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clear search termsMyths & Missteps Hormones Balancing
Hi!
I am so excited to share this Facebook Live and THESE POWERFUL PEARLS of functional medicine with you. At SAFM we teach our students to be both confident and highly skilled at “puzzle piecing” and finding the interconnectedness between pieces of each patient’s unique case.
In this presentation, I’ll share a few staples but also some unexpected connections which might surprise you!
Hormones are powerful, complex messenger molecules in the body. They are sending chemical signals 24/7, to assure activities throughout the body are coordinated in response to our environment. This is the beautiful *dance* of the hormones that includes metabolic, stress, and sex hormones. Of course, there are many things which can challenge and interfere with that coordination, leading to imbalance and dysfunction (from hot flashes to IBS to anxiety). Our dancing hormones can start “stepping on each other’s toes”.
- The biggest error that even savvy practitioners make in supporting “adrenal fatigue“.
- Why the type of hormone testing you use matters. A lot! You’ll be surprised why.
- The missing link in helping your patients fully overcome PCOS dynamics.
- A hugely false assumption about menopause and estrogen levels. This is a BIG one.
- The hormonal triple-threat and how it causes Infertility.
- Why women’s fears of estrogen are often misplaced – and what to do to support them.
- The highest-impact supplements I recommend for common hormone imbalances.
Thank you very much for joining in the fun and learning!
With warmth, love, and gratitude to you for sharing your gifts with so many –
P.S. If you are passionate about transforming healthcare through the power of functional medicine, we encourage you to learn more about our training program here.
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I have to say my favorite pearl was the recommendation of Inositol + Vitex. I haven’t been able to conceive for a few years and feel extremely passionate about hormones (how I got to you!) and one thing I have noticed is some minor PCOS “dynamics”. All checks have been negative for PCOS thank God but your suggestion of Inositol will finally allow me to work on any hidden insulin resistance that otherwise would be addressed with Metformin and which I am not in favor of for fertility purposes. Plus Vitex which I am in the process of trying. Thank you!
Balance is key. Thanks for the great info!
Thank you so much for this wisdom, I so appreciated the estrogen dominance conversation, as well as low cortisol and low progesterone.
I got inspired to try the proposed supplements to balance estrogen excess. I have been dealing with premenstrual syndrome and abundant periods all my life. Diet has improved it but yet sometimes it is bad.
I also learned the importance of hormonal test and the type of sample for those tests.
Great pearl: obese clients often have low free cortisol, and high metabolized cortisol…and that body fat is an endocrine hormone that stores cortisol.
Yes, all the hormones work together. It’s about creating a healthy balance in all areas of your life. So glad to be able to learn from you, Tracy. Interesting about full spectrum light and cortisol levels. This will be very helpful for my clients.
Hi Tracey,
The pearl i realy liked today was the understanding of the Guts role in Exit, assessment and control of hormonal health. It was such an intricate dance / balance with components patients would never think of being of such importance. Im very big on explaining the importance of a clear exit for toxicity the body wants out. Your pearl has given a very important and major dimension i will surely use and discover more of. Many thanks.
I really appreciated how you connected the dots , about the dynamic interconnectedness and synergy between the hormones and their effects like the triple threat for infertility : elevated androgen, insulin resistance and low progesterone that exacerbate oestrogen dominance symptoms . And how even standard evidence-based protocols can effect a cascade of responses and are only effective if done systemically in conjunction to target each identified anomaly. Thus, functional practitioners holistically treat the person rather than offer isolated symptomatic treatments.
Understanding that estrogen dominance is more of a clearing problem than an over production problem. Also the prearls on adreanal fatigue and cortisol was very insightful. Thank you!
I love your analogies and how you explain…system functions. The pearl is indirect, teaching clients what is going on on their level is so much more effective than using big words.
SLUGUISH THYROID+SLUGUSH EVERYTHING!!!
So I have been doing cortisol testing and I was really intrigued by the explanation of high cortisol in obese people not showing in the salivary tests, and that it can look to be low. Very interesting! Do you have a course which teaches how to do the DUTCH testing and interpretation?
Cortisol and Melatonin compete and we want high cortisol in the morning to wake and feel refreshed. Low cortisol in the Morning may be a problem for those who oversleep and who do not feel rested.
Thank you for the pearls about full spectrum light effecting Cortisol levels. I have some sleep issues and need to improve my sleep hygiene! I have purchased a pair of blue blockers to use in the evening in attempt to decrease cortisol and increase melatonin. I am looking forward to being able to help my clients in this area as well. Also, I was amazed to learn the connection between cortisol and thyroid hormones!
Honestly, 1) I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve been waiting to understand the value of the supplements Tracy spoke of, Chasteberry (Vitex), DIM and Inositol. I knew only a little about the latter. And 2) hormones really DO feel like rocket science to me today. Reinforcing that they’re a “soup” and thus coexisting in connection and response to each other rather than separately in response to individual situations (eg., infertility vs poor sleep vs etc.) is helpful.
All great info but the comment “stop separating the different hormones because they all work together” was a great pearl.
Thank you for your FB Live event! It was very informative and well planned.
My question is I’m currently a certified clinical medical thermographer and fitness instructor, what course or school would you recommend to increase my functional medicine education? There are so many courses, schools and such to further one’s education but I eventually want to take my thermography patients and assist them further in their wellness journey. Any guidance would be most appreciated.
Thank you.
Functional medicine is newer to me. I am an NP in Canada (Winnipeg, MB). The pearl I learned today thus far is urine testing versus blood. I am super keen to look closer at DUTCH testing and hope to add this to my practice.
Thank you,
Nicole
Now I understand inositol. Thank you.
DIM can make estrogen levels even lower, and can make people’s symptoms WORSE instead of better. I was putting every single patient on DIM who was on estrogen replacement.