The more I understand and study relationships, the more I need to understand the science of bio chemistry. The study of hormones has such a huge imact on our health, our happiness, and the quality of our love lives and without an awareness you are going to feel overwhelmed,doughy and prematurly age. I’m not over exaggeraing the point. I’ve listed the 12 hormonal facts that now come to rule my life (and make me a brilliant therapist). They have changed my life as a woman over 40 and I think they will change yours.
1. Hormones are healing and if they start to drop you start to age (and OMG look like your Mother as your hair and skin change). You are suseptable to disease, and you begin to feel crazy. You are like the slow, aging gazelle at the back of the pack. And you know what hppened to them.
2.Menopause is PMS times 100. And women are crazy as loons when we are hormonal. Understand that you can’t stop yourself when they hit (I describe hormones as trying to pretend your sober when you’re drunk.) You really don’t want to strangle someone but you can’t help yourself. Manage your hormones before you kill someone (or yell at them).
3. Menopause process starts about 35 and you should be watching your bloodwork closely to see a drop and replace them with bio-identical hormones, starting in your early 30’s. DON’T WAIT UNTIL 50.
4. If you eat too much sugar your stress hormone – cortisol is released (as insulin os released) and you feel even more stressed out than when you started. Try PGX to balance blood sugar and eat whole foods. I struggle with this one, but remind myself I prematurely age when I binge on sugar.
5. You need nurturing time (puttering, attended to, romance, admired, feeding people) to increase your oxytocin levels. At the end of the day they are depleted, and you feel overwhelmed. Factor in time to kibbitz with other women.
6. Men with low testosterone look like they are pregnant. Beer bellies are a quick signthat all is not right with their hormone levels. They need “cave time” watching TV, solving problems or chilling to raise their testosterone levels. Statins (meds to lower chlorestorol) also lowers tstosterone.
7. There is NO MEDICAL STUDY that says pure hormones causes breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men. The WHI study used synthetic hormonal medication, and it was the toxicity of the medication that increased your chance for cancer (simplified but my understanding of the study supports this conclusion).
8. Estrogen is linked to memory. 70% of alzheimer patients are women, espcically thin women with no belly fat or who have had a hysteretomy). Keep your estrogen levels balanced.
9. Low DHEA (the mothering hormone) had been linked to breast cancer. Stressed out women have lower DHEA. Plan time in your day to do something for yourself. It actualy increases your hormonal levels. (a little simplified a statement but I havethe science to back it up).
10. Increasing your libido starts with food, supplements (especially Omega 3’s), dark chocolate, kegal exercises and the occasional date nights.
11. Don’t let your doctor say that hormones are bad. Even the SOGC (gynaecology asociation) now says that hormones may be protective for bones, heart, brain, libido and quality of life. If your doctor won’t help you out get a new one (or an additional one).
12. Hormones trick nature into thinking you are younger and prevent disease.They make you hornier, happier, calmer and will keep you from drooling in an old age home somewhere. Shouldn’t you look at them? I can help if you need further information.