Hormone Quiz

Estrogen the sexy beast! Estrogen is fundamental to the formation of female sexual characteristics and reproductive function. In other words it’s what helps grow breasts, pubic hair and armpit hair. It also stimulates growth of the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium) during the menstrual cycle, increases uterine growth, improves lubrication of the vagina, and thickens the vaginal wall while increasing blood vessels to the skin. I think of her as the sexy beast if all is in check she is the one that gives us the ability to feel womanly; soft, voluptuous, wrinkle free and the ability to make us orgasm! If not in check she becomes the beast; overweight, angry, and certainly not sexual! When estrogen levels are to high or the ratio between estrogen and progesterone is off which is called estrogen dominance you may experience a wide range of symptoms or conditions that are related to estrogen dominance; • Acceleration of the aging process (those damned wrinkles) • Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion • Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, endometriosis and possibly Sjoegren's disease • Breast cancer • Breast tenderness (sore breasts prior to your menstrual cycle) • Cervical dysplasia • Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction • Decreased sex drive • Depression with anxiety or agitation (bitchy) • Dry eyes • Early onset of menstruation • Endometrial (uterine) cancer • Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs (Muffin top) • Fatigue • Fibrocystic breasts (lumpy sore breasts) • Foggy thinking • Hair Loss • Headaches or migraines • Hypoglycemia (Hangry= hungry + angry) • Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes) • Infertility • Irregular menstrual periods • Insomnia • Memory loss • Osteoporosis • Polycystic ovaries • PMS • Sluggish metabolism (can’t lose weight) • Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism (can’t lose weight, tired) • Uterine fibroids • Water retention, bloating On the other hand, if you have low levels of estrogen which is common as we age and start going through perimenopause you may experience symptoms of; Hot flashes Night sweats (waking up feeling like you peed the bed) Vaginal dryness (sex is awesome…not) Decreased energy and ambition (dragging your ass) Depression or mood swings (raging bitch) Dizziness Headaches Mental confusion Urinary incontinence (oops just peed in my pants a bit) As you can see it’s a very important hormone to have in check! Back to what I said earlier that estrogen dominance is the most common hormonal imbalance found in women. There are a few reasons for this one being that our overall estrogen levels (in women and men) are too high because of xenoestrogens — manmade chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen in our bodies and act as endocrine disruptors even at minute concentrations. Many of these xenoestrogens are proven carcinogens. They are also well known for their ability to damage the immune system and interrupt hormonal balance. Our cells can’t always distinguish fully between our own estrogen and xenoestrogens. One of the main sources of xenoestrogens are pesticides which is in literally everything we eat that is non-organic including meat! Xenoestrogens are also in the many growth hormones given to livestock and poultry, most of which contain fat-soluble estrogens. When we consume those animals or their milk, we ingest that estrogen. Xenoestrogens are in plastics, household chemicals, dry cleaning, bleaching of feminine-hygiene products, chlorine, air fresheners, perfume, shampoos, lotions, soaps and cosmetics that contain paraben or phenoxyethanol. ( In general, the hormones taken orally are first metabolized by the liver 80%-90%. However, when these hormones are applied to the skin, the hormones are directly absorbed by the body. Thus, any skin dose is 10 times that of an oral dose.) As you can see we are literally swimming in estrogen and it only gets worse. Not only are we being bombarded in the outside world but also in inside our own bodies. If you are over weight you will also be producing too much estrogen and the heavier you are the worse it can be. This is because fat cells produce estrogen so the more you have the more you are producing. What you can do about it 1. Remove the xenoestrogens Try to eliminate all sources of xenoestrogens you can do this by eating organic food including meat. Avoid harsh chemicals in your home and switch to all natural products wherever you can. Use essential oils for air fresheners and perfumes. 2. Improve your digestion Healthy gut bacteria will help assist the body in breaking down excess estrogen and carrying it out of the body. Eating plenty of probiotic foods or taking a probiotic supplement is essential because it will increase the good bacteria in the gut and support neurotransmitter function. Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber can bind to excess estrogen in the digestive tract and carry it out. Women should be aiming for 25-30 grams of fiber a day. 3. Lower alcohol consumption Yes even wine ladies. Alcohol can change the way a woman's body metabolizes estrogen (how estrogen works in the body). This can cause blood estrogen levels to rise. Estrogen levels are higher in women who drink alcohol than in non-drinkers. It also taxes the liver and your liver is responsible for eliminating excess estrogen out of the body. 4. Lose excess body fat and get regular exercise — especially strength training. 5. Detoxify your liver: Traditional Chinese Medicine explains that menopausal symptoms are caused by blocked liver and kidney chi. When the liver has to work hard to eliminate toxins such as alcohol, drugs, caffeine, or environmental agents, the liver’s capacity to cleanse the blood of estrogen is compromised. 6. Diet A diet high in conventionally raised red meat and refined carbohydrates can cause estrogen overload! Eat a diet rich in pasture raised meats, nuts, fresh low glycemic fruits and vegetables. Stay clear of white bread, sugar and majority of processed foods. A paleo based diet is what I recommend the most to estrogen dominant women. You can start with my 10 Day Paleo food challenge for free at www.karenmartel.com 7. Supplements I recommend taking Di-indolemethane (DIM) to help lower excess estrogen. DIM comes from the Brassica, or cruciferous, vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. Unfortunately, you would have to eat bushels of Brussel sprouts to benefit your estrogen balance. You can instead take DIM in a capsule form at 100mg/day. Calcium – D-Glucarate Calcium-D-Glucarate allows the body to excrete used hormones, such as estrogen before they can become reabsorbed. Large doses of Calcium-D-Glucarate have been shown to lower serum estrogen levels in rats by 23 percent. Normal detox dose is 500-1000mg. People with cancer or high estrogen may benefit from taking as much as 3000-4500mg a day. 8.Bio-identical progesterone Estrogen and progesterone work together with each other as checks and balances to achieve hormone balance. From age 35 to 50, there is 75% drop of progesterone. Estrogen only declines 35%. With the gradual drop in estrogen but severe drop in progesterone, there is not enough progesterone to balance the amount of estrogen in our body. Many women in their mid-thirties, most women during peri-menopause (mid-forties), and essentially all women during menopause (age 50 and beyond) are overloaded with estrogen. Most women are suffering from progesterone deficiency because of the severe drop that occurs with aging. Taking a natural form of progesterone called bio-identical progesterone can help eliminate the symptoms and discomfort of estrogen dominance without the side effects associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy. You can talk to your MD or ND about a prescription for Bio-identical progesterone and to discuss if that could be an option for you. Bottom line here ladies is estrogen is a key factor in how you feel and how you look. It can make you a sexy, voluptuous woman or an overweight train wreck! Do not take this lightly and start implementing these changes today!

LOW PROGESTRONE You may be suffering from low progesterone. Low progesterone is the second most common imbalance we see in women over the age of 35. Estrogen’s favorite sidekick is progesterone and they work together to achieve hormone balance. With so much estrogen in our environment we tend to see estrogen dominance which in turn can create low progesterone.   With the gradual drop in estrogen but severe drop in progesterone, there is not enough progesterone to balance the amount of estrogen in our body. Many women especially over the age of 35, are overloaded with estrogen and have too low progesterone.   Progesterone like estrogen is a sex hormone it helps prepare your body for conception and pregnancy and regulates the monthly menstrual cycle. It also plays a key role in sexual desire, something many women feel they are lacking in.   Symptoms of low progesterone are: PMS, cyclical headaches, irregular menstrual cycles, heavy periods, bloating and water retention, low sex drive, insomnia, postpartum depression, PCOS, anxiety, weight gain, weight loss resistance, hot flushes and menopause.   What you can do about it… Vitamin C at doses of 750 mg/day have been shown to raise progesterone levels. Chaste Berry (Vitex) 500-1000 mg a day is proven to reduce PMS and infertility presumably by raising progesterone Ditch the estrogen, even if your levels of progesterone are in normal range yet you are having the symptoms of low progesterone, then I highly advise ditching as much xenoestrogens in your environment as possible. If the ratio between estrogen and progesterone are off you can experience the symptoms of low progesterone. You can read more about how to lower your estrogen in my post on estrogen dominance. Bio-identical Progesterone As we age our bodies simply quit producing as much progesterone and no amounts of vitamin c or chaste berry will help at that point. Taking a natural form of progesterone called bio-identical progesterone can help eliminate the symptoms and discomfort of estrogen dominance without the side effects associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Diet plays a huge role in hormones and overall health. No amount of supplements or drugs will ever work as well as putting the right foods in your mouth to support your hormones. Our bodies are under constant assault in the modern world. Refined, processed food, environmental toxins, stress, sleep deprivation and chronic infections can all wreak havoc on our health. We’re simply not adapted to live this way. I suggest following a whole foods diet like the paleo diet to help support your hormone health. Get started on my free 10 day meal plan with recipes and get started rebooting those hormones @ https://www.karenmartel.com Need help? I offer specific programs to help women get to the root cause of their hormonal issues and get relief. My coaching programs include supplement recommendations, personalized meal programs and recipes, lifestyle recommendations and more. I will work with you one on one and assist you in getting your hormones back into their happy place! For more information on how I can help go to: https://www.karenmartel.comliving-hormone-hell/ You can also email me at karen@karenmartel.com to book a free discovery session!

You may be suffering from high cortisol imbalance and could benefit from getting your stress in check. Do you feel wired but tired, over scheduled and like you can’t keep up? Do you have insomnia, anxiety, racing thoughts, extra weight on your stomach and cravings for fat and salt? These could be signs that you are too stressed which could be causing weight loss resistance. Stress raises the hormone cortisol, which is your fight or flight hormone. When your cortisol levels remain high for a long period of time it signals to your body to store fat, cortisol not only will store your fat but will also increase insulin levels and insulin is the fat storage hormone. To make matters worse high cortisol increases blood sugar to help get you through the stressful situations, but high blood sugar = increased sugar cravings. You can read more about the effects of cortisol on your weight here. Cortisol as mentioned in part 1 also effects the entire hormonal system by blocking other hormones from your cells so your body is unable to utilize them. Cortisol will drive down progesterone and thyroid hormones which in turn slows your metabolism. What can you do about this? Manage your stress, start taking time for yourself, higher a house keeper, spend more time outdoors, get a massage, have a daily meditation practice, do yoga or anything else that feeds you and doesn’t take away your energy but gives it to you. Try adrenal support formulas, Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C have both been proven to lower serum cortisol levels. Try taking my favorite ant-stress herb Ashwagandha, one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurvedic healing, has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of conditions, and is most well-known for its restorative benefits. Try following a paleo based diet to lower inflammation and blood glucose levels which both have an impact on cortisol secretion. If you’re unsure if you have weight loss resistance or you are ready to do something about it book your free 20 minute consult and find out how you can get started shedding that stubborn fat for good. Contact me at karen@karenmartel.com

Low cortisol If your cortisol levels go too low you may suffer with an overall feeling of fatigue and burned out, overly emotional, inability to handle stress, insomnia wired but tired, low blood pressure, low immune system, salt cravings, muscle weakness and inflammation. The most common causes of low cortisol can be from trauma, late stage stress and hypothyroidism. What can you do about this? Manage your stress, start taking time for yourself, higher a house keeper, spend more time outdoors, get a massage, have a daily meditation practice, do yoga or anything else that feeds you and doesn’t take away your energy but gives it to you. Supplements: - Adrenal support formulas like AOR Ortho Adapt or Designs for Health Adrenal Complex. - Licorice is a great herbal therapy and can help raise cortisol. Warning do not take if you are pregnant. Licorice can raise blood pressure it is best to take deglycyrrhizinated licorice which has had the chemical bits removed that raise blood pressure. - Ashwagandha, is an adaptogenic herb popular in Ayurvedic medicine that has shown incredible results for lowering or raising cortisol whichever is necessary, helps to balance thyroid hormones and raise sex drive, WAHOO! Try following a paleo based diet to lower inflammation and blood glucose levels you can start with my Free 10 Day Reboot your Body Challenge off my website or my signature program the 30 Day Body Reboot. If you would like to get help restoring cortisol levels call me for a free 20 minute consult and find out how I can help you get started on reclaiming your health. karen@karenmartel.com 250-571-1142

Androgen refers to a family of steroid hormones: DHEA, Androstenedione, Dihydrotestosterone that are made in our bodies that are responsible for male characteristics, sex drive, muscle growth, sexual function, and fertility. These hormones are present in women in very small amounts and in very high amounts in men. In a woman's body, one of the main purposes of androgens is to be converted into the female hormones called estrogens. In women that have high androgens we see symptoms such as Infertility PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Acne Blood sugar disorders Hirsutism (excess hair growth in "inappropriate" places, like the chin or upper lip) and thinning of hair on the head (balding). Weight gain Weight loss resistance If your symptoms include irregular or absent periods, you may have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)––the most common condition associated with excess androgens and is the leading cause of female infertility. If you suspect this may pertain to you or have been diagnosed, I suggest working with a qualified functional medicine doctor or nutritionist like myself as it can often be treated naturally. What you can do about it Drastically lower your intake of sugar in all forms! The reason, one word, insulin. Consuming high levels of sugars and refined carbs leads to high insulin levels which causes the ovaries to produce these male hormones. Start eating a paleo based diet like the one in my 30 Day Body Reboot program! Paleo diets naturally will lower your overall sugar intake. Lower your stress. When your body is constantly under stress it can throw your adrenals glands into over drive which can raise levels of cortisol and androgens. Lose weight. Extra body fat impacts androgen levels. Eat your fiber! Fiber helps to bind to excess testosterone and excrete it in the stool. Avoid dairy. Dairy can cause inflammation which can raise androgen levels and cause acne. Supplements Reishi Mushroom: Foods like Reishi mushrooms have been shown to significantly lower testosterone levels. Omega 3 fatty acids: Our modern diet is way to high in inflammatory omega 6 oils. We need omega 3 to help lower our inflammation. Women with too much omega 6 compared with women with omega 3 have higher circulating androgens. You can get your omega 3 through supplementation or from eating fatty fish and grass fed animal protein. Consider supplements to lower insulin levels: Berberine (1,000-2,000mg per day), Alpha lipoic acid (600-1,200mg per day), Magnesium, Chromium - all of these supplements have been shown to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels. I suggest that if you are serious about treating your high testosterone levels make sure you find a Naturopathic Doctor who understands hormone balancing and is willing to do some digging to get to the cause of your problem. You can call or message me for a FREE discovery session and find out how functional nutritionist can help you begin balancing your hormones through diet and lifestyle. Karen Martel 250-571-1142 karen@karenmartel.com