Last month I started training with Dr. Sara Gottfried to learn how to teach The Hormone Cure. I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this.
What’s the big deal you ask? Everyone knows PMS, peri-menopause and menopause can turn the sweetest, most confident of women into either a weepy, clinging wreck or an angry, no holds barred brawler.
The big deal is … I’ve got some answers for you. The Hormone Cure is all about natural based solutions for your meltdowns – whatever they may be.
I don’t know about you, but some of the symptoms I’ve experienced are:
- Cravings for sugar and caffeine.
- Hot flashes that woke me from a dead sleep, and feeling like my back was on fire.
- Low libido.
- Feeling really sensitive – crying one minute and having a meltdown the next.
- Tired but wired feeling.
- Excessive worrying.
- Feeling low and having a hard time rousing myself out of bed in the morning.
I was familiar with cravings and hot flashes. That’s common knowledge when it comes to hormonal imbalances. But I blamed the rest of the symptoms on me just being me. I thought I was stuck with being a worrier, and that it was just part of my nature. I thought being tired but too wired up to sleep was due to a busy schedule. And doesn’t sex drive diminish as women age? Well, that one is nature’s fault. Nothing I can do about it.
Or could I?
Here’s what I’ve learned: There are three major hormones that – when out of balance – can cause symptoms like weight gain (especially the dreaded muffin top); anger, frustration, irritability, brain fog, emotional outbursts, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, low sex drive and so much more.
Let me break it down for you:
One of the biggest culprits is Cortisol. It’s a hormone secreted by our adrenal glands whenever a stressful situation occurs. It basically engages the “fight or flight” system. ?Cortisol returns to normal levels once the threat is eliminated. The problem is, we experience so much stress (real and imagined) on a daily basis, that Cortisol levels tend to stay elevated.
Over time, this can cause adrenal fatigue or exhaustion. And to make matters worse, it can effect other hormones like Estrogen, Progesterone and Thyroid.
The important thing to note here is that when these hormones are unbalanced, the “feel good” chemicals in our brain stop functioning properly. And living a happy, balanced life ?becomes a much harder state to be in.
As if that’s not bad enough, it gets worse. Libido takes a nose dive. Which is a shame because according to Dr. Sara, having an orgasm reduces stress and anxiety during and quite a while after sex. So essentially, it’s one of the only times it’s physically impossible to be stressed out. Yet most women don’t have the energy for intimacy.
But wait … There’s good news!
There are things you can do that will reduce your Cortisol levels and start to rebalance your hormones. Here’s some tips to get you back to feeling like your real self:
- Meditation – if you’re not familiar with how to meditate, it can be as simple as praying or breathing deeply while trying to clear your mind of random thoughts. The idea is ?not to stress out when a thought pops into your head. Just gently release it and focus on the breath.
- Kick the Caffeine Habit – try cutting down and eliminating caffeine. Caffeine activates the fight or flight system and raises Cortisol levels. If you love your coffee for the taste, try a coffee substitute like Teeccino.
- Self-Care – do something you love. Hug your dog, go for a walk, read a book, get a massage, volunteer, weed your garden, take a yoga class, skip, play with a child and try to see the world through her eyes, try a new recipe – the list is limitless. Taking time for yourself raises your happiness meter and lowers stress (i.e.: Cortisol).
- There’s an App for that – check out the app GPS for the Soul. It records your heart rate and tells you if you’re stress levels are too high. Then it has options for lowering your heart rate like short guided mediations and soothing music. It’s a pretty cool app, and best of all – it’s free!
Stay tuned. I’ll be talking more about hormones because we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. If you have questions, please comment below. I’m happy to answer you personally. Feel free to share this with all your girlfriends. I’m sure they’ll be happy to know it’s not them, it’s their hormones!
If you’d like a more comprehensive evaluation of your own hormonal imbalances, please contact me. I have an eye opening questionnaire that will show which of your hormones are wreaking havoc with your happy self.
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