More and more women are experiencing hormonal imbalances than ever before. When once menopause was something we didn't have to think about until our late 40s, more women are experiencing perimenopause meaning HELLO hot flashes, mood swings, loss of libido, itchy skin, anxiety, weight gain, loss of motivation, depression, feeling dead inside, and overall a total out of body experience at the age of 30!
Nowadays it seems like everything is trying to knock women's bodies into imbalance, from make-up to food, to even clothing. Hormone disruptors can be found everywhere. Not to mention the stressors in the world seem to become a little worse every single day. Most times when we go looking for answers we are told "You just need to exercise more" or "eat better", and although yes we should do this regularly, that is not going to be the only thing to fight chemical warfare.
Most hormone treatments are not covered by insurance, leaving you to find HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) which can cost upwards of thousands of dollars. This can be ridiculous and unattainable for many. I personally went to try and attempt HRT treatments and here are the problems I encountered. First, finding a good doctor and clinic was difficult as there is a limited amount in the area. Second, getting an appointment took weeks if not months out ( and no one suffering from the list above wants to hear that they have to wait that long to figure out what's going on). Third, if you finally do get an appointment, the cost for each individual treatment is insane (a second mortgage payment monthly just for your health should be criminal). So as a holistic practitioner, I decided I wasn't going to be taking this sitting down. This is where herbs, vitamins, minerals, and gut health came into play.
Once you go down the rabbit hole to find out why this is happening and learn that this is happening so often it is almost common now, it becomes sad and even maddening, but the fact that health insurance won't even recognize hormonal treatment and a necessity after it has become so common really truly is the worst part. So how can we take back our health without having to sacrifice anything to make it happen? How about turning to nature and the things we need to get rid of to help our bodies rebuild what has been lost?
Let's talk amazing supplements and herbs!
MACA- This root comes in many forms but the Red maca is recommended best for women and the black maca for men. Yellow maca for everyday hormone support. This amazing root helps with fatigue symptoms, restores a healthy libido, improves mood, and helps with our stress response. Find in capsules, or powders to add to smoothies and cooking.
VITEX- This berry is also known by its name Casteberry. It helps with PMS, infertility, skin blemish, and acne. It helps to decrease levels of prolactin which in turn balances out estrogen and progesterone.
ASHWAGANDHA-This is one of the best adaptogenic herbs for hormone balance. It has been used since ancient times to help reduce levels of stress and other alignments. It helps to control cortisol which is known as the "stress hormone" which can create high blood sugar and increase abdominal fat. You can find this in capsules and tinctures.
RED RASPBERRY- Very common for balance in the female hormones department. Full of antioxidants and helps to relax blood vessels. Great in tea and tinctures.
DANDELION ROOT/ LEAF-High in plant estrogens. It plays a significant role in detoxification of the body. This helps to detoxify excess hormones and helps to prevent constipation which is crucial in helping to bring balance to the body and hormones.
RED CLOVE- For women in menopause this is a total lifesaver! It targets hot flashes and helps to ease anxiety and depression.
Other must-haves in taking back your health are OMEGAS, Vitamin D, Collegan, and getting rid of the CRAP! What crap am I talking about...junk. Get rid of processed foods, alcohol, and sodas. Limit sugar or get rid of it altogether and lastly UP the protein intake. It is amazing how much we lack in protein. The average person is not getting enough daily protein. We need protein for our body to fight illness, and build muscle which takes out fat.
Great for protein intake are pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, grass-fed, wild-caught fish, bone broth or bone broth supplements, and whey protein.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, it is even more important for you to make sure you are getting your protein intake in. Lentils make a great protein source for you (however some do experience inflammation watch for that). Also, take a look at
Pea Protein- This protein is a complete protein and provides all the amino acids you need.
Seeds- Flax, Chai, Sunflower, and Pumpkin.
Hemp protein- This is the best for people with gut issues.
Nuts-Brazil nuts and macadamia
A great juice recipe to help with inflammation caused by hormonal imbalance is
Green Apples
Cucumber
Ginger
Spinach
Lemon
For an all-natural tincture that helps with all thing hormone balance and is created with the herbs listed above, check out For Her.
In the end, understanding your body and how nature can help us heal, can help in knowing we can take back our power. Hormone Health is so important. Our hormones are what run our powerful machine. We need to stop ignoring hormone health and truly start bringing this topic more to the table.