Sex Hormones

Last article, our metabolic focus was thyroid balance. This week, our focus turns to sex hormones and the negative symptoms associated with an imbalance of these hormones. Remember, although it is true that endocrine or hormonal imbalances of individual systems can occur, it is more likely that an imbalance in one system is leading to an imbalance in another, only making issues worse. As such, getting at the root cause of the problem is absolutely essential. Typically, that root cause is stress in its many different forms, including dietary stress.

Women, can you identify with:

○ Significant PMS or menopausal symptoms, including moodiness, irritability, fluid retention, night sweats/hot flashes?

○ Conditions like fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, acne, difficulty building lean muscle mass, low libido?

○ Fat deposition on upper thighs, back of upper arms, and/or in the chest?

Men, can you identify with:

○ Difficulty building/maintaining lean muscle mass, progressing in strength training routine?

○ Fat deposition on the chest?

○ Lower than optimal sex drive?

If so, imbalanced sex hormones could be the driving force responsible. Sex hormones can get out of balance as a person ages, but typically, stressors and their impact on our adrenal health is at the root and encourages further imbalance. Sex hormones include: progesterone, estrogens, testosterone.

Women, if you identify with a good number of the symptoms I just mentioned, I encourage you to test these levels, to see if imbalanced sex hormones could be partly to blame.

Men, getting T levels tested if you're past age 30 would be encouraged, especially if you are starting to identify with such symptoms listed.

Nutritional Guidelines that Support Adrenal Health:

○ Adrenals need vitamins A,C, and E, essential fatty acids, and the B vitamins. (Especially, pantothenic acid or vitamin B-5 which is found in egg yolks, cheese, peanuts, avocados and made in our intestine)

○ Chromium and L-Glutamine (along with other amino acids) help with sugar cravings and support the adrenals

○ Protein, essential fatty acids, cholesterol, and olive oil provide some of the necessary precursors for some of the sex hormones

Remember the importance for both men and women, alike, to get sex hormones tested, especially after about age 30. This is when we typically start to see fluctuations and imbalanced ratios. Things such as synthetic hormones (i.e. birth control, hormone replacement therapy, anabolic steroids, etc.) and overtraining can have lingering effects and pose a huge barrier to weight loss and optimal performance.

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