Hormones play an integral role in everything from personal developmental to growth mindset to body composition. Therefore it’s important to know when one (or more) of your hormones may not be balanced, causing hormone imbalance. This is when hormone levels are located outside of their normal blood range, either too little or too much of a hormone is present in the bloostream. This in turn can lead to profound effects on the mind and/or body. There are atleast 3 things you can do to help prevent and/or treat female hormone imbalance.
- Are You A Female Living With A Hormone Imbalance?
- What Are Hormones?
- Why Are Hormones Important?
- So What Exactly Is Hormonal Imbalance? And How Does it Affect Females?
- The Main Hormones for Females & The Role They Play
- Can Hormones Cause Weight Loss Resistance Too?
- What is the Solution to Fix Female Hormonal Imbalance?
Are You A Female Living With A Hormone Imbalance?
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
1. Do you feel tired and/or fatigued most days than not during the span of a week?
2. Are you having difficulty sleeping? Do you wake up numerous times during the night?
3. Do you feel like there has been a shift (for the worse) in your mood and energy?
4. Are you feeling down, have no motivation, and/or depressed?
5. Are you consistently craving sugar and/or salt?
6. Have you gained some weight despite eating healthy and exercising routinely?
7. Have you noticed changes in your appearance lately? How about some weight gain (predominately around the stomach), dry skin, puffy face, and/or thinning of hair?
8. Do you need caffeine to survive during most of the day?
9. Your joints hurt and/or have achy muscles?
10. And if you are a female, do you have worse PMS symptoms now than ever before? Are you flowing more or are your periods lasting longer than normal?
11. Have you noticed changes in your bowel and/or bladder habits? Peeing more often? Constipated?
If you have answered yes to two or more then you’re probably suffering from some level of hormonal imbalance.
What Are Hormones?
Hormones are special chemical messengers in the body produced by our endocrine glands (i.e. hypothalamus, thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenals etc.). They are carried via the blood acting as communicators, controlling and coordinating other sites of the body.
A good example of this would be the hormone(s) that control thyroid function.
As seen in the above illustration, the (neuro)endocrine glands are the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland. The hormones produced by these glands are TRH, TSH, and T3, T4, and Calcitonin respectively.
TRH is produced from the hypothalamus and it stimulates the release of TSH from the pituitary gland. TSH then signals the thyroid gland to produce and release T3, T4 and calcitonin.
T3, T4, and Calcitonin then travel through your bloodstream to target organs (meaning organs that are located away from the site that they were produced) where they play an integral role in metabolism (T3/T4) and regulating calcium levels within the body (calcitonin).
Why Are Hormones Important?
Hormones are extremely important because they help to regulate bodily functions that are necessary for all humans to live.
They help regulate the following (in no particular order):
- Mood and Stress levels
- Sleep cycles
- Body temperature
- Metabolism
- Appetite
- General growth and development
- Sexual function and Reproduction
- Heart rate
They are important because they affect all people. Females, males, nongender conforming individuals; no one individual is exempt from the power of hormones. Which is why we must have a better understanding of how they operate and what to do if things begin to change.
So What Exactly Is Hormonal Imbalance? And How Does it Affect Females?
Hormone imbalance occurs when there is an inappropriate level of hormones in your blood. Meaning there is either too much (think Diabetes or Cushing’s Disease) or too little (think Hypogonadism or Hypothyroidism) of hormones present.
And having too little or too much can wreck havoc on the mind and/or body.
The worst part is that sometimes as a female you may not notice your own hormonal imbalance. Traditionally as the main caregiver you may find that you neglect your own health first.
The Main Hormones for Females & The Role They Play
Some of the main hormones that may lead to hormonal imbalance in a female include:
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
- Cortisol
- Insulin
- Sex Hormones
In order to balance these hormones, you will have to speak with your healthcare advisor first so that they can test for any deficiencies first.
1. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
TSH is released from the pituitary gland. Its main function is to stimulate the thyroid gland to release the hormones, T3 and T4, which help control metabolism.
So for example, if TSH levels are high (which is seen in hypothyroidism) the following symptoms may be present:
1. Increased weight gain
2. Dry, flaky skin
3. Hair thinning/loss
4. Cold intolerance
5. Constipation
6. Decreased heart rate
7. Fatigue and/or feeling tired most of the time
8. Depression
9. Memory loss
10. Decreased in libido
Now if TSH levels are low (seen in hyperthyroidism), the exact opposite symptoms would be present.
When TSH levels are not in balance you can feel both mentally and physically exhausted. The good news is that TSH can be tested with a simple blood test, and if the levels are either inside or outside of the normal range, your doctor can prescribe medication that you can take daily to control your symptoms.
The bad news is that a lot of people not only suffer from thyroid dysfunction (approximately 10% of the population – with women being affected more than men). But many more go un-diagnosed because they have what is termed as Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction.
This is a condition in which treatment is deemed controversial because in these cases, your TSH is out of the normal range but T3 and T4 are within their normal range. The main issue is that many people may be suffering with a thyroid dysfunction but may not technically qualify as having a thyroid disease despite exhibiting many symptoms.
In these types of situations, it is very important to go and see your healthcare provider and to seek the necessary treatment options available for you.
2. Cortisol
Cortisol is produced from the adrenal glands, which are located above your kidney’s. It is released naturally when you first wake up in the morning, in response to stress and while exercising.
Did you know that cortisol is commonly referred to as the stress hormone? Meaning if you are experiencing a prolonged period of stress within your life, your cortisol levels are probably higher than normal and a determent to your body’s daily functioning.
Symptoms to be aware of include some of the following:
1. Weight gain (mainly around the abdomen)
2. Indigestion and/or ulcers
3. Weakened immune system (i.e. more prone to getting colds, increased susceptibility to cancer, higher change of GI and cardiac abnormalities etc.)
5. Mood disturbances (i.e. depression, anxiety, dementia)
6. Fatigue
7. Pain
Because there are many more symptoms associated with cortisol imbalances, it’s important to see your primary care physician as soon as possible.
3. Insulin
Insulin is produced and released from the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar levels. If the blood glucose levels are to rise then a normal functioning pancreas would release insulin in order to control the glucose circulating within the blood.
If however you have prediabetes/diabetes the pancreas may not release insulin like it should, causing excessive glucose accumulation within the bloodstream.
1. Increased thirst
2. Increased hunger
3. Increased urination
4. Increased weight loss without trying
5. Increased irritability
6. Crave sugary foods
7. You feel tired all the time
8. Tingling toes or loss of sensation in your feet
It is extremely imperative to talk to your doctor if you begin to exhibit any of these symptoms, even if you only have one of these.
4. Sex Hormones
Other hormones that may not be balanced include your sex hormones. Imbalances in estrogen and testosterone can affect both men and women. In women, an estrogen imbalance will present with the following type of symptoms:
1. Menstrual irregularities i.e. heavy bleeding, clot formation
2. Severe PMS
3. Breast tenderness
4. Fluid retention
5. Fibroids
6. Changes in mood
Speak with your healthcare advisor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and in order to balance either of these hormones.
Can Hormones Cause Weight Loss Resistance Too?
This is a common question that doctors get asked about frequently. Fluctuations in weight (along with changes in mood) are what we as humans tend to notice first.
Hormones be the cause of both weight loss and weight gain. Speaking with your doctor is essential in determining which hormone is to blame for your weight fluctuations.
What is the Solution to Fix Female Hormonal Imbalance?
The treatment for hormone imbalance depends upon the CAUSE.
There are usually 3 main causes identified for hormone imbalance in the majority of individuals and they are:
1. Medical Conditions
Examples of this are Diabetes Mellitus, Hypo/Hyperthyroidism, Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison’s Disease), Cushing’s Disease, Hypogonadism, PMS, Stress etc.
If you have a past medical condition but you find yourself having different types of symptoms now or much more severe symptoms than before, this may warrant a visit to your doctor to see exactly what may be the cause.
Perhaps your condition is no longer being properly managed with the same medication, lifestyle choices, and/or diet and you need to see someone who can advise you what more you can do.
And remember there are many more medical conditions out there so it’s imperative to get checked out by a healthcare provider who can have your blood tested based upon the symptoms that you exhibit.
2. Lifestyle
Have you heard of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)? It is basically the energy you use while doing everyday activities excluding the time we spend sleep, eating, or doing sports like exercise.
Doing tasks, such as, typing, walking to and from your car or the bus, folding laundry, putting away the dishes, gardening etc. all use up energy. And these types of daily tasks are now classified separately because they do not burn calories in the traditional sense.
Being able to move around throughout the day, and having a high level of NEAT is as important as exercise because it shows that you are active throughout. And not simply stationary except for the 1 hour during which you do work out.
Please remember this fact as well – If you are not exercising (doing cardio or strength training) this could be causing a major disruption in your hormone levels. And if you’d like to balance your hormones, there is something you can do about it.
Attempt to get in at least 30 mins of moderate exercise 5 times per week in order to see an improvement in not only your heart health but in terms of your metabolism and daily living habits.
Also continue to increase your level of NEAT which can be as simple as doing some of the activities listed above.
Challenge yourself by walking at least 5000-7000 steps a day to see how easily you can increase your activity level in a day.
3. Diet
Eating unhealthily is the next major cause of hormone imbalance and it is what we will discuss next.
Eating a diet rich in whole foods is important for living a healthy lifestyle and in order to balance your hormones naturally.
Foods, such as, fruits & veggies, whole grains, beans & legumes, heart healthy oils, seeds & nuts (and butter made from these substances), avocados, grass fed organic lean meat and fish can all be consumed regularly when eaten in balance with one another.
For more information on the best type of foods that you should be eating please read check out the Mediterranean Diet.
And if you are consuming any of the following, please think about cutting or eliminating them from your diet:
- Refined sugar and flour
- Processed foods
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Substantial amounts of dairy
- Common allergens, such as, gluten if you have been diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity or allergy.
All of these ingredients can wreak havoc on your system and are not healthy if consumed on a regular daily basis. And make it difficult for you to balance your hormones naturally too.
Enjoying them once in a while (and not in large quantities), so that you are not craving them constantly, is a much better way to live naturally than to be eating/drinking them limitless every day.
Please take a moment today to reflect on how you are feeling and what your body is telling you.
Listening to what your body may be telling you is important to living a healthy, balanced, and purposeful life. And all this may be difficult if your hormones are to blame because they are not in balance with one another or with you.
It is only then that we can help the body repair itself by balancing the appropriate hormones being affected.
