Stress & Hormones

Stress is a word that is frequently used, and stress may mean different things to different people.  From a physiological perspective, the stress-response is about protecting the individual from danger – keeping them safe.  So, the classic way to describe this is the “fight or flight response”.  This physiological response works perfectly well if you are a zebra running away from a lion on an African savannah – as soon as the threat is over (the zebra ran away or got eaten), then everything returns to normal (the zebras that survived the attack go back to grazing).  However, it works less well for us humans that continually have this threat-response in everyday life – the daily commute or the school run, followed by a demanding boss etc.  Add to this a less than ideal diet, not enough sleep and little or no exercise (sometimes too much exercise), and then the human body begins to suffer. 

Chronic, ongoing activation of the stress-response system can disrupt almost all your body's processes

This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment

There are more than 100 hormones circulating in your body. Reproductive hormones (sex hormones; oestrogens, progesterone, testosterone), metabolic hormones, stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA) are constantly sending messages from the brain to the body, the body to the brain, and between all of the organs and tissues.  In good health our complex hormonal system works together like an orchestra, ensuring that everything is balanced and harmonious.  However, when things go wrong you can develop a variety of (apparently) un-related signs and symptoms, often vague to start with, but over time these can lead to debilitating health challenges. 

Your diet, your lifestyle, how much exercise you do, and how much rest and sleep you get can all impact on your hormonal health. 

Which Stress and Hormones related condition can Nutrition help with? 
I can support you if you have the following conditions:

• Stress, insomnia, finding life too hard
• Irregular / heavy periods
• Premenstrual symptoms (premenstrual syndrome)
• Polycystic Ovaries / Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Fibroids
• Peri-menopausal symptoms – hot flushes & night sweats
• Menopausal symptoms – loss of libido, vaginal dryness
• Low thyroid function
• Osteoporosis / Osteopenia

I nearly always recommend further testing to better understand what is going on, and to enable me to make specific recommendations for appropriate supplements.  These tests may include simple, at home tests or in-depth functional testing. 

I offer appointment packages which gives you the support that you need to reach your goals.  Please call me to discuss further - I offer a free 20-minute discovery call to help you understand how nutritional therapy make the difference to you - to help you achieve true well-being and vitality.