I hope you had a relaxing and wonderful holiday and started this New Year off gently – with yourself AND your goals. It’s easy to get caught up in expectations, but stick with your gut on what you think is going to work for you. Taking things one step at a time (along with having support at your side) usually creates the long term results you’re looking for.
I was back in Canada for two weeks in December visiting my in-laws on Vancouver Island and friends in Whistler. We soaked up two weeks of laughing and relaxing with friends and family, and being by the ocean, tall old-growth pines, and snowy mountains again was pretty magical. Here’s a picture of my little ones out on sleds with their friends in Whistler (Ben & Elise are together, 3rd in from the right).
The other day someone mentioned to me that they “wouldn’t know a hormone issue if it hit them over the head”. Does this sound familiar to you?
A lot of women mention to me that they *think* they have a hormonal issue, but they’re not really sure. That’s no surprise. The hormone system (aka endocrine system) is about as complicated as it gets for body systems.
There are a lot of different organs and glands that produce hormones, including your brain, ovaries, adrenals, thyroid, pancreas and others. And on top of it, all of the hormones they produce interact with, and affect, each others’ levels.
There are 6 main hormones that cause symptoms when they’re imbalanced. These include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone (these first 3 are your sex hormones), cortisol (your stress hormone), thyroid (your metabolism hormone), and insulin (your blood sugar hormone).
A big part of why I’ve specialized in helping women heal hormonal issues is because I’ve experienced first hand out much they can affect your life. They can make you feel moody, exhausted, in pain, and not too sure how you’re going to feel from day to day. It took me A LOT of doctor visits and finally finding naturopathic medicine before I learned how to balance my hormones, have a healthy menstrual cycle and get my energy back.
I’m totally committed to helping make this journey simple and straightforward for women so that they can feel incredible again and dive FULLY into what they’re most passionate about.
6 Ways To Know If You Have a Hormonal Issue
1. Your menstrual cycle
This is just ONE piece of the hormone picture, but definitely a common one. If you haveirregular periods, painful periods, missed periods, PMS symptoms like moodiness, cravings, bloating or acne, your have a hormone imbalance. You also have a hormonal issue if you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, or PCOS.
2. Your energy levels
Have you recently been feeling more tired than usual? If you’ve been through an acute period of high stress, or have been pushing yourself physically and emotionally for a long time, you might feel tired or depend on caffeine to get through the day. You may still feel unmotivated and slow all day even after 8 or more hours of sleep. A change in your energy levels is usually caused by thyroid or adrenal hormone imbalances.
3. Your weight
Have you recently gained weight around your belly? OR do you tend to gain weight on your thighs and hips? If it’s around your mid-section, it’s most definitely a hormonal issue. Estrogen, insulin (your blood sugar hormone) and cortisol (your stress hormone) are all linked to belly fat. Hormonally, weight gain around your hips can be caused by toxicestrogen build-up.
Overall weight gain is usually, but not always linked to thyroid hormone issues. And stubborn weight gain is often tied to a host of factors of which hormones are definitely a part of.
4. Your mind
If you’ve been forgetting things more often that usual, having trouble making decisions, or feeling a little “foggy” up top it could also be a sign of hormone imbalance. When yourthyroid or adrenals aren’t functioning super well you can have trouble concentrating and be forgetful. Lower than optimal estrogen levels can also cause memory issues.
5. Your skin
If your skin tends to be really oily it could be caused by high testosterone levels or your body not being able to get rid of extra hormones effectively. Acne is also a sign of this. Dry skin can be caused by low estrogen.
6. Your libido
Have you been feeling less interested in sex? Low testosterone can affect both women and men, and toxic levels of estrogen can also be a big cause of low libido. Even if you’re feeling interested you might be avoiding it because of pain or discomfort. Vaginal dryness can be caused by low estrogen.
What You Can Do About It
If you think you have a hormonal issue, the first thing to do about it is get support! Find someone you trust to guide you through the seemingly tangly nature of hormones and make it a clear path.
Register for my FREE Hormone Teleclass!
On January 29th I’m hosting a 45-minute teleclass called “3 Simple (and Surprising!) Actions You Can Take Now to Balance Your Hormones.”
I’m confident you’ll get TONS out of this FREE class. No matter what hormonal imbalance you’re dealing with, you’ll walk away with simple tips you can bring in right away to make a huge impact.
Registration is now open! Put this time aside for YOU. Mark it in your calendar and get ready to feel SO much better.