Stress can worsen or contribute to PMS. This is because stress can delay ovulation, which can impact progesterone production. PMS symptoms can often be linked to imbalances in estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone has anti-anxiety effects due to its relationship with GABA, your natural relaxation mood chemical. It is important to understand ways to reduce stress and PMS symptoms because they are so tightly linked together.
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a hormone-related condition that can affect your cycle and infertility. If untreated, PCOS can eventually develop and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is diagnosed by having two out of the following three symptoms listed below. As a syndrome, there is a collection of symptoms that are patient dependent. Due to this, PCOS can present very differently from person to person. It is important to understand your root causes driving your condition and receive proper treatment per each cause.
Hormones are the chemicals in our body that control many functions like hunger, thirst, energy, activity, emotions, fertility, sleep, and stress. All of our hormones are connected, so when one becomes imbalanced, this can set off a cascade in our body. As this cascade occurs, our body signals this to us through many symptoms like pain, inflammation, constipation, stress, fatigue, infertility, extreme cravings, and changes in weight. We need to pay attention to these symptoms and figure out the root cause of them.
Androgens are hormones we often think of as male hormones but women have these as well just in lower amounts than men. Testosterone is produced in the ovaries, and DHEA is produced by our adrenal glands, the same glands responsible for producing cortisol. High androgens are one of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is important to notice high androgen symptoms to give you a clue as to if you have PCOS as well.
Testosterone root cause - blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistance because the ovary will produce more testosterone with higher insulin levels - ovarian androgen
The gut is made up of the small and large intestine. The entire inside lining of these intestines is made up of tightly packed cells that let in food particles so that we can utilize their nutrients. These cells need to stay tightly packed in a tight junction to properly allow the digestion of food particles and nutrients to get through. Damage to these cells can create larger gaps between the cells and larger undigested food and pathogens can enter leading to inflammation and bloating. In addition, the gut is also lined with a wide diversity of good bacteria that help you to absorb nutrients and fight off pathogens and toxins from entering the body’s cells.
Digestive problems can be really frustrating and affect your daily life. If you are experiencing certain issues with your gut health, this can affect your hormone balance. The most common gut symptoms include bloating, gas, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. In addition, some related issues are inflammatory skin reactions, brain fog, low mood, and joint pain. Your hormones and gut are undeniably connected, so it's important to look into what can be a cause of digestive problems.
Ovulation is the main event of the menstrual cycle. It occurs during the halfway point in the menstrual cycle for one day. Ovulation is when the egg gets released from the ovary into the fallopian tube to prepare for fertilization and pregnancy. Progesterone is the hormone that promotes pregnancy and ovulation, and if progesterone is low, then you may not be ovulating (pro meaning to upgrade and gesterone meaning pregnancy).
Stress can delay your period. When it comes to our period, managing stress will take precedence over producing our sex hormones. Many nutrients are building blocks for both progesterone, a hormone that helps us ovulate, and cortisol, our stress hormone. Due to this progesterone levels can decrease as a result of high stress, which will cause a delay in ovulation and a delay in period. Delaying your period can come in the form of a missing period, a late period, or no period.
Low stomach acid, or hypochlorhydria, can be the cause behind some of your frustrating gut symptoms like bloating or indigestion—digestive issues highly related to our hormone, mental, and physical health.
Stomach acid plays a crucial role in the digestion process. It helps to break down our food, particularly our protein-rich foods, to absorb the nutrients. It also helps to kill off any germs/bacteria from food or things we ingest to protect the body from infection.
