Do you have a hormone imbalance?

A healthy body with balanced hormones continually manufactures everything it needs to cope with the stressors found in daily life and to help keep it functioning at optimum efficiency.  However, when hormones become unbalanced due to inadequate supplies of the needed nutrients, higher than usual stress levels and toxic influences that surround us each day, our bodies become unhealthy and struggle to cope through the day.

A common misconception about hormone imbalance is that it only affects those women who are going through menopause.  Hormonal changes and imbalance affects everyone from birth to death.  Many of the times when women are affected by hormonal problems, as early as their 30s, it has a lot to do with their lifestyles and diets, pollution, toxins, and Xenoestrogens (synthetic chemicals that act as Estrogen in our bodies) that they are exposed to every day.

Some of the common symptoms of hormonal imbalance can include:

• Persistent weight gain.

Do you find that no matter how much you try, you just can’t shake off that extra weight? Or do you find that although you maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly and keep away from bad food your weight seems to yo-yo all the time?  This could be due to a hormonal imbalance that makes it hard for you to maintain your weight.  Insulin resistance is one of the common perpetrators in this instance.

• Fatigue.

Do you struggle to make it through the day without a pick-me-up?  Do you struggle to keep concentrated on the task at hand?  Too much progesterone can make you sleepy and can make it harder to keep your eyes open during the day.  On top of that, if your thyroid is not working properly, it can take up all the energy you may have left.

• Anxiety, irritability and depression

Are you not feeling quite like yourself some days?  Anxiety, irritability and depression are also signs that there might be something wrong with your hormones.  Oestrogen affects important brain chemicals such as Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine which all play a very important role in your mental wellbeing.

• Sleep Problems

Do you like awake at night struggling to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before you must face another day?  The hormone released by your ovaries, Progesterone, helps you catch the zzz’s that you need.  If there is a problem with the levels of this specific hormone, it will be harder for you to fall asleep.  Low Estrogen levels will also trigger hot flashes and night sweats, which can make you uncomfortable and harder to fall asleep.

• Cravings

Do you find that even though you have eaten a full meal, there is always room for more?  When your Estrogen levels dip, your body is telling you to eat more.  The dip in Estrogen can also influence your body’s levels of Leptin, a hormone that helps with regulating your food intake.