Kids to shuttle, a job, ailing parents to take care of, running a household, volunteer work--women have a lot to do in this world! The one thing we often forget is to take care of ourselves. No more excuses! The truth is if we don't take care of ourselves, in the end we will be no good to anyone. Here are some simple solutions to common women's issues. Stop suffering through it and give yourself a break! 

Hormone Help--General

Does it ever seem to you that your life is ruled by hormones? As a teen and 20-something you deal with PMS, erratic periods, acne, and cramps. In your thirties you have all of the hormonal ups and downs that go with pregnancy, childbirth and breast feeding. In your forties you are having heavy bleeding, depression or anxiety, and mood swings and in your fifties it's hot flashes, vaginal dryness and wondering when it will all be over with. Surely it wasn't meant to be this hard, so why is it?

Our endocrine system is very intricate and inter-related. An imbalance in one hormone can lead to

imbalance in others. One of the main things that make our lives as females harder today are all of the xenoestrogens around us. Xenoestrogens are substances that act like estrogen in the body by binding to receptor sites for estrogen. We have been trained to think that a lack of estrogen is the root of so many female problems, but the truth is many of us have too much. Excess estrogen in the body can cause bloating, heavy periods, depression or anxiety, acne, PMS, weight gain, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, memory loss, and even breast cancer. It can also block the uptake of thyroid hormone in the body and may, in fact, be the genesis of the many thyroid disorders we see today. If you have any of the above symptoms and your thyroid action is low, you may want to consider balancing estrogen/progesterone before going on thyroid support.

Limiting our exposure to environmental estrogens will go a long way toward alleviating some of our hormonal problems and here is where they are found:

• Conventionally raised red meat--Factory farms use estrogens and steroids to make animals mature faster and those estrogens and steroids are in our food.  Non-organic cow's milk also has this problem. Pasture fed animals that are raised organically do not contain these substances.
• Parabens and phthlates in skin care products. There is no regulation of skin care products in the U.S. Parabens are commonly used as a preservative and phthlates can hide in the term "fragrance", which you will find on the label of just about any conventional skin care product. Phthlates are also found in many plastic toys. Both chemicals are known to disrupt the endocrine system and therefore your hormones.
• Plastic liners in canned foods often contain BPA, a known endocrine disruptor. BPA also leaches out of styrofoam when it is heated, so avoid having your coffee in a sytrofoam cup. It is also found in many plastics and can be leached into our food when heated, particularly in the microwave. Packaged foods are often sold in plastics, so limiting packaged foods can do more for you than just reduce your weight. Replace your tupperware with glass or stainless steel containers.
• Pesticides and herbicides act like estrogen in the body. Their prevalence in our food supply, along with meat (as mentioned above) are a big reason that we have girls as young as 7 & 8 years old getting their periods. Organic produce is the way to go here.
• Prescription drugs disrupt many functions in the body. A recent study showed a high correlation between women on statin drugs and the higher incidence of breast cancer.
• Non-organic tampons have pesticide residues and the synthetic rayon used to make them mimics estrogen in the body.
• Tap water can contain xenoestrogens from medications, and agricultural and chemical pollution. Get an activated carbon filter to clean up the quality of your drinking water.
• Dryer sheets and conventional laundry detergent are loaded with xenoestrogens and although these chemicals are not directly being ingested they do go onto our clothing, down our drains, and into our environment.

The overload of other toxins in our environment is another reason our hormones have run amuck. Each day we are exposed to over 200 chemicals. These toxins create extra demands on the body in terms of detoxification and can interrupt normal body processes. Many bodies cannot keep up, and that is the reason we have such a high incidence of all types of disease right now. The way this is most directly related to our hormones is that the body is stressed by all of these chemicals and will initiate a stress response when they are encountered. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Cortisol is the hormone that enables the fight-or-flight response. Over time, a chronic state of stress can develop.

Chronically high cortisol is correlated with insomnia, blood sugar problems, fat accumulation, compromised immune function, chronic fatigue, bone loss, heart disease, and memory loss. Cortisol competes for the same receptor sites in the body with progesterone, and this is where the real problem exists. Progesterone balances estrogen in the body. Chronic stress can result in low progesterone, which in turn can feed the inability to handle stress, cause recurrent miscarriage, and create an imbalance with estrogen. This also worsens all of the excess estrogen conditions mentioned above.

Working on environmental factors is a foundational approach that we should all use, but let's also talk about some solutions for common problems we all have experienced at one time or another and what we can do about them:

Cramps--The culprit here is typically a lack of magnesium. The typical American diet, particularly for those in their teens and 20's, is low in magnesium and magnesium levels are known to dip right before the period starts. The Calm magnesium drink or Flora liquid magnesium are great for immediate relief of cramps, as are the homeopathic Cyclease Cramp and YCramp, a vitamin and herbal supplement. The herb cramp bark is excellent for cramps and premenstrual issues and black cohosh can also provide relief. The better long term solution is to have adequate amounts of magnesium in the diet by consuming whole grains, nuts and sea vegetables and making sure that the hormones are balanced.

Heavy or Irregular Periods--Most often there is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, i.e. too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. Estrogen causes the lining of the uterus to build and it is opposed by a higher amount of progesterone in the second half of the cycle. Often times, using the herb chaste tree berry (also known as vitex) can correct this problem if used for a couple of cycles. It is believed that chaste tree works on the pituitary gland to promote progesterone and hence balances the estrogen/progesterone ratio. Since a lack of progesterone can also be caused by too much cortisol, the amount of stress a person is under must be considered. If stress is high, it would be wise to use an adaptogenic herb such as rhodiola, ashwaganda, or holy basil to get the adrenal glands back in balance. There is a supplement called Fem Rebalance that has a combination of herbs that address stress, hormone balancing and inflammation that will help hormone levels return to normal. I find this formula works well for many issues with the period including a lack of one, short or long cycles, and periods that go on for too long.

Difficulty Sleeping--Good quality sleep is very important to overall health. Human growth hormone, that which allows us to regenerate our bodies, is only produced during good quality sleep. Fluctuations in hormones can cause difficulty sleeping. If you have no trouble going to sleep, but wake and cannot return to sleep or wake frequently through the night, this is indicative of adrenal stress. Other signs of stressed adrenals are cravings for stimulants like sugar, caffeine or salt, an inability to handle stress, and a feeling of being "done" at 3:00 in the afternoon. The classic feeling of too much cortisol is "tired but wired". There are several herbs called adaptogens that nourish the adrenals and help the body return to balance. These include ginseng, schizandra, rhodiola, holy basil, ashwaganda, and others. Because it will take some time to rebalance the adrenals, sedative or calming herbs like lemon balm, passionflower, oats, or valerian (in order of strength, from mildest to strongest) can also be used before bedtime or upon waking.

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle and can be helpful for those who cannot fall asleep. Melatonin is secreted when you are in darkness and suppressed when you are in light. Light streaming into a bedroom from outside lights or street lamps can inhibit the release of melatonin and hence your ability to stay asleep. Melatonin is made from serotonin in the pineal gland, so those with low serotonin may be deficient in this hormone. Melatonin is a great antioxidant and therefore is considered an important anti-aging nutrient. If you want naturally occurring melatonin, concentrated sour cherry juice is a great source. The cherry juice is also beneficial for taking uric acid out of the body (gout) and removing lactic acid from the muscles after exercise. A typical dose of melatonin is 1-3 mg. A feeling of sluggishness in the morning indicates that you should reduce the amount you are taking or that perhaps melatonin is not the right thing for you.

5-HTP is made from tryptophan (found in animal protein sources) and then converts to serotonin, your feel-good hormone. Serotonin can promote sleep because of its calming effect and the fact that it is involved in melatonin production. For those with severe sleep issues, melatonin and 5-HTP can be combined. A supplement called Tranquil Sleep combines these 2 nutrients.

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