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