Progesterone
Resource Center
Are
You Stressing Your Hormones?
by Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
Creating health during menopause is
every woman’s goal. We are led to
believe estrogen—or lack of it—is
the cause of menopause symptoms. In this
article, I want to clarify that this is not the
primary hormone produced by the ovaries.
Ovaries also produce androgens, such as
DHEA and testosterone, as well as progesterone.
Total well being depends on adequate levels
of these hormones.
Organs and body sites other than just ovaries, produce androgenic hormones.
These include adrenal glands, the skin, muscles, brain, pineal gland, hair
follicles, and body fat. As the hormone production decreases in the ovaries,
the production of androgenic hormones increases from these other sources.
It’s clear, healthy women are well equipped to handle hormone changes,
not requiring hormone replacement. Approximately 15% of women are symptom
free.
If you approach menopause in a state of emotional and nutritional depletion
that has affected optional adrenal function, you will need hormonal, nutritional,
emotional, and other support during the menopause transition until your endocrine
balance is restored.
Symptoms of Adrenal Stress
Are you experiencing menopause symptoms? If so, your underlying problem may
be adrenal stress. The most common symptoms of adrenal stress are:
-
Alcohol
intolerance
-
Alternating
diarrhea and constipation
-
Apprehension
-
Auto-immune
diseases
-
Auto-immune
hepatitis
-
Craving
for sweets
-
Difficulty
building muscle
-
Difficulty
gaining weight
-
Dizziness
that occurs upon standing
-
Dry
and thin skin
-
Excessive
hunger
-
Feelings
of frustration
-
Food
and/or inhalant allergies
-
Headaches
-
Hypoglycemia
-
Inability
to concentrate
-
Indigestion
-
Insomnia
-
Irritability
-
Lightheadedness
-
Low
blood pressure
-
Low
body temperature
-
Mental
depression
-
Moments
of confusion
-
Nervousness
-
Osteoporosis
-
Palpitations
[heart fluttering]
-
PMS
-
Poor
memory
-
Poor
resistance to infections
-
Scanty
perspiration
-
Tendency
towards inflammation
-
Unexplained
hair loss
-
Weakness
Factors
in Creating Adrenal Stress
When your body is stressed at sustained high levels, the over production
of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenals, gradually tears your body
down. It destroys healthy muscle and bone; slows down healing and normal
cell replacement; co-opts biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones;
impairs digestion, metabolism and mental function; interferes with healthy
endocrine function; and weakens your immune system.
Common causes of adrenal stress include:
Restoring
Adrenal Health
It's important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from
past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems—your
past and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present stressor.
Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying
to compensate for the stress they create.
Conventional medicine’s focus on drugs tends to suppress early-stage
symptoms rather than treat their underlying causes. This can have the effect
of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed.
You can restore your adrenal health by the following actions:
-
Think
positive thoughts. If a problem
starts to tug at your thoughts
or emotions, look on the bright
side. See everything as a learning
experience not a message that you
have messed up or are defective
in any way. Learn to not take on
other people’s problems.
Find a favorite affirmation book
or calendar to remind you each
day of something positive.
-
Making
dietary changes to enrich your
nutrition and reduce carbohydrates
and stimulants. We recommend the
addition of high-quality nutritional
supplements, including essential
fatty acids from fish oil, organic & unrefined
coconut oil or organic, unrefined
hemp oil.
-
Reducing
stress includes meditation, moderate
exercise, and taking more time
for you. It's helpful to make a
list of your stressors, especially
those that are constant. If needed,
make lifestyle and/or friendship
changes to get out of the stress
track.
-
Getting
more rest. Your body needs time
to heal. The body does the most
healing between the hours of 10:00
p.m. and 2:00 a.m. If you are up
during these times you are robbing
your body of the natural healing
process.
-
Accepting
nurturing and positive feedback
from those around you. Getting
a pet can do wonders in this area.
-
Making
a list of priorities and let the
rest go. Don’t try to be
Wonder Woman.
-
Using
herbs, aromatherapy, acupuncture,
and massage is helpful.
-
Consider
natural hormonal support.
Read
more about what you can do in my
e-Book, Balancing
Your Hormones Without Drugs…You
Can Feel Good Again.
Loretta
Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP is a Doctor
of Naturopath, Clinical Nutritionist
and Holistic Health Practitioner
in the Houston, TX area and CEO/President
of Oasis Advanced Wellness. A teacher,
educator and author, she counsels
Oasis Advanced Wellness clients
on the aspects of getting the body
healthy and keeping the body healthy.
As a cancer survivor, she is able
to relate extensively, both as
a patient and a practitioner, to
clients suffering from disease.
Dr. Lanphier has been privileged
to share her cancer survival story
with hundreds of people during
seminars and lectures. Her passionate
style of truth and straight-forwardnessin
an easy-to-understand format is
very refreshing to even the most
discerning of audiences. Dr. Lanphier
is the author of two books and
many articles on health conditions
written from a natural/alternative
medicine viewpoint. Dr. Lanphier
is dedicated to helping people
create lasting changes in their
health and enhancing well-being
through whole body nutritional
balancing including physician strength
supplementation. Dr. Lanphier is
Editor and contributor to the worldwide
newsletter Alternative
Health & Healing.
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Disclaimer: The
statements enclosed herein have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The products and information mentioned on
this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease. Information and statements made are for education
purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating
doctor. Oasis Advanced Wellness does not dispense medical advice,
prescribe, or diagnose illness. We design and recommend individual
nutritional programs and supplements that allow the body to rebuild
and heal itself. The views
and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness are not
intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If
you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice.
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