Balance in the Body – The Science behind Thyroid and Hormone Treatment and Success

The body is truly an amazing place. Below the surface of your skin, an ecosystem of hormones, sugars, fats, and other compounds try to keep your body in balance. When we are young, our bodies are good at maintaining this balance even if we don’t treat it particularly well.

Over time, age, poor diet, and hormonal fluctuations can tilt the balance toward poor health. These changes are often gradual, and the symptoms of imbalance may be dismissed as “normal aging”.

Do you often forget where you put your keys? Feel like you are going to burst into tears for no reason? Can’t fall asleep even when you feel exhausted? These are not symptoms of normal aging!

If you feel like your mojo has been slowly sucked down the drain, here are some of the primary causes:

Your immune system is supposed to be your personal army, hunting down viruses and keeping you safe. Unfortunately, the immune system can sometimes get confused. In some people (especially post-menopausal women), the immune system mistakes essential thyroid hormone as an intruder. The immune system attacks with everything it’s got, slowly wearing down your thyroid. The result is a condition called Hashimoto’s, which is a type of hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormone plays an integral role in keeping the body balanced. It affects mood, energy, and metabolism. It’s easy to feel “lazy, crazy, and finished” when your thyroid isn’t functioning.

The adrenal glands sit on the top of each kidney and look a little like walnuts. These little glands have a big responsibility in the body. The hormones they release help keep the body balanced, especially when responding to stress. Though we no longer need to run from saber toothed tigers, our days are filled with stress, from traffic to a looming deadline, which causes the adrenal glands to work, and work, and work. By the time most women hit mid-life, their poor adrenal glands are exhausted from constantly being on high alert. As a result, they can no longer muster the energy to secrete the level of hormones the body needs.

Your gut is a microcosm of hormones, bacteria, fungus, and other things that might sound oozy, but are actually extremely important to your health. You digestive system absorbs nutrients and filters out waste. It also houses a big part of your immune system. If your gut is out of whack, the rest of your body will follow, including your brain. When someone’s digestive system is functioning improperly, they may suffer from constipation, depression, brain fog, and even food insensitivities.

The food you put into your body provides either health or sickness. It either nourishes or harms. Post-menopausal women are especially prone to food allergies, including a sensitivity to gluten and lactose. If your hormone balance is off, and your gut is already out of whack, food sensitivities can become even more severe, hitting your body with an extra whammy of discombobulation. Simple blood tests can show if you suffer from food allergies.

When you can’t fall asleep and drag yourself out of bed each day feeling exhausted, the last thing you want to do is exercise! Yet, exercise is a key component to overall health and mental wellness. Your body was made to move. Simple movement, even just walking, strengthens bones and muscles and generates lots of feel good hormones. If you stand still for too long, like going a month without walking further than from your car to the grocery store, you’ll miss out on all of these big benefits.

Attitude is everything. Clients who want to get well are the ones who make changes, stick to better habits, and revel in the rewards of good health. Before you can get better, you have to want to get better and then to commit to get better. Even if you don’t feel great today, try to find something to be thankful for, even if it’s just the fact that you still have time on earth to get better. Gratitude, kindness, and spirituality will all play a major role in your recovery.