Hormones: Like the gas pedal for your body

Hormones: Like the gas pedal for your body

  “Your hormones are off when your get up and go, got up and went”

~My Mom~

Imagine sex hormones as the airplane, thyroid hormones are the gas, adrenals are the walkways to the plane and the gut is the airport…You can’t get on the airplane if you didn’t go to the airport first and take the walkway to the plane.

You likely have Hormone issues if you are experiencing:

  • Persistent Fatigue
  • Non-situational anxiety and depression
  • Brain Fog / Memory issues
  • Difficulty falling / staying asleep
  • Morning fatigue / afternoon fatigue 
  • PCOS
  • Endometriosis
  • Irregular menstrual cycles / PMS
  • Infertility
  • Unexplained Weight gain / Weight loss
  • Trouble going to sleep or staying asleep
  • Chronic cystic acne
  • Mood Changes
  • Hair loss or ‘strange location’ hair growth
  • Low libido
  • Low motivation
  • Painful intercourse / Erectile dysfunction
  • Pelvic floor issues
  • Chronic Bladder infections
  • Skin changes 
  • Osteopenia / osteoporosis

What are hormones?

Hormones along with other tissues and glands make up our endocrine system. Our endocrine system is important for regulating our metabolism, mood, sleep cycles, growth and development, homeostasis such as blood pressure and our blood sugar, among so many other things. There are over 50 hormones that scientists have discovered so far that all work together to obtain optimal health. When we think of hormones we mainly think of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. What about cortisol, insulin, or dopamine? You are more than just a low number on a lab test, your body is a whole ecosystem and must be addressed in that way to really make powerful changes. Your body wants to heal, it wants to balance itself!

“You must look at everything in order to see anything worthwhile”

 

What causes hormonal imbalances? 

  • Autoimmune Disorders
  • Stress- physical, mental, and emotional
  • Chronic lack of enough sleep
  • Irregular blood sugar levels
  • Drugs, such as long term oral birth control
  • Toxin Load (endocrine disruptors)
  • Chronic low grade infections 
  • Chronic inflammation of any kind
  • Insufficient detoxification
  • Low nutrient levels

 

What can you do to regulate your hormones?

Too often, people go to hormone replacement therapy before fixing the root cause of these hormonal imbalances. With hormonal imbalances, it’s important to look at the whole house instead of just the window. At The Healing Center Denver, we look at what the main cause of your symptoms are and then come up with a treatment plan. 

Healing your gut is a critical priority. 

TEST: DNA testing for the species that make up your microbiome + common pathogens

  • Taking probiotics
  • Going organic 
  • Eating a low-inflammatory paleo diet
  • Eliminating infections and bacterial imbalance

Fixing your blood sugar is a critical priority.

TEST: fasting glucose (85-100), Hemoglobin A1C (<5), Continuous glucose monitor 

  • Eating frequently to boost your metabolism
  • Eating low or no sugar, refined foods 

Supporting low hormones is critical in the short term.

TEST: Dutch test for a full picture of sex hormones and Adrenal hormones

  • Herbs that naturally boost hormones
  • Adrenal precursor hormones like DHEA and pregnenolone
  • Bio-Identical Hormone replacement with an exit strategy

Gut issues can be another sign that your hormones are out of balance. Estrogen and progesterone play a crucial role in our metabolism, but also our gut balance. If your hormones are out of balance you may be experiencing gut dysfunction such as constipation or diarrhea. Balancing our microbiome is an important part of regulating your hormones. 

Some tools we use to see the whole picture: 

  • Hormone tests: This will give our doctors a clear picture of what your hormones are doing in a day or a month, depending on the test. It looks at all (2 progesterone, 9 estrogens, 8 Androgens) sex hormones, not just the main 3 that are usually tested.
  • Microbiome Panel: Leaky gut can sometimes be at the root cause of what is causing your hormones to be so imbalanced. 
  • Adrenal Panel: Your adrenals matter! If your adrenal glands are exhausted, they need support! This test will inform you of how hard your adrenal glands are working and our doctors will figure out what support your body needs.
  • Blood tests: Regular labs to look at blood sugar, thyroid hormones, anemias, infections, liver function, kidney function, electrolyte balance, vitamin D levels, detox etc.

At The Healing Center Denver, our thyroid specialists will work with you to figure out the right protocol to rebalance your hormones and get you living your best life. We use high quality supplements to get your body to optimal health. 

 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/7-signs-hormonal-imbalance-and-what-do-about-it