can show up as the best and healthiest version of yourself in this world. And for others in your life.
Sign up for a discovery call to learn more about how one-to-one coaching or if you’re more of a group setting kinda person, Detox Your Life - a 6-week small group coaching program is for you.