How We Were Designed
A woman’s body has two main reproductive hormones. Estrogen and Progesterone. Estrogen is the growth hormone responsible for proliferation of the cells in the lining of the uterus enabling a fertilized egg to implant. Progesterone is the counter hormone that
should be found in the second half of the cycle. It is released into the body when a woman ovulates. It is responsible for sustaining the newly fertilized egg that has implanted in the uterine lining.
Progesterone also functions to:
· Increase Libido
· Stimulate new bone building
· Normalize blood sugar levels
· Help prevent breast cancer
· Prevent endometrial cancer
· Facilitate thyroid hormone function
· Help use fat for energy
· Act as natural antidepressant
· Maintain proper cell oxygen levels
· Aids in embryo survival
Estrogen and Progesterone work perfectly together in the body when in proper proportions. What is more and more common, however, is that these hormones become off balanced, often in favor of estrogen, leaving many of us progesterone deficient. In fact, the late John Lee, MD, a leading researcher and authority on natural progesterone, estimated that North American women by the age of 35 are not making much, if any, progesterone and are “estrogen dominant.”
The Women’s Health Initiative Study published in the Journal of American Medicine, July 2002, found that traditional synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) greatly increased the incidence of breast cancer, heart attacks, blood clots, and pulmonary embolus within the first year of therapy. The results were so overwhelming that the FDA ruled it was unethical to continue the study. It was putting women at too much risk for serious and possibly fatal side effects.
One of the best treatments for osteoporosis happens to be progesterone. It’s much better than estrogen in this regard. And because progesterone reduces the level of insulin-the number one hormone that causes the accumulation of fat in most people--it can be used to help control weight.
Dr. Michael E. Platt
Some Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
· PMS
· Irritability
· Depression
· Anxiety
· Hot Flashes
· Irregular Periods
· Mood Swings
· Fatigue
· Infertility
· Osteoporosis
· Sleep Disturbances
· Thyroid Dysfunction
· Unexplained Weight Gain
· Migraines
· Dry Skin
· Hair Loss
· Fluid Retention
· Vaginal Dryness
· Night Sweats
· Lack of Concentration
· Loss of interest in sex
· Heavy or painful periods
· Fibromyalgia
· Fibrocystic Breasts
· Breast Cancer
· Difficulty losing weight
·
How do hormones become unbalanced?
Stress--North American women are on the go, go, go. The body perceives crisis, signaling not to ovulate, thus no progesterone is made. Additionally the adrenals are called upon to create cortisol, which uses progesterone as a building block, furthering the downward cycle.
RX’s--Birth Control Pills, Hormone Replacement Therapies etc (Please not that Progestins used in traditional HRT are NOT the same as natural progesterone)
Diet--Many animals are fed estrogen as a growth hormone to get them fattened up for market more quickly, which is then passed on to the consumer and stored in the fat cells. Sugar and refined starches also act as false estrogens, disturbing hormonal balance. Too much soy in the diet can also contribute to estrogen dominance.
Environment--Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and most household cleaning products are extremely toxic. In addition, petroleum-based personal care products containing mineral oil, petrolatum or animal by-products can contribute to hormone imbalance by leaching toxins through the skin.
A 1996 Johns Hopkins study concluded that women low in natural progesterone have an 80% higher risk of developing breast cancer and that the risk of developing other malignant cancers increases ten-fold.
What can be done to achieve hormone balance?
A few simple changes can drastically improve your quality of life...
1. Eat organic as much as possible. Look for meat and dairy products that are free of hormones and antibiotics. Lower your consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates (pastas, white bread and white rice, alcohol), and trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated oils, margarine, fried foods). Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
2. Eat at least 3 meals a day; protein at every meal; eggs, fish, lean meat, whey protein, vegetarian protein such as dried peas, beans.
3. Never use plastics in the microwave or hot foods in styrofoam. It is debated that when heated, plastics release cancer-causing and hormone-altering gases called Dioxins.
4. Use cleaning products that are non-toxic.
5. Garden organically -avoid garden chemicals and growth promoters.
6. Supplement with natural Progesterone cream on clean bare skin. Look for USP grade Progesterone in a cream base free of mineral oil, petrolatum or other ingredients that could prevent transdermal absorption. Ideally the balancing cream should be dispensed through an airtight, metered-dose pump container to avoid contamination, minimize oxidation to maintain potency and regulate the dose.
7. Supplement your diet with natural, top-quality vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes to aid in digestion.They must meet the USP standard of a 30-minute disintegration time or they will pass through the digestive tract unused.
8. Use personal care products that can be trusted to be pure, safe and offer beneficial properties. Find skin care, hair care, makeup and cleansing products that are of premium quality that contain no harmful ingredients:
· No mineral oil,
· No SD40 alcohol
· No animal-derived ingredients (collagen, lanolin, elastin)
· No chemical fragrances or dyes
· No Parabens,
· No Phthalates,
· No Propylene Glycol
· No Paraffin,
· No PABA,
· No DEA
