Hormonal Health
Most people tend to associate hormones with women in particular their menstrual flow. Hormones are more than that they affect most areas of our body and hormonal balance is vital for good health. What are Hormones? Basically hormones are body chemicals that carry information from one part of the body to another. They are manufactured in specialised glands (endocrine glands) located in various places in our body and are circulated via the bloodstream to our cells. Hormones are ‘keys’ that unlock the cells in the body to allow nutrients to enter and nourish and hydrate our cells. Without these ‘keys’ our cells are not able to get the nutrients they need in order to function properly and our health suffers. Many different hormones move through the bloodstream but each type of hormone is designed to affect only certain cells. Pituitary Glands – master gland, sends messages to other glands to make more or less hormones, Thyroid Glands – controls your metabolism (what speed your body works) Adrenal Glands – control salt balance, stress and allergic reactions Thymus – plays only a small part and after puberty it is mostly replaced by fat, but does help in the development and maintenance of a normal immune system Ovaries/Testes – produce your sex hormones and fertility. Mammary Glands – controls production of breast milk Other glands in the body include four parathyroid glands for calcium production and the Pancreas gland for insulin production. They do not need the Pituitary gland to give them messages to make hormones but they are part of the endocrine system. Three types of hormones Oesterogen Progesterone - mother of all hormones, youth hormone Testosterone We need all three types of hormones in our body in varying levels though women have a greater amount of progesterone and men have a greater amount of testosterone.
One of the functions of oestrogen is to store the energy derived from food as fat. This is why oestrogen is readily given to cattle. Cattle are sold by body weight the fatter they are the more they are worth. Oestrogen also adds weight by increasing water retention. Progesterone on the other hand turns fat into energy. Increasing progesterone levels contributes to weight loss and higher energy levels. Hormone Imbalance – Oestrogen dominance Oestrogen dominance happens when the body is unable to metabolise oestrogen adequately through the liver via a process called methylation. Hormonal imbalance in the past was often considered to be a problem associated with menopause. However, a large portion of women in their thirties or even younger, are showing alarming signs of hormonal dysfunction. The incidence of needless hysterectomies for young women has grown alarmingly. Blanket prescribing of the Pill and HRT seems to increase the problems further (oestrogen based) and may produce significant and sometimes life threatening side affects. Why are we Oestrogen Dominant? The human body was designed to live and thrive in a fairly pristine environment. It is only in the past 100 years that we have altered our environment quite considerably. Our bodies have not had time to adapt to the changes in its environment and therefore disease occurs. Everyday our bodies are bombarded by cocktail of chemicals that did not exist when our grandparents were young. Industrial Pollution in the air around us. Synthetic compounds from petrochemical industries Meat and Chicken – growth hormones and antibiotics Plastics – heating or cooling plastic releases chemicals called phalates these chemicals mimic oestrogen in your body. Pesticides/herbicides – fruits and vegetables Chemicals in personal care – shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, cosmetics, hair care products etc. Most people believe that it if it is on a supermarket or pharmacy shelf that it is OK for us. This is not true hundreds of new chemicals are manufactured every year and we test only a small percentage.
Alcohol, drugs, smoking. When ingested or exposed to these chemicals they act like oestrogen and trick the body which causes an overload of oestrogen. Applying to the body is worse that eating or drinking these chemicals as the liver flushes anything taken internally. It is almost impossible to avoid oestrogen dominance due to our modern day environment, important for our ongoing health to reduce our exposure to as many chemicals as we can. Overload of Oestrogen may cause: Breast tenderness or swelling Stimulates breast cysts (fibrocystic breasts) Heavy menstrual flow or irregular periods, cramps, PMS – 40-60% women suffer due to low progesterone Endometriosis Cravings Increases body fat storage – body stores toxins in your fat cells. Can’t lose weight Salt and fluid retention Depression Acne Headaches Interferes with thyroid hormone Increases blood clotting and risk of stroke Decreases libido (sex drive) Impairs blood sugar control – diabetes Loss of zinc and retention of copper – hyperactivity, attention deficit disorders, depression, a lot of children are medicated these days simply reducing chemical exposure, preservatives, flavourings colourings etc and giving them healthy diet can reduce a lot of these problems. Reduced oxygen level in all cells Increased risk of endometrial cancer and endometriosis, breast cancer Decreases bone loss – statistics show that bone mass decreases by 20-25% by menopause, though when given natural progesterone this is stopped and the body will actually generate more bone mass Infertility – 15% Australian couples experience fertility problems. It is on the increase. Men – enlarged Prostate, lowered Sperm counts What can we do? Water – keep your body hydrated. 1 litre water per 30kg of body weight. Everyday.
Diet – Eat good diet. Buy clean protein - meat, chicken, eggs yoghurt etc buy organic whenever possible Exercise – raises serotonin levels (feel good drug) and detoxes the body through sweating. Fruits and vegetables - buy organic reduce pesticides. Buy in season, reduces the cost but also ensures max nutrient content and antioxidant value. Eat raw foods as much as possible. Minerals – 60 minerals required daily early harvesting and over processed foods deplete our body of essential minerals. Plant based colloidal minerals are 98% absorbed by the body. Antioxidants – our body produces a certain amount of antioxidants to neutralise ‘free radicals’ (cell damaging substances) though not enough for our modern lifestyle. The more antioxidants in your body the longer you will live, the healthier and disease free you will be. Reduce exposure to toxic products. Before you leave the bathroom in the morning you have exposed your bodies to over 16 known carcinogenic ingredients. Lifestyle choices, lower stress levels, get adequate sleep. Adrenals replenish themselves between 10pm and 2am. Burning the candle at both ends means wake up feeling exhausted, washed out. Reduce plastic exposure - don’t leave plastic drinking bottles in the sun, don’t heat food in plastic containers especially children’s bottles, take away food containers. Natural progesterone creams – have been used for hundreds of years in ancient cultures to alleviate symptoms associated with women’s health. It is important to note that a progesterone cream is not a hormone as such just a precursor. They help your body to produce the necessary amount of progesterone that is needed to alleviate and problems. Adequate levels of progesterone – Normalises blood sugar levels Normalises zinc and copper levels Natural diuretic Natural anti-depressant and helps anxiety Normalises blood clotting Increases libido Restores proper cell oxygen levels Prevents endometrial cancer and breast cancer Helps use fat for energy Increases bone building, prevents bone loss Fights aging skin, wrinkles and brown spots Alleviates sleeplessness Controls acne Reduces premenstrual discomfort Reduces hot flushes Reduces hair thinning Protects against fibrocystic breasts
I believe prevention is better than cure. Modern medicine only treats a symptom as it arises. Natural medicine strengthens and fortifies your body so that in most cases you do not get sick. The body is a wonderful organ everyday we use and abuse it in all kinds of ways and everyday it gets back up and continues going and going. When it is given the tools that it needs it can repair almost anything.
Paula Leadbetter 0425 275 051 paulaleadbetter@optusnet.com.au
Hormonal Health
Water – keeping your body hydrated. Drink 1 litre water for every 30kg of body weight. Everyday. Diet – Eat a good diet. Buy clean protein - meat, chicken, eggs yoghurt etc buy organic whenever possible. Fruits and vegetables also organic, reduce pesticides. Buy in season, reduces the cost but also ensures maximum nutrient content and antioxidant value. Raw foods as much as possible. Minerals – 60 minerals required daily. Early harvesting and over processed foods depletes our body of essential minerals. Exercise – raises serotonin levels (feel good drug) Reduce exposure to toxic products. Before you leave the bathroom in the morning you have exposed your body to over 16 known carcinogenic ingredients. Lifestyle choices, lower stress levels, get adequate sleep. Adrenals replenish themselves between 10pm and 2am. Burning the candle at both ends you will wake up feeling exhausted, washed out. Reduce plastic exposure - don’t leave plastic drinking bottles in the sun, don’t heat food in plastic containers
especially children’s bottles, take away food containers Sheryl Crow singer had breast cancer, attributed it to drinking from plastic bottles left in the sun, Natural progesterone creams – natural progesterone has been used for thousands of years in ancient cultures to alleviate symptoms associated with women’s health. It is important to note that a progesterone cream is not a hormone as such just a precursor. They help your body to produce the necessary amount of progesterone that is needed to alleviate any problems.
This is designed as a guide to hormonal health if you have specific problems/concerns that you would like to discuss you can contact me below.
Paula Leadbetter 0425 275 051 paulaleadbetter@optusnet.com.au