How Stress Impacts Your Energy, Mood and Hormones

Is stress wreaking havoc on your health?

Stress can easily become an everyday experience, and some of us are so used to being regularly stressed that we now feel this is just our ‘normal’ state!

Over time stress can contribute to many symptoms and health concerns. If you experience some of these issues, it’s likely stress is involved to some degree:

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Brain Fog

• Digestive Issues such as IBS and Bloating

• Changes in Weight

• Hair Loss

• Increased Infections/Colds/Flus

• Period Problems (PMS, Heavy or Painful Periods, Irregular Periods)

• Lack of Motivation and Apathy

• Skin Issues - Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis

HOW YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM WORKS

Your nervous system and stress response are designed to help you in a life threatening situation - to allow you to fight or run away from danger.

This is called your SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System or ‘Fight or Flight’) and when Cortisol (one of your major stress hormones) is pumped through your body to give you the energy to fight or run.

Once the danger has gone, your cortisol level decreases and your nervous system calms down to its preferred state called PSNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System or ‘Rest and Digest’).

Our bodies are designed to spend most time in a calm state. However many of us are now living on cortisol and stress every day. While our bodies can cope with this demand for so long, they will eventually start to suffer and health issues will start to appear.

Certain functions in your body are shut down or minimised during a stress response (when cortisol increases) to direct energy to where it’s needed most, in helping you to escape danger. This is primarily to your muscles, heart and lungs so you can run or fight, while other areas are minimised such as digestion. While this process is great in short bursts, your body is unable to sustain optimal health when vital processes such as digestion, are regularly impaired.

ENERGY, MOOD AND HORMONES

The HPA (Hypothalamus - Pituitary- Adrenal) Axis is how your brain and body communicate during stress, and regulate the release of Cortisol from your adrenal glands.

If the HPA axis is constantly activated, then Cortisol levels will be higher. Cortisol can give us energy, and make us feel ‘wired’ and anxious if we experience regular stress.

However, after a certain amount of time, our body will be unable to keep up with the extra demand and cortisol production can then become too low - leading to fatigue, exhaustion, brain fog and depression.

You may also experience swings and crashes in energy and mood, due to the concurrent changes in blood sugar levels which are also influenced by stress and Cortisol.

As cortisol is a ‘life saving’ hormone, it is given preference over the production of other hormones such as progesterone and thyroid hormones.

Over time this preference can deplete the level of thyroid hormones and progesterone your body produces, thereby leading to hypothyroidism and low progesterone (in comparison to Estrogen). These hormone imbalances can lead to symptoms such as:

• Fatigue

• Constipation

• Hair Loss

• High Cholesterol

• Weight Gain

• Infertility

• Increased risk of miscarriage

• Anxiety

• Period Changes (PMS, Painful periods, Irregular periods, Fluid Retention)

While there may be other factors involved such as nutritional deficiencies, ongoing stress can be a major contributor to hormone imbalances.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

If we ignore the signs our body gives us and continue to operate from stress, our symptoms and health issues will likely become more chronic and much harder to recover from. This burn out stage may take 6 months, 5 years or 10 years - everyone has a different level of resilience, however it’s best to not push this to the limit!

This is a big reason why it’s always best to try and prevent these conditions, rather than trying to recover once they are well advanced.

There are some great herbs and supplements that can help calm a stressed nervous system, such as Magnesium, Lemon Balm, Lavender and GABA.

There are also many tools you can practice, that can have huge benefits for your nervous system such as:

• Becoming aware of stressors and implementing strategies to help manage stress

• Learning to slow down without feeling guilty

• Implementing Boundaries especially in regards to your time and energy

• Prioritising sleep

• Breathing properly

• Spending time in Nature

• Gentle to moderate exercise

• Music, writing, reading, creative hobbies

• Taking a bath with magnesium salts

• Meditating

• Minimising sugar, alcohol and caffeine

• Spending time with like minded people

A lot of our stress is perceived stress, ie. not even ‘real’, but we can worry and stress ourselves out about what might happen or not go right. This imagined stress unfortunately produces the same stress response and has the same health consequences as real physical danger would. Becoming aware of our thoughts and learning to manage them can also be a great practice to support your nervous system.

If you’d like to work on calming your nervous system to improve energy, mood or hormones, please get in touch.

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your Energy, Mood and Hormones - check out my Free Guide here.

To find out more about working together to improve your health - click here.

Natural Treatment for Painful or Heavy Periods

Do you experience painful and/or heavy periods?

Unfortunately, this experience can be very debilitating and frustrating for women, and conventional treatment can be limited as well as taking many years to provide a diagnosis. 

Conventional medicine usually offers bandaid solutions such as the OCP or Mirena (which have their place but are not resolving the underlying issues), or removal of tissue or organs including hysterectomy. While excision surgery can help, it’s common for symptoms to return at a later date.

If you’d like to understand which factors contribute to painful/heavy periods and other treatment options, please read on….

THREE UNDERLYING FACTORS

 NUMBER 1

One of the major factors underlying painful and heavy periods is a hormone imbalance consisting of Estrogen dominance and Progesterone deficiency.

This type of imbalance may also contribute to other symptoms such as:

• Fluid Retention

• PMS

• Anxiety

• Fertility Issues

• Fibroids and Cysts

This hormone imbalance can develop over time due to multiple reasons such as:

•  Ongoing use of medications including OCP, Mirena, Antibiotics, Corticosteroids

• Ongoing stress

• Alcohol use

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (found in fragrances, make up, skin care, plastics, pesticides)

• Poor liver function

• Gut bacteria imbalance (dysbiosis)

• Insulin resistance

• Genetic variants

You can assess your hormone balance through a blood, saliva or urine test, depending on your budget and the level of information you require.

NUMBER 2

Another factor that may contribute to painful periods is immune dysfunction.

Endometriosis and Adenomyosis share similarities, and are associated with an increased risk of auto immune conditions.

In simple terms this means your immune system has become confused and cell growth may become uncontrolled, or your own cells may be damaged leading to chronic inflammation and pain.

A large part of your immune system is located in your gut, so gut health also plays a large role here.

Your liver and gut bacteria are also involved in the metabolism and elimination of excess hormones, helping to keep your hormones in balance.

Again these imbalances and dysfunction can develop over time, due to similar reasons as mentioned above.

NUMBER 3

The third factor that may contribute to and exacerbate period pain is dietary.  This reaction can be due to intolerance and increased inflammation.

The main trigger is A1 dairy products, especially drinking milk.  Switching to A2 or goats/sheeps dairy may help, as this is generally less reactive and inflammatory.

If you experience painful periods, it may be worth experimenting with dairy, and eliminating A1 dairy for 2-3 months to see how you feel.

NATURAL TREATMENTS

As you can see there are commonly more than one factor that contributes to painful and heavy periods.

Getting your hormones tested can help determine which treatment will give you the quickest relief from your symptoms.

If you’re having to rely on pain killers every month, there’s likely natural treatment that can help reduce your symptoms and improve the underlying imbalances. This will also help reduce your risk of hormonal conditions later in life.

Some supplements that may help with period pain include:

•  Broccoli extract (Indole-3-Carbinol and DIM)

• Chaste Tree

• Turmeric

• Magnesium

• St Mary’s Thistle

• Iodine and Iron (if deficient)

• Gut and Immune support (pre/probiotics, zinc, vitamin A)

• Dietary and Lifestyle such as minimising sugars, alcohol, dairy, stress management, using toxin free skin care.

It’s always best to get personalised testing and treatment when possible, as this will eliminate guesswork and give you the best results.

If you’re ready to reduce period pain book your consultation today :-)

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your Energy, Mood and Hormones - check out my Free Guide here.

To find out more about working together to improve your health - click here.

Causes of Anxiety and Natural Treatments That Help

Do you experience anxiety regularly?

During my journey with anxiety, I’ve realised it is rarely one single factor that’s causing anxiety.  And trying to rid yourself of ALL anxiety, can just make it worse!

There can be many factors that may contribute to increased anxiety.  Here are the main ones I have seen in myself and clients, and some of the natural treatments that can help:

HORMONE IMBALANCES

Hormone Imbalances can develop over time due to ongoing stress, dietary choices, contraceptive medications and post pregnancy.

The main hormone imbalances that may contribute to anxiety are

·      Low Progesterone

·      High Cortisol

·      Unregulated blood glucose (or Insulin Resistance)

These hormones can also impact our sleep quality, which can be another factor that contributes to increased anxiety levels.

Naturopath’s can help with testing your hormones and use specific supplements and lifestyle choices to improve hormone balance and anxiety. 

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Our bodies and mind run on nutrients and minerals.  If these are deficient, they may contribute to anxiety.

The major mineral that can become deficient, especially with ongoing stress, is Magnesium.

Anxiety and stress usually go hand in hand, and increase our bodies demand for magnesium.  When magnesium is low we may experience more anxiety, tension, spasms, cramps, headaches, constipation and insomnia.

There are other nutrients that support brain and mood such as B Vitamins, Omega 3 Oils and Vitamin D, however minerals such as Magnesium and certain amino acids such as glycine, can have more of a calming effect.

EXPECTATIONS AND ENVIRONMENT

Another factor that may contribute to anxiety is not living in alignment with our values and goals.  Also if we place high expectations on ourselves, others and situations this may also increase anxiety.

Our beliefs about ourself, and how we perceive situations can also increase stress and anxiety.

Certain environments and people can also contribute to anxiety, as can being a ‘people pleaser’, or not upholding boundaries for yourself.

Can you relate to any of these?

Becoming aware and mindful of these influences, and learning techniques to change them or cope with them,  may help you reduce anxiety.

LIFESTYLE

I have used substances in the past, such as alcohol, to try and feel less anxious.  While it can seem to help in the short term, alcohol use can reduce GABA especially the day after drinking.  GABA is an important calming neurotransmitter, and counteracts the stimulating effects of cortisol (our major stress hormone). 

Less GABA can lead to increased anxiety.

Stimulants such as caffeine, can also increase cortisol and feelings of anxiety.

While living a sedentary life is not great for mood and health, doing excessive or intense exercise may also increase cortisol and anxiety. 

If you’re an anxious person, you will likely feel calmer and more energetic with low intensity exercise such as walking, cycling and gentle yoga.

The foods we eat also have a huge impact on our mood and nervous system.  Including quality protein and fats at each meal helps to keep our blood sugar more stable, and can help us feel less frantic and more grounded.  Eating lots of carbohydrates and sugar can exacerbate our experience of stress and anxiety.

NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION

If your body and nervous system is constantly or regularly stressed out and over stimulated, you’ll be much more likely to experience anxiety.

Our Sympathetic Nervous System is only designed to be active for occasional short bursts, to get us out of ‘danger’, however many of us live in a constant sympathetic state due to our busy lives.

While our bodies can tolerate this for some time, eventually we will reach burn out and chronic fatigue, among other health issues.

In the short term we’re more likely to feel anxiety, tension, irritability, have trouble sleeping, experience digestive issues and get sick more often.

Our body and mind need time to rest and recharge (our Para-Sympathetic Nervous System).  We are not designed to live in a chronically stressed state.

Many daily habits can impact our nervous system such as time spent in front of screens, our self talk, work and family commitments.

We need to actively make time to rest and recharge.  Spending time in nature can be a great way to start.  As well as learning to say no, and not over committing ourselves. 

Learn to practice self care, be kind to yourself and slow down without the guilt – these can also help reduce stress and anxiety.

 It’s normal to experience some anxiety in times of stress, but if anxiety is regularly affecting your quality of life, there are natural treatments that can help.

A Naturopath can help you assess which of these factors are most significant to your experience of anxiety, and help you feel calmer with the right tests, supplements and lifestyle changes. 

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your Energy, Mood and Hormones - check out my Free Guide here.

To find out more about working together to improve your health - click here.

Top 5 Hormone Imbalances in Women

Do you experience

• fatigue

• period problems

• trouble regulating your weight

• fertility challenges or

• changes in mood?

Hormone imbalances are very common especially in women over 30 years old.  You can have a hormone imbalance before it’s bad enough to be ‘diagnosed’ as a specific condition.  If you’re experiencing symptoms then it’s likely you can benefit from improving your hormone balance.

Here are the top 5 hormone imbalances and what you can do to improve your symptoms.

THYROID

While you can have an over functioning thyroid, the most common imbalance is an under functioning thyroid or hypothyroidism.  This can be an autoimmune condition (Hashimotos) or may be bought on by ongoing stress or nutrient deficiencies such as Iodine, Zinc, Selenium and Iron. It’s also more common in females and if you have a family history of thyroid issues.

 Symptoms of hypothyroidism include

• fatigue

• weight gain

• constipation

• brain fog

• hair loss

• cold hands/feet

• dry skin

• mood changes

• irregular periods

• high cholesterol

Most testing is only based on your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) as this is generally covered by Medicare.  However you need to see your TSH, T3 and T4 levels to understand how well your thyroid is really functioning.

Your levels can be on the low side but you may be told your thyroid is ‘fine’ if it’s still within range.  However you want your levels to be optimal, not just scraping in at the bottom of the range, and this is where quality supplements and lifestyle changes can help.

PROGESTERONE & ESTROGEN

Progesterone and Estrogen can become imbalanced over time from many factors including ongoing stress, use of the OCP, thyroid issues, poor food choices and sedentary lifestyle.

 Symptoms can include

• PMS

• anxiety

• irregular cycles

• painful and/or heavy periods

• endometriosis

• fertility issues

You may also experience

• fluid retention

• headaches

• bloating

• sore breasts (especially prior to your period)

• fibroids

• cysts

• low libido

This hormone imbalance may contribute to symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and may also play a role in the development of breast and ovarian cancers.

 As you can see these two hormones can contribute to many symptoms and have a huge impact on how we feel mentally and physically.

You can check your levels through a blood or saliva test – usually this is done around day 21 of your cycle or after ovulation (Luteal Phase).  Again your results may be ‘in the range’, however if you are on the low side and experiencing symptoms, you could benefit from treatment. You need to check Progesterone and Estrogen together so you can determine if they are in a healthy balance.

CORTISOL

Cortisol is our major stress hormone, and can be helpful in small amounts, however if we experience ongoing stress our cortisol levels can increase. 

This can cause symptoms such as

• anxiety

• insomnia

• irritability

• weight changes

• feeling ‘wired and tired’

• high blood pressure

• digestive issues   

If this stress and high cortisol continues for too long, we can then reach burn out stage where our cortisol level plummets – resulting in exhaustion and chronic fatigue, ‘adrenal fatigue’, low mood, dizziness and low blood pressure.

Our body considers cortisol ‘essential’ in that it helps protects us from danger by giving us the energy to fight or run.  However much of the danger and stress we experience in the modern world can be imagined stress – and this has the same side effects on our body.

Ongoing changes in cortisol, such as ongoing stress, has a big impact on the balance of our other hormones such as thyroid and progesterone – as our body prioritises producing cortisol to protect us.

This is why stress management is so important for keeping your hormones in a happy balance.  Ongoing stress can also contribute to inflammation and accelerated ageing.  Chronic stress also impairs our immune system which protects us from infections and inhibits cancer development.

Cortisol is meant to be higher in the morning and reduces over the day, so the best test to get checks your salivary cortisol a few times over a 24 hour period to see what your cortisol pattern is. 

INSULIN

Insulin is produced by your body to keep blood sugar levels stable.

Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can contribute to fluctuations in energy and mood, and contribute to weight gain.  You may also experience sugar cravings and insulin resistance is common in PCOS and contributes to the development of Diabetes.

In general, keeping your blood sugar stable and minimising sugars in your diet has an anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effect in your body and brain, so it’s a good habit to get into for long term health and quality of life.

You can do a fasted blood glucose or Insulin blood test, or there are more in depth testing options such as HBA1c.

Insulin is heavily influenced by our food and lifestyle choices – so what we do most of the time will have a big impact on Insulin and our hormone balance.

TESTOSTERONE

While Testosterone is higher in men, levels in women are also important and can contribute to symptoms and hormonal issues.

 Low Testosterone can contribute to

• fatigue

• low libido

• weight changes

• muscle weakness

High Testosterone may contribute to PCOS, excess hair growth, adult acne and fertility issues.

You can check Testosterone through a blood or saliva test.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT HORMONE BALANCE?

STRESS MANAGEMENT – this is a big one for most people and something we need to practice every day!  Become aware of what causes you stress, and how you can perceive and respond to situations to reduce the stress you experience.  There are also some simple daily habits you can incorporate to help calm your nervous system - read here.

NUTRITION – Minimise sugars, include quality protein and fats and a variety of colourful vegetables – as these provide the building blocks for hormones.  You can read more here about the importance of counting nutrients over calories.

EXERCISE – if you’re already stressed and tired, low intensity exercise may be more beneficial for you.  Try slow walks outside, a bike ride, or gentle yoga. Listen to how your body is feeling and find movement you enjoy.

MINIMISE HORMONE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS– these are found in many products we use every day, especially as women.  The main group is called phthalates and are found in fragrances, plastics, body/skin care, cosmetics and cookware. Using a water filter is important to minimise fluoride (which can inhibit Iodine and Thyroid function) and chlorine and pesticides which disrupt our good gut bacteria.

GUT HEALTH – is really important for elimination of excess hormones and the toxins and chemicals that can disrupt hormones and health. If you experience digestive symptoms, especially constipation, chat to a Naturopath about how you can improve your digestive function.

MAGNESIUM is a calming mineral and can help calm your nervous system, and therefore help with stress, sleep, anxiety, headaches and tension.  Taking magnesium can also help with blood sugar, thyroid hormones and progesterone – so it can be a great supplement to start on.  Take 300mg per day of magnesium glycinate or chelate.

There are also specific nutrients and herbs to support hormones depending on your imbalance.  Vitex may help with low progesterone, iodine deficiency is common in thyroid issues, and the herb Licorice may help improve low cortisol. 

If you’d like to test your hormones or get support to improve your hormone levels, please send me a message.

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your Energy, Mood and Hormones - check out my Free Guide here.

To find out more about working together to improve your health - click here.

Five Daily Habits To Calm Your Nervous System

Do you feel stressed on a daily basis?

Are you experiencing anxiety, insomnia or fatigue?

These daily habits can help reduce cortisol (our stress hormone), calm your nervous system and improve sleep and energy.

Cortisol can be helpful in short bursts, but ongoing stress and cortisol production can eventually lead to fatigue, anxiety or depression, weight gain and hormone imbalances such as thyroid issues.

In our fast paced society it’s great if you can actively practice calming your nervous system every day.

SPEND TIME IN NATURE

Spending time in nature can be a great way to relax and recharge, and has been shown to reduce cortisol and stress.  Maybe you can start or finish the day with some time outdoors, or include some nature in your weekend activities. A slow walk outdoors, a trip to the beach or laying under a tree in the park can all help calm your nervous system.

TAKE A QUALITY MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT

Magnesium soothes our nervous system and helps us feel more calm.  It also helps relieve muscle tension, headaches and improve sleep.  We tend to burn up more magnesium when we are stressed, and it can be hard to get enough magnesium through diet alone.  Look for a quality Magnesium Citrate or Glycinate and take a 300mg dose – it can be helpful to take this at night if you have trouble sleeping.

LOW INTENSITY EXERCISE

Exercise has many health benefits, however if our body is stressed and exhausted, high intensity or excessive exercise can further exhaust us.  It may be more beneficial to incorporate low intensity exercise which will help regulate cortisol, energy and weight.

Take notice of your energy levels to determine which activities help you feel best.  Walking, bike rides and general yoga may be more suited to you if your energy is low.

PRIORITISE SLEEP

One of the most important ways your body and mind can relax and recharge is during sleep.  Quality sleep helps to regulate cortisol and calm your nervous system. Aim to get 7-8 hours as often as possible.  There are many sleep hygiene practices and specific supplements that can help improve sleep duration and quality. Start by winding down before bed with something relaxing such as reading, listening to music or a guided meditation, or taking a bath.

MINIMISE STIMULANTS

Stimulants such as caffeine and sugar can contribute to increased cortisol and blood sugar fluctuations.  These hormonal changes have a huge impact on our stress levels, energy, mood and sleep quality.  Minimise stimulants where possible and if you’re needing energy try a Vitamin B Complex, COQ10 or Rhodiola – these can all help with energy and have a positive effect on your nervous system.

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your Energy, Mood and Hormones - check out my Free Guide here.

To find out more about working together to improve your health - click here.