Hormones- The spine of every problem

What are Hormones?

Hormones are a big topic in the health field and a lot of women and men are in the "volatile zone" of hormonal imbalance.

In this article, we will be discussing what hormonal imbalance means, major symptoms men and women show in hormonal imbalance,  and will also discuss the different types of cures of hormonal imbalance. 

You may be a pregnant woman, a new mother, a woman in some phase of menopause or a woman having difficulty with what should be a relatively easy and normal passing phase of the month, or a man in some phase of andropause.

A good place to start with hormones is by defining what they are.

"Hormones have many functions as the body's messengers. In scientific language, they are referred to as signalers. 

They are so strong that all other signals within the cells are ignored when a hormonal signal is sent.

This is exactly what is happening to many people who are doing everything right to lose weight, but they stay stuck or plateau in their weight loss efforts. 

It is likely because they have an underlying severe hormonal imbalance in their body and hormones are a stronger influence in the cells than any amount of diet or exercise and some hormones block the effect of other hormones within the cell.

So, besides weight loss, fat burning, and building lean muscle mass (regulation of metabolism), what else do hormones do? Hormones play a role in the:

• stimulation or inhibition of growth,
• emotions,
• induction or suppression of cell apoptosis (cell suicide),
• activation or inhibition of the immune system,
• preparation of the body for fight, flight or freeze syndrome,
• preparation of the body for a new phase of life, such as puberty, parenting or menopause,
• controls the reproductive system,
• appetite,
• libido.

When a person has balanced hormones there is a smooth transition in both the monthly and the life cycles of a woman, including puberty and menopause and for men, their transition into andropause. 

They should experience an overall sense of well-being no matter what the circumstances are going on around them. They have healthy libidinal drives, healthy skin, hair, and nails, and healthy blood sugar regulation and immune function.

A person with imbalanced hormones may experience some of the following symptoms, for women:

• low energy,
• low sex drive,
• menstrual disorders,
• irregular cycles,
• splitting headaches or headaches on the side of the head,
• craving chocolate,
• tired,
• sleeping too much or too little,
• increase in weight,
• low abdominal pufiness,
• mood swings,
• breasts tender around cycle,
• acne around cycle,
• hot flashes,
• skin crawling,
• breast discharge,
• breasts shrinking,
• vaginal dryness and painful intercourse

For men, hormonal balance can include:

• flat or low sex drive,
• decreased morning erections, inability to concentrate,
• episodes of depression,
• decreased physical stamina,
• sweating attacks,
• more emotional than in the past,
• weight gain,
• changes in hair, skin, or nails.

While there are natural supplements and herbs for specific hormonal symptoms, there are also things each individual can do to promote balanced hormones because lifestyle issues are what drives hormones. 

Someone who is complaining about hormonal issues has to first look at how they are living and what they are eating. 

The following three components make up a holistic approach to balancing hormones.

Diet lays the foundation for healthy hormones; digestion, detoxification, and immune function are linked together as one. 

In a lot of people, the digestive and immune systems are very confused because they are not eating real food, they are eating a lot of non-food and that is going to create hormonal confusion in the body. 

Also, many people have undiagnosed food allergies and that creates significant inflammation in the body and elevates the hormone cortisol adding to the hormonal confusion.

Lifestyle factors are the next step to consider in hormonal imbalance and these include sleep and exercise. 

If a person complains of hormonal imbalance and it is found they are only sleeping five hours a night, it may be a smarter move for the healthcare practitioner to work on helping the person sleep better rather than giving them a supplement for their hormonal complaints. 

If their sleep is improved, that is going to improve their hormones, without intervening with the hormones, with just working with the body's wisdom.

Again the holistic approach to health is not to suppress the symptom, but to find the root cause of the symptom and allow the body to heal and re-balance itself. 

So asleep impaired person with hormonal complaints might be suggested to take some minerals at bedtime along with Valerian Complex to improve their sleep and the body may then re-balance the hormones on its own.

Once the diet and lifestyle factors are considered, the third step is to strategically use herbs or supplements specific to particular hormonal imbalances. 

After foundational support such as a whole food multi-vitamin, trace minerals, and essential fatty acid is suggested, then specific endocrine/hormonal support is looked at. 

The next step is adding customized nutritional and herbal support for specific complaints. Of course, your best intervention is to work with a natural healthcare professional in this area.