Hormone Balance
You hear a lot today about hormone balance, and there are many books out about balancing hormones by using diet, proprietary supplements and hormones. Hormone balance is not a static thing. It is dynamic and very fluid in the body, with hormones changing into each other on a regular basis, to provide the body with what it needs moment-to-moment. What allows the body this fluid balance, is having enough of the raw material it needs to draw on, to create the hormones it needs. If the body is short on raw materials, it will not be able to provide the finished product, and Nature will always prioritize survival over reproduction, so if we use up our raw materials on a regular basis dealing with stress, we won't have them for making hormones.
The way I approach balancing hormones is to support the body while it heals, instead of trying to take over. I saliva test women to see what their profile looks like to begin with, then add a little of what seems low into the mix, while instituting lifestyle changes, so that the body has a little extra support while it rebalances. Once it has the raw materials to work with, it generally will.
There are many doctors who are willing to prescribe higher doses of hormones and try to take women “back” to the days of yesteryear. I personally don’t feel that it is serving women either physically or emotionally to do so. One can be balanced “high on the pole” or “low on the pole” and still be symptom-free and full of vitality.
I personally like to respect Nature’s plan for us, in terms of the next stage of life that menopause brings, where we are less in service to nurturing and more in service to bringing our gifts into the world; less the doormat and more immersed in our creative work. Therefore, when I prescribe hormones, I do so in keeping with Nature’s plan; small amounts of estradiol (the estrogen that is high in the reproductive years) and equal or higher amounts of estriol (the estrogen higher during menopause). Therefore, a woman ends up symptom-free, with levels of estrogen appropriate for a menopausal woman, and a balance of estrogens in keeping with Nature's plan.
Hormone balance is not just for the menopausal years, however. I have quite a few teenagers as clients, and in fact see a smattering of women throughout the lifespan. It makes sense that at the entrance to the reproductive years, and the exit, there would be the most imbalance; gearing up and winding down. The hormones are changing at these times and come in spits and spurts. It is also true, that these two periods of life each carry their own unique stressors, which make hormone balance less stable. During the reproductive years, hormone imbalance shows itself more in terms of irregular or heavy menstrual cycles, premenstrual symptoms and difficulty becoming pregnant. During the menopausal years, it shows in hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, weight gain, foggy brain and loss of libido. Supporting the body to regain its hormonal balance has proved successful in resolving all of these symptoms and problems.
Hormone balance comes with a balanced lifestyle, including a healthy diet, exercise, pleasure, community, and rhythms that will help you conserve your energy...and a little help from your favorite compounding pharmacy, if necessary.
