Are You Stressing Your Hormones?

Creating health during menopause is every woman’s goal. We are led to believe estrogen—or lack of it—is the cause of menopause symptoms. In this article, I want to clarify that this is not the primary hormone produced by the ovaries. Ovaries also produce androgens, such as DHEA and testosterone, as well as progesterone. Total well being depends on adequate levels of these hormones.

Organs and body sites other than just ovaries, produce androgenic hormones. These include adrenal glands, the skin, muscles, brain, pineal gland, hair follicles, and body fat. As the hormone production decreases in the ovaries, the production of androgenic hormones increases from these other sources. It’s clear, healthy women are well equipped to handle hormone changes, not requiring hormone replacement. Approximately 15% of women are symptom free.

If you approach menopause in a state of emotional and nutritional depletion that has affected optional adrenal function, you will need hormonal, nutritional, emotional, and other support during the menopause transition until your endocrine balance is restored.

Symptoms of Adrenal Stress

Are you experiencing menopause symptoms? If so, your underlying problem may be adrenal stress. The most common symptoms of adrenal stress are:

Alcohol intolerance
Alternating diarrhea and constipation
Apprehension
Auto-immune diseases
Auto-immune hepatitis
Craving for sweets
Difficulty building muscle
Difficulty gaining weight
Dizziness that occurs upon standing
Dry and thin skin
Excessive hunger
Feelings of frustration
Food and/or inhalant allergies
Headaches
Hypoglycemia
Inability to concentrate
Indigestion
Insomnia
Irritability
Lightheadedness
Low blood pressure
Low body temperature
Mental depression
Moments of confusion
Nervousness
Osteoporosis
Palpitations [heart fluttering]
PMS
Poor memory
Poor resistance to infections
Scanty perspiration
Tendency towards inflammation
Unexplained hair loss
Weakness

Factors in Creating Adrenal Stress

When your body is stressed at sustained high levels, the over production of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenals, gradually tears your body down. It destroys healthy muscle and bone; slows down healing and normal cell replacement; co-opts biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones; impairs digestion, metabolism and mental function; interferes with healthy endocrine function; and weakens your immune system.

Common causes of adrenal stress include:

Anger
Chronic illness
Chronic infection
Chronic inflammation
Chronic pain
Chronic-severe allergies
Depression
Excessive exercise
Fear
Going to sleep late
Guilt
Hypoglycemia
Light-cycle disruption
Malabsorption
Maldigestion
Nutritional deficiencies
Overwork/ physical or mental strain
Sleep deprivation
Surgery
Temperature extremes
Toxic exposure
Trauma/injury
Worry/anxiety
Restoring Adrenal Health

It's important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems—your past and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create.

Conventional medicine’s focus on drugs tends to suppress early-stage symptoms rather than treat their underlying causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed.

You can restore your adrenal health by the following actions:

Think positive thoughts. If a problem starts to tug at your thoughts or emotions, look on the bright side. See everything as a learning experience not a message that you have messed up or are defective in any way. Learn to not take on other people’s problems. Find a favorite affirmation book or calendar to remind you each day of something positive.

Making dietary changes to enrich your nutrition and reduce carbohydrates and stimulants. We recommend the addition of high-quality nutritional supplements, including essential fatty acids from fish oil, organic & unrefined coconut oil or organic, unrefined hemp oil.

Reducing stress includes meditation, moderate exercise, and taking more time for you. It's helpful to make a list of your stressors, especially those that are constant. If needed, make lifestyle and/or friendship changes to get out of the stress track.

Getting more rest. Your body needs time to heal. The body does the most healing between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. If you are up during these times you are robbing your body of the natural healing process.

Accepting nurturing and positive feedback from those around you. Getting a pet can do wonders in this area.

Making a list of priorities and let the rest go. Don’t try to be Wonder Woman.

Using herbs, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and massage is helpful.

Consider natural hormonal support.

Read more about what you can do in my e-Book, Balancing Your Hormones Without Drugs…You Can Feel Good Again.

Loretta Lanphier is a Doctor of Naturopath, Clinical Nutritionist and Holistic Health Practitioner in the Houston, TX area and CEO/President of Oasis Advanced Wellness. A teacher, educator and prolific author, she counsels OAW clients on the aspects of getting the body healthy and keeping the body healthy. For more information: pms-menopause-progesterone.org; www.oasisserene.com; www.oasisadvancedwellness.com

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticlelibrary.com

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated