How to feel better in menopause!

 The hormone estrogen plays a vital role in women's health throughout their lifespan- and is often part of the reason symptoms of aging begin to occur as estrogen levels naturally decline. Let's take a look at why estrogen is so important & warning signs to watch for when levels start to decline.
Why estrogen is so important
Estrogen in females helps to control the reproductive system & other body systems throughout our life. The ovaries, adrenal glands & fat tissues produce estrogen. Both females and males produce this hormone, but females create more of it.

Estrogen plays a huge part in your menstrual cycle, getting pregnant, bone development & hair growth. It also helps regulate your moods & impacts your brain development! Consistent low estrogen levels may mean that you’re going through a natural change, like menopause.

What causes low estrogen levels?
While the most common reason for low estrogen is the natural aging process, other factors can contribute. Here are some of the most common:

Autoimmune disease
These diseases attack your ovaries which hinder the production of estrogen.

Genetic conditions
Suffering from conditions such as Turner Syndrome & Fragile X have been linked to low estrogen levels.

Eating disorders
Both anorexia & bulimia deprive the body of the nutrients it needs to function properly. This can lead to imbalanced hormones & low estrogen levels.

Treatments that impact the ovaries
Damage or removal of the ovaries, such as a complete hysterectomy, can greatly affect how much estrogen your body produces.

Symptoms of low estrogen
The symptoms associated with low estrogen in your reproductive years overlap with common symptoms associated with menopause and postmenopause.

 Be sure to watch for these signs which point to low estrogen levels in the body:

 Weight gain

Estrogen helps regulate body fat & how it's stored. When estrogen levels drop, you may see an increase in fat storage.

 

Painful sex
When levels are low, you will likely experience vaginal dryness, leading to pain during intercourse. Many women also report a decrease in their sex drive when levels are off.

 

Hot flashes
Estrogen plays a vital role in the part of your brain that controls your body temperature. When levels are low, your body temperature rises, resulting in night sweats & hot flashes.

Mental health problems
Estrogen helps to regulate your mood. If you're experiencing sudden mood swings, anxiety or depression, estrogen levels could be to blame. These symptoms are normally worsened if you have a history of mental health issues.

Fatigue

Estrogen improves the quality of sleep, reduces the time to fall asleep & increases the amount of REM sleep. If your levels are off it can greatly impact the quality & amount of zzzz's your body can get. #straight2uwellness #menopauserelief #hotflashes #weightgain 

Stubborn belly fat?

Hormones are responsible for so many key things in your body, but did you know they are also linked to stubborn belly fat?

If you've been trying everything to slim down for summer and you're still not seeing the results that you have hoped for your hormones may be to blame!

Beyond diet & exercise
This time of year is one of the most sought-after for diet & exercise so you can have results for bikini season. Even the most dedicated individuals can eat 100% clean, exercise daily and still not see the results they should be.

Our bodies produce all types of hormones to keep us healthy. However, if certain hormones are higher or lower it can cause you a lot of trouble when you're trying to lose weight. Some of the most important hormones when it comes to weight loss are:

 

Estrogen
This hormone assists your body in managing your weight. During menopause, it's normal to see a dip in estradiol, a hormone that helps your body maintain a healthy weight and regulate your metabolism. When estrogen levels are low it can actually change where your body stores fat. Normally when your body stores fat it's in the thighs & the hips. But once estrogen starts to decline the fat storage shifts to visceral fat in your belly. Visceral fat is deeper and much harder to remove, it also increases your risk for disease.

 

Leptin
This hormone helps regulate your appetite by signaling your brain when it feels hungry. It also functions to burn calories and determine how much fat you store. Leptin resistance can occur which can lead your brain to constantly think you're hungry, leading to overeating and weight gain. This is a big reason why some diets don't help you lose weight long-term. When you start to lose weight leptin levels decrease which causes your body to think you're hungry so you consume more calories. 

How HRT May help
Most people think to lose those inches they just need to eat better and spend more time in the gym. However, getting to the root cause of the problem in the first place should be addressed. If your stubborn belly fat is being caused by a hormone imbalance bio-identical hormone optimization can help.

Bioidentical Pellet Therapy is a hormone replacement method in which replaces the natural hormones men and women lose over time. The procedure uses pellets that contain either estradiol or testosterone, they are pressed, or fused into tiny solid cylinders. Once administered they deliver consistent and healthy levels of hormones for 3-5 months in women and 4-6 months in men. This treatment can help your body redistribute this fat to different areas on your body, rather than your abdominal area.

Talking to your Provider about having your hormone levels checked can help determine if a hormone imbalance could be the cause of the fatigue you're experiencing. Take the first step by taking our hormone self-assesment quiz. for yourself or your partner. Bioidentical hormone optimization may be the answer you've been looking for if you want to safely & naturally help get rid of stubborn belly fat!  #straight2uwellness #HTCA #hormones #wellness #weightloss 

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