What hormone is driving your body today?

Females produce many sex hormones and understanding the role of each one is something not taught in schools, and yet is something inherently related to us if we are female.

This article is an overview of the female sex hormones.

Hormones are like our boy’s internal courier network. They carry a message or prompt an action from one gland to another gland or organ. For example, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which travels in the blood stream to the thyroid to stimulate metabolism.

Hormone imbalances are occurring en masse and not many traditional doctors (GPs) are trained in the management of these health problems. You are more likely to get answers, direction and results from a “holistic GP” with a hormone specialty or a naturopath.

Hormones are very important in your overall health. When they are out of balance or under produced you may feel low in energy, have poor sleep, have period issues, menopause problems, fertility issues, headaches, sore breasts, bloated stomach and bladder infections to name only a few!

Not only do they affect your physical self, they can also influence your mood, happiness, anger and irritability which in turn affects your relationships and direction in life.

The common female sex hormones include; Estrogens (there are a few types), Progesterone

Testosterone, Dhea –S, Prolactin, Luteinising Hormone (LH), and Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH). And stress hormones include; Cortisol and Melatonin.

Estrogens (spelt oestrogen in the USA)

These are a group of hormones including Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3). These are made by the ovaries (in pre-menopausal women) and fat tissue by conversion of DHEA-S and testosterone. Hence why over weight ladies have higher than normal Oestrogen levels which in turn STOPs them losing weight. Men also make estrogen, but in much smaller doses made in the testes. Imbalances can lead to fibroids, endometriosis, breast cancers, heavy periods, migraines, fat gain, bloating and depression.

Progesterone (P4)

Progesterone is a very important hormone and for various reasons ladies in Australia seem to have low levels. Rarely is it elevated and ideally it is in a ratio of oestrogen 1:50 (during days 1-14) and 1:200 (during days 14-28) in fertile ladies.

Imbalances can lead to heavy periods, miscarriages, dry skin and low mood.

Testosterone (TT)

Ladies produce testosterone in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands. Men make most of their TT in their testes and produce 10-20 times more than ladies throughout their lives. Imbalances can lead to anger, irritability, acne, body and facial hair, PCOS and infertility.

DHEA-S

DHEA -S is a precursor for estrogen and testosterone (in other words it gives birth to these hormones) during its metabolization process in the body. It isn’t as strong as testosterone but very important with anti-ageing and disease protection. Imbalances can lead to low energy levels.

Sam Beau Patrick likes to get a base line for many ladies and this is a straight forward saliva test (you spit into a small test tube) and costs $140. The results take approximately 2 weeks for the results return. You can order these through the www.byebyebridget.com website. Sam has a book called Beauty and the Beast Within also available from the www.byebyebridget.com site.

Obesity must be the biggest killer in the world

AS I sit aghast watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I applaud the inspirational approach Jamie takes to making change. Well Done!

It also makes me sad though- I feel we are watching forward waiting for a tsunami to hit (such as a HIV endemic, or an anthrax outbreak from a terrorist attack), while a mud slide is coming from behind about to wipe us out.

Obesity is affecting 50% of Australians.

Statistically it has poorer out-comes than breast cancer (from when I last looked anyway)!

If you look at statistics of Australian cohorts:          

                 

figures	obesity	breast cancer
incidences	1 in 2 people (50%)	only 1 in 9
recovery rates	10-15%	80%
cross over with other diseases	Multiple System failure – eg diabetes, heart disease, stroke risk. Terribly high association with obesity.	low. Usually singular disease state
public fear state and attitude	?? too complacent	Terrified

 

How have we allowed this modern and SO PREVENTABLE disease to evolve right beneath our commercially driven eyes? Maybe it is time to reassess who helps obese people in the country now. Maybe the message is wrong, may the professionals “hired to do the job” by the government – ie the general practitioner or dietician are failing to achieve their mandate. Maybe its time to give naturopaths some empowerment. Most of our obesity issue is half what we eat, but also the horrific stressful states we spend our lives trapped in. Life really isn’t so important that we have to get stressed about running late to the hair dresser but we do. So obesity needs to be treated with food in mind, but also the driving factors surrounding people’s perceived lack of time to cook, shop organically etc. and helping people make change in that area of their life, takes trust , inspiration and time. Not 3 minute medicine I am afraid.

Let a whollistic professional give it a go. Empower a few other trained and highly skilled practitioners to have a go. Naturopaths and nutritionist with tertiary education definitely should be medicare recognised.

Go Jamie Go! You are doing great things.

Eating Cat food – I don’t think so….

until you read this.

I have always place sardines and deep sea fish in that category of “cat food – if I have to, I will force myself to eat it”…

Until I read the food panel.

Sardines are one of the best sources of omega 3s (those magnificent essential fatty acids that are anti-ageing and anti-wrinkles)!!!

In fact consuming one tin of sardines is like having 2-4 PRACTITIONER omega 3 pills! If you have over the counter fish oils this may equate to 10-12 pills – do your own comparison.

Here is a break down of the food panel:

	per serving	per 100g
energy	634j	576 KJ
protein	14.6g	13.3g
fat total	9.2 g	8.4g
- omega 3 fats	1640mg	1500mg
------- EPA	644mg	595mg
--------DHA	1000mg	910mg
carbs	2.5g	2.3g

The warnings are the sodium content – a little high at 653 per tin, but calcium is 200mg +.

This is a John West Panel of sardines in tomato sauce – the only way I can consume the slippery suckers. But so worth it.

I know there are moral issues about Dolphins and John West, but to be honest, I don’t know of any reputable, big sea fisherman – let me know if you do and we will all jump ship (so as to speak).

Eating deep sea fish does have the risk of consuming too much mercury (as deep sea fish eat all the other fish along the way,so accumulate the most junk and heavy metals – technically deep sea fish are at the bottom of  the food chain), so in line with the USA FDA – pregnant women are advised not to consume deep sea fish and to get their omega 3 from elsewhere.

So if it has been a few years since you have snacked on some sardines – give them a whirl. Yes they are a little oily – that is the idea. Spread them on ryvitas, rice cakes, or a good quality bread. Enjoy!