How stress is at the root of our hormonal imbalances

Let's talk about hormones today. Many women today are faced with hormonal issues and in my situation a couple years ago I went to my doctor because I was feeling so drained, anxious, I was experiencing panic attacks and my face was breaking out like I was a teenager.

I was stressed learning to navigate mom life with 2 young energetic boys. My blood work looked “normal”, but my functional lab testing showed otherwise. I was stressed, my minerals were depleted, and I was showing signs of hypothyroidism. So let's talk about how all this works….

We have this hierarchy of hormones and the ones at the top are cortisol and insulin, and changes in these hormones affect the hormones down stream. So below those are pregnenolone and DHEA, and below those are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormones, and melatonin. So if our tier 1 hormones cortisol and insulin become out of wack this can disrupt everything! I always tell people stress is at the root! So, let's talk about it.

Cortisol is a stress hormone. It is important and essential but many of us have chronically elevated levels or chronically low. SO when your body perceives a threat our brain tells our adrenal glands to release cortisol into the blood. When our body is under high stress like this, it is always going to prioritize our important bodily functions. It’s going to shut down or lower our digestive system (hello constipation, upset tummy, bloating, diarrhea) and our reproductive system. High cortisol levels can have an effect on our thyroid & our ovaries. When we’re chronically stressed it’s going to decrease ovulation, because it’s gonna tell our body that it’s not a good time to reproduce. Our thyroid controls our metabolism, and when we are chronically stressed, our body tells our thyroid to slow down so it can conserve energy for whatever threat is coming (hello hypothyroidism). All of this can lead to decreased sex, drive increase in weight gain, our hair, falling out and fatigue just to name a few.

When our cortisol levels are high, our body releases glucose or sugar into our blood so we can fight or flight since sugar is our main energy source. People who are chronically stressed might have some insulin resistance. Insulin‘s main job is to keep blood sugar level stable, insulin helps move the glucose out of our blood & into our cells. This is why, if we are under a lot of stress it is so important to eat balanced meals to help balance out our blood sugar.

So stress can come in many forms. I won't go into depth but refer to this post.

Nutrition is a big part of the puzzle. Giving your body a surplus of vitamins & minerals to function optimally! I recommend logging food in an app such as cronometer so you can actually see how much micronutrients and macronutrients you are actually consuming. I find clients are generally undereating and not getting enough nutrient dense foods. If you need assistance I offer a macros and meal ideas option you get your custom macro split and ideas and we work together everyday for the month getting you comfortable tracking macros and learning which foods & macros to add.

Another way to help balance your hormones is through strength training. Places where we store glucose are in the liver & MUSCLE. The more muscle you have the more you will be able to store excess glucose from the blood. Having a set program where you can track your progress and apply progressive overload is essential!!! If you want a program and coaching check out my 4 day split here

Any other questions reach out!

remember to check in with your doctor before implementing any new program. This information is not medical advice, I am not a doctor.