S.O.S. Hormones: Building a Strong Foundation.

Aug 2 / Tracy Strother






Tracy is a functional nutritional therapist with over 20 years of experience as a dietitian. She started out in the clinical setting for 17 years. The conventional medicine model wasn’t the end all be all for her as time went on. She saw many people who would have tried to prevent their diseases if they could have earlier in their lives.

 Eventually, she stumbled upon functional nutrition and it resonated with her. Functional nutrition focuses on finding the root cause of your health issues and works on addressing those to heal. While she still values conventional medicine, when needed, She believes functional medicine is the future of healthcare.
 Are you feeling like your hormones are on a trajectory all on their own? No matter how you want to feel your hormones hijack the situation? The truth is that hormone imbalances are far too common yet not at all normal. We have normalized PMS, the unpredictable cycles, the painful cramps or tender breasts, the premenstrual migraines, acne, the thinning hair and weight gain.

Sure, your friends and family members might be going through the same thing. But do you have to feel it so intensely? NO!

First, a short back story. 

Whether you are in your 20s, 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s hormone balance is something we can all benefit from. Really, it might just be what is necessary to get through these times with ease rather than feeling like you’re a hot dumpster fire. 

When we talk about hormones we often think of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone- our sex hormones. Don’t forget about other hormones such as thyroid, cortisol and insulin too. In fact, our bodies produce over 50 hormones! When any of these hormones are out of whack we can feel it tremendously. 

First a short back story. Hormones are chemical messengers that are made by glands and travel to different organs or tissues to create a biological change. An example is how melatonin and cortisol are involved in your circadian rhythm. In the evening when the sun goes down your body produces melatonin in your pineal gland which cues your body that bedtime is approaching. As the morning approaches your melatonin level drops and your adrenal glands produce cortisol which cues your body to get up and get moving to start the day. Another example is progesterone. After ovulation, progesterone is made from the corpus luteum. If fertilization does not occur progesterone rapidly drops and that signals the uterus to shed it’s lining (menstruation).

Enough "nerding" out (I do it a lot, sorry, not sorry!). What we really want to know is how to regulate these messengers so they don’t wreak havoc and make us feel like crap, right? Obviously, this is very individualized depending on what your hormones are doing. However, there are many foundational things you can do to help. 

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The foundations. 

The foundations are the boring concepts that you hear about all the time which often seem insignificant and we question if they can even make a difference. The reality is that even if you are recommended herbs, supplements or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), if you don’t have the stable foundations you might still not feel great. Don’t get me wrong, supplements and HRT can help a lot but they are only tools. 

Ok, ok, what are these foundations? If you peruse social media and wellness accounts you’ll know all of these.

  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Stress
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Nutrition. 

I’ll start with Nutrition, because that’s what I do. It is extremely helpful to focus on good nutrition for hormone health. For instance, gut health is a big driver of some hormonal issues. There are certain bacteria in your gut that produce a compound called beta glucuronidase. If this is high you will recycle excess estrogen that is supposed to be cleared from you body via bowel movements. This can lead to high estrogen and all the woes that accompany that (heavy/painful periods, acne, weight gain, migraines, fibroids, cysts, etc). Constipation is similar. Another example is a diet higher in phytoestrogens can help with reducing low or high estrogen symptoms. There can also be a delicate balance of carbohydrates needed for good thyroid hormone and progesterone production. However, too much can lead to blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistance which can lead to metabolic disease. 

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Exercise. 

Exercise is such a powerhouse when it comes to hormones. Especially insulin. Exercise will shuttle glucose into your muscle cells without the need for a big insulin surge. Insulin surges = storage of excess glucose as belly fat and will increase the likelihood of insulin resistance. Exercise can also improve your resilience to stress. Testosterone can improve with exercise as well. Higher testosterone can improve energy, muscle mass (which also improves insulin resistance), and libido

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Sleep. 

Sleep is oh so important for many things but hormonal balance is an important one. Getting adequate sleep will help balance your stress hormone, cortisol. Additionally, growth hormone is primarily produced when you are in deep sleep (the 1st half of the night). Growth hormone is responsible for muscle growth and repair, fat metabolism and tissue healing. Most testosterone is produced while you sleep as well. Poor sleep can also increase insulin resistance and can lead to overeating the next day (up to an excess of 500 calories)!

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Stress. 

Finally stress. Acute and chronic stress can disrupt your cortisol levels which is your main stress hormone. When cortisol is being made in excess due to high levels of stress, your body decreases your production of hormones especially progesterone. Progesterone is your calming, feel good hormone. When it is low you notice more mood issues like feeling down or agitated (hello PMS or PMDD). Stress can also increase your blood sugar levels which increases insulin (remember, increased insulin can lead to belly fat).

 As you can see the foundations are actually key elements in creating hormone harmony. So, next time you are seeing ads for a supplement that promises to be a quick fix for your hormones make sure you are thinking about your hormonal foundations. Are they solid? 

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If you are looking to dive deeper into hormonal health, Holly (the Functional Acupuncturist and Owner of the Holistic Co) and I are starting The Hormone Hub. It will be a membership program geared towards perimenopausal and menopausal woman who want to navigate this transition with ease. It will include a comprehensive set of hormonal labs and blood labs with a thorough explanation of each. Also included will be monthly Zoom calls for a plethora of education and connection with community and a chance to ask questions. Let’s come together to traverse this uncharted territory together! 

I look forward to connecting, 
Tracy

Tracy Strother

Functional Nutrition Practitioner
BS & MS in Human Nutrition
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