Hormone
Balancing
for Women
Dr. Melanie MacIver, ND
Topics
 About
hormones
 Benefits of balanced hormones
 Causes of hormone imbalance
 Bio-identical hormones
 Lifestyle and nutrition tips for balance
 Hormone health quiz
 Q and A
About Hormones
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Chemical messengers in the blood
responsible for metabolism, energy,
reproduction, growth, mood, hunger,
immunity and more
Intricate web of communication between
every hormones and the nervous system, and
all actions of the body
Production begins to decrease in middle age
and continues in a linear fashion until old age
Benefits of Balanced Hormones
Balanced Hormones
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Wake up feeling rested
Energy all day
Clear skin and full hair
Ideal weight
Healthy sex drive
Regular cycles for women
Good cognitive function
Balanced cholesterol
Good immune system and healing capacity
Signs of Hormone Imbalance
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Inflammation
Sleep disturbances
Allergies
Water retention
Infertility
Hair loss
Miscarriages
Irregular menses
Abdominal fat
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Anxiety
Depression
High cholesterol
Osteoporosis
Low sex drive
Hot flashes
PMS
Blood sugar issues
Concentration
difficulties
Causes of Hormone
Imbalance
How Did My Hormones
Become Imbalanced?
 Imbalance
is on the rise
 The hormonal (endocrine) system is
especially sensitive to the problems of
today’s lifestyle
 Toxic environment
 High stress lifestyle
Toxic Environment
 Dead
and chemical foods hard to
process
 Numerous additives, preservatives,
colourings, and flavourings in food
 Heavy metals from environment block
hormone making enzymes
 Estrogen mimicking plastics and pesticides
bind strongly to estrogen receptors
High Stress Lifestyle
 Stress
is necessary to push us to perform.
The problem is when stress is too high,
prolonged or accumulates
 The stress hormone cortisol has significant
effects on other hormone systems
 When excess cortisol is produced less
female hormones are made (especially
after menopause), less thyroid converted
and more food is stored as fat
Menopause and Stress
 Adrenal
gland makes cortisol and
estrogen after menopause
 Excess stress= excess cortisol produced so
not enough estrogen
 Body ‘steals’ progesterone precursor to
make cortisol, so not enough
progesterone
 DHEA production inverse to cortisol, so not
enough DHEA
More Causes of Imbalance
 Artificial
lighting
 Lack of mineral cofactors from food
 Less restorative sleep/ shift work
 Medications including hormones,
prednisone, long term antibiotic use
 Lack of exercise
Bio-identical Hormones
Bio-identical Hormones
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Synthesized hormones identical to those our
body produces
Another tool in the naturopathic tool belt
Help many women reduce hormonal
symptoms
Work nicely with herbal medicine
Thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA,
cortisol and testosterone can be prescribed
Customized for each individual patient
Important to receive comprehensive testing
and risk assessment before beginning
Hormone Balancing Tips
Lifestyle and Nutrition Tips
 Sleep
 Support
circadian rhythm and follow a
routine
 Liver and digestive support
 Stress reduction
 Exercise
Good Sleep is Healing
 Good
sleep necessary to heal and detox
 Sleep until 9 am if possible (cortisol)
 Sleepy herbs and calming amino acids if
necessary
Support Circadian Rhythm
 Adrenals
especially involved, and cortisol/
melatonin hormones
 Go outside in the daytime
 Sleep in a totally dark room
 Support melatonin production and
consider a supplement if shift work history
 Follow a regular routine for meals and
sleep
Liver and Digestive Support
 Take
herbs to support your liver (milk
thistle, rosemary, schizandra)
 Eat freshly ground flax seeds 5 x week
 Eat organic dairy and meat
 Include enough good fats, protein, and
mineral cofactors in diet, or supplement
 Consider a probiotic
 Cleanse it out!
Stress Management
 Reduce
if possible!
 Nervous system tonic or Reba emotional
homeopathics
 Exercise, yoga, meditation
 Eat breakfast
Are Your Hormones Balanced?
 Hormone
questionnaire
 24 hr urine test
 Blood work or saliva testing
Our Hormone Balancing
Programs
 Unique
integrated one year programs
 ND partnered with MD
 Regular and Unlimited visits programs
 Includes initial assessment, 24 hr urine
hormone test, any indicated conventional
blood testing, test results follow up, and
four additional follow ups that year
Hormone Health Quiz
Progesterone Deficiency
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PMS
Painful and/or lumpy breasts
Insomnia
Early miscarriage
Unexplained weight gain
Cyclical headaches
Anxiety
Infertility
Water retention
Estrogen Deficiency
 Vaginal
dryness
 Night sweats
 Painful intercourse
 Memory problems
 Bladder infections
 Lethargic depression
 Hot flashes
Excess Estrogen
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Puffiness and bloating
Abnormal pap smear
Rapid weight gain
Breast tenderness
Mood swings
Heavy bleeding
Anxious depression
Migraine headaches
Insomnia
Foggy thinking
Red flush on face
Gallbladder problems
Weepines
Excess Androgens
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Acne
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Excessive hair on the face and arms
Hypoglycemia and/or unstable blood sugar
Thinning hair on the head
Infertility
Ovarian cysts
Mid-cycle pain
Cortisol Deficiency
 Debilitating
fatigue
 Unstable blood sugar
 Foggy thinking
 Low blood pressure
 Thin and/or dry skin
 Intolerance to exercise
 Brown spots on face
 Frequent infections
Questions?
www.kineticpatterns.ca