Hormonal Health

Throughout our lives, females deal with hormonal highs and lows, such as puberty, pregnancy, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), perimenopause, menopause and post menopause ¹.  Along with these phases in life, women can also deal with imbalance issues such as heavy menstrual bleeding, uterine fibroids, irregular periods, fibrocystic breasts, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, anxiety and depression ².

Poor dietary choices, such as excess alcohol, processed meat and cheese, gut dysbiosis, diets low in whole grains, fruit and vegetables, excess saturated fat, sugar, low omega 3 to 6 ratio, high BMI, lack of exercise and poor liver detoxification were linked to excess estriol (oestrogen dominance) and toxic oestrogen metabolites. These toxic metabolites were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. On a positive note, lifestyle and dietary changes, for example, decreasing alcohol, losing weight and following a vegetarian or Mediterranean style diet consisting of whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables and fish, can decrease endogenous oestrogens and toxic metabolites ³. Functional testing, such as the DUTCH test, will also help to determine what kind of hormonal imbalances may be present and a tailored nutritional plan can be set up to support women dealing with hormonal issues.

Perimenopause & Menopause

This phase of a woman’s reproductive cycle begins on average around 45 years of age, when cycles start becoming irregular, and fluctuations of the hormones oestrogen (generally decreasing, however, can be erratic and sometimes sharply increase), progesterone (decreasing) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH –increasing) occur. Menopause is the phase after one year of amenorrhoea (cessation of menstruation), which occurs on average at 51 years of age. Some of the common symptoms include insomnia, hot flushes/flashes, mood swings, anxiety, depression and vaginal dryness, which may last for a short while in some women, however, in others, it can last up to a decade and sometimes even longer. Hot flashes have also been associated with smoking and a higher BMI ⁴. Other symptoms of oestrogen decline may be increased or painful urination, bladder infections, sweating and night sweats, poor memory and concentration, joint pain and weight gain. 7% of women can enter early menopause between 40-45 years of age ⁵.

If you would like support in dealing with your hormonal imbalances, book a free 15 minute telephonic consult or an in depth 1 hour initial consultation.