Balancing the Hormones for Men & Women
When we think of hormones, often we imagine surges that create mood swings, libido issues, and other reproductive problems. But in fact, hormones are the chemical messengers that instruct our cells, glands, and organs what to do and when to do it.
So many things lead to hormonal imbalance, such as:
- Poor Diet – Too much sugar and the lack of healthy fats (building blocks for hormone production) are the two biggest abusers.
- Hormone Replacement Therapies – Most experts believe that HRT’s can override the body’s normal hormonal production, regardless of the source and have shown to increase the risks of blood clots, stroke, glandular disease, heart disease and cancer.
- Toxicity– Chemicals that exist in the things we eat and drink and in the air we breathe are disruptive to our endocrine glands.Pharmaceutical drugs are the biggest offenders.
- Stress– Stress hormones get priority in the body’s production of hormones. Too much stress (physical, emotional, or environmental) can therefore throw off the balancing mechanisms of hormone production in addition to exhausting your adrenal glands.
- Aging and Menopause– As you age and enter into menopause your production of estrogen and testosterone declines, causing hormone imbalance.
Food-based Hormonal Supplementation
When it comes to hormones, most people will immediately start working with supplements to try to balance them out. This isn’t a bad way to go, but it might not fully heal the issue. Still, because it is so popular, I wish to talk about it.
One such option (which is a good one, though I’m not claiming it’s the only option) is Alovea’s Balance – which was created to help the body cope with varying levels of hormones. And did you know that it is a blend that was created for both men AND women?
The key ingredient in this formula is Diosgenin, a phytohormone from the wild yam whose chemical structure is so close to human-made estrogens and androgens that it can mimic the benefits of these hormones without the risks associated with many hormonal therapies.
These imbalances can have a profound effect on physiological and emotional well-being in areas including sleep quality, food cravings, libido, and mood.
Frequency-Matching Options
The organs and glands in the body have different frequencies that they vibrate at when they are fully in sync. Your body is truly a symphony of its cells.
When a cell or organ or tissue is not functioning at its proper vibrational frequency, we may notice imbalances (symptoms and dis-ease) appear. Yet there is also the body’s tendency to be nudged back into alignment when faced with the correct frequency. This is how tuning forks, Bach flowers, attuned water, and resonant sprays can work. It is through this understanding that much of the different “energy medicine” modalities can help – bringing the organs or cells to match the correct frequency. This also is a relatively safe method of healing, as the body will not be forced into misalignment.
You can identify which is the right option for you through muscle testing yourself or working with a professional, like me.
Removing Toxin and Synthetic Blocks
As with any supplementation, it will only work as well as the body allows. And when the body’s toxic burden is overrun, there may be several different symptoms. That is why it is crucial to work to remove toxins from the home and diet. These would be in the form of household cleaners, pesticides, GMO foods, technology high in EMF, synthetic hormone prescriptions, personal care products, and home and body fragrances.
While I could write an entire post on this topic (and I plan to do that), for now, if you are interested in this, you can reach out to me and we can schedule a consult to discuss how this would look for you. You can also take the do-it-yourself approach and purchase based off of my Recommendations page.
Aromatherapy & Herbal Options
There are several wonderful essential oils and herbs that can help in hormone regulation. To determine which ones might be right for you, please work with an herbalist or an aromatherapist (like myself), or work on muscle testing.
Traditional hormone replacement drugs are made from the urine of pregnant horses and other synthetic sources. Bioidentical hormones are different in that they are identical chemically to those our bodies make and are converted from plant estrogens in a pharmaceutical lab or compounding pharmacy.
Supporters of bioidentical hormones believe they are safer due to their ‘natural’ sourcing. But most experts believe that the risks of both are similar. Overriding the body’s normal hormonal production, regardless of the source, has shown to increase the risks of blood clots, stroke, glandular disease, heart disease and cancer. Phytohormones do not convert to estrogen in the body, but because of their close chemical structures can provide a broad spectrum of health benefits without assuming the risks of Hormone Replacement Therapies.
Clary Sage
- Anti-depressant
- Antispasmodic (premenstrual cramps)
- Euphoric (mood, lift spirits)
- Female hormonal imbalance
- Affinity for our female cycles
Vetiver
- Nervine (helps our nerves, chronic stress) – as a root oil, it brings us down into our roots
- Anti-inflammatory
- More masculine scent
- Great to blend (rich aroma and great qualities)
Spikenard
- Anti-inflammatory (so many oils are)
- Antispasmodic – lower excess energy
- Nervine
- Sedative – if sleep is something you try to zero in on with your pineal gland
- Earthy and rich scent
- A little goes a long way
Roman Chamomile
- High in esters
- Gentle – young, elderly, health compromised, more compromised categories of people can all use this
- Calming to Central Nervous System
- Anti-inflammatory
- Nervine – addresses nervous system overall (which manages everything in our bodies) and brings us to healthy level of stress response
- Sedative
Frankincense
- Nervine
- Anti-inflammatory – the body’s natural response is sometimes too high (modulates that)
- Immune enhancer (thymus)
- Activates the part of your brain that does logical thinking versus emotional thinking
- Application near the pineal gland for supporting your hormones (since the production of your hormones start in the brain)
Melissa (Lemon Balm)
- Antidepressant
- Nervine
- Sedative
Diosgenin
Research on Diosgenin shows a broad spectrum of health benefit studies that have shown that Diosgenin can help support the body’s defense functions against:
- Hormonal imbalances
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar levels
- Stress
- Chronic implant inflammation
- Adrenal fatigue
- Thinning hair
- Osteoporosis
- Unexpected weight gain
- Cancel cell proliferation in hormone-related conditions
- Declining libido
Vitex Berry
- Anyone in reproductive years (adolescence)
- Helps highs and lows turn into a gentler ebb and flow of hormone variability and mood
Fenugreek
- Great for moms looking to breastfeed
Black Cohosh
- Women experiencing unpleasant menopause
St John’s Wort
- Mood and nervous system
- Ability to modulate stress
- Women experiencing unpleasant menopause
Further Support for the Body
Liver Support
Most people do not have hormonal imbalances and a healthy liver, so looking at ways to improve the liver are very important. This might include specific supplementation or doing full protocols to make sure that drainage pathways are opened up. I love using Cellcore products to help open up drainage pathways. If this is something that interests you, please reach out and schedule a brief 15 minute Discovery Call.
Anti-Inflammation
There are several ways to combat this, including with food and supplementation. Inflammation can be a concern because most hormonal imbalances also include inflammation from estrogen dominance.
In addition, you may find benefit when limiting/eliminating the following inflammatory foods:
- Sugar
- Milk/dairy
- Gluten
- Hydrogenated oils
- MSG
- Fried foods
- Sodas and sports drinks
- Trans fats
- Saturated fats
- Grain-fed meat
- Processed meat
- Alcohol
- Refined carbohydrates
- Artificial sweeteners
- Preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors
- Ready-to-eat meals
- Individual food intolerances
What Can You Do About It?
If you are looking to make a change and balance your hormones, you can do it one step at a time. It would make sense to start with reflecting on the foods and medication that you are taking. Inventory the chemicals in the home as well. Making changes in lifestyle may have the biggest impact on your health.
From there, you can look at supporting your hormones and endocrine system through supplementation and detox/organ support. Understanding how to muscle test and getting familiar with this method will be really helpful in identifying what you need personally.
You can also work with a health professional, coach, naturopath, or functional medicine practitioner as you work towards regulating your hormones. I am always happy to work with new clients. While I am not a doctor, I will not guide you off of any medication (I leave that to those that prescribe them in the first place). But I can help you to trust your own intuition and internal guidance, learning to listen to your body and determine the right steps and natural options for you.