4 KEY AREAS THAT CAN CREATE HORMONE IMBALANCE - THYROID

4 KEY AREAS THAT CAN CREATE HORMONE IMBALANCE - THYROID

The thyroid is located at the front of your throat, it is shaped like a butterfly at either side of your neck. The thyroid is responsible for every cell in your body, temperature regulation, metabolism, digestion, muscle control, brain development and bone health. You need iodine to keep the thyroid healthy. Also selenium is important for the thyroid. Your thyroid can become underactive or overactive and also your immune system can create an auto immune condition called hashimotos where your body's immune system will attack the thyroid.  

If you have an underactive thyroid its called hypothyroid. This is because the thyroid isn't producing enough thyroid hormone for some reason.

If you have an overactive thyroid its called hyperthyroid. This is because the thyroid is making too much thyroid hormone.  

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROID

Feeling cold, constipation, low heart rate, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, muscle cramps, more frequent periods, course hair or hair thinning (particularly your outer eyebrows), dry skin, reduced appetite, depression, PMS,

SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTHYROID:

Increased appetite, increased bowel movements, irregular menstrual cycle, panic attacks, rapid and irregular heartbeat, palpitations, irritability, increased perspiration, protruding eyes.

You can also develop an auto immune condition called hashimotos thyroiditis. This happens because your body creates antibodies against bacteria or a virus and starts to attack your thyroid. Auto immune conditions are created because the gut is not healthy and food particles are entering the bloodstream. When this happens over a period of time, your body starts to think that these are invaders and will start to create antibodies to fight them. This can happen to any organ of the body. This causes symptoms of hypothyroid or hyperthyroid too. Its a condition that can be reversed by looking at the health of your gut.

Symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause can be similar to that of the thyroid not working correctly so its often overlooked. Cortisol (the stress hormone) can affect the thyroid from working properly. High estrogen can affect the thyroid from working properly as well. Some medications could affect the thyroid. There are a few differences to know if it is a true thyroid problem such as losing outer eyebrow hair or eyelashes, extreme weight fluctuation, neck pain or swelling of arms or legs.

You can find out more about the main hormones to affect Perimenopause or Menopause symptoms in my free Ebook here https://www.healthylifestyleover40.com/hormone-balance-ebo…/

4 KEY AREAS THAT CAUSE HORMONE IMBALANCES

4 KEY AREAS THAT CAUSE HORMONE IMBALANCES

There are 4 key areas that can cause hormone balance havoc and they are:-

INSULIN
THYROID
CORTISOL
ESTROGEN

The first one is "Insulin"

Insulin is a hormone that needs to be kept in check as well as cortisol.  When you have high cortisol and high blood sugar, this can be double trouble.  Insulin is responsible for taking glucose (sugar) out of the blood and into your cells to be used for energy.  When you eat food, your brain signals to the pancreas to secrete insulin because glucose is present in the blood.  Glucose is then taken into the cells by insulin to be used as energy so we can go about our day.  We need glucose as fuel for every day activities such as breathing, moving around, digesting food and to use our brains!  We also need it for exercise.  When our cells have enough glucose then the rest is stored in our liver to be used throughout the day.  A problem can begin if you are eating too many high carbohydrates or refined sugar such as biscuits, sweets, carbonated drinks, chocolates, cakes, pastries, processed foods such as sugary breakfast cereals, pasta and pizza.  These foods are full of refined sugar and are not giving your body any nutrients that it needs.

When the cells and liver have filled up their stores of glucose, it then begins to store it in your fat cells and you start getting fat because there is nowhere else for the excess glucose to go!  If this continues over a period of time, your cells begin to shut down the response to insulin because your pancreas is continually producing insulin to keep up with the demand of controlling glucose levels in the blood. This is called insulin resistance. 

INSULIN RESISTANCE SYMPTOMS

WEIGHT GAIN

FATIGUE

IRRITABILITY AND MOOD SWINGS

INSOMNIA

SUGAR CRAVINGS

BRAIN FOG

AFTERNOON SLUMPS

The more you eat sugar, the more you will want sugar because sugar is addictive. This then creates a vicious cycle because its the sugar you need to stop eating so much of.

You will also feel hungry all the time because nutrients are not getting into your cells as your cells are insulin resistant.  You are at risk then of developing type II diabetes because the pancreas is tired and cannot function as well as it did before. You are at risk of developing cancer over time, heart disease, stroke or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis or alzheimers. 

It is important to look at changing your diet.  Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep and you are exercising regularly.  There is a supplement that you can take to help with sugar cravings and creating a blood sugar balance, its called chromium polynicotinate up to 400mcg a day.  You need to check with your doctor first before taking any supplements. You only need to take it until blood sugar is more stable. Ask your doctor to check this regularly for you. 

I will talk about the Thyroid in my next blog.

I have prepared a free perimenopause symptom tracker so you can track how you are feeling and what your periods are doing during the month.

You can download it here 

Perimenopause Symptom Tracker

I’M 40 AND PERIMENOPAUSAL – HOW DO I KNOW, LIFE CAN REALLY BE GREAT IN YOUR 40’S?

I’M 40 AND PERIMENOPAUSAL – HOW DO I KNOW, LIFE CAN REALLY BE GREAT IN YOUR 40’S?

When you hit 40, the saying goes that “life begins”.  This is actually true in more ways than you think.

You have probably talked to your friends or your mother about Perimenopause and Menopause” and its cascade of symptoms.  Did you know that there are At least 22 symptoms of Perimenopause (which are the years leading up to Menopause) and possibly more.  It is possible to have very little or minimal symptoms and be able to live your life and feel great inside and out during Perimenopause and Menopause.  Most women do not realise that their symptoms are not due to “old age” and they don’t have to put up with them. Ageing doesn’t have to be daunting at all. 

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE SYMPTOMS YOU COULD BE EXPERIENCING DURING PERIMENOPAUSE

Your sleep can be disrupted and you dream of sleeping like a baby.  Hot flashes can disrupt sleep or you could be waking up in the early hours of the morning.  Stress can affect cortisol levels which puts out your circadium rhythm and so you are waking up at 2 am or 3 am. 

You may have just started with your own personal sauna ie hot flashes and they can happen at any time, not just at night.  This can disrupt your day to day life as you never know when an attack is going to happen.

You may start to notice that you just don’t feel like your old self or start to feel no emotion, too much emotion or even anxiety.

You may have noticed that everyone around you is acting strangely and getting on your nerves.  Your husband or partner is suddenly agreeing to everything you say or your box of paracetamol is empty and you only bought it yesterday. 

In the Perimenopause years, your hormones – in particular estrogen and progesterone, are on a rollercoaster ride, one minute up and the other down.  Its no surprise that you feel like you have lost your sense of identity and feel like you are out of control.  This can affect your relationships with your friends, family and colleagues, you just can’t focus at work, you feel bloated and have sugar cravings that you can’t seem to control and you lack the energy to even get sexy with your husband and enjoy family life.

There are so many things that you can do but here are my favourite 5 things to start right now:-

EGGS

Eggs are powerhouses of nutrition and help to control your appetite because they contain protein, selenium, which is essential for thyroid health and your thyroid helps you to control hormone balance.  Eggs also contain amino acids to help support mental health by regulating the release or serotonin which is our feel good hormone.  They contain cholesterol which is critical for healthy hormone levels, they help to reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.  They contain choline which is great for brain health to help you feel more focused during perimenopause.  They contain Vitamin D which is essential for bone health and immune system health.  The last thing is that eggs contain B vitamins which we need for energy and metabolism. 

GREEN TEA

Green tea can help you to lose weight which compliments a healthy diet and reduces fatigue as it contains a catechin called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a fabulous antioxidant.  Green tea contains polyphenols too, so the antioxidant and polyphenols together can help against breast cancer.  The tea also contains L-theanine which helps with anxiousness and to promote good sleep.  Green tea can also help to keep your bones strong and keep your heart healthy too.  

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is great at balancing blood sugar levels and controlling sugar cravings.  It is also loaded with antioxidants and helps to reduce inflammation.  It is also great to regulate the menstrual cycle and calm menstrual cramps and supports mood and anxiety.

WATER

It is not only essential every day to keep us hydrated, it also can help to burn calories and if you drink a glass of water 30 minutes before you eat it can reduce the amount of food that you eat.  It can increase your metabolism by as much as 30%.  This is a great help to control extra weight gain during perimenopause and hormonal imbalance.  It also helps with digestion and keeping things moving through the digestive tract to keep the toxins out of your body which helps with hormone balancing and to stop constipation.  When our hormones are on a rollercoaster ride this causes stress and can cause a disruption on the digestion too. 

MACA

A Peruvian Root which is classed as a food rather than a supplement.  It is an excellent adaptogen.  Adaptogens can help to balance the body due to stress without causing any major side effects and is excellent for hormonal balancing. 

Maca is raw and it can be hard on a sensitive digestion.  You can buy powder or capsules.  If you have a sensitive digestion, I would recommend gelatinized Maca powder.  The starch in the gelatinized Maca has been broken down slightly to make digestion much easier.  By breaking down the starch some of the nutrient content is removed.

Maca contains B vitamins, Vitamin C, E, protein and omega 3 fatty acids.  It is good for mood and brain health, increases bone density and is an energy enhancer but does not stress the adrenals.  It can also increase libido and enhance fertility.

There are three types of Maca, yellow, red and black.  The yellow type can be used by both men and women.  The red Maca is most suited to women and has a high phytonutrient content.  The black Maca is most suited to men as it boosts libido and sperm count. 

A study from 2004 in Australia revealed that Maca powder, at a dosage of 3-5 grams per day, reduced psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression and lowered measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic and androgenic activity.

Want to learn how to take back control of your hormones?  Join my Programme now. We start on the 15th June.  The price is £95 but for a limited time only there is an early bird price of £60 so grab your spot now before the price goes up.  

Go here for more details and to book the Programme.

I look forward to getting to know about your perimenopause or menopause journey.