Hormones out of whack? It all starts with your Gut Health

I have been SUPER drawn to the connection of Gut-, Brain- and Hormonal health and I've dug into the science behind it to understand the whole process a bit better. Also, having experienced hormonal problems myself, this subject is VERY important, not just for my own sake but to others out there too that might not be aware of what unhealthy microbiome causes.

Hormones are the most potent chemical messengers in our bodies, telling our body what to do and when. That’s why when our hormones are out of balance, we may be able to feel the effects, whether it be via insomnia, fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, or mood swings. Fortunately, these imbalances are reversible— by learning how to balance hormones naturally and turning your hormonal imbalance around is the way I recommend!

First, I'd like to share my story:

I didn't actually have my period for about 12 years. Whaaaat?! Yes, imagine that! After my son was born in 2005, my period pretty much disappeared. I actually enjoyed it immensely at first, because there was just faaaar less hassle when I didn't have my period. I'm sure my fellow ladiez out there can relate, right? However, I obviously knew deep down that something was wrong, but I kind of shrugged it off thinking 'they'll return when the time is right'. Well, they didn't really and years went on.

Now, looking back at my situation then, it is very clear what was going on. I was simply stressed which I didn't even realize back then and, I would call myself 'a 24/7 Worrier' (another long story). Also, my gut was out of whack. Even though I was living a pretty much healthy lifestyle already, my diet wasn't optimal for me. Too much sugar. Period. And gluten, and dairy and... Oh boy, I feel bloated even just thinking about it.

"If your gut microbiome is out of whack, you are pretty much out of whack. It affects EVERYTHING in your body!"

Anyhow, I got examined many times during the 12-year No-Period- timespan, but tests always came back negative. "Your hormones are fine, you're fine, you look fine". That's the answer I kept getting. Well, I knew I wasn't. It turned out that one of the toughest times of my life, the blessing in disguise, happening in 2008, ended up being my savior => due to suffering from many stress-factors such as moving back to Finland in 2007 after having spent 12 years abroad, a divorce soon after, changing jobs etc. my body literally made me stop. I fell ill. My vessel just gave up. Yersinia infection triggered reactive arthritis and at one point, I couldn't actually walk for about eight months without crutches. Inflammation, it was all about inflammation honey. I was literally 'in flames'. That was my wake-up call and the beginning of my 'body reconstruction'- journey.

I had to start from scratch as the medical professionals couldn't help me. In fact, I was labeled as delusional, 'having it all in between my ears' and imagining all the symptoms. Not so pleasant experience...! Anyway, I decided to say f*** off (excuse my french) to naysayers and started searching on the internet. I read and read and read, gathered information about our wise body and ended up going gluten-, milk- and sugarfree and started a daily yoga practice. It didn't happen all overnight. Oh no.., every time I ended up eating something not ideal for me I immediately suffered. Basically, I felt like s**t for few days. Stomach pains, diarrhea, bloating, headaches, fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, you name it. So, I kept learning my lesson, painfully slowly. You fall, you get back up again and start all over again. The only way up for sure!

In 2010 I visited an antioxidant clinic where they prescribe vitamins and minerals to patients, not medicine (yey!). Finally, I got the proof that I indeed had inflammation in my body, still after two years. Anyway, I kept going on with my diet, yoga and also got on the spiritual growth journey meditating more. I also started eliminating pretty much all the things from around me that weren't serving me. Be it from toxic skincare products, household cleaning products to relationships, situations and outdated thought patterns and beliefs. Then, fast forward to 2017, my period returned. Boom, Thank You Universe!

When I took charge of my life & health and listened to my intuition & gut feeling what it was telling me: to clean my diet, introduce other healing modalities and stick with my daily practices, I strongly believe that is exactly how my hormone levels, especially estrogen, got back into balance.

Now, just know that your journey doesn't have to be as long as mine! This is why I shared my story and the information here so that you know what to do and which direction to go, to get help.

What to look out for?

So Gut Health Imbalance (dysbiosis) is a huge problem that has not been talked about enough, I feel. So many of us suffer silently as we have no clue why we may be suffering. The following symptoms (just to name a few) may just switch that lightbulb on for you:

- Tiredness, Sluggishness, Fatigue

- Brain fog, Forgetting things

- Hair loss

- Mood swings

- Low libido, both women and men (low testosterone levels in men can sometimes lead to a condition called gynecomastia, the development of larger breasts)

- Anxiety

- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

- Trouble sleeping

- Different Digestive issues

- Skin and Hair changes

- PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis

Simply put: gut bacteria is the key factor regarding various functions including gastrointestinal (GI) motility, metabolism, nutrition, immunity, and the neuroendocrine system. (Reference)

For example, leaky gut and other gut imbalances can impact hormones including estrogen by disrupting estrobolome. Estrobolome is the collection of microbes capable of metabolizing estrogens. The estrobolome modulates the enterohepatic circulation of estrogens and affects circulating and excreted estrogen levels.

So, when the gut microbiome is healthy, the estrobolome produces just the right amount of beta-glucuronidase to maintain estrogen homeostasis. However, when gut dysbiosis is present, beta-glucuronidase activity may be altered. This produces either a deficiency or an excess of free estrogen promoting the development of estrogen-related pathologies. (Reference)

"Gut dysbiosis is linked to estrogen-related diseases"

Estrogen plays many vital roles in the human body. It regulates body fat deposition, female reproductive function, cardiovascular health, bone turnover, and cell replication. Gut dysbiosis has the potential to alter the estrobolome, disrupt estrogen homeostasis, and impair these processes, promoting the development of chronic diseases.

It is rather alarming that in postmenopausal women, estrobolome disruption is associated with an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. (References 1, 2, 3)

So, it is clear that restoring our gut is vital to our overall health. Happy gut, happy mind, happy body!

What can you do to restore your gut health naturally?

Firstly, as I'm not a health care specialist always consult your health care provider before you do any BIG changes. Especially, if you are on medication of any sort.

Secondly, it is essential to mention that some women may greatly benefit from e.g. Bioidentical hormones. They are made from plant estrogens thereby they are identical chemically to those our bodies produce naturally.

And hey, even if you’re not struggling with a hormonal imbalance, considering how deeply your microbiome impacts your overall health, it’s a good idea to start incorporating some of these daily practices into your routine, anyway. They certainly won't do any harm!

1. Incorporate Healthy Fats into your diet and Limit your Sugar intake

Adding healthy polyunsaturated fats to your diet, such as Sunflower, Sesame, and Pumpkin seeds, Flaxseeds, Walnuts, Pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) and fish oil. For vegans e.g. Avocados, Flaxseed, Olive oil and Coconut oil. Without adequate healthy fats in your diet, you’re more likely to have low leptin levels, which can induce overeating and an inability to feel satiated. And, remember that our brain is composed of 75% water and 60% fat so we need fat for our brain to function optimally too!

Talking about brain health, I came across a documentary few days ago where a doctor revealed that it has been demonstrated that fungal components can be found in post-mortem brain tissue from patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (more: Reference). Hence, the toxins and bad bacteria from the gut flow to the brain, eventually. Imagine that!

Then, my favorite subject, sugar... As this is a vast subject I will actually dedicate my next blog post entirely to sugar.

Sugar hurts a healthy gut. Loud and clear! Diets high in sugar increase chronic inflammation as sugar contributes to the formation of harmful biochemical compounds that spike inflammation (Reference). Sugar elevates cholesterol, which is also linked to increased inflammation. Sugar and refined carbohydrates clearly cause unhealthful, inflammation-boosting changes to gut bacteria—nowadays recognized as a key regulator of overall health (Reference).

2. Get some Adaptogenic herbs

Next time you grab a coffee or matcha or when having your smoothie (or when preparing raw treats perhaps, like energy balls) try adding in some adaptogenic herbs. Adaptogens have been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, a stress hormone secreted from our glands when we experience stress. Few recommendations:

• He Shou Wu – nourishes blood, supports circulation and sexual function. • Ashwagandha – supports hormonal balance, steady moods and reduces anxiety. I'm a big fan! • Maca – increases energy, supports stamina and libido. • Schisandra – improves rest and sexual vitality. • Chinese Licorice – increases circulation and enhances the function/assimilation of herbs.

3. Take a high-quality probiotic and incorporate fermented foods

Taking a probiotic can help balance your gut microbiome and the amount of “good” versus “bad” bacteria that live in your system. The greater the “good” bacteria, the easier it is on your digestive system to process food. Probiotics can also lessen the impact chronic stressors may have on our stress response system, which is why probiotics are starting to be considered a form of treatment for those dealing with depression and anxiety. (Reference)

Then, fermented foods (contain live bacteria) also aid in the regulation of gut bacteria. I'm talking about Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Tempeh, Miso and Kombucha, for example.

4. Supplement with Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you may think, with over a billion people worldwide suffering from either a deficient or insufficient supply of this critical vitamin. Vitamin D plays an extremely important role in a number of bodily functions, such as immune function, cell differentiation, and inflammatory response. Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk in colon, prostate, and breast cancer, as well as tuberculosis, influenza, and heart disease. (Reference + more)

Ideally, we would get our daily dose of Vitamin D from 10 to 30 minutes of uninterrupted sun exposure, but this is unrealistic for most, that’s why it’s important to take a Vitamin D3 supplement and eat foods rich in Vitamin D, such as eggs and salmon. Or for vegans, fortified almond- and rice milk, mushrooms and tofu.

It’s also important to note that as we age, our production of Vitamin D decreases, so make sure you’re monitoring your levels and getting them checked by your health care provider.

5. GET enough sleep

When life is busy, often the first thing we sacrifice is sleep. Not good! Sleep or rather inadequate sleep quickly throws our body off balance.

For many of us, 10 or 12 hours might be hard to achieve, but getting 8 hours of sleep per night will do the world of good already. The benefits of adequate sleep will not only increase your glucose metabolism and leptin concentrations but increase your body’s secretion of growth hormones responsible for cell reproduction and regeneration, which all take place during periods of rest. There is plenty of scientific proof of what sleep deprivation causes. (Reference, more+ here too)

Conclusion: make sure you do get an efficient amount of sleep. You'll do yourself a BIG favor!

6. Get rid of all toxic cosmetics, skin- & hair products and household cleaning products

Yes, this is a big thing too. Toxins are everywhere and you will be so much better of with just putting natural and organic products on your skin and also getting yourself some quality essential oils (Reference). BUT, you have to be very mindful of where you get your oils from. Even though a company claims that they do third-party testing, it doesn't always mean that the oils are 100% pure. Sad but true (Reference)!

Anyhow, I bet you’ve already heard about all the hidden chemicals and health risks surrounding so many of the beauty and skincare products on the market, but what ingredients do you actually have to be aware of? Here's a quick list:

1. Parabens

They can appear in different forms, so here’s what you want to look out for:

benzylparaben, butyiparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben

2. Phthalates

3. Benzoyl Peroxide

4. Triclosan

5. Resorcinol

6. Hydroquinone

7. Petroleum a nasty one. It pops up in so many cosmetics products, it’s not funny. And yes, it’s the very same substance from which your motor oil is made (!?!), mega YUK! It hides behind many names that you should familiarize yourself with. They are:

Petrolatum, Xylene, Toluene, Mineral oil and Liquid paraffin

8. Methylisothiazolinone

9. Oxybenzone

10. Artificial Dyes and Synthetic Colors

Bit of a mouthful that list, eh? But vital to remember.

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Though this post only scratched the surface of 'the world of gut health', I truly hope it helped you in some way or, it might just help someone close to you. Don't hesitate to share!

Mucho Love,

Pia