Hormones represent an integral communication system. They are chemical messages that are made in one part of your body and sent through your blood stream to coordinate everything from digestion to ovulation. They even make it possible for you to sleep. They are essential to your health and wellness. Yet most people don’t realize that they also impact how you feel. Your energy level, your hunger even your physical attractions are profoundly impacted by what is happening in your body hormonally. Although we may not think of this delicate balance when we’re at our peak of fitness; people often have a strong sense of “imbalance” they’re not doing well. Yet these symptoms are often overlooked when they can actually provide tremendous insights into what’s going wrong as well as provide strategies to improved health and quality-of-life. By paying attention to your symptoms, you can feel better while boosting your chances of conceiving as well as improve the health of your baby. Here’s how it works.
There are over 200 hormones that can be circulating through your blood stream at any given time and new ones are being discovered every month. I like to think of these hormones in groups according to their function. Most people have heard of the fight-or-flight hormones associated with the stress response. The other groups to consider are tend-and-befriend, rest-and-digest, mate-and-relate. Think of them as if they are different elements on a mobile in a dynamic state of equilibrium; an imbalance in one group can cause an imbalance in another. If you have too much stress hormone for instance, it can cause digestive problems, difficulty with sleep and infertility problems.
Some of the most exciting research in this field is shedding light on the dual role some hormones can play. For instance, one study recently demonstrated that the same hormone—called oxytocin—which is responsible for promoting feelings of love and affection can also contribute to jealousy and envy. Some imbalances can be ominous. For instance, another recent study demonstrated that women with even slightly reduced levels of thyroid hormone during pregnancy are associated with blood pressure problems during pregnancy. That’s why I feel it is so important to consider how hormones interact with one another.
I’ve spent a decade and a half now studying symptoms and how they relate to hormone balance. In my books, I’ve tried to use questionnaires in order to help people gain insight into their own hormone milieu as well as provide practical tips on how they can restore harmony when problems occur. I encourage you to check out PERFECT HORMONE BALANCE FOR FERTILITY and PERFECT HORMONE BALANCE FOR PREGNANCY in order to learn more about how you can optimize how you feel as well as maximize your chance of success. And please check back here as I update this blog with the latest research in this exciting field.
Enhancing Fertility 