Are you feeling tired and can’t muster up the strength to focus and concentrate? Are you finding yourself snapping at your kids or feeling uncharacteristically irritable? Are you gaining weight that you just can’t seem to shift? Are you struggling with your menstrual cycle in terms of it becoming irregular, heavier than usual, severe PMS symptoms or stopping? All these symptoms are signs that your hormones are out of kilter. Whether you are still menstruating or entering perimenopause or menopause, it can feel like you are on a rollercoaster ride every month.

Hormones are like an intricate web, if one is affected it has a knock-on effect on others like dominoes being knocked over. Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through the blood and tell the body what to do. They are only needed in minute quantities and fit into receptor cells like a key fits into a lock.

Oestrogen is the dominant hormone in the first part of your cycle and is responsible for maturing the egg. Progesterone takes over after ovulation and is responsible for nourishing and maintaining the uterus lining in the event of the egg being fertilised and implanting. Progesterone is also the precursor to make other hormones like cortisol to help you manage stress and other hormones that affect the brain and mood.

Nowadays we are constantly being exposed to xenoestrogens which are synthetic oestrogens that mimic oestrogen in the body. They are environmental chemicals and pollutants that we are exposed to in our food, air, water and are capable of disrupting our biological processes. They put strain on the liver as they aren’t as easily broken down as natural oestrogen and they remain longer in the body, which may result in them being reabsorbed into the blood stream. Too much oestrogen in a woman will burn out her ovaries and affect her fertility. Today we are experiencing an ever-growing trend of infertility. If you aren’t eating organic meat and poultry then you will be getting a good dose of synthetic hormones, which are used to fatten up animals getting them to produce more and thus increasing profits. Plastics have also been found to leach oestrogen-like molecules. If you think you may be oestrogen dominant and have any of the symptoms listed below, then try and avoid plastic use in storing food, drinking from plastic cups, heating food up in the microwave. Nonylphenols and Octylphenols are the most common xenoestrogens and are the breakdown products found in detergents and household cleaners. Oestrogen from the birth control pill and HRT is able to pass through water treatment plants and into the water supply, thus affecting both men and women. Non-organic fruits and vegetables should be rinsed in water with some apple cider vinegar or grapefruit seed extract to get rid of pesticides and herbicides.

Too much Oestrogen or a deficiency of Progesterone throws off the delicate balance and results in symptoms such as:

• Increased PMS symptoms (painful, irregular or heavy periods)

• Decreased sex drive

• Weight gain especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs

• Headaches

• Moodswings, feeling tearful, anxiety and depression

• Bloating and puffy face

• Hot flashes

• Fatigue and low energy

• Fertility issues including Endometriosis, PCOS and Fibroids

• Insomnia or sleep problems

• Dry eyes/skin

Other symptoms that may be coming up for you that relate to Oestrogen dominance include:

• Adrenal exhaustion

• Allergies likes asthma, rashes, sinus congestion

• Autoimmune disorders

• Brain fog and poor concentration

• Breast tenderness

• Breast and uterus cancer

• Hair loss

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Thyroid dysfunction

If you are transitioning into Perimenopause and Menopause, your body will not be producing adequate Progesterone as you stop ovulating. In the majority of women, it is the lack of Progesterone needed to balance Oestrogen that causes symptoms. This is a natural transition and a phase we need to go through as women to emerge on the other side into a new chapter of our lives. If there is unfinished business from puberty, things you have held onto and not released, it may make the transition more difficult as you get the opportunity to let go of unwanted baggage.

What can you do to help balance your hormones naturally?

• Start with your diet. Aim to eat a wholefood diet full of colourful fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, organic if you can. Organic or grass fed meat if you choose. Avoiding processed foods and anything with long ingredient lists. Keep it simple!

• Magnesium deficiency is often a causative factor in PMS or hormonal imbalance and can result in aches and pains, nervousness, lowered immunity, breast pain and weight gain.

• Vitamin B Complex - B vitamins are needed by the liver to break down and deactivate Oestrogen in the body thus relieving PMS symptoms.

• Zinc – supports the immune system, mental alertness, sexual functions and fertility and can become deficient in women who have taken the contraceptive pill or HRT.

• Essential fatty acids (Flaxeed oil or fish oil) – fats are needed to make hormones and in order for proper metabolism of essential fats, adequate amounts of Magnesium, Vitamin C, Zinc, B6 and B3 are also needed. Evening Primrose oil also alleviates PMS symptoms.

• Natural Progesterone cream can help if you are not producing enough Progesterone and need to support fertility or if you are transitioning to peri-menopause and menopause and need some help easing the symptoms.

• Sage tea is full of phyto-sterols, magnesium, calcium and zinc and will help alleviate symptoms such as emotional mood swings, anxiety, headaches, night sweats and hot flushes, digestive upset, flooding and menstrual cramps, inflammation and joint pains and insomnia. Note: It is a drying herb so shouldn’t be used for vaginal dryness or if you have a dry mouth.

• Ginseng can help to counter fatigue and balance female hormones. It can banish menstrual flooding and can enhance your ability to handle stress, which is very important for hormone balance. It’s effects are cumulative so you need to take it for 6 – 8 weeks in order to feel the benefits.

Do your hormones need some balancing?

I would love to hear from you, let me know what helps you ease your symptoms.

With love,