IBS, short for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is characterized by a cluster of symptoms: gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, mucus in your stool — and often, pain and cramping.
IBS, short for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is characterized by a cluster of symptoms: gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, mucus in your stool — and often, pain and cramping.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for women and men in the United States. In fact, with responsibility for a staggering 30% of all deaths globally, CVD is the leading cause of death on the planet.
The subject of coffee and health has been a topic discussed forever in the media. Is it a healthy addition to your daily diet?
I have a love-hate relationship with coffee. I did not start drinking it until after I had my three children. I then became quite obsessed with my daily coffee intake. Then moving forward a few years and my diagnosis with IBS. UGH!! So, there is so much trial and error involved in finding your individual triggers when you have IBS. I have come to the conclusion that coffee is taxing my system right now and decided to do a trial 30 day detox from my daily coffee. The thought seems quite daunting but at the end of the 30 days I will reintroduce coffee into my morning regime and notice any reactions that my body may or may not have.
Do you have or have you experienced in the past six months:
(courtesy of the The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sarah Gottfried)
These are just a few of the questions to identify any undiagnosed hormonal problems we all may face. One of the most common myths about hormones is that we don’t need to worry about them until we are in menopause. Many hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone can shift beginning in our twenties.
A brief overview of the top 3 hormones in women and their job descriptions- estrogen, thyroid and cortisol. These 3 hormones affect yor brain, body, stress and weight:
In addition, we have progesterone that counterbalances estrogen and controls our emotions, sleep and regulates the uterine lining.
What does this all mean you may ask?? Well, we want to try and keep the 3 top hormones in balance. This is how they work:
As you can see from the diagram cholesterol is the mother of most hormones. The adrenal glands which sit on top of the kidneys convert cholesterol into progesterone and DHEA which are then further converted.
It is very easy for these hormones to become unbalanced. Here are some common scenarios for hormone imbalances:
Everything is interrelated… So if you experience high levels of stress (ie. a sickness, heavy work load, juggling kids schedules etc..) your cortisol levels increase and if they remain high for long periods of time, that can block cells from getting progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone required to calm you down and improve your sleep.
This blog just scratches the surface of the hormones and their affects on our bodies but it is a start in opening up the dialogue for what we all may be too afraid to confront. The most important thing you can do if you feel your hormones are out of whack is to empower and educate yourself. You are not alone in this and being proactive is the only way to get answers.
Feel free to comment with questions and concerns. Let’s open up the dialogue about these crazy hormones that can affect our daily life!!