Balancing Hormones Naturally

Feeling constantly fatigued?  Having foggy thinking?  Is your weight unmanageable despite exercise and healthy diet?  These symptoms may be caused by an imbalance in thyroid hormones or those produced by the adrenal and reproductive glands. Hormone Imbalance can have a severe impact on your health, and yet, often may go undiagnosed.

Almost any hormonally-related health problem – from niggling symptoms that accompany periods to more pronounced conditions such as endometriosis – can be traced back to some degree of hormonal imbalance which can be set straight with the right nutrition. Being aware of how dealing with factors such as stress and a deficiency in important nutrients can contribute to hormonal problems can get you on the right track for trouble-free hormonal changes.

The following symptoms are all the result of an imbalance in hormone patterns:

• PMS (tension, anxiety, depression, bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, irritability, cravings)
• Period problems (heavy, painful or irregular periods)
• Infertility
• Ovarian cysts
• Fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, depression, insomnia, fatigue, vaginal, dryness, weight gain)
• Hormone-related cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine, endometrial, vaginal)

For example, a common cause of both PMS and especially menopausal problems is progesterone deficiency and/or estrogen excess.

And ladies, we aren't the only ones that can have hormone imbalances.  Does your husband seem a little crankier lately? Sometimes men become withdrawn and complain that what used to be a small pleasure in life now gives them no joy. Just as women experience the onset of menopause as they age, men can experience a similar change called andropause...

Men with low testosterone had 65% greater all-cause mortality, while men with low estradiol suffered 54% more deaths. Today’s conventional physicians prescribe blood tests to check glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, but rarely check their male patients’ free testosterone and estradiol levels.  With statistics like these, don't you think its time your mate got tested?

Various laboratories offer testing of your hormonal profile using saliva samples. You simply use a cotton swab as directed and send in samples for test results. This can be very useful in detecting if and when you have any hormone imbalances.

You can ask a nutritional consultant to arrange one of these tests for you and then to design a nutritional and wellness program based on the results.

Even without carrying out a hormonal testing or having the expert input of a nutritional therapist, implementing the strategies described can have far-reaching effects on balancing your hormones, whether you get mild premenstrual symptoms, have a more debilitating condition such as endometriosis or are going through the menopause.

The Hormone Harmony Diet

• Eat at least 4 servings of soya products a week and include other phyto-oestrogen-rich foods in your diet
• Include foods rich in essential fatty acids in your diet – seeds, nuts, fish
• Include plenty of foods which are naturally rich in fiber –  beans, lentils, oats, brown rice, vegetables and fruits
• Eat organic foods as much as possible
• Increase your intake of cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, broccoli, kale and brussels sprouts
• Drink filtered water
• Minimize your intake of sugar and sugary foods or drinks
• Reduce your intake of animal fats – milk, cheese, dairy
• Limit your alcohol intake to no more than three units, three times a week, and have some weeks completely alcohol-free

Supporting Supplements

• Phyto-estrogen supplements can be very effective. Soy extracts: look for a soy product that contains active isoflavones genistein and daidzein produced from organic, GM-free soy. Herbs such as Mexican yam, Black cohosh, Dong quai, Chaste Tree Berry (knowing your hormone levels is key  to best determine which supplement would best help)
• Essential fatty acid supplement such as linseed oil, GLA or fish oil. If you take fish oil, take a supplement that contains 300-400mg of DHA/EPA; for GLA, make sure you are getting at least 100mg of GLA.
• Antioxidant supplements that contains vitamins A, C and E, minerals zinc and selenium plus extras such as glutathione, CoQ10, berry extracts and/or lipoic acid

If you have any serious symptoms that you suspect may be linked to your hormones, it is important to visit your doctor so that the possibility of any more serious underlying condition can be eliminated or dealt with.