What does thyroid out of balance look like? • Weight gain • Fatigue


What is Happening with My Hormones?


By Jessica Wei, MD, FACOG I


n my many years in private practice as a board-certifi ed Ob/Gyn, I had many appointments with women who com- plained to me that they felt that their “hor- mones were off,” or that they were “feeling so hormonal.” They would say to me, “Dr. Wei! Why do I feel like I want to kill my husband and children the days before my period? Why can’t I lose weight? Why am I so tired?”


As a woman who also faced these is-


sues fi rsthand, I understood fully what they were describing; however, in my conven- tional practice, I had few reliable tools to address the severe symptoms of premen- strual and/or perimenopausal mood ir- ritability, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, often accompanied by physical symptoms of breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, as well as many others. Year after year, I also watched women struggle mightily with weight gain, fatigue, and digestive issues.


Although I would often counsel


these women about nutrition and vitamin supplementation, exercise, adequate sleep, and stress reduction, very often I would prescribe either oral contraceptive pills (which often worsened symptoms) or low dose antidepressants to address hormone balance and mood issues. Admittedly, these did provide relief for some; however, I was often bothered that I was not able to ad- dress the root cause, to address the under- lying hormonal and body imbalance that was manifesting as these myriad symptoms. Because these “hormonal symptoms” often profoundly affect the quality of our lives and of our relationships with those clos- est to us, it is vitally important to discover how we can restore balance in the body foundationally.


What are hormones anyway? Hormones are chemical messengers


produced by various endocrine glands throughout the body. These chemical mes-


30 Natural Nutmeg -May/June 2017


What does cortisol out of balance look like? • Weight gain • Fatigue


• Depression • Digestive problems • Sex hormone imbalance


Thyroid hormone is the conductor of the symphony of the body as it regulates metabolism and energy consumption. When in balance, thyroid maintains mood, brain function, and energy levels, as well as regu- lates weight gain/loss and digestive function. What many do not realize is that thyroid function is intimately linked with infl amma- tion, as well as adrenal gland and gut func- tion. While some may have primary thyroid issues, which require thyroid hormone replacement, most can regain balanced func- tion of the thyroid by addressing the primary issues of infl ammation and imbalanced func- tion of the gut and adrenal gland.


sengers circulate throughout our bodies to bind to receptors on all cells to allow the normal and balanced functioning of our bodies. While there are dozens of hor- mones which all play important roles, some of the key hormones are cortisol, thyroid, and estrogen. Hormones in balance give us health, vitality, and a sense of well-being; however, hormones out of balance can wreak havoc, and not only make us feel miserable in the short term, but also pro- foundly affect our long-term health.


Cortisol is the main stress hormone in


our bodies which allows us to respond to acute stressors by releasing stored energy throughout the body, to give us fuel to act in a threatening situation. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands, which sit atop our kidneys. When in balance, cortisol promotes the burning of body fat, maintains mood and emotional stability, counters infl ammation, directs sex hormone produc- tion, and promotes healthy gut function.


• Depression • Digestive problems • Hair loss and dry skin • Irregular periods


Estrogen is one of the sex hormones


which helps to regulate menstrual cycles and ovulation, as well as stimulate growth and maturation of breast tissue and repro- ductive organs. It has immense infl uence over many different metabolic processes in the body which infl uence cardiovascular, immune, and neurologic health.


What does estrogen out of balance look like? • Weight gain • Fatigue/insomnia


• PMS with irritability/mood swings • Fertility issues • Hot fl ashes/night sweats • Vaginal and skin dryness • Increased risk for breast, uterine, ovarian cancer and autoimmune disease • Endometriosis and fi broids • Irregular menses and PCOS


No wonder we often don’t feel well!


The good news is there is so much that we can do to infl uence and change the way in which our bodies work to restore the truly beautiful balance and rhythm of hormonal health which allows us to feel our best and be our best.


How do my hormones become unbalanced? What causes hormones to move out of their intended balance and function in our bodies? Although there are some natural fl uctuations in our hormonal function during different times in our lives (puberty, pregnancy, menopause), the basic answer is STRESS which comes from so many sources and is very different for each of us. This is not just referring to the immense and com- plex amount of emotional stress which we often experience from living our lives daily, but also:


• The stress on our bodies from eating poor quality “food,” or food that we are sensitive or intolerant to;


• The multitude of toxins to which we are exposed everyday which often mimic hormone function or block normal hor- mone function;


• The lack of good quality and quantity of sleep which disturbs the circadian rhythms vital for normal metabolism; • Physical pain;


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