Bioidentical Hormones, and Healthy Hormone Balance
What Healthy Hormone Balance Means
The cornerstones of optimal physical health are a healthy diet, lifestyle, digestive function, detoxification capacity and hormone balance. In order for our hormones to remain in a balanced state, our bodies must properly digest and assimilate the nutrients from the foods we consume, process and eliminate toxins and unhealthy byproducts, and regulate the stress response appropriately. Whether our hormones remain balanced or not is dependent primarily on how well our bodies respond appropriately to a perceived stressor. When we are at our healthiest, our bodies operate in a rest-and-digest (parasympathetic) state as a baseline with the activation of our fight-or-flight (sympathetic) response occurring only when we perceive something to be an immediate stressor or threat.
What is Hormone Imbalance?
Our bodies were not made to sustain a prolonged stress response, yet modern life has brought us a myriad of additional stressors that often keep us locked in a sympathetic response of fight-or-flight. Our body responds the same to a stressor regardless of the nature of that stressor, whether it is related to unresolved conflicts in our interpersonal relationships or from the physiological stress that results from a chronic infection or a dis-eased state like diabetes. To the body, stress is stress and the resulting cascade of events that occur at the neurochemical level is the same. If the stressors persist long enough, hormonal imbalances are a natural consequence.
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
To help assess the overall state of hormone balance within an individual, a thorough health history is taken and laboratory testing is often ordered. Signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances include everything from chronic fatigue, low libido, hair loss, hot flashes, weight gain, anxiety, headaches, sleep disturbances and menstrual irregularities. Restoring hormone balance typically requires a four-pronged approach, incorporating dietary and lifestyle modifications, the use of natural therapies to support detoxification and optimize our digestive health and, ultimately, the elimination of both known and unknown stressors.
A Customized Hormone Balancing Treatment Plan
As a naturopathic doctor I offer you options to achieve hormone balance through a customized treatment plan that has been designed specifically with your needs and your preferences in mind. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a safe and effective option that can provide faster relief to those who are experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance like fatigue, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings or any other complaints that are often experienced as a result of hormonally imbalanced states like adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism or menopause/andropause. Although both synthetic and bioidentical hormone replacement therapies are often prescribed to help women and men find relief during the transitional years of menopause and andropause, they are vastly different in terms of their safety and efficacy. Synthetic hormones do not structurally match the hormones that are produced by our body, thus our bodies respond to these synthetic hormones as if they were a foreign invader and consequently we can experience a range of side effects and health risks including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones are called such because they are derived from plant tissues and scientifically engineered in laboratories to precisely match the chemical structure of human hormones. They are then compounded into creams and pills to promote simple and effective hormone delivery without the worrisome side effects observed with synthetic hormones. For those who are seeking non-hormonal approaches, herbal remedies, homeopathics and nutrient supplementation are often combined to create a comprehensive plan that will help balance your body naturally.
Book an appointment with me if you are ready to get your body back into balance NOW.