What is hormone imbalance?

Hormone balance in the female body is much more that just having a regular menstrual cycle. It involves a complex interplay between a woman’s thyroid, ovaries and adrenal glands, in addition to her environment, diet, stressors, and lifestyle. Your body’s hormonal system is like a symphony playing a complicated piece of music; if each hormone isn’t playing it’s part, you might feel off-key, start experiencing bothersome symptoms, or develop risk factors for disease. For some, hormone imbalances manifest in changes mood (depression, anxiety, irritability) or physical symptoms (such as fatigue, weight gain, hair thinning, acne, or menstrual pain). Life transitions, such as puberty, during pregnancy or through menopause are common times for hormones to become ‘imbalanced’ and result in bothersome symptoms. For other women, hormone imbalances can manifest in overt diseases, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, infertility, hypothyroidism, adrenal dysregulation, to name a few. Hormone balance is one of the keys to wellbeing, and there are several options to test for and support you hormones.

How do you treat hormone imbalances naturally?

As a Naturopathic Physician, I aim to identify and treat the root cause of the hormone imbalance. I often recommend functional hormone testing in order to thoroughly understand your hormone status, and more efficiently select treatment to get you feeling better, faster. I prioritize using natural treatments that have been proven to be effective in supporting hormones. For example, I prescribe specific nutrients and herbs that help to support female hormones, testosterone, support thyroid hormone conversion, or mitigate the effect of cortisol (the stress hormone). I teach patients about the foods and lifestyle habits that will support their hormones and bring them back into balance. In some cases, I will prescribe bio-identical hormone therapy or IV nutrient therapy to support metabolism and nutrient status, if warranted. Overall, my goal is to provide fast relief of your symptoms in the short term to get you feeling better, and coach you in the dietary and lifestyle factors that will keep you feeling balanced over the long term.